I’m a Lucky Girl

As part of the Cisco Social Ambassador program, I was chosen to join the “media day” for Bold Alligator 2014. Bold Alligator is a 12 day joint Navy and Marine exercise that showcases the capabilities of what is called “seabasing” and the full range of amphibious operations all while responding to multiple crisis and responses. This year, more than 19 nations and 19 ships participated in the exercises that spanned the eastern seaboard from Washington DC to Florida, to as far inland as Indiana. The fourth Bold Alligator, there were more than 450 planes and 17,000 service people are involved, taking 2 years of planning. Our group of media folks – from bloggers and tweeters to journalists, were there to get a glimpse of what our amazing servicemen and women are doing, day in and day out.

But basically, it means that I was able to spend a day watching and interacting with these phenomenal military folks. Oh, and I was in a Seahawk Helicopter, on an aircraft carrier, but more on that later.

Let’s Get Started

The day started at Cherry Point, Marine Corp Air Station. I was about to take a picture of the front of the Station, when I saw a fellow blogger getting pulled aside and questioned by some Marines, so I thought I would just wait for our escort.

We headed for a briefing at Bogue Field, where we learned more about the operation and the day’s events. Although a joint operation, we were escorted by folks working mostly with the Marine Expeditionary Brigades (MEB).  These forces are set up to be  be agile and nimble, and to support the fleet’s war fighting operations. At first I was initially surprised at the number of terms used by the Marines that are also used by our product development teams and engineers, again demonstrating the need for us to continue to hire and leverage veterans with great skills and experience.

The Treasure Coast

The exercise uses a fictional Treasure Coast complete with a history of countries shown on a map on top of the US map. The complex scenarios outlined in the exercise focus on background provided about these countries. What we learned during our briefing is that “the emerging democracies of Amber, Amberland, Amethyst Island, Mica and others are improving, while relations with Garnet are deteriorating. Pirate attacks plague the area while humanitarian aid to Amber, Amberland and Pyrope are hampered.”

Command and Control

Starting a Bogue Field, we drove through barbed wire fencing checkpoints to review the Navy Expeditionary Force and Marine Wing Support Squadron operations. Think of it like the biggest tent you ever saw, with rooms upon rooms that emanate from a large center tent. We had to put down our cameras and phones for this part of the tour.

We entered the tent from a grassy and tree lined area, directly into a monitored and guarded cell phone/camera drop area. The tent had air conditioning, a metal floor, lighting, networking operations, huge screens, and, I was glad to see Cisco phones all over the place. These tents are erected in hours not weeks, and it was nicer than some conference rooms I’ve been in. The situational awareness room (my words, not theirs) reviewed chats, and incoming intelligence from various sources.

After that we toured an area set up to show us the various disciplines in use – from Explosive Ordnance Disposal (ok, bombs) via robot, and this bomb suit, below. (Gulp!) One of the folks in our group asked how someone gets that job…you know, the guy the gets to wear the bomb suit.  “He must’ve drawn the short straw.”  The soldier corrected him immediately.  “No sir, the person in THAT suit has the MOST experience.”  Makes sense, but reminded me of the sacrifice our military folks make everyday.

I also met several entomologists. Yep, the Navy has entomologists – otherwise known as bug people. There are 38 entomologists currently serving on active duty supporting the marines throughout the theatres – from malaria control, pests on ships and they work to identify possible other issues as well. The folks I met had just caught several Black Widow spiders in the tents just deployed, and they wanted me to see it up close. Ummm, no thank you.

After that, we headed to the Bogue Air Field, to see field operations. Did you know Marines can put down a runway or air pad in just hours? And put together a runway that will support a Harrier aircraft in just days? It’s a key component in their rapid deployment, agile system. The other equipment was just as impressive, such as the fire truck and runway cleaner.

Next Stop, USS Kearsarge

After lunch at the Officers Club, we headed to the USS Kearsarge (KSG) via helicopter. Putting on the cranial helmet (perfectly named), as well as the life vest, we loaded up the Seahawks to head out for a 40 min flight to the carrier.

