Veteran's Day 2014

  Yesterday was Veteran's Day.  My facebook feed was showing all kinds of "Support Our Troops" memes and messages and it got me to thinking: "I wonder how many Americans don't know someone who has served."  Almost a reverse of six degrees of separation.  Obviously, everyone who knows me, knows someone who is in the military.  I'm friends with a lot of current and former servicemembers so I know their friends know someone who has served.  But, when you get down to the numbers, we are really a very small population.
  I looked up some of the numbers for military personnel.  There are just over 1 million serving in Guard, Reserve, and Active Duty for all services.  There are 19.6 million veterans (i.e. no longer serving); 9.3 million of which are age 65 or older; and 1.6 million (of the 19.6M) are female.  The population of the United States is more than 316 million.  At least according to the last census.  That probably doesn't count all the folks that have entered the US in the past four years so let's make that an even 320 million.  So that means that less than half a percent of the United States population is serving its country.  Half a percent.  Not 5.0%. 0.5%...less than that.  And that nearly 20 million?  Sounds like a lot, doesn't it?  It equates to 6% of the country's population.  Not even 10% of this country knows what it means to directly serve and "write the blank check."
  Let's do some comparing now.  In 1945, somewhere between 12 and 16 million served in the United States military.  Now, you can say that they had to but a vast majority felt compelled to serve.  Do you know what the country's population was in 1945?  I had to look it up (like all the other numbers here).  140 million.  Which means that anywhere from 8.5% to 11.4% served their country and families were bigger then so the ripple effect was that much larger.
  The real unfortunate thing is that I can't, in good conscience, recommend someone join right now.  I worry for where this country is going and for the use that the members of the United States military are being put to.
  Learn a trade.  Take up carpentry or become an auto mechanic.  At least you'll have better control over your future.

18 months and life to go.

Feeling a bit melancholy this evening.  Probably because I've got an opportunity to slow down a bit and not be in fast forward during my days off in order to get everything done before I have to be at work again in three days.  I had a glass of wine—my first in nearly a month—and, man! did it hit hard and fast.  I guess that’s what happens when you give up grains and sugar for a month.  One glass of Riesling and you’re done. 

Anyhow, I've noticed that there is one fella at work that I’m attracted to.  Not that I can do anything about that.  I try to stick to the policy of not shitting where you eat as I've gotten older—shat where I ate when I was younger and it bit me in the ass—and it’s done me well...so far.  Not to say I wouldn't consider dating this fella if he expressed an interest but why add MORE stress to my workplace.  My job as an expediter does that well enough.

Been occasionally having the pity party for myself due to being single but mainly because I just have no social life in general.    12 hour shifts suck.  3-2-2 schedules on 12 hour shifts suck.  Working with a bunch of folks that I can’t really become friends with sucks.  Working with 95% men sucks.  Only because they can’t really relate and I can’t really relate and the folks that are my age have a thousand kids or are married and nobody is available to just get together and just go see a movie or go shoot some pool or do whatever.  I don't want to talk about their kids.  I don’t want to talk about their exes.  I don’t want to talk about my cats.  I just want to get together, forget about work, and shoot the shit, while having a good time.  Rant, rant, rant. 

Okay, new topic.  Ever look at a really ugly person who is dating someone and think: how did they find someone to date them?  I mean, I know I've got my flaws but damn!  Is my personality that bad that nobody would want to be around me?  That it wouldn't compensate for whatever conventional beauty I don’t have?  You know...someone may not be gorgeous but you don’t notice because they’re super funny or super nice or whatever.  I mean, I’m totally human.  I have my flaws.  I’m not gorgeous but I’m not such a epic monster of a personality that nobody would want to date me.  Maybe it’s the work schedule.  Damn, I need to retire!  I need a regular schedule.  I need to not have rules about who I can and cannot date.  If I want to date, get nekid with the 25 year old down the way, why not?  18 more months.  They board for E-7 now.  I’m not making it.  My career has been too all over the place to make Master.  I think I can look forward to just retiring in 18 months.  I don’t think I’ll really have to make that big decision of “Do I stay or do I go?”  18 more months.

