We were up pre-dawn.  This hotel really has this graduation weekend thing down.  Knowing that the Airman’s Run is early, and the first briefing even earlier, they started breakfast at 5AM on Thursdays.  We were there at 5:08 and the place was beginning to get full.  Breakfast included Texas-shaped waffles (which I had every morning while I was here!).

We got to the base by 6:30.  The weather report called for a high of 60 degrees… at 5AM, followed by chilling winds and 30 degree temps by noon and icy rain and snow by midnight.  At the moment, we were nice and warm.  Barbara found her parents and we parked together over by where the Hemenes family had told us to stand for the Airman’s Run.  The parking lot was closed off on one side, but we found an entrance that wasn’t blocked.  We were the only ones in this lot (we would use this lot a couple of other times as well because no one else knew about it!).  Barbara and her parents went to the 7AM parent briefing.  Courtney and I went to guard our ideal corner spot on the corner of Peace Street for the Airman’s Run.  This was the spot where the airmen would run by, circle around, and then run by again.  This location also had the added advantage of causing a huge gap between us and other parents on the other side of the road (since no one is allowed to be on the streets) which would make it much easier for Jeffrey to find us.  At 8AM, wave after wave of Airmen ran by quickly, each with their own colored shirts representing their Squadron and Flight.  Jeffrey’s Flight was dressed in gray and would be near the end of the run.  Eventually, the “Warthog” Flight ran by and… we couldn’t find Jeffrey!  Everyone looked the same, and frankly, we didn’t know what Jeffrey looked like bald.  Fortunately, after his Flight had jogged around the loop and returned down Peace Street, having to slow down to pass the barricades, we saw him waving to us as he passed.

With the Airman’s Run completed, it was now time to reserve a spot on the benches for the coin ceremony.  Unfortunately, everyone else had the same idea.  Our ideal spot for the Run was very un-ideal for getting to the bleachers quickly.  We got some of the last remaining spots on the benches well behind the action.  As we sat down, the wind began to pick up and it was COLD.  Courtney, Grandma and I guarded our seats while Barbara and Grandpa attended a second parent’s briefing.  The coin ceremony wouldn’t be for another 2.5 hours!  By the time the event began, it was 30 degrees, and maybe lower with wind-chill, and my back really hurt!  The coin ceremony was shortened a little bit due to the weather (it had begun to rain).  Afterwards, we got to grab Jeffrey and take him to the Air Force Lodge, where Barbara’s parents were staying.  First though, we decided to go to the Golf Course to eat lunch.  We had been warned that the food court at the BX would be packed full of 650 graduates and their families.  The bowling alley would be packed too.  We figured that no one would even think about the Golf course, and we were right, only two graduates showed up. By now, the wind was gale force and it was really unpleasant to be outside.  The food was pretty good and the place was nice and warm.  We watched the golf flags flutter and lawn furniture roll across the greens outside as the rain came down at a 45 degree angle.  After lunch, we stayed in the Lodge until Jeffrey had the idea to go and watch the Zero Week recruits get yelled at inside the small BX.  For the Zero Week recruits, today was the day to get all their basic supplies.  This turned out to be pretty fun to watch.  The drill sergeants were on everyone’s case and even the cashiers were rude to these recruits.  Outside in the bitter cold, the recruits were standing in lines getting yelled at.  Hey, at least it had stopped raining by that point.  Eventually, it got too cold for us, so we went back to the Lodge.  At dinner time, Barbara and Grandma went to the big BX to get Arby’s for the family.  We ate dinner in peace at the Lodge, away from crowds (which had been Jeffrey’s request – he was tired of crowds and people after 8.5 weeks of being with people 24/7).  After that, we took Jeffrey back to his barracks and headed home for the evening.  We were told that tomorrow’s ceremony would be at 1PM, not 9AM, because of the coming overnight storm.  It never snows in San Antonio, so this was something “special,” but unwanted by those who lived there.