Hope everyone had a nice break and all that fun stuff…I’m sorry it’s been so long, but now it seems it’s time to get back to business. I’m taking a pretty light schedule this semester with plenty of nap breaks, so it shouldn’t be too bad at all. I’ve got 16 credits, which is more than last semester, but I think I’m taking ‘Intro to’ everything..and I’m thinking of taking a Navy ROTC course to mix things up a little. We’ve only had a few days of classes back, but I’m already much more impressed with this round of professors than the last. Ratemyprofessors.com is your friend.

ROTC started up again on day 1..I have a really cool flight commander and a bunch of good people so should be a good semester in that regard, too. We had our first PT session back from break on Friday, and I worked out quite a bit over break, but it was a wakeup call nonetheless. Since S.O. hasn’t started for the spring yet, I’ve been hitting the gym at least a couple of times a week. It’s really been helping out, so I think I’m going to have to keep that in the routine.

I found out my last final is going to be May 4, 2005, so with spring break in there somewhere in the middle, hopefully it’ll come soon enough. Getting through all the distractions is going to be interesting though.. races, bike week, and perpetual spring break here in Daytona.

I decided not to go for a fall 05 RA spot.. the candidate meetings are going to be on Wednesdays which conflict with S.O., so there goes that. Maybe later? But I’m seriously considering moving off campus next fall anyhow. Hoping to get a house or an apartment with a few friends from school. The dorms have been fun and good for the transition and such, but they’re getting a bit old. Too many rules… But I will miss the convenience factor.

I know acceptance letters are going out now so if you got in, congrats and I’ll see you next fall, if I don’t party myself stupid between now and then. (:

Alright everyone, hope you all had a good Christmas break. I am at home in Ireland at the minute. The weather is terrible, but that only makes it feel more like home. It is great to be back and to have all of my exams over so I can relax and take it easy for the month.

Since getting home on the 18th, I can safely say that I have been on the beer more than a few times. Went to my first ever concert during the week in the RDS, which is a big concert venue in Dublin. My girlfriend took me to see the Scissor Sisters, who are a pretty well known band here although not many Americans I have talked to have heard of them, which I find strange enough considering they are an American band.

I have also had a few nights out with my mates who have all been asking if college in the states is like American Pie. I told them that it may be in some colleges, but it’s definitely not at Riddle. I have realized how much smaller things are back here at home compared to America, cars, roads, shopping centers, houses, everything is a lot smaller. Not necessarily any worse but just smaller. Anyway, I am heading out again tonight to club 92, but I am off down to the local for a few pints of Guinness before then, so I will get back to this later. Sorry, (I am back in Florida) I meant to get back sooner but it was pretty hectic at home. I had a lot of visiting and partying to do. I thought when I got home that quite a lot might have changed but everything was just as it was before I left. All except that the family pub had been sold. It had been in the Davey name for the past 53 years. It was weird to see it and to think that it did not belong to my uncle anymore.

I just got back on Tuesday night before college and got through the week unscathed. It was not the toughest week at Riddle, most of the classes just gave out schedules and a brief class description. A few of my mates from back home have come over to stay in Kissimmee, just on the other side of Orlando, so I am down there at the minute. It is pretty nice down here but a bit quiet, more like a retirement spot. It’s a great house that they are staying in, it has everything, pool, table tennis, pool table, Jacuzzi, etc., so we have had loads to keep us occupied!

I’m not looking forward to next week at college because I have a feeling that it will be harder than last, and I am well used to doing nothing by this stage. I got a handy MWF this semester; I don’t start until 11:45am, which is a welcome change from 8:00am starts five days a week last semester, four classes on Tuesday and Thursday though. I took the one credit PE class that was being offered, so I am hoping that it will split my Tuesday and Thursday classes up and the days will not seem as long.

