Okay, this place is truly odd...
Apparently despite the fact that guidelines are put out beforehand, you can do what you want to do and they will just allow it. For instance:
Okay, as you already know from the school packet, no one should have a flight home on Friday before 1400. Does anyone have a flight before 1400?
Several hands go up.
Alright, well, we can see if we can work around that, what time are your flights?
"10:30" "10:00" "12:30"
Well, that shouldn't be a problem. Anyone have an earlier flight?
One hand goes up "I do, 0730"
Wow, okay, we usually have testing on Friday morning, but maybe we can work around that.
Uh, WHAT? And it didn't stop there...
I'm not sure if you know, I see some of you have chewing tobacco, we don't allow that here, as this is a federal building.
But, well, I suppose if it doesn't bother the person next to you, that isn't going to be an issue.
At this point I was nearly laughing. Here's what I expected to hear but didn't:
Make sure you aren't running along the roads marked "No Jogging", they are 35 mph roads and it is dangerous to run along them. Unless you want to, if you really want to you can run on those roads.
We are really cracking down on drinking and driving, it is illegal and is absolutely NOT allowed on post. The post MP's will pull you over. If you are insistent on drinking and driving however, just let the MP's know and it should be okay.
There is a dress code here on post. Do not wear parts of the Army PT uniform, you have to wear it as a set, or not wear it. Unless you want to be naked, if you feel like being naked that is fine. Just use sunscreen, unless you don't want sunscreen. That's okay too.
Class starts at 0700. You can miss up to 4 hours. If you miss more than 4 hours you will likely be dismissed from the course. Unless of course you don't want to come to class, you can stay in your room, drink and drive, or run naked on the no jogging roads, while getting set for your 6 in the morning flight on Friday. Pretty much do whatever you want, you'll be fine.
Listen Here You Dog Faced Pony Soldiers!
Monday, July 29, 2013
0800? Wow!
I don't think I've ever had a military class start at 0800, what do they think they are, civilians here? Haha, not like I'll complain all that much.
I got ready this morning and was set to head over thinking it was 0700 start time but apparently I ws wrong. The class starts at 0800. That's cool, gives me about 30 minutes to just sit here and randomly put some thoughts to my blog. I slept okay last night, got to sleep a little after midnite. Lately the anxiety has started to really dissipate, which is good. I suppose that has a lot to do with getting all the ducks in a row. House is in process of being sold (fingers crossed), so I took another step and committed to renting a house right next to where I work. Hooray for not having to drive 90 miles one way to get home. Lil N' is registered for classes at Kindergarten, and excited about it. Lil maN' is signed up for daycare.
Spoke a bit with one of my buddies last night, he wants me to go to Canada next year on a fishing trip. I thought that sounded pretty awesome, I'm glad I have a lot of time to consider it because if it were this year there would be no way. Financially I have so much to rebuild following the debacle of the last two years. I don't know if I even have 2,000 left in my retirement :( That's a far cry from where I was in 2007. It will get better, removing certain anchors from my life is going to help so much.
I still plan to visit Machu Pichu someday, maybe I'll take the little ones, we'll see. I want them to actually be old enough to appreciate the wonders of the world. I think starting off with Disneyland is a good place to begin.
I got ready this morning and was set to head over thinking it was 0700 start time but apparently I ws wrong. The class starts at 0800. That's cool, gives me about 30 minutes to just sit here and randomly put some thoughts to my blog. I slept okay last night, got to sleep a little after midnite. Lately the anxiety has started to really dissipate, which is good. I suppose that has a lot to do with getting all the ducks in a row. House is in process of being sold (fingers crossed), so I took another step and committed to renting a house right next to where I work. Hooray for not having to drive 90 miles one way to get home. Lil N' is registered for classes at Kindergarten, and excited about it. Lil maN' is signed up for daycare.
