Second Class - Not so bad!

USNA Second Class Parent’s Weekend!

2009-09-15T19:07:00.002-05:00

Ahhh… a hug from my step son is one of the most wonderful things I can think of. This past weekend Jeff and I traveled to Annapolis Maryland to visit Garrett for the Second Class Parent’s weekend.

We’d planned this trip since it was posted on the Naval Academy website early in the year. We saved and cut back so we could go and enjoy our time with Garrett. He was so happy to see us too! It was great to see that excitement in his eyes.

We arrived on Thursday and got the chance to meet him in the rotunda at Bancroft hall so he could take us down to show us the class rings on display. He’d already picked out what he wanted but asked my opinion on his combat ring. I helped him pick out a piece of granite from Bancroft hall itself to be placed in that ring. It was a great honor for me to be asked my opinion in this as it’s going to be something he’ll have the rest of his life! He really knows how to butter this girl’s bread I tell ya! The combat ring is the ring he will wear while on missions or while deployed, etc. This is not the super expensive ring that he will wear for special occasions. Garrett models both rings below.

Thursday night Garrett decided to stay in and study. I can only imagine this was a tough decision knowing we were just a few short miles away. Friday morning we met Garrett for class. We were allowed to attend each class with him and even had lunch in the chow hall! It was all quite an experience in stair climbing and gastronomy! Jeff and I were able to keep up in just one of his classes – statistics, however minimally. The other three courses were nearly over our heads though we were able to understand a few concepts here and there.

Garrett and other mids taking notes… notice the nonchalant parent with his hands behind his head… so relaxed. He must have understood the stuff we didn’t.

Off to lunch! But not before checking in on the Plebes in Garrett’s company!

He’s quite respectful of the newbies on deck. I can tell by how they look at him that he is respected.

Now it’s time to head to the chow hall. You should have seen Garrett’s eyes light up when he realized that they were serving one of their best meals – buffalo chicken sandwiches, chips and ice cream!

AND! Check out the china!

Aww, come on! You know me! I had to get a photo of the china!

Then it was off for the day. We ran a lot of errands, shopped in the Midshipman’s store then went for a great dinner at Fogo de Chao!

After the first 29 helpings I lost track of whether or not Garrett ate that whole spit of meat… even the next day he would stop and say, “whoa, I was just remembering how great last night’s dinner was!”

Saturday we went to the Navy football game where we were able to witness the “march on”. This is when all the midshipmen march onto the field by company. They all sit together in one big mass of white! When Navy scores a goal, they run onto the field and do pushups! Impressive!

Sunday we went to the Maryland Renaissance Festival! This is a favorite of Jeff and Garrett’s. They’ve been to the one here in MN and decided that Maryland was just as good with prices being cheaper on the east coast for food.

Soon, it was time to say goodbye for now. We shared hugs and, as always, a photo of the last sight of him entering Bancroft Hall.

As Jeff and I walked away we could hear the plebes being rated on “what’s for dinner”. We giggled. Garrett doesn’t have to do that anymore.

PS - Happy Birthday Grandma!!

It's a pretty big deal! Two For Seven!

2009-08-30T08:07:00.003-05:00

Last week Garrett signed what they call his "two for seven" papers. This means that he will now complete two more years at the Academy and will owe 5 years of service to the Navy. This is a pretty big deal and not everyone signs.

Too bad the Navy can't afford a better camera. :)

Triatholon Stats

2009-03-31T15:09:00.002-05:00

In his age section of Male 15-29, Garrett came in 14th and 89th overall in the competition. His time was 5 hours, 17 minutes and 17 Seconds.

Grandma and Grandpa Griffin where there to cheer him on!!

"The Only Easy Day Was Yesterday!"

2009-03-30T15:32:00.005-05:00

Garrett participated in and finished the SuperFrog Triathalon XXXI!

Results and thoughts to come!!

Last Night's Dinner - Success!

