I'm back to that point again where I don't know what to write about. I went to the doctor today and got something very painful and nasty taken care of. Trust me when I say... nobody would want to see it or know about it. It was on the back of my neck, and we'll leave it at that. LOL So although I'm still in pain with a giant band aid on the back of my neck, I'm very glad that thing is gone! :)
There is good news, of course... tomorrow is Friday... which means my day off is right around the corner. The problem is that something new starts with our schedule tomorrow that's going to possibly make the day drag on significantly. Myself... and the other AST have to sit 6 hours straight now instead of our swapping out every 2 hours like we used to do. It's not something I'm looking forward to, but I'm sure it won't be all that terrible. Then, after that I have the rest of the day (for the most part) to do whatever else I need or want to do. Plus I get what's typically the busiest part of the day tomorrow, the morning and very early afternoon. Not too shabby at all I must say!
I got what I think is probably the last of my Christmas gifts the last 2 days. I got a card from my dad as well. I got a package from my mom with a card in it and a Penguins Winter Classic T-Shirt with Malkin and #71 on the back... and from my sister was the same... but it was Crosby and #87 on the back. Now if only I were able to WEAR them!!! Hell, I'm not sure what I'm going to do when I actually have to decide on a wardrobe again! It's so freakin' easy here... it's either ABU's or PT gear. There's really no deciding, except for whether or not to wear a jacket or other cold weather items. I do have to say that it will be nice to wear civilian clothing again, though. Oh... I almost forget to add... my niece, Alyssa, sent me a gift, too. It's a little keychain sized flashlight. How cute! She was a good "Secret Santa" for Uncle Jimmy as she calls me. :)
So whatever will I do with my day off this week? Well... it will be New Years Day... so I could actually wake up a little before 8 just to watch the ball drop at 8 AM. I plan on following my normal day off "routine" for the most part. Wake up... hit the restroom... then the gym just to weigh myself for the week... then off to breakfast for a tasty morning omelet, bacon, hash browns, and maybe even a little slice of french toast! Sounds awesome doesn't it? Well... for lunch it will be either a pizza or calzone from Ciano's. I just haven't decided which yet and probably won't until I get there. That's usually how I roll, though. At least I'm going in knowing I'm only choosing between 2 things. There's no reason to try anything else there when the first two are so good!
Now... back to after breakfast as I went off on a tangent. I get that way about food sometimes. I usually do my laundry after I eat breakfast, and sometimes I either talk to my sister or call my dad. One Saturday morning I even did BOTH! After that I really don't plan anything else out. I either just catch up on emails... watch tv/movies... etc. It's not all that exciting, but it IS relaxing. I also get my Skype time in with Anne Marie in the early part of the evening as well!!! By then the day off is starting to wind down, and that feeling of having 6 days of work ahead starts to set in. Then after a shave and a shower... and possibly a nice cup of hot tea... it's time for bed. The moral of the story is this... even a day off can be Groundhog Day here in the desert! Only 10 weeks left to go... as my day off will mark the end of week number 17. :)
Now back to your Thursday stuff! I hope it's a good one!
Peace, Love, and Poker
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Who's got the Midweek Blues?
Perhaps I do... but at least it means I only have 2 more workdays and then another day off. So there's still that silver lining here even in week 17. :) Pretty soon we'll be down to single digits in the weeks remaining count. Right now it's at 10 1/2 to go. It's starting to get closer... and closer... to that long awaited return and some much needed TIME OFF!
It's been an ok week thus far. I just haven't quite felt like myself. Even with 10 hours of sleep and waking up nice and late yesterday something was off all day long. Walking out of my room I about fell off the steps (there are only 2 of them). It was really that sort of day all day, too. It's hard to explain, but if you've ever had a day that you just basically feel "off" that was me yesterday (and pretty much the 2 days prior as well). Perhaps it's as simple as being deployed at this time of year and not being able to visit everyone like I normally would. Maybe it's just being so deep into a rather mundane routine, although it's a busy one, that is starting to wear on me. Finally, is it just plain being tired? Working 12 hour days for an extended period of time will wear anyone out eventually.
It's no secret that we weren't really meant to work this many hours. That's part of what makes the deployment experience what it is... a deployment. Can you imagine the poor guys at the coffee shop who do it 7 days a week and NEVER have a day off??? I'm sure that they must get pretty exhausted after some time, even if they are used to it.
Hmmm.... it's odd but my Captain just asked me if I was doing alright and that they were a little worried about me. I suppose the funk I've been in hasn't gone unnoticed this week. Of course I'm doing alright... just a little down in the dumps as I mentioned already here. It's good to know that people care, though, and I do appreciate the concern. :)
Well... it's about time for lunch and workout here... not in that order, though. I'll be working out FIRST, of course! :) I hope it goes well... as I'm thinking it will!!!
Peace, Love, and Poker
It's been an ok week thus far. I just haven't quite felt like myself. Even with 10 hours of sleep and waking up nice and late yesterday something was off all day long. Walking out of my room I about fell off the steps (there are only 2 of them). It was really that sort of day all day, too. It's hard to explain, but if you've ever had a day that you just basically feel "off" that was me yesterday (and pretty much the 2 days prior as well). Perhaps it's as simple as being deployed at this time of year and not being able to visit everyone like I normally would. Maybe it's just being so deep into a rather mundane routine, although it's a busy one, that is starting to wear on me. Finally, is it just plain being tired? Working 12 hour days for an extended period of time will wear anyone out eventually.
It's no secret that we weren't really meant to work this many hours. That's part of what makes the deployment experience what it is... a deployment. Can you imagine the poor guys at the coffee shop who do it 7 days a week and NEVER have a day off??? I'm sure that they must get pretty exhausted after some time, even if they are used to it.
Hmmm.... it's odd but my Captain just asked me if I was doing alright and that they were a little worried about me. I suppose the funk I've been in hasn't gone unnoticed this week. Of course I'm doing alright... just a little down in the dumps as I mentioned already here. It's good to know that people care, though, and I do appreciate the concern. :)
Well... it's about time for lunch and workout here... not in that order, though. I'll be working out FIRST, of course! :) I hope it goes well... as I'm thinking it will!!!
Peace, Love, and Poker
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Christmas in a faraway place...
As the song goes... And so this is Christmas... and this is sad but I really don't know the rest of the words. LOL but those 5 words are enough to get me started on this Christmas night in the desert. And so this is... Christmas... and many people here would rather just say SO what? There's no snow here. There are people wishing you Merry Christmas who really don't even have the first clue what it means. Then again, there are those who do... ALL of those of us deployed here to Iraq (and all of the other locations we deploy to as well) in fact SHOULD know why we celebrate this wonderful holiday once a year!
Today, just over a couple thousand years ago, was born a child that would change everything forever. Jesus was born on this day, the Christ, the Son of Man, the only son of God. I think a lot of us tend to get caught up in all the ruckus of the holidays and forget this little tidbit of information. I know I've been guilty of it plenty of times, but yet when you're here, in this place far away, it's very easy to remember. I went to church last night in celebration of Christmas, and it was wonderful if not moving even. The sermon was titled "What if there were NO Christmas?" It's a valid question that can apply just about anywhere in the world at anytime depending on what you believe.
If there were no Christmas what would bring us together at this time of year? Certainly not New Year's. Did not the legend of the great Saint Nicholas (notice the word SAINT) derive directly from the very meaning of CHRISTmas as we know it today? The 3 Wise Men did have something to do with the gift giving part of this fine holiday as well. As you can see... all of them are intertwined. Families come together over Christmas more than at any other time of the year, which is no accident. This gathering of loved ones could possibly be what keeps us going from year to year even. It's the one time when you tend to forget all of the negativity in your life and simply enjoy the company of others. That even happens here in the desert.
I went to lunch today to enjoy my Christmas feast, and I found nobody I recognized when it was time to be seated to eat. So... I asked a table of complete strangers if I could join them, thereby making a number of new acquaintances over the Christmas meal. There were Joe, Randy, Kristy, and a few others at the opposite end of the table. It was very enjoyable. I also found that they are folks in my job that we talk to every single day while we work. What a coincidence, huh???
Anyway... I hate to cut this short... but I must go so this can post before my battery dies. I hope you've all had an awesome Christmas, and I will do my best to continue this at a later time! MERRY CHRISTMAS from Iraq!!!
Peace, Love, and Poker
Today, just over a couple thousand years ago, was born a child that would change everything forever. Jesus was born on this day, the Christ, the Son of Man, the only son of God. I think a lot of us tend to get caught up in all the ruckus of the holidays and forget this little tidbit of information. I know I've been guilty of it plenty of times, but yet when you're here, in this place far away, it's very easy to remember. I went to church last night in celebration of Christmas, and it was wonderful if not moving even. The sermon was titled "What if there were NO Christmas?" It's a valid question that can apply just about anywhere in the world at anytime depending on what you believe.
If there were no Christmas what would bring us together at this time of year? Certainly not New Year's. Did not the legend of the great Saint Nicholas (notice the word SAINT) derive directly from the very meaning of CHRISTmas as we know it today? The 3 Wise Men did have something to do with the gift giving part of this fine holiday as well. As you can see... all of them are intertwined. Families come together over Christmas more than at any other time of the year, which is no accident. This gathering of loved ones could possibly be what keeps us going from year to year even. It's the one time when you tend to forget all of the negativity in your life and simply enjoy the company of others. That even happens here in the desert.
I went to lunch today to enjoy my Christmas feast, and I found nobody I recognized when it was time to be seated to eat. So... I asked a table of complete strangers if I could join them, thereby making a number of new acquaintances over the Christmas meal. There were Joe, Randy, Kristy, and a few others at the opposite end of the table. It was very enjoyable. I also found that they are folks in my job that we talk to every single day while we work. What a coincidence, huh???
Anyway... I hate to cut this short... but I must go so this can post before my battery dies. I hope you've all had an awesome Christmas, and I will do my best to continue this at a later time! MERRY CHRISTMAS from Iraq!!!
Peace, Love, and Poker
Friday, December 24, 2010
Christmas Eve...
