While the babies slept and Jenny napped and we watched over them with watchful eyes, I read 200 pages of gobble-de-gook and nothing. An orchestra could have not been better played or a play better choreographed. I hoped the next 300 pages were more informing.

The weekend was consumed with babies, in between work and house guests. Mom and Lisa made repeated trips to the house to remind us of things they had forgotten to tell us about baby care. They always stayed until they had a chance to hold Jacob and Robert.

Every night at the first cry, the doorway was filled with 4 girls to make sure we were up looking at the boys.

Jenny took advantage of all the child care to visit the gym. A strong physical fitness regimen is addicting; without it you just feel like something is missing. Doctor Peterson had given Jenny a list of preferred exercises and a time frame the she should be able to start them over the next few weeks.

Jenny had already been four days without any exercises, excluding the workout from childbirth. As that saying goes, “Damn the schedules – full speed ahead.” Two hours later with both Jacob and Robert telling the world that it was past mother’s milk time, it took two of us to help Jenny into the Suburban to come home.

Jenny was already leaking as the boys made the latch like a vacuum cleaner. Being sweaty and stinky did not deter their demand for mother’s milk.

By Sunday evening I had managed to highlight multiple pages in the last 300 of the report and put sticky tabs to make them easy to find. I explained what I had found to the girls. Vicky was going to carry the report to Robert and Burt in the morning and explain what I had found, hoping it would assist them.

Monday I was back to the work routine; kisses all around, including gentle ones on the forehead of the boys before I left. I was working all day today and then half days Tuesday and Wednesday, again in the mornings.

Thursday and Friday I was spending all day in the gym on the final training push, part of which would be spent on hostage rescue. I was promised the compound would be clean of snow and ready to go.

The rapid response team was in their last week. The state department was coming back today to finish up their presentation. Then four days were left to finish out the training. Then they would get to spend the weekend at home.

I carried two framed blow-ups of my family, the five of us surrounding Jenny holding the boys and then another of me holding the boys. I placed them on my desk.

The meetings that were postponed on Friday were on for this morning. I carried my laptops with me in case I needed them. At the meeting room when I opened the door and walked in, there was clapping and congratulations. On the big screen were the pictures I had blown up on my desk. Patti had sent them around on the administrative email.

After the oohs and ahs and kidding about sleepless nights, we had our normal college business meeting. We broke for lunch and ate in the cafeteria with other faculty and students.

At one before the meeting resumed Bob Jackson played a short clip of Atlantic 709, from the low fuel warning until the wheels touched down. Then he played the Hanna interviews of Lorrie and me.

“You may not realize it but you are turning into a politician one news event at a time,” Bob replied.

The meetings lasted until three. I was glad to be finished with them and go home.

I was late getting to the nightly meeting and was surprised to see that Jenny was there.

“Where are the boys?” I asked.

“The two mom-moms each have one and we now have two rocking chairs in the living room. They are going to be so spoiled rotten,” Jenny said as she was laughing.

“That’s what grandparents are for, that and babysitting,” I replied before I broke out laughing. I had forgotten that Jason was sitting at the table with us.

“You do remember that us Grand-Pops are supposed to teach them how to pee on the tree trunk, we could change that to the potted flowers in the living room,” Jason replied trying to hold back a smile.

“Don’t you dare,” Jenny replied at half a shout just before Jason lost it laughing loudly.

“Well, we do have three or four years to work out an agreement,” Jason replied.

“Agreement my butt – that’s not going to happen,” Jenny replied.

“OK, back to business,” Marcy replied.

“The bill for Atlantic Airways is complete and on the way to them. The Horsey house and the Crash house have both been cleaned today. Bob called to say they would have all the snow out of the compound by tomorrow afternoon,” Marcy said.

Ching Lee and Vicky gave the training schedule that the RRT was going to use starting tomorrow. Jamie had signed off on all the weapons training. Hand skills and the rescue training was all that was left.

Marcy had contracted 10 more college rape prevention seminars. All ten of them were for next month, luckily two each at five universities. Vicky and Ching Lee were going to take turns being the lead on them with several of the clerks to the complete the team.

We were nearly done with our meeting when Captain Peterson paged our SVOL video conference system.

“Good afternoon, I see you have spent the last week busy as usual and in the news. You are not likely getting our local news there but the stations here are still interviewing flight 709 passengers about their experience,” Captain Peters said.

“We are still working through everything, it was a good week for a lot of people,” I replied.

“By the way, congratulations on the birth of the twins; I know you are happy,” he said.

“We are very happy, proud parents and the grandparents are too,” I replied.

“The DVD you sent us has made the rounds. The next group is chomping at the bit for their turn. I need to give them a date but put it out there a month to six weeks if that works for you,” Captain Peters said.

“Six weeks would suit fine, same travel arraignments as before; we pick up your team and return them. Will it be the same contract price?” I asked.

“That would be great – works for us,” he replied. “Question for you, one of the guys noticed that the Black Hawk had your decals on it; how many choppers do you own, if I am not being nosy?”

“Twenty four; there are ten Black Hawks and 14 Bell 407s. They are scattered – some are in Africa, the Middle East, Asia and South America,” Lorrie replied.

“Wow, you always have something to keep you busy then,”

With that the call ended; we still had business to attend to.

“I have scheduled two G5s to make the personnel transfer at Morocco. 45 one-way commercial tickets plus all the extra baggage charges were going to cost over $50,000, with the price of fuel now we can beat that by using our own G5s,” Lorrie said.

“Since it is a round robin I’m going to go. I want to see that site first hand plus question some State Department embassy staff. The cover story will be that it is an audit. Whatever answers I don’t get I can ask the group on Wednesday at Washington. Who wants to go with me?” I asked.

Ching Lee was the first to say, “I will go.”

“Get with Jamie, spend some time on the shooting range,” I replied. The rest of the week motored along. Wednesday before I left KCC at noon I went over the administration building to see Bob Jackson and Mr. Nobles.

I caught both of them in the hall getting ready to go to lunch. “I am leaving for Morocco early Monday morning and returning in the wee hours Tuesday morning. I have a couple empty seats. Do either of you want to go along?”

“Morocco, I don’t think so,” Bob answered very quickly. Mr. Nobles shook his head, “No”.

“It’s a hot spot; might be some action there,” I replied.

“I will still pass,” Bob replied, “Hot spots you can handle just fine.

Edit by Alfmeister
Proof read by Bob W.