Comment

Comment by Kat (MM Nuke) on November 15, 2010 at 2:19am

Dana - thanks for that info on the Villas. Good to know. i did look at your pictures of them and they did look adequate for our purposes. I know we'd love to go to all of the graduations and be a part of as much as we can, but unfortunately we have one in high school still and can't always take her out, plus the expense, of course. Will just have to see how things go.
Will have to see if the Villas are even still there from the sounds of it.

Comment by Dana (David's Mom) on November 14, 2010 at 11:37pm

So far I've been to A School graduation (drove his car to him from California as an excuse) and stayed at the Villas. Pix's are on my site. Went to his Power School graduation and also stayed at the very same Villa. They book no more that three months in advance. I paid $75.00 for a three bedroom (no taxes) and was able to cook or barbeque several meals each time for my son and his friends. Wouldn't trade these times for anything. My son was greatful that we came for each graduation and he even paid for his brothers to come out for Power School graduation. A School was very small and only a few families were there and he didn't get any leave after as was too close to his Christmas break (grad was in Feb) Power School was in Sept and after I and my other sons returned home, his father stayed and rode with him to New York (Prototype) for the company (he only had 15 days and used them to travel to Saratoga Springs) We loved the Villas. Kitchen, washer/dryer, TV's, sofas, tables/chairs etc. They may not look like much on the outside but was almost like being at home.

Comment by Heather(labellaleigh) - ETwife on November 14, 2010 at 11:34pm

Hi I'm new to the group. My sailor graduated from bootcamp on 11/12 and will be leaving for Charleston 2am on the 17th. Since he is married, he is suppose to be able to pick out our house on the first available Monday and go through a move briefing and then come home on liberty for DIY moving. Will Thanksgiving interfere with the move/briefing? Also, will we be able to visit him for Thanksgiving? I know I should get use to not knowing when events will happen, but should I go ahead and find a hotel?
-Heather

Comment by chris(Kyles mom ) on November 14, 2010 at 11:05pm

Hi everyone. I havn't been on in a while. My sailor graduates A-school Feb 25th. How big is that graduation ? Do they get to come home after that ? And it also sounds like there will be a wait before the start of power school. Any advise ?? Thanks

Comment by Emily-aaronsgirl11 on November 14, 2010 at 10:47pm

Southwest starts flights to Charleston on March 13th! :)

Comment by Kat (MM Nuke) on November 14, 2010 at 10:41pm

you're tell me. It is terrible in Phoenix in the summer. We didn't get a good break in the temps until just two weeks ago. Loving it now, but pretty much from late May until October are brutal. Starting to plan a move away from here at some point. I know everyone else hates the cold, but to us it is a welcome relief.

Comment by Binker & Bro: 2X Nuke Mom on November 14, 2010 at 10:37pm

southwest is definately coming in March. That should make a much cheaper trip. We went to Phoenix once because it was the deal of the week city. we went to Phoenix then went to LA from there, back to Phoenix and back to Louisville. Phoenix is dang hot in late July!!

Comment by Kat (MM Nuke) on November 14, 2010 at 10:29pm

thanks for the tips Binker's Mom. I was wondering if all of the graduations from each school were really necessary to try to go to. It would probably be highly unlikely that we'd get to them. No I know they aren't as big a deal as PIR. Interesting to hear that other branches of the military have more elaborate parades and events for their graduations. Sounds like you are the go to person for some info. about military life.
Yes, I know, years ago no one even went to their bootcamp graduations. I've heard it from a lot of my families Marines and Air Force guys.
glad you had info about the Villas. Definately there might be nicer hotels near by, but I do like the fact that they have kitchens. that makes it kind of nice too.
Will do more checking once we decide when to go for a visit.
Airfare to Phoenix is awful right now, and for the holidays, because everyone wants to come here to get out of the cold. Our son will have a heftier price to pay. I heard that Southwest Airlines will start flying in to Charleston in March, so that might help us out with a little lower fares, or at least some good competition.
and my son is only 4, so we both do have young sailors.