2009-03-21T09:28:00.001-05:00

I wanted to post this here because when Garrett is home we do a lot of home cooking. He loves it and, well, so do I.

Last night we planned to grill out but it rained... here is what we had to improvise with:

That made up dinner on Friday night when we couldn’t grill.

What I had in the house:
Linguini noodles – roasted garlic flavor from Trader Joe’s
Onion
½ jar marinara sauce
Garlic cloves
Pine nuts
Olive oil
Butter
Garlic powder (don’t use garlic salt as a sub)
Parmesan cheese
Frozen cooked shrimp – thawed and warmed (about 2 minutes in the microwave – don’t overdo this or you will have shrimp flavored rubber)
White wine
Black olives
Sea salt
Fresh ground pepper

What I had to buy:
Bagged salad – Caesar lite
Mozzarella cheese - shredded
Fresh basil
Green pepper
Mushrooms (I was kind and didn’t use these on your portion)
Fresh baby tomatoes (again, my kindness showed)
1 loaf Italian bread (have the bakery slice it if it isn’t)

A nice glass of wine is splendid whilst cooking, but not necessary.

Directions:
1. Dice the onion and green pepper and stir fry in 2 tbs butter and about ½ cup white wine until edges are browned a little. Veggies should be cooked through.
2. Do the same with mushrooms in separate pan (mushrooms are mostly water so they will turn other veggies soupy if not cooked on their own.)
3. When these are done cooking, set aside in pans to cool.
4. Chop black olives into small pieces.

Directions for the bread:
1. Slice bread into ½ slices (or so, no need to be so picky on this, jeez!)
2. Spread with room temp butter and sprinkle with garlic powder – do this on both sides of the bread and bake at 300 degrees for about 10 minutes on each side – or until you see it getting toasty. Feel free to touch it to see if it’s toasty enough. When done, remove from oven but leave on the pan and leave oven on.

Directions for the pesto:
1. While bread is baking make the pesto – yes, I am the queen of multitasking!
a. in a food grinder combine: 1 package of fresh basil from the market or about 20 leaves if purchased on its own, 4 cloves peeled garlic or 2 tbs minced garlic from a jar, ¼ - ½ cup shredded parmesan cheese, about 5 tbs pine nuts (can sub walnuts or pecans if pine nuts cannot be found), olive oil and about 2 tsp sea salt. Grind the crap out of this! Remember the consistency I showed you – add olive oil as necessary to get the desired consistency. This can be kept in a sealed glass jar in the fridge or a few months. It’s strong so don’t keep it in a plastic container or the container will take on the odor of the pesto.

2. Spread the pesto on the bread along with a few small spoons of the marinara sauce, and top with toppings: green pepper & onion mixture, mushrooms, black olives, tomatoes then add fresh mozzarella cheese – return to oven to bake until the cheese is melted and brownish – about 10 minutes or so.

Cook pasta until done to your liking and drain – don’t rinse. (this can be done while making the pesto)

Mix salad and place in bowls.

Plate your meal:
b. Place pasta on the plate and top with remaining cooked veggies, a bit of the marinara sauce and shrimp and grind a bit of fresh pepper on top
c. Add bread and serve
d. Receive accolades humbly but proudly!

So... this morning Garrett says to me, he says...

2009-03-19T18:11:00.002-05:00

G: You just posted to the blog?
Me: Yep, I put up a book shelf! It's cool and I didn' t even need power tools!
G: Huh? A bookshelf on my blog? Hey, I noticed that it hasn't been updated lately, what's up with that?
Me: Umm... maybe because you tell your dad everything and things get lost in translation?
G: Hmm... guess you're right. How about telling people about me doing the dive screener or the blah-blah-blah screener? (note: he said things that were not blah-blah-blah but I only understood part of it so it turned into Charlie Brown's teacher speak in my head)
Me: Can you explain what those are? In English please?
Dad: It's where they weed out the non-hackers!!
Me: Oh! (nodding convincingly like I knew of what he spoke)
G: Yeah! It's that!!

