I think all is going quite well. I'm about 50 mi away and have been down a couple times; last Friday to see the Parade (which was canceled due to black flag) and yesterday for Chapel. Chapel was great to see; mids all wore their more traditional sailor uniform with the loose navy blue tie in front and their officer's cover. I hung out for lunch formation which was also canceled due to BF. Went to Dahlgren for lunch and happened to see them drilling inside there by Platoon; they were being ranked/graded I believe as a mini-competition between platoons (40/platoon). It was quite impressive to see what they've learned in 2 1/2 weeks. How sharp their drill movements are and the almost perfect timing in unison. I watched about a dozen platoons and didn't see one Plebe turn the wrong way, miss a step, etc. Only thing was when they came to a quick stop once, one Plebe rear-ended the one if front of them. If you ever coached a team and battled with kids not listening or knowing their plays, you'd be impressed by these guys and gals.
In the letters from my son, most has been good; worst part is when they have a black flag day and they can't do their normal evolutions; detailers have to occupy them somehow, they get bored and go nuts with rack races. He'd would prefer to be out sweating in the 95 temps doing ANYTHING else. This summer has been way above normal in July, so there's been lots of black flag days. I'm sure they're all looking forward to PPW in just 25 days. I think they're all down in a routine, they're well past the I-Day shock, and are now dealing with the Ground Hog Day effect where every day seems like the day before.
PS- my daughter was at West Point yesterday for a tour, and she called to say that their New Cadets on Sunday were going to Professors homes for ice cream! No wonder Navy continues to kick their butt every December!
