So, now Patrick was gone and I needed to find out what the Navy was all about, right??? So, that's exactly what I did. I mentioned yesterday that I found a website for Navy moms. I spent many a day/night cruising the website for info. I got a wealth of information!!! But, MUCH MORE than that, I started "meeting" new Navy Mom friends , right there on the website. I found some Southern friends (we just "understand each other, so that was like welcoming an old/new friend) and many new ones, too. From all OVER the USA!!! we started chatting and sending info back and forth. Soon, I had some new friends online.......!
Because, I guess I was bored (?), I started making up stories about a Sailor Bear named "PatPat" (LOL). (Patrick had given me a Build-a-Bear , dressed in a Sailor outfit and even with his voice recorded in it when I touched it's paw. *THANK YOU, KATIE for THAT idea! HAHAHA). Of course, I was obsessed with it and, 6 years later, ole PatPat the Bear STILL TALKS! Anyway, I started making up stories about this bear because, well, I like to WRITE ! DUH!!!!!!!!!!!!! I wrote about PatPat's adventures . And I began to take ole PatPat with me, wherever I went!!!! Trips to the beach)/visiting the grands/going to see Mimi/visiting friends/ON the beach/out to eat and on road trips!!! AND, (unbeknownst to me, apparently a bit like FLAT STANLEY--whoever that is! Seriously, I thought I was doing something nobody had ever thought of before! I heard about "Flat" later! ! HA). Anyway, I began posting the stories AND the pictures on my Navy Mom Page of our adventures together. Soon, PatPat the Bear became a CELEBRITY!!!!!!! So much so, that one day I got a call from the NFM website person that they really enjoyed my (stupid) stories/pix.( **** I wish I had the pix on my computer!! I don't! But, for INSTANCE---PatPat the bear on the beach. PatPat the bear in front of OLD NAVY---PatPat the bear IRONING HIS UNIFORM (this one got lots of hits and ADVICE on how to iron it (I wanted to say "come on folks, this is a BEAR, this is not REA/PatPat the bear sitting on the beach watching the waves (and the girls)....! HAHAHAHA).
ANyway, what fun it all was!!!!!!!! I would wake up at night thinking of things to do with PatPat!!!!!!! Fast forward........
Now this is really FUNNY and shocking. I had only been on this web page for maybe TWO MONTHS and I was asked (by the web , what do they call them, designers? Whoever heads up the thing) of the NFM website to go to NYC as part of a group to "PAINT THE TOWN BLUE" (or was it RED? No, blue. Today they ask for Navy Moms to wear RED on Fridays) Anyway, for the NAVY MOMS. To get some interest generated for this informative and cool website. Not only that, to be the "ahem" SPOKESPERSON for it. HUH??????????? At this point, folks, I didn't know a boat from a ship. An enlisted man from a swabber. A general from a E1. Or whatever. I didn't know crap. Let's be honest. HOW IN THE WORLD COULD I GO AND TALK (possibly on TV) ABOUT IT???????? But, I'm good at faking stuff (haha) and can talk about the COLOR Navy all day long!!!!!!! SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO....I said yes! BAHAHAHAHA!!!!! Here's where it gets good. I got a FREE TRIP TO NYC, PEOPLE!!!!!!!!! YESSSSSSSSSSSS
In NYC, is where I got to put some FACES to some of those friends who I met online. Several , especially those who lived up NAWTH, just drove over there. Several went from everywhere. But, I, ME, got mine , ta da, free. Ahem. Because of a silly story about a bear, I suppose. SO, I owe a lot to the bear mentioned!!!! (I will try tomorrow, to find a newspaper article that was in the B'ham news about it as well as some pictures. I know I have them somewhere. ANyway....more tomorrow about my trip. I had to take Katie with me b/c I don't travel alone (just ask Terry) and wanted to take Natalie , too, but she had an itty bitty baby at the time. Katie was engaged so she was "free". So, off we went. What fun we had meeting everyone!
MORE TOMORROW!