Michael Leaves for his First Deployment

We visited Vancouver, B.C. on Valentine's Day, Michael's last weekend in town.

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Michael at the NAS Whidbey Island air terminal getting ready to leave.

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Deck department sailors pulling up the U.S.S. Eisenhower's mooring lines.

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A tugboat pushing the U.S.S. Eisenhower away from the docks.

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Sailors manning the rails as the U.S.S. Eisenhower pulls out of Naval Station Norfolk.

The U.S.S. Eisenhower

As promised, here are some pictures of the U.S.S. Eisenhower, the aircraft carrier Michael deploys on. While Michael was making final preparations for the rest of his squadron to arrive and complete their last work-up, Nikki went out to visit Norfolk and take a tour of the boat.

This is the back of the boat, which is closest to the pier at Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia.
Each Service Member must salute the flag when getting on or off of the boat.

This is the door to the Patriot's Ready Room.

This is the interior of the ready room. Here, the air crew will plan flights, have meetings, etc. It is mostly set up like a classroom with seats all facing the front, where there is a large board. The room has computers, it's own drinking fountain, a TV that can broadcast what's happening on the flight deck and other cool stuff.

This is where Michael is served expensive, half-rotten and poorly prepared food for months at a time. I'm sure all of you will hear about it when he returns.

This is a view of the flight deck from the tower of the boat. The framing you see is for a tent. While we were there, crews were replacing the non-skid surface of the flight deck, and used giant tents to keep moisture away while it dried.

Michael on the flight deck. He is wearing his "dessert" flight suit, which is supposed to match the color of sand.

This is the hangar, right below the flight deck. The airplanes are placed on a giant elevator to go up and down between the flightdeck and hangars.

This is the tower and flight deck. This picture is taken from the left-front of the boat.

This is a picture of an arresting cable. When an airplane lands on a carrier, it is going much too fast to stop in time and not go flying off the other end of the ship. There are four arresting cables at the back of the boat, and airplanes try to catch one of the four with a hook attached to the back of the plane. The cables pull out slightly, and then stop the airplane from moving forward. (You can see how big the cable is compared to Nikki's Size 9 foot.)

These are anchor chains. They are attached to the anchors that hold the ship in place when it is not moving. They are about a foot in diameter.

This is a staircase on an aircraft carrier, basically a ladder. These are all over the ship. We must have gone up or down a ladder 30 times in an hour just while Michael was showing Nikki around the ship. In the areas where the Commanding Officer of the boat and other important people are walking around, they put shiny wood over the ladder handles. (Because, you know, that makes it so much nicer.)

Near where the U.S.S. Eisenhower was docked was this ship, the U.S.S. New York. The steel from the World Trade Center was used in making this ship.

After a few days in Norfolk, we drove up to Washington D.C. to spend a few days and see friends. Special thanks to Jaeger for being an excellent hostess!

SNOW

For the first time since we've lived here...it snowed for real!

It snowed about an inch in Oak Harbor on Sunday, and has stayed below freezing since then. Here's how prissy they are here...the schools in and around Seattle have been opening 2 hours late both Monday and Tuesday because of "cold weather." By "cold weather" they mean sunny and 20-25 degrees.

Maya's first time in the snow

VACATION TIME!

We Spent 5 Days in Los Angeles this month
...Our first vacation since our honeymoon 2 years ago!

We had tons of fun soaking up sun in Santa Monica and Venice. We had brunch and toured the Queen Mary in Long Beach. We visited Disneyland and Griffith Park as well as spending time in Hollywood having our anniversary dinner at Eva Longoria's steakhouse 'Beso' (so yummy!) and seeing WICKED at the Pantages theater in Hollywood.

On the Ferris Wheel on Santa Monica Pier

Tomorrowland at Disneyland

On the roof of the Griffith Observatory after hiking up Mt. Hollywood, overlooking Los Angeles & Hollywood. (You can just make out the Hollywood sign over Nikki's shoulder.)

Outside the Pantages Theater after seeing WICKED!

Happy Thanksgiving!

The Craig side of the family made the trek to Oak Harbor to visit us on Thanksgiving this year. We had a fantastic low-key weekend with some fantastic (not over-cooked) Prime Rib!

The Seattle (1/2) Marathon: November 30th, 2008

We both ran the Seattle 1/2 Marathon on November 30th

It was fantastic race; surprisingly beautiful weather (as in, only rained for about 15 minutes) for November in the Emerald City. Some of us met our goals...and some didn't because they didn't bother following a training program and thought they could just wing it. (Michael.)

