Hi everyone. I have several friends here who have kids who will graduate on Friday. My son just graduated on 2/11/11 and we just got back home today. You also have a very large PIR group with 14 divisions. We stayed at Spring Hill Suites and the only negative is that that the so called Shuttle they have are not shuttles, they are cabs they call. We finally gave up as we were supposed to leave @ 6:30 am. Finally at 7:15 we drove and waited and waited in line at the gate and security. To ensure you get a good seat if you are staying there....drive and be in line at 6:00 a.m. I was so upset to be in the balcony, but, I could still see ok, but was quite aggravated with the hotel. Order the DVD because you will be so busy watching your kid that you will not even notice anything else other than your kid. It's amazing and you will be prouder than you can ever imagine and very emotional too. Oh and if your SR doesn't want to do anything but hang out in your hotel...let them and just enjoy the time you have with them. My son wanted to do a few things, but just relax and talk and hang out with us was what he wanted the most...so that is what we did and we had the most amazing time with him. Best Wishes to all of your SR's. I know the Navy will have another 1000+ new sailors on 2/18/11. It is amazing what the Navy and RTC does to transform these young kids in to young adults. :) {{{{{Hugs}}}}} to all of you!
I have read the the people who walk through the gate get the best pick of seats, vs those who drive. We are renting a car (staying about 40 min from base). I was wondering if we should find a place to park and take the shuttle, or if we should just get there really early? We won't be there early enough on Thurs to scope out a place to park. Any ideas?
We got a call from our Sailor tonight. She was excited and wanting Friday to be here. My husband had already give up our surprise that my younger daughter and her baby are coming to see her also but tonight he also told her we got her a new laptop for her graduation since hers had blew up before she left. At least he did not tell her we found the cutes little girl sailor outfit for our 3 1/2 year old to wear to graduation to see her. It is so cute. We looked everywhere and could not find one. We had quite looking and there it was. Good luck to all the recruits that still have their battlestations tonight and tomorrow night. My candle still burns for you all. Can not wait to meet you guys. You have been my life line.
You can park at any hotel, then take a taxi from there to the gate. You can pick any local store, such as WalMart, and call a taxi to meet you there.
I have phone numbers for a few taxi drivers who have guaranteed rates, who specialize in RTC transportation. If you call them ahead of time to schedule a drop-off, you can save yourself some stress.
We got another call today, my brother and his
Division im guessing had a day off, he said he
Ate Taco Bell, (he is in love with tacobell and would eat it ALOT)
He said he cant wait to see us on friday and is very exited and happy
to see our baby twin brothers(; ahhw i kant wait for thursday to get here!!
i wanna catch that plane already((;
Do you think if we drive and get to the ga te by 5:30 am that we will be able to get cleared when the gate opens and parked and to our seats early enough to get good Seats?
I am not able to walk the distance from the gate to the hall due to chemo treatments. But we want to leave early enough to get good seats
Good luck to all the divisions who are just about finished battle stations!!! My God have given you all the strength, courage and commitment they needed to get through. Too all the ladies waiting for the calls....GOD BLESS....it's the best call you'll ever receive!!! Can't wait for FRIDAY!!!!
For anyone staying at the Quality Inn for PIR 2/18, I just spoke with management. He informed me the shuttle taken to PIR is not a taxi, it is a van, and it leaves the hotel at 7am. Hope that helps anyone wondering about getting to PIR early enough to get a good seat. I imagine each hotel has their own rules. I would be upset if the shuttle didn't leave early enough, and I can't stand for long periods of time, so this sounds like it will work. Thank you to everyone that has been to PIR, for all your information and Congratulations to You and your Sailor.
Hugs to all the moms waiting for "the phone call" Chicago here we come!!!!
Good morning! I hope all you moms expecting calls today get the great news...."I am a sailor!" I hope the calls all come in early too. I was so nervous Friday, I felt sick. I got my call at 5:30 est. Have a great day!
battlebuddy: I understand that all of the PIR shuttles are taxis....ours from the Residence Inn was also. But didn't matter to us...ours was a minivan and it got us there and back with no issues! Ours left Residence at 6:30 as planned, and we signed up for that one the night before. I understand that they sign them up so that they can make sure they have enough taxis.
