2 JAX AIR NEWS, NAS JACKSONVILLE, Thursday, March 13, 2008 Looking back in time... HEY MONEYMAN! Hey MoneyMan! It seems like I can't get my credit card paid off, yet it's one of my goals I would like to accomplish. Any suggestions or techniques you've seen that work for people like me? MonevMan Sezs: Discipline with money is something that some of us struggle with, but it's good you recognize that and are asking for a strategy. Can you find an extra $10 per day in your budget? Start with tracking your expenses- write down every cent you spend each day. Are you buying snacks at vending machines, lattes from the coffee bar or eat- ing lunch out everyday? Maybe you spend a lot on gifts for your children's parties they attend? Do you have a bar tab? Keeping a Employees leave after a day of work at the Overhaul and Repair Department in 1962. The building is Readiness Center Southeast. File photo now Fleet ON THE HOMEFRONT Flamingos inspire familiar CO panic goed." A large poster-board sign next to the birds told us that a high-school group raising money for their gradua- tion party was responsible. In order to get the flamingoes out of our yard and into someone else's, we had to pay $10. If we didn't want the flamingoes to ever flock our yard again, we could pay an extra $5. And who sent us these six pink treasures? The CO and his wife, of course. They have a teenage daugh- ter, so Dustin worried (without rea- son; the CO had been an unwitting "victim," just like us) that it might be her school or friends raising the money. (Why do military men get so freaked out about anything involving their CO?) "Whatever you do, don't let anything happen to those flamingoes today," Dustin said as he left for work. The children were of course delight- ed to see the tacky pink birds in our yard. I can only guess now, in hind- sight, that they spent a good majority of the school day imagining what they would do to the flamingoes when they got home. The bird's instructions said that their owner (not related to the CO in any way) would be back at 8 p.m. to pick up the flock, our check and directions to the next sucker, I mean donator of our choosing. At 4 p.m., however, just one hour after my older boys, Ford (7) and Owen (5), had got- ten home from school, there was a knock on the door. A flustered woman stood on the front porch, one lone pink bird clutched to her chest. "I've come to pick up the birds," she said flatly. "Oh, let me write a check then," I said. "I'm sorry that I'm not ready yet. By Sarah Smiley Special Contributor The military is a small world. You knew that. But did you know that the world becomes significantly smaller (which is to say, as small as an elevator feels when your infant son has just messed his pants) when your husband's com- manding officer (CO) lives in the house behind yours? Dustin's CO is a wonderful man and leader with a great sense of humor (remember that because it becomes important later), but that doesn't mean Dustin isn't slightly unnerved knowing that the CO can look across his yard and see Dustin putting the wrong fertilizer on our grass. And we have children too, which throws all kinds of variables into the situation. Dustin can tell me to quit leaving on the flood lights, the ones that shine right into the CO's house, all night (actually, I think his exact words were, "If you leave those lights on again, I'll rip the entire light fixture out of the wall"), but when it comes to our three boys, well, Dustin can talk all he wants ("Stop hitting baseballs into the CO's yard!" and "If you're going to moon each other, could you do it in the front yard, please?"), and it doesn't mean they will listen. Which brings us to two weeks ago. Dustin was leaving for work early one morning, when the dew was still on the grass and clinging to the six pink flamingoes in our front yard. "Sarah," he yelled back into the house. "Do you know anything about the pink flamingoes with bows around their necks in our yard?" Annarentlv we had been "flamin- SH 1 JONATHAN FICKLIN Job title/command: NAS Jax Waterfront Brig Hometown: Jackson, Miss. J7 Favorite duty station/ Why? CBQ Jax because I love working with Mrs. Nix. Last book read: King Magazine Favorite pastime: Watching Kobe and the Jacksonville Jaguars Most interesting experience: Riding my motorcycle. Who are your heroes? My mother. I thought you guys weren't coming until later." "Well usually, yes. But then we got a call alerting us that your children were beating the flamingoes in the front yard." She made a motion like swinging a baseball bat with her free arm. I was confused because I knew that Owen was asleep on the couch and I thought Ford was upstairs. But just then, Ford and our neighbor's son peeked around the side of the house, guilt all over their faces. "Oh, those children," I said, pointing to Ford and his friend. "I have no idea who those children are." The lady wasn't buying it. I spent the next hour helping her and the boys unearth buried flamingo parts in our front yard. Then I wrote a big check to help cover the cost of the damaged birds. When Dustin got home that night, together we grilled Ford about his behavior. Ford sobbed into his hands. "But flamingoes are only supposed to stand on one leg," he said. "And those birds were standing on two, so we pulled off the extra ones and buried them." He had a point. Flamingoes do only stand on one leg. Still, I knew by the