As the title states, I have made it back home after spending the last 2 weeks at Ft. Sill, Oklahoma. I did start writing a play-by-play of sorts while I was there, but didn't get very far. I realized that there were certain things I want to talk about, and the every day stuff isn't really that important. I'm going to have to brainstorm a bit before I remember everything I wanted to put down in words, but for now I'll just give a brief overview of my trip, as exciting as it was .
Compared to our usual 319th chaos and mayhem, this AT went pretty smooth. There were no major blow outs or fights or planning errors. Of course there was the usual training schedule confusion (i.e. not having a training schedule), and the usual break-down of communication between the upper echelon and the lower enlisted, but overall there was very little to complain about. There was one instance at the very end, the last weekend we were there, where our "free day" happened but shouldn't have. In the 11 years I've been with the band, I have never witnessed our Chief so upset. It culminated in an hour sectional rehearsal, about an hour MPT rehearsal, and then we went outside to have a marching band rehearsal which was held in the Commissary parking lot due to the fact that it was 10PM (or should I say 2200?) and it was the only area that was lit.
Other than that, though, like I already said, compared to our usual cluster, the entire trip was pretty smooth sailing. I'm sure individuals had their own personal gripes, but for me, I was ok with the whole experience. Our day off out in Oklahoma City was superb. I really enjoyed myself at the Oklahoma History Center and then the Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. We ended the day having the most fantastic meal at the Bricktown Brewery in Bricktown, Oklahoma City. I also enjoyed being the driver for the trip; I got to drive a 2011 Toyota Sienna and if I were in the market for a bigger car, that would probably be on my top 5 list. It was a fantastic drive, and it was nice to go fast through the flat countryside of OK. The speed limit averaged about 70mph!
That's all about the trip for now. I also just want to mention the upcoming Flash Fiction contest and the fact that I entered it. First round is August 13-15. Given a genre, location, and object. 1,000 word maximum. I can't wait to get my write on!
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Monday, July 5, 2010
And one more thing.
Instead of editing and adding onto the other post (it's long enough to begin with), I'll just write a bonus one for y'all. (who?) I said goodbye to my baby at around 4:45 this evening. She stayed home with my parents while I was in Maine, which was ok, but I still missed her like crazy. It really breaks your heart when a conversation happens like this:
Me- I heard you saw some fireworks tonight.
Caelyn- Yeah!... But.. it was sad without you.
I was only gone a day at that point! But now she's gone with her dad while I'm in OK. I told her I'd call her as often as I could (sometimes I just get caught up in the mayhem and don't remember until too late at night). I am going to have to try really hard to keep myself busy. She's been super clingy lately, and wanting to go everywhere with me, so it will be very lonely without my little shadow around. But we will be able to spend the entire rest of the summer together. We just have to get through this little departure from each other and all will be well. But god, I am going to miss her like crazy. I know I said that already, and I usually try not to repeat myself on things like that, but I really am. Like Crazy. With a capital "C."
At any rate, I got a new Micro SD for the R4 card for my DS, hopefully will be able to put some decent games on it tonight, otherwise I have Pokemon Heart Gold to play. My yarn for crocheting, I'm bringing two books (The Hour of the Star and Moby Dick which I started reading last year in Kansas, but never picked up again after I got home) and my net book. All that, and the little bit of socializing I will do, should serve to keep me busy enough. I hope.
And NOW that's it. Peace out!
Me- I heard you saw some fireworks tonight.
Caelyn- Yeah!... But.. it was sad without you.
I was only gone a day at that point! But now she's gone with her dad while I'm in OK. I told her I'd call her as often as I could (sometimes I just get caught up in the mayhem and don't remember until too late at night). I am going to have to try really hard to keep myself busy. She's been super clingy lately, and wanting to go everywhere with me, so it will be very lonely without my little shadow around. But we will be able to spend the entire rest of the summer together. We just have to get through this little departure from each other and all will be well. But god, I am going to miss her like crazy. I know I said that already, and I usually try not to repeat myself on things like that, but I really am. Like Crazy. With a capital "C."
At any rate, I got a new Micro SD for the R4 card for my DS, hopefully will be able to put some decent games on it tonight, otherwise I have Pokemon Heart Gold to play. My yarn for crocheting, I'm bringing two books (The Hour of the Star and Moby Dick which I started reading last year in Kansas, but never picked up again after I got home) and my net book. All that, and the little bit of socializing I will do, should serve to keep me busy enough. I hope.