Spoke a bit with one of my buddies last night, he wants me to go to Canada next year on a fishing trip. I thought that sounded pretty awesome, I'm glad I have a lot of time to consider it because if it were this year there would be no way. Financially I have so much to rebuild following the debacle of the last two years. I don't know if I even have 2,000 left in my retirement :( That's a far cry from where I was in 2007. It will get better, removing certain anchors from my life is going to help so much.
I still plan to visit Machu Pichu someday, maybe I'll take the little ones, we'll see. I want them to actually be old enough to appreciate the wonders of the world. I think starting off with Disneyland is a good place to begin.
Sunday, July 28, 2013
First Long Trip In The Cruz!
I've had the Chevy Cruz Eco for a few months now, I take a lot of 100 mile trips (being that I'm about that far from the Omaha house when I'm at work) but I've yet to take a truly long trip.
That all changed today. I got put in for the Training NCO course down in Arkansas, so I got everything set up last night and headed out this morning. I didn't have to leave early, because it's about a 9 hour trip, so I left at 9 am.
Even though I had about 7/8 of a tank of gas I wanted to be completely full to see how far I could get, so I topped off before leaving, and got some hot chocolate. On to I-80, then over to Iowa and onto I-29 south. The first couple of hours were mostly uneventful, although I did realize today that my XM Radio was shut off, I will likely call in a couple days and barter with them for a half hour to get a highly reduced rate, considering they want an insane amount of money and all I really ever listen to are the comedy stations.
Traffic wasn't too bad considering it was a Sunday, a summertime Sunday no less. I did take the wrong route three separate times, which was annoying but I found myself laughing, because the first time my real estate agent called, the second time it was my dad, and the third time some private call that never said anything. Don't take phone calls while driving in an area you aren't familiar with, apparently that is something I should learn.
Arkansas... I am not sure where to start. First off, what in the hell kind of interstate suddenly turns into a regular highway and a half mile later there is an intersection with a red light? I checked the map, showed that we were still on an interstate, but apparently Arkansas goes by a different set of rules.
The other really unbelievable thing... it is enough to have annoying drivers who don't get out of the left lane, and Arkansas has an abundance of that, believe me. But even worse, there had to be half a dozen of what can best be described as "erratic MPH drivers". I generally see one or two on a long trip, but this was madness because there were literally like 6 or 7 of them in the last 2 hours of my trip.
The erratic MPH driver is the guy you come up on and he seems to speed up as you are getting closer, then finally you get around him, 5 minutes later here he comes creeping up on you and passing you. The worst one was the last guy, about 4 times in he was creeping up on me as I came up on a truck, this time I cut him off, I'd had enough, went about 90 for a couple minutes then slowed up. I figured that would get rid of him, and it did (doesn't always work). What in the fuck is so hard about using cruise control???
I got into North Little Rock, and I have to say, it is a bit scary. There seems to be a LOT of liquor stores, car washes, and churches. Add to that, there are a whole shitload of places named Camp Robinson this and Camp Robinson that. I was focused in on North Little Rock itself and didn't realize that the camp is actually on the very north side of town, and is quite big by comparison to all the small "Camp Robinson" named things further south.
So after I finally got that all sorted out, I got on post, found the check in building, got my room, and parked. These are very nice rooms, much like being in a hotel. Everyone tells me that this is like a vacation, and from the camp itself, I can see that, very nice in every way, however, you have to go a ways outside of North Little Rock to find anything nice, it's a real dump out there. Apparently some of the people have been here before and they are going to take me out on the town, that should be a lot of fun.
Trying to keep my mind off all I have to do at home right now, because I can't do much with it anyway. The buyers are wondering about the stains on the ceiling, the same stains the real estate agent said "Oh don't worry about it" when I said I'd painted them but the color was off. Now that same real estate agent is making a big deal out of it *sigh*. Oh well. The roof being fixed and windows having been recaulked should fix all of that.
So, for now, watching a so so Gladiator type movie (not Gladiator, something else) on one of the HBO channels (yah, HBO on post? Wow!). Talked to the kids for about 2 minutes, but they were playing a new game on the IPad, said they'd call me back, it's 10:30 now, not happening haha. That's okay, they will be in our new house shortly, I'm so excited about it. I just hope I can make the finances hold out until then.