look on Dustin's face, if I valued his sanity at all (and often I do), I would definitely turn off the flood lights before going to bed. Sarah Smiley can be reached for comments at www.sarahsmiley. corn. Um low carb diet- but instead of cutting sweets, you are eliminating that weekly manicure or carwash. After you have found items you can cut, put that unspent money where it will work for you. Arrange to have an electronic trans- fer from your bank account to your credit card, to pay down that debt. If you can find a way to shave $10 each day, at month's end you'll have $300 to apply to your cred- it card bill. If you have a credit card debt of $8,000, stick to his plan and your card will be paid off in three years, just by shaving off those $10 extra dollars a day. If you would like more helpful tips, check out the book, "Pay It Down!: From Debt to Wealth on $10 a spending log will help you Day by Jean Clh.ii/ky. identify expenses that are More questions? Call Hey "extra." It's similar to a MoneyMan at 778-0353. IA luncheon set for April N AS Jacksonville and the Northeast Florida Navy League Chapters will host a special luncheon April 23 at 11:30 a.m. at the NAS Jax Officers' Club for all NAS Jax Sailors who have deployed on an IA tour. The uniform will be service khaki for E-7 and above and uniform of the day for E-6 and below. Civilian attire is business casual. There is no cost for our IA's and their spouse. The cost for other military and civilian guests is $10. Base commands and departments are asked to provide a list of attendees to Michael Brazier of the Fleet and Family Support Center at michael.brazier@navy.mil by March 28. Please include rate/rank (warfare pin if appli- cable) and full name of IA's and their spouse for plaque and certificate information. Please also include names of any military and civilian guests attending. For more information, call 542-2766 Ext. 142 or 144. Did you know... V volunteering at your local Navy-Marine Corps Relief Office (NMCRS) may add years to your life? A 10- year study at the University of Michigan found that people who did no volunteer work died at an earlier age than those who volunteered at least once a week. NMCRS volunteers are men and women, civilian and military -- active duty and retired, officer and enlisted and their family members. Maybe even you! Call 542-3515 or email Jennifer.flagge@nmcrs.org for more information. SUNDAY SIJiRYLCS You are invited to the following Base Chapel Worship Services this Sunday: Sunday 8:15 a.m. Holy Eucharist Episcopal 9:30 a.m. Catholic Mass 11 a.m. Protestant Worship Protestant Sunday School program is at 9:45-10:45 a.m., and Catholic CCD is 10:45 a.m.-12:15 p.m. WAir News NAS Jacksonville Commanding Officer ............ Capt. Jack Scorby Jr. NAS Jacksonville Executive Officer Capt. Steve Holmes Command Master Chief CMDCM(SW) Chris Green Public Affairs Officer Rick Crews Assistant Public Affairs Officer Miriam S. Gallet Naval Air Station lacksonville Editorial Staff Editor Kaylee LaRocque Assistant Editor QM2 Nicole Beatty Design/Layout George Atchley The JAX AIR NEWS is an authorized publication for members of the Mili- tary Services. Contents of the JAX AIR HEWS do not necessarily reflect the official views of, or endorsed by, the U.S. Government, the Department of Defense, or the Department of the Navy. The appearance of advertis- ing in this publication, including inserts or supplements, does not consti- tute endorsement by the Department of Defense, or The Florida Times- Union, of the products and services advertised. Everything advertised in the publication shall be made available for purchase, use or patronage without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, physical handicap, political affiliation or any other non-merit fac- tor of the purchaser, user or patron. If a violation or refraction of this equal opportunity policy by an advertiser is confirmed, the publisher shall refuse to print advertising from that source until the violation is corrected. The deadline for all story and photo submissions is close of business the Friday before publication, and can be sent to jaxairnews@comcast.net. The deadline for classified submissions is noon Monday. Questions or comments can be directed to the editor. The Ix AIR HEWS can be reached at (904) 542-3531, fax (904) 542-1534, email JaxAirNews@comcast.net or write the lxAIR HEWs, Box 2, NAS Jacksonville, Fla., 32212-5000. The JAX AIR NEWS is published by The Florida Times-Union, a private firm in no way connected with the U. S. Navy under exclusive written agreement with the U. S. Naval Air Station, Jacksonville, Florida. It is published every Thursday by The Florida Times-Union, whose offices are at 1 Riverside Ave., Jacksonville, FL 32202. Estimated readership over 32,000. Distribution by The Florida Times-Union. Advertisements are solicited by the publisher and inquiries regarding advertisements should be directed to: SxjhirNews Ellen S. Rykert, Military Publications Manager 1 Riverside Avenue Jacksonville, FL 32202 904-359-4168 Linda Edenfield, Advertising Sales Manager 904-359-4336 r'- SAM BREEN Job title/command: Contract Manager, Air 2 i Operations Department Hometown: Columbus, Ohio Favorite duty station/ Why? Fort Sam Houston, Texas Last book read: Murder She Wrote Favorite pastime: Playing golf. Most Interesting Experience: Having grandchildren. Who are your heroes? George Bush