You need what?

Today I went to my unit deployment monitor to see if she had heard about my deployment. There it was, in her three ring binder. I don't know how long she's had it or when she was going to tell me about it. I also asked her who I talk to next about all the stuff I need to get done. Yeah, she had no idea. So, I call the base personel readiness unit and they say that all they do is cut the orders and I have to go to my UDM for the other stuff. I go back and tell her, she starts to look a bit confused. She gets on the computer and finds a checklist, not the one I need. She finds some thing else. I already have it. So she finds some thing else. It might be right but I have to do a couple of things before I get the tickets. Why can't all squadrons be like CE when it comes to deploying? Why can't my UDM know what she's doing? She gets paid just to do that. It's days like this...

Instead of starting my trip home tonight, I have to go in and get these tickets taken care of. The same tickets I could have taken care of before I went to Jersey if things where done right. I sure do hope that I get them before noon tomorrow. I plan to be out of town by that time so it gives them four hours. Then again, it is the Air Force.

Combat Skills Training.. not run by the Army

The training I went to at Fort Dix wasn't too bad. For one, it was all Air Force. Two any place you can play paintball and laser tag, and call it training, can't be that bad. Sure there was a lot of classroom stuff. We learned how to do things like walk outside, clear buildings and towns, and what to do in convoys. I also learned that being point man in the Bravo fire team sucks. I was that guy every time. I didn't survive past the stairs any time we cleared buildings.

I was in charge of a squad when we did a field exercise involving wounded people and an obstacle course. I didn't do too bad with it except for the Alfa fire team was a bit too eager and got a bit ahead. The Cadre decided to kill me off to see what the squad could do. It was cute, the two smallest females grabbed my hands and drug me, in full battle rattle, down a trail until one of our guys came back and lifted me into a fireman's carry to get me to the evac point.

Maybe it was the not being at work doing what it is I normally do. Or maybe it was the not being at work thing, but apparently I wasn't my normal self. The squadron leader for Alfa One, my squad, said that I was a pretty calm and laid back. That could be true I guess.

On the last day of training before we got split into AFSC specific classes I did have a run-in with a certain Light Colonel of Alfa Two. We shall refer to them as Alfa Douche from here out. I cleared my weapon in one room and while I was waiting to take it to the window I was told, by the Cadre, to take it to a different one and turn it in. I went to the other window in the hallway and was about to turn it in when I hear "That weapon needs to be cleared first." I turn around and look up and down the long ass line. Wouldn't you know the Alfa Douche commander was in that line. Here's how the conversation went.

ADC "You need to get that weapon cleared."
I look down the line as he points to where it ends, "I've already cleared it in the other room. I was told to turn it in out here."
"You should have turned it in there then."
"I was going to but I was told to do that here."
"Then you can wait and get it cleared out here."
"Whatever." I turn to put the weapon into the window for the guy waiting.
"That is a negative on the whatever!" (yes, this guy is much hhoooaa)
I turn around to tell him, one more time, that the guys in charge told me to do this when my squadron commander interupts.
MSC "He was told by the Cadre to turn it in there and that's what he's going to do."
I got quite the dirty look from the Douche commander.
I went outside and was asked about what happened. I told the story and then the class commander, a full bird, asked who said that. Well, Alpha Douche commander of course. He got quite the chuckle out of that one and agreed.
Nothing ever came of it, so oh well.

I did make it to see John, Juliette and their baby. That was fun.

Also made it to New York Friday after class, we got out at 11 that morning. That's a nice place. Seen the Statue of Liberty from pretty far away. We also found Ground Zero. That was pretty cool. There is a memorial type building near there that has been open for a month. It had all kinds of quotes and stories and pictures. There where also pieces and things from the wreckage and personal items. It was kinda crazy. Outside by the subway there where more pictures. I have pics but the camera seems to be packed away so I'll put them up this weekend.

The girl I was with and I took quite the tour of Soho. Yeah, I apparently kept turning when I should have kept going straight. I wonder how people can get mugged in the alleys of New York because I didn't see any alleys to get mugged in, strangest thing. The taxi ride from Soho to Times Square was pretty cool with all the honking and everyone cutting everyone off. I could never drive there. Speaking of taxis, I damn near got hit by one. No shit, there I was, crossing the street when she yells my name. I look up and see that I am in the way of a taxi that, although is still on the other side of the intersection, is not slowing down. I kinda look at it then decide to step back out of its way. Yeah, I'm not too sure but I think he pretty much ran that light.

Yeah, I know where I'm going now and yeah, it's in Iraq. It is also a one man shop. That means I'll be doing it all while I'm there.

I got trip 8s, beat that

Well, I went out tonight. And by out I do mean by myself and to a bar. It just happened to be a poker bar. It was pretty fun. I played some cards and lost some money. The table I was on had a chip bully on it. It didn't help that he didn't have much of an idea what he was doing. It also didn't help that he was verry verry lucky. And by luck I mean all in before the flop and catching on the last card. Finally a few at the table where able to gang up and get him out. It wasn't necessarilly a legit way either, but they got him off the table. After that it was a real game. I let him bully me into an all in and again he chased the cards and got what he needed. I did have a decent hand though.

After the second knock out I played some trivia game with the bartenders. I missed the few first questions and was still able to make second on that. So that's cool.

It was a good night and I plan to go back. Maybe not next week since I'll be going on my training TDY Sunday. I get back I'll be there playing though.

Another one of those days

There I was at work this mornin. I wasn't there 20 minutes and already irritated, and I was the only one in the office. I'm not real sure it's just the going to work thats causing this. It could be other things not work related. I think it is mostly work. And by work I do mean being in the Air Force. Today was one of days when I just want to call this quits. Right now I don't feel like doing this any more. Do I really think that I can last another 14 years? I'm probably crazy. Maybe one more enlistment just so I can get most of my classes done? I am rocking that 4.0 from the other two. Even just one more enlistment is pushing my tollerance limit. That's at least four more years.

Why can't I just quit? Like when my time is up just get out. It can't be thatt hard to, people do it all the time. Maybe it's giving up? Something I'm not too good at. It's not giving up though. I know I can't deal with ass backwardsness and that all the Air Force is. The higher ups aren't looking ot fix the problem, only make it worse.

Maybe I'll be back into not hating the Air Force, as much, after this TDY. I'm still confused as to why I have to go to Jersey for training they have here.

Well, get past that, and when a certain something else else gets taken care of, and maybe I'll be in a better mood. Remember, I am looking forward to going to the desert. Just so I can do my job and not worry about all the stupid little things here.

I have been on the assignments web site quite a bit the last couple of months looking for a 365 day deployment, but there aren't any yet. My job also isn't one with a 179 day rotation, yet. I will be putting in to extend when I gt there though.

Again with the cops

Today I was driving on base when I went by a cop. I had just gotten up to speed as another car went past me. The cop catches up and follows me down the road. I turned and he turned. Then he turned on his lights.

He talked on his little radio. Then he got out of his car and stood behind the door. He kept looking around like he was expecting others. He got back into his car and sat there for a minute. Then he got back out and stood next to his car. Finally he came up and the conversation went something like this.

