Radio City Rockettes

Hey,

Sorry its been a while since i have written a new post, but let me update you. Last weekend i had the opportunity to see the Radio City Christmas Spectacular, featuring the Rockettes. It was awesome! The show could not have been any better. I also got to see the christmas sights around NYC, including the Rockefeller Center Tree. Along with the sights I saw St. Peters Cathedral, walked down 5th avenue, and went to FAO Shwarz, the toy store. Christmas in NYC is a wonderful experience. Its getting pretty cold up here, at least for me since i am not too used to the north.

I've been so loaded with homework these past couple of weeks. Physics is my hardest class. I'm trying really hard to pass the class.

Wish me luck, i only have five days until I am home for Christmas!!!!!

A Week To Give Thanks


A nice break from the Academy is just what i needed, and what i got over the Thanksgiving holiday. It was so nice to come back home to North Texas, where the weather is warm and the sun is always shining. I departed NY at 2:50 p.m. bound for Dallas, TX. I got through without a hitch and arrived on schedule. Mom was there to greet me and we ate at Macaroni Grill.

Grandma Jackie arrived on wednesday. I also got to spend some time with papa during the day. Thursday was Thanksgiving and a lot of family showed up at our house in Ponder, TX. We celebrated with good food, with my favorite being my mother's Green Been Casserole. All of it was good thought.

Then friday we spent the morning shopping. Waking up at 3am with mom and grandma and getting the door busters. We had lots of fun and laughed quite hard throughout the morning.

Unfortunately i had to leave early saturday morning. Grandma dropped me off at the airport at 5:45 a.m. To cap off such a good trip I rode First Class all of the way back to NY, thanks to American Airlines.

Now it's time to start another countdown, the countdown to christmas break.... only 19 days.

HOME SWEET HOME!!!!


WOW! Fall break is finally here, i thought i would never see the day. The day that i finish my last final, left the academy, and board an American Airlines flight direct to Dallas, a day that i could only think about for the past four months. The best moment was when the flight arrived at the gate and I could finally step foot back on Texas ground and see the family there to pick me up.


The week could not have gone any better, i saw so many people including lots of family, friends, and teachers. The first saturday back I home I went to Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, OK. I watched a big 12 football game which ended in success then hung out with my friend Lane Loiselle.


Then during the week i visited the ponder hs, ate lunch with my mom, and got to fly. It was a funfilled week, i wish that i could tell you about every minute of it, but that would take up too much of your time.


Thanks to all of you who i got to share my fall break with, it meant a lot. The best part of fall break was spending time with my family, i wish i could have spent more of it with them, but i'll see them in just a couple of weeks, and i can't wait!!!!!


love you all

A Day in the REAL WORLD







Becuase 4th company, my company, is simply the best we got an all expense paid trip to Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey. While the rest of the plebe class was stuck back at campus, 4th co. plebes along with a few upperclassmen were riding world class roller coasters. Including the worlds largest and fastest roller coaster, Kinda Ka. Reaching a 130 mph in just 3.4 seconds. The ride actually had the same catapult system as seen on aircraft carriers. Not only did i get to ride the rides, but i got to hang out with friends and upperclassmen and enjoy six flags, which was also hosting its annual Frightfest. While it was a very nice trip to get away, it is now time to focus on finals coming up next week. And then I come HOME!!!

A Weekend In Pennsylvania


It was Columbus Day this past weekend, which meant only one thing for plebes up here in the north, a long weekend, and for many there first chance to go home. Although Texas was a little too far for me to travel for just a couple fo days, I jumped on the opportunity to go to Phillidelphia, PA and then to Lancaster, PA for the weekend. Philly was a pretty nice place, not much was happening and to say the least it was a little bit more dirtier than NYC. I did get the opportunity to enjoy an original Philly Cheese Steak at the world famous "Jim's" on south street, which was pretty good. The next day I arrived at Lancaster, PA with Robert Nolt, a student and friend from the academy via Amtrak. He offered to let me stay at his house with his family. His family was to say the least, some of the best people I have ever met! They treated me so incredibly well, serving me homeade meals and treating me with the utmost respect. Nolt has 5 brothers and one sister, all home schooled and well behaved. They are all in Karate, and one son got third in the world championship. Pennsylvania has some beautiful scenery and the trees were turning colors due to fall. The weekend passed quickly and before I knew it I was on the train back to NYC. Just to top it all off the Amtrak Conductor gave us each a free ticket for the train ride from Philly to NYC Penn Station. I am now once again counting down the days until fall break. It's almost here!!!

Apple Pie and a Campfire


It's been a while since a last posted something on here, but nothing huge has really happened. The only major thing is that our Superintendant, VADM Stewart, USMS, has retired from the academy after ten years in this position. VADM Stewart was a two-start general in the Marine Corp before becoming superintendant of the academy.

