Quick Trip to San Diego Tips

It's a first!

We had never been to San Diego before but with my nephew graduating as a new Marine, we decided to make the trip from Indiana. There were no direct flights from our closest airports (IND and SDF) so between the time change (EST to PST) and flight time it was a long day both coming and going. It was our first trip with Spirit and have to say it wasn't too bad. Although after watching the Steve Harvey clip where he talks about flying first class and doing it once - yeah, we paid extra for the big seats!

I did the typical google and tripadvisor searches for how to do San Diego in a few days. I found some good ideas and we winged it. We only had two full days in San Diego and half of one was spent at the MRCD base for boot camp graduation.

Here is what we did and wished did. I reeeeally wanted to go to Tijuana but I need to reapply for my lost passport and we didn't have enough time.

Day 1

Arrived in San Diego, flying from Indianapolis to Las Vegas to San Diego on Spirit Airlines. The roundtrip tickets were reasonable. We didn't land until about 10:15 p.m. We rented a car with Fox - another first - I had never rented with them before but was very pleased with the experience. We drove from the airport to our hotel in Imperial Beach - now this was not my original pick for hotel because it was kinda pricey but it was where the rest of the fam was staying so I gave in. It turned out to be a nice room, great service, and good location. It was the Marriott Pier South Autograph Collection - the room could have been cleaner but was a typical beach room, and the staff were terrific - the rooms have the keys you can get on an app for your phone, plus an onsite restaurant and spa to schedule with. Very pleased! So we got to the hotel about 11 pm, checked in easy peasy and ordered UberEats. It was too dark to really orient ourselves but we could tell we were close to the beach by sound and smell. Off to bed!

Link to hotel! I don't blog for $ so it's a generic link y'all!

Day 2

We started the day with the Old Town Trolley tour. I read it was a great way to get familiar with what there is in San Diego, then pick where you want to spend more time later. We drove the rental car to the Old Town location where the trolley officially starts (4010 Twiggs St.)  - there are about 12 different stops on the tour - some are really not what I would have considered tourist stops but would get you around to a lot of the key areas in the city limits. The trolley starts at 9 am (times vary by season, check their website). Get your coffee and drink before you arrive - most things don't seem to open until about 10 am in San Diego. The Twiggs Street/Old Town location is a block of unique little stores and refreshments. This was our starting point. We rode for a while and decided to hop off the trolley at Stop D, Seaport Village. We really were winging it. At this stop was a booth for the SEAL tour - it is a land/water vehicle - so we decided to do it, it was getting ready to take off and they had two seats left. It was about 90 minutes - driving to the launching ramp and then a cruise through the bay - not super super interesting but the breeze was nice and the sea lions were fun to look at. This is also where we got a peak at the Mount Soledad cross and sparked my memory of reading some tripadvisor stories about it. We returned back to Seaport Village - it was another small shopping area with restaurants and at lunch on the bay at the Edgewater, poked around some stores, and got back on the next trolley. We decided to finish riding the trolley through the rest of the tour (it takes about 2 hours if you stay on and do not get off). Things that stood out that we drove by - Kansas City BBQ - the restaurant where Top Gun had a film scene - the piano is still there, the Midway battleship (museum), the Coronado bridge, and in general the change of scenery from Indiana and our typical beach vacations to Florida. We arrived back to the Twiggs Street/Old Town stop where we started, grabbed an iced coffee (delish), and decided to go to Mount Soledad.  It was about a 20 minute drive but SO WORTH IT (6905 La Jolla Scenic Dr S, La Jolla, CA 92037). It was a free park - and the cross and flag and view was amazing! I could have sat there all day! We drove back to the Kansas City BBQ (had to park and walk a bit) to check it out - it was neat but not sure I would do it again, we didn't eat there but it smelled delish - it was small and honestly driving by it would have been good enough for me. We ended up back at the hotel for the free drinks and appetizers on the rooftop to visit with our family. I had scheduled a facial for 7 pm at the hotel that evening which was also terrific. My husband hung out with the family on the beach. After that it was more UberEats for dinner (can you tell I have a slight obsession with UberEats lol) and to bed.

