june:
01st
promotion ceremony (SSG/E6)
reenlistment ceremony
04th
IRIS' b-day
06th
bncoc (begins)
10th
RATHROMONY's b-day
14th
flag day
19th
father's day
23rd
ALANA's b-day
25th
MARGARET's b-day
26th
REUBEN's b-day
27th
hiv testing day
30th
NORMI's b-day
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TUESDAY 28TH JUNE 2005
10:19-PM-(UTC/GMT -6 Hours)
"You have persevered and have endured hardships for My name, and have not grown weary. ... I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first."
-- Revelation 02 : 03 & 19
Yes, by now, you know the drill, ... up writing essays for my Eastern Religions course, and almost finished. Ha!
I received a ninety-three (93) on my final exam. So with a ninety-three (93) on it and a ninety-five (95) on my mid-term exam, I'm sitting pretty as together they account for 50% of my final grade. I expect nothing but "A"s on my papers and essays. Okay, I'll give myself a couple of "B"s. In any case I should put that course down with at least a low "A" or high "B". So all is well with that and when I put the course down tomorrow I'll not have any other educational obligations and will be able to fully concentrate on finishing up BNCOC.
I will look to begin the next term with two (02) courses, one (01) being another English course to satisfy my English requirements for my Liberal Studies BA degree. I'll begin that course and another when the October - December term hits. That should have me doing courses when I hit Korea. Of course I may opt to try and get a CLEP test or DANTES test in during August if I do not have to head to Fort Drum, New York and can stay here until I take leave in September. That way I'll still get credits and can wait until January (when I'm settled in Korea) to start back up again with classes from Thomas Edison.
Okay, enough of that. BNCOC is becoming a chore. The Noncommissioned Officer In-Charge (NCOIC) came into our class this morning and let us know that it is disrespectful if we stand up in class. He said that if we are tired we should just have enough discipline to stay awake. But standing for a period of time will not be tolerated. BRANDON and I let him know that we didn't agree in the least and that we find standing up, so as not to fall asleep in our seats, to be just the opposite, very respectful.
So leave it to s senior NCO to decide to change what countless NCOs have said before him: "If you are tired, stand up." According to him it is disrespectful. And of course falling asleep in your chair is too. So yeah, I suppose you just can not win. And his rebuttal when BRANDON and I tried to investigate and feel his point of view out, "my opinion is the only one that counts here." Yeah, some reasoning huh? So needless to say BRANDON and I were a tad bit annoyed by the fact what he said made no sense and he backed it up by "throwing his rank around."
Anyway, the rest of the day was about a fourth as annoying as that. I was ready to pour a lot of thought into this new system I'm being introduced to and the practical exercise wasn'thing more than a status change. This system is just way too intricate for it's own good. TIMMS (the system used in 35H land) is so much simpler and straight to the point when compared with a system like SAMS. I can not stand SAMS. But I'll grin and bear it until it is over and grin and bear everything else until I get my class "report card" of sorts and graduate. I'm anxious.
BRANDON told me he liked the conversations we have been having. It is nice to have someone here who I can talk to about things. And he is a Christian too, so that makes our conversations and point of views on things even better and similar. And I just love hearing him talk about his wife, CINDY, and their new baby girl, AUDREY.
Well it is time to get back to my paper. I realize updates are kind of short and touch and go but I'm not affording too much free time. A four (04) day weekend is quickly approaching though. I'll catch up here sometime over the weekend. And then when we get back it is urban squad movement and hand to hand combat, among other tactical things we will learn that week (Tuesday-Saturday).
Later.
Paper time.
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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SUNDAY 26TH JUNE 2005
7:17-AM-(UTC/GMT -6 Hours)
"'I tell you the truth, whoever hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.'"
-- JOHN 05 : 24
Today a year ago (Or is it, "A year ago today, ..."?) I was in the desert a few weeks from heading home from a deployment in Kuwait. This was the first day I thought to add a Bible verse to each post. I selected JOB's words to start things off and the rest, as they say is history. There are some verses in the Bible that you are able to immediately relate to, those which you read and say "yes" to out loud. I adore the first verse which appeared here on my website a year ago. GOD tests us I think more than we realize. And though we may not be tested as JOB was, we are tested. We may be put in a situation where we must make a distinction between wrong and right with the pressure of our peers or "pleasure center" pulling us in the direction of wrong over right. We may be put in a position to either help another or to keep our time and talents to ourselves and move on with our day.
And when bad things occur, do we turn to GOD and thank him for strength? Do we turn to Him and thank Him for what we do have? GOD does not cut us down because He gets laughs out of seeing us fail again and again and again. And He didn't cut JOB down to show how great He was. He needed to show Satan that JOB was indeed a great man because of his great faith and loyalty to GOD.
SATURDAY 26TH JUNE 2004
11:38-PM-(UTC/GMT -5 Hours)
Listening - "REFINE ME"-JENNIFER knapp Kansas
"Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him."
-- JOB 13 : 15
"JESUS, ...
... I admit that I'm a sinner. I've said some things I shouldn't have said, and I've done some things I should not have done, and I'm sorry. Please forgive me. Come into my heart. I ask you now to take away the guilt and the shame and the hurt, and replace them with you peace, and your grace, and your joy.
I believe that you are the Son of the only living GOD. I believe that you died on the cross for me. I believe that the blood you shed on that cross was shed that I might be forgiven. I believe that you rose again. And I believe that you are coming back.
Write my name in your book of life; that I might know that I'm going to heaven. Give me the courage and the boldness to take a stand for you and be counted, no matter the cost. I love you JESUS.
In Your name I pray.
Amen."
And JOB's words were true and from the heart. In good times and in bad times, JOB was faithful and gloried GOD. Sure he was sad for his losses, but he never went against his LORD in his heart. I think some of us need to remember that though JOB lived long ago, he was just a human being as we are. And while we are in times of plenty we should rejoice and praise GOD, ... while we are in hard times of need we should still realize that GOD is on our side and that we should also be on His. Cancer. AIDS. Loss. Destruction. Murder. All these things are tragic but it does not mean GOD has abandoned us. Trust in Him. Truly believe.
There is so much more to living then simply living here on Earth. For those who believe and will be saved, this is far from the beginning and death here on Earth is far from the ending. In light and in darkness, trust the Lord. In good times and in bad, trust the Lord. On your feet or on your face, trust the Lord.
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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SUNDAY 26TH JUNE 2005
12:09-AM-(UTC/GMT -6 Hours)
"If you are insulted because of the name of CHRIST, you are blessed, for the Spirit of Glory and of GOD rests on you. However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise GOD that you bear that name."
-- 01 PETER 04 : 14 & 16
"REUBEN, ...
... Happy birthday buddy!
Some days it seems as if high school was just a long dream I had a couple of years ago. But I'm lucky to still have friends who I made back then, now. Your friendship is important to me and even though we do not exactly have the deepest of conversations every other day nor see each other much, I want you to know that I still consider you a dear friend and I still care very much about you and your direction in life.
So today, on the day of you birth I want you to realize that in these handful of years you have been on Earth you have made a difference in my life and I'm sure a difference in the lives of others. You are something in this world because when we impact the life of another, it matters. I have gone on to meet many, many more people in this world. But I never lost the part of me touched by you and your friendship.
So I challenge you to use this birthday as a day of reflection and I day to realize, understand, and appreciate the very true fact that you, REUBEN, can and have changed the world, one (01) smile at a time, or by making one (01) friend at a time, or having one (01) true conversation with another.
So I thank you for impacting my life for the better and I wish you a very happy and blessed birthday."
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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SATURDAY 25TH JUNE 2005
11:07-PM-(UTC/GMT -6 Hours)
Listening - "IN ME"-REBECCA st. james
Transform
"'I tell you, whoever acknowledges Me before men, the Son of Man will also acknowledge him before the angels of GOD.'"
-- LUKE 12 : 08
BRANDON and I did some running earlier this evening. It was good stuffage. I have not gotten out and run in ages aside from the running during PT since BNCOC began. It felt great to get out there and get the heart pumping and body going. And of course it was great to have someone to run with. I found it next to impossible to get out on my own to do serious road work. It was easy to get out there with BRANDON.
And I need the extra road work to get myself in better shape and prepare for next week's physical fitness test. I think it is Tuesday or Wednesday. I hope, of course, it is not until Wednesday. I have been putting my all into physical training (PT) each morning, realizing how fortunate I'm that the test is in Phase II of the course. If we had the PT test in Phase I, I'd not have done very well at all. In fact since my back was hurting on a couple of runs in Phase I, including a two (02) mile run on the very track I'll run on during the PT test, I know I'd have done horribly. So given more time to prepare I'm preparing whole-heartedly.
BRANDON is always talking about his wife, CINDY, and their new baby girl, AUDREY. It is obvious he loves his wife and daughter very much and its very proud of his little family. I remember when he said that he and CINDY were going to get married back at Fort Drum. No one (01) really thought it was a good idea because they seemed so different. But I suppose to some extent what "they" say about opposites attracting is true. I'm so glad to know (and hear from him) that they are doing so well together. And now they have a daughter, ...
Well I have a couple more essays to write for my Eastern Religions course. I know I have typed that about a hundred (100) times more than anyone wants to read. But really, this time, I'm really down to the last couple of essays and an online final, ... then I'll have officially put down another course. I'm on the road to an "A" in the course but will most likely finish it with a high "B". And that would be just fine with me.