Ok, so, I promise to get more information from the boy and post it here and there will be photos I'm sure. I will also do my best to translate things to English. He's home in MN for the tail end of his spring break - back to Annapolis on Sunday morning.

2009? How did that happen?

2009-02-03T19:06:00.004-06:00

Much has transpired since last I posted to Garrett's blog! Since our summer trip to the lake Garrett has been busy at the Academy with Water Polo (his team travels a lot for tournaments), course work, biking (he purchased a Trek this fall and has been burning up the streets of Annapolis), hiking and camping (he and a friend camped at the Grand Canyon over the Thanksgiving holiday), bowling (the one sport that Dad and Tracy can still beat him in - not for long we suspect), eating great holiday treats (Garrett and Dad kept the tradition of decorating the annual gingerbread house) and spending time with family.

Summer Vacation! Lake Kabetogama, MN

2008-07-10T09:36:00.002-05:00

Well-deserved! That's how I'd describe Garrett's summer vacation with us here in Minnesota, just south of the Canadian border. Before Garrett entered USNA we vacationed at a resort called Pine Tree Cove on beautiful Lake Kabetogama. If you're reading this, Hi Sam and Joan and Missy!!

Our 7 days at the resort included bike rides, good food, good friends, fishing, reading, movie watching, napping and just being together as a family. It's been so fun to watch Garrett come and go to and from the Academy. He's such a man now... yet, still rolls around with his dad on the floor in good old fashioned wrestling matches - though Garrett has many more moves to pull now!

Enjoy some photos of G at the lake! We hope you're all well and happy!

Love,

Jeff and Tracy - and Garrett!

Soon to be: Plebe No More!

2008-05-05T17:44:00.004-05:00

Nearing the end of his first year at USNA, Garrett is facing a new right of passage; that of becoming "Plebe No More". This coming Friday, May 9th, will be Garrett's last day of classes of his first year at the Naval Academy. After that, he will board a boat and commence his first block of the summer - a YP (Yard Patrol) Cruise. From what we have learned, this will be a time filled with learning more and practicing known seamanship skills, leadership skills and sleeping on a moving vessel skills. This block will last about 4 weeks then he'll get a bit of a break and will then commence his second block of the summer - a Gray Hull Cruise. This time will be spent on a Navy ship somewhere in the ocean. It is assumed that more of the above skills will be practiced and learned during this time.

During the last few months Garrett has been studying hard and doing very well in his classes! He's been practicing and playing with the water polo team and pulling many many shifts of watch duty. Grandma and Grandpa Griffin were out to visit Garrett in April and Jeff was there in January over the President's Day weekend. While Jeff was there Garrett was able to get an overnight pass and they both bunked with Garrett's sponsor family - thanks Gross family!

Where did the holiday season go?

2008-01-29T17:27:00.000-06:00

It's hard to believe that my last post was Thanksgiving! I know I'm getting older because I seem to be saying more and more often, "my how time flies"!

Garrett was home for the holidays and we had a great time! During the time we had together we packed as much into the days as possible with trips to the Mall of America, bowling, being in the Hollidazzle parade and much much more! I think my favorite time was spent just sitting back and watching Jeff and Garrett interacting, talking about the academy, the intricacies of XBox hockey, and the best way to enjoy a good burrito.

Garrett really seemed to enjoy time with Virgil too. I know Virgil doesn't completely love to be cuddled but he seemed to indulge Garrett, somehow knowing that G just needed to hug and squeeze him. Virgil really enjoyed sniffing all the new smells that Garrett brought back with him from Baltimore! Nothing better to a cat than the aroma of a well-traveled core fram!

More to come...

Sleep! Glorious Sleep!

