Wall of Honor at Anna's Elementary School

Veteran’s Day for me is a day to both honor fellow veterans but also be humbled by the fact that I had the privilege of serving my country. I wanted to use this blog entry as a way to thank the many veterans in my life:

My family:
My wife Holly (US Army, 2002-2003) My father Loren (US Army 1971-1977), My father-in-law Wayne (US Army), half of my aunt and uncles (Roger Nelson, Albert Nelson, Frances Bowers, Richard Nelson, Arnold Nelson), my cousins Charles Hahn, Jason Nelson, and Larry Nelson (hope I didn’t miss any of you on this one), and my cousin’s son Cody Nelson.

Veterans I served with:
The “Black Lions” from basic training (October 2001 – January 2002) at Ft. Jackson, SC, fellow language students at the Defense Language Institute (January 2002 – June 2003) in Monterey, CA, technical school at Goodfellow AFB (June 2003 – November 2003) in San Angelo, TX, fellow soldiers in the D Co. 311th MI Bn and B Co 4th BSTB, 4th BCT, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) (November 2003 – July 2007) at Ft. Campbell, KY, and my fellow instructors and students from B Co, 344th MI Bn (July 2007 – November 2008) at Goodfellow AFB, TX.

I also have many classmates from high school and college (and even younger as I’ve learned from Facebook) that have served honorably or still serve today. I thank all of you too for your service.

How did I celebrate this 11/11/11?
I started by thanking a few via Facebook. I made an appearance at my daughter’s elementary school for their Veteran’s Day celebration. I couldn’t stay long but Holly was able to enjoy most of it. I then head over to Stanardsville, VA, to join my fellow American Legion Post 128 members for the annual Vet’s Day ceremony at the Greene County Courthouse. I served in the rifle squad and was happy Holly and the kids were able to make it.

How else did I celebrate? I gave a $10 donation to the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA). IAVA is a group of like minded veterans that served in either Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring Freedom. If you want to do more than just say thank you, I have a few suggestions:

• Text ‘IAVA’ to 20222 to make a $10 donation or visit the IAVA donation website
• Send a care package to a vet via Any Soldier
• Support my friend’s video games for troops charity – Operation Supply Drop
• Sponsor a veteran by purchasing a one year membership in the American Legion
• Own a business, considering hiring a vet
• Support the USO
• Give your veteran employee a paid day off today!

Last year my neighbors Jim and Trista called and asked my wife if she and I would want to go to the UVA-Miami game. My wife declined… I made a sad face. Free tickets??? But I justified it by saying, oh well, Miami is ranked and is probably going to dominate them. But no… UVA won. So earlier this week, Jim called again, but got me, not Holly… and he invited just me. I jumped on that opportunity with the thought… Georgia Tech is going to dominate them, but maybe, just maybe, they can pull off another upset! And boy did they.

Oh and really loud speaker guy? Telling a homecoming crowd they aren’t allowed to storm the field after the game? Whatever:

But for real… Who else was nervous when UVA missed that field goal and the chance to go up by three scores? Who else was nervous when GT scored 14 points in like… I don’t know, a minute? But the Cavaliers pulled it off! Their defense was superb after the first drive of the third quarter (with the help of two very well timed blocks in the back by GT). I tip my had to Coach London and the 2011 Cavaliers… now 4-2 and 1-1 in the ACC. Coach London stated to his players that “this is one of those wins that can change the perception of what you think about yourself.” It’s also the type of win that can turn this program around. If the team continues to play at this level for the rest of the season, I believe they will really be able to compete with FSU and VT at the end of the season. Best of luck to you and see you again on November 26th!

Like Back Home on the Farm, Belvedere Plantation is a large farm experience for children with countless activities including a corn maze, pig races, face painting, pony rides, hayrides, petting zoo, slides, and of course, pumpkins. But what was very clear is that Belvedere is on a much larger scale! Of course, it’s twice the price for admission as well.

I brought my two oldest, but also grabbed my sister’s two youngest as well. My sister lives near Belvedere and all of her children spent time at the plantation during preschool field trips. With so many activities to choose from, I assured them we would end the visit with a hayride and picking a pumpkin then let them go in order picking activities for all four of them to do.