Well, I'm pretty exhausted. I should start thinking about getting to bed in the next two (02) hours or so. Of course I need to get in the shower too since I have not done so since running earlier in the evening.
Later.
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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FRIDAY 24TH JUNE 2005
10:02-PM-(UTC/GMT -6 Hours)
"He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what GOD has done from beginning to end."
-- Ecclesiastes 03 : 11
We were supposed to have a room inspection but I think BRANDON spoke with SSG Irizarry and convinced him that we weren't exactly prepared. So now the inspection will go down on Monday, I believe while we are in class.
Well, it looks like I'm stuck in this "other" group. DERRICK and GALE were saying that SSG Blanco was trying to get me back with his group. But right now I'm preparing to get through Phase II with the group I'm currently in with SSG Irizarry as our small group leader (SGL). It is complicated. SSG Irizarry is our SGL, but not really because both groups make up a single class. So in reality, SSG Blanco is the SGL for both groups. He just can not take on twenty (20) plus NCOs all at once. So even though we are two (02) different groups, form up into two (02) separate platoons, and have different SGLs, on paper we are all one (01) large class. It is kind of like me having been here for almost a year, but on paper belonging to Fort Drum in upstate New York.
Speaking of upstate New York, a guy in the Military Personnel (MILPO) office here was asking questions about why I needed to head back to Fort Drum to clear upon graduating from BNCOC before I leave for Korea. he thought it made absolutely zero (00) sense. And well, I agree. In fact I have been agreeing even before he put his opinion out there. So he is going to call up to MILPO at Fort Drum and see if they can not cut my orders, send them down here to Redstone Arsenal, and not have me head up there to clear.
It would cut a good thirty (30) hours or driving out of the equation. If I could do everything from here I'd be able to stick around after BNCOC and take care of things like shipping my things to Korea from here. I'd be here through the end of August and take leave in early September. Which also means I'd be heading to Texas from here instead of all the way up to New York and then back down to Texas. That is a lot of road time. And while I'd miss out on dropping in to visit SANTIAGO and JANELLE in Boston and other friends on my way from New York, it would just be less hassle overall not having to head up to Fort Drum, New York just to clear, and then back to begin leave.
So hopefully that piece of the puzzle will fall into place as well. I'm a lot less mobile during the day though due to my being in BNCOC so I can not do things like head over to MILPO and wait around for answers. I have a feeling though that I'll not be heading back to Fort Drum to clear and that I'll be taking care of that matter over the phone and via fax. I mean I turned in all of my military gear, I picked up my records, and I brought everything I own here. I have nothing up there. And to head up there to sign off on things like the library and the PX would be ridiculous.
But again, I can only wait and see really. But if it happens then I'll truly be "weirded" out by the fact that so many things have gone so well for me in the past few months. I guess it began with getting the opportunity to come here. It all just continued to get better and better and better since I arrived. And now I'm leaving on my own terms all the way around: with more rank, bonus money, heading to the exact place I wanted to head to, I'll have BNCOC under my belt, and I'll just have this great experience to draw from. I can not identify one (01) downfall or con about this situation. It was truly a blessing to get this opportunity and I'll always be grateful and appreciative of everyone here for their kindness, generosity, professionalism, and love.
I have to start on a paper, and then I'll think about getting to bed. But that probably will not happen until maybe 1:00 or 2:00 tomorrow morning. Hey what can I say, I earned the weekend and I'm going to squeeze all the "off time" I can out of it.
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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THURSDAY 23RD JUNE 2005
11:22-PM-(UTC/GMT -6 Hours)
"But I tell you, do not swear at all. ... Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No' be 'No': anything beyond this comes from the evil one."
-- JERIMIAH 10 : 23 & 24
Well, Phase II has officially begun. The briefing was pretty long, again, and we first phasers stayed for it all. Sure enough, it seemed as though everyone showed up. Our class is now twenty-two (22) strong I believe. This includes TILMON and BRANDON, a couple of fellow calibrators I have met in the few years I have been in. It is great to see them again.
Our classes were split up. I'm no longer with the other four (04) guys I was with in Phase I. SSG Blanco first kept us together with him, but then moved me to the other class to be with the other two (02) calibrators. Later on he took me aside and let me know that it wasn'thing personal and that in retrospect he said he should have just moved TILMON and BRANDON in with the original five (05). So now I'm in a class which pretty much discusses nothing. I miss my guys from Phase I.
But I'll adapt and overcome. SSG Blanco says that if there is a way he can swap three (03) people from his class with the three (03) of us calibrators, he will try and do just that. Oh, yes, we were split up into two (02) different groups. We are still the same class as a whole but one (01) group is being led by SSG Blanco and the other (the group I'm in) is being led by SSG Irizarry. So we are kind of like two (02) separate classes, but not really two (02) separate classes.
But yeah, we pretty much are, ... except when it comes to grades and such and graduating we are a single class.
So it will take some getting used to. I was so happy when SSG Blanco announced the two (02) groups with us five (05) together. Then he came in about two (02) minutes later to let us know that I alone would be moving to the other group he had made. I'll get over it soon enough though, but I miss my Phase I guys. I'll not see them much at all during the regular day and we just all had a vibe when it came to classroom work and discussion. It was good stuffage to play off of one (01) another and bounce ideas around. We had great class discussion. And we joked and just got along really well. But things change I suppose.
Tomorrow is Friday. Goodie!
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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TUESDAY 21ST JUNE 2005
6:52-AM-(UTC/GMT -6 Hours)
Listening - "THINK ABOUT IT"-CRYSTAL lewis See
"I can do everything through Him who gives me strength."
"I can do everything through Him who gives me strength."
"I can do everything through Him who gives me strength."
-- Philippians 04 : 13
Good physical training (PT) this morning. CARLOS had us head over to the gym and we all hit the weights just a little bit, a couple sets on the bench and a little triceps work. We didn't have a lot of time though since we have a test today. SSG Blanco wants us at the classroom by 7:35 or so. So yes, this will be a quick little morning update before I finish getting dressed and head down to my soaked car. ...
I left the windows down and the moon roof (moon roof?) retracted. It dumped last night while we were all at O'Charley's for dinner. My baby must have panicked when the rain started up. I felt bad when I returned. The rain was coming down hard, fast, and cold and I approached her cautiously, thinking that maybe, just maybe I had put the windows up. That wasn't the case however. She was soaked through and through. It was pretty bad. All I could do was put her windows up and close her up for the night. This morning she didn't say a word to me as I started her up and opened her windows. She still had water in her, pooled in places on the center console. I need to get down there with my towels and begin the drying process. This was the third time I have left her out with windows down but the first time it rained so much. I'm not too worried though. She will be okay. But we may have to talk about new interior sometime in the future as well as new wheels while I'm away in Korea. But we are sticking with each other for a few years to come. So she is stuck with forgetful me for a while longer. She loves me though, even when she is just a little wet.
Well, test today. It is the last test of Phase I. I'm looking to get a perfect score too. I really do not want less than perfect on this one (01) so I can put Phase I down with a great mark. Yesterday GALE and I did our drill and ceremony evaluation. I received my first little "No/Go" on an evaluation. As a whole I passed with a "Go" but I made a slight mistake and so it wasn't a perfect evaluation. No big deal though, no one (01) is perfect and when it comes to formations and drill and ceremony I'm rusty. That is definitely my weak area.
I gave my classmates a little exhibition of my eating "skills" lat night at O'Charley's. I was hungry what can I say. TAMARA, our server and a girl that JASON is kind of "seeing" (I don't know.) was a little weirded out by the fact I wanted a piece of chocolate cake and milk before my meal. JASON and the guys thought that was going to do me in. And when I ordered a bowl of soup, a caesar salad, and my meal of teriyaki chicken, they thought I was going to run out of gas.
The food seemed to come in courses. I polished off the cake quickly and when CARLOS came back from the restroom he could not believe it. I knew then that I was going to have to break these guys in to what I can really put away when it comes to a good meal (and the food was great by the way) so when my salad arrived I tore through it too; soup, no problem. By the time I was finishing my vegetable medley with as much vigor as I had when taking my first bite of chocolate cake they began to believe. Ha! Ha!
I kind of surprised myself because I didn't feel the least bit uncomfortable at all. I felt a little full sure, but nothing close to sick at all. All this PT is just upping my metabolism and hunger levels. Ha!
Well, it is time to get dressed and get out to my baby with a towel before my morning test. Have a great day and night.
Oh, it has come to my attention that I'm being visited by some old friends. Yes, I get a pretty good idea of who comes through here even though it is so many a day. But anyway, please let me know you dropped by, especially if you know me or "knew" me back when. I'm not a weirdo. And just because I look to GOD does not mean I do not still love you. In fact I probably think of you very often. And if you are a friend from Med-High I definitely do. GOD is automatic in my life. Do not let my faith convince you that I'd think I'm too good for you or your friendship or I have changed into a person who looks down on those who are not looking to or for the same thing or things I'm looking to or for in life. Believe me, I'm not perfect. You should know that just from visiting this site. Just do not think that you would not be someone who I'd not want to hear from. I'm still the same ol' TED. So e-mail, let me know you have visited and what you are up to these days. After all, you know the scoop on me.