2007-11-29T12:27:00.000-06:00

We welcomed Garrett home with open arms Wednesday the 21st of November. He flew in his uniform so everyone at the airport seemed to stare at the handsome man in uniform. Garrett says that nobody in Baltimore stares at him, but they're used to seeing his kind out there since there are thousands of people in uniform roaming the streets and shops.

Our first stop was Wal-Mart to find the boy some pants! The only civilian clothes he had in MN were the clothes he wore to Induction Day in late June. He was wearing shorts! Those just wouldn't fly in November in Minnesota. After a quick stop at Wal-Mart and fish tacos at Baja Sol, we went home to create our usual Griffin pile laying together to watch movies, talk and just be together. It was perfect to have Garrett home!

The next morning my parents came over for our Thanksgiving feast! This was my first attempt at the Thanksgiving bird on my own, and it was great - if I do say so myself! Although my turkey didn't wear her bikini to the table, she was the talk of the meal. The menu? I thought you'd never ask:

Slow Roasted Turkey with sausage stuffing
Spiral Sliced Ham
Mashed Potatoes with Gravy
Squash with roasted marshmallows
Green Bean Casserole
Creamed Red and While Pearl Onions
Cole Slaw
Cranberries
Pickles
Olives
Wine
Pumpkin Pie

After dinner Garrett fell asleep on the couch under our USNA blanket, pretty appropriate! However, one should know never to fall asleep with bare feet! Evil step mom created a lovely little choir on his toes while he napped!

A great time was had by all!
Only a few short weeks until G is home for Christmas!

T Minus 8 Days... but who's counting?

2007-11-13T16:55:00.001-06:00

Well, we are of course! Garrett will arrive in Minnesota the evening of November 21st! We are simply beside ourselves with excitement! Here was our conversation last night... Jeff: "this year I want to cook the bird, okay?" Tracy: "honey, do you really think that Thanksgiving is the day to try cooking your very first Turkey?" Jeff: "Why not?" Tracy: "Okay, how will you prepare it?" Jeff: "I think I'll boil it!" Umm, okay... that's SO NOT happening at our house!

We plan a meal of ham and turkey, green bean casserole, home made buns, cole slaw, mashed potatoes, squash, gravy, pickles, onions, and the traditional pumpkin pie! We hope Garrett is pleased... after all, it's got to beat the "cod dog" he's been served for dinner recently .

Happy Thanksgiving to you all! With our love, and thanks... for having you in our lives.

Jeff & Tracy

Time slips away so quickly!

2007-10-29T17:54:00.000-05:00

Here we are, near the end of October and I realize I haven't updated our blog in over a month. My apologies! The month of October has been a bit of a whirlwind with traveling to Wisconsin to visit Jeff's father's side of the family... Hi Aunties and Uncles! Then Jeff's parents came to stay with us for an all too short of a time over a long weekend. Now Jeff is entering "crunch" at work and I've been working on a huge project here at my work... life is busy and, to be honest, we love it all!

We talk with Garrett almost every day. He's doing well and I think he's finally settling into a groove at the Academy. He's managing his time well with a nice balance of academics, sports and recreation. He's made some friends with whom he spends some of his liberty time. He also is taking good advantage of the quiet time at the home of his host family. I am currently Garrett's full-time proofreader for his English and History papers. Our next assignment is on Macbeth! Wish me luck! Oh, and wish Garrett luck too!

G is coming home for Thanksgiving where we will spend the day with my parents celebrating our Thankfulness to God for his blessings to us over the year... and also celebrating Garrett's 18th birthday! Thanks to a very generous sister (you know who you are) - Garrett will be with us for his 18th birthday! :) I can't wait to hug that boy!!

Much love to you all and thanks as well, for the well wishes, thoughts and prayers you send our way and Garrett's way.

Mid-Speak of the Week! - Accidentally Rated!

2007-09-26T12:25:00.000-05:00

Rate: When used as a noun, means designated military or professional information a plebe is required to know.