Comment by Binker & Bro: 2X Nuke Mom on November 14, 2010 at 10:02pm

drove past the villas while I was there last week right before I had to go catch the plane--which I almost missed! Plane left at 6:02 and I left GC at 5:35 and had to return a rental car!

anyway, they looked like a conglomeration of the old housing from the married housing. There were at least 2 different types of houses. The one set looked just like our first house when we were on Ellsworth in the early 90's. I did go into the Air Force at a very young age, much like my Binker. You know, since I'm only 30! Bink is a very tall, very mature, very intelligent 3 year old sailor! Oh, back to the topic at hand. They are tearing down housing units left and right in that area so who knows how long the Villas will remain. Those older units are UGLY! I thought ours were bad way back then! Anyway, there are not many of them so I think if I wanted to use them, I would get them rented early. My hotel that I use will only be available until April and then its going to be shut down for total remodeling, including name change from a Ramada to a Doubleday so I'm guessing it will at least double in price. But for now, its still only 59 per night. Oh, and I got a much better deal on priceline booking flight and hotel together. Rental cars are expensive in Charleston.

In Chicago, we took Amtrak and had my wonderful husband listened to me and helped plan things, we would have had no problems whatsoever taking the trains back and forth. Instead, catch this one, I had a $135 cab ride after Alex's planes (G&G) were delayed 4 times and we had to race back to pick up our luggage and then try to make the train station for our trip back. Missed the train by 10 minutes and had to sleep in the station overnight with a skitish 13 year old. I would do the train again but I wouldnt let him go unless he helped plan. Also, if you are prior military in any other branch and have a G&G, especially, I would go to Charleston and meet your sailor there. I spent over $1000 for one afternoon. And Navy parades are nowhere near the pomp and circumstance of the other forces--any I've either seen or marched in the others. As I said once before, 20 years ago, no one had their parents come to basic graduation unless they lived in the surrounding 100 miles. My parents went to the tech school place for each of my brothers and me. They did come to my graduation from Officer's Training School but that was a different story altogether. The need to go to BC grads, I am certain, comes from a town crazy to drive tourist revenue. Binker blinked and he was gone.

Also, having gone for this one too, A school graduation really has so little to it that you could blink and miss it. It appears to be more for the instructors to give congrats for entering the NCO ranks and finishing the 1st phase of the initiation process. Since Bink was mad at me for daring to suggest, in his mind, that I questioned whether he was working or playing the night before, he pointedly did not tell me where to go or what time to be there (9 am, left turn after the bowling alley area. If you get the main base, you've gone too far). We arrived after the very short program had already started and almost missed it!

Everything I know for the night, except be happy your kids are having a wonderful relationships with expensive electronic toys. You have no idea how many of the moms of sailors who PIRed with my boy now have even more expensive husbands and wives that they connected with during the two weeks out of basic. Don't get upset ladies. These were not so serious or brand new relationships that became marriages immediately after basic when the new (mainly wives) saw other ladies looking at their handsome new sailors! I really worry about our kids with their hours of school and study trying to build brand new relationships during this very trying and stressful time. I know missile duty almost killed my brand new marriage and I was 25, not 19. If young people have the patience and dedication to survive this time, I applaud them. But just like teaching, the first years are very hard and having the worst classes and the worst situations makes it very very hard. That's why most new teachers burn out in three years. So, to use the words of my kids at school, I'm not hatin' on any of you new wives and girlfriends. Just been there and done that and know how hard it can be! hugs to all ya'll.

Comment by Kat (MM Nuke) on November 14, 2010 at 9:11pm

you all don't know how relieved I am to hear that it's not just my son doing all the spend. Whew. I am actually going to have him talk to our financial planner when he comes home at Christmas to see how much, what and where he needs to be investing. he evidently passed on all of the savings plans they were offered in bootcamp because he wanted to think about it some more. So maybe the planner can have a look at them and tell him which is best for him to get started with. He has a truck here, but we live in Phoenix so I'm not sure if we'd drive it across country for him. it might be better for him to just buy something used and cheap back there, just to get around a little bit. Or maybe learn to live without one. Michimom, my son got his credit card at his bank here a couple years ago, so that definately is the way to start. They started him with just a $500 limit, then when the economy went bad they lowered it to $400 then right after he left for bootcamp they lowered it again to $300. Not sure why on that last one because he always makes his payments. I'm glad it is low though, so he can handle that for a while.
Kacey, my son said tomorrow is when he classes up then classes start a week from tomorrow, so that's probably what all of them from our PIR date will do.
I took a look at the Villas pictures, the rentals that we can stay at on base when we visit, and they didn't look too bad. Will have to check into that when we decide to go down there.
Yes, Kacey, this is fun to chat with each other and share, and yes Binker's Mom, you can chime in and brag all you want. It's always nice to hear what good young men and women our kids are turning into.

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