Well it's one of those crazy nights that you wake up and can't get back to sleep.  Does this ever happen to you?  I know I should just stay in bed and lie there till I drift off, but once my mind starts going full speed thinking, it's impossible for at least an hour.  So why not blog, yeah?  (That's a Hawaii-ism.  Natives ask or state everything with a "yah?" at the end, sort of like Canadians and their "eh?" At Jack-in-the-Box:  "you want fries with that, yah?"  Yah!)  Well, I digress.

Why am I up?  Tonight was our squadron Christmas party and as we draw near to the Hyatt in Honolulu, about a block away my husband gets a phone call...and all I overhear is...'terrible news for you..."  When I hear that, I sort of leap to awful assumptions and was practically in the drivers seat with my husband as I craned my neck to eavesdrop on the important call--wondering who had died.  Josh was on "the ready."  The ready means a plane is on standby to help in a real-life emergency.  Apparently a boat was about 300 miles out at sea taking on water...sinking.  And they rarely actually launch the ready.  The coast guard couldn't get there, so my husband's crew was called.  The "terrible news" meant he had to turn right around (miss the party) and drive back over the mountains to the other side of the island to fly out in his plane and assist in a search and rescue (SAR)!  So my hero pulls our car up to the valet parking, lets me off, still on his cell phone, and drives off.  OK, then!  Suddenly with 3 minutes notice, I find myself on date night solo!  Wouldn't you still go to the party?  I mean, as a woman, you plan these outfits IN ADVANCE!  You just don't bail when you've gone to all that effort to shed the mom-denim and sneakers, right??? 

So, I had fun anyway and got a ride home with friends.  I just couldn't be bummed at the party, because I was so proud of the fact that my man was out there on a real emergency mission helping rescue some guy who's boat was sinking!  It was thrilling and suspenseful all at once, knowing that someone was out in dark ocean waters waiting for his plane to show up!  My bedroom door creaked open around 3 AM...and I peppered him with questions.  They found the sinking ship and radio'd a  nearby ship to come pick him up, while circling above to make sure they didn't need to drop a life-raft.  Here's a night vision picture of the vessel in distress...

So that's my excitement for the day.  I have my very own RESCUE HERO!  If you have boys...insert the fisher-price theme song excerpt, "Rescue Heroes!!--Global response team."  Isn't that just cool?

Now it's five AM, and the sky will lighten shortly.  Do I even bother going back to bed?  And what will I do tomorrow--I mean today--with my going-to-be-tired self?? 

OK: Next day update:  Josh clarified that the ship on the right is the Panamanian freighter  that they called in from 20 miles off to help with the sinking forty foot-long trimaran, which you can barely see (look for the mast) just in the lower left half of the infrared photo here.  Apparently the man was rescued successfully.  He was sailing alone...kind of bizarre, I thought, for such a large boat.  And I'm still running on 3 hours of sleep...BEDTIME!!!

NewsLink: MSN Story and Coast Guard Link. 

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Posted by Anonymous

Ahh, what do you do? You think of me, as I commiserate in sleepiness. :) That's very cool that Josh got to help in a rescue effort. And, I'm somehow thinking it wasn't such "terrible news" for Josh that he had to miss a yuppy yup party. (I'm thinking of the AFIT party we attended together, and his extreme excitement for the evening--and winning the centerpiece!) You look wonderful my friend. I hope you had a blast, even without your man with you.

You'll have to check out my post from last week--it features a very special item you've loaned me for Titus. :)

Nice to chat with you last night--I miss you dearly!

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Posted by CTdittmar

Josh surprises me at parties usually and other social gatherings. He "works" the crowd, making the social rounds more adroitly than I do. Also Navy parties aren't usually as formatted and programmed as AirForce...all the pilot guys wouldn't stand it for a moment. They get the DJ going, and keep comments to a minimum! Even the Commanding Officer didn't make long remarks because he knows nobody wants to put up with a mic-monger.
That AFIT party was a bit unreal though,wasn't it...the 12 days of AFIT sung with posterboard visual aids??? What engineers do in their free time...