Chow Calls: Plebe rates; 10 minutes and 5 minutes before breakfast and lunch if formations are inside; 12 minutes and seven minutes if formations are outside; plebes quickly recite (1) where formation is (inside or outside) , (2) the uniform for the formation, (3) the menu for the meal, (4) the midshipman and officer on duty for the day, (5) the week's professional topic, and (6) the day's major events on the Yard; abhorred by all plebes; abhorred by upper class who like peace and quiet.

I accidentally "rated" Garrett the other day when I asked him how many days until Thanksgiving. His response is below:

"64 days until thanksgiving leave, 74 days until navy beats army in football, 87 days until x-mas leave, 178 days until spring break, infinity plus OT8 days until herndon, 242 days until second class ring dance, and 248 days until 2008 graduation and commissioning."

Sorry G. I had no idea what I was doing. :)

Just News... for now

2007-09-20T12:27:00.000-05:00

Hello Everyone!

I just have time for a quick update on our boy. He's doing very well! G's time is monopolized by school work right now (about 90%). Water Polo is strenuous but worth the work and his game play is improving!

Keep the cards, letters and care packages coming! He loves 'em!

Jeff & Tracy

Mid-Speak of the Week!

2007-09-12T12:03:00.001-05:00

MICE. Yup. They got 'em at USNA.

"Mice": Real ones; they are Bancroft Hall's most tenured, most adaptable, most tenacious, most resilient residents; catching them ranks among the midshipmen's relentless pursuits.

"Dive School": Practice of throwing live mice caught in Bancroft Hall into toilets to see if they can swim; they can't. (our apologies to PETA)

"Jump School": Practice of throwing live mice caught in Bancroft Hall out of windows to see if they can fly; they can't.

Disclaimer: no mice or frogs were harmed in the posting of this message.

Mid-Speak of the Week!

2007-09-05T12:33:00.000-05:00

Who could forget about "Mid-Speak of the Week?" I have to admit, getting back into blogging after parent's weekend has been tough, but I'm back with a sense of commitment to our faithful readers! Here are a few funny vocabulary words you might hear eek out of Garrett next time you see him:

"Go Fasters" - 1) running shoes issued Plebe Summer that no one ever seems to wear again. 2) generic term for any running sneakers.

"Geekers" - Eyeglass frames issued to all midshipmen requiring eyesight correction; often called 'BCG's' - because of their effect on the opposite sex: birth control glasses.

"Lock it up!" - Usually said with one fist held clenched above one's head; means, quite simply, 'shut up!'

Adult Decisions...

2007-08-30T12:16:00.000-05:00

Garrett just can't leave the H2O!

Over the past 2 weeks or so, Garrett has been debating between staying with Water Polo or with the Color Guard. The Academy just doesn't allow enough time for both. While the Color Guard is prestigious and honorable - so is Water Polo. It was an extremely difficult adult decision but Garrett decided upon Water Polo in the end. I think he thought his skin my dry up and fall off his bones if he remained out of the water for too long a period.

Garrett really debated long and hard over this decision and took loads of advice from both Jeff and I. There were pros and cons to each choice and it was even hard for us to come to a solid conclusion. In the end, G chose Water Polo and we're backing him 100%! Just being accepted to the Naval Academy is an honor very few enjoy. As Jeff put it, "just being at the Academy is an honor, son, Water Polo is simply icing on the cake!"

GO NAVY WATER POLO!

We actually got to touch him!!

2007-08-16T12:56:00.000-05:00

Tracy, Jeff and Midshipman Garrett T. Griffin

Annapolis, MD - Plebe Parent's Weekend

August 2007

And here he is, everyone, Garrett in uniform! Doesn't he look great? This wasn't how we first laid eyes on him, however. Jeff and I arrived in our hotel room at 1am on Friday, August 10th and were up 3 hours later to meet Garrett to see him in a water polo scrimmage. Our first sight of him was him emerging from a crowd of Speedo-wearing, long-legged, in shape MEN. No longer boys, that's for sure! Garrett came from the midst of the crowd with a huge smile for his dad and I. We were able to give big hugs and kisses right away. Note: hugs are usually shied away from while in the summer white uniform because of the possibility of a makeup smudge.