"The reason I pulled you over today is because you where on your cell phone when you passed me."
"No sir, I sure wasn't."
"Yes you where."
"No, I wasn't. I was leaning my head on my hand like this. I tilt my head and put it in my left hand."
"I need to see your license and proof of insurance."
I look at a piece of paper to make sure it is the insurance.
"So you weren't on your phone?"
"No I wasn't." The phone rings. "In fact, this is my first call of the day." I turn off the ringer and hand him the insurance paper.
"It's funny, you say you where leaning your head like this" he puts his left hand up to his head, "but you where leaning like this." He puts his right hand up to his ear.
"Ok, either way I wasn't on it."
"Could you hold up your cell phone so I can get a look at it?"
I hold up the phone.
His little radio tells him that my car is legal.
"I'm going to go ahead and let you go this time."
"Ok."
Why keep asking if I was on it? I can prove that I wasn't. They do have time stamp and durration logs on the phones. I leave and get off the base. It's cool that they pretend to do their job, but can't they pretend with people that really are on their phones?

It's official, I'm going to be in Jersey for training in a couple of weeks. Looks like I'll be in a dorm room for most of the time. We'll be outside a couple of nights according to the equipment list. The best part is that I don't need to take my chem gear. It's not on the list, I'm not taking it. Maybe they figure we practice that enough? We practice everything else too.

Then I get the email that I will be going to the same training here on base teh week before I go to Jersey. I emailed the scheduler back and told her that I was going to be running around getting ready for the other training and I wouldn't make it. The civilian in charge emailed too and asked about it. Our Chief of Staff said that the Jersey training with the Army takes care of the base training here. Why am I going to waste a bunch of money that the Air Force claims not to have for training that I can get here? And people can't understand why so many are getting kicked out. It's not because the Air Force wants to buy weapons and things. It's because the people who run it can't figure out how not to waste money and come up with stupid ideas like this.

The latest issue of the Eye In the Sky is out. I have a couple of stories and a bunch of photos this time. Yay me! Here real soon, when the Airman gets it set up, we will only be doing web based articles. No more waiting for the paper to come out.

Did ya miss me?

Well, I've been back for a week, just haven't posted. So here it goes.

The drive down was pretty good. When I got there though someone wasn't around because she thought that a car full of females could get some place on time. That's just crazy talk. It probably didn't help that I got there an hour ahead of schedule. I went to the coast a couple of days while she was in class and got some pics of things. I got a few with the regular camera and a few with the digital. I didn't get too many, just felt quite a bit like a tourist.

We did quite a bit while we where there. We made it to Pensacola cause she likes the beach. It was neat, her laying in the sun, me sitting there in my jeans and tee shirt. On the way back the next day I wanted some good 'ole sea food so I stopped at a place. Turns out it was a fish market and they didn't cook. Too bad too, because they had some good looking stuff.

We toured Mobile, Ala. a couple of times. It's a neat place too. It's a pretty big town.

One night we went to a casino because she "felt lucky." Lucky her didn't do much in the slot machines. I didn't do much with those either. I did get the urge to play that there roulette table. It was good stuff. I walked out with almost four times the amount of money I used to play that night. I've decided that that's what I'm going to do when I get out or retire. Just go and play roulette. It's not that hard. Probably not, but it was nice to use that money for hotel room bills the last few days we were there.

We also took a couple of days to just sit and relax. That was pretty nice after a week of constantly doing things.

There was also a game of Trivial Pursuit Totally 80s. A piece of advice, if you are going to get a trivia game based on decades, make sure you where actually old enough to remember the decade. I won, but it took a bit longer than it should have probably.

Before I left I got the call from someone at some Air Force command. They wanted to know if I was on any profiles and the progress of my five level, which I now have I guess. It's crazy and I don't like the idea but o well. I got another call this week asking for my email and work number so that they could send me information on the training next month. So it looks like I'm for sure going to the sandlot some where. I haven't been hard tasked through the squadron yet though. The worst thing about it is that January is so far away. I would rather have a short notice to go than them telling me four months out. I'm just going to stress out not knowing things and wondering. So far nobody has answers, we hired a unit deployment manager, that's right we hired a civilian to do the job of a GI. Way to save money Air Force, guess the Guard has more money than it needs. Our unit mobility trainer whatever had to leave quick and the new one has to sort out the other's mess. Why is it I seem to get the most jacked up units? Can't wait to get to that "real" Air Force base I keep hearing about.

I'm going now

Here in just under two hours I will be on my way back down to Mississippi. I'll be there for a week and a half. If I end up in a hotel with high speed then I'll post while I'm there. If not, then I'll let y'all know how it went when I get back.

Training records don' t mean a thing

This morning I was in the office, not hating the world too bad... yet. The Colbert Report was on and I was eating my fruit cocktail. The Senior Airman said that I needed quotes in my softball story. Not only quotes to make the story longer, and I guess more interesting, but to atribute the wins to someone. What? The fact that the teams won the games are the facts, you don't atribute those. I informed him of that. Then he wanted different words for things, that I can do. There where no scores in it, I have no scores, I'm waiting on scores.

I called retention and was told that my CJR, that's what the higher ups use to tell me I still have a job to reelist to, is good and all I have to do is go in and raise that right hand of mine. Don't go getting all excited yet, I still don't think that I'm going to stay in any longer than I have to.

I decided that I'm tired of not having my training records done at all. I think the most that's on them is my name and career code. The unit doesn't have a real training monitor or whatever. They are "interviewing" people. People get interviewed? Isn't that an AFSC? Anyways, the civilian in charge and I get into a bit of a shouting match because she tells me that the 623s don't mean anything in the upgrade training world. All they are good for is to keep the squadron out of trouble durring unit compliance inspections. What? That's bull shit. For six years the civil engineering squadron pushed the shit out of having them updated and signed off. Some may or may not have been pencile whipped for people. Why would they have been whipped? Because you had to have your core tasks and whatever else signed off to get your next skill level. Back then you could do all your CDCs and your OJT and get your time in and you wouldn't be able to level up if you didn't have those training records right. Those were important for deployments because they told the people you work for in the desert just how trained you where.

I guess those records are just a technical thing. Technicaly you are supposed to have them filled out, but if you don't, oh well... until the UCI. We are coming up one one of those in June. The civilian in charge looked it up and some how they aren't important. What the fuck? So these are just one more thing the Air Force came up with to give us problems?

She is going to have someone from the main base PA shop come by Monday and go through them with us. After that, some guy in the maintenance squadron is going to sign off on them. I don't know how that is legal either, but what the fuck ever. I have 305 days. If it wasn't for me needing those for the deployment I would care less. I don't need my five level in the real world. I did get what I wanted though, kinda. Not going to be legit I don't think, but I'll have them updated.

Se habla Portuguese?

Saturday the two weekenders and I went to Atlanta. The weekender that is here all the time had to go to the airport to pick his car up. He showed me a mall up there. I was able to get the Puma duffle bag I have been looking for.

We met the weekender that is only up on his one weekend a month and his mom at a Brazilian restaurant, name to come later. They have all kinds of meat that they bring around on skewers and shave pieces off if you want that kind. All night long they bring meat and all night long you eat. There are these cards that they give you that are red on one side and red on the other. Green to keep going, red to rest.

The weekender and I got there a bit early and waited for the others. While we where waiting, I noticed a female in the next room. I keeped looking at her, even when she turned around and seen that I was looking at her. I looked over a little later and there she was, watching me whispering to one of her friends. It was cool.

The weekender got up a few times. I figured it was to get stuff from the salad bar. He also talked to the hostes quite a bit. I figured it was because he is full of questions. She came to the table once to pull him away. He came back to get his phone and went back up to her stand. That's when I thought there might be more going on than just asking questions. Sure enough, he came back with the girl's number for me.

She is from Brazil and speaks very little English, as in a few key words. That's ok, it would work for a while. The part that isn't so ok is the part where she lives up in Atlanta. I guess that it would be cool to call her up when I plan to be there hanging out.

