Saturday, January 7, 2012

Reunion News

    First, lets start with the link to the Reunion Invite, and then please notice that a .PDF is attached to this email in case you have any problems with the link!

 http://www.138thavnco.info/documents/2012-reunion-RSVP.pdf


Happy New Year!  I hope everyone had a fantastic holiday season, and now that the credit card bills are paid, you’ve started thinking about springtime, and the reunion!  Well, we are certainly on our way, some early birds have already made reservations at the Shades of Green, and a few people have sent me checks for the BBQ and the Dining In.
The next major milestone for us is February 24th, that’s when the block of 50 rooms we’ve had set aside go back into the mix for the hotel on a first come first serve basis, but don’t worry, the reunion discount is still in effect, just call reservations with the code and they’ll get you a room, but don’t wait until the last minute, the Shades of Green fills up fast on the weekends so be sure to get your reservation in on time!  That said, there is absolutely no law that says you have to stay at the Shades of Green, in fact you can arrange to stay anywhere you like, Shades of Green is simply the venue for the BBQ and the Dining in, but imagine the convenience of not having to worry about driving after having a few recalling the good old days!

In other Reunion related news, I’ve been in touch with a group of people who own Beechcraft Twin Bonanza, painted up to look like an RU-8D during it’s service with the 138th Avn Co during Vietnam. Is that something you’d be interested in seeing flown out from Texas to be on display at the Bunker where the 138th used to drill during the weekend of the reunion?
If so reach out to me directly, we may have to get creative on the fundraising side of the house to make that happen.

Finally in other, other Reunion related news, I had a model of an RU-21A, ship 113, made and painted by hand in the Philippines  by Factory Direct Models.  It’s a gorgeous model, and everyone who attends the reunion gets $25 dollars knocked off the price of having one made.  Just mention the 138th Avn Co Reunion and contact Mike Gibson at mike@factorydirectmodels.com for more info!

The final landmark before the reunion is April 1st, when the final headcount needs to be in for the BBQ and the Dining In, so they know how much food to prepare for us.  So when you can, be sure to get those checks to me, just mail them to:
Andrew Rodriguez
7595 Baymeadows Circle West
Apt 1511
Jacksonville Florida 32256
Has anybody noticed the strange coincidence that is when you pay for 2 people to go the the BBQ and the Dining in?  I promise that was a fluke!
By the way, the first of the goodie swag is in, and let me tell you they look pretty sharp. Everyone who attends the Reunion will get these gifts among other things we are working on, so I hope you enjoy them!  “Stick” around for more information!
If you have any further questions, let me know, you can reach me at arod138@yahoo.com or call me on my cell 610-812-0252.
See you soon!
Andy Rodriguez
Reunion Committee
138th Avn Co
05H/98C
1984-1997

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

So, here we are...

So I'm hoping that this blog will be a seemless transition from my last blog, "arod138 in Beautiful West Chester, PA" My thought has been since I left West Chester is to somehow remain engaged in my new environment, but I can tell you that it's not going to be easy. I live in a south eastern corner of Jacksonville, Florida, a city which shares the footprint of Duval County, making it (by square mileage) one of the largest cities in the United States.


One of the things I let go of when I left Orlando on my 10 plus year journey in 1999 was to get away as far as possible from Urban Sprawl,  cookie cutter apartment complex's and subdivisions.  Yet here we are, back where it all started.  I've got some ligitimate mixed feelings about it, because on the one hand I know it's for the best, yet I do miss what I managed to achieve in West Chester in the form of making friends and community participation.


Well, what's done is done, and I plan to make the best of it.  As I discover more of the area, perhaps I'll find my little niche, the place where I belong.  I'll embrace every aspect of the place, and you know, some of the things I enjoyed about my life here pre-1999 are creeping back into my memory, things like Golf, Fishing, Cuban Food, the Beach, Shuttle Launches...well, scratch that last one...but suffice to say, things are going to be ok.


Want to be sure of that?


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