20070418

In Memeoria

Life is too short as it is on this little rock we call home for someone to take so many so unreasonably. Every one of them had dreams, hopes and aspirations; now silenced. When I go to Cory's graduation in May, I am going to say a prayer for all these students who wont get the chance to.

Remember VT, Remember 9-11, Remember Oklahoma City, Remember that we are all so priviledged to have the lives we do albeit some of us dont have much, but its something.



A list of some of the victims of the shootings at Virginia Tech:

Killed:

- Ross Abdallah Alameddine, 20, of Saugus, Mass., according to his mother, Lynnette Alameddine.

- Christopher James Bishop, 35, according to Darmstadt University of Technology in Germany, where he helped run an exchange program.

- Brian Bluhm, 25, a civil engineering graduate student, according to an announcement by the Detroit Tigers and friends.

- Ryan Clark, 22, of Martinez, Ga., biology and English major, according to Columbia County Coroner Vernon Collins.

- Austin Cloyd, an international studies major from Blacksburg, Va., according to Terry Harter, senior pastor at First United Methodist Church in Champaign, Ill., where Cloyd and her family lived before moving to Blacksburg.

- Jocelyne Couture-Nowak, a French instructor, according to her husband, Jerzy Nowak, the head of the horticulture department at Virginia Tech.

- Daniel Perez Cueva, 21, killed in his French class, according to his mother, Betty Cueva, of Peru.

- Kevin Granata, age unknown, engineering science and mechanics professor, according to Ishwar K. Puri, the head of the engineering science and mechanics department.

- Matthew G. Gwaltney, 24, of Chester, Va., a graduate student in civil and environmental engineering, according to his father and stepmother, Greg and Linda Gwaltney.

- Caitlin Hammaren, 19, of Westtown, N.Y., a sophomore majoring in international studies and French, according to Minisink Valley, N.Y., school officials who spoke with Hammaren's family.

- Jeremy Herbstritt, 27, of Bellefonte, Pa., according to Penn State University, his alma mater and his father's employer.

- Rachael Hill, 18, of Glen Allen, Va., according to her father, Guy Hill.

- Emily Jane Hilscher, a 19-year-old freshman from Woodville, according to Rappahannock County Administrator John W. McCarthy, a family friend.

- Jarrett L. Lane, 22, of Narrows, Va., according to Riffe's Funeral Service Inc. in Narrows, Va.

- Matthew J. La Porte, 20, a freshman from Dumont, N.J., according to Dumont Police Chief Brian Venezio.

- Liviu Librescu, 76, engineering science and mathematics lecturer, according to Puri.

- G.V. Loganathan, 51, civil and environmental engineering professor, according to his brother G.V. Palanivel.

- Partahi Lombantoruan, 34, of Indonesia, civil engineering doctoral student, according to Kristiarto Legowo, a spokesman for the foreign ministry.

- Lauren McCain, 20, of Hampton, Va., international studies major, according to a statement from the family.

- Daniel O'Neil, 22, of Rhode Island, according to close friend Steve Craveiro and according to Eric Cardenas of Connecticut College, where O'Neil's father, Bill, is director of major gifts.

- Juan Ramon Ortiz, a 26-year-old graduate student in engineering from Bayamon, Puerto Rico, according to his wife, Liselle Vega Cortes.

- Minal Panchal, 26, a first-year building-science student from Mumbai, India, according to foreign ministry spokesman Navtej Sarna.

- Erin Peterson, 18, of Chantilly, Va., an international studies major, according to her father, Grafton Peterson.

- Michael Pohle, 23, of Flemington, N.J., according to officials at his high school, Hunterdon Central High.

- Julia Pryde, age unknown, a graduate student from Middletown, N.J., according to Virginia Tech professor Saied Mostaghimi, chairman of the biological systems and engineering department.

- Mary Karen Read, 19, of Annandale, Va. according to her aunt, Karen Kuppinger, of Rochester, N.Y.

- Reema J. Samaha, 18, a freshman from Centreville, Va., according to her family.

- Leslie Sherman, a sophomore history and international studies student from Springfield, Va., according to her grandmother Gerry Adams.

- Maxine Turner, 22, a senior majoring in chemical engineering from Vienna, Va., according to her father, Paul Turner.

20070402

Ok and after a long tough weekend.... Time to unwind at the Mill Ave Cue Club. I took the truck down to Tempe so I wouldnt have to worry about leaving it there, as I planned to take a cab home and back down to get it in the morning. Things dont always work out as planned though...



MANY Long Islands and a few bars later I wake up at 0500 at
Chris's house with him kicking me to get up so he can drop me off at my truck. Of course when I get there the friggin' thing won't start. So he give me a ride all the way home... which isn't that close. Then I had to run to the mechanics and get them to tow her. They didn't have any time to check her out today so hopefully I'll find out what's wrong tomorrow.
AIR ASSAULT!!!


Pre-testing for Air Assault School (that's when you rappel out of helicopters) this weekend was tough. I wholeheartedly admit it kicked my butt. We got a helo ride to Ft. Huachuca and hit the Obstacle course - 8 obstacles. The hardest for me were the Tower and the Weaver. The Tower (left) you have to climb up to the top and go over and down the opposite side - 40' tall. Other people are on it at the same time so it sways and for those afraid of heights like me.... The Weaver (below) you have to go over and under the logs across the entire obstacle. For shorties like me its difficult. Then after the obstacle course, we had to run 2 miles in uniform in under 18 minutes. We lost two guys the next day on the 'ruck-march'. 12
miles in under 3 hours with 30# on our backs. THAT was really hard. I pulled my achilles on the 3 mile mark and its buggin me a little but nothing time and a little rehab cant fix.



The funny part was one of the Sergeants administering the test was arrested. Some nosy lady along the canal we were conducting the march on called the police on us. We had rubber replica rifles, with bright blue paint on the muzzles. No-one ON the canal gave us a second look carrying these things. I guess this lady didnt have anything better to do on a Sunday morning at 0700 than to call in a "group of survivalists with guns on the canal". They grabbed the seargent (who didnt have one of these rubber duplicates) and put him on the ground and cuffed him then questioned him. He stayed in good spirits and they asked why he was laughing and he replied, "because in a few minutes you guys are going to be taking these 'cuffs off of me". Crazy.



I managed to pass everything so now its off to yet ANOTHER school for me this year. I am so sick of planes and airports. I dont know how some people do it year after year. Luckily after July it will all slow down (and yep my fingers are crossed on that one).
Ahh.. the last run for the season - Ski Santa Fe



Joline and I ran up to get a 1/2 day in and it was great. A little wet, a little cold on the lifts (they werent sweeping the slush off them so by the time you hit the top your butt was frozen), but there was snow falling for the first hour or so. Good times.