I have been focusing on grades and am doing pretty good as of now, i just need to keep the grades up, if so i will be pretty happy at the end of the trimester, which is coming up pretty fast.

I just got back from a Christian Fellowship Club "field trip" to northern NY, near Westpoint, for a chance to just get away from the academy. We went and picked apples in an apple orchard, then made homemade apple pie which was great! The host family made chili which i havn't had since i arrived in NY. We then sat around a campfire and talked with students from other colleges who were there.

It's been pretty lax these past couple of weeks, or maybe I am just getting used to things.

Well, gotta go, I'm really looking forward to Columbus Day Weekend!!

The Days Roll By


Well, there isn't a whole lot happening up here in Kings Point, NY besides the fact that its starting to get really cold. And it's till september! I have a had a busy couple of weeks. Last week I had midterms, so i was stressing out over that, especially the chemestry midterm. I studied about 18-20 hours just for this midterms. But I found out today that I got an 82 on it, which is AWESOME. Big improvement considering how I have been doing in the class.

It's Homecoming Weekend up here starting tonight. Alumni from all over the world come back to the Academy to share stories and catch up on old time. It should be a good weekend, it's always nice to talk to alumni, considering they are the ones that dominate the shipping industry.

Well sorry this is so boring, but I really havn't gotten to do a whole lot these past couple of weeks. On a funny note, our company, shaving creamed the entire campus, decorated the halls for the senior, and hung a huge sign on the cafeteria. Not something they want you doing every day. Needless today it was the talk of the day.

Well I miss everyone, and it won't be too long before I am back at home and get to see everyone!!!

Parents Weekend/ Acceptance Day




I am now officially in the Navy. The Navy Reserve that is. I had an AWESOME weekend, it was Parents Weekend/Acceptance Day up here at the Academy, which marks a major mile stone for us "plebes" or freshman. Some new privelages: we can talk in the Cafeteria, sit fully in our chairs instead of just six inches, and a few other important things. We're slowly but surely working our way back to being human again. One of the biggest things is that we now are able to get liberty or leave the campus. My mom, grandma, and me went in to the Big Apple, which was absolutely ridiculously cool. Me and my mom dragged poor grandma everywhere in NYC, from Times Square, Empire State Building, Central Park, Statue of Liberty, to Penn Station. We took a crash course through the city with the one day that we had to spend together. The night before Tropical Storm Hanna came through our area, so that kind of put a damper on things, literally.


All is well up at the academy and a could not have a better weekend. Seeing my mom and grandma up here was so great. My mom pinned my eagle on my chest, signifying that I am a member in the US Naval Reserve. It was a special moment. I hope everyone is doing good and all is well back home. Hope you like the pictures

Labor Day Weekend


It's Labor Day weekend here at the Academy and pretty much all is dead around campus. The upperclassmen have left, except for a few officers. But a small group of us plebes, got to take an overnight trip as part of the Christian Fellowship Club. We headed up to Wading River, NY. Which as on the far Northeast side of Long Island. It was absolutely beautiful! We climbed down the cliffs to the beach where the Long Island Sound awaited us. We sang songs, had a bonfire on the beach (with smores), and just pretty much hung out at the camp saturday and sunday. It was such a nice time to just get away from the academy and relax.


Things should return to normal tomorrow once school is back up and running again. Overall it's been a pretty nice weekend, I couldn't have asked for more. Parent's Weekends is getting closer than ever, it's this coming weekend, It's going to be a LOT of fun!

Sports Meets Academics


Well, I found out after 5 weeks of sailing practice, sailing takes up waaaaay too much time. You see time is a very sacred thing around here, and learning time management is one of the key factors in getting through this place. Sailing took up about 4 hours of each day and it took away most of my weekends. So I made a decision that I couldn't take away my academic studying for that much time, I really need it right now. I'm having some trouble in chemistry, so I have been seeking out help with my professor, who has helped me out a lot after only two tutoring sessions.

On the bright side I got to meet my sponsor parents. These sponsors are there for you anytime you need anything, and mine are by far the coolest. They live just a block away and are very artsy people. They go into the city all the time and have two kids. One daugter who attends NYU and a son who is a professional musician. The family is very active with NYC which should make it lot of fun.

The picture above is the ring that we drew on the grinder. Notice the building in the background and that will give you an idea of just how big it is. It was to honor the seniors Ring Dance, called a Spirit Mission. Its one step towards recognition for us plebes.


Well, gotta go to class. I miss everyone and thanks for the comments!!


Counting Down The Days...