Time for another glass or Riesling.  Peace out, all.

Vacation--June 5th, 2013

I succeeded in jogging the full length down to the south end—that street is Fredricksburg.  It turns out that’s the city line between Ventnor and Margate.  I’ll have to look to see just how far that is.  I walked, jogged, and did calisthenics on the way back.  I did pushups, lunges, side squats, mountain climbers, and some step-ups.  It felt good; taxing but good; all that after having a cheddar and broccoli omelet--a very good start to the day.

After that, I showered up and walked south down Atlantic.  That’s where I discovered the city boundary.  I kept walking south through Margate--all the way to Lucy the Elephant.  I bought Mom a t-shirt and a hat for me.  I meandered across the small parking lot to the Rooftop Bar at Ventura’s Greenhouse.  The food was really good.  I had a shrimp salad and a mudslide.  The only downside was after I got cash from the ATM—the menu said Cash Only—the server told me that they accept credit cards.  This was frustrating because there was a $3.50 surcharge for the ATM.

There was another success today—no sunburn despite the jog this morning or the walk this afternoon.  Winning!  Time to watch the CMAs on TV.

Vacation--June 4th, 2013

I think God knew that I would risk more sunburn yesterday if the sun was shining so He brought about rainstorms from late Sunday night til mid-day yesterday.  I stayed in and reminded myself why I don't subscribe to cable--too many damn commercials!  Then Mother Nature REALLY made her presence know come evening time.  I LOVE getting up every two hours to check and change things.  Not!!

Breakfast ws tasty and filling pancakes.  Time to reslather my chest w/sunscreen and head out.

I walked all the way to Rhode Island Ave.  It's a bit passed the new Revel Hotel/Casina but I'm not sure how far.  I stopped at Hard Rock Cafe for lunch and had a great tasting burger.  After that, I headed down to Arkansas 'cause I forgot to turn on Michigan Ave.  I made a stop at Wilson's Leather to see if they had tablet covers--they didn't but it was fun to look around.  I also stopped at Jockey when I saw they have a new way of bra sizing.  They measure the volume of the breast to determine where you're at--numbered 1 thru 10--then they measure band size.  It seemed really interesting.  I'd be curious to see if it affects other companies.

Wound my way back to Arkansas Ave and headed back down the boardwalk.  Hung in the room for a bit then changed into my suit for some tanning on the beach.  Maxed out after an hour or so, I returned to the Inn and changed for dinner.  There's a new sushi restaurant on the blockso I went there.  Had assorted tempura and dessert was a mango flavored gelato dipped in white chocolate and drizzled in dark chocolate.  It was quite good.  Now, just hanging out in the room until my freshly washed hair dries and/or cable bores me--whichever happens first.  Then it's off to bed.

Vacation--June 2nd, 2013

Some of this might be duplicated from my previous post but this is my journal entries from the week that I was on vacation.
After a fun week of shopping and tasty food--things that I wasn't able to do while deployed--I spent three hours at Heather's Holistic Health.  I got a facial, a full massage--which was NOTHING like the one that I got on base while deployed, thankfully--and a pedicure.  My toenails are cerulean blue.  Then, after a quick stop at Wawa in Smyrna, I headed to New Jersey.  There was a detour to the Hamilton Mall where I picked upa couple dresses and a couple pairs of shoes.  Got to the Carisbrooke Inn just after 6pm.  Checked in and then unpacked my sneakers so I could get in a quick walk down to the south end of the boardwalk.  It's three miles round trip.  It felt good to get some miles in.  More on my walking endeavor in a bit--my habit of typing has left my writing muscles weak and I need some recovery time or this will be completely illegible.