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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MONDAY 20TH JUNE 2005
6:32-AM-(UTC/GMT -6 Hours)
Listening - "MY EMMANUEL"-CRYSTAL lewis See
"Better a little with righteousness than much gain with injustice."
-- Proverbs 16 : 08
I heard my alarm clock as soon as I walked in the door of my fake room a few hours ago. I didn't notice the other form in the room initially but when he moved, I whirled around. We gave each other a pretty good scare. Well, maybe I was the only one (01) taken aback, but I like to think he was as startled as I was. Yes, I have a roommate. Well sort of anyway. He will occupy the other half of my fake room but of course, since I'm a resident here at Redstone I'll use that room exclusively for inspection purposes. I have to maintain the room in the BNCOC barracks so that I'll be uniform with the rest of my class.
We didn't talk much, the stranger, who now lives with my things in my fake room, and me. In fact I knew he was from Germany before I knew his name. Come to think of it, I don't know his name. Anyway he is early.
We did a two (02) mile timed run today for PT. I didn't do too hot at all, a fifteen (15) minute two (02) mile run. My back was acting up almost as badly as it did back at Fort Drum when I fell out of a run and failed a PT test. So the old heat pad is definitely coming out because I need to at least start with a solid fourteen (14) minute two (02) mile at my age and fitness potential. So I have some work to do in a few short days. I'm not too worried about the PT test for the course. I was under my sixteen (16) minute and thirty (30) second mark, so it was a passing score. All I want to do is pass the PT test and move on. I'll do my best of course, but to fail the PT test would be horrible. And fifteen (15) minutes does not leave me much cushion considering I'll have to do two (02) minutes of pushups and two (02) minutes of sit-ups before even getting on the two (02) mile track. So yes, I have a little work ahead of me. Is the PT test this week? I'm not even really sure. I hope not, that way I'll have five (05) days to prep in the evenings as well as the weekend. I'm hoping it is on Monday.
Time to shower and dress for class.
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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MONDAY 20TH JUNE 2005
3:52-AM-(UTC/GMT -6 Hours)
Listening - "LEARN TO FLY"-CRYSTAL lewis See
"Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil."
-- Proverbs 03 : 07
I was almost too embarrassed to report the actual time above, ... yes, it is 3:52 in the morning. And yes, I have to be outside prepared for physical training (PT) formation at 5:20. And yes, right after formation, PT. Well, on the bright side, at least I'm out of the habit of waking up at 4:15, thinking formation is at 4:30.
And sure enough, I whipped the little essay out in about twenty (20) minutes. One (01) of these days I'll truly learn to use my time wisely and do some proper planning to get things accomplished so that I do not have to stay up well into the morning. I mean sometimes I choose too but I do not ever want to have to, especially when I have plenty of time in the hours and days before early (insert work/duty day here) morning.
I even spent twenty (20) minutes or so plucking hair from my face with a needle and tweezers. Yes, I'm the king of putting things off and making seemingly insignificant things top priority when it comes to methods of procrastination. Actually though I have been wanting to attack my face for weeks now. Well, maybe not "attack" per se. I have developed some ingrown hairs in my cheek areas. They do not really hurt but the hair is "trained" to not grow out, but into the skin. The hair is slightly visible but for the most part it just looks like bumps. So by doing a little pick and raise technique with a needle I'm able to grab hold of the hairs and pluck them out with a pair of tweezers. Hopefully that will work to clear up the little bumps and impressions made by the vigilante hairs. If not, I'll look into heading to a dermatologist or someone to ask them to either do the same method and get me something to help "train" the hair not to retreat back into my skin, or just use some other procedure. Again it does not hurt, it just does not give my face the appearance I desire. Ha! Yes, that is a nice construction to put on it I think.
I went to see "Batman Begins" yesterday morning and stayed at the theater to watch "Mr. & Mrs. Smith". Batman was great. "Mr. & Mrs. Smith", not so much. I just had to see the movie which closely paralleled the movie idea ADAM and I had years ago when we used to reserve Sunday afternoons for our screenplay day back in high school. It wasn't as good as I imagined, or as good as our movie would have been. It basically boiled down to a couple going through a rough marriage, ... well, with high powered guns and explosives. But there was no cool JAMES bond stuffage in it or cool spy plots. It peaked quickly and then went downhill quickly. Maybe a three (03) out of five (05) stars. Good popcorn movie, and if you are a Pitt or Jolie fan (and I'm a fan of both) you will enjoy just seeing them work. But if you have to choose either Batman or Mr. & Mrs., go with Batman, especially if you are a fan of the original Batman movies. CHRISTIAN bale proved to be the perfect Batman. I mean if he was around to do it rather than Keaton back in 1989, he would have fit the part perfectly.
So JASON, CARLOS, and I talked about possibly heading to Six Flags over the Fourth of July holiday. We all agreed that growing out of theme parks is impossible and that it would be a blast to take a mini vacation to a theme park to just chill out in and have a good time. None of us have been to a theme park in a long, long while. So that may happen if we are all just hanging around here. Yes, it is scary but TED may just head out to have some fun. I know, it's definitely a new thing for me. Ha!
Well, I'm off to my fake room (If you don't know what I mean by that, ... well, then, you just don't know!) to crawl into bed for an hour and twenty (20) minute nap. Ha! Sleep for the night (morning) will consist of an hour. I doubt I'll even be able to dream in that amount of time. But hey, the little essay is complete. I just have to remember to bring it to formation in an hour and twenty (20) minutes.
Night, ... er, morning!
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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MONDAY 20TH JUNE 2005
12:26-AM-(UTC/GMT -6 Hours)
Listening - "THIS IS A CALL"-Thousand Foot Krutch Phenomenon
"Unless the LORD had given me help, I'd soon have dwelt in the silence of death. When I said, 'My foot is slipping,' your love, O LORD, supported me. When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul."
-- Psalm 94 : 17 - 19
One (01) of these days I'm going to finally kick this procrastination habit. So I still have not finished the little essay on NCO duties and responsibilities which SSG Blanco assigned to me Friday. But it will get done. It is just one (01) of the many things which I do not have an option when it comes to doing.
I will finish the page or so essay, I'll be at physical training (PT) formation at 5:20, I'll show up for class at the appointed time, and I'll most likely have the platoon handed over to me this afternoon. JASON has to do an in ranks inspection tomorrow morning as part of his leadership position evaluation. So after tomorrow morning he should be able to receive his evaluation. And I'm just suspecting that I'm next in line to be platoon sergeant. Goodie, it will be just in time for the new Soldiers to come for Phase II of the course. That will be a hoot having to get everything down with new faces to deal with. BLAH!
Well, I'm stalling. I need to knock this little, three hundred (300) word essay out and get my butt into bed for at least a couple of hours. "Tomorrow" is already here.
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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SUNDAY 19TH JUNE 2005
6:44-PM-(UTC/GMT -6 Hours)
Listening - "I WISH THE SAME FOR YOU"-NICHOLE nordeman Wide Eyed
"For Your name's sake, O LORD, preserve my life; in Your righteousness, bring me out of trouble."
-- Psalm 143 : 11
"I Wish The Same For You"
NICHOLE nordeman
If I tried to tell you
If I tried to find a way
To explain this freedom
Of living underneath this grace
Would it be absurd?
Can a heart be heard?
To think you might see
A difference in me
And I wish the same for you
Something to hold on to
And I wish the same for you
A chance for love
We are not so different
Sons and daughters, you and I
Facing walls of questions
Fearing answers on the other side of eternity
And what the day will bring
But I finally found
The safe and the sound
And I wish the same for you
Something to hold on to
And I wish the same for you
A chance for love
To dance in the daylight
And not see my shadow
To run where I cannot hide
In the open wide
And I wish the same for you
Something to hold on to
And I wish the same for you
A chance for love
A chance for love
A chance for love
A chance for love
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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SATURDAY 18TH JUNE 2005
8:53-PM-(UTC/GMT -6 Hours)
"Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it."
-- Proverbs 22 : 06
CARLOS did it. He passed the retest. So we are still a class of five (05): CARLOS. GALE, DERRICK, JASON, and myself. And we are a class of five (05) about to head into Phase II of the course next week. Monday we will get hot and heavy on graphics and overlays and take that test on Tuesday or Wednesday. After it is finished we will have put down Phase I of the Basic Noncommissioned Officer Course and welcome the new NCOs who will join the course for Phase II.
I don't know what happened to most of the day. All of a sudden it is the evening. But all is well. I have shined my boots and ironing my uniform for Monday so I can kind of relax tomorrow. All I have to do tomorrow is finish my essay for SSG Blanco and a couple more for my Eastern Religions class. So I'm about prepared to take on yet another week of BNCOC. It should go by rather quickly as new Soldiers will arrive and new things will get underway.
And I'll just keep plugging away getting things done. I'm so glad that I received my course date while still here at Redstone. It would have been a major pain to get back to Fort Drum, New York and have to head right back here for BNCOC. And then if that didn't happen, to fly back from Korea to do the two (02) month course and fly right back again. That fifteen (15) hour flight is not something I get excited about doing more than just a couple times.
I bought Hotel Rwanda today so I'm going to check that out now and probably get to bed before too long.
Night.
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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SATURDAY 18TH JUNE 2005
8:11-AM-(UTC/GMT -6 Hours)
"'Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away.'"
