The first two words in today’s title are probably a mystery to most readers… but to Navy or Coast Guard folks, they are easily understood. Bravo Zulu, or the phonetic pronunciation of the letters B and Z on military radio circuits, is the old US Navy Signal Book two-letter code for the phrase “Well Done”. The signal book had hundreds of phrases reduced to two letter codes, which could be signaled quickly using flashing light or signal flags (shown at right). It was the naval equivalent of the “10-4” type codewords/numbers used by police and firemen. In today’s case, our Bravo Zulu goes to Susan Prince, who completed a 13.1 mile/half marathon on Saturday in St. Petersburg, Florida, with a team from The Villages. It takes a lot of training to complete a half marathon, and we’re very proud of Susan’s accomplishment.
Rudy’s 8th birthday was celebrated today with songs, doggie treats, and new “squeaky-toys” for both Rudy and Gretchen. Here is Rudy opening his gift bag, one of his favorite activities…
His little sister Gretchen also enjoys gifts… here she is after disemboweling her toy (a stuffed hedgehog)…
Our good friend Elizabeth Magee recently returned from a trip to China. Here is her favorite photo from her trip and our new favorite photo of HER. Unlike Rudy and Gretchen’s new toys, this panda bear is not filled with stuffing. It is the REAL DEAL! (Talk about a bear hug!)
Speaking of travel… This flag, dating back to the 16th Century, represents one of the oldest constitutional monarchies in Europe, the third largest country in the E.U., and one of our favorite places to visit. Their head of state is King Carl XVI Gustav. Their ice hockey team, Tre Kroner, is one of the best in the world. Their cuisine includes lingonberry jam, lutfisk, and Smorgasbord. Their actresses include Ingrid Bergman and Greta Garbo. If you haven’t visited this country’s capital, Stockholm, you have missed one of the most beautiful cities in the world… Welcome to Sweden!
A Navy friend (who shall remain anonymous, as I wouldn’t want him placed in a Witness Protection Program for his safety) commented on one of the photos in yesterday’s blog. This photo was labeled “Face #3.” My friend wrote, “Picture #3… there is a face?” This had me confused until I looked at Face #3… it seems that he couldn’t take his eyes off her sweater… Suzanne’s comment: “Men!” Ty’s repartee’: “What? Why are you picking on us guys?” Smack….
1 Comment
Jennifer
Yeah for Rudy!
What an amazing experience it must have been to
hold a Panda. They look so unreal. Wow….