Day 3

Friday was Marine graduation. We started early with the family for the hurry up and wait for watching graduation and picking up our Marine to bring him home for a few days. I may be biased since my son graduated as an Army soldier but the Army graduation was more interesting than the Marine. Of course if you are there for the Marine graduation you will want to read all the facebook pages that tell you what to do and where to go and how to dress, etc. for your trip to the base. Luckily my brother in law has a department of defense badge (former military) so we didn't have to get pulled over and searched. We spent til prob 12:30 pm at the base and once we had our Marine loaded we headed back to the hotel. We had a great family at the hotel restaurant outside by the beach - the service was great especially for a party that big (19 people). I would say the food was kinda pricey but what isn't anymore?! Once our meal was over, the husband and I decided to take off again on our own for a couple of other places we wanted to see before leaving. We drove to the Midway museum. We got there about 4 pm which only left one hour to tour - so it was a quick trip but we still got to see quite a bit, we only ran out of time to go to the underbelly to see the sleeping quarters. From our parking spot at the Midway we were right next to the Kissing Statue. It was an iconic statue to view! We also walked around the farmer's market type booths which had some interesting fare but since it was close to closing time things were wrapping up. The one thing I wanted to do was to go to the border to see for myself. I put the address of the outlet mall next to the border in the gps because I read the back of the mall parking lot was a great place to view. They weren't wrong - it was an excellent place to park and took us to the last exit before getting in line for Mexico. The signage was pretty cool and it was interesting to people watch. We parked and walked around several blocks just to see the area, it was daylight and we felt very safe. After a fair amount of driving the back of the parking lot and grabbing a tea, we headed back to the hotel for the free drinks and appetizers again. On the way back we decided to take the street that the hotel was on to the end which got us pretty close to Mexico as well - you could see the Tijuana River tributary and view into Mexico, it was another delightful little accident. We even saw a couple getting ready to go on a horseback ride. Back at the hotel it was UberEats time along with the hot tub. Time to pack up for an early morning flight and to bed.

 

 

Day 4

Back home again in Indiana! Made it safely back home and were pleased with the amount of things we got to do and see in San Diego in such a short time. I would definitely like to come back and spend more time and bring our adult children to visit. Next time we want to go to Tijuana and will probably do the Amtrak up the coast to Los Angeles/Hollywood since my husband has not been there.

US Army Fort Jackson Basic Combat Training (BCT) for the Mom and Solder in Training (SIT)

06.18.18

I am writing this blog to share what I have learned in just 7 days about being a mom to a US Army Soldier in Training (SIT). Not sure who came up with acronym SIT, but you will find that a lot on the fb groups for moms and families of those going to basic training. This is not the gospel, just my version.

My son signed up for Army Reserves to start after he graduated high school. There are some students who go between their junior and senior year of high school, they call that split something - there is an abbreviation for that too, will add when I find it.

Since my son was Reserves, they do what is called a hometown shipper program. This meant he completed all of his MEPs requirements previously and between the date he enlisted and leaving for BCT, he met with his recruiter frequently for PT (physical training), weight checks, knowledge transfer, etc. We never received a ton of information it felt like from the recruiter on what to expect, I had to ask for the little amount of information I received. We received his flight details approx. 5 days before his ship date. So the hometown shipper for Guard/Reserves means, the morning they ship out/report they can go to the recruiter office to check in but can be driven to the airport by family and seen off from there. The recruiter stayed to verify he went through security at the gate. Active Duty enlistees report to MEPs for final testing, then stay with a group in a hotel overnight, next morning they do an additional swear in, quick goodbyes, then travel as a group to the airport (per accounts from other Active Duty parents). Don't forget the papers that your soldier signs to enlist, these have important dates on them - including graduation from BCT.

Packing to Leave for BCT. The list we received basically said a change of underwear, clothes on your back, travel size toiletries (check TSA website for rules.... no more than 3 oz in clear plastic bag, etc.), we sent phone and charger of course, $50, ID card, bank card, I put a few snacks in the bag for the plane. That was about it. After reading and learning, some soldiers took loose leaf paper, ink pen/pencil, stamps, envelopes, chapstick. Wish I would have sent those things, but they can purchase all of that with the advance in pay they receive or you can mail it to them when you figure out their address.

Now that your solder has arrived to Fort Jackson, they are considered in reception. This is a process that can last on average 4-10 days. This is the haircuts, vaccinations, get your gear, fill out paperwork, start PT, not sure what else phase. They get you ready to go before you are picked up by your Company (which is part of a Battalion which is part of a Brigade). My son arrived on late Monday evening to Fort Jackson and was picked up on Friday morning by his company. He had his phone briefly during these 3.5 days. The girlfriend got a few texts and mom got one, "Love you too!" I have read of kids getting blisters during these few days and possibly being held back for medical clearance (which could mean graduation might be delayed). Have also read on more than one group that the lady doing boots (shoe fitting) is not very nice, and a couple of kids with the wrong size shoes (which of course would lead to blisters, make them miserable, etc. - tell them to make sure their shoes fit!).