... is upon us... well... for most the bells have chimed past the midnight hour to make it so. Here it's already been Christmas Eve for over 10 hours! Maybe it didn't hit me until a few minutes ago, but I am really feeling pretty down this morning. :( It's tough being so far away from loved ones at this time of year. Some of our guys over here have done this 4 or 5 years IN A ROW! That's crazy!!! Missing the holidays every year for that many years is enough to drive anyone to drink. (So to speak of course, since there are no "drinks" here)
Tomorrow it will be Christmas Day, which just happens to coincide with my day off. I haven't decided whether or not that's a good thing, but I do plan to enjoy the day to some extent. I think I'm not going to do a whole lot, though. I will do my laundry... possibly even later tonight if I can stay awake that long. I will go have a tasty Christmas dinner, most likely at the lunchtime meal. The meal schedule is a bit different for the holiday, so there won't be an omelet for breakfast this week on my day off. I am thinking I will just sleep later than I normally would and wake up whenever without the help of the alarm clock for a change. :)
I miss the family time a lot right now, but keeping in touch often has definitely helped to ease the blow quite a bit. It's nice to know that those options are available so far away. I've been doing my best to stay positive, and for the most part it has worked. I'm sure everyone hits a bit of a rough patch during a long deployment like this. I'm very thankful it's not longer. The Army folks stay for a year at a time or longer. That's insane! I'll take 6 months over that any day of the week! There will be time to spend with the family and with my dear wifey once I get back home in March, and I can continue to look forward to that. :) It's the light at the end of the tunnel... and it is a very motivating light!
I had a number of things I'd thought about doing this Christmas Eve and Day, but what it all comes down to is how do I feel at the time? First off... I usually would attend church for a candlelight service on Christmas Eve if I were home. I really would like to do that, but then I don't get to sleep until VERY late, especially for here and then run the risk of sleeping away my Christmas Day and day off. There is a 5K race in the morning at 6:30 tomorrow. Again... on the other end I'm giving up sleep once more if I choose to participate. In the end, it's all going to depend on what I'm feeling later tonight when the time comes to actually make the decision. I've already ruled the race out. I'm not waking up at the ass crack on my day off. Not happening! So... if anything I will go the church route if I'm able to keep my eyes open that late after being up at 4:15 this morning. 20+ hours is a long time to be awake for a day. Therefore, time will tell.
I do wish everyone a very Merry Christmas, and I hope that you are enjoying this time with your families wherever you may be! Take care of yourselves and each other during this holiday season, and don't forget to eat, drink, and be merry!!! MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Peace, Love, and Poker
Tomorrow it will be Christmas Day, which just happens to coincide with my day off. I haven't decided whether or not that's a good thing, but I do plan to enjoy the day to some extent. I think I'm not going to do a whole lot, though. I will do my laundry... possibly even later tonight if I can stay awake that long. I will go have a tasty Christmas dinner, most likely at the lunchtime meal. The meal schedule is a bit different for the holiday, so there won't be an omelet for breakfast this week on my day off. I am thinking I will just sleep later than I normally would and wake up whenever without the help of the alarm clock for a change. :)
I miss the family time a lot right now, but keeping in touch often has definitely helped to ease the blow quite a bit. It's nice to know that those options are available so far away. I've been doing my best to stay positive, and for the most part it has worked. I'm sure everyone hits a bit of a rough patch during a long deployment like this. I'm very thankful it's not longer. The Army folks stay for a year at a time or longer. That's insane! I'll take 6 months over that any day of the week! There will be time to spend with the family and with my dear wifey once I get back home in March, and I can continue to look forward to that. :) It's the light at the end of the tunnel... and it is a very motivating light!
I had a number of things I'd thought about doing this Christmas Eve and Day, but what it all comes down to is how do I feel at the time? First off... I usually would attend church for a candlelight service on Christmas Eve if I were home. I really would like to do that, but then I don't get to sleep until VERY late, especially for here and then run the risk of sleeping away my Christmas Day and day off. There is a 5K race in the morning at 6:30 tomorrow. Again... on the other end I'm giving up sleep once more if I choose to participate. In the end, it's all going to depend on what I'm feeling later tonight when the time comes to actually make the decision. I've already ruled the race out. I'm not waking up at the ass crack on my day off. Not happening! So... if anything I will go the church route if I'm able to keep my eyes open that late after being up at 4:15 this morning. 20+ hours is a long time to be awake for a day. Therefore, time will tell.
I do wish everyone a very Merry Christmas, and I hope that you are enjoying this time with your families wherever you may be! Take care of yourselves and each other during this holiday season, and don't forget to eat, drink, and be merry!!! MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Peace, Love, and Poker
Saturday, December 18, 2010
A relaxing Saturday off... again.
It sounds all too familiar doesn't it??? It's the day off again. That once-a-week time to recover from the previous 6 days has arrived again! This one is not too much different, however, I'm looking at it slightly different. I am going to go have pizza at 1300 today... which is going to be fantastic! Then I'm off to the Post Office and BX after that to take care of a couple things. We're having a party at work later with burgers on the grill (and BBQ ribs I do believe as well. :P). Yet.... I still don't feel like being involved with anything having to do with work on my only day off of the week. At the same time I feel guilty about it. It's this internal battle that I go through sometimes. It's stressful, too. I just start thinking that I only have this opportunity for a day that's all mine while I'm here... yet I'm still having to give a part of it up to work... even if it is for something "fun".
What can one do about these internal battles? I've suffered more of them than I care to recount over my 38 years of life (and most of them over the course of the last 3 years.) I'm actually not complaining here, either. I know it probably comes across that way to others sometimes, but that's not how I FEEL. This is simply me expressing my feelings from deep down inside... nothing superficial and/or selfishly motivated about it. When a person works 70+ hours every week for 15 weeks... a day off is not a luxury it's a NECESSITY. Eventually the body and the mind wear down. It's a well known fact. The lack of sleep continues to add to the building sleep debt, and eventually said person will succumb to illness of some sort because the body can't fight any longer.
I do, however, hear others truly complain (at least that's what I presume it to be) rather often. Sure, it sucks to deploy during the holidays and leave all of your loved ones behind. I would be a fool to disagree. However, you knew the risk when you joined the military. Deployment is part of military life. Granted, in our job we deploy (as a unit anyway) more often than most, but it's still something that no Air Force job is exempt from. All things considered we're in a pretty decent place here in Iraq. The base offers MANY services and comforts of "home" and provides us with many opportunities to stay in touch with family and friends as much as free time will allow. Yet people still complain incessantly about things... ridiculous things in fact! So I've decided to rate them (I'm shooting for a top 10 here... but I might not get to 10) in the order of how stupid I perceive them to be. Of course, this is only my opinion, but hey, it's worth at least 2 cents! So here goes...
1. Speed of the internet here. This is one that just burns me to hear outwardly. YOU ARE LUCKY TO HAVE INTERNET AND WIFI HERE!!!! I mean, seriously, what would these people have done 10 or 15 years ago when WiFi wasn't even thought of??? I remember the days of the $1000 phone bills for one month. Maybe we can go back to that???
2. The quality of the food. Where the fuck did you think you were going??? Club Med??? This is Iraq! Honestly the food is A LOT better here than I could have possibly imagined. Yet there are those who are always complaining, "Oh this sucks... back home this is so much better... blah blah blah." YOU'RE NOT BACK HOME! Be grateful for what you have here!!! You could be eating MREs!!!
3. Having to do your job. Guess what??? You don't get paid to twiddle your thumbs! I know that's hard to believe for some, but Uncle Sam actually expects at least somewhat of an honest day's work out of you! For the most part we only sit on position for 4 out of 12 hours and have the majority of the remaining time to do whatever (while at work for the most part... or the gym). I'd say it's not a bad deal if you ask me.
4. Not getting paid enough. No shit... we don't get paid enough. We're all in that boat, but guess what? We're getting a TON of benefits that you don't get outside of the military, and while we're deployed EVERYTHING is tax free!!! Not to mention we get a number of additional pay/allowances while deployed as well. I think we're getting a ton of money right now being here!
5. If only there were alcohol.... ahhhh... yes... wouldn't it be nice??? Well... suck it up... the beers will be there when you get home in 3 months. I love my beer as much as anyone, but I sure as hell can live without it.
6. I miss my cell phone. WAAAHHHHH! This is something I probably miss less than anything else here. I love the idea that it actually takes an EFFORT to communicate with those who you care about. What a concept? Actually having conversations! I think everyone should go without their cell phone for 6 months. It might actually do them some good in their lives!
7. The weather. This one is one I am definitely guilty of sometimes as well. I complain about the weather when I'm home as well... usually when it's ridiculously hot. I hate being hot... and it makes me irritable and angry. Right now the weather is AWESOME here! I've heard several complain about the rain from last weekend. Do you realize that was the first time it rained in OVER 40 DAYS??? Enjoy it... relish it... it's a nice fresh change of pace. The cloudy skies this morning were a welcome sight, and the temperature in the mid 50s is very comfortable. So... although I can definitely relate to this one... it's been a couple months since I've said an ill word about our weather here.
8. Lack of transportation. Sure... it sucks to have to walk places... but be grateful for the vehicles we do have at work, and treat them as if they were your own or else they might be taken away. I walk everywhere BY CHOICE. Why??? It's very good exercise, and enjoying the nice cool weather is therapeutic for me.
9. Lodging accomodations. This one is one I don't here too often, but it really burns me up. I think we have it pretty good here. There was a time when a deployment like this would be lived in a tent with about 15 or 20 bunks in it. 'Nuff said.
10. Random stupid shit people say... there's a million things I could put here... which is why I saved it for #10. There are the airmen who don't want to do things like clean-up when it's their turn. Everyone was an Airman once, and they had to do their turn. I did mine a long time ago. It pisses me off when the good ones end up having to do all the work because they actually care about doing a good job.
I can only do so much to help... and I can't be in 8 places at one time. None of us can. We do our best to listen and help out whenever possible, but we still expect the simple things to be done without having to have a thumb on the ones doing it. That was just an example... but I'm sure you get the gist of it. I hate laziness... and I hate that sense of entitlement that people seem to think they deserve over here (and at home as well).
