Bob. Throughout these months I have been having lunch dates with Bob on a regular basis; he is the
best interview coach I could ask for. He has so much wisdom and knowledge and I love picking at his
brain ;]. Bob definitely is lucky this year because we have a lot of the same social and fiscal views. Right
after my lunch date I drove down to work out with Mike Douglass, my personal trainer in Alpine, which
I have been doing on a regular basis. He is so encouraging, but kicks my butt every time I work out with
him.
On November 2nd I had my sponsored hair appointment where I was treated like true royalty! Chelle
and I met Stephen Wicking on the American Airlines flight in August on the way back from Orlando. He
is such a genuinely nice man; he immediately took us into the Admiral's club when we met him on the
plane. Lisa Richardson Loeb is owner of the outstanding "Salon Marchessa" in La Mesa who colored my
hair. She highlighted my hair a shade lighter which really brightened up my face and it was a perfect
choice. Stephen then cut my hair into a very playful, easy, and free style which I absolutely adore; I
am hooked on their services. The salon then treated me to a manicure and a pedicure which has been
long overdue. Their salon was so adorable and very fashionable, which was a great touch. They also
purchased lunch for me and just made me feel so welcome!
The next day, I was off to Virginia for the Christening of the California Submarine! I was absolutely
honored to be a part of this monumental ceremony. My first job was to attend the media photo session
to show my support and encouragement for this celebration. When I arrived to the submarine, I was
dumbfounded; the boat was enormous spanning 377 feet long and being able to undergo 6 months of
submersion at a time. The boat will last for over 50 years and at the half way mark, Northrop Grumman
Shipbuilding Company will revamp the entire boat in order to give it updates and repairs. I was able to
meet the sponsor Donna Willard and her daughter and two grandchildren who were both so enamored
with my crown the entire weekend. They both were able to be Miss Submarine Princess that day by
trying on my crown. The average age of the crew members was 20 years old, so I was able to relate
and converse with a lot of them. I applaud them for all their hard work and bravery for fighting for our
country. Their strength is unbelievable to me especially since we are all around the same age! I signed
and handed out autograph cards to many of the crew members and ship builders. All of the individuals
involved with the creation of this boat deserve a huge appreciation; it takes approximately 12 years to
design and build the submarine. I also just found out that they are going to hang my signed 8x10 picture
in the submarine when it goes out to battle. I am flabbergasted with that news!!! I feel more than honor
to have my picture hung in the boat for the crew.
That night we attended the sponsor dinner where we immediately met the Naval Chaplain and his wife,
Don and Norma Troast. It had to be fate that we met them because they are Williamsburg residents and
that is exactly where we wanted to go on our afternoon off the next day. They graciously invited us to
give us a tour of Williamsburg and an 18th century candlelit dinner. At the dinner, they had a red carpet
photo arena where I was the official Hollywood celeb to take pictures with majority of the guests. It
was quite funny to be brought back to Hollywood in Newport News, Virginia! The presentation during
the dinner was pretty exceptional, for they introduced veterans from WWII, executives of Northrop
Grumman Shipbuilding Company, the Willard family (the official sponsor), professionals in the Virginia-
Class Submarine Program, and presidents of General Dynamics Electric Boat Company. All of these
individuals contributed to the completion of the California SSN 781. At our departure, we all received
goodie bags full of USS California engraved water glasses.
WWII vets.The next day was the BIG day!! It was so exciting and an honor to be the last one to enter the stage
and immediately perform the national anthem with a fabulous color guard in front. The presidents of
Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding and general Dynamics Electric Boat: Mr. Mike Petters and Mr. John
Casey spoke during the ceremony about their company's contribution and the significance of this boat
for our nation. US House of Representatives, Rob Wittman and Bobby Scott, also shared their support
for this submarine and all its potential. Then Donna Willard broke the bottle in front of the boat to
officially christen the California SSN 781 where gold and blue balloons fell from the ceiling. I immediately
hurdled myself through the balloons back onstage to sing God Bless America. Everyone joined in
the second round of the song and we all could feel an instant connection between the boat and the
audience; it was an unforgettable feeling. After the ceremony the boy scouts stopped me for some
autographs which were very funny because a lot of them were extremely nervous to even talk to me.
They then started an autograph session for two hours which actually flew by because each person that
came up to get a picture had a different story to tell whether they were involved with the shipbuilding,
one of the crew members, or a family member of an individual in the crew.
We then immediately headed out to Williamsburg, which was quite a sight! I have never been to a
historical place in America, so it was a first adventure for me. Don and Norma were more than generous
for planning this whole afternoon/night for Chelle and me.
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