Norfolk Sailors - Family & Friends

I need to ship a package to my son that is attached to the USS Eisenhower. Can anyone help me with an address?

My son said he needed a P.O. Box but I didn't know how true that was. And, like you said it's hard to get to your P.O. Box without a car. This really stinks!

Thanks CountryGirl for the offer but I think the FedEx location at Newport News is going to be easiest for us! This way, we don't have to worry about someone being home to sign for it and my sailor has a good friend in Newport that is willing to pick up the package and deliver it! Thanks Moms for all your help!

I cannot tell you how much I LOVE this site! You moms are full of helpful information and the support that you give one another is amazing! I don't think I'd have made it through bootcamp, A-School to Norfolk without my new Navy family! Thank you!!!

Is there any mass transit from VB to the base?

Ok Moms, I need some help! My son just got to Norfolk and decided it is best to have my paid for, beat up Buick than have a car payment! YAY! So, now I'm just trying to figure out a couple things...

1. Car is in my name and my insurance; what does he need to be able to drive it in Norfolk and still be covered in the case of an accident?

2. Any suggestions on how I get the car to him? I'm thinking of driving the car to him (9 hour drive from NE Ohio) over a weekend and having someone follow me in my vehicle. Or, I could have him fly home on the weekend and drive it back but it is an old car. I'm not too comfortable with him driving this vehicle that far all by himself. 

3. We don't have a lot of money so I'm not interested in shipping the vehicle.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!  Thank you!

Can you afford to take the car to a good auto shop and have them check it out to give you an answer if it would be safe to drive to Norfolk or a list of what to make it be in good shape. then see he can afford the repairs or at least split it with you. If he is on his own and is to have a car he has to be able to take care of it, pay insurance (mine got USAA at a good price), pay registration, pay parking, pay maintenance. When I bought my first car and I was still at home my Dad went through all this with me and if it was my car I had to make sure I could afford it first.

Thackersmom - funny you should ask! Ijust went thru this a few weeks back! Thanks to Marcy I was able to prepare and take the car to my daughter.

if you can, go back a few pages in the posts to about page 16 around the timeframe of May 22, right before Memorial day and you will see the convo that went on about the whole car thing. i tried to copy and paste but it didn't work. sorry.

We ended up driving my daugther our car, that she used while she was home to go to work and school, from chicago to Norfolk (14 hours) on a Saturday and then my hubby and I flew back the next day after we had brunch with my Sailor and stayed with her for a little bit and she drove us to the NOrfolk Airport which is only like 10 min. from the base.

Yes, she is responsible for taking care of it and only using it as needed. My husband did take it to the mechanic before we left too to just have it looked at OH and good thing we checked the paperwork for the emissions test because it was due and thankfully we got that done too.

So get ready for your trip! My daughter says she is so thankful to have a way to get around.

ThackersMom, just to add one more thing - it looks like Pittsburgh Int'l Airport is nearest you?  Southwest Airlines flies between it and Norfolk.  Good fares and two bags fly free!  You'll need to type up a paragraph giving your sailor permission to have the car in his possession, take it to the bank or wherever and get your signature on it notarized. 

Leach73, that was pretty cool how it worked out!  How's your daughter doing? 

(What I was getting at is, you could drive it to him and then fly home.)

I wish I could get my thoughts together in one post!  Oh well.  Last but not least, I got a AAA membership for my son.  Even though he has roadside assistance through his insurance, I get a lot of peace of mind - cheaply, at about $40/year - knowing he can always call AAA for a dead battery, flat tire, a tow up to X miles, whatever, even if for some reason he's driving a vehicle not his own. 

Marcy, He also can get discounts at restaurants, auto repairs, tires, auto parts, travel, and many more. You can print off a list of all the discounts. I use it for rental cars, hotels, airfare and train fare. 

That's true!  Though I'm probably more likely to seek out the discounts than he is LOL

Hi Marcy!!

nice to hear from you again! My Sailor is hanging in there. Honeslty as much as I want to hear happiness in her voice, it isn't there :(

On the weekends when she is off the ship and trying to find things to do off the ship, she is in a better mood and more relaxed. Having the car has made things so much easier for her just to drive out and do what she needs to do. Thanks again so much for your help and guidance thru the vehicle ordea and for being here along the way!

Thackersmom - hope it all works out for you! It really is as easy as that...get your letter notarized, make sure you have the current reg., emissions, insurance, city sticker (if applicable), and if it works out better for you, buy your one way ticket to get back home, and you are set to go. We had also thought about taking both cars to leave my daughter the one and drive back in our minivan but we found a good deal on airfare so we  flew back instead.

Happy weekend to all!!

I want to give my son my old Karmen Ghia. He wants to restore it. my question is this car is a '67 and has no emissions controls on it. What happens in that case? 

just a reminder for all you moms whose sailors can't always find something to do...we get together on the weekends at our home with any who want to come over. Bowling night tonight. :)

yvonne

John and Yvonne - God bless you for what you do for our Sailors! Thank you!

Thanks moms for all your help! I've really struggled with this because I'm not sure that the car will make it back and forth from VA to OH. It's an old car and that's a long drive. The car is paid for, that's why I want him to have it. But, he might have found an inexpensive used car that's newer and in better shape than this one. Keep your fingers crossed that this works out well for him! I know he needs a car to get around town but it would also be nice to have him come home on the long weekends! 