So as this 15th week comes to a close... I think about my dear wifey baby back home in NY with her family but without me there for the holidays. I do miss her dearly, and I know we'll be together soon. As quickly as the time is passing here... it will be REALLY soon. I know this to be true. We're already on the downside of December. Only 13(ish) weeks to go... and that's estimating on the high side. It could be closer to 12. That doesn't sound too bad at all now does it? :) It's time for some pizza and a Mountain Dew. Mmmmmmm!!!!! Have an awesome Saturday before Christmas everyone! :)
Peace, Love, and Poker
What can one do about these internal battles? I've suffered more of them than I care to recount over my 38 years of life (and most of them over the course of the last 3 years.) I'm actually not complaining here, either. I know it probably comes across that way to others sometimes, but that's not how I FEEL. This is simply me expressing my feelings from deep down inside... nothing superficial and/or selfishly motivated about it. When a person works 70+ hours every week for 15 weeks... a day off is not a luxury it's a NECESSITY. Eventually the body and the mind wear down. It's a well known fact. The lack of sleep continues to add to the building sleep debt, and eventually said person will succumb to illness of some sort because the body can't fight any longer.
I do, however, hear others truly complain (at least that's what I presume it to be) rather often. Sure, it sucks to deploy during the holidays and leave all of your loved ones behind. I would be a fool to disagree. However, you knew the risk when you joined the military. Deployment is part of military life. Granted, in our job we deploy (as a unit anyway) more often than most, but it's still something that no Air Force job is exempt from. All things considered we're in a pretty decent place here in Iraq. The base offers MANY services and comforts of "home" and provides us with many opportunities to stay in touch with family and friends as much as free time will allow. Yet people still complain incessantly about things... ridiculous things in fact! So I've decided to rate them (I'm shooting for a top 10 here... but I might not get to 10) in the order of how stupid I perceive them to be. Of course, this is only my opinion, but hey, it's worth at least 2 cents! So here goes...
1. Speed of the internet here. This is one that just burns me to hear outwardly. YOU ARE LUCKY TO HAVE INTERNET AND WIFI HERE!!!! I mean, seriously, what would these people have done 10 or 15 years ago when WiFi wasn't even thought of??? I remember the days of the $1000 phone bills for one month. Maybe we can go back to that???
2. The quality of the food. Where the fuck did you think you were going??? Club Med??? This is Iraq! Honestly the food is A LOT better here than I could have possibly imagined. Yet there are those who are always complaining, "Oh this sucks... back home this is so much better... blah blah blah." YOU'RE NOT BACK HOME! Be grateful for what you have here!!! You could be eating MREs!!!
3. Having to do your job. Guess what??? You don't get paid to twiddle your thumbs! I know that's hard to believe for some, but Uncle Sam actually expects at least somewhat of an honest day's work out of you! For the most part we only sit on position for 4 out of 12 hours and have the majority of the remaining time to do whatever (while at work for the most part... or the gym). I'd say it's not a bad deal if you ask me.
4. Not getting paid enough. No shit... we don't get paid enough. We're all in that boat, but guess what? We're getting a TON of benefits that you don't get outside of the military, and while we're deployed EVERYTHING is tax free!!! Not to mention we get a number of additional pay/allowances while deployed as well. I think we're getting a ton of money right now being here!
5. If only there were alcohol.... ahhhh... yes... wouldn't it be nice??? Well... suck it up... the beers will be there when you get home in 3 months. I love my beer as much as anyone, but I sure as hell can live without it.
6. I miss my cell phone. WAAAHHHHH! This is something I probably miss less than anything else here. I love the idea that it actually takes an EFFORT to communicate with those who you care about. What a concept? Actually having conversations! I think everyone should go without their cell phone for 6 months. It might actually do them some good in their lives!
7. The weather. This one is one I am definitely guilty of sometimes as well. I complain about the weather when I'm home as well... usually when it's ridiculously hot. I hate being hot... and it makes me irritable and angry. Right now the weather is AWESOME here! I've heard several complain about the rain from last weekend. Do you realize that was the first time it rained in OVER 40 DAYS??? Enjoy it... relish it... it's a nice fresh change of pace. The cloudy skies this morning were a welcome sight, and the temperature in the mid 50s is very comfortable. So... although I can definitely relate to this one... it's been a couple months since I've said an ill word about our weather here.
8. Lack of transportation. Sure... it sucks to have to walk places... but be grateful for the vehicles we do have at work, and treat them as if they were your own or else they might be taken away. I walk everywhere BY CHOICE. Why??? It's very good exercise, and enjoying the nice cool weather is therapeutic for me.
9. Lodging accomodations. This one is one I don't here too often, but it really burns me up. I think we have it pretty good here. There was a time when a deployment like this would be lived in a tent with about 15 or 20 bunks in it. 'Nuff said.
10. Random stupid shit people say... there's a million things I could put here... which is why I saved it for #10. There are the airmen who don't want to do things like clean-up when it's their turn. Everyone was an Airman once, and they had to do their turn. I did mine a long time ago. It pisses me off when the good ones end up having to do all the work because they actually care about doing a good job.
I can only do so much to help... and I can't be in 8 places at one time. None of us can. We do our best to listen and help out whenever possible, but we still expect the simple things to be done without having to have a thumb on the ones doing it. That was just an example... but I'm sure you get the gist of it. I hate laziness... and I hate that sense of entitlement that people seem to think they deserve over here (and at home as well).
So as this 15th week comes to a close... I think about my dear wifey baby back home in NY with her family but without me there for the holidays. I do miss her dearly, and I know we'll be together soon. As quickly as the time is passing here... it will be REALLY soon. I know this to be true. We're already on the downside of December. Only 13(ish) weeks to go... and that's estimating on the high side. It could be closer to 12. That doesn't sound too bad at all now does it? :) It's time for some pizza and a Mountain Dew. Mmmmmmm!!!!! Have an awesome Saturday before Christmas everyone! :)
Peace, Love, and Poker
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Ugh!
It's just another Wednesday here... my least favorite day of the week. I'm stuck here... in the command post... yet again, and it's after noon. This is becoming the norm here... so I am just going to condition myself to accept it and press forward. It's truly the only way to remain sane in this situation. Low or no expectations equals low or no disappointment which in turn equals very little or no stress over the whole situation. I will just allow myself whatever time I have to work out comfortably and eat lunch afterward without having to devour it like a dog who was just fed a juicy piece of steak. I mean... even if I don't get relieved until 1230... which seems likely today... I do still have enough time to get in a pretty decent workout and still have a little extra time left over to grab a decent bite to eat. I usually go to Subway afterward which isn't exactly all that time consuming. So yet again... why does this stress me out so if it's the norm and can regularly be "expected"?
My sister seems to think I have some kind of autistic type OCD going on here. LOL I could not disagree more, though. I am one of the least organized and most "spur of the moment" people I know. Granted, you do get into a regular routine over here, and when it gets messed up it's rather displeasing. You're relying on people to relieve you at a certain time per whatever your schedule is for that day/time frame. So when that doesn't happen as scheduled doesn't one have a right to be a little pissed off? Let's face it here... we're all here (most days anyway) for 12 hours or more. Isn't that enough of a time frame to ensure one would be on time for their portion of that day? It's a valid question is it not? I try not to be the "bad guy" or the "complainer". It really gets you nowhwere and only makes you look bad... but there has to be a productive way to present the issue without it coming across as such. I just haven't figured out how to go about it yet. Even in my own mind it sounds like I'm being a whiny little bitch as I'm typing this! Someone didn't even show up for work today... so the person that person is relieving went to hunt him down where we reside. I should be thankful that I don't have to do that at least. :)
Well... at least I got out at around 1230... but that's still late enough that I had to shave some workout time off and whoof down a footlong Subway sub in 6 minutes in order to make it back to work in time. However, the important thing is that I found a way to make it work even though it was inconvenient! I ran my ass off on the treadmill for 38 1/2 out of 40 minutes, and it felt great! I even got a hot tea from the coffee shop to take back with me and enjoy at the beginning of my shift. As usual... after a nice workout and lunch I felt much better! That's usually how the Wednesday goes, though. I definitely wasn't as stressed today as the previous few Wednesdays, which is a good thing for sure.
Anyway... I guess what they say about exercise is true... it definitely can boost your mood fairly easily! I'm comfy in my bed now and about to head off to dreamland in a little bit. Only 2 more days to work and then another day off and that will complete week 15. :)
Peace, Love, and Poker
My sister seems to think I have some kind of autistic type OCD going on here. LOL I could not disagree more, though. I am one of the least organized and most "spur of the moment" people I know. Granted, you do get into a regular routine over here, and when it gets messed up it's rather displeasing. You're relying on people to relieve you at a certain time per whatever your schedule is for that day/time frame. So when that doesn't happen as scheduled doesn't one have a right to be a little pissed off? Let's face it here... we're all here (most days anyway) for 12 hours or more. Isn't that enough of a time frame to ensure one would be on time for their portion of that day? It's a valid question is it not? I try not to be the "bad guy" or the "complainer". It really gets you nowhwere and only makes you look bad... but there has to be a productive way to present the issue without it coming across as such. I just haven't figured out how to go about it yet. Even in my own mind it sounds like I'm being a whiny little bitch as I'm typing this! Someone didn't even show up for work today... so the person that person is relieving went to hunt him down where we reside. I should be thankful that I don't have to do that at least. :)
Well... at least I got out at around 1230... but that's still late enough that I had to shave some workout time off and whoof down a footlong Subway sub in 6 minutes in order to make it back to work in time. However, the important thing is that I found a way to make it work even though it was inconvenient! I ran my ass off on the treadmill for 38 1/2 out of 40 minutes, and it felt great! I even got a hot tea from the coffee shop to take back with me and enjoy at the beginning of my shift. As usual... after a nice workout and lunch I felt much better! That's usually how the Wednesday goes, though. I definitely wasn't as stressed today as the previous few Wednesdays, which is a good thing for sure.
Anyway... I guess what they say about exercise is true... it definitely can boost your mood fairly easily! I'm comfy in my bed now and about to head off to dreamland in a little bit. Only 2 more days to work and then another day off and that will complete week 15. :)
Peace, Love, and Poker
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Writer's block...