Only a couple of weeks until Acceptance Day/Parents Weekend, which you have no idea how big that weekend really is. Havn't seen family in a month and a half, much less been able to leave campus. I'm counting down the days, it's so cloase but yet so far.

I have been getting used to the rhythm of how things are run, been staying on the down low for now. I am apart of the Christian Fellowship Club, The Sailing Team, and Honor Guard, which conducts tours of the campus and houses recruits. I have been staying pretty active, it keep your mind off of things, and you get to miss tattoo, which is a workout session that you have for 20 minutes a day, everyday.

The people you see in this picture are my section mates. Each major has a section of about 20 students, you go to every class with each other and are able to help each other out with things. Kind of like an academic family you could say.

We had our first sailing race, our academy placed in the top three spots out of about 25 other sailboats. Then I got to go on a trip on a ship we have called the TV (Training Vessel) Liberator. It was a pretty cool experience and I even got to drive it for a bit.

Other than that, not a whole lot is happening here at Kings Point, New York.

It Just Keeps On Going...


Not a whole lot has been happening up here New York, but yesterday we got a huge thunderstorm, it hailed golf ball size hail, for about 15-20 minutes, the storm was ridiculous. But it knocked the power out for a while, which was kind of interesting. But classes are still going, I've now been here for a solid month as of yesterday. Its gone by pretty fast.


One cool thing is that students who are far from home get a sponsor family that takes care of them and just gives students a place to get away and hang out if they need to. I just found out who my sponsors are and have been communicating through email. They are an artsy family, pretty neat people I would say. The mom is an artist, the dad works in NYC, their daughter is a junior at NYU major is screenwriting, and their son plays music. Can't wait to meet them in person.


Other than that, i've just been surviving day by day. I go to chapel and biblestudy on sundays, and Christian Fellowship Group on Monday, which is a lot of fun. It's a teen youth group, gives you a chance to meet upperclassmen without breaking the ranks and just a relaxed environment.


Gotta go clean, hope your all doing good!

One Night of Freedom




It's been almost a month since I arrived and set foot on the United States Merchant Marine Academy and since then I have not set foot outside of the gates until Thursay, August 9, 2008. Dressed in the dress whites, the regimental officers to us to the Mets game, to keep the plebe tradition. We each received $25 spending money, a ticket to the game, and an awesome experience.

Wearing the white in public was the coolest experience, people are so appreciative of the military. Fans cheered us on as we walked into the stadium and also when we left, they wanted to take pictures of us, overall it was so cool.
Although the Mets lost the game to the San Diego Padres, it was still one of the best nights I've had in a while. I got to hang out with my friends all night, which there are some really good ones up here. I hope you like the pictures!!




Class Begins


Well, it's that time, classes have officialy began. So far there's not a whole lot going on around the campus. It's definitely not like it was in indoc. No one there to tell you what to do every second of the day, your kind of on your own.

Classes: History of Seapower, Ethics Primer, Maritime Professional Studies, Chemistry, Lab, Intro to Merchant Marine and Naval Reserve, Math, and Self Defense.


A total of 18 hours for the first trimester, which is 12 weeks long. So that's what's happening up here. Also sailing practice started, tomorrow I go out for a few hours, so that should be a lot of fun.


Thanks for all of your comments Cissy!!!

Indoctrination - COMPLETE


Hey everyone! I'm back in society. Indoctrination period is now over. One goal accomplished but a long road ahead still. Indoc. really pushed to do things I never thought I could push myself to do. I'm actually starting to get in shape for once in my life. Each morning we would wake up at 5:15AM, got used to it. We would drill, get yelled at, eat and drill, class, then go to bed at 9:30pm. Rough first week. But as it got bad it got good, if that makes any sense. I got to do things I would never be able to do back at home. Such as sail a 1800's Schooner, which is a big old battle ship looking sailboat. We got to do safety test in orange gummy suits, drive several types of boats, sail on racing sailboats worth 3-9 million dollars!!! Some pretty cool stuff. It's hard to be this far from home. I really miss everyone and hopefully it will get better here! Classes start wednesday and I'll have an 18 credit hour load for the first trimester. Lots of work to do. Thanks for all of the support I have gotten from everyone back home.


Miss ya and love ya, Keegan

It's Off To The Big Apple

18 years spent at home, twelve spent in the great town of Ponder, TX, and now four years 2,000 miles away from home. It's a big jump but I think i'm ready for The Academy! I just hope New York City is ready for me. It's been hard to say goodbye to friends and family, but I know it's for the best. I'm going to miss Texas!!!!

My goal is to update this blog as much as possible to let everyone back home know what I'm up to. I won't be able to update this until August because of indoc. Once I am able to update this thing I will post plenty of pictures and comments, so stay tuned....