Hey everyone, again! Well my first week back went pretty well! I mean it was so wonderful to see all of my friends and finally see Mike again! I mean I was so nervous to see him again that I didn’t even notice him at the airport (ok I had butterflies in my stomach and I wasn’t used to see him without his usual ROTC haircut!)! Well needless to say that he and I had a great day with one another without having to worry about school and homework and what not. My classes this semester aren’t too bad: physics with lab, intro to computer programming, calculus 2, and studies in humanities. I had dropped my graphical communications class because I didn’t want a heavy course load. So this semester I am only taking 14 credit hours.

Well I eased onto the swing of things this week and I plan on starting off on the right foot and not slack off. I believe that my calculus 2 class might give me some trouble but I plan on staying on top of things early! Ok I’ll let you all know how all of my classes are going after I have actually been in there for more than a couple of days! Talk to you all very very soon! Adios!

*~Terryel~*

Scratch one semester. Easy as it may have been, things are fast growing into a busy world and busier times. I apologize for not being able to make this a long posting, but things being what they are this semester, technology headaches and all, there’s simply no time in the week to commit the time I normally put towards these musings.

To put the last month in summary, the coming semester is going to be a vacation from my vacation. A mix of plenty of work and catching up with household chores/meeting with people I’ve not seen in nearly two years added up very quickly. Fortunately I was able to squeeze in a bit of time to edit and further progress on my Unit Heritage project for the NROTC so that I wasn’t too terribly back-logged once things picked up here. Something that I’ve avoided mentioning for professional reasons has been my personal life and relationships. However, I’ve received so many inquiries that I feel I should make some mention of things, if not just to tip the hat to the dear lady. Having little to no social network in Florida, and not finding many of the qualities I look for in the region, I was introduced to an international young lady from Princeton not long ago and have very happily fallen upon good times with her. With the very solid possibility of her transferring to ERAU, there are hopes of something developing from our close association, but for now things are staying on very pleasant terms though restricted care of the distance.

Where current events are concerned, most endeavors have proven highly successful. My project for the Navy has gotten tremendous compliments and assistance from the Unit Staff. With its nearing completion, my hands will be free to do more important things, such as prepare for our major Color Guard performance for the Tulane Drill Meet and getting together the logistics for a Rifle and Pistol Team. Still working hard for that scholarship from the Navy as well. With any luck, I will only have one year’s worth of loans to pay off and will be able to extend my class-taking ability in the coming years. Classes are predictably harder this time around, having signed up for a swath of upper-level courses in humanities and aeronautics. My schedule is hardly to my liking, spread across the entire day for the entire week. This means I don’t have the regular availability I had last semester for mid-day activities or errands, but the chance to learn time-management should be interesting.

That’s all for now. Things are still fresh enough that I’m not quite sure where the semester’s going yet, but that should be resolved come a fortnight’s passing.

A resounding thanks to all those who have contacted me with your questions, comments and suggestions so far. I really appreciate the feedback everyone’s giving me. Hopefully this is helping out a good many of you. All the best for the coming semester!

Onward and upward, David

Thanksgiving break is over :-(…but Christmas break is almost here. I drove back to Jersey with some of my friends from here (Thanks, Joe!) and it was a very long trip. What should have taken about 14 hours ended up taking about 20 after traffic and stops. We drove all through the night and I ended up only sleeping for about two hours– we were supposed to take turns keeping the driver awake but everyone else passed out a few hours into it. So that was interesting… It was the first time I’d been back since school started and it was really good to see my friends. I was kinda worried that everything would change and it would be a little awkward but that wasn’t the case. Hopefully, I’ll get to spend a little time there over break.. Senses Fail and my Chemical Romance both have shows..

Finals start next week. The work load hasn’t really lightened and I’ve been running on empty and no sleep for a week or so. My UNIV101 class ended and I just gave my last speech in COM219 so that’s been winding down, but my other classes are definitely making up for it. Going straight through from 6:30 AM to 4:30 PM on M/W/F has been killing me but at least on Tues/Thurs I get to sleep in a little bit and take it easy. I partied especially hard this weekend for the new S.O. commander’s 21st birthday, and I’ve been sick, so the past few days have been a little rough, and now we have PIR and finals review. We don’t have PT this week though, so that makes it a bit better.