Ladies, you all can order the PIR DVD that battlebuddy mentioned after PIR in the NEX. Make sure that your new sailor didn't already order it for you. It is $29 and is mailed to you. Absolutely order it! We never saw our sailor during PIR... not until we saw him up close as he passed the "review stand" on the DVD!
battlebuddy: So glad that you had so much fun at PIR with your sailor! It is truly a lifetime experience, right? I was blown away by the whole thing...and we had a GradNGo (actually "Sat departure" but RDCs call them GradNGos) so we only had Friday with him...didn't know that we could meet him at the airport Sat. when we went a yr ago so missed out on that time :-(
...battlebuddy: Meant to say...so sorry that your shuttle did not arrive when it was supposed to. Must have been a glitch with the front desk not ordering enough? Someone probably got in big trouble for that error....
Ladies, I'm taking my camcorder around and asking family/friends to record a little message for my son. Then, after I edit it, I'm going to put it on a flash drive that he can take with him to A school. Of course, I'm going to play it for him on my computer on Friday. Anyway, I thought I'd share my idea with you in case any of you would want to do it too!
I swear I am having a Panic Attack, should I be expecting the "I'm a Sailor" call this morning? my hubby is in Div 084, I know they should be completing Battlestations this morning, and I am dieing to hear if he passed or not. It's been a sleepless night for me and I need to know that he passed. How long does this take before I can find out???
Good Luck to all who are expecting the I'm a Sailor call today!! Usually they come after 3 est. I recieved my call around 4:45 and it lastest about 1/2 hour!!
For those concerned with the shuttle, try calling for a taxi instead. My experience was wonderful. I had a taxi who took me around the whole weekend. He is a military man and knows all to well what the does and don't are so he will have your sailor back on base always at the right time. He also had me at PIR early enough to pick my own seats. His name is Sarge (John Spadaro) and his # is 847-212-0246. He drives a minivan so it seated our group of 5 (including my sailor) very comfortable. If you decide to use him let him know Cathy reccomended him. He will get a kick out of it. Enjoy your time at PIR. Best of Luck to you and your new Sailors. I also posted a blog on the home page called PIR which gives some great restaurants in the area that Sarge recommended. They were great!!
I didn't realize SpringHill offered shuttle service. It isn't on their website. Anyway, we've rented a car and will be in the line waiting to get in. The doctor had order me a handicapped decal but it doesn't look like it will be here in time. This last chemo has put me in a tailspin.
The Springhill is a very nice hotel and there were alot of parents there with new Sailors. We also signed up when we checked into the hotel for the 6:30 shuttle for 4 people. My thoughts are that they should have had looked at the number of people who signed up and called the Taxi's the night before and made sure they were there to pick up these parents, wives, etc. There were probably 75 or more upset parents who waited and waited. RTC is only about 15 minutes from the SpringHill. There is also a Navy or Militiary bank on the left hand side of the Road, that you could park at and walk if you wanted to but didn't know my way around there at the time. I did like that we had our own transportation afterwards, as it was snowing when Liberty was called. It was a beautiful sight, but it was COLD. There was a long line out of the parking garage, but we enjoyed just talking to our Sailor and we had him with us so that was not an issue for us. I can't explain to you the emotions you will feel....but you will understand after Friday. It is one of the best experiences of my life. I have never felt such pride for not only my son, but for the United States and our flag. When those doors come open and you see the Divisions march in, get your tissues. They are very proud young men and women and you will see that immediately. It is very emotional. One thing I might mention, if you are going to be picking your SR up on Sat/Sun. You have your gate pass & ID and are directed to the Chapel parking lot. PLEASE DO NOT WALK beyond the orange cones at the Chapel. The divisions march up in the mornings and we had parents who would go stand right in their path at the chapel and some took pictures...a big no no... guess what.....their camara's were taken away. One guy was crazy enough to stand on the road right below the Chapel with a video camara videoing them marching down. He was in their way first of all, and then his video camara was taken. My son told me do not go past the Chapel parking lot, so that is where I stayed. It is very important to follow the rules of the Navy it's for everyone's safty. I think parents forget that. Also take them back at least an hour earlier than they are supposed to be back...they will never make it back in time if there is a long line at the gate to get into RTC. There were Sailors in my Son's division who didn't make it back on time, and also one who didn't come back for his watch. They almost lost off base Liberty on Sunday because of it. Make sure you give yourself plenty of time due to the large number of SR's in your group.