Edited by CTdittmar on Dec. 14, 2007 at 9:41 AM

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Posted by Anonymous

Oooh!! I know that feeling!! When I ever saw Rob orchestrating the removal of the "possible" IED from Wright Patt's O club's front steps, I was ALL excited. They seem to beam in a different light, eh? (Minnesotans add that too!) You looked soooo nice! Cute Blog. I could "hear" you write it! Love ya!

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Posted by Anonymous

Rescue Hero....no doubt. What a cool job he has. Something with honor in it. That makes men so happy on a daily basis. Having a job that makes a difference.

Emily
thelearningneverstops.blogspot.com

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Posted by EEEEMommy

I love to hear the pride and excitement in your voice, such grace! Kudos to you for going to the party anyway! I bet it was a challenge for that Rescue Hero of yours to pull himself away from his lovely bride!!! Hawaii is great for your glowing complexion. :)

There's something about men being heros. Mine takes great pleasure in being the hero and saving somebody's computer. In the grand scheme of things, it doesn't come close to saving a life, but as dependent on computers as people are, you'd think he had saved their life some days. LOL I still think he'd rather have your husband's job if he could. ;)

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Posted by gkbcameron

Andrew's exact words "When I grow up I want to be a rescue hero like Mr. Josh". He thought the ship looked like the Titanic because it had so many funnels. He was also wondering if the ship did sink? You can tell Andrew was totally mesmerized by this story and so were we! I loved it that you stayed and at the party and had a great time anyway! You go girl!! And about your recent post on my blog - you can't be telling me of your feelings of inadequacy and doubt! You're one of my role models! I didn't think those feelings crossed your mind! I'm partly joking and partly serious. Really I was surprised to hear your vulnerability and occassional doubts but I do know you are human and it happens to everyone! So why I thought you always forged aheard confidently with all sails up I have no idea! But you are definitely a role model for me - I'll tell you that (doubts and all)! Love you!

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Posted by Aligirl

Oh my goodness! What a life you and your husband lead. I can imagine how scared, yet honored you must be, being married to a real life rescue hero! What excitement! I am glad that everything went well.

Blessings,

Ali

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Posted by CTdittmar

Ok, after my husband woke up this morning he clarified that the larger ship in the above picture is a Panamanian barge they called in to help pick up the guy on the lone trimaran. You can barely see the mast of the small sailing vessel towards the lower middle left in the infrared photo above to the left of the barge.

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Posted by ClagettsFLStyle

What a great story. You must be so proud. I'm so glad there are men out there like your husband who serve our country in all different kinds of ways. Tell him THANK YOU from the Clagett's in FL.

As for not sleeping. I was just reading the other day that you ARE supposed to get up and do something when you can't sleep. They say staying in bed only makes it worse because your getting more and more anxious or frustrated that you can't sleep... makes sense.

Have a great weekend.

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Posted by callmekate

I'm so glad your hero was able to rescue that poor sailor. One should never sail alone, should they? I sailed on a trimaran from Long Beach in So. Cal, to Catalina Island when I was 13 (before I knew fear, apparently.) There's not much boat there and when it's sinking, I can't imagine how scary that must have been. Way to go, husband! Our Coast Guard at the air station across the bay rescued over 100 people from an area hit by flooding during our hurricane 1-1/2 weeks ago. They are awesome people, the Coast Guard.

I love your outfit! You look great! I'm glad you still had fun at the party. Your story reminded me that I need to be proud of my husband who may be saving someone's life at this very moment in ICU at the hospital. I take that for granted, just like I took for granted my own father saving lives as Fire Chief. Shame, shame on me!! May the Lord keep your husband safe in the work he is doing.

Kate

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Posted by Dana

Lucky girl.
But thanks to this story I have had the theme to Rescue Hero's playing in my head for 2 day's now.

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