During this reception time I found some fb support groups which helped me figure out some need to know information or what I needed to ask. As a disclosure, fb groups moderated/admin'd are not my favorite places to hang out (a little power goes a long way! haha!) but in general it was useful at times, especially when I needed some empathy. Also made me jealous because other moms were getting calls/pictures and I wasn't. Most of the fb support pages also have a "files" section, take your time to browse through those. A lot of the info you are looking for is already there.

What I did pick up I needed to know/do: Find out the company ASAP (required to write, platoon is not required to send mail). Make hotel reservations ASAP (rooms sell out quick, remember the papers your solider signed when they enlisted? Their BCT graduation date should be listed on there. Family day is a always a Wednesday and graduation day is a Thursday (for travel that means arrive Tuesday night). Their graduation date could change based on their time spent in reception, PT testing, any medical issues. There are a host of other reasons it could change once they move past reception as well - so when making plans get insurance, ask about refund policies, etc.

So on day 2 of my son being gone I made the hotel reservations. Now, I got my hand slapped on a fb group for doing that (whatever!!!), but you know what?!?! Those that waited 4 more days were unable to get a room on base (that is the goal), since the soldiers have to stay on base Wednesday that is where you want to stay!). Book now though! I booked on the day after my soldier left, four days later there is no vacancies on base! Lots of people said wait til you hear from your soldier - nope! If I know/speculate the date, I can change my reservations later. On the same token, if you don't get on base reservations the word is to keep calling daily since SIT get recycled. So yes, their graduation date could change for a variety of reasons but make reservations ASAP once you know the anticipated date.

Companies (4-6 companies in a battalion, about 4 platoons in a company) pick up from reception on Friday, Monday or Tuesday. After my son was picked up on Friday, he was able to make a brief 10 sec call (they call it scripted), to say he arrived safely. The fb group was able to provide the battalion picking up for the week (for an example, ours was 1st BTN, 34th INF REGT, 165th BGD). How they know that, not so sure. Not sure if these people moderating live on base or are DS (drill sergeant wives or ?). Anyway, that is need to know info for your address to write to. When I talked to my son, I asked what company right away. That was the piece of info I didn't have and needed to know. He knew and was able to tell, I was also able to say a quick I love you and proud of you (and about peed my pants in excitement that he called!).

The day after (Saturday) he was picked up by his company (for his cycle, on Friday two companies picked up, and on the following Monday three companies picked up) was the day I received the Sandboxx text message inviting me to join. Sandboxx is a free to download app (or website) that you can use to send letters to your soldier. When you clicked on the link in the text message and registered (I had already downloaded this app and registered in anticipation of receiving this), your son displayed as Kin with his complete address. At that point I learned what platoon he was in. Sandboxx can be expensive, a single letter is $4, there are other packages available. Once when I have sent a letter it did not charge me - said it was sponsored by some company I didn't recognize. With Sandboxx you can attach one photo, they print off the letters and they are fedex'd to the Fort (along with all others presorted by battalion/company/etc.). There is another website called Write2Them (http://www.write2them.org). I haven't used it yet but plan on checking it out now that I have the full address. Someone said there is a package for $30 for the month unlimited, plus you can invite family and friends. On my list to do! Update: Write2Them seems pretty good. Easy to sign up and basically is just sending an email to an address they create. I like it so far.

So the Battalion has their own Facebook page, and if you are lucky your company with have their own fb pages. These seem to be ran by the DS (Drill Sergeants) and/or their wives. About 3 days into our cycle, there was activity on the page where they posted the address, some general rules, what to send/not to send, even a few pictures of the SIT arriving to the company (pretty sure I have read they call this a Shark Attack), haven't really researched that yet). Seems like you can find the links to these public fb pages on the private support group pages. Lucky so far in the fact my son's company has an active fb page - some pages have been inactive for over a year, or don't run a page at all. Lots of the private fb pages keep saying, "Stalk don't talk" on the official Fort Jackson pages, don't tag your SIT in photos. There is also a website called basictrainingphotos.com that posts photos. They are arranged by battalion, I've not seen any uploaded of my soldier's battalion yet - most people say takes 1-2 weeks before they upload any photos and that it is worth paying the extra ~$4 for the high resolution images.