Absolutely, battlebuddy! A HUGE error on the hotel's part. We stayed at Residence. They asked when we checked in if we would be taking a shuttle and what time. We took the 6:30 and were lucky to literally walk out of our room building and it was there. Now I realize how fortunate we were after hearing all of the errors!
But as you found out, it would take alot to ruin the weekend with your sailor! Congrats to you all!
Prayers for you to feel well this week, Bobsters Mom.
As far as when the I'm a Sailor calls start today....normally it is closer to 3 pm EST (2 pm GL time), but they can come earlier or later. Remember, this is the NAVY! They do their 'own thing.' So just keep phones handy all day. With 3-4 divisions going last night, the calls will go into the evening, most likely. They usually do go in division number order...with the exception of the 800/900 divisons which can call at any time.
Hi BobsterMom, I wanted to tell you when I got my handicap parking tag, I could go to the Town Hall building and they issued it right there. Maybe you could try that. I know the states have their own rules, but you should definately have that for PIR. I'm so sorry you are going through Chemo at this time. I pray for God to give you strength and to be feeling well for Friday. Blessings!!
I just returned from my Sailor's PIR - was VERY awesome. I wanted to share a few things that we learned while there this weekend.
First thing & MOST important - Friday morning is crazy, but when we drove up, the line of cars was overwhelming at 6:45am. We drove past the line to make a U-turn, turned at the Metra rail station. Turns out, we could enter & park from that entrance & we DID NOT WAIT AT ALL. We parked & were inside within 20minutes. We waited longer inside to show our ID's than we did in the car. Please try this, you will be SO much happier waiting inside the buildings, than in your car. We got a seat up at the top so we could stand when we wanted without blocking anyone's view. But then, sitting in 1st row allows you to jump up & get to your sailor so quick after LIBERTY is called. Make your choice.
Second thing - if you Sailor has watch on any night of Liberty, head to the Base EARLY! Lines of cars for that is long & no way around them unless you pull a "tourist" move & cut the cars, ouch!
Third thing - the NEX is CROWDED immediately after PIR, we went Sunday before joining our Sailor for Church. We then visited the NEX/Commisary for additional items.
Fourth thing - time FLYS - it seems so short!
Fifth thing - breakfast at Egg Harbor in Lake Forest was VERY reasonable & very delish!
We went to the Museum of Science & Industry & toured the German sub - very appropriate considering why we were in Chicago in the 1st place.
There is a very expensive but AWESOME restaurant, Mitchell's Fish Market 2601 Navy Blvd, Glenview. This is right next to the old Navy air station - would have like to tour this (if allowed), but we had to have an early reservation for a party of 11, and so that we could get our Sailor back in time. If you consider this, go early to see if you can tour this facility.
Anyhow, congrats, good luck & you are almost there!!!
Cheerpuk - Mom of a Sailor =D
We all had a fabulous time & cannot wait to meet up with our Sailor in SC.