We talked to Coach Schofield who reports that Garrett is doing great on the team and is showing real promise! The pool was HOT! When we got onto the Yard the humidity was very high and Jeff and I began to sweat immediately. Indoors at the pool the air conditioning was out - so it was even hotter. We sat close to the pool with hopes of getting splashed a little because it would feel great!

The next site we had of Garrett was on Stribling walk where he was able to meet us to be released to liberty for the rest of the day, well, until 10pm, that is. He looked absolutely amazing in his uniform! Wouldn't you agree?
After more hugs Garrett took us up to his room so we could see how he'd been living these past 5 weeks. Hi room is small but well squared away. He has very little space to store anything.

Then we were off to lunch and back to the hotel to rest and get reaquainted with our boy. Garrett and Jeff were able to spend some much needed father/son time - which they were both craving. It was great to lay on the bed as one Griffin family lump and just talk and be together.

The next day brought beautiful weather and more walking around, movie watching and family time together. There was a formal parade where Garrett marched with the color guard. It was all very impressive! On Sunday Garrett took us sailing and taught us a few things about the boat. Thankfully, we, as his crew, were not being graded or we would have failed miserably! Thanks to Garrett, we made it back into our slip in one piece. Whew!

On Sunday, we also attended mass in the Academy Chapel. This is by far the most beautiful buidling on the campus, in my opinion. This was my day to shed tears as I always do when I talk to God. It was just overwhelming to know that God has blessed this boy with so much talent that is now being recognized and honed by the United States Naval Academy. This has all been a true gift from above, as is Garrett.

We are so terribly proud of you, G!

This weekend was something both Jeff and I will cherish forever. I can truly say that now I've had just a bit of the USNA experience, I have an all new understanding of what Garrett has gone through to this point, and I know better how to pray for him and encourage him.

Please keep sending your prayers and letters! Garrett so appreciates hearing from you all! And, he says to say hello to everyone as well.

Watch the blog for more photos and updates as to what the parent's weekend entailed... this is just a smidge of our experience. We have loads more to share!

With all our love,
Jeff & Tracy

Mid-Speak of the Week!

2007-08-08T17:52:00.000-05:00

Hello! Well, tomorrow we're on our way to see Garrett at Annapolis! We simply can't wait! I promise to squeeze him for you - extra hard for his pool mates back home in IB!

This weekend is Parent's Weekend: At the end of Plebe Summer; frequently the first parental glimpse of a midshipman since I-Day; occasionally called Plebe Parent's Weekend.

Jeff and I get into Maryland around 10pm, EST so it will be too late to catch our "glimpse" of Garrett tomorrow night. We do, however, plan to rise and shine super early for a 6am water polo scrimmage!

No plans are set in stone for the remainder of the weekend except for Garrett taking us sailing on a day "when the wind is right", and we want to see the latest Harry Potter movie. Other than that, wherever the wind takes us is fine with me... we'll be with G!

Watch the blog for tons of photos when we return! Have a great weekend everyone!

With our love,
Jeff & Tracy

Minnesota Needs your Prayers!

2007-08-04T08:02:00.001-05:00

This morning I realized that my last post of "Mid-Speak of the Week" was made only 4 short minutes after the I-35 bridge collapse. It gave me shivers.

Thankfully, both Jeff and I are safe and so are family members. This is a bridge that we used twice a day when we lived in St. Anthony.

I have one co-worker still unaccounted for at this time - please pray for him and his family.

The Academy allowed Garrett a quick call last night to make sure all was fine. It was wonderful to hear his voice even if it was for a few short minutes.

Please keep us in your prayers. This is a disaster such as Minnesota has never known.

With all of our love,
Jeff & Tracy

Mid-Speak of the Week!