Now what? Waiting. Writing. Waiting. Stalking facebook to see if there is anything I missed or anything going on. Waiting. Writing. Things left to do include finalizing details of the trip to SC - renting a van, figuring out what Owen wants to eat, loose itinerary for travel to and fro (we are about an 8 hour drive and 6 of us going). More waiting. Will add to this as I learn more, seems that getting your bearings the first two days of leaving to go to reception are the most crucial.

Marching Band Parent 101

Unless maybe you yourself participated in marching band in high school, you are probably clueless on how it works. Well, at least I was when my first child joined. I went to a school where band was not the club to join. Diff story here at Orleans though where approximately 1/4 of the student population is in band or guard. Below is a few tips and thoughts on how to help your student and yourself.

1. Deodorant. I really shouldn't have to explain this BUT these kids work hard and get sweaty. These uniforms MIGHT get dry cleaned once a year. Buy it for your kid. Remind them to wear it. Send extra to keep in their uniform bag. Remind them to bathe too. 

2. Hydration and Nourishment. Again, these kids work hard. It is a lot of physical activity. Send a water jug with them. Make sure they eat or have a snack for a long practice. Competition days you can send them a lunch bag with extras. 

3. Long Black Socks. Not ankle socks, not Nike emblem, just plain black long socks. Think grandpa style to your knees. Yeah, that will work. Send a clean pair each week too.  (Sock color will vary by school.)

4. Fundraise. I know we all hate fundraisers but it costs a lot of moolah to run a marching band program, and your student marching band fee only covers a small portion. We welcome creative and new ideas to bring in the bucks. Help us sell, help us work events, or if you are loaded we can give you a nice letter stating we are a not for profit.

5. Watch. Omg, what these kids can do is amaze-balls. Memorize and play music while navigating a football field of flags and not falling down!? You should be impressed. I'd like to see you try it. Show up and cheer them on. Come watch a practice and see how many it times they run a set to perfect it. Your heart will swell with pride for kids that aren't even yours.

6. Time. Make sure your kid is there on time. Give some of your time too. There is always plenty of work year round - props, uniform maintenance, organizing events. Be a warm body to offer a word of encouragement to the students and the staff. The hours are long and crazy and the pay is pennies. It takes a small army on competition days to get it together and back, we could use a few more good men (or women).

I'm sure I'll think of more and add to this, time for bed - uniform fitting starts tomorrow morning.

Reese's Pieces PB No Bake Cake

It's no baking! And Reese's Pieces!

This cake came together super quick. Found a recipe on the web and modified it slightly.

Reese's Pieces PB No Bake Cake

Ingredients:
1 package peanut butter sandwich cookies (I used generic or use Nutter Butters)
1 package cream cheese
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 package cheesecake flavored instant pudding mix
milk (for pudding and dipping cookies)
1 large container of cool whip
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup Reese's Pieces

Directions:
Dunk the cookies in milk and layer in the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. In a mixing bowl (I used my Kitchen-Aid for all the mixing), prepare pudding mix to package directions. Once it starts to setup, add the peanut butter and mix on low until smooth and combined. Spoon this layer on top of the cookies. Wash the mixing bowl for the next layer. Beat the cream cheese and sugar in the mixer. Add in all the cool whip until well mixed. Spread this over the peanut butter pudding layer. Sprinkle the top with Reese's Pieces. Cover and refrigerate!

5 Tips Around Death and Dying

Nobody likes to talk about death and dying. Let's face it, it's not an easy topic and can create lots of awkward and uncomfortable conversation leading up to it and well beyond death itself. My dad died one month ago. He had open heart surgery and it didn't go so well. Healthcare sucks for the most part, what else is there to say (and I work in healthcare!). There's enough on the interwebs already about grief, the 5 stages, whatever, we all deal differently - just don't let it be destructive. Here are a few thoughts I wanted to share.

1. Cards are a great way to say, "Hey, I thought of you today." Send a card when someone you know experiences the death of someone close to them. It is so nice to get a note in the mail, especially from those in your circle that you least expect. I really wish I have sent more sympathy cards over the years and will be more diligent in doing so in the future. Same thing for taking the time to visit at the funeral home. If I had realized how much it meant, I would have done it more.