I'm staying on base at the Navy Gateway Suites (which is facing ake Michigan and infront of RTC but further north about less than 2 miles) we're gonna walk and take the Metra station to RTC gates Friday morning since we're close and we wont have a car b/c i'm to young to rent a car lol. I really hope its not too windy or cold for my lil girl while were walking up there.
cheerpuk: Thanks for the information, we might have to try the U-turn. It's funny yours is going to SC and mine is going to FL!
exxit: Thanks for letting me cut in, but those behind you might not like it :-)
waiting for you: What a beautiful little girl you have!!!!
julesrn: SC only processes the Handicapped decal at one DMV in the state, 3 hours away form me! I'll just have to take my time walking. (This too shall pass)
Good afternoon! just caught up with the last day or so of postings and decided to comment . . . please understand that I'm NOT personally upset with the male/female argument about letter writing. I've sent my son a letter every outgoing mail day but 2 since the day I got his address from the recruiter. To give people a pass or excuse for not supporting their children based on gender is hogwash. When I think of the effort and commitment that my son is making to become a sailor in the U.S. Navy, the time it takes me to write and post a letter is but a drop in the bucket.
I cherish the opportunity to put a smile on his face at "mail call". For any parent that doesn't get it, I feel sorry!
Said me 2-cents . . . now waiting for my Sailor to call! ;-)
Bravo Ken, I have written to my son as well. I don't always have alot to say, but I want him to get something at mail call. At one point he wrote and said he had to catch up in his reading cause I had sent stories, jokes, trivia, etc. I figured he could share with some other recruits who maybe hadn't gotten mail. I'm waiting for my Sailor call as well.
When are you planning to stop writing? I think it takes a week to get the letters and I'm not sure if I should continue to write this week and if the mail will get forwarded to him. Do you have any info on that? Thanks.
I commend you for being a good father and your son is very lucky to have a dedicated parent.
You go, Ken; I'm with you! It only takes a few minutes to drop a line or two. My son said he wasn't going to write much, but when he got there, I got many, many letters. In his first few letters, he asked me to write him every day as it was very depressing not to get mail at mail call. These kids may be 'adults', but they still get VERY homesick and any contact really picks them up and encourages them. Whether you're a male or a female is immaterial; WRITE -- they crave the contact! Okay, now I've put in my 2 cents with Ken, so now we have 4 cents!
Go KEN - I have written pretty much daily, sometimes twice a day and I know that my son has appreciated the letters, especially the sports updates (LOL)! His stepfather has written him too as his father passed away when he was 13 and I can not imagine a 'parent' not writing - so Kudos to you!
I sent my last letter on Saturday - in hopes that he will get it before PIR on Friday - my son said that the letters were about a week delay and so he should get mail this week for sure - I just wasn't too sure about the forwarding to his A school which will be in GL, to start with!
Yea to Ken: My SR told me to write "maybe every other week" when he left. But after a couple weeks, he was asking for all kinds of mail. He told me the first letter he recieved from me, he read it 3 and 4 times a day. They really do appreciate getting mail from home. I would do anything to make my son happy at mail call, and he said it was a sad feeling when his name wasn't called. I am so proud of what my son is doing!!! God Bless
Thanks everyone for understanding . . . it's not about being a mom or dad . . . it's about being a parent and being there for our children. There are 7 from my family (including me) and 4 from my son's mother's family making the trip to PIR. We know that we may not all get into graduation but that's the chance we'll take and we will all see him during liberty. There's a little (long standing) resentment from some in my family since I raised my son with no financial help and minimal other support from his mom since he was 3 y.o.. I was asked "are we ALL going to be together" in Great Lakes? (meaning are his mom and half-sisters coming to diner with us?) I explained that we were ALL there to support him and Yes, we would be together. I would hate to put him in the position of having to choose whom he spent time with, that's just not fair to him.
The sailors that I feel sorry for (other than the ones who have no one making it to PIR) are the ones who will be torn between GF's/wives and parents. The amount of conflict/resentment of who gets the calls that I've seen online saddened me. When I got the long call about halfway through, I talked for about 30 minutes then encouraged him to call others. He did reach his sister and I know they both enjoyed that.
My thought here is that we need to enjoy and embrace they time we get with our sailors rather than bemoan the time we don't. It's hard when you have to share them, but isn't it better that they have more loved ones in their lives than just you alone?
One last thought, I've told my son that if there's any friend of his who doesn't have someone at PIR that he should invite them to come with us . . . I'd hate to see someone make it all the way though boot camp and be alone this weekend.