...how do you beat this "disease" so to speak? This thing they call writer's block? I am sitting here thinking of what to write and nothing comes to mind. Is my mind really that blank? No... it's not... yet I come up empty. *sigh* I could say something about the weather... after all there has been a significant change in it here over the past few days. There has been rain... cold winds... fog... humidity... etc. Today the sun is fighting to shine through, even though the humidity and coolness stays. The prospect of a return to mild sunny afternoons appears to lie in wait... as if it were saying, "I've been here all along... you just didn't know it." It is nice this winter here in the desert. I do miss the snow and cold, but there's something to be said for it being 60+ degrees on a daily basis in the month of December when a lot of places will struggle just to get out of the teens or colder. :)
I'm feeling a bit "blah" today for some reason. I don't blame it on the weather at all, either. The weather, the way it has been the past few days, is quite enjoyable for me. When you see the sun shine for 40 straight days the sight of rain and clouds is a welcome one. I did, however, manage to come down with a bit of a cold. It started Friday morning... got worse Saturday... and then better Sunday night into Monday... and worse this morning. I'm hoping I can fight it off before my planned workouts the next few days, but if I don't... I will still get my workouts in! :)
The feeling of "blah" could be something else, though. Possibly it's the thought of missing the holidays and spending them with loved ones. After all, I haven't had to do that yet. This year is really the first time I haven't been able to make the trip home. I know I will make up for it once I get back to the states in a few months, but for the time being it's a little tough. Christmas is just 11 days away, and as it gets closer and closer I suppose these "blah" feelings will probably increase. Add to it that I'm unusually tired considering I slept about 9 hours altogether last night and this morning. Perhaps my walk to lunch will help somewhat... and with it being pasta day... lunch will be enjoyable. :)
I also wonder if it's just one of those days... it happens to all of us. I logged on to blog today and noticed I lost one of my 2 followers... yes... it's very sad that I only had 2, and it's even more sad that I now only have one. :( Of course, I do this blog thing for myself, so it's really not a big deal but at the same time it's upsetting for some odd reason. Oh well... I suppose... you can't control other people nor would I want to try. Ultimately people make their own choices just as I do, and usually they have their reasons for whatever those choices are.
Anyway... as I close today... I believe all it took to beat that writer's block was a starting point... just putting a few words down and running with it. It may not be my most interesting or best blog I've ever written, but it does feel good to know that I was able to work my way through it. :)
Peace, Love, and Poker
I'm feeling a bit "blah" today for some reason. I don't blame it on the weather at all, either. The weather, the way it has been the past few days, is quite enjoyable for me. When you see the sun shine for 40 straight days the sight of rain and clouds is a welcome one. I did, however, manage to come down with a bit of a cold. It started Friday morning... got worse Saturday... and then better Sunday night into Monday... and worse this morning. I'm hoping I can fight it off before my planned workouts the next few days, but if I don't... I will still get my workouts in! :)
The feeling of "blah" could be something else, though. Possibly it's the thought of missing the holidays and spending them with loved ones. After all, I haven't had to do that yet. This year is really the first time I haven't been able to make the trip home. I know I will make up for it once I get back to the states in a few months, but for the time being it's a little tough. Christmas is just 11 days away, and as it gets closer and closer I suppose these "blah" feelings will probably increase. Add to it that I'm unusually tired considering I slept about 9 hours altogether last night and this morning. Perhaps my walk to lunch will help somewhat... and with it being pasta day... lunch will be enjoyable. :)
I also wonder if it's just one of those days... it happens to all of us. I logged on to blog today and noticed I lost one of my 2 followers... yes... it's very sad that I only had 2, and it's even more sad that I now only have one. :( Of course, I do this blog thing for myself, so it's really not a big deal but at the same time it's upsetting for some odd reason. Oh well... I suppose... you can't control other people nor would I want to try. Ultimately people make their own choices just as I do, and usually they have their reasons for whatever those choices are.
Anyway... as I close today... I believe all it took to beat that writer's block was a starting point... just putting a few words down and running with it. It may not be my most interesting or best blog I've ever written, but it does feel good to know that I was able to work my way through it. :)
Peace, Love, and Poker
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Only 2 weeks until Christmas!
Where did this year go??? Yes... two weeks from today it is Christmas Day! Wow!!! It's going to be my first Christmas since I was stationed in Turkey 15 years ago where I won't be spending it with family. :( I will, however, be spending it here in the desert with my "deployed family", so all is not lost. We are a pretty close knit unit for the most part here. Everyone still pretty much does their own thing when the workday is done, but when you only have a few hours of time to squeeze those things in you don't have much of a choice. With Saturdays being my scheduled days off... I will have Christmas off as if it were my very own holiday to enjoy with as I wish. :) My plan... get up at about 4 AM (I'm not joking, either) and head to the stadium to run a 5K race at 5 AM. Crazy? Perhaps it is! But it's definitely doing something different and out of the ordinary, and I think it's a good thing. :) I will then proceed to head back to bed afterward. That will be my reward for a race well run. (At least I hope it's well run!)
The weather changed on us abruptly here yesterday... first the clouds rolled in... really didn't think too much about that other than I just KNEW it was going to rain sometime yesterday... and it did!!! It was very nice... quite enjoyable in fact! The wind and the rain felt amazing! This morning, though, it felt really COLD!!! LOL Yes... the rain and the 25 mph wind were almost bone chilling as I walked to get my breakfast in only my t-shirt and shorts. As I sit here now... in a warm building... I have my jacket on... and I'm still feeling cold! There is good news about this jacket I'm wearing today, though. For the first time in as long as my adult memory will allow (and that's a pretty long time) I am fitting into a LARGE piece of clothing... not 2XL... not XL... just L. I am honestly in somewhat of shock here!!! Of course, that shock is a very GOOD thing!!! I've just never imagined myself being small enough to wear anything less than XL!!!! I doubt I'll get to Medium... simply because of my height... but hey... Large might be hanging off of me someday soon! You never know... do you???
Signing off from the freezing desert...
Peace, Love, and Poker
The weather changed on us abruptly here yesterday... first the clouds rolled in... really didn't think too much about that other than I just KNEW it was going to rain sometime yesterday... and it did!!! It was very nice... quite enjoyable in fact! The wind and the rain felt amazing! This morning, though, it felt really COLD!!! LOL Yes... the rain and the 25 mph wind were almost bone chilling as I walked to get my breakfast in only my t-shirt and shorts. As I sit here now... in a warm building... I have my jacket on... and I'm still feeling cold! There is good news about this jacket I'm wearing today, though. For the first time in as long as my adult memory will allow (and that's a pretty long time) I am fitting into a LARGE piece of clothing... not 2XL... not XL... just L. I am honestly in somewhat of shock here!!! Of course, that shock is a very GOOD thing!!! I've just never imagined myself being small enough to wear anything less than XL!!!! I doubt I'll get to Medium... simply because of my height... but hey... Large might be hanging off of me someday soon! You never know... do you???
Signing off from the freezing desert...
Peace, Love, and Poker
Friday, December 10, 2010
Ahhhhhh.... Friday again!!!
It's the day EVERYONE loves!!!! It's the pinnacle of the week... the grandest day of them all... the one day when there is hardly a frown to be found and smiles abound! Yes... it's FRIDAY!!!! TGIF!!!! Do a little dance... make a little noise... Happy Friday everyone!!!! :)
Yes... even here Friday is Friday for this guy. That's how it is when Saturday is your day off. Now granted... I can remember lots of Fridays that would drag on and on... seeming like they would never end... but not here! No sirree Billyjoejimbob!!!! Fridays here are an absolute BLUR! In only 37 short minutes I will go out to the floor to sit my final 2 of my 6 hours for today. Then I will have a debrief then off to dinner... and by the time I roll back here there's only about 45 minutes left in the day (week... actually). So all of this is good stuff, right? Most would agree... it is! This is where I have to stop and think for a minute.
We spend so much time wishing our lives away don't we? Every week is a race to see how fast we can get it over with (unless it's a vacation week... and we all know how fast THOSE pass us by!). We are all trying to get to that next day off... that next weekend... or holiday... or whatever perceived "time of enjoyment" we're able to reach. I know I'm as guilty of it as anyone. The problem is... none of us are getting any younger. I know I'm sure not... I'm 38 now... and the more days I wish away the closer I get to 40! YIKES! Oh... I am still going to do it, too! It's just the nature of the working person to do so. I don't think I'd be wishing any days away if my living were made.... say... as a professional poker player. That's something I could do and enjoy 24/7 (at least until I was too tired to think and had to get my ass to bed!) :) I think a reasonably steady accounting job would fit the bill for me... and that's what I'm looking to do once I retire from the Air Force in 22 1/2 months. See... there's that wishing the time away again...
It's something to ponder, though, isn't it??? Now, don't get me wrong, Friday is still glorious! :) Days off are not only a good thing... they are very necessary! If you worked 7 days a week 365 days a year there wouldn't be much "life" to live now would there? It's a vicious cycle.... this living life to its fullest thing. So what is ideal? My wife works as a speech therapist in a local public school. Her job requires a lot of patience and understanding and at times I'm sure can be nearly impossible to handle. Her reward? She has the summers off. I'd say that's a pretty fair trade off, but that doesn't take away from the fact that during the time she's at work she is seriously AT WORK! Most days she doesn't even get the opportunity to enjoy a lunch break of more than 15 minutes. She also works with children whom the majority of are special needs kids. Yes, it's extremely rewarding yet extremely difficult. She does enjoy it, though. :)
So... as this 14th week in the Iraqi desert comes to a close... I have to wonder how much of it I've "wished" away. I know there have been times.... but honestly I feel like they're few here. The time goes by so fast, and you're so focused on the job at hand that you really don't have time to wish it away. For that I'm actually grateful. When I'm at work in Idaho, where my days are 4 hours shorter... and my weekends full weekends... I wish an enormous amount of my weeks away! Perhaps once I get back... I can do my best to start to change that thought process. Only time will tell... but I know that I'm the only one with the power to change it. Nobody else can do that for me!
I hope everyone has an AWESOME Friday... only 15 days till Santa comes. :)
Peace, Love, and Poker
Yes... even here Friday is Friday for this guy. That's how it is when Saturday is your day off. Now granted... I can remember lots of Fridays that would drag on and on... seeming like they would never end... but not here! No sirree Billyjoejimbob!!!! Fridays here are an absolute BLUR! In only 37 short minutes I will go out to the floor to sit my final 2 of my 6 hours for today. Then I will have a debrief then off to dinner... and by the time I roll back here there's only about 45 minutes left in the day (week... actually). So all of this is good stuff, right? Most would agree... it is! This is where I have to stop and think for a minute.