The Fun Barn will immediately catch your attention. It’s a large white barn with a huge smiley face drawing your gaze. And that’s where my niece chose to start the festivities. Inside the barn are about five or six rope swings taking riders from hay stacks piles up on each side.

Going in order of age, Ben picked the next activity, the pedal tractor track. They have two tracks, one for the shorties and one for tall people. They look like any modern go-cart track but these bad boys and kid-powered.

While they rode I heard the announcement for the pig races and moved my little herd of kiddos to watch four pigs in colored vests run the track to the cheers of a few hundred spectators. We worked our way back the main area taking a few minutes to visit the petting zoo. But Jack was anxious to get the slide so we didn’t linger.

Ben exiting the 100ft slide

The Pumpkin Mountain Slide is a 100ft underground slide that riders descend on burlap sacks. The gravel hill going up is steep and slippery but the kids absolutely loved the payoff… they rode it about six times each!

By now we had well exhausted the hour and a half I thought we’d spend at the plantation. Over the next three and a half hours, the kids got their face painted, rode a pony, jumped for 15 minutes on a basketball court sized inflated mat, took multiple rides down the ziplines, played in the sand at the Little Farmers Corral, had balloon animals made for them, and then took the five minute hayride to pick their pumpkins.

With the four kids all picking pumpkins, Belvedere does have a great deal on ‘all the pumpkins you can carry.’ I believe it was about $26. But I told the kids they could have any pumpkin they wanted, the only stipulation was they had to carry it to the car! My total came to $24 and I considered grabbing a few extra to take advantage of the deal, but I passed.

If you plan on visiting, Belvedere Plantation is open on Friday evenings after 5, Saturdays from 10 to 10 and Sundays from 10 to 6 through October 30th. They are also open tomorrow, Columbus Day, 10 to 6 if you read this blog entry in time! They do serve food and beverages (burgers, hot dogs, french fries, soda, bottled water, and funnel cakes is all I remember from the menu). While they have plenty of bathrooms, I didn’t see any water fountains. If you want to avoid paying $1.75 for a bottle of water, I’d bring your own! I’d plan at least four hours for you visit to make it worth the admission charge. There were lots of people but the parking was well organized and the plantation is so large that there were not long waits or unreasonable crowds anywhere. We didn’t even have to wait for the hayride, they accommodated everybody in line both there and back.

So if you’re debating the drive and cost and asking yourself, “Is it worth it?” My answer is definitely yes. If you just can’t swing it, I also highly recommend Back Home on the Farm in Harrisonburg… it’s smaller and cheaper but also very fun! I will note that the pumpkins themselves were much higher quality at Belvedere this year than what I picked in Harrisonburg last year. Belvedere definitely led to lots of smiles and fun for the kids… as the pictures prove!

* Saturday October 8, 2011 – Belvedere Plantation album on Flickr

Through a combination of it being the annual Oktoberfest celebration and also my brother-in-law getting free passes through a work relationship, our family and my wife’s sister’s family met up in Staunton to visit the museum last weekend on Saturday.

Staunton’s Frontier Culture Museum is a tribute to the first colonial Virginia settlers and is organized on a circular trail with tiny houses / villages representing different colonial era settlers. In the words of the museum’s website, “To tell the story of these early immigrants and their American descendents, the Museum has moved or reproduced examples of traditional rural buildings from England, Germany, Ireland, West Africa, and America.”

An English cottage woman doing the dishes

Not only does the museum recreate the buildings, but they have full time staff in period costume doing daily tasks and answering questions for the visitors. I often tell people that even though I was a history major, I don’t have tons of historical facts roaming through my brain at any given time, but I do know enough to tell if somebody is completely wrong. I tested the staff at times to hear their responses and was very impressed with their knowledge. And as a bonus, I left feeling comfortable that I had learned a great deal about the 16th and 17th century life in the Americas.

If you go, take some time to research the website and Facebook site; the museum has plenty of special events and you may want to plan your visit accordingly!