2007-08-01T18:09:00.000-05:00

Ever had a "rack attack"? I sure have!

Rack: When used as a noun, a bed. When used as a verb, to sleep.

Rack Attack: Overwhelming need to sleep.

Rack Burn: Temporary impression made on one's face by the "blue magnet," proof that one has recently been sleeping, usually restfully.

Blue Magnet: Nickname for the bedspread on every midshipman's bed; "blue" because of the color, "magnet" because of the seductive power it has over its owner.

Rack Monster: Mythical animal that grabs midshipmen and throws them into bed. ("The rack monster got me!"); it can be a dangerous monster if it holds a mid hostage, especially causing him or her to miss a class; sometimes called a "rack-zilla" and a "rack-a-saurus."

Sweet dreams!

Salute!

2007-07-31T12:56:00.000-05:00

Imagine our delight when Jeff found this photo of Garrett in the color guard! Can you spot him? The Navy website is huge so you really have to dig around to find photos of your Plebe, but we've found a few. This is by far my favorite shot of them all! Just look at that perfect posture, serious and respectful expression and completely in step with the rest of the guard. Most impressive!

In 10 days we'll see this man face to face and we absolutely can't wait!

-Tracy

Mid-Speak of the Week!

2007-07-25T12:43:00.001-05:00

This week Garrett writes about the "Blue & Gold" that they attend each night before lights out.

Blue & Gold: Short for "Navy Blue and Gold", the US Naval Academy alma mater. The Academy's official colors.

Each night, before lights out, midshipmen assemble for the Blue & Gold - they raise the colors and sing the Navy song.

This is another photo of Garrett on Induction day learning exactly where his hat should sit on his newly shaven dome.

Please write soon! Garrett loves to get your letters! Keep 'em coming! Wish him a happy anniversary - today marks his 4th week at the Academy!

What's he doing right now?

2007-07-23T11:16:00.000-05:00

While I can't say exactly what he's doing now, here is a typical Plebe Summer day's worth of fun!

5:30am Reville

6:00 - 7:30am Physical Education Program (PEP)

7:40 - 8:10am Room clean-up

8:10 - 8:45am Morning Meal Formation - Morning Meal

9:00 - noon Morning Training (moral, mental, physical, or professional development)

12:10 - 12:45 Noon Meal Formation - Noon Meal

1:00 - 4:00pm Afternoon Training (moral, mental, physical, or professional development)

4:10 - 6:10pm Sports Period

6:30 - 7:15pm Evening Meal Formation - Evening Meal

7:30 - 9pm Evening Training (moral, mental, physical, or professional development)

9:00 - 9:45 Personal Time, mail call, Blue & Gold

9:45 Taps - Lights out

(Annapolis is in the Eastern time zone.)

Mid-Speak of the Week!

2007-07-18T12:00:00.000-05:00

This week Garrett is asking for good jokes so he doesn't end up in jail. JAIL?! Enter, our handy dandy Brief Points book with its Midspeak section. Ready? Here we go...

Joke Jail: Every Friday plebes are responsible for telling a joke at lunch; if jokes are deemed poor, they can be placed in joke jail by upperclass, where they must sit facing forward with their fork in front of and very close to their face to simulate the cell bars; they may not leave the table until they have been released from jail.

Solitary Confinement: Extreme kind of joke jail; solitary confinement is prescribed when a plebe's joke is exceptionally poor and the plebe must hold a spoon in front of her or her face instead of a fork.

Unfortunately, we're not sure what happens if the joke is deemed funny. :)

If you'd like us to send your favorite jokes on to Garrett, send us an email at the address found to the right in our profile (about us section). I know G would love to hear from you too! If you'd like to write a letter (G loves getting real mail out there) let us know and we'll send you his mailing address.

Eight Pounds of Pure Love!

