The JimAnna Chronicles

Well, although this is really late, below are the images from Alexander’s first birthday party … back in June.  I have upgraded my photo processing software (thanks, Julie) and hopefully will be slightly more prompt with my posts.  Time will tell.    Also, a big thanks to René who was kind enough to take pictures [...]

This ticket has the cadet sea of blue in the background.  You can also see the 2011 USAFA Class Crest.  Each crest is loaded with symbolism.  How many items can you pick out?  Here’s what I see:  the graduation year (2011), an eagle, the US Flag, Polaris (the North Star), a sabre (worn by Firsties [...]

After our brief time in the mountains of Colorado, we got to business (=lots of meetings).  It was fun to be back at USAFA.  Some things have really changed (a lot more security) and others are identical (most of the buildings).  What surprised me the most was the flood of emotions I felt.  I hadn’t [...]

So, during USAFA’s Spring Break, they send groups of students all over the world.  This year we welcomed a group in France.  While here, they were able to see a mixture of professional and cultural sites.  I was able to join the group for a couple days.  On the second, and a tour of Aix-en-Provence, [...]

Also in December, I found out my pending promotion became official.  I was promoted to major. The school honored me by allowing my promotion ceremony to happen in the room of tradition and honor.  It is the most significant and ceremonial room and I was humbled to be permitted to use it. In the French [...]

So for Thanksgiving week, I decided to share the all important American tradition of Thanksgiving with our French friends.  As such, a C-130J flew down from Ramstein for a static display of the USAF and the Officer’s Club cooked up a true feast.  I and the other Americans set up and hosted the evening.  Although [...]

We decided to utilize the long weekend of Halloween (All Saints Day is a public holiday in France) to visit Paris.  While there, we stayed with our friend C.C. who hosted a great Halloween Party.  We were also able to meet up with Tom, who was able to come down from Belgium for the weekend. [...]

So, I had the opportunity back in September to watch a bit of military training by the French Air Force.  The cadets went up to the mountains as a part of their initial indoctrination. It was quite impressive to be a part of.  I appreciated the realistic training.  Of course it was grueling for those [...]

Aix-en-Provence is the closest “big” city… so, we spend a lot of time there.  As such, we’ve found some amazing restaurants.  Our current favorite is Pierre Reboul, which we found thanks to the Michelin Guide again.  This time, it was recommended as a one-star (out of a possible three, but a big deal for the [...]

Anna and I had the pleasure of attending Chad and Andrea’s wedding in Chicago in late July. Before I get into the post, allow me to share a little background.  Chad is one of my first cousins (one of 5 on my mother’s side). Growing up, although we didn’t live in the same city and [...]