-- MATTHEW 24 : 35
Well, another Saturday which means another week of the Basic Noncommissioned Officer Course (BNCOC) over and done with. So far so, very, good. We will be pressing on to Phase II this coming week and welcoming about ten (10) more Soldiers into the class. As of yesterday evening SSG Parrett and SSG Johnson, two (02) of my fellow calibrators, were scheduled to join us for Phase II. So I'll know two (02) other Soldiers in the class. All in all July should be very, very interesting with everything Phase II entails: hand to hand combative, sleep deprivation, urban assault tactics, ... I'm looking forward to it all though, it is all more knowledge and more training. BNCOC is turning out to be just what I needed to make a proper transition from working in an office here with the Command Sergeant Major to getting back out to work alongside Soldiers within my actual Military Occupational Specialty (MOS).
I am learning so much from the four (04) other NCOs in the class and from SSG Blanco, our small group leader (SGL). And I'm just having a fantastic time absorbing the knowledge I'll need, getting regular physical training (PT) in, and just experiencing the give and take with these NCOs.
So I have a report date for Korea. My report date is 12 October 2005. So yes, it looks like everything worked out just great. And my reservation is not just for Korea, but for Camp Humphreys and the team code of the team I was on as a Private back in 2001. I have not received any of my bonus money just yet and my rank has not been updated on my Enlisted Record Brief (ERB), which is basically a run down of who I am, where I have been, what awards I have received, my military and civilian education credits, etc. And yes, it is all on one (01) sheet of paper. Sometimes it is a bit freaky when "you" can be broken down and then restructured to fit on a single sheet of paper. Ha!
So right now I'm still needing to get a hold of MSG Carlile to ask about my bonus money and rank being updated. My Expiration of Term of Service (ETS) date was changed too (of course) to reflect my reenlistment. The Army wasn't going to drag their feet with making sure my staying in would be in black and white. So 01 June 2009 it is. Oh an I have a return assignment from Korea reserved too: Fort Campbell, Kentucky. I do not want it so I'll work on getting that changed to either Fort Hood in Texas, Fort Carson in Colorado, or Fort Riley in Kansas. But as I'll be in Korea for two (02) years, the assignment may change on it's own after Soldiers move here and there in that time and such and slots open up in places and are filled in places.
So right now the only things I'm getting feedback on are my duty station (Camp Humphreys, to report 12 October) and my ETS date of 01 June 2009. So far so good but naturally I'd like to see my rank updated since I wear Staff Sergeant rank and have it on my ID Card. And well, the bonus money would be nice too because well yeah, it's money.
Today: Well papers to write. Yes, a couple more. I'm sure I'm scaring more people away from Eastern Religions via online. But it is not as many papers as I have made it seem, I just get a lot going on and have to push them back and forth as far as priorities go. Luckily I can sit down and crank a solid paper out rather quickly and without extreme effort. Thank GOD that writing comes just a little easier to me.
Speaking of writing, SSG Blanco had to issue me some corrective training because of my being late for formation Thursday. His plan of action is to have me write a little essay (three hundred (300) words) on something. I have not brought my bag up to my room from the car. I imagine it has to do with being on time and time management. We laughed about it because he realizes that writing and English aren't exactly my weaknesses. In fact I need to go ahead and get that right after I finish this post so when Monday rolls around I'll have it and not have to feel extremely bad about having dismissed it as no big deal.
CARLOS should be at the school house taking his retest by now. He really needs to pass. I'd feel horrible if we lost someone right before transition to Phase II. And besides he would have to go all the way back to Germany and probably wait a long while before a shot at BNCOC would come his way again, not to mention have to start all over with Phase I again. So no, that would not be good. Failing this retest is not really an option. I think he got the hang of referencing and the structure his notes should be in a little better though because of last night.
I will be over there around noon to congratulate him.
Well, I trust you are having a good day or night. Until next time.
Later.
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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FRIDAY 17TH JUNE 2005
10:41-PM-(UTC/GMT -6 Hours)
"For GOD didn't give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline."
-- 02 TIMOTHY 01 : 07
Well, I missed two (02) on the first written exam of the Basic Noncommissioned Officer Course. I should not have missed the two (02). I was sloppy. And one (01) of the questions I remember but I do not really remember getting back to in order to really think about it. I suppose I'm feeling good that I at least did put an answer down. I'd have felt even worse had I left it blank. Anyway, a couple answers short of perfect. Maybe next time. CARLOS failed so JASON and I stayed with him (along with SSG Blanco) for some mandatory retraining. We didn't have to stay with him but choose too in order to share some tips since we had the highest grades on the test. We ended up staying a very, very long time. In fact it may have been around 8:30 when we were finished. So yes, I have had a very, very long day indeed.
So tomorrow is CARLOS' big day. He has to pass this retest or he will be dismissed. I'm a tad bit concerned because I know he was tired all day long and has had banking problems too. So he has a lot on his mind in addition to feeling as though he let his course mates and himself down. I hope he can get past that and realize that we are all in this together.
Yup, he will do just fine tomorrow. Well, I'm exhausted, so I'm going to call it a day or night or something. ... Callin' it a Friday.
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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THURSDAY 16TH JUNE 2005
10:12-PM-(UTC/GMT -6 Hours)
"The LORD GOD formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being."
-- Genesis 02 : 07
A year ago today:
WEDNESDAY 16TH JUNE 2004
11:45-PM-(UTC/GMT -5 Hours)
Well, before I laid down to take a little nappie nap I sent an email to my 1SG at Redstone Arsenal giving him the nod to put me on a list which just may get me out of Fort Drum. But I guarantee it is not any kind of list you can fathom at the moment, and I'm positive that it is not the list you are thinking of. Let me just blow the obvious thought out of your mind: It is not any kind of list having to do with Korea.
Okay, I suppose I should begin at the beginning. Our 1SG and Commander came up here to meet and greet the calibrations shop here at Fort Drum. They only stayed for about a day and a half. They sat down and talked to the lower enlisted (Specialist and below) separately, as well at the NCOs separately; they checked out the shop, the living conditions in the barracks, and all in all asked opinions on operations within the company to try and get a feel of how their Soldiers were doing out in the field. It turned out that 1SG Johnson remembered me from my days at Redstone Arsenal. And the more I looked at him and listened to him, the more I realized I had run into him in training. He headed up the basic electronics section at the school house. And he remembered me, saying that he rarely forgot a face. I liked him and the things he had to say about getting education in and not letting opportunities pass you by. He spoke about a lot of the things I had been "speaking" to myself about for the past couple of months. So I whole-heartedly listened to what he had to say because the fact it was so closely aligned to what I was dealing with in my mind.
Anyway, to getting back to the list: SHAMAL and I were going to lunch yesterday (I think it was yesterday, although it could have been a day before. My days are kind of squished together in my mind at the moment.) Chief took me aside and began a sentence with the words,
"I know you had your mind set on going to Korea," ... I immediately braced for news such as, "but you will be here at Fort Drum forever and there is nothing at all you are able to do about it."
But he wasn't sentencing me to a mandatory stay here at Fort Drum at all. In fact he wasn't even taking away my option to keep pushing for Korea when the time was right. He asked me if I'd like to be a driver for a Major General. I of course looked at him as if he had two (02) heads and was speaking Chinese. I think he quickly realized that he had slipped into an alien body and began speaking a foreign language. He told me to think about the possibility of heading to Redstone Arsenal, Alabama and being the driver for this officer. So I began to think about it. I talked to SHAMAL about it and I talked to PINKY. SHAMAL said he would like to because he would want to stay "doing" so to speak; PINKY said I should do it as a change. And I agreed with them both. I agreed with SHAMAL because I know he enjoys this electronics stuff. I do not though. I do not have my heart in it. And I agreed with PINKY for the same reason I did with SHAMAL. I do not have my heart in this so maybe an exodus from this MOS so to speak may do me some good. But I still didn't have much information about what the assignment may entail.
So later in the day I sat down with 1SG Johnson and he explained to me that he would submit my name on a list with others he had in mind to fill this slot as the driver for Major General Pillsbury, the Army Material Command Commander. He said that I'd be attached there at Redstone and just drive him where he needed to go, for the most part there on the installation. He said it may also involve going TDY (Temporary Duty) with him and driving for him wherever he goes. I'd not be calibrating any longer. And he said essentially there would be days where I'd not be needed at all. I'd be pretty much on my own. So I'm thinking I'd get what the Army calls BAH, or Basic allowance for Housing, and be able to find a place off of the installation to stay. I can not remember much on post housing there at Redstone Arsenal because it is a TRADOC (Training and Doctrine Command) Installation. This refers to refers to installations which have schools for Basic Training or Advanced Individual Training Soldiers. In this case it is a post with AIT Soldiers on it. While TRADOC encompasses things like PLDC (Primary Leadership and Development Course), drill sergeant's school, sergeant major's academy, etc. For the most part it is understood that when a post is referred to as TRADOC it is because these "new" Soldiers are on it being trained.