Guess I need to decide whether or not I'm going to call her. I don't plan to have a free weekend after this one until almost the middle of October. Maybe I'll call her this week just because I don't want her to think I didn't like her. We'll see what happens.

Flashback guy update: He was out in his yard the other day doing something. I was in Pedro's room watching him. Because I don't have curtains up in there, he seen me watching him. We had a bit of a staring contest that I won.

Rules for visiting Homie

1. If I say that you can come, don't ask if I'm sure over and over. You will be told not to come the fourth time.

2. Chances are I won't take leave while you're here. So if you want to spend every minute of every day with me come on the weekend.

3. I'm not going to hold your hand while you plan your trip. We'll discuss the days you'll be here. You come up with flight times. I don't care about what airline you take or what layovers you get.

4. I'm in Warner Robins, that's an hour and a half from Atlanta. If you just have to fly in and out of there be prepared to fly on a day off. I will not drive the three hours, not including rush hour traffic, round trip to wait however long it takes to get your luggage and home if I work that day.

5. Flying out? Your flight won't be before 3 p.m. To get you on a 3 o'clock flight, I have to wake up at 9:30, and that doesn't include time for breakfast.

6. I'll pretty much do whatever. But don't plan on being on one end of the state one day and on the other end the next. Plan the length of your trip accordingly.

7. If I tell you taht we won't be able to do everything you want, don't assume that I don't want to do any of it. Decide what you want to do more and that's what we'll do.

Follow these rules and make your trip as painless as possible and we'll have good times.

Mmmmm.... Lunch

Today the weekender and I went to a Japanese place for lunch. It was pretty good. The yakisoba was almost just like in real Japan. After we got our lunch he noticed the waitress leaving the restaurant. He asked if it was her. I didn't get a good look so I just agreed. We sat there for a long time before realizing that maybe the ones that where left didn't know that we haden't paid. It became pretty obvious when they whispered at eachother about us. We went to the register a while after that and they where surprised when they spun the ticket wheel and ours was there. It was good fun. Guess we will have to make sure our waitresses let others know when they are leaving.


Homies helpful survival tips: Black widows are not always black. I'm not talking about the males because they aren't, but the ones that are a grey, beige and black color. Those are striped and have rings across them. I didn't know it was one until it spun on its web and there was that almost red hour-glass on its underside.

Seven year itch

Who would have thought seven years after I raised my hand to pledge my whatever to the military I would still be in. Not only still be in but really thinking about staying in and trying to make it a career?Not this guy, that's for damn sure.

That's right, August 25, 1999 me and my pony tail left the MEPS station in Indiana and made our way to Texas to start a career in th Air Force. The pony tail didn't survive the first week of training, poor thing. Three jobs, three bases, and two deployments later and I'm still around.

It has been a pretty good seven years if you don't count the Air Force related stuff. What's Air Force related stuff? It's all the stupid stuff the Air Force comes up with, the way things are executed, and the everyday running of things. And we can't forget the "down sizing" in the middle of two wars, one if you use Republican math.

There are a few good things, not having to stay in one place for too long, the traveling, and that phat pay. That's right, I said phat pay, as in too much. Those of you that don't agree are probably the one or two striper that's dumb enough to get married and have two or three kids thinking the military will pay you for them. Those of us that are NCOs and single, we think differently.

Here in the next couple of months I have to decide if the money and "job security" (you can have a job until we don't need you) is good enough to out weigh all the stupid stuff. I don't know, there is a whole lot of stupid stuff though.

Don't I feel like a chuckle head

I ran out of starch the last time I ironed my uniform. I didn't see any at the commissary yesterday so I went to the BX today.

I found the can of starch and grabbed it. In true Homie fashion I didn't look at the price. I knew it wasn't going to be over ten dollars, I don't like using a card for stuff less than that, so I looked for a movie. The movie I wanted wasn't in and I couldn't talk myself into a different one. I didn't find a CD to buy either.

Oh well, I tried so I decided to just go and get the starch. When the lady rings it up, yeah. The starch cost 94 cents. I looked in my wallet but since I don't spend ones and don't normally cary them I didn't have any cash. Guess I shouldn't have cleaned that wallet out yesterday.

Random thought: If I get alzheimers will I still be a dick or will I turn into a nice guy? Cause I don't want to be a nice guy.

Hooters has wings

I did it again. I went to a movie, alone. Then I went to dinner, alone. I have been wanting wings for a good couple of weeks so tonight I went to a place called Hooters. Turns out those are some good wings. I had some wings and beer. The waitress asked if I wanted more wings or dessert. I said nah, I'll do some real food. I went with a chicken strip sandwich and some fries. I was done with that and she asked if I wanted dessert. I said yeah, I'm going to have two of them I just have to decide which one to have first. She laughed like she didn't think it was going to happen. I asked for the first one. I finished that and she asked about the second one. I said sure, I'm ready for it. She asked where I put all of it and I told her about my hollow leg. She asked what I do to not be fat because I was getting up in years and my metablism can't be what it used to be. I said you're right, but it's not that slow yet. She asked if I ate like that all the time. I said oh no, not like I used to. I just can't decide which one I want more. After the second one she asked if I wanted more, I could have worked on more wings, but I told her that if I ate any more then I would just be showing off. She said you're right I'm impressed now. Why is it people seem to be impressed with how much people can eat? I mean, I'm not too big and maybe I don't look like I should be able to eat like I can, but people just seam amazed sometimes. We started talking about that Japanese guy that can eat all those hotdogs. I told her I can't quite eat like that.

After I'm done with that one we start talking. She asks if Hooters was the first stop for the night. I said it's a stop. She asked if I was going to go home and take a nap before going out. I told her that I was for sure going to go home, the going out part, not so much. She asked if I go out much. I told her not around here. I told her that I havn't been out since I've gotten here. She asked how long I've been here. That's when I told her that I've been here damn near a year. I did tell her that I do go out when a guy I know comes into town. You guys know him as the weekender. She asked what kind of music I liked and I told her anything that isn't country.

She asked if I like clubs. I told her that I don't mind them too much. She said that's good, she likes going out too quite a bit. She said it's bad because her husband isn't into hanging out at them. She said he needed a hobby so that he could find something he can do while she is out her friends. I mentioned the new Hold 'em bar in town if he's into cards. We get back onto the clubs that are in Macon. She told me about a place called Diese that is dance music. I do like dance I told her. She also mentioned another kind of club. She says it also has real good music. It's not a straight club though. I've heard of this club, I had a female I know try to talk me into going there once. She said that they probably wouldn't pounce on me there if I went in with other people. That's good to know. It's not too bad because Cynergy is in an area where walking outside with drinks is acceptable so if it's not the thing there are a couple others on that street. Diese isn't close enough to walk to though. I think we'd have to start out at Diese then.

As I was getting ready to leave she said that I should call up there and see if she's working before I come up. Then she said that she does work next weekend and to call if I decide I want to go clubbing with her and her friends. I told her that I would. Going out seems like it could be fun. I guess I found a female to hang out with, just not a dinner and a movie girl.

Maybe he's not ready to die

My lizard just ate for the first time in over a month. He was in his thing on top of a rock, he hasn't done that in a while either. I thought, hm let's just see. I took out a cricket, one of two that are left because the rest died wating to be eaten, and threw it in. He seen it and was off that rock quick. He got up to it and waited for it to move again and got it. I'm so proud of him.

I have tried to keep his light off at night and his heat pad plugged in during the day when the air is on to try and keep his cage temperature right. I also did that soaking him thing a couple of times this week.

I guess that if he's going to live I'll have to find a person that will take care of him while I'm on all my trips and deployments. And by take care of him I do mean a person that is smart enough to know that lizards don't drink Power Aid.