Thanks again!

Thanks for the "heads up" CO-TwinSalorsMom.   Shame on Victory Motors for taking advantage of our kids out there!  Grrr...

Don't forget the customs form from the post office!! You need to list everything in the box and the weight of each item or items if there is more than 1. Use multiple forms if needed just cross out the top portion and continue listing your items. I learned the hard way on my Sailor's first Christmas when the shipment was delayed 3 months!!! If this is unclear the post office can be very helpful, just don't seal the box until you get there.

Hey everyone! Thought I'd update you on the car situation. My son bought a used car from a civilian. Something inexpensive so I am very happy and hoping this car serves him well over the next few years. The car is registered in my son's name, our address but registered in Virginia. He purchased insurance through USAA because it was the most decent price he could find. Thank you all for your help! I was able to drop him from my insurance, saving me some money. And, now I'm thinking of selling his old car to get a little money back and save even more on my insurance! Thanks again for all your help!

LOL CO-TwinSailorsMom, What is it with men and stick shifts? Mine wanted to do the same thing! LOL It's a bittersweet feeling... I have struggled for the past two years with allowing him to grow up. I'm doing the best I can but it's very, very hard for me. I count my blessings everyday because he is patient with me and let's me know often how much he loves and appreciates me. Also, I've been lucky to see him quite a bit... kinda breaking me in easy! LOL

ThackersMom, good to hear it all worked out!  Mine has insurance through USAA too.  Good luck selling  your car!  Use some of the proceeds to go visit him in Norfolk  :)

We finally got my sons bike shipped to him last week.  He is so relieved.  Now he is saving money for a truck.  My question is, do any of you know any motorcycle dealerships out there that are safe to use for getting it looked over and an oil change?  He said he thought there was some Motorcycle World or something like that in Virginia Beach.

Apropos of cars and stick shifts the other day :)  Carjackers fail in the clutch, can't drive stick

SEATTLE (AP) — An attempted carjacking in Seattle failed when three carjackers found they were in a vehicle with a manual transmission and none of them knew how to drive a stick shift.

Nancy Fredrickson told KIRO she was getting something out of her trunk Saturday when she turned around to see a gun in her face. Three teens demanded her keys and jumped in her Kia.

They tried but failed to get it to move and then ran away.

The 70-year-old was in tears when she called 911, but later laughed at the inept carjackers. She never imagined a stick shift would prevent a carjacking, but she's happy she and her car were unharmed.

Marcy fun fact. thanks good to consider in certain parts of this country

No, CO-TwinSalorsMom, my sailor is not my only child.  I am a single mother of two boys (without going into much detail, it really was just me and my two boys since before my youngest could walk).  My youngest son just graduated from High School this year.  I am very strong (raising my boys while working full-time and earning a bachelor's degree at the same time) but my weak point has always been my children.  I think that when my Sailor entered his senior year, I felt a loss of control.  Not that I control either one of my boys.  But, I can no longer protect them and they would both be "grown" within a year of one anther.  It's just hard for me to cut the apron strings.  We're getting there though.  My son probably HAD to move away for me to allow him to grow up!  LOL  Now, I think my youngest son needs to move away too.  But, I'm not sure I could survive that!  LOL

When I toured my son's ship we were not allowed where he works either. He is an IT on a destroyer. 

Kathy, I’m so excited for you!  What an awesome experience!  I hope that I get to go on a Family Day Cruise some day! I had asked the recruiter if there was a “bring your mommy to work program”. That didn’t go over too well with my son or his recruiter. LOL 

Ladies, How did you hear about the Family Day Cruise?

And, I love that you’re amazed by your son’s patience with you! My son, too, has grown so much since he left for bootcamp. It truly is amazing! He was a good young adult before bootcamp. Now, he’s a great young man! He tells me quite often how much he loves and appreciates me. Just the other day he posted a comment on my fb page thanking me for everything and about how his thought process includes questions such as “what would my mom think” and “what would my mom do”. Yes, the Navy has been great for my son too!  And, I wouldn’t change this experience for the world… except the crying! That I could live without! LOL

My other son and I were able to do a family cruise and that was so cool to experience! But my husband and my dad were able to do the tiger cruise at the end of one of his deployments and were able to spend a few days and nights on the ship. I was so jealous. It was an all male ship so I was not able to do it. I told him I would get my hair cur short and act like a guy but that did not go over well. LOL

I'm new to the group...my son will be reporting to he Kearsarge in a couple of days.  He's been in Pensacola (A schools), and this is his first duty station.  My question is, what is life like on the ship?  From what I understand, this is where he will be instead of in barracks. He's trying to figure out how much civilian clothes he can take.

He is driving his car there too, and where does he park it when and if his fleet is deployed?  He insisted on taking his car, so I'm wondering where it will be parked and if it is safe on base when he deploys. I'm sure these are silly questions, just trying to help make the transition easier by having a little insight from the moms out there.  :)

Marcy-thank you for the information!  I look forward to sight seeing and visiting his base this weekend.  I've never been to Norfolk, or Virginia, so we are excited to have a mini vacation with him this weekend. My son is looking forward to life on the ship.  I'm sure he will have many stories to tell as time goes on!