Anyway, enough Army 101. I thought about it and weighed the options and finally figured I'd put my name in the hat so to speak. I could not determine there to be enough cons to warrant not putting myself out there to try this out. And Chief had enough belief in me to have the First Sergeant consider me. And that is really cool.
all this while I as saying how when I got out of the Army I'd not want to calibrate. I mean I'd not mind if I could get a nice job in a good area, but it would not be my first recourse. This would give me an opportunity to step aside and work alongside Soldiers who are not just out of the school house and who know what it means to work. NCOs and officers would be all around me and not whining young Soldiers. I'm a young Soldier myself but my work ethic and mentality are far more mature than the majority of the guys I work with here. Or well, that I work around while they smoke and do everything they can not to work. A few do know how to work though and have promise.
So, there is the possibility I could be plucked from Fort Drum and set down at Redstone Arsenal in Alabama to drive around a two (02) star General for a year or two (02). Go figure huh? Ha.
Oh but there is more news. I'm also preparing to apply for admissions to Calhoun State Community College in Alabama. No, I'm not on some odd Alabama kick. These two (02) things have no bearing on one (01) another. It turns out this particular College has an understanding with the school there at Redstone. They will use the training acquired at the Missile and Munitions School towards credits which would meet two (02) Associate of Applied Science Degrees. Personally, I'd only be lacking three (03) or four (04) classes which I'd be able to take at any other accredited college or university. But I do have to apply and take at least one (01) course at Calhoun. So I'm applying with the intention of taking the needed course through distance learning. I'm also sending in a transcript from Thomas Edison State College with my credits I have earned via the eArmyU program, some of which can be applied to the degree program as well. So yes, TED will soon be schooling at two (02) separate colleges and pursuing three (03) degrees: Two (02) Associates with Calhoun and one (01) Bachelors with Thomas Edison. Needless to say TED needs to change gears and hit the ground running. The Army will provide tuition assistance for the Calhoun class and it looks like I can get the rest of the credits from Thomas Edison.
So my plate is being filled up nicely with promise and possibility. I think these two (02) things are enough to spice things up a bit. Indeed.
My teeth (or fact that my teeth are not present in my mouth any longer) are still kind of bothering me. Doctor Palalay and his very kind assistant (whose name I still don't know) put another little medicated strip in the right side of my jaw where the wisdom tooth was removed. There is a bit of discomfort still on the left side but I'm trying to just let it heal. He said that by putting these strips in to curb the pain, that the healing process was being slowed considerably. So tomorrow (when I get things checked out again) I'll ask him if maybe I should try to put up with a bit of discomfort. I mean maybe that is just the process of healing. Of course I'll still take medication to curb any throbbing but maybe I should leave things be for a couple of weeks.
The girl that works with him mentioned the fact I do not talk too much. I told her that I was a thinker and she seemed to understand. That bugs me about me sometimes. I come across as so serious and quite sometimes. But I really am "paying attention". I think I may be paying to much attention to the point where I kind of observe without too much reaction. But I do really appreciate doctor Palalay and his assistant. They are extremely kind and understanding and patient with me. I do not have a problem going back with, well problems because I know they are doing what they can.
Speaking of kind, I set out to walk from the dental clinic today in the direction of the shop. All my co-workers were at some sort of safety fair at one (01) of the gyms on post so there was no one (01) at the shop to answer the phone and well, SHAMAL wasn't around his cell phone. Anyway, as I was walking I was stopped by a girl in an SUV. She offered me a ride. So I hopped in and asked her if she would mind going to the gym. She said not at all. So we began talking and she said she was an MP and was just getting back from the desert.
"So, do you like Fort Drum?"
"No!"
Already we had something in common. Ha. We arrived at the gym and I thanked her because, of course, she didn't have to stop and it would have been quite a trek to the gym. I looked over and saw that her name was Baker so I thanked her by name and said that maybe I'd see her around. Fast forward to after work here in the room when I was searching the Army's white pages for people I have met whose names I could remember. I decided to use what I knew about this girl to attempt to find her email address. I knew she was assigned here to Fort Drum, her rank, that she was an MP, and her last name. So I plugged in her last name and "MP" and came up with quite a few names. But because I'm intelligent and the database lists work phone numbers I was able to further narrow things down by searching for a "315" area code. I found one (01). And it seemed to fit her perfectly. So, I emailed her to again thank her.
I do not really expect a response but it would be neat to get one (01) and maybe meet another person. You will notice I didn't word that as "meet someone" so no one (01) gets any ideas that I just asked someone out on a date and gets all weird about me hitting on strangers who give me rides. That is not the case, I simply thanked her once again. I'd appreciate being "found" and thanked again. And I really was grateful too. Since I do not have a vehicle I have walked many, many times and been passed by vehicles. I can probably count the times a car has stopped to offer a ride on one (01) hand. Not that there is anything "wrong" with that I suppose. I mean they are probably saying to themselves as they pass, "Hey this guy should get a car." But we are on a military installation, I'll not exactly rob you. I mean my name is on my chest for goodness sake. Ha! But anyway, I was very pleased by the very kind gesture.
Well, my nap is wearing off a bit. I should get some shut eye. We have a busy day of working while the majority of the installation is participating in a event called River Day. A food and fun thing I imagine. I do not mind working as it needs to be done but of course the Soldiers are complaining because they think they are being cheated. They always think they are owed something and I suppose forget that they are in the United States Army. But I'll not go off on a tangent about that. Ha.
I will go off to bed though. Well, in about an hour or so. Ha.
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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TUESDAY 14TH JUNE 2005
10:51-PM-(UTC/GMT -6 Hours)
Listening - "TELL THE WORLD"-Hillsong United Look To You
"The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.' His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I'll put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'"
-- MATTHEW 25 : 20 & 21
Before I spoke to CHRIS on the phone for about an hour, I spoke with STEPHANIE for a bit. Before those two (02) phone calls I was asleep. I had come directly to my room, taken a shower, and crawled into bed. I was useless all afternoon in class. I didn't even really "feel" tired per se, but sure enough every once in a while I'd simply open my eyes, completely unaware that they had fallen shut.
But I made it through the day and here I'm on the other side of yet another BNCOC day. Tomorrow is Wednesday. This week is almost half way put down. That is good stuffage, I need another couple of days off. And once this weekend rolls around we will be on our way to Phase II and will welcome some new Soldiers into the class. It seemed like SSG Blanco named off the names of about fifteen (15) people to join the class. It looks like we are going to have a nice little number for our morning formations now. I only know of two (02) of the new guys. Well, three (03) actually since I have just heard of the third 35H to join the course when 22 June rolls around. I met SSG Johnson in Korea and I went to AIT with SSG Parrett and worked with him a little bit when I first arrived at Fort Drum. So it will be cool to see them both again.
Physical training (PT) this morning was fantastic. I was the PT instructor and was being evaluated this morning. I was tasked to do a session of partner assisted exercises. I reserved the aerobics room at Pagano gym and held a great session. SSG Blanco said it was one (01) of the best partner assisted PT sessions he had gone through. And it was good too. Everyone was feeling the work out and was motivated. I didn't even want to stop when 6:30 rolled around and I'd not have if SSG Blanco had not reminded me that at some point in the morning we would have to stop and head to class. Ha! It was what I needed to start the day. Unfortunately I ran out of steam just before lunch. Ha!
Yesterday I was evaluated on administering a military briefing. I did very well on that as well. SSG Blanco and my classmates were very impressed. I was enthusiastic and I even informed them on something about the Montgomery GI Bill and Army College Fund that they didn't know. So this morning I was more than pleased when SSG Blanco really had nothing but great things to say about my PT evaluation. Tomorrow I'll be evaluated on giving a two (02) hour block of instruction on troop leading procedures as well as on drill & ceremony (marching Soldiers, in this case my classmates) and then the only thing left will be the examination. After that, I'm as good as in phase II of BNCOC.
That is pretty much what is going on in a nutshell though: my day begins around 5:00 (of course I'm still waking up at 4:15 thinking the 5:30 PT formation is really 4:30) when I head out for PT formation and does not end until approximately 5:30 to 6:25 in the afternoon. Well, "evening" really. But life is good and I'm getting this mandatory requirement out of the way. Heading to BNCOC now was the best thing for me. If it were my option I'd have done it now. This way I'll get back into shape as well as be refreshed and learn some troop leading procedures and fill in some knowledge gaps I have regarding heading back to the "regular Army" (and by that I mean not living the cushy life working for a Command Sergeant Major) as a Staff Sergeant. Do not get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoy being here and working directly under CSM Lunn, it is truly a rewarding and special experience for me. But I'm still a young Soldier (not to mention just young) so it is time to move on. But my time here will never be lost to time and never far from my heart and mind. It has truly been the best experience I have had in the Army and is right up there with my time in Korea bonding with my co workers (MARCO, SHAMAL, ARNELL, JESUS, ARTURO, ROBERT) there.
So the Honda dealership charged me for repairs twice. The first time the charge showed up under some medical companies name. I called because I though the charge may have been made in the three (03) hour window between my visiting the ATM machine and realizing I had left my debit card in the machine on Friday. So I called and was told that it was put through the wrong company or something or another. I don't know. Basically, he brought to my attention that the amount matched what Honda charged me exactly and mentioned that according to him it showed up as being a payment to Honda. So no big deal, but yesterday I discovered the same amount was taken out of my account. I phoned Bank of America and the representative said she would do the paperwork and file an inquiry. Today I was phoned by someone from Honda but was in class. I phoned her back and left a message. I'm hoping that when I call tomorrow she will apologize for the mistake and assure me that she has set things right with Bank of America and my credit will show up in a day or so. In fact that is the only answer that I can imagine. So yes, that needs to be happening tomorrow morning.