365 Mother F*c*in Days!!

What? That's right, today is the one year mark. One more year and I'm done with all the stupid shit in the Air Force.
Today the security manager for the squadron, or whatever, wanted to know where I was born. I asked her why she wanted it. She said it was for my secret clearance. I thought I had one from years ago, I guess not. I asked her how long it was going to take to get done and she said it was going to take a while. I told her that if it's going to take more than a year, and it is, not to worry about it. She asked why. I told her that I'm getting out in about a year. She wanted to know just how much longer I have. I told her a year today. She was like if you don't get it you won't be able to get a good job when you get out. Oh well, pretend that I care.
Don't you just hate that people in the Air Force try to get you to do things that may or may not benefit you later in the Real World? Why waste my time? If I happen to stay I'll worry about a clearance then. I was able to put off getting a line badge for seven years, you think I'm going to rush out and get a clearance. No.
Also got an email that sais that everyone on my AEF will be going to Jersey, and by Jersey I do mean Fort Dix, in November for training. I sure hope I get over to the desert. I would hate to once again waste my time getting trained to not use what I've learned. I'm guessing that since I have to go train that I'm not going to the vacation spot this time. Yes, that would be Qatar.
I'll probably get on writing that SERE story that I've had to do since the end of last month. Then I probably should get on writing more so that I don't completely suck over there.

Another crazy day out

This morning I woke up to the dog jumping up and down because he got out of bed. It was about 11, he went out at 8 and didn't really go back to sleep. I heard the neighbors discussing the power lines going to our houses. They had been talking about cutting a dead tree in between the housed down. A little after they quit discussing power lines I heard what sounded like a hand saw. I tried to go back to sleep then I heard the branches start to fall, no big deal. Then I heard a couple fall on the roof. I decided to get out of bed since I sleep right under that tree.
Pedro really wanted out so I put on my shoes and went outside. He goes running to that side of the house. I notice a ladder leaned against my roof and see the gate open. Pedro stops and I rush to get him. That's when I seen the big pile of branches on the ground. He said he had come and knocked on the door to let me know he was going to be up there cutting the small branches so they wouldn't fall on the wires. Since Pedro's room is where the door to the house is and I kept the door from his room to the main part of the house closed I didn't hear him knock. After all the small branches came down, the lady and me carried them to the piles by the road. Yes, I helped, I was awake and didn't have anything better to do.
After the little branches where out of the way it was time to cut the main branches from the trunk. A rope was used to pull them so they would fall on the ground and not the wires. He chainsawed while I pulled. Those came down and then it was time for the trunk. He cut through it a bit and we pushed it down.
I noticed something in the front yard. I went to go look and it was what used to be a squirl. It was no longer recognizable as a squirl, except for the color and tail. It is now in one of the piles of branches.
I decided to cut the grass today. I was going to do it tomorrow but I figured that since I was already awake and productive then I should just go ahead and do it. I only did the front because the back is all dead, even the weeds. Everything in the front is dead too, except the weeds. It hasn't rained all month. That and hundred degree heat seems to kill grass. Who knew.
This was also the second time I've been to a movie alone, this month. That part wasn't too bad. It was better than last time. I also actually went to a restaurant. That part was terrible. I probably won' t do that again. Although I did get to listen to a couple discuss the conditions of a three way, if they ever have one. I'm going to get me a dinner and a movie girl I think. That's a great idea.

Damn near 3 o' clock... and I'm awake

There I was, trying to go to sleep. I had a headache and took some pills for it. They seemed to take a while to work. I was laying in the bed until 1:00 or so. I got up to get some water and while I was up decided to get online and see about why my lizard is about half the size it was a month ago. It, like the dead one, hasn't eaten in quite a while. I came to the conclusion that there could be a couple of reasons for this.
The first reason might be that he has eaten a bit of moss and caused himself to become blocked up. Any time that I've seen him get a mouth full of the stuff instead of a cricket he spits it out. I put together the little aquarium and put him that while I cleaned his. I threw out the moss, took out the mat, disinfected the glass, and washed his water bowl and rock cave thing. I'll have to get some disinfectant for the water bowl and cave tomorrow. I guess that I can't use the stuff I have for the glass. His cage has the clean mat, which seems to have shrunk in the dryer, in it. I also sat his little cage inside it too.
The second reason could be that his cage temperature doesn't seem to be changing from day to night. That could be because he's been in the kitchen since I lost the electricity in the bedrooms a month and a half ago. I got that problem fixed but never moved him back. The living room and the kitchen don't seem to ever be too cool compared to the bedrooms because I keep the door to Pedro's room open most of the time so he can get to his food and water. We'll see if him being back there helps the temperature problem.
If he doesn't eat in the next couple of days I read about a warm water soak to help move the blockage. Apparently he's supposed to be soaked for 15-20 minutes twice a day until it's gone. That should be fun.
Well, it's now ten to three so I think I'm going to try and do the sleep thing.

Flashback guy update: After almost a month of quiet and only occasional spottings, he seems to be back to his old yelling at whatever time of night ways. I've also seen him watching me a couple of times this week. Once, he was in a crouching position against his house. The other time he was standing up leaning agains the corner. Both times he was gone rather quickly after I seen him. I turn to see where the dog is and turn back and he's gone. It's that quick. I guess as long as he doesn't mistake me for "Charlie" I'll be ok.

Next time I see my CDCs... I'll be burning them

I tested out of my CDCs today. I got a whopping 83. Not too bad for just studying the double highlighted questions. The bad part of that is I had no idea what the answers where for any thing that hadn't been double highlighted. I passed and that's all that matters. It's Air Force stuff, it won't matter next year when I'm rockin the civilian world.

I got my final grade for my social class yesterday too. Final test = 91; Final overall grade = 93. That's right I'm still hanging onto that 4.0. I started to look into classes and since I have trips planned for the next two quarters that would clash with finals, I decided that I will just wait and go back in January. If I don't go over I will be able to get two classes done before I get out. I would do online classes, but the ones at UNC are regular semester schedules. The ones at IU seem a bit shady. That, and I know that I would suck at a self paced year long course. The good news it that the social class will transfer to UNC if that is where I end up going. I'm not too sure which it will be. It will probably be easier for me to get into IU. I'd like that UNC degree though.

Testing out

I finished my CDCs Wednesday and have my test scheduled for Thursday. I remember back in the day when people got a month to study for the test. Heck, they even got to take practice tests that they had to pass before getting to take the real one. I guess that doesn't happen any more. I asked the civilian in charge and she said that ther are no practices, it's right to the real deal. She also said that there will be no going to see the commander if someone fails the first time. How's that? I don't know. Apparently it's not a big deal until the third failure. I might be a bit nervouse about this test. I shouldn't be since there won't be many reprocutions if I fail since people are normally kicked out after three tries and I'm leaving anyway in a year.

I also got a RIP down today that sais I'm in the bucket for a January trip to the sand box. It's not a for sure trip, they just wanted me to know that I'm on that AEF. I want to go since it will probably be to Qatar and I could use a good long tax free vacation right before I take my terminal vacation and then separate. I'm just not into the idea of not having enough time when I get back to get everything I need to get done before I can go terminal. Oh well, it will work out to be an extra damn near couple grand a month in my pocket. That money will come in handy in the real world, maybe pay off the car without hitting the pocket too much.

Blue team go. Blue team go

Wednesday, the airman and I went with the SERE Specialists to take pictures of them training the flyers how to evade and survive if they crash. Here are some of the pictures.