Getting buckled up in my 4 point harness, sitting backwards, while not being able to easily look down (with that huge helmet on my head) was a trip. It was a little bit of a bumpy ride, but absolutely exhilarating. Landing on the KSG was crazy – just think about landing a bird on a moving target, that is moving up and down at the same time. These pilots are so well trained, they made it seem like parallel parking. (Still difficult for many without the backup camera. )

USS Kearsarge (Navy pic)

The USS Kearsarge, a small aircraft carrier, is officially called an Amphibious Assault Ship. It supports V/STOL – (Vertical/Short Take-Off and Landing) planes, and helicopter aircraft. It’s 846 feet long – think 3 football fields, and normally houses 29 aircraft. (There were 18 birds on board that day.) Some of them are not on deck, as you can see here.

It’s a FULL SHIP!  Normally, there are a little over 1100 Sailors on board, and once you add the Marines, about 3100 souls on board.  Which is how many there were, when we were there.

Next was a meeting with Major General Richard Simcock and Rear Admiral Cindy Thebaud. We got a run down of the partnership between the Navy and Marines, or what they call, “putting the blue and green team back together.”

The KSG was like a mini-city, with our tour we saw much of it – from the gym, to the decks, to the ward room and eating bay.

Oh, and the carrier is sovereign U.S. territory – so when you are in international waters and on the carrier, you are in the U.S.

Birds Eye View

A quick trip to the bridge, to get a view of one of the highest points we could go, was a thrill. And, the most swaying part of the trip. The bridge is really the ship’s command center – where the captain controls the movement of the ship.

Get a look at these guys. Young, huh? The fine young man on the right is 19 – and he’s driving the ship. The gentleman on the left, he’s 20 something, and he runs propulsion and it takes about 5 miles to actually stop the ship.  Yes, about 5 miles.

The navigation team of 3 sailors were also under 21, and all with significant experience and presence. If the captain says they can do this job, I believe him.

Next was a quick trip to the secondary bridge, where we could get a really great view of the ship. There the captain shared some great stories and more about the USS Kearsarge’s capability to do replenishment at sea, how tension lines for fuel and cargo make the job easier, and his longest time consecutively at sea without a stop at a port, 142 days.

On Deck

Finally, we headed to the deck – to get up close and personal with the flight operations. Donning a float jacket and my favorite headgear, we headed up. At first, I couldn’t believe we would be this close while helicopters were taking off and landing. But, we were.

I followed our escort, and ended up stopping short of the destination as a Seahawk made its way to land right across from me. That was my opportunity – I grabbed my camera and decided to get some video – without really noticing all the Marines planting themselves perpendicular to the landing spot. Then, the prop wash of the roters hit, and I almost lost my balance. That’s why they planted themselves. Duh. I got a better view when I moved further up the deck.  (Check out both videos below) The Seahawk must’ve made no less than 15 landings – back and forth, some of that for us, I’m sure, and some as training. The whole operation looked highly tuned and organized.

First attempt at recording,below.

Much better second attempt.

Saying goodbye

We made our way back inside, to catch our own flight back to the Base. Right before us, however were several dignitaries, we were told they were Retired Generals. The custom is to set out a red carpet and then sailors, called side boys, would arrive to flank the entrance area to form a passageway at the gangway. The number of “side boys” there is dependent on the rank of the Officer and they stayed at their post and saluted the dignitaries as they left.

Then it was our turn to travel back. The day went by so quickly, it seemed like I had just been in the car at 4:30am on my way there, and here we were going back to the Base.

As we took off quickly from the USS Kearsarge, I looked back at the ship – knowing that I now have some lifelong memories, an amazing experience and a huge appreciation for all of our service men and women in the Armed Forces. To all of our veterans and active service members, thank you for your service. I couldn’t have asked for a better day, than to spend it with you. We are all in your debt.

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I would like to thank Dennis Hall of the Avere Group, and the Cisco Social Ambassador program. The Social Ambassador program recognizes employees and contractors who have adopted social media as part of their job and/or would like to expand their skill set. Over 1,000+ members all over the world are currently participating in the program. Dennis and Cisco – thank you for making this the Best Day Ever!

My participation in exercise Bold Alligator 2014 is the outcome at the outset of a pro bono relationship between Rachel Bakker, Cisco Systems Social Media Manager and Dennis Hall, founder of Avere Group, LLC in California dating back to 2011. Dennis Hall has nominated community leaders on a pro bono basis to the military for public affairs embarks for over 22 years, including employees of Cisco Systems before the collaboration. He is neither an employee nor contractor of the military.

Meet my ELF – my new bike. Yes, it’s a bike. On steroids.

What’s an ELF?