On the web: http://www.frontiermuseum.org
On Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Frontier-Culture-Museum-of-Virginia/55813996379

* View my Album – 201010 – Frontier Culture Museum

Recently, I experienced equal sadness though when a former member of my company, who I also deployed to Baghdad with in 2006, was killed in a single vehicle accident outside of Ft. Gordon, GA. Charles “Justin” Shinn was a passenger in his friend’s Chevy Blazer when one of the front wheels fell off causing the vehicle to overturn. The driver survived and I wish him my best in his recovery and dealing with the loss of his friend. Justin, however, was not wearing his seatbelt and was pinned beneath the vehicle.

Shinn and I were never really close friends. We never hung out outside of official Army business. In fact, I was always remember Shinn because I never figured him out. Reading the posts on his Facebook wall, I realize that he had a very dynamic sense of humor. That was partly why I never understood him; I could never figure out if he was joking or serious! I had many times when I was relieved that I was not in charge of him; that is saying a lot considering the squad that I actually was in charge of at the time!

When I first met Shinn in 2005, I was a fairly new non-commissioned officer and he was new to the unit. They asked me to take him to the range and get him qualified on the M-16. He stared me down for an entire hour while I tried to help him adjust his sites, improve his position, and help him reach the minimum 23 out of 40 targets. After a few hours, I was finally left with only one question for him, “Do you actually care if you qualify?” He gave a one word answer… “Nope.” That ended our first day together.

Over the next two and a half years, we would work one room apart in different platoons of the same company. We came to rely on him and his platoon for keeping our equipment up and running and providing technical expertise to improve the way we did things. Shinn and his platoon mates were so creative and innovative that some of their techniques were imitated by other units fielding the equipment we received in Iraq. I was always impressed with their platoon’s dynamic, how they always had jokes, seemed untouchable, and laughed often. Despite our first meeting, I really came to like Shinn. I was really happy to hear the news that he had been promoted to sergeant and just knew he would be a great NCO. Ironically, my last physical memory of Shinn though was not worthy of the NCO Creed, but is probably one that is still told in the 4th BSTB, 4th Brigade 101st Airborne Division.

Following our deployment, we had a full month of block leave and didn’t work a full five day week for a few months after that. But then it was time to play real Army again and get serious about training. We had a very strict (but fair) battalion sergeant major and a company commander that both stressed enforcing regulations and standards. This came to light first with the Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT). For those that don’t know, the APFT consists of two minutes of push-ups without resting your knees on the ground, two minutes of sit ups without resting in the down position, and a two mile run. I had the pleasure of being a grader for this first round of company-wide testing and had Shinn in my group. I can’t remember how he did on the sit ups and push ups, but I do know he passed. I knew Shinn was a decent runner so I started to get concerned when he didn’t show up around the 13 to 15 minute mark as I expected. I started to walk among the finishers to see if I had missed him crossing the line. Then the walkers began to come in (those that are injured and cannot run must complete a 2.5 mile walk). I started asking around… “Where’s Shinn?” One of his platoon mates began laughing and pointing in the distance… he’s right over there! In what I thought was impossible, Shinn, who appeared to be jogging, not walking, crossed the finish line in over 30 minutes. There seemed to be a story behind the performance; it appeared to be a pre-planned act of defiance in support of our enlisted troops. It propelled him to almost cult hero of the day in our unit and made many a senior NCO very unhappy (myself not included… I happily smirked).

I can’t say much more for what happened in between. He stayed in, deployed again, got promoted again… many of my friends kept in touch with him regularly. When I heard the news, I couldn’t stop thinking of him for two days. I remembered the good, the bad, and just remembered him. I guess it’s true what old vets say about their Army family… it really is like family. I am sad by the loss of a fellow Currahee, especially to a car accident. Life truly is a precious thing and my thoughts and prayers go to his family and close friends. I wish there were more I could do, but for the time being, I offer this as my tribute to a popular and effective soldier that refused to conform to the norms, but definitely got the job done for his fellow solders.

The crystal clear reflection of the cavern ceiling on Dream Lake

Luray Caverns was discovered in August of 1878 (99 1/2 years before I was born) when a Luray, VA, tinsmith’s candle was blown out by a cold wind coming from the hillside while his party was actively searching for caves. The group of four descended into the cave by rope and used candles for light and their first glimpse was of the massive Washington Column, still the main focal point as you enter the caverns today. The men discovered what would later be revealed as the largest cavern system on the East Coast.