Sgt. Turner is teaching everyone how to read a map. I'm sure this shot isn't going to make it into the paper.










Sgt. Turner is showing just how delicious grass- hoppers can be.







Sgt. Turner (the hostile) discusses what is on a blood chit with one of the flyers after finding him.



SrA. Wilson pretends to be in an airplane while running radio comms with the flyers trying to find where they need to be.





Sgt. Turner shows what a good camo job looks like.















The first shirt tries his hand at camoing up while hiding from baddies. That's desert cammo he has on.




This story might just make it into the base paper next week, that is if they put it in. It's been a bit hard to get stuff in it since the big guy PCSed and the other one we deal with has been in the NCO Academy. He's graduated now so we should get more into it. We will also have it in the next Eye in the Sky, in December. Oh, yeah, the current issue came out Friday but it isn't up on the public site yet. I'll let y'all know when it is there.

Homies out of his comfort zone

Today I did two things that I normally don't do.

First, I went to a movie alone. It was Superman Returns and I really wanted to see it and since I don't know people around here to do things with I went by myself. It was a bit weird but I survived, and got to see a pretty good movie.

Second, I actually returned dinner. You see, I went to get pizza and ordered a meat one. When I got it home there was a mushroom and tomato pizza in the box, gross. Normally if the order is close I'll not tatke the time to drive clear back across town, but since this was nowhere near a meat pizza and I don't like mushrooms I took it back.

Him learns real good

My social class is over now. So far I know I'm rocking at least a 90 without the final. I won't know what I got on the final until the end of next week. As long as I get a score in the mid 80s I'll be good. I'm pretty sure that I got that. Looks like I won't need to read that book after all. Good thing too because I know that I won't read a book in two weeks and write a paper about it.

The paper comes out Friday. I know that two of my stories got pulled. I'm not real sure if I wrote a third one or not. Nope, the third one didn't happen becouse it's not happening for two years. There was a fourth but that guy does his thing to make money so we didn't do that one. I do have that Man on the Street thing though. I guess I have that going for me.

I finished my CDCs today and by finished them I do mean that I skipped the writing parts and went right to the unit review exercises. We'll see how that works out for me.

First weekend of learning

Class wasn't too bad this weekend. We got out early all weekend. The class is more of a descussion group than a lecture.
Satruday we had the first half of our first test. And the rest of the test is due Thursday by noon. We'll have another test Saturay and the findal on Sunday. Even though we spend the whole weekend in a room learning, it doesn't seem like we are there as long as we are. Too bad they don't have more classes set up like this, I would probably take more. I'll take more anyway so I can get the Air Force to pay for my classes before they kick me out next year.

I walked out the front door the other night to starch my uniform and there was a Black Widow making house right there in the door. She was on the outside of the door, so that's a good thing. The bad thing is I haven't seen it since. That's ok though because it probably won't make its way all the way into the living area. The question is are there more? I guess we'll find out.

Look, it's a shaking dog!!

Sunday Pedro was in the yard and I was trying to get him to play. He didn't want to. After a while he rolled on his back and started shaking. It was pretty bad and he looked scared. I wasn't too worried about it until he tried to stand up and fell over. He had trouble walking and he couldn't balance himself too well when he tried to eat. I got out the phone book, found an animal hospital and put him in the car. The place was closed. I also didn't see any others. Monday I got him in and they checked him out and took blood. Turns out he had a seizure. It wasn't a bad one, the kind where he loses control of bowels. Tuesday the vet called and said that the blood work showed no metabolic reason for it so they are classifying it as Epilepsy.

There is medicine, but that destroys the liver so they don't want to give it to him if the attacks aren't bad or frequent. I have to watch and see how he does.

I start my socialology class tomorrow night. It's from 5 until 10. I also have it Saturday from 8 until 6 and Sunday 8 until 4. I'll also have it on those times next week. It's just a two week class. Figure it's a quick way to get back into the school thing.

Remember that toe that I smashed in February? Well, it's still bruised and now the nail is loose. I think I might finally lose it, woohoo!

Camp Grandma's House

I made my little trip over the weekend. Although I left two hours earlier this time than last, I still stayed over in Columbus, IN. That will happen when it takes two hours to get through the holiday weekend traffic that is Atlanta. I haven't ever seen so many cars broke down in my life as I seen just between here and Atlanta. It's official, Georgia has deer. How do I know? I seen one lying on the side of the highway.
Saturday I got to my grandma's in the morning. She was watching Dylan. I went to my mom's new house to help the guy that came into town for the race finish putting the blinds up. Every year a couple of friends of my grandparents come from North Carolina for the race weekend, that's Memorial Day weekend for those of you not from Indiana. We all went to dinner on Saturday for my mom's birthday. The lady asked if I was going to stay in next year when my elistment is up and I told her that I was going to move in with them and go to UNC. She thought that was a good idea. UNC is the first choice of school if I have to get out. She's going to get me the information about getting in. Guess it's hard to get in if you aren't a resident of North Carolina and just being born there doesn't count. It's either there or IU, either way doesn't bother me. Both have good basket ball teams. I don't play, something about not being aloud to run into the other players, and you have to be able to shoot the ball.
Since I was in Indy I had to listen to the race on the radio. Unless you have a satelite you don't get the race live in town without going to a bar or someplace. That's ok I was out getting the car washed anyway. Even though I happened to catch the last fifty or so laps on the radio I still watched it when it came on the T.V. That was a nice finish. I also took the training wheels off of Dylan's bike. I raised them because I was tired of seeing both of them on the ground, he's six and has had the bike since Christmas. After he went up and down the drive way a couple of times, not balancing at all, he wanted them off. He only fell once and that was when he was turning around, but he didn't get more than two rotations on the pedals before putting his feet down.
Monday he was able to go down half of the drive way pedaling. He fell once and that was the end of the no training wheels. I had to put them back on for him. I also made it out to a movie and dinner with Dan, Shannon and Michelle. Good times where had by all that day.
The drive back was pretty uneventful. I just want you all to know that traffic jams suck. People should know many miles in advance what exit they need and get into position to get to it instead of waiting until the last possible minute to change lanes.
I'm back to work now and even though I only have two more days of it, it's going to go by pretty slow.

Pretty boring week

Well, this was a boring short week. Tuesday got a bit hectic I guess. In the morning, I think it was, the airman informed me that the base paper needs our stories so that a couple of their people can go on leave next week. Not a big deal since I had the Col Dryden story pretty much finished and was going to work on another one. Before lunch we where informed that we had an injured cop coming back from the desert. It might have been a story if he hadn't fallen getting out of the humvee. I did go and take some pics. When I got back to the office the civilian in charge had me and the airman sit in on a mission briefing the commander was giving to some people from another city. After that I went with all of them to the plane. It wasn't too bad but the story didn't get done.
Yestarday I had a decision time briefing that lasted all morning. After a couple of minutes I had the feeling that I had been to this just about a year ago in Montana. I stayed anyways just to see if there was any new information. There wasn't. The reserves lady seemed to want us to think that was a good deal. Back at the office I got the stroy finished and a couple of cut lines for pictures done so they could get over to the other paper.
Today was a lot of sitting around. I did get registered for class though. I'm taking Sociology maybe 200, not real sure. I have to go next week to pic up the rental book for the class.
Tomorrow is "Wingman Day" which means go bowling and not get drunk. After that I will be heading camping as far as any one here is concerned. I'll let y'all know how my trip home was when I get back. And I'm taking the dog.