Our only suggestion for next year would be more "bathrooms" along the race course. It's really not fun waiting in a 10 minute porta-potty line during the middle of your race...the bushes are ok though.

Next stop: Whidbey Island 1/2 Marathon and the Seafair Marathon for Nikki; and a wonky treadmill on the USS Eisenhower for Michael.

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween from Whidbey Island, WA and Fallon, NV!

Congrats Mary & Adam!

Michael's sister Mary and her husband Adam are expecting!

Obviously, she's going to be a knock-out.

25th Anniversary WCSKS 2008

Nikki, Renee and Sipke went to the 25th Annual West Coast Sea Kayak Symposium in Pt. Townsend, WA

WCSKS is the largest and oldest sea kayak symposium in the world...and probably the coldest and foggiest too.

The highlight of the weekend was the cardboard kayak race (mostly because the sun finally came out for it.)

Annnnnnnnddddd...He's off!

Michael leaves....for a very long time. :-(

Michael in his Prowler:

Michael left this week for the better part of a year. He'll be gone for the next 30 days aboard the USS Eisenhower doing workups (practicing) for their upcoming deployment. He'll also be spending time in Fallon, NV and for a second time on the Eisenhower before deploying in February. He'll return in August 2009. Check back here, Nikki will post updates when she hears from Michael.

Michael will be home for the Holidays, and would like as many people to visit as possible. Give us a call, and we'd be happy to have you over for a few days!

View from Michael's seat in the Prowler:

Michael won't be available by phone while he is gone. You can e-mail him at mpcraig@uwalumni.com; but he'll only be able to check it once in a while.

(Also, please don't send pictures, forwards, etc as they will be filtered out of the system on the ship.)

If you'd like to send Michael mail while he is gone, please call Nikki and she'll give you the FPO address. (262) 374-0562 or (360) 682-6410

Prowlers:

Links:

Fallon Naval Air Station:

https://www.cnic.navy.mil/Fallon/index.htm

USS Eisenhower:

http://www.eisenhower.navy.mil/

VAQ-140 Patriots:

http://vaq140.ahf.nmci.navy.mil/

Naval Air Station Whidbey Island

http://naswi.ahf.nmci.navy.mil/index.htm

Maya's First Camping Trip

Maya got to go on her first camping trip on Labor Day weekend

We went to Snoqualmie, WA and braved some rain and some little kids at the campsite next to us...we had lots of fun!

She didn't like her backpack much...she refused to move while it was on.

Maya in the tent.

Michael and Nikki at the bottom of Snoqualmie Falls.

Maya at Rattlesnake Lake, WA

Prowler-Growler Ball 2008

Saturday was our 2nd time attending Prowler Ball at NAS Whidbey Island. Now that the first Growlers are here, they're calling it the Electronic Attack Ball. Some (ok, mostly Nikki) think that Prowler-Growler Ball sounds better.

Prowler Ball is like Prom for grown-ups: Get dressed up, pay lots of money to eat crappy food from a crappy buffet. Add throwing marshmallows and drinking yourself into oblivion and you've got yourself a fun night!

While Miss Jaeger was missed very much, it was wonderful to have Renee and Sipke attend with us this year.

This year was tons of fun. It was especially great actually KNOWING people outside of Michael's 4-person class at VAQ-129.Anglea, Janine and Nikki

John throwing marshmallows...he really had to get this close to actually hit anyone.

RAGNAR....complete!

...189 miles and 30 hours later, Team Slow n' Steady completed the Ragnar Relay Northwest Passage.

http://www.ragnarrelay.com/northwestpassage/index.php

With an average pace of 9:31...we weren't last!

Nikki's Mom being her best cheerleader, as always!

RAGNAR RELAY this FRIDAY AND SATURDAY

Ragnar was a 9th century Norse King. He was a pirate, a raider, a conqueror, an explorer, and a wild man.

It is in his spirit that 152 Teams will complete the Ragnar Relay Northwest Passage this Friday and Saturday, July 25th and 26th. Blaine to Langley...8:00am Friday to 3:00pm Saturday.

12 people, 2 min-vans, 30 hours and 187 miles.

Come cheer us on! We'll be running through Oak Harbor between 6am and 8am on Saturday morning. Nikki will be leaving Crescent Harbor Elementary for her last leg around 6:20am, and arriving at North Whidbey Middle School around 7:00am.

Happy 4th of July!

Happy 4th of July from Whidbey Island!

We enjoyed the Keeva's tidelands and gorgeous beach home in Freeland during the day....

And AMAZED Maya with her first fireworks show that night.