2 JAX AIR NEWS, NAS JACKSONVILLE, Thursday, July 16, 2009 r 0 0 0 SA U.S. Navy photo Established at NAS Jacksonville in 1953, Weather Reconnaissance Squadron Four (VW-4) flew the Lockheed P2V-5JF, a specially modified Neptune, to penetrate hurricanes and perform other types of weather reconnaissance. Note the wing-mounted Westinghouse J-34 jet engines outboard of each reciprocating engine. By 1958, the Neptunes of VW-4 were replaced by the WC-121 N Lockheed Super Constellation. Summer vacation challenges By Sarah Smiley Special Contributor Don't tell Dustin, but some- times he has a point. For six hours out of the day, Monday through Friday, September to June, my oldest boys, Ford and Owen, are in school (number one reason not to home school public school is free and not inside your house). According to Dustin, this is the perfect opportu- nity for me to relax and get things done. With Ford and Owen away, I am only responsible for our 2-year-old son, Lindell, who until just recently took a nap during most of the school hours. It's true that I was able to write, clean windows, make dinner and do many other things. But in my school-year naivety, I considered these tasks to be very dif- ficult never mind the sleeping tod- dler and I called Dustin an assort- ment of bad names for believing that watching a toddler was anything but exhausting. When Dustin came home at night, it was his turn. (My 88-year- old grandmother, Doris, laughs at this. "When I was raising kids," she says, "there was no 'his' turn. It was only my turn.") All this changed last week with the final day of school, also known around our house as "The Last Day of Sarah's Vacation." Really, who thought sum- mer vacation for kids was a good idea? Waiting in the pick-up line at school on that final day, you could actually see the dread on the parents' faces. This was in stark contrast to the giddy excitement expressed by teachers, who were looking forward FROM THE HOMEFRONT to their much-deserved three months off. I had hoped that my children would be sent home with instructions clipped to their book bag so I could remem- ber how to care for them. Something like "Ford has his snack at 10:30" would be help- ful. Or, "Remind Owen Sarah Smiley to wash his hands after using the bathroom." This feeling of forthcoming inepti- tude reminded me of another last day - a mother's last day in the hospi- tal when they release you into the world with your newborn baby, and you think, "But the instruction manu- al is missing!" We are almost two weeks into sum- mer vacation now, however, so most of what I need know is coming back to me, the same way my fingers auto- matically get into position and find the right keys when I'm near a piano, even after months of not playing. For instance, it came back to me how children are stubbornly attuned to the rising sun, even if it happens before 7 o'clock. Putting them to bed later doesn't help. Children intuitive- ly know that sleeping in is a luxury for their parents, and so they set out to destroy it. Similarly, when a mom tries to sleep past 7 a.m., and she receives an important phone call, her child will answer it and say, "Um, my mom is still in bed." When that important phone call is received again later in the day, the same child will say, "Now my mom is at the spa," even if she was really at the gym. I'm also reminded of boys' fondness for water guns. You take them to the closest drug store and buy them new water guns. You think the afternoon is all yours again as you visualize a day of kids entertaining themselves with the water guns. Except, when you get home from the drug store, they say, "We don't really want to play with water guns after all." This happens approximately five hours before your husband is supposed to return home from work. You still have lunch dishes to clean, clothes to fold, a column to write and din- ner to make. You are frustrated and tired. You briefly consider changing your name to anything except "Mom." You wish that the laundry would iron itself and that the bathrooms would magically be clean. You wonder when the kids go back to school. And then, the last thing you recall from summers before is that drench- ing your husband with the new water blaster when he gets home is totally not beneath you. Nobody does it like Disney: Part two By Erica Pefia-Vest Special Contributor In the last week's column, I talked about Disneyland with the prom- ise that this week I would address Disney's other properties in Southern California. Disney's California adventure opened in 2001. The Disney Imagineering team wanted to create a park that represent- ed all facets of the Golden State, from the Golden Gate Bridge that marks the park's entrance to a Hollywood back lot. Adding this extra park allowed Disney to import popular rides from its Florida parks and add some thrill rides for the older, adventure-seeking crowd that wouldn't fit in at Disneyland. 