And NOW that's it. Peace out!
See you all in 2 weeks!
Ok, so on my last post I said that that may be my last one. Well, THIS is my last post for at least 2 weeks. I will be off and away to Ft. Sill, OK tomorrow morning with my illustrious Army Reserve unit. This most recent trip to Maine with them was actually more enjoyable than most other trips we've taken. We actually got free time to chill, and relax, and sleep! Sleeeeep...
After an 8 hour bus ride, could have been 9 or more but for some reason I stop keeping track of time when I'm with the 319th, we made it to the hotel. They tried to threaten us with a "practice" when we got there, but once we were there, room keys handed out, they set us free. Hooray! Me and Veronica went out and sat in the hot tub for about an hour, then made our way back up to our room, showered (not together!), and then slept. It was good!
Then there was a 0830 formation time; we got ready early enough to eat breakfast. Bowl of cereal and fruit-on-the-bottom pineapple yogurt. Hooray! (There will be many hoorays throughout this post. Just bear with me. There usually aren't that many in regards to a trip with the 319th). Then it was off to the park for our concert. We played, then got fed huge amounts of grilled chicken (and fries and cake). Then I looked around the park at all the other food vendors. Homemade apple crisp (with a wooden sign shaped like an apple core that said "You'll feel rotten to the core if you don't try some of our a-peel-ing crisp!"). Homemade ice cream. Funnel cakes. Cakes. Fresh squeezed lemon aide. I was stuffed full of chicken, but I HAD to try the ice cream. Just one scoop. SSG Gerber (such a gentleman) treated me and Veronica to a one-scoop cone. She got mint explosion, and I went with the black raspberry. SO GOOD! I did drip some on my uniform, but thank goodness for bleach stain remover pens!
Back to the hotel, where they gave us the entire rest of the evening off! Aside from dinner. Army pays up to $10 for a meal, so they bused us to Applebees. The move theater was right next door, so most of us were going to walk over for a movie after dinner and then cab back to the hotel (Yes, cab is now a verb). Me, Gerber, Veronica, and Azabache decided we wanted to try and make the 7:05 show of The Last Airbender. We asked the waitress how long it would take for the food to come out, we were the first ones sat so she said about 10 minutes. We check our watches. Good. That should be enough time. As we're sitting there waiting for our meals, we ask another dude how much movie tickets are, hoping they'd be cheaper than in NYC and surrounding area. He says, "$7 if you get them here, $9.50 if you get them over at the theater." What! They sell cheaper vouchers at Applebees, so we went for the deal, ate mad quick, and left before most everyone else even got their food. Loney joined us soon after we made it into the theater.
It was a good movie! I did not like the casting they did for Zuko or Iro, but I was able to live with the rest of the movie. It was reasonably acceptable, even having seen most of the cartoon episodes. We call for a cab to get back to the hotel (which cost all of $4), then Veronica says, "let's have dessert!" So we go in to Governor's, the little restaurant attached to the hotel, and ask for the dessert menu. HOLY COW. I ordered "The Dough Boy." Best dessert EVER. It was a pancake of fried dough (like a zepole), covered in hot fudge, vanilla ice cream, all layered with cinnamon and sugar. It was a little piece of heaven. And hell. All in one. I could not finish the monstrosity, although I tried my very hardest. It was sad leaving the last bit that I couldn't swallow. I was so full from chicken, and ice cream, and dinner at Applebees.... and then that. That hellishly heavenly dessert. I will definitely be looking forward to Governor's next year! Then we all chilled in Azabache's room and dude, his room had a freakin' fireplace! And a 40-in flat screen! We drank beer and chatted and just had a really good time hanging out.
The rest of the trip was ho-hum. We got to the parade 3 hours early (as per 310th M.O.), marched the parade, then got on the bus to head for home. OH WAIT. Yeah, not ho-hum. We stopped at Big G's Deli. They have the hugest sandwiches ever. I got a Reuben and sweet potato fries. The website does not do it justice; they should have actual pictures of their food there, but let's say it is the BEST Reuben I have ever had. I got a whole sandwich, stupidly, because I figured I could save half for the bus ride. No bueno. I was stuffed, once again, of delicious food. I should throw it out, because it sat through a 9 hr bus ride, but it's still sitting in my fridge because I do not have the heart to toss it. My mom will have to do it after I leave tomorrow.