Tourism to the caves began immediately as well as the admission charge. To celebrate the many means of travel used to reach the caverns, the facility also has a car and carriage museum, started in 1957, that is included in the price of admission. Visitors will notice that the tour area within the caverns are brick and concrete… first poured in the 1950s. In 2000, they added a garden maze which looked like it may be fun, but it was nearly 100 degrees and required an additional fee. I had never seen it before though. Then across the street, and also included in the price of admission, is a small museum dedicated to life in the Shenandoah Valley.

The caverns get over a half a million visitors a year so you won’t have a private, quiet tour. However, our tour was self-paced with tour guides standing at each main feature, repeating their speech every 10 to 15 minutes. We spent about one hour walking the caverns and that was with a 7, 6, and 3 year old going at their own pace. It is easily walked by children (even though I remember having some pretty sour feet at the end when I was a kid, mine never complained once on their first visit). The one disadvantage: it’s costly. We spent $68 for our family to go with our youngest being free. But you can research that using Luray Cavern’s Plan Your Visit website.

Our drive home was along the peaceful Skyline Drive. I have a lifetime access pass so we get to drive on the road for free, but normally it costs about $15 a car I believe. The kids enjoyed the view and we stopped at a few observation areas for pictures and so that the kids could climb on rocks. After the first 12 miles though, the kids were pretty much done and I think Holly fell asleep. We made some plans to return when the weather is cooler to camp at either Lewis Mountain or Big Meadows! There are so many hikes that I’d like to do; it’s time to get started!

Before I met Holly, she spent a few years traveling the world. She started with the group Up With People right after she graduated high school. She was part of UWP Cast C99 (see her pictures) and spent a year in the U.S., Germany, Italy, Belgium, Netherlands, Switzerland, and Denmark rehearsing, doing community service, and performing the UWP Roads show. She was always spoken so highly of her time with UWP and I got my first glimpse of the show when they came to Nashville, TN, in 2007.

Camp Up With People's First Performance - July 22, 2011 - Harrisonburg, VA

This year, Up With People started a three week summer camp for 14 to 17 year olds just an hour from our house. The camp was run in conjunction with Camp Horizons in Harrisonburg, PA. Tonight the very first Camp Up With People cast performed at the Eastern Mennonite High School (EMHS) auditorium and we brought the whole family to watch. In just three short weeks, this cast of high schoolers were able to do community service, visit Washington, D.C., climb mountains, and ride horses all while rehearsing and putting on an hour-long performance including UWP staples as “Up With People” and “One 2 One.” I was so impressed with this group and the kids even loved it. We enjoyed it enough that we came home and watched Holly’s 2004 UWPIAA reunion DVD and then downloaded the Up With People – Roads
CD from Amazon!!

They performed two shows tonight, but Cast B, the second three-week camp will be performing two shows at 4pm and 7pm on Friday August 12th. The show is free and will be performed at the EMHS high school auditorium located at 801 Parkwood Drive, Harrisonburg, VA.

Interested in learning more about Up With People?

• Official Website
• Camp Up With People
• YouTube Channel
• Twitter
• Facebook
• Smile ‘Til It Hurts: The Up With People Story

So this is a simple recipe. I’m definitely not a chef and not an expert at Korean food, but here’s a recipe that I have no problems with and gives a wonderful, tasty result!

* Continue for step by step directions or just skip the lesson and download the Cucumber Kimchi Recipe Card

Step 1 - Cut the cucumbers and sprinkle on the sea salt

Step One:

This is all about the cucumbers. Most prefer to use Kirby cucumbers, but any will do just fine. I like to cut mine into wedges, but you can also slice them width-wise if preferred. Put them into a glass bowl and sprinkle sea salt over them and lightly mix it up. The salt will draw out excessive moisture from the cucumbers and make them crispy. They need to sit for at least 30 minutes, but preferably overnight.

Step 2 - After the cucumbers have sat for awhile (preferably overnight), it's time to rinse off the salt and drain the water!

Step Two:

After the cucumbers have sat, you should have a small pool of water forming at the bottom of the bowl. I use a salad spinner, but all you really need to do now is rinse off the salt and remove as much water as possible from the cucumbers. This process makes the cucumbers salty as well so you don’t have to add additional salt later in the process. Keep the cucumbers separate and now gather the remaining ingredients.