Im super excited for the moms waiting on their call...I cant wait for my son to go into BS21 tonight...I wish all the recruits going into BS all the luck in the world and Congratulate all the Sailors!!! Lord guide them through this evening and throughout their journey... give them the strength and endurance they need... My prayers go out to everyone!! Cant wait for the "Im A Sailor" call..
we are still trying to figure out which divisions went last night into today. We had thought is might be 083,084, 085, 086 but now no one is sure. Since I have girl in 085, I now have no idea when she went. Could have been yesterday but then again it could be tonight. I am trying hard to be calm and not slap one of my staff when they ask me a question. Then again maybe I should slap someone and then I will be less stressed. When you all get calls, let us know so we can figure out who actually went last night.
Tchrmom Lisa
Feb 13, 2011
Sailormom21811
Feb 13, 2011
battlebuddy
Feb 13, 2011
Sailormom21811
Feb 13, 2011
Tchrmom Lisa
I have read the the people who walk through the gate get the best pick of seats, vs those who drive. We are renting a car (staying about 40 min from base). I was wondering if we should find a place to park and take the shuttle, or if we should just get there really early? We won't be there early enough on Thurs to scope out a place to park. Any ideas?
Feb 14, 2011
navymom99(ship09 div075)
Feb 14, 2011
Arwen
You can park at any hotel, then take a taxi from there to the gate. You can pick any local store, such as WalMart, and call a taxi to meet you there.
I have phone numbers for a few taxi drivers who have guaranteed rates, who specialize in RTC transportation. If you call them ahead of time to schedule a drop-off, you can save yourself some stress.
Message me for the taxi phone numbers.
Feb 14, 2011
Nancy Ship09 Div078
Division im guessing had a day off, he said he
Ate Taco Bell, (he is in love with tacobell and would eat it ALOT)
He said he cant wait to see us on friday and is very exited and happy
to see our baby twin brothers(; ahhw i kant wait for thursday to get here!!
i wanna catch that plane already((;
Feb 14, 2011
lindaf
Feb 14, 2011
lindaf
Feb 14, 2011
cajunldr(ship 03 Div 086)
Do you think if we drive and get to the ga te by 5:30 am that we will be able to get cleared when the gate opens and parked and to our seats early enough to get good Seats?
I am not able to walk the distance from the gate to the hall due to chemo treatments. But we want to leave early enough to get good seats
Feb 14, 2011
gonavy2010
Feb 14, 2011
randy'smom
For anyone staying at the Quality Inn for PIR 2/18, I just spoke with management. He informed me the shuttle taken to PIR is not a taxi, it is a van, and it leaves the hotel at 7am. Hope that helps anyone wondering about getting to PIR early enough to get a good seat. I imagine each hotel has their own rules. I would be upset if the shuttle didn't leave early enough, and I can't stand for long periods of time, so this sounds like it will work. Thank you to everyone that has been to PIR, for all your information and Congratulations to You and your Sailor.
Hugs to all the moms waiting for "the phone call" Chicago here we come!!!!
Feb 14, 2011
MountainMama(ship3 div081)
Good morning! I hope all you moms expecting calls today get the great news...."I am a sailor!" I hope the calls all come in early too. I was so nervous Friday, I felt sick. I got my call at 5:30 est. Have a great day!
Feb 14, 2011
WhiteClay Ship 2 Div 913
Feb 14, 2011
alwaysdaddyltlegirl(Ship03Div081
Good Morning Mothers that are waiting for that special call,,, here is a scripture for those almost done with battlestation.
I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth ME...philippians4:13
Trust in yourselfs SR one more hours... praying for you all..
Blessings
Feb 14, 2011
diannep
battlebuddy: I understand that all of the PIR shuttles are taxis....ours from the Residence Inn was also. But didn't matter to us...ours was a minivan and it got us there and back with no issues! Ours left Residence at 6:30 as planned, and we signed up for that one the night before. I understand that they sign them up so that they can make sure they have enough taxis.