We have our last practice of the semester for Special Ops on Weds. Sounds like it’s going to be a fun one. Then we have a couple of colorguards and camp-out left. It kinda sucks though, because we have to start all over again next semester, which looks like it’ll be a lot harder. Two semesters on team though and we’re eligible for staff, so we’re half-way through. We did color-guard on ice last weekend at the hockey game. It was interesting to say the least, but it went pretty well all things considered.

The guys in my hall woke me up in the middle of the night right before break after they broke the sprinkler system in the hallway, which ended up making a huge mess and flooding all the rooms in the area, so I wouldn’t recommend testing out the validity of your RA’s warnings about it next year. I’m going through the process to try to become an RA for next year, so if all goes well, maybe some of you will get lucky enough to be one of my residents.

It’s time now for me to go find a 30 min block in which to take a nap today between ROTC, class, and ROTC..and then some more ROTC.

7th Inning Stretch! Well gang, semester’s up. It’s easy to say that this upcoming break is more than welcome. I know on my side I’m eager to see home again; it’s been two years now since I’ve been back west. After spending Thanksgiving some 400 miles from here and seeing the effects of that brief intermission, winter should definitely bring about a good chance to refocus and remind myself of my few, though important priorities.

This is the last week for classes, and the stress is beginning to show in many of them. My Aeronautics Basics class is really beginning to cram in the last bits of lesson that it can. Flight Physiology is likewise squeezing in a third exam this week, just before finals – though that’s mostly because most of the other students need the points. Most all of my classes had some sort of project due within the past week, including presentations and research projects. I was able to knock out those quite easily thanks in part to my old political science studies.

On the NROTC front, the Battalion just finished their physical examinations for the semester and I, because of my bum knee (an academic injury, oddly enough), will get to run out the last bits of stability in it on Wednesday during the make-up run. We’ve also been preparing for our semester award ceremony, where I hope to earn ribbons recognizing my participation in color guard, drill team, and community service. Some of my friends secured awards for physical fitness achievement, academic achievement, and even an exemplary overall service award. I’ve also started a self-devised project that will catalogue the leadership of the Unit for future reference and, more importantly, will give current midshipmen the opportunity to learn about their current seniors and possibly be able to draw some connection with them because of it. The idea came from my former AFROTC Detachment at CSU/UNC. My associates and I have merely expanded the task.

Otherwise, things are just in their usual wind-down phase, with added focus on moving out of my room into another hall. Some buddies of mine and I are working on fitting a room together for next semester in order to relieve us all of certain roommate headaches and aid in our NROTC efforts, since we’re all working on the aforementioned project and some other postulated projects together. Not too sure what all to throw in here. I know there’s been some mention about people wanting more “personal life” in this, so I again invite you to write personally for such questions or even if there’s anything you care to know over the break. zivnu70f@erau.edu And, to the friend of my friend at Colorado School of Mines, that means you too J!

Have a grand winter vacation everyone. Enjoy the snow, those of you who have it. I know I will!

Onwards and upwards, David

Hey everyone! Whoa I am so excited that everyone is back from Thanksgiving Break! I was left here at school in like a totally deserted hall and it was so lonely. My boyfriend Mike went home to Connecticut and I missed him very very much! He called me every day and checked up on me. I remember just beginning to cry on the phone, not just because I missed him, but how much I truly valued every second that I would spend with him. I mean I would get excited everytime he would call me on the phone!

My friend Melinda who lives down the hall from me was one of the people that stayed here. She and I had hung out a lot during that time and just got to know one another even more. We worked on homework together and watched T.V. Basically we just enjoyed the quietness of the hall. Melinda went home for Thanksgiving day and I ate dinner by myself (which the Turkey Dinner in the cafeteria was so awesome that I haven’t gotten that full on such a great home-cooked meal like that in a while), but she came back the next day so it was all good!