'California Screamin' is a rollercoast- er situated in the boardwalk area and has all the sights, sounds and smells of a typical amusement park but the rollercoaster is anything but typical. As only Disney can, they have taken a hall- mark ride and raised the bar a notch, leaving guests breathless as the coaster stops at the end of the ride. Another hallmark ride is the 'Grizzly River Rapids' Disney's version of the classic log flume ride. But instead of riding a classic gondola, Disney's ride features round rafts that spin and twirl as they bounce along in the turbulence of the flume. Forget about picking a seat where you are more or less likely to get wet. The rafts spin with the mer- cilessness of a roulette wheel, meaning that no two rides are the same. ooo FREEDOM To TRAVEL Along with California Adventure, another great addition to the Disney property is 'Downtown Disney' a street between the two parks that is open to the public. You can do some serious Disney and non-Disney shop- ping and sample some of the best cui- sine of Anaheim. World of Disney is the ultimate Disney store where you can find almost anything you want - Disney-wise under one roof. Both sou- venirs and collectables are easy to find along with some of your preferred mall staples Since I get to travel extensively both as a hobby and as a vocation, I get to dine at some of the most famous res- taurants in America. As a food critic for a military newspaper and other pub- lications, I was thrilled to find three of my favorite restaurants located at Downtown Disney. Catal Restaurant and Uva Bar, Naples Ristorante e Pizzeria and Tortilla Jo's Mexican Restaurant are phenomenal restau- rants. Catal Restaurant is a fine dining establishment with a Mediterranean menu. My party ordered various appe- tizers and meals and everything we tasted was delectable. Normally, I would tell you that the highlight of any restaurant is the meal. At Catal, there is something that outshines their food - their service. At Naples Ristorante, I found some of the best pizza I've ever tasted. The authentic Italian menu leaves you wish- ing you could try one of everything! My greatest surprise came from Tortilla Jo's. As a Hispanic woman raised on authentic Mexican food pre- pared in my mother's and grandmoth- er's kitchens, the last place I would have expected to find great Mexican food is at a theme park, but I was wrong. Not only was Tortilla Jo's a fan- tastic surprise, I enjoyed it so much, I would travel al the way to Anaheim just to eat there. Even though they are most famous for their 100 different tequilas, I think their homemade corn tortillas are their strongest selling point. With Disney Parks offering military members free admission and discounted admission for friends and family (see your ITT for more details), there has never been a better time to visit the Disneyland Resort. With free admis- sion, discounted hotels and activities, and great restaurants, you'll miss the chance of a lifetime by not visiting a Disney Park this year. I don't hold stock in the company and I'm not related to the management. What I can tell you is that you will feel like a kid again, you will love the look on your kids' faces when they see it for the first time because as I said before, "Nobody does it like Di-nivy' Looking back at a storm chaser CARD Bring this card to the Wellness Center Monday at 9:00 a.m. or Tuesdays at 1:00 p.m. and Get Out of Nicotine Jail Free! Bldg. 867 542-2836 JKMAir News NAS Jacksonville Commanding Officer....................Capt. Jack Scorby Jr. NAS Jacksonville Executive Officer............................... Cmdr. Ellis Bowler Command Master Chief............................... CMDCM(SW/SS) Jeff Hudson Public Affairs Officer ....................................................... M iriam S. Gallet Assistant Public Affairs Officer.........................Kaylee LaRocque Naval Air Station Jacksonville Editorial Staff Editor ...................................................................................... C lark Pierce Design/Layout............................ ............................ George Atchley The JAX AIR NEWS is an authorized publication for members of the Military Services. Contents of the JAX AIR NEWS do not necessarily reflect the official views of, or endorsed by, the U.S. Government, the Department of De- fense, or the Department of the Navy. 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The lax AIR HEWS can be reached at (904) 542-3531, fax (904) 542-1 34, e-mail JaxAirNews@comcast.net or write the Jx AIR HEWS, Box 2, NAS Jacksonville, Fla., 32212-5000. The JAX AIR NEWS is published by The FloridaTimes-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 FloridaTimes-Union, whose offices are at 1 Riverside Ave., Jacksonville, FL 32202. Estimated readership over 32,000. Distribution by The FloridaTimes-Union. Advertisements are solicited by the publisher and inquiries regarding advertisements should be directed to: Ellen S. Rykert, Military Publications Manager 1 Riverside Avenue Jacksonville, FL 32202 904-359-4168 Russ Martin, Advertising Sales Manager 904-359-4336 Job title/command: NAS Jax Air Operations Hometown: Orlando Favorite duty station/ Why? NAS Jax, in my home state. Last book read: Jeb Stuart biography Favorite pastime: Coaching football. Most interesting experience: Touring Europe with my family. Who is your hero? Pop Warner & high school football coaches who invest their time in young people. ORENZRAY HILLIPS Job title/command: Industrial Engineer NAVFAC SE Public Works Hometown: Detroit Favorite duty station/ Why? Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, because it is where I met my wife. Last book read: Thinking and Growing Rich by Dennis Kimbro and Napoleon Hill Favorite pastime: Making things happen! Most Interesting Experience: Working for both the Navy as an engineer and the Army National Guard as the Detachment Commander of Camp Blanding Joint Training Center. Who is your hero? Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Gandi and Jesus because those guys made things happen! GET OUT OF NICOTINE JAIL FREE