Ladies, you all can order the PIR DVD that battlebuddy mentioned after PIR in the NEX. Make sure that your new sailor didn't already order it for you. It is $29 and is mailed to you. Absolutely order it! We never saw our sailor during PIR... not until we saw him up close as he passed the "review stand" on the DVD!
battlebuddy: So glad that you had so much fun at PIR with your sailor! It is truly a lifetime experience, right? I was blown away by the whole thing...and we had a GradNGo (actually "Sat departure" but RDCs call them GradNGos) so we only had Friday with him...didn't know that we could meet him at the airport Sat. when we went a yr ago so missed out on that time :-(
Feb 14, 2011
diannep
Feb 14, 2011
diannep
Feb 14, 2011
zacksmom
Happy Valentine's Day!!
Final calls should be coming in today from Battlestation groups! YAY!!
Looks like the weather in GL is going to be pretty nice this week! :)
Feb 14, 2011
MountainMama(ship3 div081)
Feb 14, 2011
MustangMom (Ship03, Div 080)
Battlebuddy - We are also staying at the Springhill. Any suggestions on how
to avoid the Shuttle Dilemma? Can you call your own taxi or take a shuttle from another hotel? I will be a basket case if I have to wait and be late!
Feb 14, 2011
NavyWife31
Feb 14, 2011
Kathleen
Feb 14, 2011
MustangMom (Ship03, Div 080)
Calls seem to start coming around 2 p.m. EST
GOOD LUCK!!
Feb 14, 2011
Matt'sMom,Ship03,DIV083
Waiting patiently for my phone call...Even have call forwarding set up so I don't miss it! Can't wait until Friday, Yeah!
Feb 14, 2011
Cat(Mom of an AO)
Good Luck to all who are expecting the I'm a Sailor call today!! Usually they come after 3 est. I recieved my call around 4:45 and it lastest about 1/2 hour!!
For those concerned with the shuttle, try calling for a taxi instead. My experience was wonderful. I had a taxi who took me around the whole weekend. He is a military man and knows all to well what the does and don't are so he will have your sailor back on base always at the right time. He also had me at PIR early enough to pick my own seats. His name is Sarge (John Spadaro) and his # is 847-212-0246. He drives a minivan so it seated our group of 5 (including my sailor) very comfortable. If you decide to use him let him know Cathy reccomended him. He will get a kick out of it. Enjoy your time at PIR. Best of Luck to you and your new Sailors. I also posted a blog on the home page called PIR which gives some great restaurants in the area that Sarge recommended. They were great!!
Feb 14, 2011
Terri,Bobster's Mom (AWF FTS)
Feb 14, 2011
battlebuddy
The Springhill is a very nice hotel and there were alot of parents there with new Sailors. We also signed up when we checked into the hotel for the 6:30 shuttle for 4 people. My thoughts are that they should have had looked at the number of people who signed up and called the Taxi's the night before and made sure they were there to pick up these parents, wives, etc. There were probably 75 or more upset parents who waited and waited. RTC is only about 15 minutes from the SpringHill. There is also a Navy or Militiary bank on the left hand side of the Road, that you could park at and walk if you wanted to but didn't know my way around there at the time. I did like that we had our own transportation afterwards, as it was snowing when Liberty was called. It was a beautiful sight, but it was COLD. There was a long line out of the parking garage, but we enjoyed just talking to our Sailor and we had him with us so that was not an issue for us. I can't explain to you the emotions you will feel....but you will understand after Friday. It is one of the best experiences of my life. I have never felt such pride for not only my son, but for the United States and our flag. When those doors come open and you see the Divisions march in, get your tissues. They are very proud young men and women and you will see that immediately. It is very emotional. One thing I might mention, if you are going to be picking your SR up on Sat/Sun. You have your gate pass & ID and are directed to the Chapel parking lot. PLEASE DO NOT WALK beyond the orange cones at the Chapel. The divisions march up in the mornings and we had parents who would go stand right in their path at the chapel and some took pictures...a big no no... guess what.....their camara's were taken away. One guy was crazy enough to stand on the road right below the Chapel with a video camara videoing them marching down. He was in their way first of all, and then his video camara was taken. My son told me do not go past the Chapel parking lot, so that is where I stayed. It is very important to follow the rules of the Navy it's for everyone's safty. I think parents forget that. Also take them back at least an hour earlier than they are supposed to be back...they will never make it back in time if there is a long line at the gate to get into RTC. There were Sailors in my Son's division who didn't make it back on time, and also one who didn't come back for his watch. They almost lost off base Liberty on Sunday because of it. Make sure you give yourself plenty of time due to the large number of SR's in your group.