The fun part

Friday we had an original Tuskegee Airman visit us. It was pretty cool to listen to him talk about all the stuff he did back in the day. For being 85 years old he is still pretty sharp and has a great memory. I was able to photograph the lunch part of his visit. After lunch he signed a few copies of his book A-Train for the people that where there. I was able to get a copie signed also.

I will probably read it after I finish American Psycho and the other two Lori got me for Christmas. I read a few things on him when I was writing an intro the commander used to introduce him and it seems like it will be a good book.

Guess my supervisor worked her last day yesterday. Seems that she is going to have TMO packing her stuff up all week and her final out is the 31st and we are off on Memorial day and the Tuesday after that here. Looks like I'll be able to do some writing now. I have the story about Lt. Col. Dryden's visit to do. The civilian in charge said that the main base paper might be interested in the story. I had a picture of a troop return in it last week. You can see it here. She also said that it is on the internet some place. I'll have to remind her to send me the link to it.

Cops - a waste of space

Today I may or may not have seen a few of these bastard kids in the neighborhood break Flashback Guy's window. I'm guessing this isn't the first time they have done that since his windows have been boarded up for most of the time I've been here. Every once in a while I do hear him hollering at them and them yelling back. Up until today, if I did see anything, I haven't seen them actually break stuff. By the time I got out side with the dog, my cover, they where already in the middle of my neighbor's yard. I didn't say anything, but I did stare them down. They all had one of those nervous yet cocky looks.

So, I get showered and all of that and made my way over to the cop shop to see about them kids. I told them about what I may or may not have seen and other signs that something has happened before. They told me that unless he called them and knew where the kids lived they couldn't really do anything. I could call but there isn't much they will do unless he files charges because it's his house. And apparently, they will just go talk to the parents anyways. What are the parents going to do? Chances are they only have one, and they work all the time. They did say that I could get more them to drive around the neighborhood more offten. I know that won't help, but whatever makes them think they are doing their job. I gave them the times the kids tend to walk through those yards so that they would have a better chance of seeing them. What the fuck? Let these kids mess with my house. I have been thinking about a pellet gun after all, just for them. I figure that using my .22 on them while they are just outside would be frowned uppon by the worthless police. I wonder what happened with that guy in Ohio that shot that kid for walking in his yard a month or so ago. I have a feeling it is going to be a long summer here.

Stupid ideas for May 5, 2006

"How will that affect your manning?" That is the question that the civilian in charge was asked yesterday after being told that my slot and the tech sergeant's slot are being eliminated. They haven't decided whether I will stay until my time is up and rotate me out or move me soon. The tech sergeant is out of here real soon so we don't need to worry about what will happen with her. I doubt that I get stationed somewhere else since I just got here. If I do leave this office I would probably go over to the base PA shop. They do have that civilian PCSing soon. Me and the boss are wondering how our paper will get done with just her and the airman there with all of the tours and DV visits we have. Not to mention all of the other extra stuff we take care of.

Every once in a while I tell myself that I need to develope a better attitude and start working but then something dumb like this comes down and reminds me why I can't bring myself to care and work the way I should be.

Oh yeah, the Air Force is looking to get rid of over one hundred of our positions. How ass backwards is it to bring all of these people from other career fields into this one just to get rid of the jobs a year later? It hasn't been a year yet since I started tech school.

Extra duties galore

Friday I got an email telling everyone on the Search And Rescue Team that we where on stand by for a mass casualty exercise involving the Thunder Birds and I'm an alternate. Yesterday I was told that the team had been activated and they could not get a hold of three people from our squadron. I had to go and pretend. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. We didn't sit in the staging area nearly as long as we did for the real world accident two months ago. We got out to the flight line and where told that the EMTs had set out eight pieces of meat for us to find. It took around half an hour to find all of the meat. Total, the exercise lasted three hours.

I am now on the EET thing. They are the people that inspect people durring exercises. Apparently our office needs one so it's me. Today I got the training schedule and I guess we are having an exercise on June 9-11. Problem, I'm going to be the only IG Joe in the office, protocal is also a part of our office and both of those people will be gone then. I asked the civilian in charge and she said that she is now EET too. She'll be going through the training with me. Not sure how the exercise is going to work with just me and her while we are both inspectors. The guy in charge of the team said he isn't going to worry too much about our shop on this one since it is a phase one. I'm just wondering what if durring an exercise I'm out EETing and there is a simulated plane crash, what do I do? These are the things that people who should be figuring this out don't bother doing. Guess we'll just wait until that scenario comes up then we can all play grab ass trying to figure out what to do. Why do we exercise? When something happens in the real world we never respond the way we practice.

Speaking of it just being me and the civilian in charge for at least two weeks, I'll be the protocal chief. I sure hope nobody needs any thing important.

Question: How many squadrons/wings and jobs should I give a chance before I decide for sure to not stay in for another term?

Right now

I was sitting in the computer room doing CDCs when I heard the neighbor talk about parking in other people's yards. I didn't pay too much attention to it until I seen a couple of people walking down the street. I look out and there are two cops putting up a sign that says "Please have licence and proof of insurance ready." This seems like a strange place for one of these things. My street is no more than a mile long and there is a street that Ts off at the house next to mine. The first two cops had a car stopped for a good long while. I guess he didn't have his shit together. While he was stopped, two more cops pulled up. Now there are four cops on this street and another just went down the street that runs into mine. I'll keep watching to see what I can see and hear what I can hear. I love this neighborhood.

And then there was one

The albino has died. It happened sometime Thursday night. Looks like I have an aquarium I need to figure out what to do with now.

I finally got to use my lawn mower today, and it didn't take long to cut the yard. I guess it won't take long when the only thing long enough to cut are the foot high dandylions. Those things are crazy high down here.

The one weekender (Air National Guard) is going to be putting on lieutenant sometime soon. The supervisor has finally got her package in to get her special orders. If she doesn't get them she'll be headed to a different special duty assignment. Looks like the shop is going through a few changes. Looks like I'll be in charge. Look out. I've been kind of lax on my CDCs. I might bust the first book out tomorrow just like back in the day when I had them for structures. At this rate I'll have my time on job requirement before my CDC requirement, that's crazy. That's also what happens when it takes six months to get them ordered I guess.

Let's try this out.

The albino gecko has been getting smaller. A couple of weeks ago I seen him go for a couple of crickets and miss. I didn't think any thing of it. I figured he would catch them later. The thing is, I haven't seen him even go for any since. He also doesn't stay in the fake rock with the other one any more. This is a problem. When I got them the girl at the store said that they might not get along in the same cage. While at the pet store picking up crickets today I decided to pick up a little aquarium and a fake rock to see if I can make the albino healthy again. Since it's in my room it is a good thing that the lizzard doesn't make any noise. I figure if it doesn't work then I have a place for a beta fish or something. Or just give it to someone that wants it if I find that person. The aquarium, not the lizzard.

Apparently, if you show up to a yard sale at noon then most of the people that are going to come have all ready been there. I guess there where people at the supervisor's house at seven thirty this morning for it. So I still have the computer at her house. She is thinking about having another one next week. If I don't get rid of it then I'll just put it on the classified adds on out intranet at work.

Desktop has moved

I have taken the desktop apart and blown the dust and cobwebs out of it. I still need to wipe the monitor and subwoofer down with one of those static wipes. I'm doing all of this because I'm going to take it to the supervisor's yard sale this weekend to try and get rid of it. Now I will have plenty of room on the desk to have the laptop on it and write things down. Or maybe even do my CDCs on it.
Speaking of CDCs, I have just about finished the first unit in the first book. It only took a week to do that. I might have to get on them this weekend so I can get them done and over with. I did find myself not being too interested in the part that was about AFSCs and skill levels.

