Friday, May 30, 2008
what the heck?
I don't get a lo of sun in through the window of my CHU, but in the early morning I do get a nice bright glow that tends to wake me up in time to go running too early in the morning. Except this morning... I woke up quite refreshed, but noticed it was still dark--I notice things like that. Then I noticed that the time was significantly later than when I normally wake up. That seemed odd... that is when I noticed (sharp observer that I am) that there was a set of blinds hanging up in my room and covering the window--it was perfectly bright outside, just not in my room. where the hell did those come from? I certainly didn't notice them when I stood next to the window last evening changing clothes--it isn't as bad as it sounds, the window is high and my wall locker door covers the window--jeesh!?! So, either I missed the blinds completely last evening when I got home, or someone snuck in the middle of the night and installed them while I was sleeping...
old looking... or better looking!??
I used to walk around a base out of uniform people would just say "hi"; they weren't sure what or who I was... should they salute, call me "sir" , jackass, or something else...
lately, this evening for instance, I am waling to the chow hall in my PT uniform--shorts and a t-shirt (more on the uniform later)--and two separate young enlisted men call me "sir". I can handle that. But, then an Army CPT calls me "sir" too!?!? I must be starting to look too old to be anything but a "sir"... that's depressing... but, now that I have a chance to think about, rationalize a bit (never underestimate the powers of self-deception!), I think that I must just have that air of competent authority about me that commands the respect of these young whipper-snappers!
you can vote just there to the right--->
lately, this evening for instance, I am waling to the chow hall in my PT uniform--shorts and a t-shirt (more on the uniform later)--and two separate young enlisted men call me "sir". I can handle that. But, then an Army CPT calls me "sir" too!?!? I must be starting to look too old to be anything but a "sir"... that's depressing... but, now that I have a chance to think about, rationalize a bit (never underestimate the powers of self-deception!), I think that I must just have that air of competent authority about me that commands the respect of these young whipper-snappers!
you can vote just there to the right--->
A bit more thanks
I have been chastised! I share much of the food I get with the folks
here at work, and they all asked that I put in a big "thank you" from
them to you in my last post--I forgot. Anyway, I hope to set the record
straight with this post--THANKS! From me and the others in the office.
here at work, and they all asked that I put in a big "thank you" from
them to you in my last post--I forgot. Anyway, I hope to set the record
straight with this post--THANKS! From me and the others in the office.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
package check...
Whew! I am back baby!
I hadn't even realized it had been so long since my last post... You know how you get really busy, then you have to travel, so you try to finish everything except you cannot, then you actually travel, then you come back and there is all the work you left and the new stuff that you got from your travels and the news stuff that appeared on your desk while you were gone? I don't know if there is a name for that phenomenon, but I will call it my excuse for not posting in a while... thanks to those of you that wrote to see if all was well here! Busy is good--makes the days go faster ;-)
A couple of quick tidbits:
* this is a desert... water can sometimes run in short supply... in the last week the base has started urging people to conserve and take combat showers... two nights ago, doing my part, I get wet, then a nice head of lather all over my body, and then go to rinse off--NO WATER!!??!! But, the shower across the trailer is going just fine--I know there are two hot water tanks, but they are connected to the same feed, so what's up with that!?? I was seriously worried for about a minute, but then, slowly, very slowly, the water pressure built back up in my shower and I was soon rinsed--odd way to conserve water
* I may be going nuts--definitely here too long. I was walking to lunch yesterday and stopped to use the port-o-john on the way to the chow hall. I stepped inside and it smelled delicious! Nice sauteed garlic smell--clearly I was going out my small mind... I was relieved when I stepped out and realized the smell was actually coming from the chow hall and just happened to waft over at that time--the garlic-o-potty would have been too much!
Anyway, that isn't what I wanted to write about today... But, I do want to take a moment to note that the above ablution anecdotes are not part of the ongoing quadrilogy of bathroom-based stories--we will get back to that later! So, to the task at hand.
As a military officer I am not supposed be openly "political", or, at least not publicly political... (and this blog is somewhat private) but, I don't think I am going too far out on a limb by saying that this war isn't terribly popular back home in the States. But the support for the troops in general, and me in particular ;-) is really amazing--it does wonders.
The highlight of everyone's day is mail call. If you get that e-mail in the morning that says you have a package waiting (for pickup at the mail room between 1245 and 1400), then the entire morning is ripe with anticipation. Even if you don't have something waiting, someone in your section does, and most folks are kind enough to share the goodies that they receive with the group. Even if you don't get something, and nobody in you section gets anything, almost every day the chaplain receives boxes of goodies (a lot of girl scout cookies--I think they took all the cookies they didn't sell and shipped them over here! Although many of the boxes of GS cookies are specially marked with a "thank you" for the troops) that are for all the soldiers (and sailor) in the battalion.
These are people that may or may not know someone serving in Iraq that simply send things through the Any Soldier (sailor, airman, Marine too) program. I understand that when the Cupertino neighbors were discussing sending a package to me with some acquaintances that one of them ended trying to donate some money to the cause--this kind of support really means a lot to everyone.
So, I wanted to send a big mahalo to those thinking positive thoughts, those supporting Peg and the kids back home, those that take the time to write (e-mails, letters--it doesn't matter), and those that send off the packages! Here is a sampling of the good things I have gotten over the last couple months (since I last said thanks!):
Thanks all!