I am trying to eat healthier and lighter. I'm currently hooked on wheat wraps from Robin Hood (a sub sandwich place on post) stuffed with a slice of Swiss cheese, green bell pepper, purple onions, lettuce, jalapenos, and ranch dressing. Good stuffage.
I was explaining to CHRIS this evening that I'm known by most people I meet as a big eater and that my classmates are already making comments like,
"SSG Mueller waste food? That is unheard of."
So I like to eat and get excited about food. So! Ha! Yeah I polished off a delicious slice of cheesecake topped with vanilla bean ice cream at Chili's last night. It was great, and my classmates were quite amused watching me enjoy it. Yeah, and after I ate my dessert, my meal arrived. I let our waitress know that I wanted a chicken caesar wrap and a slice of cheesecake, the cheesecake to be brought to me as soon as possible. Yes, food is yummy. I suppose the day I reach one hundred sixty (160) pounds I'll begin to think about slowing down a bit; but as I have never weight one hundred fifty (150) pounds and have not developed a significant amount of flab in the six (06) plus months I have been here without seriously doing morning PT, I doubt I'll slow down anytime soon. I just pray I'll never be afflicted by any illness or condition which will limit what I eat.
Well, it is time to head to bed again. I'm currently loving my copy of Hillsong UniTED's newest album. I'm anxious to get more of their stuffage. It is just good worship music. I hope that I'll be able to catch them live sometime while I'm over in Korea. They are doing their tour of the area (Malaysia, Korea, Japan, Philippines, etc) now, so hopefully they will tour the East again. Or if not I'd just make it down to Australia. Ha! Yeah, I'm going to be looking for travel opportunities as soon as I hit the ground there. Hopefully I can work out spending Christmas in either Japan or the Philippines with friends this year.
Well, now I'm really off to get some additional shut eye. I need to be well rested tomorrow.
"KRISTINE ...
... It is great to know that your website will be up and running for at least another year. No need to thank me. We are friends are we not? And what are friends for? Exactly. I hope all is well and remains well. I know that you are going through a change. But you can do it and make it through. I believe in you and I know that you believe in you too. Hang in and hold on and continue to be a sweetheart. I know you think you are super tough and hard, but I know you are a sweet, sentimental, softie at heart, and I adore ya'."
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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TUESDAY 14TH JUNE 2005
6:51-AM-(UTC/GMT -6 Hours)
"Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on His law he meditates day and night."
-- Psalm 01 : 01 & 02
Poetry by HOWARD schnauber:
"I Am The Flag"
I am the flag of the United States of America.
My name is Old Glory.
I fly atop the world's tallest buildings.
I stand watch in America's halls of justice.
I fly majestically over institutions of learning.
I stand guard with power in the world.
Look up ... and see me.
I stand for peace, honor, truth and justice.
I stand for freedom.
I am confident.
I am arrogant.
I am proud.
When I'm flown with my fellow banners,
My head is a little higher,
My colors a little truer.
I bow to no one!
I am recognized all over the world.
I am worshipped -- I'm saluted.
I am loved -- I'm revered.
I am respected -- and I'm feared.
I have been soiled upon, burned, torn
And trampled on the streets of my country.
And when it's by those whom I've served in battle -- it hurts.
But I shall overcome -- for I'm strong.
I have slipped the bonds of Earth
And stood watch over the uncharted frontiers of space
From my vantage point on the moon.
I have borne silent witness
To all of America's finest hours.
But my finest hours are yet to come.
When I'm torn into strips and used as bandages
For my wounded comrades on the battlefield,
When I'm flown at half-mast to honor my Soldier
,
Or when I lie in the trembling arms of a grieving parent
At the grave of their fallen son or daughter,
I am proud.
My name is 'Old Glory'!
Long may I wave
O'er the land of the free
And the home of the brave.
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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MONDAY 13TH JUNE 2005
12:07-AM-(UTC/GMT -6 Hours)
Listening - "NEVER ALONE"-CRYSTAL lewis See
"'Let all the world look to Me for salvation, ... for I am GOD, ... there is no other!'"
-- ISIAIH 45 : 22
I'm just about finished with my military briefing PowerPoint presentation. Yes, do not even say it, I know, I should have begun this yesterday, if not the afternoon of the day it was assigned. But I'm finished and I think it is fairly good so I do not suspect I'll have difficulties tomorrow during the evaluation.
I wonder how the others guys' briefings turned out. I had a chance to look at GALE's. He is going to brief us on the different components and units of Special Forces. It should be interesting. I don't know what the other guys selected as their topics. I was going to do mine on the integration of all 35Hs (my MOS) into their respective units of attachment throughout the world and the going away of the 95th Maintenance Company. But I could not really find much concrete information on it.
I think I have enough on m slides and enough in my brain about the Montgomery GI Bill and Army College Fund to do a six (06) to eight (08) minute briefing. I mean, I hope I do. I'm sure I can come up with filler if need be. I'm already going to brief the class on my adding to my MGIB. That is a good way to burn at least thirty (30) seconds or so. I just can not wait to put that evaluation down. I'll feel so good after it is finished. In fact, I may even volunteer to be first in the shoot. Later on in the day I'll be giving a two (02) hour block of instruction to the class on financial management. It should be easy enough. This is a practice run. I'll not be evaluated until my next class. I'm not too sure what it will be. And Tuesday morning is my PT evaluation, risk assessment evaluation, and After Action Review (AAR) evaluation.
So by the end of the day Tuesday I'll have my military briefing evaluation completed, my physical training (PT) session evaluation completed, my risk assessment evaluation completed, and my After Action Review (AAR) evaluation completed. And I suspect I'll have my drill and ceremony evaluation completed as well. I have a feeling SSG Blanco will ask us to do that tomorrow afternoon.
Well, back to work and then to work on putting a nice shine on my boots. I'll probably be in bed by just after 1:30. I know, I'm not going to get much sleep considering I have to be up at 4:30 in the morning, about four (04) hours from now. I'll survive though, ... I always do!
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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SUNDAY 12TH JUNE 2005
9:26-AM-(UTC/GMT -6 Hours)
"This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'Give careful thought to your ways.'"
-- HAGGAI 01 : 07
I just finished a two (02) hour physical training (PT) session and a nice warm shower. I did some pushups and sit-ups in my room and headed out in the mist to the track to run a couple of miles. So yes, I'm beat. I meant to wake up earlier but it didn't happen. Well it did, I awoke around 5:30 but went back to sleep and didn't get up until around 6:30. But the bottom line is I was able to get out of bed and get down to business. I'm feeling good but also very hungry.
I am going to look over the requirements for tomorrow's military briefing evaluation before heading over to the BNCOC barracks around 12:00 to see if the guys want to head somewhere for a little lunch. We will get a chance to practice the Creed of the Noncommissioned Officer as a group then too. After lunch I'll return here to knock out my military briefing. I'm still not sure about a topic though. But something will come because there is no way I'm waking up tomorrow morning without the assignment finished and ready to be evaluated. Being unprepared for each BNCOC day just is not an option.
So okay, it is time to get down and dirty with this evaluation, outline my briefing, create a PowerPoint presentation, and practice three (03) or four (04) times so it will fall within the time constraints.
Later.
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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SUNDAY 12TH JUNE 2005
1:26-AM-(UTC/GMT -6 Hours)
Listening - "ALL I NEED IS YOU"-Hillsong United Look To You
"I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing."
-- 01 TIMOTHY 02 : 08
"All I Need Is You"
Hillsong United
Left my fear by the side of the road
Hear You speak
Won't let go
Fall to my knees as I lift my hands to pray
Got every reason to be here again
Father's love that draws me in
And all my eyes wanna see is a glimpse of You
All I need is You
All I need is You, LORD
Is you LORD
All I need is You
All I need is You, LORD
Is you LORD
All I need is You
One more day and it's not the same
Your spirit calls my heart to sing
Drawn to the voice of my Savior once again
Where would my soul be without Your Son
Gave His life to save the earth
Rest in the thought that You're watching over me
All I need is You
All I need is You, LORD
Is You LORD
All I need is You
All I need is You, LORD
Is You LORD
All I need is You
You hold the universe
You hold everyone on earth
You hold the universe
You hold
You hold
All I need is You
All I need is You, LORD
Is you LORD
All I need is You
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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SUNDAY 12TH JUNE 2005
12:51-AM-(UTC/GMT -6 Hours)
"Then the LORD said to Moses, 'Stretch out your hand toward the sky so that darkness will spread over Egypt--darkness that can be felt.' So Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky, and total darkness covered all Egypt for three days."
-- Exodus 10 : 21 & 22
Sleep soon.
Today will be a busy day indeed and the fact that the five (05) day week will be busy is just a given for the next month and a half. I'll not know what to do with myself once BNCOC ends 09 August. Ha! Not really though, I'll be getting hot on preparing to leave Redstone Arsenal. I still have not heard back from MSG Carlile (my reenlistment counselor) about departure dates for Korea. So I'm not sure if I'll need to report 10 September, 20 September, or 10 October. I'm shooting for 10 October if report dates have been moved to the 10th of each month. I'll link up with him this week though, even if I have to drop by his office during a lunch break.