Well even though I didn’t get all my homework done, I did get slightly caught up on my work. I don’t have too much to do, but I think I am just ready for finals to get here and be over with!

When everyone got back, my friend Tamara who also lives down the hall from me had a big Turkey Dinner for all of us in the hall. Her mother had supplied us with some turkey, sweet potatoes, and rum cake that all tasted really good and I especially appreciated it because in the end I got to spend Thanksgiving with my friends after all!

Mike said next year that I am going to Connecticut with him and yeah I surely am! There is no way I am staying here in the dorms all by myself ever again!

Ok, I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving Holiday and I will talk to you all very very soon! Adios!

Hello again. How is everyone? (I ask as if anyone would let me know, haha). Anyways, Thanksgiving came and passed. I stayed down here like most everyone else. My parents made the near 700 mile trip down here and chilled at my apartment for the holiday. We didn’t do a whole lot. After all, it’s still a small town atmosphere here. I haven’t done anything this past week really. I finally got cable service in my apartment so I just sat around. Monday I’m going to Disney. More than likely we will go to EPCOT, but we’ve got hopper passes that are good for all four parks, so we’ll see. Another good thing about going to school in Florida, you’re automatically considered a Florida resident. This gives you great discounts to lots of places, including the theme parks. So anyways, we’ll check out the Christmas scenes over there and of course have fun doing it.

On the home front I have to have maintenance come and fix the water in my apartment. All the faucets are backwards and the toilet flushes hot water!??!? Crazy huh?! And before you ask how I know that it uses hot water, I’ll just let you know that sometimes it steams after you flush it!! It cracks me up. That’s for sure. Man! Finals, booo. Anyways, I’ve got three finals on Monday the 13th and one on the 16th. Isn’t that always fun. At least the final I have on the 16th is my hardest class, so I’ll have a few days to study for that one. It is kinda crazy that the semester is almost over. It doesn’t feel like a full semester, I guess those hurricanes just screw everything up. Well, I am off to go cruise around. It’s one thing to do when there is nothing else to do. See you guys later.

Hello Readers, hope things are going well. This has been, by far, my laziest two weeks at Embry Riddle since I got here, four months ago. I don’t know what it can be; it seems like the more I sleep the more tired I get. I have not done a tap of work in a fortnight. I thought that after the soccer season finished I would have an abundance of energy to carry me through my finals. It has turned out to be the opposite. I have absolutely no desire to do anything but sleep.

I think that the more pressure I am under, the better I work. Knowing that I have not got training after classes every day, I assume I have an age to every task set by a lecturer, and then I leave it until the last minute. Where as, when I had only a couple of hours to spare per night for homework and stuff, and I had been working all day I did not mind putting in another few hours of high quality work. I suppose it has a lot to do with the frame of mind you are in. For instance I sat in front of the computer last week for seriously, three hours, and I managed a mere paragraph. Partially it had to do with some time spent on emails, of course the compulsory food and drinks breaks, time spent sorting out the most trivial things, and then there is always someone to talk to, but mostly it was down to pure unadulterated laziness. As long as I get through these next few weeks and I can keep the grades that I have at the minute I will go home to Ireland at Christmas a happy man.

I went out on Friday to Coyote’s for the free drink from nine to ten but didn’t hang about for long, went on to Mai Tai’s after that. A quiet enough night by all accounts but I have a feeling that there are a few big nights coming up, to celebrate the end of the semester. A lot of lads off the team are heading home to do internships next semester so it might be the best part of a year before we see them again, so it is a worthy reason for a few beers.