It’s basically a bike, with a cover, and a bit of electric power to help – a cross between a car and a bicycle. (You may have seen them in Durham, that’s where the company, Organic Transit, is located.)   (ELF stands for Electric, Light, Fun)

The bike component of the ELF is a recumbent bike, meaning you are sitting closer to the ground with your feet in front of you to pedal, rather than upright and straddling a seat. With 3 wheels, (2 in the front, one in the back), it also has gears (a continuous gear train) and handle-bar brakes.

On the car side – add a mostly enclosed cab (with a spacious lockable trunk), an electric assist that is powered by a rechargeable battery and solar panel, rear view and side mirrors and you have the hybrid picture.

My ELFaba from Lori Bush on Vimeo.

Questions, I get questions

The most common questions I get are – “How fast can you go?” and “How far will the battery take you?”

How fast can I go? As fast as my little legs will carry me! If I just let the battery pull me, (meaning no pedaling) the ELF will speed up to 20 miles per hour, but I have gone faster, especially downhill.

How far can the battery take me? Well, if I were to ONLY use the battery, no pedaling, the battery I have should carry me about 15 miles. (Although there is an upgrade available that will go 40 miles.) The solar panel on the roof can trickle charge the ELF when we are in the sun, fully recharging the battery in about 6-7 hours. Or, for a faster recharge, I can carry the small battery inside, and fully recharge it connected to my standard outlet in about 1.5 hours. Unfortunately, the pedaling that I do does not recharge the battery, although I understand that will be an option on future ELFs.

Why an ELF?

My ELF around town

So, why an ELF, you might ask? Let me explain. It was the year of my BIG birthday, and I was looking for new ways to get exercise that was a little more fun. I love riding my bike, but found that I was mostly riding at events, or on the weekends. At the same time, I was noticing that many of my trips around town, were under 10 miles, one way. Although I had ridden my bike to work before, I would always feel the need to take a shower after I arrived. (Carrying my laptop in my backpack, with other items in my panniers, would definitely make me “glisten.”)

I was looking for a way to ride my bike that would get me a more “perspiration free” trip. The ELF gives me that! I can use the power in the battery on the way to a meeting, insuring a mostly “sweat free” appearance (minus the bike helmet hair) and then I often change to more comfortable biking clothes in order to get a better workout, and do more pedaling on the way back home.

An Experience

As you can probably tell, I love my ELF. (By the way, I call her “Elf-aba” – a shout out to one of my favorite Broadway musicals, Wicked.)

I’ve driven it to council meetings, to the Cisco office, to meetings around town, to the coffee shop and even grocery shopping. (The trunk will hold about 5 or 6 bags of groceries.)

Although the ELF weighs about 160lbs (without me in it), I’ve found that it’s pretty easy to pedal, except up some BIG hills when I’m glad to have the use of the “power assist.” I’ve driven it on the road (it’s a bike!) and on the sidewalk and greenways.(Always wearing a helmet.) Riding it all around town, at all times of the day, part of the fun is seeing the looks I get from folks as they do a double-take; smiling, pointing and taking pictures. So far, people are genuinely kind and move over into the other lane when I am on the road, even when I am far to the right in the bike lane.

Although I was concerned about night-riding, I’ve been told that we are very visible on the road at night – with my bright CREE headlights, turning signals, and brake lights. (I’m thinking of adding more reflectors, but so far, it’s just the base Elf.)

Fun and Useful 

At the end of the day, with Elf-aba, I feel like I have the best of all worlds. I’ve been able to add additional exercise to my routine, I’m still able to get around town, but by using less non-renewable energy, and still enjoy the outdoors and our wonderful community. All in all, it’s been one of my favorite benefits of reaching that BIG birthday milestone.

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In fact, now that many of my fellow Councilmembers have tablets, I hear this question more and more.  During our drive to the Cary Town Council retreat, Councilmember Jennifer Robinson and Mayor Pro Tem Gale Adcock and I started talking about this very subject.  I offered to send them a “tip” or “App of the Week” as they get used to their new devices – and then realized I could do better than that,  I have a blog!

As a “gadget girl” I tend to get the “What’s your favorite app?” question all the time. But more importantly, I ask it. Think about it. It’s probably why the “most popular” buttons (TOP APPS) on the iTunes store or Amazon (Customers who viewed THIS item also viewed…) are so prevalent. But I think it’s not that we want to know what other people HAVE, it’s that we want to find what might work for US. Make our lives a bit easier (if that’s possible), or help save us time, money or be more productive.