2007-07-17T11:53:00.000-05:00

This morning Jeff took a box of monster cookies to the post office to mail off to Garrett. The box weighed in at a hefty 8 lbs! Remember the recipe I mentioned below? Well, I made half the recipe and still came away with cookies enough to feed a water polo team!

Go Navy!

News from the Yard!

2007-07-16T12:26:00.000-05:00

We stumbled upon this photo on the USNA website.

It's our boy!

Garrett let us know that he, indeed, made the color guard as right rifle! We'll be sure to update the blog with photos once we see this in action when we visit him during Plebe Parent's weekend in August. We are so looking forward to spending some quiet family time together.

We've received a few letters from Garrett and it sounds like things are going very well for him in Annapolis. In his most recent letter her lets us know that he is personally ranked 5 in his company of 40 and his squad took 2nd place in the pull-up and sit-up competitions. Garrett reports that the stern Cadre are "easing up on me because of my stellar performance." He also says he did well in the "O" course. (That's obstacle course to us homelanders.)

On the 4th of July the Plebes were allowed to sleep in and were treated to a BBQ with fireworks.

Garrett had the opportunity to see a full-length movie while at the Academy. Those of you who know Garrett know what a movie hound he is. Well, though the movie was part of his Naval history training, it was still a movie and he thought it was "very well done". The movie was "Midway".

Garrett says to say hello to everyone!! "Hello Everyone!"

Garrett Reports:

2007-07-12T12:28:00.000-05:00

We've been lucky enough to hear from Garrett a couple of times now via phone. He sounds great and reports he's doing well.

Right now Garrett has a stress fracture from all the running. The Dr's want him to stop running for a while so he's swimming more to stay in shape. He sounds great when we talk to him on the phone - though it's for very small snippets of time. He also reports a lot of chafing - so baby powder and Tiger balm are on the top of his "wish" list.

Garrett tells us that he's trying out for the color guard (example shown here). He's interested in the right rifle position. We should know soon if he got the spot!

This week he's requested my monster cookies. With a recipe that starts with 3 lbs of peanut butter and 18 cups of oatmeal I'll probably have to mix these up in the tub! Wish me luck!

-Tracy

Mid-Speak of the Week!

2007-07-11T13:28:00.000-05:00

Many of you have asked, "what's a dixie cup?" or "what's a Plebe?"

Mid-Speak is the language spoken at USNA by all faculty and Midshipmen. We're trying to learn as much as we can about Garrett's new world and we're all about sharing what we learn. So, on to this week's Mid-Speak!

Mid: short for midshipman (midshipmen); acceptable terms; do not use "middy" or "middies".
Plebe: from the word "plebian," meaning a commoner; in the modern vernacular, a low-life; a member of the fourth class at the Academy; the equivalent of a freshman at a civilian college.
Dixie Cup: the name of Garrett's military-issued hat - see photo above.

Independence Day, 2007

2007-07-05T13:29:00.000-05:00

Last night Jeff and I lit a few Minnesota legal fireworks. It was a little ironic because Garrett had purchased these a few years ago and we'd just never used them. Last night seemed very appropriate to do so - to celebrate our appreciation for our freedom.

We shared our fun with our neighbors but secretly kept two small sparklers aside. When everyone else was gone, we sat on our patio, lit our sparklers and wished Garrett a Happy 4th of July from afar. We both said a prayer and sent it on its way to the East Coast.

Happy Independence Day!

Induction Day - June 27, 2007

2007-07-03T14:09:00.001-05:00

And here he comes, our new Plebe to the Naval Academy.

This was Jeff's first glimpse of Garrett as he walked toward him on Stribling walk on the evening of June 27th, I-Day. Before meeting Jeff and Grandpa & Grandma Griffin, Garrett had been run through the Navy gauntlet of instructions, orders, new clothes, a new hair cut, new shoes, new people, new smells, well, new everything!

The day was super hot with a 97% humidity rate. This will make drills and anything done outdoors pretty unbearable for the Plebes. Pray for less humidity and cooler weather.

Tracy