We spend so much time wishing our lives away don't we? Every week is a race to see how fast we can get it over with (unless it's a vacation week... and we all know how fast THOSE pass us by!). We are all trying to get to that next day off... that next weekend... or holiday... or whatever perceived "time of enjoyment" we're able to reach. I know I'm as guilty of it as anyone. The problem is... none of us are getting any younger. I know I'm sure not... I'm 38 now... and the more days I wish away the closer I get to 40! YIKES! Oh... I am still going to do it, too! It's just the nature of the working person to do so. I don't think I'd be wishing any days away if my living were made.... say... as a professional poker player. That's something I could do and enjoy 24/7 (at least until I was too tired to think and had to get my ass to bed!) :) I think a reasonably steady accounting job would fit the bill for me... and that's what I'm looking to do once I retire from the Air Force in 22 1/2 months. See... there's that wishing the time away again...
It's something to ponder, though, isn't it??? Now, don't get me wrong, Friday is still glorious! :) Days off are not only a good thing... they are very necessary! If you worked 7 days a week 365 days a year there wouldn't be much "life" to live now would there? It's a vicious cycle.... this living life to its fullest thing. So what is ideal? My wife works as a speech therapist in a local public school. Her job requires a lot of patience and understanding and at times I'm sure can be nearly impossible to handle. Her reward? She has the summers off. I'd say that's a pretty fair trade off, but that doesn't take away from the fact that during the time she's at work she is seriously AT WORK! Most days she doesn't even get the opportunity to enjoy a lunch break of more than 15 minutes. She also works with children whom the majority of are special needs kids. Yes, it's extremely rewarding yet extremely difficult. She does enjoy it, though. :)
So... as this 14th week in the Iraqi desert comes to a close... I have to wonder how much of it I've "wished" away. I know there have been times.... but honestly I feel like they're few here. The time goes by so fast, and you're so focused on the job at hand that you really don't have time to wish it away. For that I'm actually grateful. When I'm at work in Idaho, where my days are 4 hours shorter... and my weekends full weekends... I wish an enormous amount of my weeks away! Perhaps once I get back... I can do my best to start to change that thought process. Only time will tell... but I know that I'm the only one with the power to change it. Nobody else can do that for me!
I hope everyone has an AWESOME Friday... only 15 days till Santa comes. :)
Peace, Love, and Poker
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Why the stress???
Good morning... a stressful one... but still good nonetheless...
Why is it that I have extremely high levels of stress every Wednesday lately??? I thought it might help me to figure it out if I blogged it. It does help to get the thoughts out sometimes. On the surface it's easy to figure out or so it seems. I am stuck sitting a position I don't normally sit... so it decreases the amount of time I have to myself while I'm not sitting on scope. I have (or HAD) a good workout planned for today... it's just a matter of whether or not I get to do it. I'm stuck sitting in the command post... been here since 7:45... it's now 10:35. I hate sitting here. I'm not really sure why other than the fact that I feel stuck or trapped. It's the only thing I can come up with. It's not like you're tied to the chair here like when you're on scope, though. It's different. There's TV... and you can email... and surf the web... etc., none of which is stressful stuff. I get stressed because of not being able to do things like leave for meals or to work out, especially knowing I do have to sit on scope from 3-7... so every minute that passes (now it's 11 AM) stresses me a little more because it crunches my time window down a minute at a time... then 30 minutes... then an hour... you can see where I'm headed here....
Today is especially stessful... but it's about to change for the better... will write more later but most likely not until this evening... it's time to go and workout...
Ok... I'm back from the workout and lunch... and the stress is COMPLETELY GONE! Imagine that??? I had a fantastic 45 minute run outside followed by 20 minutes of walking. 71 minutes total counting my warm up walk as well. It's gorgeous out today... sunny with a very nice cool breeze. It was a perfect day to shed the treadmill for the great outdoors! :) A tasty Subway steak and cheese sub and a few Cheetos, and I'm feeling like I just conquered the world! I am wiped out but in a very good way from my workout. I had such an awesome runner's high afterward, too! It was only the 5th time I've ran outside here, and I went about DOUBLE my longest distance of the other 4. I'm ready for my shift in 45 minutes with a much better, stress free feeling.
It's so sad that I get stressed over such a petty thing... it's just something I'm unable to control regardless of how hard I try. In fact, the harder I try the WORSE it gets. I know everyone gets stressed sometimes, so maybe it's just normal. After all, I have not really been very stressed at all during my 3 months here, so it's bound to happen at some point, right? I know part of it. It's having my routine broken or even unknown that causes it. My mind starts to run amuck... something akin to a snowball effect. One thing... impacting the next... and the next... and the next thing you know in my mind I'm 240 pounds 6 months from now and being kicked out of the military. How realistic is it that something like that would happen??? Not very... not if I happen to not be able to work out for one single day. It is completely irrational thinking, but yet it's there every Wednesday because it's already in my head that Wednesday = BAD. It's also in my head that Thursday = GOOD. Go figure? Ahhhh... imagine how it feels to be inside the head of Jim.... LOL It can be a pretty confusing place sometimes. That's for sure. :)
The rest of the day looks to be on cruise control.... relaxed, calm, and happy again... after running 4.4 miles in 45 minutes I guess I should be. :)
Peace, Love, and Poker
Why is it that I have extremely high levels of stress every Wednesday lately??? I thought it might help me to figure it out if I blogged it. It does help to get the thoughts out sometimes. On the surface it's easy to figure out or so it seems. I am stuck sitting a position I don't normally sit... so it decreases the amount of time I have to myself while I'm not sitting on scope. I have (or HAD) a good workout planned for today... it's just a matter of whether or not I get to do it. I'm stuck sitting in the command post... been here since 7:45... it's now 10:35. I hate sitting here. I'm not really sure why other than the fact that I feel stuck or trapped. It's the only thing I can come up with. It's not like you're tied to the chair here like when you're on scope, though. It's different. There's TV... and you can email... and surf the web... etc., none of which is stressful stuff. I get stressed because of not being able to do things like leave for meals or to work out, especially knowing I do have to sit on scope from 3-7... so every minute that passes (now it's 11 AM) stresses me a little more because it crunches my time window down a minute at a time... then 30 minutes... then an hour... you can see where I'm headed here....
Today is especially stessful... but it's about to change for the better... will write more later but most likely not until this evening... it's time to go and workout...
Ok... I'm back from the workout and lunch... and the stress is COMPLETELY GONE! Imagine that??? I had a fantastic 45 minute run outside followed by 20 minutes of walking. 71 minutes total counting my warm up walk as well. It's gorgeous out today... sunny with a very nice cool breeze. It was a perfect day to shed the treadmill for the great outdoors! :) A tasty Subway steak and cheese sub and a few Cheetos, and I'm feeling like I just conquered the world! I am wiped out but in a very good way from my workout. I had such an awesome runner's high afterward, too! It was only the 5th time I've ran outside here, and I went about DOUBLE my longest distance of the other 4. I'm ready for my shift in 45 minutes with a much better, stress free feeling.
It's so sad that I get stressed over such a petty thing... it's just something I'm unable to control regardless of how hard I try. In fact, the harder I try the WORSE it gets. I know everyone gets stressed sometimes, so maybe it's just normal. After all, I have not really been very stressed at all during my 3 months here, so it's bound to happen at some point, right? I know part of it. It's having my routine broken or even unknown that causes it. My mind starts to run amuck... something akin to a snowball effect. One thing... impacting the next... and the next... and the next thing you know in my mind I'm 240 pounds 6 months from now and being kicked out of the military. How realistic is it that something like that would happen??? Not very... not if I happen to not be able to work out for one single day. It is completely irrational thinking, but yet it's there every Wednesday because it's already in my head that Wednesday = BAD. It's also in my head that Thursday = GOOD. Go figure? Ahhhh... imagine how it feels to be inside the head of Jim.... LOL It can be a pretty confusing place sometimes. That's for sure. :)
The rest of the day looks to be on cruise control.... relaxed, calm, and happy again... after running 4.4 miles in 45 minutes I guess I should be. :)
Peace, Love, and Poker
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Halfway there!!!!
It's true!!! We have reached a milestone here... 3 months have now passed since the last day I set foot on American soil! That means from here on it's time to start counting DOWN instead of UP! I feel like I might have been blogging some of the same crap over and over, though, and if I have then I apologize. It's very difficult sometimes for me to come up with something new when there's really nothing new happening. It's basically the same 7 days cycle. We can start with Sunday, since that is the official beginning of the week.
Sundays are busy... and usually a blur. I wake up at 5:30 on Sunday mornings (Sunday is an evening Skype day for the wifey and I). I go use the restroom and brush my teeth just as most people do when they wake up... at least I would hope most of you do anyway! hehe I get changed into my uniform and roll out between 5:50 and 5:55 AM. I stop at the Green Bean for a morning Cup of Joe on my way to eat breakfast. I leave the dining facility for work around 6:25 with a 6:35 arrival at work in time for the 6:40 morning brief. After the brief I refill my coffee cup and head out to my first of 3 two-hour shifts for the day. After the first one I go and get a quick workout in... using as much time as I have available. I'm gone for almost 2 hours, but it only results in about 30-40 minutes of available workout time by the time I walk home... change... stretch... workout (30-40 minutes)... shower... change back... and walk back in time for shift number 2. After the second shift it's time to go eat lunch at 1:00 PM. I generally get there closer to 1:30 by the time I get moving and get back around 2:15. That only leaves 45 minutes to unwind before shift 3. I go out for the last shift and am done at 5 PM... and straight to the debrief room (debriefs start at 5.) Following the debrief I either relax for the last part of the day until it's time to leave at 7 or I go grab dinner around 5:30 if I'm hungry enough to eat by then. Also, every Sunday with either the lunch or dinner meal I enjoy a nice bowl of ice cream in honor of Ice Cream Sunday. :) I take off at 7 and hurriedly walk back to get changed and go straight to the shower room to shave so that I'm ready for bed. Because 8 PM is SKYPE TIME on Sundays!!! After that I just chill in the room and usually watch whatever football games come on at 9 unless it's the STEELERS then I stay up and watch till midnight or later.... and that's Sunday in a nutshell.