I will head out to run in about six (06) or seven (07) hours. I need to get acclimated to running in this weather (humidity) and get my legs and cardiovascular system back up to par. I love regular PT each morning but to get back to where I was a month before I left Fort Drum will require extra training on my own.
I have to finish up my military briefing assignment for tomorrow, continue tweaking my PT session for Monday, get the Noncommissioned Officer creed down, and read over the notes and material for the financial planning class I'm going to give tomorrow. And I imagine we will have our drill and ceremony evaluation tomorrow too so I'm going to get the class together this evening and get some practice in sometime in the afternoon.
And with all that on my plate for the day I'm going to hit the rack for a few hours and get some good quality shut-eye.
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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SATURDAY 11TH JUNE 2005
11:35-PM-(UTC/GMT -6 Hours)
"As a prisoner for the LORD, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace."
-- Ephesians 04 : 01
Well, I finished some more essays for my Eastern Religions course. I thought I was a bit further along with it than I actually. Some of the assignments required responding to two (02) questions instead of just one (01). So I have a couple more to go before I can consider the course put down for good. In related news my withdrawal for military reasons was granted for my Mathematics Concepts course. I had the withdrawal application filled out and signed by the proper authorities just before I started BNCOC because I knew BNCOC would seriously get in the way of that demanding course and vice versa. So I'm free and clear of that course.
It does not even show up on my report as a dropped course or anything. It is as if I never registered for the course in the first place. And the best part about this whole thing is that I do not have to pay for the course since the military scheduled BNCOC for me, which is mandatory. So that worked out just fine. I love the fact that this program (eArmyU) is all about getting the education to the Soldiers and that the colleges and universities participating are fully aware of the fact their students are Soldiers and therefore never truly know what they will be having to do day in or day out nor where they may be doing it from day to day. So it is nice to get a day or two (02) or three (03) extra to finish a paper. And it is great to be able to drop a course and not have to pay since I'd have no way of getting out of BNCOC just for a college course. I'm definitely a Soldier before I'm a student. I can handle writing a few pages for Eastern Religions but there is no way I could have learned mathematical concepts and hassled with making graphs and drawings electronically, to turn in. This was a tough, tough week indeed.
So one (01) week down and about seven (07) to go. So far, so good.
While I was "surfing the net" looking for nothing particular really I came upon one (01) of those survey sites. Actually I came upon it via a friend's blog. Anyway, I plugged in my birth date and what I was given was pretty much dead on me. Hopefully it means I have a future as a successful actor/writer. Here is me (kinda):
Your birthday on the 30th day of the month shows individual self-expression is necessary for your happiness. You tend to have a good way of expressing yourself with words, certainly in a manner that is clear and understandable. You have a good chance of success in fields requiring skill with words.
You can be very dramatic in your presentation and you may be a good actor or a natural mimic. You have a vivid imagination that can assist you in becoming a good writer or story-teller. Strong in your opinions, you always tend to think you are on the right side of an issue. There may be a tendency to scatter your energies and have a lot of loose ends in your work. You may have significant artistic talent and be very creative.
An idealist and humanitarian, you strive to make the world a better place. You do your best when you follow your feelings and sense of compassion. Deep down, you dream of being loved by many. You are capable of much human understanding and have a lot to give to others. While you are very ambitious, you never lose site of perspective. You have an abundance of creative talents... you just need to tap into them. Although you are a giving person, you can become selfish if you are ignored. If you are not able to help people, you tend to shelf your talents.
It is pretty accurate. It is odd how that happens sometimes. Go figure eh?
"KRISTINE ...
... I'm so sorry things didn't work out between you and your boyfriend. But hey, you will survive right? You do not have to be with someone to enjoy life. And besides you are still young and have a lot more living and growing to do as a person in the singular sense. Go within yourself and learn about you. Being single is not a curse or a sentence. You will survive and someday someone will come along who realizes just how great you are and just how special you are. ... and maybe, just maybe it will last even longer, forever perhaps.
Keep your chin up and your head held high KRISTINE, you are still as amazing as ever. Do not let the loss of one (01) person cause you to loss the most important person, ... you. You know where and how to find me if you need to talk or just need me to listen. Later."
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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SATURDAY 11TH JUNE 2005
5:47-AM-(UTC/GMT -6 Hours)
"If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone."
-- Romans 12 : 18
I had no doubt that I'd wake up at this hour. I'm sleeping in my "real" room as opposed to the room I have to keep inspection ready for BNCOC. I slept in here without pillows since I took them to my fake room. But I was super tired so falling asleep wasn't a difficult task at all.
Yes, waking up each morning at 4:45 has altered my body's clock. I'd be late for physical training (PT) if today was a weekday. And nothing good can come from being late, especially in this course. We are all NCOs and expected to not make the kind of mistakes we were expected to make back in Basic Combat Training or Advanced Individual Training. No, being late for formation is not really an option. Ha! There are not many multiple choice items on "tests" these days.
Things are good. This weekend I'll work on a bunch of things I have to do for my last eArmyU course and for BNCOC which will kick off again early Monday morning. Week two (02) should be busier than week one (01) but relatively easy. I mean I know what to expect now. Monday I'll be evaluated on giving a military briefing and I'll give a two (02) hour class. Also, I'm pretty sure SSG Blanco will have us do our drill and ceremony for evaluation too since all of us would have received "GOs" Friday afternoon had we not said we would like to practice. Tuesday I'll be evaluated at administering a PT session. I did it inPLDC so I'm not really too concerned or nervous about it. In fact I'm looking forward to it. I'm not really jazzed about getting stuck with partner assisted PT. But I can work with it. I have to remember to reserve the aerobics room at the gym either tomorrow or Monday. That is the perfect space for our class of five (05) plus SSG Blanco.
Well, I'm heading back to sleep and waking up around 8:00 or 9:00 since I do not have to be anywhere in any particular uniform this morning. Good stuffage! Good morning and good night.
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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FRIDAY 10TH JUNE 2005
2:35-AM-(UTC/GMT -6 Hours)
"'Do not be afraid,' Samuel replied. 'You have done all this evil; yet do not turn away from the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart.'"
-- 01 SAMUEL 12 : 20
"RATHROMONY, ...
"... Happy, happy birthday! I know I do not leave messages much anymore but I still visit your site a few times daily. It seems that you are quite the busy gal too, considering you have changed your format in the past couple of months to recap a week or so at a time. Hang in and hold on.
Take time to marvel at the fact that you are so very unique, talented, and blessed with so much ability, grace, friendship, and love in your life. And again, take care of that lucky fiancé of yours. Sorry I'm so busy, but never forget that I'll always remember, ... you!"
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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WEDNESDAY 08TH JUNE 2005
10:22-PM-(UTC/GMT -6 Hours)
"And we know that in all things GOD works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose."
-- Romans 08 : 28
I woke up at the proper time this morning for PT. We ran to the Post Exchange (PX) which was about two (02) and a half miles or so, there and back. And I actually got out there and called cadence as we ran. That basically boils down to running to the left of the formation and calling out rhymes, songs, etc to keep everyone in step and motivated. I have never done it before but of course, I didn't have a choice now. So last night I kind of played around with cadence writing. It was all good and well until I got out there though. I cut out about half of it because of my gasps for air in the thick humidity of Alabama. Ha! Yes, TED is just a tad bit out of shape. I'm so glad for this physical training (PT). I have to get up at 5:00 and have to get out there and do some good PT. So I have no choice but to get back in shape. It is going to be my return to glory just in time to head to Korea.
My debit card arrived in the mail today. I saw that SHEILA had called to say I had a delivery at the office. She said it was from DHL so I knew it was my new card. I forgot the name of the Bank of America representative who took my information and lost card complaint Friday but I'm very grateful he was so professional and also followed through with getting my card rushed to me.
I should head over to my other room to fix it up. We all returned from Chili's about an hour and a half ago with intentions to really get down and dirty with some of the things we need to take care of but it is already pretty late so I for one (01) am only going to have time to finish maybe 60% of everything I need to get accomplished. This weekend will be all about trying to regroup and start on some of the things I know are coming up.
Well, more later, when I can squeeze in some time to just sit down here and relax with my thoughts. Things are pretty faced paced and busy and well, my days are long and tiring, but I think I'll be just fine. I have been in the midst and the middle of worse after all. And I'm only shooting for a goal that is a few weeks out. Nothing to it but to do it really.
Nothing to it but to do it!
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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MONDAY 06TH JUNE 2005
11:17-PM-(UTC/GMT -6 Hours)
Listening - "ON THE LINE"-FERNANRO ortega Home
"... Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD YOUR GOD will be with you wherever you go."