What I did

I went ahead and deleted the email about the short notice to Japan without putting in for it.
I also got the wireless hub put together and it's nice.
The desk top computer's hard drive has been erased and Windows reinstalled. I still have to install the drivers and decide what I'm going to do with it. I might take it to the supervisor's yard sell this weekend and see if it can get sold. I guess if it doesn't sell then I can put my CDs on it and it will be my music machine.
I let the dog out yesterday and noticed something different in the backyard. I finally realized that the grass had been cut. The neighbor must have done it Saturday while I was at the cook out.

Question: Is a $30 membership fee to a band's fan group worth being able to get tickets for a show three days before anyone else? Could get real nice seats.

Aahh, memories

Our trip to the tattoo parlor at Sheppard. Think we called the first guy Willie or something, he had a weird name. Yup, that's me thuggin there in the midle. And Lambert on the end there.


Ever wonder what a group of people do while they wait for orders after washing out of an Air Force training school? Now you know.

Who's that pimp eating a popsicle? Yes, those dog tags do go pretty far down.








Just one of the ways to get into a shower.









Check out that hair of mine.







Mmmm, chilled monkey brains.
Notice how I am more worried about my hair than the fact that Core is trying to stab me with a spoon.


















Me at Steak N' Shake. The only place to be after a Milenium New Years rave.





The repiercing two weeks after basic training. And by repiercing I do mean using a sewing needle to open the hole back up so I could squeeze that through.

Taxes are D-U-N

Well, it's 1:26 p.m. on the 15th and my taxes are now done. Yay me! I thought about putting them off until later but I bought a wireless hub and want to set it up this weekend. I figured I should get those done before setting it up.

Damn 5 level keeping me down

There was a mass Public Affairs e-mail today mentioning that a couple of volunteers where needed for short notice overseas assignments. One is Mildenhall and is for a tech sergeant. The other one is for a staff sergeant. That would be the one I put in for except they want a five level. Speaking of CDCs, I didn't get them. The supervisor left early for some appointment and the airman and me went to take pictures of spring things. Wonder if I could work out getting the Yokota job if I bust through the whopping two books I have. Might be worth a shot.

Here so quick?

I seen my CDCs today. But since the supervisor wasn't there I have to wait until tomorrow to get them. A bit of a surprise that I have them since I was told that they where on order a mere two weeks ago. Then again I have been here for six months so it evens out I guess. We'll see how long it takes me to do them. There are just two books. I guess I'll bust them out real quick and get them over with.

I seen that Nine Inch Nails are going to be in Atlanta in June. I'm thinkin that I might just go on my own. There are a couple of problems with that one since it is on a Wednesday and in Atlanta. I also can't take leave the day after because I will be the only I.G. Joe in the office. Oh well, they will be in Indy in July and I'll be there too.

I would like y'all to go a head and take a look at Scott's new page. He's more into photos than writing.

Roll up the window

Last night I went to get some stuff. It was kinda warm out so I had the windows down on the car. The driver's side window was all of the way down and the passenger side was just down a little. Today I go to the car so that I can go get a lawn mower. I'll be darned if I didn't roll up the passenger side window. Not a big deal, right. You would be right, if it hadn't rained all morning. I had to get a towel and wipe down all of the parts that weren't fabric. It doesn't look like there was a whole lot of water inside. I guess I'll remember to keep them windows up. Maybe next weekend, when it's not raining, I'll get that new lawn mower out and cut some grass.

New edition is out

The latest edition of my paper, Eye in the Sky, is out now. Y'all can read it here. Hope you guys like it. I don't have an actual story in it. I do have a photo feature and my Man on the Street thing though.

What a punk

It took four months but it finally happened. Last night I took the dog out and heard some yelling (not flashback guy) coming from the street behind me. Not too long after that Pedro was going crazy trying to get something on the other side of the fence. Before I could get back to try and see what he was going for he started barking. There are a bunch of skinny trees right at the fence in the yard behind me so I couldn't see anything, but I was a bit nervous. I got him back inside and while in the shower he started barking again. Now I'm a bit more nervous so when I get out I unpack the 22. I also loaded the clip. The clip is not in the gun, just next to it. I put them on the side of the bed farthest from the door. Someone had their music up across the way for a couple of minutes and I looked out. While looking out I heard a few voices. Maybe that's what he was barking at while I was in the show. Either way, I slept on side of the bed away from the door so I could roll off and load the gun if I needed to. And I locked all of the doors, including my bedroom. I figure if I don't hear anyone kick in the exterior doors, then I'll hear them kick in the interior door into the actual house and the bedroom being locked will just give me a couple of extra seconds. I made it through the night with no problems so maybe I was just a bit paranoid. Oh well, I was prepared.

Flashback guy update: He's back to yelling at nothing in his yard as of a couple hours ago.

Poor Pedro

Yesterday the boss lady asked if I had the Man on the Street done since I was the only one at work on Monday. I told her no. I told her why - no cameras in the office. She didn't like that very much. Oh well. So today the supervisor brought the camera she had in and the editor asked if I could get it done today. Of course. That was before we had to pull a story because it wouldn't be done in time.

Apparently, the VI shop was supposed to take pictures of the person working. Today those pictures hadn't been taken and the person is now in California and won't be back before we publish. So after a bit of storming the supervisor decided that the survival equipment shop would be a good photo opportunity. I went to get my thing done. While there I was trying to take a picture but there was no memory card. Yeah, she didn't get it from the editor before we left. So we go back to the shop and she decides she doesn't want to go any more. That leaves me going back to do this.That causes me to be a bit pissy. Maybe it started with the one camera in the shop thing, I don't know. I finally make it back and get the pictures going. Not too bad. Took some pictures, asked some questions. Good times, for being work. But, I din't get back to the guy I interviewed for my Man on the Street. Looks like I'm going back tomorrow. That's cool because the equipment shop is going to test some. I might get a couple of pics out of that too. That, and I can get a person that isn't in the story into the thing I have to do.

I took Pedro to get his nails clipped today. He hated it. He squirmed so much that he got clipped short on a nail. He cried and she put the blood stop on it. He didn't squirm much after that. He did get a bandanna out of it though.

A whole week

This week at work was pretty productive. By productive I do mean worked on stupid stuff all week. The week started off with me not going to Front Page and HTML training. Something about we have to use the half-ass training that is on the intranet to learn it. Guess we're fighting that one. Also had a class on how to be responsible for our computers. I never signed the letter changing that to me. We also had a chief from ANG headquarters here somewhere going around making sure all of the computers were where they should be. The time for our office got changed from Wednesday to tomorrow back to Wednesday. He wasn't happy that I hadn't signed that letter yet. Oh well, they find the computer that isn't in the office and I'll sign it. Also had to make those welcome books for another group of inspectors. While making the books on Thursday I was told that I need to get my Man On the Street thing done Monday. I told my supervisor to stop giving me dumb shit to do and it will get done. She asked if I have any thing to do Monday and I told her no but Friday hadn't happened yet. As it turns out the boss lady loaned out the one camera that was in our office on Friday. And since the supervisor has the second one at her house, I don't have a cam to work with tomorrow because she is on leave until Tuesday. That better not be a problem.

Today I was out with the dog picking a couple of things up in the yard and the neighbor asked if I had a way to cut my yard. I told him no and he offered to cut it for me. Cool. Man, there was a whole lot of glass in the yard, especially near the drive way. The glass would give the impression that a car has been burned there once. I got most of it cleaned up but there is a bit out there still.

Maybe next weekend will be a bit more restful.