That leads us to Monday... another 5:30 AM wakeup for me. I work the early shift on Mondays, so I do the usual... and have coffee in hand enroute to breakfast. After my shift ends at 11 AM on Monday mornings I chill out for a little while in our "Ops Shack"... the Ops Shack is basically our place to relax and get on the computer and/or watch TV or play video games while we're not working out on the floor. You could say it's the place to unwind I suppose. Everyone needs that in their days, too. Believe me!!! After eating lunch at around 11:45... and getting back around 12:30... I usually do whatever I need to do for the day during the next hour and a half. If I don't have any admin stuff to work on then I do things like write my blog... email my wife and friends... pay my bills online... etc. Around 2:00 or so I start moving to go and work out. I usually spend a minimum of 65 minutes on the treadmill (Yesterday was 75) during this time. I run most of it and walk some of it. It's one of my more intense workout days. I usually get back to work around 4:40 or so and hit the debrief at 5. On Mondays I typically go to dinner, which is fajita night at the dining facility. By the time I get back it's well after 6 and almost time to head out again for the day. There is no planned Skype time for us on Mondays, so I am usually shaved and either laying on my bed by 8 or I go to the recreation center with my roommate for a little while and just hang out there with the laptop. I get into bed and read by about 9:30... and get to sleep sometime between 10 and 10:30.
Tuesdays are my late show day every week... which means I go to work at 10:30 in the morning instead of 6:40. That's a nice little break! I do, however, get up at 4:45 to go Skype with Anne Marie at 5 on Tuesday mornings. We usually talk till about 6 and then I go back to bed. I wake up around 9ish and start my day with a coffee and whatever I have for breakfast in the room or a muffin from the Green Bean. I go to lunch about an hour after getting into work and get back around 12:30. I don't work out on Tuesdays, so I have more time at work to get some stuff done if need be. As you can see... today this is what I'm doing during that time (since today is actually Tuesday!) :) I sit scope at 3... until the night crew comes to relieve us sometime shortly after 7 PM. Then it's dinner time and eventually bedtime around 10.
Wednesday is my least favorite day of the week... It's is by all means my MONDAY over here by far. It starts out like a somewhat normal day. I get up at 4:45 to go Skype with Anne Marie at 5. I get my coffee and walk to work between 6:20 and 6:25 to get here on time, of course! After the morning brief I head out to get breakfast and generally get back sometime before 8. At 9 o'clock I sit in the command post because it's the regular guy's day off... so there are 4 of us who take our turn sitting in there. For whatever reason, sitting in there stresses me out severely. I always feel like I'm giong to get stuck there for longer than I feel I should be in there and then it screws the rest of my day up. I'm supposed to get relieved at 11:30, which would work great for how I plan my afternoon, but it doesn't work on a clockwork schedule as such. Last Wed. it was almost 12:30... which didn't give me the time I needed to be able to comfortably get in my workout and eat lunch after. I had to woof down a footlong Subway Steak and Cheese sub in about 7 minutes. I felt horrible during my shift... from 3-7ish again. I do not normally go eat dinner on Wednesdays as I'm not very hungry yet at 7, and I'm simply tapped out from being stressed out all day.
Thursdays are pretty good, though... and it usually only takes me until Wednesday evening to unleash the stress from earlier in the day. Sometimes even the workout on Wed. afternoon takes care of that! I get up at 4:30 on Thursday mornings to Skype with Anne Marie at 4:45. We usually talk until just after 5:30 and then I go get ready for work. I get my coffee and breakfast before work as I sit the early shift. After my shift the day is pretty much identical to Monday. Lunch, a good late afternoon workout, dinner, and back to the room.
On Fridays I wake up at 4:30 also... for the 4:45 Skype date. Fridays are quite similar to Sundays. They are a blur. 3 shifts... 7-9... 11-1... and 3-5. The workout between first and second I leave as optional for myself because sometimes I'm in too much pain from the previous 2 days of intense work to do it a 3rd day in a row. I usually do, though. The only difference is I do not eat ice cream on Fridays... and sometimes I don't eat dinner until after work because I know I can sleep in on Saturday morning with having the day off and all. :)
That brings us to FANTASTIC Saturday!!! Yes... it's what I work all week for... the coveted day off!!! I'm generally pretty tired come Friday night, so I don't stay up very late... about 10:30 or 11 tops. I wake up at 8 on my day off. One may ask... WHY??? You have the day off... yet you don't sleep all that late. Well... if you notice I've been getting up at 4:30 the past 2 days... so 3 1/2 hours of extra sleep really is A LOT! Besides the dining facility closes for breakfast at 8:30, and Saturday is my omelet day! I eat my tasty bacon... hash browns... sausage... french toast sometimes... omelet... on Saturday morning. Mmmmmmm!!! Before that, however, I stop by the gym and step on the scale for my weekly weigh in. (A person thing... nothing official for the military... just to clarify). It's Saturday when I do my laundry as well... right after breakfast. Sometimes I go and call my dad while my laundry is going as well. I've chatted with my sister on Skype in my room during this time, too. I do whatever I feel like doing on my days off. I've gone to Ciano's, the Italian restaurant on base, and had calzone or pizza. I go to the movies sometimes. I walked to the Post Office one day... to the BX other times... I've only had 5 days off in my 3 months here, and they've all been Saturdays. I do not sit around in my room all day by any means, though! That's not my way of enjoying a day off. That's for sure! :) I even worked out this past Saturday for the first time out of 5. Anne Marie and I usually Skype at 6:30 my time on Saturdays. It works quite well. It's very enjoyable and relaxing to have that day to recover from the busy nature of the weeks here. Then by 10 or so it's bedtime and the end of yet another week in the desert....
So there you have it... a typical week in my deployed life here. As you can see there is a lot of routine built into it. I think it's important to have a routine when you're in a place like this and doing what we do here. Without it you kind of become lost and cause yourself a lot of unnecessary stress. It's not always perfectly set like that... but it's pretty darn close! It's also this routine that makes it seem like Groundhog Day every day because the days each week are so very similar. Not to mention, the dining facility serves the same menu on the same day each week as well. It's all part of the built in routine of Groundhog Day. Even the weather contributes to it. There literally has hardly been a single cloud in the sky for the last 40 days now. It's been between 70 and 80 during the day and in the 40s at night... every single day. It's gorgeous actually! I'm definitely not complaining at all!
Well... that's really it for today... happy reading and blogging everyone! It's a nice long one for you to enjoy. :)
Peace, Love, and Poker
Sundays are busy... and usually a blur. I wake up at 5:30 on Sunday mornings (Sunday is an evening Skype day for the wifey and I). I go use the restroom and brush my teeth just as most people do when they wake up... at least I would hope most of you do anyway! hehe I get changed into my uniform and roll out between 5:50 and 5:55 AM. I stop at the Green Bean for a morning Cup of Joe on my way to eat breakfast. I leave the dining facility for work around 6:25 with a 6:35 arrival at work in time for the 6:40 morning brief. After the brief I refill my coffee cup and head out to my first of 3 two-hour shifts for the day. After the first one I go and get a quick workout in... using as much time as I have available. I'm gone for almost 2 hours, but it only results in about 30-40 minutes of available workout time by the time I walk home... change... stretch... workout (30-40 minutes)... shower... change back... and walk back in time for shift number 2. After the second shift it's time to go eat lunch at 1:00 PM. I generally get there closer to 1:30 by the time I get moving and get back around 2:15. That only leaves 45 minutes to unwind before shift 3. I go out for the last shift and am done at 5 PM... and straight to the debrief room (debriefs start at 5.) Following the debrief I either relax for the last part of the day until it's time to leave at 7 or I go grab dinner around 5:30 if I'm hungry enough to eat by then. Also, every Sunday with either the lunch or dinner meal I enjoy a nice bowl of ice cream in honor of Ice Cream Sunday. :) I take off at 7 and hurriedly walk back to get changed and go straight to the shower room to shave so that I'm ready for bed. Because 8 PM is SKYPE TIME on Sundays!!! After that I just chill in the room and usually watch whatever football games come on at 9 unless it's the STEELERS then I stay up and watch till midnight or later.... and that's Sunday in a nutshell.
That leads us to Monday... another 5:30 AM wakeup for me. I work the early shift on Mondays, so I do the usual... and have coffee in hand enroute to breakfast. After my shift ends at 11 AM on Monday mornings I chill out for a little while in our "Ops Shack"... the Ops Shack is basically our place to relax and get on the computer and/or watch TV or play video games while we're not working out on the floor. You could say it's the place to unwind I suppose. Everyone needs that in their days, too. Believe me!!! After eating lunch at around 11:45... and getting back around 12:30... I usually do whatever I need to do for the day during the next hour and a half. If I don't have any admin stuff to work on then I do things like write my blog... email my wife and friends... pay my bills online... etc. Around 2:00 or so I start moving to go and work out. I usually spend a minimum of 65 minutes on the treadmill (Yesterday was 75) during this time. I run most of it and walk some of it. It's one of my more intense workout days. I usually get back to work around 4:40 or so and hit the debrief at 5. On Mondays I typically go to dinner, which is fajita night at the dining facility. By the time I get back it's well after 6 and almost time to head out again for the day. There is no planned Skype time for us on Mondays, so I am usually shaved and either laying on my bed by 8 or I go to the recreation center with my roommate for a little while and just hang out there with the laptop. I get into bed and read by about 9:30... and get to sleep sometime between 10 and 10:30.
Tuesdays are my late show day every week... which means I go to work at 10:30 in the morning instead of 6:40. That's a nice little break! I do, however, get up at 4:45 to go Skype with Anne Marie at 5 on Tuesday mornings. We usually talk till about 6 and then I go back to bed. I wake up around 9ish and start my day with a coffee and whatever I have for breakfast in the room or a muffin from the Green Bean. I go to lunch about an hour after getting into work and get back around 12:30. I don't work out on Tuesdays, so I have more time at work to get some stuff done if need be. As you can see... today this is what I'm doing during that time (since today is actually Tuesday!) :) I sit scope at 3... until the night crew comes to relieve us sometime shortly after 7 PM. Then it's dinner time and eventually bedtime around 10.