I hadn't even realized it had been so long since my last post... You know how you get really busy, then you have to travel, so you try to finish everything except you cannot, then you actually travel, then you come back and there is all the work you left and the new stuff that you got from your travels and the news stuff that appeared on your desk while you were gone? I don't know if there is a name for that phenomenon, but I will call it my excuse for not posting in a while... thanks to those of you that wrote to see if all was well here! Busy is good--makes the days go faster ;-)
A couple of quick tidbits:
* this is a desert... water can sometimes run in short supply... in the last week the base has started urging people to conserve and take combat showers... two nights ago, doing my part, I get wet, then a nice head of lather all over my body, and then go to rinse off--NO WATER!!??!! But, the shower across the trailer is going just fine--I know there are two hot water tanks, but they are connected to the same feed, so what's up with that!?? I was seriously worried for about a minute, but then, slowly, very slowly, the water pressure built back up in my shower and I was soon rinsed--odd way to conserve water
* I may be going nuts--definitely here too long. I was walking to lunch yesterday and stopped to use the port-o-john on the way to the chow hall. I stepped inside and it smelled delicious! Nice sauteed garlic smell--clearly I was going out my small mind... I was relieved when I stepped out and realized the smell was actually coming from the chow hall and just happened to waft over at that time--the garlic-o-potty would have been too much!
Anyway, that isn't what I wanted to write about today... But, I do want to take a moment to note that the above ablution anecdotes are not part of the ongoing quadrilogy of bathroom-based stories--we will get back to that later! So, to the task at hand.
As a military officer I am not supposed be openly "political", or, at least not publicly political... (and this blog is somewhat private) but, I don't think I am going too far out on a limb by saying that this war isn't terribly popular back home in the States. But the support for the troops in general, and me in particular ;-) is really amazing--it does wonders.
The highlight of everyone's day is mail call. If you get that e-mail in the morning that says you have a package waiting (for pickup at the mail room between 1245 and 1400), then the entire morning is ripe with anticipation. Even if you don't have something waiting, someone in your section does, and most folks are kind enough to share the goodies that they receive with the group. Even if you don't get something, and nobody in you section gets anything, almost every day the chaplain receives boxes of goodies (a lot of girl scout cookies--I think they took all the cookies they didn't sell and shipped them over here! Although many of the boxes of GS cookies are specially marked with a "thank you" for the troops) that are for all the soldiers (and sailor) in the battalion.
These are people that may or may not know someone serving in Iraq that simply send things through the Any Soldier (sailor, airman, Marine too) program. I understand that when the Cupertino neighbors were discussing sending a package to me with some acquaintances that one of them ended trying to donate some money to the cause--this kind of support really means a lot to everyone.
So, I wanted to send a big mahalo to those thinking positive thoughts, those supporting Peg and the kids back home, those that take the time to write (e-mails, letters--it doesn't matter), and those that send off the packages! Here is a sampling of the good things I have gotten over the last couple months (since I last said thanks!):
- music and movies from tommy
- Poi Dog Pondering and Trader Joe's goodies from KT--the Punjab Choley is BURNIN' my tongue as I type--wow!
- soup noodles and macadamia surprise from hawaii
- books-excellent books from Gina
- toys (that maddening paddle with a ball at the end of an elastic string--arrrgh!!) and the best adenovirus t-shirt ever from Mary
- pound cake, curtains, and frisbee (among other wonders) from Mom
- a chair from Andrew and Peg--now I can sit and type in comfort (Andrew does need a lesson in packing for world wide shipping though...); and more food than I could eat in a year, and lots of DVDs with the latest TV shows so I don't get too far behind
- Italian food, CD, and made art from Connor and Brian (I won't say which one made the art)
- Detailed experimental notes from Grandpa Tom on the performance characteristics of a Stirling engine!
- Sardines for eating, and magazines for reading, and bones for chewing and puzzles for thinking from JP and Dianne and Jake (the dog--he wanted my teeth strong--no scurvy here!) And, the fish helps the brain for all the reading and puzzles--sudoku gets easier every time I fly!
Thanks all!
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
shower hours (B of D)
The shower trailer is very nice; walk in and there are twelve sinks to your left, six on each wall, and twelve showers on your right, again, six on each wall. Plus, a large 100 gallon water heater for each side of the trailer--no worries there! The floor in front of the shower has a nice wooden lattice over it so that you stand up out of any puddled water, though there is very little of that because the drains work swimmingly. The contractor responsible for the showers cleans them twice a day--so they are usually spic and span, not what you might expect from a set of trailers that I don't know how many scores of people use. The issue is the sign on the front door of the trailer... this is the sign that tells you when the trailer is closed for this phenomenal cleaning that the contractor does twice daily.
The first time the shower is closed is from 10:30 am until 11:00 am; seems reasonable, after the morning rush and not a heavy showering time. The next time the shower is closed for cleaning is 1 pm until 1:30 pm. How dirty do you think the shower gets in the two hours over lunch when NO ONE uses them!?!?!? Why the heck would they do that? Do you think the government (us) paying the contractor is getting their money's worth? Is the soldier (sailor, airmen and Marine) getting a super clean shower out of the deal!! I think not!! But, maybe that is why I run at lunch (while the weather allows it) and take a shower at the cleanest part of the day!
The first time the shower is closed is from 10:30 am until 11:00 am; seems reasonable, after the morning rush and not a heavy showering time. The next time the shower is closed for cleaning is 1 pm until 1:30 pm. How dirty do you think the shower gets in the two hours over lunch when NO ONE uses them!?!?!? Why the heck would they do that? Do you think the government (us) paying the contractor is getting their money's worth? Is the soldier (sailor, airmen and Marine) getting a super clean shower out of the deal!! I think not!! But, maybe that is why I run at lunch (while the weather allows it) and take a shower at the cleanest part of the day!
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