And that is all. As the title says, See you all in two weeks!
After an 8 hour bus ride, could have been 9 or more but for some reason I stop keeping track of time when I'm with the 319th, we made it to the hotel. They tried to threaten us with a "practice" when we got there, but once we were there, room keys handed out, they set us free. Hooray! Me and Veronica went out and sat in the hot tub for about an hour, then made our way back up to our room, showered (not together!), and then slept. It was good!
Then there was a 0830 formation time; we got ready early enough to eat breakfast. Bowl of cereal and fruit-on-the-bottom pineapple yogurt. Hooray! (There will be many hoorays throughout this post. Just bear with me. There usually aren't that many in regards to a trip with the 319th). Then it was off to the park for our concert. We played, then got fed huge amounts of grilled chicken (and fries and cake). Then I looked around the park at all the other food vendors. Homemade apple crisp (with a wooden sign shaped like an apple core that said "You'll feel rotten to the core if you don't try some of our a-peel-ing crisp!"). Homemade ice cream. Funnel cakes. Cakes. Fresh squeezed lemon aide. I was stuffed full of chicken, but I HAD to try the ice cream. Just one scoop. SSG Gerber (such a gentleman) treated me and Veronica to a one-scoop cone. She got mint explosion, and I went with the black raspberry. SO GOOD! I did drip some on my uniform, but thank goodness for bleach stain remover pens!
Back to the hotel, where they gave us the entire rest of the evening off! Aside from dinner. Army pays up to $10 for a meal, so they bused us to Applebees. The move theater was right next door, so most of us were going to walk over for a movie after dinner and then cab back to the hotel (Yes, cab is now a verb). Me, Gerber, Veronica, and Azabache decided we wanted to try and make the 7:05 show of The Last Airbender. We asked the waitress how long it would take for the food to come out, we were the first ones sat so she said about 10 minutes. We check our watches. Good. That should be enough time. As we're sitting there waiting for our meals, we ask another dude how much movie tickets are, hoping they'd be cheaper than in NYC and surrounding area. He says, "$7 if you get them here, $9.50 if you get them over at the theater." What! They sell cheaper vouchers at Applebees, so we went for the deal, ate mad quick, and left before most everyone else even got their food. Loney joined us soon after we made it into the theater.
It was a good movie! I did not like the casting they did for Zuko or Iro, but I was able to live with the rest of the movie. It was reasonably acceptable, even having seen most of the cartoon episodes. We call for a cab to get back to the hotel (which cost all of $4), then Veronica says, "let's have dessert!" So we go in to Governor's, the little restaurant attached to the hotel, and ask for the dessert menu. HOLY COW. I ordered "The Dough Boy." Best dessert EVER. It was a pancake of fried dough (like a zepole), covered in hot fudge, vanilla ice cream, all layered with cinnamon and sugar. It was a little piece of heaven. And hell. All in one. I could not finish the monstrosity, although I tried my very hardest. It was sad leaving the last bit that I couldn't swallow. I was so full from chicken, and ice cream, and dinner at Applebees.... and then that. That hellishly heavenly dessert. I will definitely be looking forward to Governor's next year! Then we all chilled in Azabache's room and dude, his room had a freakin' fireplace! And a 40-in flat screen! We drank beer and chatted and just had a really good time hanging out.
The rest of the trip was ho-hum. We got to the parade 3 hours early (as per 310th M.O.), marched the parade, then got on the bus to head for home. OH WAIT. Yeah, not ho-hum. We stopped at Big G's Deli. They have the hugest sandwiches ever. I got a Reuben and sweet potato fries. The website does not do it justice; they should have actual pictures of their food there, but let's say it is the BEST Reuben I have ever had. I got a whole sandwich, stupidly, because I figured I could save half for the bus ride. No bueno. I was stuffed, once again, of delicious food. I should throw it out, because it sat through a 9 hr bus ride, but it's still sitting in my fridge because I do not have the heart to toss it. My mom will have to do it after I leave tomorrow.
And that is all. As the title says, See you all in two weeks!
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