So, having said all that I thought I would highlight a few apps that I have, and use frequently. I will try to do this every month. (Gulp!) But, more importantly, I’d love to know what you use and love and can’t do without. (So please comment, or contact me!) I’ll start with my phone apps.

CardStar

From iTunes

I can remember the day I found this application. It was like a day of freedom.

Oh, wait, I have to tell you about it.

CardStar is a FREE application (for the iPhone and Android) that literally FREES YOU  from those little key chain and wallet membership cards. You know the ones, they are hanging from your key chain and making your wallet bulge. You can put all of your loyalty cards (Harris Teeter, A.C. Moore, CVS, Panera Bread, etc.) into the application, and voila, they are gone from your keychain.

AAA Card in CardStar

Travel a lot and hate having to manage all those Frequent Flyer and Hotel Cards? Add them to CardStar! I added my Wake County Library card information for the family – demonstrating how you can even add programs that CardStar doesn’t know about.

CardStar will allow you to scan the card using your phone’s camera to add to your virtual wallet. Then, when checking out, just bring up the application and click on your loyalty card. Some checkouts can scan the barcode with their handheld device (Harris Teeter, Sephora), others will have to type it in.

The application saves and backs up the data, and will sometimes post “deals” associated with your loyalty program.

You can find the app on the iTunes store, or learn more at their webpage.

Scramble with Friends

From iTunes

I’ll admit it. I love Boggle. I was introduced to Boggle by my mom, who plays a MEAN GAME.  Scramble with Friends is a FREE app (they have a paid version, as well) that is very similar to Boggle.  Find words on the board against a timer, and you play against other people.

It’s a bit addicting, and I’ve gotten better over time.  (My daughter still beats me at almost EVERY game.)  It can help me kill the time while I’m waiting for an appointment.  If you like Boggle, you’ll like this game.

Evernote

From iTunes

This free application is a bit different than the others, mentioned above.   It’s a productivity application that runs on all types of platforms – iPhone, iPad, Mac, Windows, Android and more.

It’s my life saver.  It’s what I use to capture notes, ideas, pictures, to do lists, and so much more.  It saves my notes in the cloud, allowing me to access them from any device, at any time. Because it runs on all the platforms, I can take notes on my Mac, and then pull them up on my iPad when I’m at a meeting, or look them up on my iPhone later.

You can tag notes – say, tag things that are crafty, or DIY projects that you want to be able to search for later.  That powerful search capability will search ALL of your notes for a phrase or text.  It is truly a lifesaver.

I like the fact that I can use the “Web clipper” capability to capture things I find online. (It’s a plug in to the browser.) I have friends that the app to store receipts and other paper documents.  It’s easy to organize information using the “Notebooks” and “Stacks” – and then using the search capability; you can search across one, or all of the Notebooks.  There are also a number of “plug-ins” that make it even easier. Check out Evernote Food if you want to use it to manage your  recipes.

Please Share

So, I’ve shown you some of mine, I hope you will show and share yours. 

I love hearing what other people are using, how, and why.  I’ll make sure to share some new apps and technology in an upcoming blog post.

Thanks for reading!

Why?

Because it’s one of the times during the year that I can give gifts to friends and family to let them know how much they mean to me every day throughout the year – without folks thinking that I’m a nutcase. (Ok, maybe they think I’m a nutcase, but that’s beside the point.)

Anyway, I’m kind of known around my group of friends as the “gift guru.” I work really hard on finding a gift that shows the gratitude, love and regard that I have for the recipient. For me, finding the “right” gift isn’t a chore. It’s a opportunity to demonstrate or show love to that person. (Have you read the book “The 5 Love Languages“ by Gary Chapman?” Great book that speaks to finding how to best show love to someone, so that they REALLY get it.  Worth a read, for sure. )

For me, the fun of gift giving isn’t just the brainstorming on what the best gift is, it is also the hunt to find, create or make the gift. It’s the act of unconditional love, an opportunity for me to demonstrate my love, esteem or care for that other person – and not wanting anything in return, except to hopefully see the look on their face when they receive the gift.

Having said all of that –I thought I would showcase some of my more interesting gift ideas, in case you are having a hard time finding a gift for one of your loved ones.

(NOTE: I do NOT get anything from directing you to these items, and I make no warranties on their applicability or appropriateness for your intended.)

For the Crazy Kid (Or Young at Heart) 

Jumping Stilts

JUMP!