Feb 14, 2011
exxie
Feb 14, 2011
diannep
Absolutely, battlebuddy! A HUGE error on the hotel's part. We stayed at Residence. They asked when we checked in if we would be taking a shuttle and what time. We took the 6:30 and were lucky to literally walk out of our room building and it was there. Now I realize how fortunate we were after hearing all of the errors!
But as you found out, it would take alot to ruin the weekend with your sailor! Congrats to you all!
Prayers for you to feel well this week, Bobsters Mom.
Feb 14, 2011
diannep
Feb 14, 2011
tstms2003
Check out the time left. We are about to go under 4 days. Less than 72 hours until we hit the road for Chicago.
Feb 14, 2011
randy'smom
Feb 14, 2011
cheerpuk
Good Morning to All,
I just returned from my Sailor's PIR - was VERY awesome. I wanted to share a few things that we learned while there this weekend.
First thing & MOST important - Friday morning is crazy, but when we drove up, the line of cars was overwhelming at 6:45am. We drove past the line to make a U-turn, turned at the Metra rail station. Turns out, we could enter & park from that entrance & we DID NOT WAIT AT ALL. We parked & were inside within 20minutes. We waited longer inside to show our ID's than we did in the car. Please try this, you will be SO much happier waiting inside the buildings, than in your car. We got a seat up at the top so we could stand when we wanted without blocking anyone's view. But then, sitting in 1st row allows you to jump up & get to your sailor so quick after LIBERTY is called. Make your choice.
Second thing - if you Sailor has watch on any night of Liberty, head to the Base EARLY! Lines of cars for that is long & no way around them unless you pull a "tourist" move & cut the cars, ouch!
Third thing - the NEX is CROWDED immediately after PIR, we went Sunday before joining our Sailor for Church. We then visited the NEX/Commisary for additional items.
Fourth thing - time FLYS - it seems so short!
Fifth thing - breakfast at Egg Harbor in Lake Forest was VERY reasonable & very delish!
We went to the Museum of Science & Industry & toured the German sub - very appropriate considering why we were in Chicago in the 1st place.
There is a very expensive but AWESOME restaurant, Mitchell's Fish Market 2601 Navy Blvd, Glenview. This is right next to the old Navy air station - would have like to tour this (if allowed), but we had to have an early reservation for a party of 11, and so that we could get our Sailor back in time. If you consider this, go early to see if you can tour this facility.
Anyhow, congrats, good luck & you are almost there!!!
Cheerpuk - Mom of a Sailor =D
We all had a fabulous time & cannot wait to meet up with our Sailor in SC.
Feb 14, 2011
waiting for you (SHIP 3 DIV 080)
Feb 14, 2011
Terri,Bobster's Mom (AWF FTS)
cheerpuk: Thanks for the information, we might have to try the U-turn. It's funny yours is going to SC and mine is going to FL!
exxit: Thanks for letting me cut in, but those behind you might not like it :-)
waiting for you: What a beautiful little girl you have!!!!
julesrn: SC only processes the Handicapped decal at one DMV in the state, 3 hours away form me! I'll just have to take my time walking. (This too shall pass)
Feb 14, 2011
Ken-55 (OS Dad)
Good afternoon! just caught up with the last day or so of postings and decided to comment . . . please understand that I'm NOT personally upset with the male/female argument about letter writing. I've sent my son a letter every outgoing mail day but 2 since the day I got his address from the recruiter. To give people a pass or excuse for not supporting their children based on gender is hogwash. When I think of the effort and commitment that my son is making to become a sailor in the U.S. Navy, the time it takes me to write and post a letter is but a drop in the bucket.
