Tuesday, August 15, 2006

Summer Sabbatical

It seems recently that all I do is apologize in the first few sentences of my blogs, apparently I have a lot of apologizing to do. I would like to blame my recent sabbatical on writer’s block, which isn’t completely untrue. The truth is I have wanted to write, I have even done some brain storming, which is what I normally do before I write a blog. And yet every time I sit down I end up blank, even now as I sit here at work early on a Monday morning I am staring at a blinking cursor at the top of a page. Well I am almost home, I believe I have somewhere in the vicinity of forty one days or so, Is it odd that I’m not half as excited about being home for good as I was about my two week vacation? I know that some of it has to do with the fact that I have wanted to see Hawaii since I was old enough to realize that California wasn’t the center of the universe. Another part of it is that I will be getting out of the Army 90 days after I step foot back into Washington and I really don’t know what I want to do. You have no Idea how scary that realization is to your favorite author. There are a few things that I would like to do, I would love to go back to school and get my teaching certificate, I think I could enjoy being a paramedic, as I do enjoy helping people and I have a lot of training in that area already. And as weird as it is, I would kind of like to be a manager at a movie theater again. I know that isn’t exactly the most glamorous of occupations, but I can honestly say that in the 12 years that I have been a working stiff, the three years I worked at the theater in The AV Mall are the years I remember being the happiest. Don’t get me wrong the past five and a half years in the Army have been fun... No I’m lying most of the last five years have been the complete opposite of fun, but I have learned a lot about my self and what I am capable of putting myself through.
Okay in other news, Rocky is entering her final week of OCS Training (Officer Candidate School) I am pretty sure that Rocky is going to do well in the Air Force, She is miserable right now but she is one of the strongest people I know, unfortunately she is also one of the most stubborn, I am really glad that she is going to be an officer, she would have a really hard time on the enlisted side of the fence. When you’re an officer you are able to be sassy with out nearly as much headache. I am learning that there are a couple of draw backs to being in a relationship with two military members, Rocky will be heading to Iraq some time in December, until that time she will be doing more training in and around California. So we will be able to spend some time together before she leaves, which honestly is going to be really good for the both of us. Normally the Air Force only deploys for 4 months, although I have been hearing rumors that they are going to start doing longer deployments in increments of 6 months, 9 months, and even the dreaded year long suck fest. It is sort of an odd thing to have a relationship that is completely based on communication, I know every inflection in her voice, she would tell you that I know her mood with in three words of our daily conversations; she would be off by two words. There are a lot of things that I regret in my life, meeting this amazing woman and falling for her is not one of them.
And on this side of the planet, about 6 days ago a couple of the people on my team had a little party, by little I mean they had a smashing good time, unfortunately someone that they had only met that night that lives near where the party was held had a little too much fun, and ended up with alcohol poisoning (Technically there is no alcohol allowed while a soldier is deployed, I am apparently one of the few people who hasn’t drank on this base, technically that would make me a goody two-shoes... damn it!)
Anyway because of the soldier who got sick the guys on my team have found them selves in some trouble, which blows, especially since the kid who got sick, in an effort to keep his own arse out of the fire is trying to drop dime (rat, tattle, tell the grown ups, what ever.) on everyone else at the party. The two guys who are getting the most heat had their rooms searched and for one of them this led to a lot more trouble, there was some contraband found which means that in the past six days my two team mates have not had very much sleep. Now here is the kicker Hard Hat is our team leader, but instead of standing by the guys on his team he has acted appalled as though he is completely above reproach, and has gone as far to imply that the two guys should get the maximum punishment. (Which with the way things are looking, is probably a good possibility, at the very least they will probably lose money and Rank... And trust me this close to the end that really, really, blows... ) Aside from the obvious there is this little issue, if they don’t get read there Article 15's within the next couple of days they may not be able to go home when we all ship our happy little selves to that beautiful North West coast. Obviously this is not their idea of fun. The reason I brought up Hard Hat is because I’m really angry at him. He is so arrogant and freaking high strung. He freaks out if he feels that he is losing control in any shape way or form. He is quick to snap judgment on anyone if they have a lapse in judgment or make a mistake, or like in the case of my Party friends intentionally do something wrong. Here’s the kicker, He is knowingly breaking two UCMJ laws, and he’s bragging about it. I really didn’t mind in the beginning that is, I didn’t mind until it began to become a problem at work. I can’t really go into details but it really is making me crazy. In my opinion he has put him self in a position where he is not able to perform his duties. How can you lead a team of soldiers if one day everything is happy go lucky and the next day your moping and grumpy because your girlfriend didn’t smile extra bright when you walked in.
If you haven’t noticed I’m grumpy myself, I am truly sorry it has been so long since I posted a blog but I have been dealing with a lot of personal issues, Just know that I am near the end of the tunnel and I truly can see the light at the end. And that alone is a reason to celebrate.

Quote of the Day:
“Remember; remember the 5th of November, Gunpowder, treason and plot”
Guy Fawkes

So yeah that quote makes way more sense if you have watched V For Vendetta or if you know any history what so ever… eh I’m a freak….

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

howzit Brah, long time no read.. da sign of life in the sandbox files.. lol
shaka brahda
aloha

Mr. Brooks said...

Glad to see you are ok. Hope you email me when you are back in the states.

Anonymous said...

So glad to see your blog again!!!!

75 days and counting until we fly to Vancouver, WA. to start our new adventure in life. We will be in San Jose, CA from Oct. 4th to Oct. 8th for the Barbershop competition. Mark has come up with a really big challenge for Gramps for the make-up. The contest songs are Frankenstein parodies -- "If I Only Had a Brain" and "Red Head" (titled "Dead Head" for the contest. They have gotten a headpiece/wig that Gramps has to match the make-up to and it turns out that the only make-up that will work is liquid. The samples (white, yellow & green) arrived the day before Homeland Security created the new list of "banned" articles on board airplanes. Hopefully they will ease the restrictions before we have to leave on Oct. 4th.

Keep yourself safe!!! If you don't feel like writing, at least post a blog that just says you're okay.

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