These are not for the faint of heart – but very cool. They are bouncy stilts that will allow the user to jump, run and do crazy things once they are attached to the legs of the wearer. You can jump as high as 9ft and run as fast as 20 miles an hour. They are made by several vendors – Power Risers and AirTrekers, or look at this page. You may have seen them used at the 2008 Olympics.  (Below is a video of my son, once he got the hang of them!)

Make sure to order the safety gear – helmets and such.

Wheels

We love the Trikke – it’s like nothing you’ve probably seen before. A combination of a bike and skiing kind of vehicle. Takes some time to get used too, but it’s fun and a great workout. They even carry them at some Target Stores now.

Street Surfing

Have you seen these – they are like Skateboards but flexible. My kids have them and used them all the time – they have the Wave Board . Lots of fun, allowing you to get around.  Again, wear protective gear.

Flying and Fun things

The AR Drone is for those of you that like flying toys – and this one is  controlled by your iPhone.

All this – 4 propellers,  HD cameras, stable and strong structured vehicle, wide angle lens, wifi, video storage of your video recording, and all controlled from your iPhone.  What’s not to like?

Lasers are Fun for ALL

FireFly by FireFly

If you haven’t seen the FireFly – then you are missing out on the coolest new toy.  It’s a like a party light for the next generation.  Put it in a kids room, bring it to a party, or do what we do, and take it to a bon fire and watch it play lights through the smoke.  And, it was invented by a local Cary inventor.

And, if you like green lasers, and who doesn’t, everyone should have a green laser pointer to use on camping trips. Use it to point out the constellations, making sure, of course, not to point it at any planes in the air.

If YOU have skills

Photo by s Bar

If you have the skills – make it. Make the gift! I love being able to give something from the heart AND hands. I can crochet, but not really knit. My crochet skills are average – but I can put out a reasonably well-made afghan. I just finished one for my brother, and I made one for my mom a few years ago. This is the kind of gift that requires planning but is treasured for a long, long time. You can take a quick class at Michael’s, or do what I did – learn from a book.

If you cook, make up a “gift certificate” for a meal for a friend – or make something that freezes well, and gift that as a gift. Any mom I know would LOVE the ability to take out a frozen, home made meal. That’s better than any coffee cup.

If THEY don’t have skills

Cooking Class by Jeff Kubina

I love the idea of cooking classes, or classes to learn a particular skill set. A Southern Season has great cooking classes, as does Capri Flavors in Morrisville.  Both have awesome classes. Also think about photography classes, sewing classes, whatever. (Did you know that the Town of Cary has classes? Just sayin’) A class that you can take WITH them, is even better.

Make it, give it

My last 2 fun gift ideas were for different recipients, but they had something in common.  They were gifts of “experiences.”

For my mother’s birthday, I created a Bucket List of Experiences.  What I did was to purchase gift certificates for her (and our family) for a host of events and experiences.  Included in the bucket (yes, I got a galvanized bucket from the hardware store, and decorated it) were trips to the Art Museum, a Segway Tour of downtown Raleigh, going to the Zipline in High Point, lunch with friends,  etc.  I also included free or cheap “gift certificates” – like a trip to the makeup counter for a “girls makeover”, Movie night (with a gift card), and “personal shopper” trip.

For a wedding gift, I created a  Year of Date Nights for the Newlywed couple, and put it in a travel memory box.  This way, they can create their own memories for their first year together.  Included in the box were 12 envelopes  – 1 for each month.  Again, the Segway Tour (I love that!), a charitable Bike Ride (they are cyclists), a coffee date (with gift certificate to Starbucks), a membership to the NC Art Museum (a gift membership gets them in many times, for a number of events), a membership to the NC Zoo,  events at the Koka Booth Amphitheatre, a Movie Night, Dinner Out… etc. Pick the events and activities that are right for the couple.

It’s around the corner

With the holidays just around the corner, it seems the perfect time to say THANK YOU to all of you that have taken the time to read, comment and share my blog.  Sitting down to write a blog is harder than I thought and I’ve learned a lot through the process.  It’s quite a process – organizing my thoughts, thinking about what I might actually want to share, and what YOU may want to read.

Chanukah starts this weekend, and Christmas isn’t that far away – so I hope that these crazy gifts gave you some ideas, and maybe made it a bit easier for you to find the perfect present for the ones you love.

Thanks again for reading!