Flashback guy update: He's been pretty quiet this week. I haven't heard him at all. I was starting to get a bit worried but he was out today being quiet.

And I'm back

I'm back in town now. The trip wasn't too bad, considering. I did get a chance to see a couple of people. Of course I didn't see all of the ones I wanted to see though.

About made it home

Here I am sitting in a hotel room an hour from Indy. That will happen when you stay up the night before and don't leave town until after four in the afternoon. That and if I did get into town at two in the morning nobody would be awake and I'd be stuck in the car or in a hotel in town and that doesn't work for me.

I'll be in Indy until the 17th so posts will probably be non existant until then.

The first one

Well, since I haven't set up my site to link this to, here is my first story for the paper.

Joint STARS country gets cleaned up

Contractors are removing and replacing contaminated soil at the entrance to Joint STARS -Tanker country between Taxiway Echo and Beale Drive nera Bldg 2079. The soil was contaminated in 2002 by a broken JP-8 fuel line.

Cape Environmental Management workers are moving 6,500 tons - or about 500 dump truck loads - of polluted soil from the site to the Swift Creek Land Fill in Macon, according to Scott Harris, Robins Air Force Base project manager. After all of the soil is removed, contractors will use an absorbent compound to remove any remaining fuel and will fill the hole with new soil.

Taxiway Echo has been closed since the project started in January. But flight line operations have not been adversely impacted.

"There's really not a health problem with exposure," said Fred Hursey, 78th Civil Engineer Group, environmental program branch chief. "It's just something we need to clean up to minimize the impact to the environment."

The fuel line was repaired in 2002 and this remediation project was watining on funds from the Defense Energy Support Center, according to Mr. Hursey.

"The only potential side-effect could be utility interruptions since the water, electric, natural gas, and sewer lines for our East Ramp facilities run through the same corridor," said Ken Werner, 116th Air Control Wing environmental manager.

"The contractor is taking special precautions to protect the utilities, but the unexpected can occur when working around older utility systems. We have established a quick reaction notification process through the 116th ACW Command Post in case of any significant event," Ken said.

The $900,000 soil remediation project is scheduled to be complete before the end of May.

Hope you liked it. Come back next month and see what I write about then.

Awake this early?

Here it is 6:30 in the morning on a Sunday and I'm awake. Why am I awake this early? I went to sleep at 6 last night, that's how. Pedro only got out of bed once the entire time. Had I known that my nap was going to last 12 hours I would have gone ahead and put im in his kennel. It turned out to be a little cold to put him out in his room. He has been out there a couple of times this week and done pretty well. He did end up in bed the first night though.

Well, think I'm going to go stretch across the couch and see what happens. Maybe I'll go back to sleep or watch a bunch of infomercials. Either way I'm not getting off of it until noon.

Um, I don't think this is mine

My supervisor got a RIP the other day saying that my EPR is due May 1, and it's an anual. Oh, and it has my old rater's name on it too. So ass backwards the Air Force is. So I take a look at the three EPRs that are in there and while reading them have to check to see if my name is on the top. "Why?" You ask? Well because more than one of them say that I volunteered for things like cooking and doing the haunted house. Now we all know I don't volunteer. They also have a number of jobs that I had nothing to do with. One of them listed a job that I headed up as a job that I just assisted with. I think the supervisor has it taken care of so far. Who knows I'm not too worried about it.

Paper is out and I have a real article but since the wing webmaster is still a douche it's not on the public site. I have to figure out how to post it. Guess that would be a good use for all of the web space the cable company gives out for personal pages.

Nice day outside

Me and Pedro spent the afternoon outside today. He played and I raked. The yard is half done now. I filled another five bags of leaves before calling it quits for the day. I'm not raking past the shed though because past that is pretty much dirt. It's only ten or so feet so it's a small section of the yard. I'll get the other half done someday I guess.

Homie's back

Well, the Homie and me time pretty much worked out the way I planned it.

Sunday the washer and dryer came and while connecting the washer to the pipe the valve busted. The valve gets shut enough so that it is just a drip. I give the landlord a call and have him come by to look at it because some Einstein award winner decided to put it right behind the water heater. He comes by and we decide that one of his workers will come by in the morning to get the water heater moved and the valve replaced thus cutting into my time. Oh, and it will be 7:30 when he comes by.

Monday comes around and the valve gets changed by 9:00. I put in a movie and fall asleep. Sometime after noon I wake up long enough to put in another movie. I finally wake up after five and manage to stay awake the rest of the night.

Tuesday I drag myself out of bed and get that thing sent off to the weekender in Florida. Other than laundry and some dishes I didn't do anything else productive. I did break down and play some football on line for a bit.

I'm going to take Homie and me time more often.

On Saturday I went to the BX and picked up stuff and while I was there I went ahead and got a haircut. I know what your thinking, "A haircut at the BX? Do you not know how not good they are at that stuff?" I figured you can't mess up the kind of cut I want too bad.

In an attempt to limit my dealings with people

In an effort to keep from having to put up with people today I bought a washer and dryer. I figure it will be handy because now I can do cloths when I feel like doing them and not when I feel like going out to do them. Just not quite sure how I feel about having spent the money on them.

I was supposed to be home in Indy right now but somewhere along the week I decided that I needed some Homie and me time. It just seems like I'm always talking to people or just having to deal with things. I know that I live alone and that should be enough to balance things out but it's not. In an effort to not have to see, talk to or deal with people I am going to turn the phone off on Monday and Tuesday. I do have to take something and get it sent down to the weekender that left it here his last UTA weekend. Other than that I'm not doing shit. If I feel that I need outside conversation I will hook the Halo up and shoot some bastard kids. It's going to be so nice. I haven't had one of these weekends in damn near three years.

I know that I said I was going to link the paper here so that you could read what I do but the water head that runs the web is, I don't know, either unwilling to or uncapable of doing his job. That is probably why the supervisor and I are going to take Front Page and HTML classes in the next town over for a week next month. The wing uses Fron Page for the sight and I just feel the need to know a bit more about HTML. I bet it will come in handy one day. Your tax dollars hard at work. Thanks Guys.

Do I have enough work?

Today the supervisor asked me if I thought I had enough work. I told her that when I was doing all of the stupid stuff of fixing the history book and whatever other stupid things the boss lady wanted me to do that I had plenty of work, granted I didn't work on it too fast A: because I feel that is a stupid thing to have B: I had other stupid stuff to do in the office, but now that I'm done with it I don't have much to do. She also said that the airman thought that I would come in and take over the paper, that's what he was hoping. I told her that I want my 5 level before I take it over (I don't have, nor are they ordered, my CDCs). Maybe I'll think about it if I get those. I did tell her that the people in school told me I was pretty good with the Page Maker back in the day though.

I wasn't in a good mood today to start with but when the boss lady had me do something it just really upset me. I had to put something together about our retired commander, yes more stupid stuff. I myself think that since officers need to have bios then they should already have them put together in the right format. That's what secretaries are for, right? Not to mention he's retired. I got it done though. When my supervisor got back from a photo shoot she noticed I wasn't happy. I didn't tell her anything though. We know I don't talk about things.

I think I ran a red light today, and by the guy behind me honking when I did it I think it was good and red. People's driving skills here suck ass. First, let me say that the speed limit is the speed you need to be going. Don't worry if there is a cop up ahead, they'll let you go the speed limit, even faster to a point. I don't know how many cars where infront of me but the SUV kept tapping his breaks all of the way down the street. Of course I was right there and finally stupid ass turned and I kept going. That's when the car behind me honked. I looked in the rear view and shrugged. Little further down the road I looked back and seen the stop lights back there. Oh well.