Wednesday is my least favorite day of the week... It's is by all means my MONDAY over here by far. It starts out like a somewhat normal day. I get up at 4:45 to go Skype with Anne Marie at 5. I get my coffee and walk to work between 6:20 and 6:25 to get here on time, of course! After the morning brief I head out to get breakfast and generally get back sometime before 8. At 9 o'clock I sit in the command post because it's the regular guy's day off... so there are 4 of us who take our turn sitting in there. For whatever reason, sitting in there stresses me out severely. I always feel like I'm giong to get stuck there for longer than I feel I should be in there and then it screws the rest of my day up. I'm supposed to get relieved at 11:30, which would work great for how I plan my afternoon, but it doesn't work on a clockwork schedule as such. Last Wed. it was almost 12:30... which didn't give me the time I needed to be able to comfortably get in my workout and eat lunch after. I had to woof down a footlong Subway Steak and Cheese sub in about 7 minutes. I felt horrible during my shift... from 3-7ish again. I do not normally go eat dinner on Wednesdays as I'm not very hungry yet at 7, and I'm simply tapped out from being stressed out all day.
Thursdays are pretty good, though... and it usually only takes me until Wednesday evening to unleash the stress from earlier in the day. Sometimes even the workout on Wed. afternoon takes care of that! I get up at 4:30 on Thursday mornings to Skype with Anne Marie at 4:45. We usually talk until just after 5:30 and then I go get ready for work. I get my coffee and breakfast before work as I sit the early shift. After my shift the day is pretty much identical to Monday. Lunch, a good late afternoon workout, dinner, and back to the room.
On Fridays I wake up at 4:30 also... for the 4:45 Skype date. Fridays are quite similar to Sundays. They are a blur. 3 shifts... 7-9... 11-1... and 3-5. The workout between first and second I leave as optional for myself because sometimes I'm in too much pain from the previous 2 days of intense work to do it a 3rd day in a row. I usually do, though. The only difference is I do not eat ice cream on Fridays... and sometimes I don't eat dinner until after work because I know I can sleep in on Saturday morning with having the day off and all. :)
That brings us to FANTASTIC Saturday!!! Yes... it's what I work all week for... the coveted day off!!! I'm generally pretty tired come Friday night, so I don't stay up very late... about 10:30 or 11 tops. I wake up at 8 on my day off. One may ask... WHY??? You have the day off... yet you don't sleep all that late. Well... if you notice I've been getting up at 4:30 the past 2 days... so 3 1/2 hours of extra sleep really is A LOT! Besides the dining facility closes for breakfast at 8:30, and Saturday is my omelet day! I eat my tasty bacon... hash browns... sausage... french toast sometimes... omelet... on Saturday morning. Mmmmmmm!!! Before that, however, I stop by the gym and step on the scale for my weekly weigh in. (A person thing... nothing official for the military... just to clarify). It's Saturday when I do my laundry as well... right after breakfast. Sometimes I go and call my dad while my laundry is going as well. I've chatted with my sister on Skype in my room during this time, too. I do whatever I feel like doing on my days off. I've gone to Ciano's, the Italian restaurant on base, and had calzone or pizza. I go to the movies sometimes. I walked to the Post Office one day... to the BX other times... I've only had 5 days off in my 3 months here, and they've all been Saturdays. I do not sit around in my room all day by any means, though! That's not my way of enjoying a day off. That's for sure! :) I even worked out this past Saturday for the first time out of 5. Anne Marie and I usually Skype at 6:30 my time on Saturdays. It works quite well. It's very enjoyable and relaxing to have that day to recover from the busy nature of the weeks here. Then by 10 or so it's bedtime and the end of yet another week in the desert....
So there you have it... a typical week in my deployed life here. As you can see there is a lot of routine built into it. I think it's important to have a routine when you're in a place like this and doing what we do here. Without it you kind of become lost and cause yourself a lot of unnecessary stress. It's not always perfectly set like that... but it's pretty darn close! It's also this routine that makes it seem like Groundhog Day every day because the days each week are so very similar. Not to mention, the dining facility serves the same menu on the same day each week as well. It's all part of the built in routine of Groundhog Day. Even the weather contributes to it. There literally has hardly been a single cloud in the sky for the last 40 days now. It's been between 70 and 80 during the day and in the 40s at night... every single day. It's gorgeous actually! I'm definitely not complaining at all!
Well... that's really it for today... happy reading and blogging everyone! It's a nice long one for you to enjoy. :)
Peace, Love, and Poker
Saturday, December 4, 2010
25 Things You Might Like to Know About Me...
Good (errrr) morning... I say errrr because It's just about 6 PM here in the desert and dark outside (and getting chilly already!) If you can call it chilly here. LOL A few of my friends have posted this, so I thought I'd do the same. It's fun, and hopefully you will all learn a few things about me you didn't already know! :)
1. Although most of you already know this, I am deployed to Iraq right now and doing a 6 month tour here. On the 7th of Dec. I will hit my 3 month and "theoretical" halfway point of the deployment. I say in theory because we will most likely be here at least a week beyond that. Still... it feels great!
2. I have a daughter, Tiffany, who lives with her mom in a small town in Iowa. She will turn 15 in March and is a freshman in high school. My gosh they grow up so very fast don't they???
3. I am totally a numbers guy and love everything to do with math and numbers. I was in accounting and finance my first 15 years of my Air Force career and plan to return to doing something similar when I retire in less than 2 years.
4. Piggybacking off of #3... I did not choose the career field I currently work in, and that eats away at me on a regular basis. I was forced to retrain in 2007, and I've had a very difficult time in the Air Force ever since. There have been times I've both hated it and myself in the last 3 years. This deployment has actually helped in that department. :)
5. At my heaviest I weighed 262 pounds (in the winter of 2008). My current weight as of this morning is 220. My lowest weight that I can remember in the last 10 years plus is 219 (back in June of this year).
6. I never liked cats... hated them even... almost my entire life. I now have a total of 4 cats who will live under my roof, and I love them more than anything in the world! I just didn't understand cats before. They really are awesome pets and MUCH easier to take care of than a dog believe it or not! :)
7. I am an extremely social person, but lately I spend a lot of time by myself both here and at work. I used to be fairly miserable like that, but I feel like I've "found" myself to some degree.
8. I am not a very picky eater, but if a piece of a mushroom or a coconut even comes anywhere near whatever it is I'm eating I won't take a single bite.
9. I despise the taste of fake sugar. I hate hate hate it! I don't understand how people can drink diet beverages and such. My brain just refuses to comprehend it.
10. I am an avid poker player and gambler. I love just about every single form of gambling as does everyone else in my family for the most part. I can spend hours... or days... gambling almost non-stop and never get tired of it. I would LOVE to live in Vegas someday!
11. Even though I've lost a lot of weight, I've never placed one single food off limits, and I will eat ANYTHING if I get a craving for it at any given time.
12. I was in an accident in June 2009 that totaled my car. I had only driven a half a block out of my apartment complex. I was lucky to walk away from it.
13. I consider myself a beer connoisseur, and I love trying many different and diverse types of beers. I also have not been able to have but non-alcoholic beer in 3 months now, and I'm ok. :)
14. I have been in a long distance relationship with my wife for over 3 years, since I moved from New York to Idaho. We got married in June of this year and still have yet to live together, but that's changing soon after I get back from the desert! :)
15. I have been to 46 states, and though I've traveled to Reno and Lake Tahoe (and add Phoenix and Vegas to that list as well)... I have never set foot in the state of California.
16. I have been bowling since I was 4 years old. I have not bowled on a league since I left my assignment in New York, and I have rolled 3 perfect 300 games.
17. There is nothing I hate more than hot weather. It makes me angry and irritable. Being hot to me is the most uncomfortable feeling in the world unless I'm in the middle of a workout. Then it's tolerable.
18. I miss living close to my family. Prior to getting stationed in Idaho, I lived 6 1/2 and 4 hours away from home at my previous 2 assignments (6 years plus). Now I only get to see them once a year on average.
19. I am a die hard fan of Pittsburgh sports teams... especially the Steelers and Penguins! I am willing to plan my activities around the games, and I will go wherever necessary to watch the games when they play!
20. I never wrote a blog until my first one on MFP. I now blog on blogspot almost daily during my deployment to Iraq, and I'm really enjoying the writing more and more!
21. I believe in living life to the fullest. I know it's different for everyone, but I believe in it just the same!
22. I feel just as connected to my online friends as I do to my "real life" friends.
23. Technology is awesome and isn't going anywhere soon. I believe people, both young and old, should do their best to embrace it and use it to their own advantage. Otherwise you're just cheating yourself.
24. I have been without my cell phone for 3 months now, and I really don't miss it all that much. :)
25. I feel like I have enough confidence in myself to do anything I put my mind to. I am not an arrogant or conceited person, either. I love people of all kinds, and I believe it's much easier to meet people and make friends if you're confident in yourself.
Wow... I did it!!!! Woohoo!!!! That was harder than I thought it would be. :) Enjoy the reading everyone! :)
Peace, Love, and Poker
1. Although most of you already know this, I am deployed to Iraq right now and doing a 6 month tour here. On the 7th of Dec. I will hit my 3 month and "theoretical" halfway point of the deployment. I say in theory because we will most likely be here at least a week beyond that. Still... it feels great!
2. I have a daughter, Tiffany, who lives with her mom in a small town in Iowa. She will turn 15 in March and is a freshman in high school. My gosh they grow up so very fast don't they???
3. I am totally a numbers guy and love everything to do with math and numbers. I was in accounting and finance my first 15 years of my Air Force career and plan to return to doing something similar when I retire in less than 2 years.
4. Piggybacking off of #3... I did not choose the career field I currently work in, and that eats away at me on a regular basis. I was forced to retrain in 2007, and I've had a very difficult time in the Air Force ever since. There have been times I've both hated it and myself in the last 3 years. This deployment has actually helped in that department. :)
5. At my heaviest I weighed 262 pounds (in the winter of 2008). My current weight as of this morning is 220. My lowest weight that I can remember in the last 10 years plus is 219 (back in June of this year).
6. I never liked cats... hated them even... almost my entire life. I now have a total of 4 cats who will live under my roof, and I love them more than anything in the world! I just didn't understand cats before. They really are awesome pets and MUCH easier to take care of than a dog believe it or not! :)
7. I am an extremely social person, but lately I spend a lot of time by myself both here and at work. I used to be fairly miserable like that, but I feel like I've "found" myself to some degree.
8. I am not a very picky eater, but if a piece of a mushroom or a coconut even comes anywhere near whatever it is I'm eating I won't take a single bite.
9. I despise the taste of fake sugar. I hate hate hate it! I don't understand how people can drink diet beverages and such. My brain just refuses to comprehend it.