I haven’t been on a night out where we have ventured further than Mai Tai’s, Coyote’s, or Razzles’ (which I vowed never to go back to again) and would appreciate if someone could tell me if there is any good spots to frequent in the Daytona area. A few lads went to Orlando on Saturday night past and apparently had their best night of the year, which I feel proves my point about the lack of night life in Daytona Beach. I find this very surprising as it is not at all what I expected, as a foreigner here for the first time. I am not mad about going clubbing or anything like that, but all I want is a nice bar to have a few drinks in a nice atmosphere. I don’t think that this is too much to ask, from a place which has a worldwide reputation for good night life, or so I thought.

I think that this is my penultimate entry and I hope that for the last one that I will have some eventful nights to tell you all about, but until then, good bye for now.

P.S. If I could just say hello to Elisabeth, Ursula, Big Phil and E.D.

Hey everybody. Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving break. Though I spent my Thanksgiving break at Riddle, it was quite boring since no one was here, I did get lots of work accomplished as well as some flying. I have acquired over 20 flight hours here and am 2 flights away from my solo.

Flying has been fun so far. Daytona is a great place to fly because I have had the opportunity to fly along the beach, up the coast, in the fields, over lakes, and just over some great scenery. Flying is one of those professions where you know, by some instinctive feeling, that this is the job and profession for you. Luckily, my flying hasn’t been filled with many problems or delays, I have been lucky to go through my flying quite rapidly.

As the semester is slowly winding towards an end, as is my total amount of work. I have had to do so many research papers and group projects that were quite overwhelming, but luckily, all but one are completed. I was looking through our message board and came up with a few answers for some frequently asked questions.

Weather: The weather in Daytona is quite moderate. Temperatures here have been quite warm lately with cool, but not necessarily cold nights. Honestly, the only day I have worn a sweater in the day was last Saturday. The first and only day I actually felt like I needed to wear a sweater. It is very rainy no matter what season, but the rain here goes by quickly. In the summer it is very hot and humid, so bring shorts and t-shirts because they are necessary and vital.

AE and Flight Training: I know someone who is doing that right now, so it is a possibility. It would actually be a plus because not only do you understand systems from an engineering level, but also from a pilot’s perspectives. I’ll let you in on a little secret, you can actually get your ratings and certifications, all of them, off campus and get credit for a minor in flight if you take the only required ground courses here. I think there is only one or two of them, so if you can take those here, go home and fly in the summer, being in AE and having a minor in Flight would be viable and an option.

Bike on Campus: It isn’t necessary to have a car while on campus here at Riddle, but since the surrounding areas have a lot to offer (Orlando, Jacksonville, Miami), I would recommend a car. I don’t think you would want to ride your bike to Miami. You could hitch a ride with a group of friends while you’re here, but remember, driver chooses the destination, and if his thought of fun is Orlando, while yours is Miami, you’re going to be missing your car.

Flight: It is expensive. Bring lots of money, don’t spend it, put into the flight account you will have when you have your Eagle Card and be prepared to be paying close to $400 at times for flights.

That covered some of the latest topics that have been popping up in the message board lately. As for some random stuff, while you are here look into the “Touch N Go” movie showings every Thursday. It is nice to have a movie to watch every Thursday that hasn’t even been released on DVD. For example, this Thursday, TNG will be showing “Collateral.” I also learned that “Firehouse Subs” makes some good subs. If you’re from the West Coast, there is nothing here that compares to In N Out Burgers. No matter how much you may hate home-cooked food at times, you’ll miss it when you have to eat away from home for months at a time. The morning flight block, 5:30-10:30AM can cause you to miss classes in the morning, not because it overlaps, just because you end up coming back to your dorm and sleeping. If you are one who needs his or her sleep, I recommend you fly in the evening hours.

Lastly, there is a guy who lives about 4 rooms down in the dorms here who was telling me about why he looked at these journals while he was in high school. As he said, he just wanted to know that he wasn’t going to a school where no one resembled him in any way. Well, I hope I haven’t scared any of you from coming here, trust me, I don’t resemble many of the people here. I don’t know if it is a good thing or a bad thing, but if any of you have any specific questions, post them on the message board and you can get opinions other than mine.

Well, have a good one everybody, Later!