2. Do not make the survivor play "Who am I?" at the funeral home. I was so grateful to see so many of my dad's friends from life come to the visitation, lots of coworkers from the almost 40 years he spent working in a factory and the many friends he had made as a youth and kept throughout life (the man knew how to be a friend - and it had to do with picking up the phone to make an actual phone call, not a text or social media like). Let's be honest, we were a little tired and stressed those few days at the funeral home.For real, don't make my mom stand there and look at your face and ask, "Do you remember who I am?" Obviously not. Glad to see you but none of us are in the mood for cute guessing games.  The appropriate thing to do if there is no immediate facial recognition or you know that you don't know the survivor who is greeting visitors at the casket is a brief introduction, "Hello, my name is Harry Cary, I used to be your neighbor 25 years ago." Sorry we don't recognize you.

3. If you send an item to the funeral home from the florist, please include a To:. This is super helpful when the funeral is over and it is time for all the flowers and gifts to be separated. We want your tokens of love to go home with the intended person, but without the To: we might be sure who to send to. Easy thing to do, and I am not sure why the florist does not ask this for every funeral home delivery. Both my sister and I were surprised at how many floral items we received from our workplaces and our friends, what a sweet surprise.

4. Plan for death. Really, do it. Talk about it with your loved ones. What are their wishes, do you know? Do you know if your parents would want to be intubated to breath? To have CPR? A feeding tube? Do you have any idea where they would want to buried or if they have already bought plots? Pre-plan your funeral and burial as much as possible. Select and start paying for your monument in advance or visit your local funeral home to discuss packages and pricing.

5. Have your favorite people leave you a voicemail. Save this voicemail. Man, what a rush to hear that voice again. Music to my ears.

I love you, Dad.

What the healthcare?

Some days I really hate being part of the healthcare system. Don't get me wrong, there are lots of great things..... medications that cure diseases or alleviate symptoms, technology to make early diagnoses, skilled and caring nurses and doctors, the list goes on. But just in the last year I can think of more than a dozen of what I would consider healthcare failures.... some due to people, some to process and some to technology. Maybe this is what my blog should be about, because only when we recognize and acknowledge failure do we ever have an opportunity to improve.

Two personal examples in the past 30 days:

My daughter had a 6:30 pm knee MRI scheduled at an office where our insurance would cover 100% even though it was an hour away. The office called that morning at 11 am to confirm the appointment. I informed them that her grandmother would be bringing her since I had to work and to let me know if that would be a problem - that will be fine, I was assured. 5:30 pm I receive a call that her grandmother cannot bring her to the appointment. Really. She is 17 and could take herself to a Planned Parenthood clinic to receive an exam, birth control pills or an abortion but cannot consent to receive an imaging exam and I could not give consent over the phone.

Picked up a prescription for my son at the pharmacy yesterday. We won't have to make a call to the office for a refill request any time soon. He has 998 refills left before next year.

Get it together healthcare.

AIDET

There are only thousands upon thousands of abbreviations and acronyms in healthcare and information systems. Are you familiar with healthcare at all? Heard of Studer or HCAHP? I'm not quite sure who created this little acronym, I'm guessing someone will take the time to tell me because let's face it, that's what we do on the world wide web. Interject and add our nickel, when we wouldn't spend two cents in real life.

Most of the time we ruin our introductions by starting the meeting or conversation with, "Let's do our AIDETs," or "Here is my AIDET." Don't tell me before you start this is a rehearsed script. Prefacing the intro takes away from the intended effect - to improve communication, put the customer (pick your poison on who the customer is) at ease, and provide assurance.

So, if you didn't know:

A - Acknowledge: Smile and make eye contact, it's really not that painful.
I - Introduce: My name is, maybe a little more.
D - Duration: How long is this (meeting, diagnostic procedure, etc.) going to take.
E - Explain: Avoid further use of acronyms... XR of KUB STAT.
T - Thank: An appreciative statement or a simple thank you for your time.

Hello interweb! My name is Tara Jenkins. I'm a registered nurse, work full time as an informatics analyst and do a little PRN home health care. I'm not quite sure how long this blog is going to last but I'm going to give it a try and see how it goes, my posts won't be too long because that is just the type of writer I am. I have some thoughts about healthcare, information systems and collaboration in the continuum of care that I hope to share. Thank you for taking the time to read my first blog post.