10. I am an avid poker player and gambler. I love just about every single form of gambling as does everyone else in my family for the most part. I can spend hours... or days... gambling almost non-stop and never get tired of it. I would LOVE to live in Vegas someday!
11. Even though I've lost a lot of weight, I've never placed one single food off limits, and I will eat ANYTHING if I get a craving for it at any given time.
12. I was in an accident in June 2009 that totaled my car. I had only driven a half a block out of my apartment complex. I was lucky to walk away from it.
13. I consider myself a beer connoisseur, and I love trying many different and diverse types of beers. I also have not been able to have but non-alcoholic beer in 3 months now, and I'm ok. :)
14. I have been in a long distance relationship with my wife for over 3 years, since I moved from New York to Idaho. We got married in June of this year and still have yet to live together, but that's changing soon after I get back from the desert! :)
15. I have been to 46 states, and though I've traveled to Reno and Lake Tahoe (and add Phoenix and Vegas to that list as well)... I have never set foot in the state of California.
16. I have been bowling since I was 4 years old. I have not bowled on a league since I left my assignment in New York, and I have rolled 3 perfect 300 games.
17. There is nothing I hate more than hot weather. It makes me angry and irritable. Being hot to me is the most uncomfortable feeling in the world unless I'm in the middle of a workout. Then it's tolerable.
18. I miss living close to my family. Prior to getting stationed in Idaho, I lived 6 1/2 and 4 hours away from home at my previous 2 assignments (6 years plus). Now I only get to see them once a year on average.
19. I am a die hard fan of Pittsburgh sports teams... especially the Steelers and Penguins! I am willing to plan my activities around the games, and I will go wherever necessary to watch the games when they play!
20. I never wrote a blog until my first one on MFP. I now blog on blogspot almost daily during my deployment to Iraq, and I'm really enjoying the writing more and more!
21. I believe in living life to the fullest. I know it's different for everyone, but I believe in it just the same!
22. I feel just as connected to my online friends as I do to my "real life" friends.
23. Technology is awesome and isn't going anywhere soon. I believe people, both young and old, should do their best to embrace it and use it to their own advantage. Otherwise you're just cheating yourself.
24. I have been without my cell phone for 3 months now, and I really don't miss it all that much. :)
25. I feel like I have enough confidence in myself to do anything I put my mind to. I am not an arrogant or conceited person, either. I love people of all kinds, and I believe it's much easier to meet people and make friends if you're confident in yourself.
Wow... I did it!!!! Woohoo!!!! That was harder than I thought it would be. :) Enjoy the reading everyone! :)
Peace, Love, and Poker
The History of.... THE REFLECTIVE BELT!!!
What exactly is a reflective belt you might ask??? Certainly everyone has seen one and knows its purpose in their very lives... don't they? Well... some might not I suppose, but those of us in the military know it all too well! There are several ways to wear it. You can wear it the standard way... clipped around the waist. You can wear it over your shoulder like a sling like the Army folks do it. I really don't want to know how a Navy person would wear it. ;) I believe it all started in the Air Force, though.... Legend has it that someone on a deployment to SOMEWHERE was once run over by a REALLY BIG vehicle on that deployed base in the land of SOMEWHERE. The reason, THEY decided, was that the driver of the vehicle could not see the person because they weren't wearing their Air Force issued reflective belt at night! From then on it was set that ALL persons would wear them during the hours of darkness, but a legend has grown along with a bitter hatred for these $1.99 pieces of plastic. There's even a site for people who hate reflective belts with a membership of over 10,000!!!! Hard to believe isn't it??? When you think about it all, however, it's kind of mystical. 
You see the legend is that the reflective belt has evolved into a powerful protective force that, when wearing one, a person becomes, shall we say, INVINCIBLE! This is a very powerful thing... this invincibility. For instance... if you are walking home from work at night in the middle of the road you can do so quite safely because any vehicles that might hit you would simply bounce off of you!!! Yes... it's amazing isn't it??? That's not all, though! Just imagine the protection your offered during a time of war... while being shot at... if you're wearing this extremely powerful force field you will destroy the enemy at will!!! Their bullets will not only bounce off of you, but they will reflect back toward the shooters and take them out while you expend ZERO ammo!!!! NICE!!!! They've even started using them on Airplanes to protect them as well... a wonderful way to keep the passengers and cargo completely safe from harm!!! :) 
In the future you might even see more reflective belts for the family dog or cat... the pet goldfish... even the pet roach under the sink!!! The possibilities are ENDLESS!!!! In fact... as you can see... the family dog looks very fashionable (and safe) in his specially made pet reflective belt and harness!!! :)
Always remember... SAFETY FIRST!!!! There are so many more ways to put this super force field to use... pretty soon everyone will have one in their homes, in their offices, in their cars, etc.
So... in closing, I am reminded to keep my reflective belt handy at all times (during the hours of twilight to dusk) when outdoors. I don't dare walk from the room to the bathroom without it, either!!! After all, I could be run over by a car or a truck driving down between all of our barriers (only wide enough for two people or a bicycle) then I'd be up a shit creek!!! This has been an advertisement for Air Force Reflective Belts Today! WEAR THEM! :)
Peace, Love, and Poker
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
The Start of Yet Another Month!
'Tis true!!! It's now December! WOW! Each day/week/month that passes feels a little more surreal than the previous one. I feel like I JUST had my day off. That was 4 days ago already! After today and the next 2 I will be off again, and 13 weeks will have passed. So this Saturday what can I do that's "different" than what I've done on the others??? Last Saturday and the one before it I went to movies. That was different. There aren't any movies that I want to see per se this week, so I may not make the long trek to that part of the base this time around. That leaves other options open. There is always the USO... the internet is super fast over there, and they have food, but I've already done that before. If I do make the long trek it will be to Ciano's (Italian restaurant) to get either pizza or a calzone. Yes, I know, I've done that before as well, but it's just sooooooooo damn good! :) I have gotten up at 8 and gone for an omelet every morning so far. I suppose I could play poker Friday night this week and sleep later Saturday. Hmmm... I sure do like my omelets, though! I will definitely still be doing my laundry. That part will be the same. I have yet to work out on my day off once. Perhaps I will do that this time around. Even in Iraq there are decisions to be made! Isn't it ironic that volunteer work hasn't come to mind at all for me, though? Others have done plenty of that... some a little... but I've done none. I've yet to find something that I truly WANT to do in that department, and my time off is so little and so precious that I haven't been willing to give any of that up. It's highly unlikely that will change. I just feel like that's the only time here that's truly mine if that makes sense. Everyone needs to take care of themselves even if it does seem and/or sound selfish. When you work close to 70 hours a week you NEED that down time to unwind and release the stress.
I have not been extremely stressed out so far in my 3 months here aside from a time or two... which over the course of 85 days isn't all that bad. I'm feeling a little stressed today actually simply because of where I'm stuck at the moment. I am sitting in the command post as our Battle Staff Commander because it's the regular guy's day off. There are 4 of us who take turns at the position (actually 5 because our Chief sits here, too.), but it is looking like I may lose out on my planned workout time today, which is really going to piss me right the fuck off. We worked out a schedule for this last week... and it worked... but it is dependent on our Chief being here to sit the lunch hour, and he might be late, which throws a monkey wrench into everything. You see... I have to be on shift at 3 so I need to be able to work out AND eat lunch during the time in between 1130 and then. If I don't get out of here until noon or later I get fucked. This is what happened to me 2 or 3 weeks ago when I went and found someone to talk to because I was so stressed and upset, and the feeling is coming over me right now as I type like a shit storm. I know I tend to let things bother me more than I should, but damn it I'm trying to stick to a schedule and a routine here, and if I don't work out then I gain weight. If I gain weight then I get in trouble with my PT for the AF, and once that happens it's all downhill from there. So, as you can see, every single time I see myself losing my workout time it is a huge stress event for me. I hate Wednesdays here... it's the only day of the week I truly hate, too. *sigh*
Anyway... things are still great otherwise. It's just one of those things I suppose. Be flexible... BLAH BLAH BLAH. The whole bullshit line you get fed gets old. It's just the military's way of saying, "We own you... we will always own you... and you will do what we want you to when we want you to do it." That's just the way it goes, and I'm VERY glad I only have to deal with it for another 22 months or so! That's definitely the light at the end of the tunnel right there! :)
So... I should be back to my normal self by this time tomorrow... if not later on today. That's usually how it goes. Once I get out on scope doing the job I typically forget about it all anyway. Then another day will be over and done with, and I can move on to Thursday. :)
Peace, Love, and Poker
I have not been extremely stressed out so far in my 3 months here aside from a time or two... which over the course of 85 days isn't all that bad. I'm feeling a little stressed today actually simply because of where I'm stuck at the moment. I am sitting in the command post as our Battle Staff Commander because it's the regular guy's day off. There are 4 of us who take turns at the position (actually 5 because our Chief sits here, too.), but it is looking like I may lose out on my planned workout time today, which is really going to piss me right the fuck off. We worked out a schedule for this last week... and it worked... but it is dependent on our Chief being here to sit the lunch hour, and he might be late, which throws a monkey wrench into everything. You see... I have to be on shift at 3 so I need to be able to work out AND eat lunch during the time in between 1130 and then. If I don't get out of here until noon or later I get fucked. This is what happened to me 2 or 3 weeks ago when I went and found someone to talk to because I was so stressed and upset, and the feeling is coming over me right now as I type like a shit storm. I know I tend to let things bother me more than I should, but damn it I'm trying to stick to a schedule and a routine here, and if I don't work out then I gain weight. If I gain weight then I get in trouble with my PT for the AF, and once that happens it's all downhill from there. So, as you can see, every single time I see myself losing my workout time it is a huge stress event for me. I hate Wednesdays here... it's the only day of the week I truly hate, too. *sigh*
Anyway... things are still great otherwise. It's just one of those things I suppose. Be flexible... BLAH BLAH BLAH. The whole bullshit line you get fed gets old. It's just the military's way of saying, "We own you... we will always own you... and you will do what we want you to when we want you to do it." That's just the way it goes, and I'm VERY glad I only have to deal with it for another 22 months or so! That's definitely the light at the end of the tunnel right there! :)
So... I should be back to my normal self by this time tomorrow... if not later on today. That's usually how it goes. Once I get out on scope doing the job I typically forget about it all anyway. Then another day will be over and done with, and I can move on to Thursday. :)
Peace, Love, and Poker
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