Step 3 - Gather the ingredients

Step Three:

I don’t have exact measurements here, but I try to judge it based on the number of cucumbers I used so that the cucumbers make up about 70% of the mixture. You’ll need roasted sesame seed, green onion (or chives), carrots, garlic cloves, onion, and red pepper powder (available at most Asian markets or online if needed)

Step 4 - Slice the green onion (or chives)

Step Four:

Wash and then thinly slice the green onion or chives. I cut them into two inch segments and then slice them lengthwise twice. You can do this any way you like of course. Add them to a large glass mixing bowl (I suggest glass because if you use plastic, it will likely stain a bit red when you add the red pepper powder).

Step 5 - Slice the carrots

Step Five:

I slice the carrots similar to the green onions: two inch segments and sliced lengthwise into thin strips. I used just two carrots. Add them to the large mixing bowl.

Step 6 - Slice half an onion lengthwise

Step Six:

Using regular onion is optional but I like what it adds to the taste. I slice them lengthwise. For this amount, I used half an onion. Add them to the large mixing bowl.

Step 7 - Mince the garlic

Step Seven:

Mince some garlic. I did three cloves and one was really big. Garlic is kind of the magic behind most Korean food so I highly suggest using the real thing instead of garlic powder. Add it to the mixing bowl.

Step 8 - Add a handful of roasted sesame seed

Step Eight:

Throw a handful of roasted sesame seed to the mixing bowl.

Step 9 - Add about two tablespoons of red pepper powder (I added a bit of salt too, but it's not necessary)

Step Nine:

I added a tablespoon of salt and two tablespoons of red pepper powder, but I highly recommend skipping the salt (sea step two). I will not be using it in the future as my mixture was just a bit too salty. So, add the red pepper powder to the bowl. If you really like spicy, add another tablespoon.

Step 10 - Mix up the side ingredients making sure the sesame seeds and powder are well spread and the onions are not stuck together

Step Ten:

Time to get your hands dirty, My mom and grandma (Halmoni) always use those disposable kitchen gloves, but what fun is that? I just dig in and mix it all up. Be sure to split the onions into individual pieces if they were stuck together and do your best to evenly distribute the garlic, sesame seeds, and red pepper powder.

Step 11 - Move the cucumbers over draining any excess water

Step Eleven

Move the cucumbers over to the other bowl draining any water from them as you go. We’re almost done here!

Step 12: Get your hands a bit dirty! Mix it all together (many wear gloves here, but not me!)

Step Twelve

Here’s those disposable gloves may come in use… especially if you have cuts on your hand as the red pepper powder is a bit spicy! But once again, I dug in bare handed. Mix it all up thoroughly and evenly spread all of the ingredients.

Step 13: Admire how beautiful it looks then either jar it or cover it. 30 minutes minimum, preferebly overnight

Step Thirteen

You could theoretically eat this now, but I wouldn’t. I would cover it (or jar it) and put it in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before eating. The longer it sits, the more it ferments and the taste will change. Some people prefer fresh kimchi (like me) and I try to let it sit overnight and then eat it within two days. Others, like Holly, like it to sit for a week and then indulge. This is obviously up to you!

If you have young ones, the elevation and natural elements will keep them both entertained and able to make the trek. We did about 1 mile starting with the Preddy Creek Loop going right from the entrance and cutting back through Sue’s Trail. This is only touching the surface of the park and based on the contour lines of the Preddy Creek Trail map, as you progress down the loop, there’s definitely a bit more complicated elevation features. I look forward to using the park as my testing grounds for mountain biking. If I enjoy it, maybe I’ll be upgrading the bike and hitting more of the Charlottesville trails. I mean it is one of the reasons people love this area right?

The park is over 570 acres, is suitable for hikers, bikers, and horseback riders and has clean restrooms and clear trail map posted at the entrance. There’s plenty of parking too! However, just to be safe, I must note that a few friends of mine claimed to have seen a rattlesnake in the park while running there a few weeks ago and there was a cub in my neighborhood earlier this week, just a short half mile through the woods!

Preddy Creek Trails Park: 3690 Burnley Station Road, Charlottesville, VA 22911