Chapter 290

It was almost 2 AM when we slid under the covers in Marcy's bed. Either Ching Lee or Jenny was snoring lightly as we snuck past their room so we wouldn't awaken them. After the sexual workout and a hot shower, sleep came easily. I was snuggled tightly to Marcy's back with my arms around her.

I heard giggling at the door as I opened my eyes to full sunlight coming through the window. The giggling woke both Marcy and me. Ching Lee, Lorrie, Vicky and Jenny started singing some kind wake up tune from an old radio show, before they broke up in laughter and more giggles.

"Wake up you two sleepy heads; that must have been some wild night you guys had without us last night. Breakfast is on the table. Hurry up or it is going to be cold," Jenny said after plastering both of us with a kiss.

I was amazed that the rich coffee aroma had not awakened me, since that was what I used as a wakeup call every morning. A few minutes later, still in shorts and tee shirts, we were all at the table quietly eating. There were last minute things to do for tonight's party. We were calling it a pre- Christmas package opening. At 5, family and friends were coming over under the cover of opening presents early.

What was really happening was a surprise baby shower for Jenny. Lisa was stopping by at 4 under the ruse of needing Jenny to help with last minute shopping and to load presents. Joey and Jason were going to be late to do a last minute shopping spree.

Because so many people were coming it was decided that that the best place for the baby shower in the garage. Just like we did the summer parties in bad weather, it would be perfect for what we had planned. The tables and chairs were going to be set up while Jenny was gone with Lisa. To top off the room we were going to decorate in baby boy blue.

However this morning was another matter. All of us were going to Morton Field to park planes in the hangar. Those planes had returned last night after dark. Lorrie had told the Carson and Sabrina to have the pilots to park the planes on the tarmac in front of the terminal or the JBG hangars last night.

Even though we had great lighting, Lorrie had restricted planes being pushed into the hanger after dark by only one person. A three person team was the standing order, one on the tug and the other two watching the tail and wing tips. The slightest mishap could cost hundreds of thousands of dollars and put a plane out of commission for months or worse.

Jack had made all of us push and pull planes with the tug many times under his supervision and to the mechanics delight. I think they just wanted to see a comedy of errors. Much to their dismay, we learned very quickly. The instructor in him never quit.

It took us three hours to put all the planes away. Of course, we had to take a look at the terminal and speak to Carson and Sabrina while they were both there.

While Lorrie was in the terminal building she reviewed the flights scheduled for the planes for the next 30 days. There were a lot just for the scheduled customer flights. There were a few I need for the M&M colleges inspection our newest colleges but none of the flights for the embassy and there were going to be a lot of them. That was a discussion I needed to have with Lorrie after Christmas, first thing Monday morning.

We went over and looked at the progress that was made yesterday on the armory by Bob's Construction. There were plenty of concrete blocks stacked outside the building and one heck of a pile of plate steel in big sheets. It looked like the kind of stuff they made navy ships out of.

There was a hole cut through the pilots and mechanics lounge into the parts room, covered with several sheets of plywood. Jake insisted that Lorrie pick the spot to cut the hole between the two side Hangars. The hole was where the vault door was going to be.

I needed to talk to Jake about a modification that came to me in the middle of the night. When Jake, Betty and I were young Dad and Mom and the Smiths carried us on day trips to historic places on the Delmarva. One of those trips was a tour or the original E. I. DuPont black powder factory called the "Brandywine River Powder Mills". The DuPont's reportedly supplied black power for both sides in many wars and skirmishes including WW1. For some crazy reason in a dream the other night, one of the safety features he built in his operation came to mind about Jakes project. I was going to do a quick Google search to see if I could find a drawing of it when I talked to Jake.