I cherish the opportunity to put a smile on his face at "mail call". For any parent that doesn't get it, I feel sorry!
Said me 2-cents . . . now waiting for my Sailor to call! ;-)
Feb 14, 2011
Renick ET
Bravo Ken, I have written to my son as well. I don't always have alot to say, but I want him to get something at mail call. At one point he wrote and said he had to catch up in his reading cause I had sent stories, jokes, trivia, etc. I figured he could share with some other recruits who maybe hadn't gotten mail. I'm waiting for my Sailor call as well.
When are you planning to stop writing? I think it takes a week to get the letters and I'm not sure if I should continue to write this week and if the mail will get forwarded to him. Do you have any info on that? Thanks.
I commend you for being a good father and your son is very lucky to have a dedicated parent.
Feb 14, 2011
exxie
Feb 14, 2011
kellroy(ship2,div913)
Feb 14, 2011
bev618
Go KEN - I have written pretty much daily, sometimes twice a day and I know that my son has appreciated the letters, especially the sports updates (LOL)! His stepfather has written him too as his father passed away when he was 13 and I can not imagine a 'parent' not writing - so Kudos to you!
I sent my last letter on Saturday - in hopes that he will get it before PIR on Friday - my son said that the letters were about a week delay and so he should get mail this week for sure - I just wasn't too sure about the forwarding to his A school which will be in GL, to start with!
Can't wait to hear from him tomorrow --
Feb 14, 2011
randy'smom
Feb 14, 2011
Ken-55 (OS Dad)
Thanks everyone for understanding . . . it's not about being a mom or dad . . . it's about being a parent and being there for our children. There are 7 from my family (including me) and 4 from my son's mother's family making the trip to PIR. We know that we may not all get into graduation but that's the chance we'll take and we will all see him during liberty. There's a little (long standing) resentment from some in my family since I raised my son with no financial help and minimal other support from his mom since he was 3 y.o.. I was asked "are we ALL going to be together" in Great Lakes? (meaning are his mom and half-sisters coming to diner with us?) I explained that we were ALL there to support him and Yes, we would be together. I would hate to put him in the position of having to choose whom he spent time with, that's just not fair to him.
The sailors that I feel sorry for (other than the ones who have no one making it to PIR) are the ones who will be torn between GF's/wives and parents. The amount of conflict/resentment of who gets the calls that I've seen online saddened me. When I got the long call about halfway through, I talked for about 30 minutes then encouraged him to call others. He did reach his sister and I know they both enjoyed that.
My thought here is that we need to enjoy and embrace they time we get with our sailors rather than bemoan the time we don't. It's hard when you have to share them, but isn't it better that they have more loved ones in their lives than just you alone?
One last thought, I've told my son that if there's any friend of his who doesn't have someone at PIR that he should invite them to come with us . . . I'd hate to see someone make it all the way though boot camp and be alone this weekend.
Feb 14, 2011
MountainMama(ship3 div081)
Ken, you da man! And a great father! Wish there were more men around like you!
Feb 14, 2011
Ken-55 (OS Dad)
Renick,
My last letter before PIR will go out today. I don't know if he'll get it before I see him but I NEED to congratulate him on Captain's Cup! ;-)
Feb 14, 2011
navymom 74 Ship 4 Div 805
Feb 14, 2011
NukeMom(CVN-75)
Feb 14, 2011
MountainMama(ship3 div081)
Feb 14, 2011
Kathy Dee
we are still trying to figure out which divisions went last night into today. We had thought is might be 083,084, 085, 086 but now no one is sure. Since I have girl in 085, I now have no idea when she went. Could have been yesterday but then again it could be tonight. I am trying hard to be calm and not slap one of my staff when they ask me a question. Then again maybe I should slap someone and then I will be less stressed. When you all get calls, let us know so we can figure out who actually went last night.
Thanks.
Kathy Dee
Feb 14, 2011