Oh, and one parting shot before I go...
I'm really not sure if this is a good way to be transporting horses, but I guess if you lack a horse trailer:
These are some of the best trained horses I have ever seen, it is good they are strapped down though so they don't jump off.
That all changed today. I got put in for the Training NCO course down in Arkansas, so I got everything set up last night and headed out this morning. I didn't have to leave early, because it's about a 9 hour trip, so I left at 9 am.
Even though I had about 7/8 of a tank of gas I wanted to be completely full to see how far I could get, so I topped off before leaving, and got some hot chocolate. On to I-80, then over to Iowa and onto I-29 south. The first couple of hours were mostly uneventful, although I did realize today that my XM Radio was shut off, I will likely call in a couple days and barter with them for a half hour to get a highly reduced rate, considering they want an insane amount of money and all I really ever listen to are the comedy stations.
Traffic wasn't too bad considering it was a Sunday, a summertime Sunday no less. I did take the wrong route three separate times, which was annoying but I found myself laughing, because the first time my real estate agent called, the second time it was my dad, and the third time some private call that never said anything. Don't take phone calls while driving in an area you aren't familiar with, apparently that is something I should learn.
Arkansas... I am not sure where to start. First off, what in the hell kind of interstate suddenly turns into a regular highway and a half mile later there is an intersection with a red light? I checked the map, showed that we were still on an interstate, but apparently Arkansas goes by a different set of rules.
The other really unbelievable thing... it is enough to have annoying drivers who don't get out of the left lane, and Arkansas has an abundance of that, believe me. But even worse, there had to be half a dozen of what can best be described as "erratic MPH drivers". I generally see one or two on a long trip, but this was madness because there were literally like 6 or 7 of them in the last 2 hours of my trip.
The erratic MPH driver is the guy you come up on and he seems to speed up as you are getting closer, then finally you get around him, 5 minutes later here he comes creeping up on you and passing you. The worst one was the last guy, about 4 times in he was creeping up on me as I came up on a truck, this time I cut him off, I'd had enough, went about 90 for a couple minutes then slowed up. I figured that would get rid of him, and it did (doesn't always work). What in the fuck is so hard about using cruise control???
I got into North Little Rock, and I have to say, it is a bit scary. There seems to be a LOT of liquor stores, car washes, and churches. Add to that, there are a whole shitload of places named Camp Robinson this and Camp Robinson that. I was focused in on North Little Rock itself and didn't realize that the camp is actually on the very north side of town, and is quite big by comparison to all the small "Camp Robinson" named things further south.
So after I finally got that all sorted out, I got on post, found the check in building, got my room, and parked. These are very nice rooms, much like being in a hotel. Everyone tells me that this is like a vacation, and from the camp itself, I can see that, very nice in every way, however, you have to go a ways outside of North Little Rock to find anything nice, it's a real dump out there. Apparently some of the people have been here before and they are going to take me out on the town, that should be a lot of fun.
Trying to keep my mind off all I have to do at home right now, because I can't do much with it anyway. The buyers are wondering about the stains on the ceiling, the same stains the real estate agent said "Oh don't worry about it" when I said I'd painted them but the color was off. Now that same real estate agent is making a big deal out of it *sigh*. Oh well. The roof being fixed and windows having been recaulked should fix all of that.
So, for now, watching a so so Gladiator type movie (not Gladiator, something else) on one of the HBO channels (yah, HBO on post? Wow!). Talked to the kids for about 2 minutes, but they were playing a new game on the IPad, said they'd call me back, it's 10:30 now, not happening haha. That's okay, they will be in our new house shortly, I'm so excited about it. I just hope I can make the finances hold out until then.
Oh, and one parting shot before I go...
I'm really not sure if this is a good way to be transporting horses, but I guess if you lack a horse trailer:
These are some of the best trained horses I have ever seen, it is good they are strapped down though so they don't jump off.
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