-- JOSHUA 01 : 09
Flashback:
SUNDAY 06TH JUNE 2004
7:35-PM-(UTC/GMT -5 Hours)
Listening - "YEARN"-SHANE barnard & SHANE everett Upstairs
Wow, it is still Sunday. I suppose since I stayed up into Sunday that it is making Sunday just drag on by. Of course on the other hand I have only looked at a clock maybe four (04) or five (05) times and time seemed to reach the afternoon and evening rather quickly. I'm an ironed uniform away from being prepared for tomorrow. The weird thing is that I'll most likely only wear my uniform and boots half the day for the duration of the entire work week. Tomorrow I'll get my wisdom teeth pulled and I'm assuming that I'll be on quarters (Again. When it rains it pours I suppose.) for the rest of the week. Of course I'm hoping I'll be put on quarters for the rest of the week. No, I'm not trying to weasel out of work. The fact of the matter is that the shop is not a place I want to be at. SHAMAL and I spent almost a half hour talking about the shop. He was telling me all the things I was missing and for the most part how nothing much has changed: The same 'lax attitude was the norm from day to day, no one (01) works and no one (01) wants to work. That was as he was making his way up to Syracuse to pick me up. We talked up until he reached the airport and then, the majority of the way back to Fort Drum we talked more. If he had not received a phone call I have no doubt we would have went back and forth and back and forth.
This shop and the majority of the people in it does not make for a quality environment for the two (02) of us. We came from Camp Humphreys (and SHAMAL was at Fort Campbell before then) and were used to the team being close. Sure we fooled around but when it was time to get to work, we got to work. I could not fathom some of these guys having to do half as much work as our team back at Humphreys did. They would think working fourteen (14) hours days and on weekends to be an injustice. And we put up with it for a month. But we all pitched in and did what we had to do. The majority of the guys here are content with taking the easy way out all the time, cutting corners, and flat out not working. Whoever heard of taking a break from taking a break? Sure enough, if you were a fly on the wall you would see someone taking a break in the break area for five (05) to ten (10) minutes only to then follow whomever it was going on with a pack of cigarettes to take a smoke break. And once those smokers go on a smoke break, it seems as if they have nothing else to do but stand around and talk. There is never any urgency to complete a day's task.
SHAMAL and I are simply fed up with it. It is a shame that not everyone has a similar work ethic. We have more people than we had at Humphreys and much less work. It should be no problem to buckle down and get tasks accomplished. But no, there are those who want to drag their feet and then be the first ones to ask if we are getting off of work early. All of the irritations at the shop coupled with the extreme winters has definitely taken their toll on the both of us. And time and time again we talk about how if we weren't at Fort Drum with those two (02) forces again us (or even somewhere with just a single one of them) we would have a whole different outlook on the Army. And it is true. The Army is a totally different Army within our company around the world. I'd have never guessed a shop with more people and less equipment could be so horrible while I was working long hours in Korea. There were times when I'd walk to work in darkness and walk back from work in darkness. It was frustrating to end the day at 7:00 or 8:00 when nothing was opened. I'll not even dare to mention or think about how differently things are for the shop in Hawaii. The fact they do not have bitter winters in itself confirms it is much better than life here.
The shop here is so singular it seems; everyone is in it for themselves to see just how much work they can get away with not doing while at the same time tattling on others who are doing the exact same thing. If this were I job I could quit I'd definitely have bowed out of my position here at Fort Drum long ago.
Anyway, enough of that. Work is a pain, go figure. But as I was stating earlier, I'll most likely be out of commission for another week. And if that is so then the next time (after tomorrow) I'll head to the shop to begin a workday will be next Monday (14 June), the week that our company's first sergeant and new commander as due. It will also be the week I'll find out if the promotion points have dropped to six hundred seventy-eight (678) for the month of July.
Needless to say (I really loathe that phrase.) I'm really hoping the points drop so that I'll finally be pinned with my sergeant rank. But more so I'll be happy because it will mean I can officially put in a request to be reassigned to Korea (and hopefully back to Camp Humphreys) and be on my way out of here as soon as possible. I have gotten in contact with the representative in Washington who deals with assignments within the 95th Maintenance Company quite a few times since the year began. Chief even gave her a call to talk to her, he was willing to help me try to get what I wanted. What things have boiled down to is the fact that I have to be promoted in order to request a slot in Korea, at this time there are no slots for specialists and below but there are slots for sergeants at the three (03) locations we are sent to, one (01) of which is Camp Humphreys. So, before I can make another move I have to wait until I'm "picked-up" for Sergeant. So if I'm promoted when the first of July rolls around I'll once again get on the phone with the representative and let her know my intentions are still to get to Camp Humphreys in Korea as soon as possible if it is at all possible. I see no reason why orders should not immediately be produced. Of course I know better than to think the Army works so quickly and so smoothly. But hey, sometimes you just get lucky.
While I was away I called SHAMAL and he informed me that a SGT Kennedy would be heading to Fort Drum possibly in the July August time frame. Now I know Kennedy because he arrived at Humphreys about two (02) months before I was to leave. Yes, he is coming here. Well, at least that is what SHAMAL said he said to him. That is another sign that is kind of hinting to me that I just may get my promotion and my assignment. If Kennedy is in fact coming over here then he will not only hold down a sergeant slot here but will open up one (01) there at Humphreys. So that is good news indeed. So we will see if that comes to pass. But again, I have done everything I can to be promoted. This year has seen points drop as low as five hundred sixty (560) and they have dropped lower in the past so it is possible. I just wish I knew if anyone had been moved up in rank or left the Army or Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) to make a slot at Sergeant for me. I suppose if I did enough networking I could find out. It is tough to know that you have down everything you can and that there is nothing else you can do to effect an outcome. But it is also refreshing because this time if the points drop I'll not regret not having put in all the points I had. Now all of my points are in so i have afforded myself the best possible shot at promotion. So all in all I feel good and I feel that my chances of being promoted this July are very good.
More later. I'll most likely be up until a ridiculous hour again.
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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SUNDAY 05TH JUNE 2005
10:47-PM-(UTC/GMT -6 Hours)
"Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord JESUS CHRIST, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature."
-- Romans 13 : 14
Well, my Basic Noncommissed Officer Course (BNCOC) kicked off today. I thought the in-briefing would be a couple of hours; the in-briefing turned out to be over four (04) hours. So yes, I'm pretty beat. I found out that the physical training (PT) test will not be until phase II which begins 23 June. That is wonderful news since I have not done PT in months.
There are four (04) people in my class so I make five (05). SSG Blanco our small group leader (SGL) says we are supposed to be getting a few more people during phase II. Those people are doing phase I at their home duty stations. So come 23 June or so our class is due to at least double. We are a pretty good class. We are already coming together and bonding. We headed to Applebee's as a class. It was cool. We were all pretty tired and not too thrilled about having to wake up in a few hours after we arrived back on post. But we had fun at Applebee's
I am a squad leader. We have leadership positions which are switched out throughout the course. I'm starting as a squad leader. It is odd since I was a squad leader in PLDC and in Basic Training. (And I imagine if I'd have been a little more receptive to being in the Army, I'd have been a squad leader in Advanced Individual Training as well.) I suppose I just look like a squad leader or something. But I just know that I'll get the platoon sergeant job rather quickly considering we are a class of five (05) and the current platoon sergeant and I are due to be assessed on our performance and relinquish our positions this coming Wednesday. So I'm going to definitely know my role and the role of the platoon sergeant.
Tired. Packing last minute things, dealing with the heat, lugging bags to my BNCOC room, a long in-briefing, and dinner with strangers has taken a lot out of me. And besides, tomorrow is the big day. I need some good ol' fashioned sleep.
May you have a good night and morning and enjoy all the hours in between.
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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SATURDAY 04TH JUNE 2005
5:17-PM-(UTC/GMT -6 Hours)
"The entire law is summed up in a single command: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"
-- Galatians 05 : 14
This morning I had to head to the Post Exchange (PX) to exchange change for bills. I just had enough to pay for my uniform at alterations, so I needed some more cash. The woman in the cash cage didn't even say anything to me. I just asked her if she would do the exchange. She looked at me and looked at the rolls of change, then went into the vault, returned and handed me the bills. Weird. But whatever, I have cash in my wallet now.
I am thinking Subway now. So, since I know how predictable I am, I'll most likely head to Subway when I finish this post for avery late lunch, ... er, early dinner. I thought about calling FELICIA to see if she wanted to do lunch but it was 1:37 when I thought of it and of course I do not exactly have access to all kinds of money to pay for things like, ... well, things. I could cash a check, but I think I'll be okay until Wednesday.
PABLO called me yesterday evening. It was quite a surprise since I'm only regularly phoned by CHRIS. And well, noone else, ... yes even though I sometimes phone ten (10) plus people and leave just as many voice mails. So his call was a nice surprise and it was great to catch up. We talked about trying to get a group of us together in a few years or so to maybe go on a vacation or something. He said it was unfortunate that I was heading to Korea so soon and that ADAM would be headed to Iraq for a year. But I let him know that plans like this would definitely not be realized any time soon. Getting the idea out there and to everyone is the key right now. Because it has to begin somewhere and we all have to have time to plan and figure out when we would have time off from school and jobs and military duty and anything and everything else the members of the group we thought of are (will be) up to in the months and years to come.
I was looking at a camcorder at the PX. The one (01) which caught my eye was about the size of my hand, very nice. And they are priced reasonable. But if I buy one (01) I'll have to become a person who takes it places and uses it, obviously. I don't know if I'll be that dedicated to taking it places and using it. It would, of course be a neat toy to have. But I do not even use the digital camera I own. I doubt I'll buy one (01) in the immediate future, but they are enticing, and so inexpensive compared to just a handful of years ago. I saw the laptop that I think I may purchase once I put BNCOC down in August. It is inexpensive but I think it will have everything I need. I'll keep my desktop but I want a laptop for port | | |