I actually slept in til 8 this morning.  I originally woke up at 5am but that just seemed too early to get up.  Had a great dream that had Hugh Jackman in it.  That was a fun one.  Although the dream was great, I felt like I had missed out on an opportunity for an early morning walk by not waking up at 6:30am like I have been for the past week and a half.  Tomorrow I will probably just get up when the sunshine coming through the windows wakes me up.  Breakfast was yummy French toast, sprinkled w/powdered sugar and layered w/sliced bananas.  Yum!  I've started drinking green tea so, after one cup of coffee, there was a couple cups of green tea.

After breakfast, I changed into my workout shorts and tank and set out southbound for another walk to and from that end.  Made a short pitstop when I go back to Little Rock Ave but set again.  Once that was complete, I headed north this time.  In the distance between light poles, I did lunges, side squats, and walking on just the balls of my feet.  When I ran out of non-bouncing exercises, I did pushups, one arm pushups (those definitely need work), one leg squats, plie squats, and leg kicks (to the front, side, & rear).  I turned back at Raleigh Ave.

My workout complete, I changed into my bathing suit and headed to the beach.  I did slather most of my body w/sunscreen.  I say "most" 'cause the parts that I missed are all too obvious. :(  The weather was perfect for sunburning.  It was sunny but breezy so you wouldn't even notice just how much sun you got.  The water was freezing though.  I went in to my ankles.  It wasn't even up to 60* yet.  I spent about an hour at the beach and then came back to the room and took a shower.  I then got my face on and headed north to Atlantic City.  Lunch was coconut shrimp at the The Rainforest Cafe.  No shopping though.  I'm gonna be here another four days--plenty of time for shopping later.

I got changed again when I got back to the Inn.  This time into one of the five dresses that I brought with me so that I could dress up for dinner.  Started the meal with a delicious seafood salad--fresh seafood in some sort of lemon vineagrette.  The entree was capellini with chunks of crab and dessert was creme brulee w/coffee.  More yum!

As the hours progress, my sunburn looks worse and worse.  :(

One month post-deployment

It's been a busy month since I returned last month.  We got home in the wee hours and I didn't get to sleep until about 3am that morning.  However, I was up five hours later--thinking that I had slept for much, much longer.  I was up early pretty much every day that first week, even when I didn't need to be.  We're talking 5 or 6am every morning.  I took advantage of it and got quite a bit done in those early hours.  My birthday weekend was spent in an uneventful manner.  Nothing fancy at all and that suited just fine.  I did enjoy some really good yet not good for me food that first week.  I spent the following week--the first one in June--in New Jersey, enjoying good (in all senses) food and just walking around the area.  I think I walked about five miles a day for five of those seven day.  The second weekend back I worked a few hours at my part time job.  It was good to be back to that as well.
Went back to the *real* job two weeks after my return and have been easing into the rhythm of how it's done back at home station--world's different than what happens at the deployed location.  We've got good folks in the shop though.  I think it's going to be easier in some cases; slightly more difficult in other cases--it's hard to answer *why* something happened the previous day when you've been on your weekend and weren't even at work.  But...working weekend duty definitely has its perks.  I really don't mind having three days off during the week AND it will enable me to take three classes this fall.  Good stuff!

The vacation is almost over.

I'm closing in on my departure date.  I can count--on fingers and toes--the number of days left.  I'm ready for home.  I like the folks that I work with but I'm very ready to not see them for days on end.  There's a reason they're called "days off"...it's so that you'll be away from work and those who are at work will have a break from your specific personality for that day.  I know folks were glad when I had my day off.  There was no one to correct them on the escalating level of innuendo--it's to the point that I can't stem the tide; I'm just that worn down from doing so.  There is no one to correct them on the fact that you can't, in fact, where your effing ear buds on the flightline.  Oh, wait, there are folks there that CAN correct them...but they don't.  I don't know why they don't.  I imagine it's cause they have other pet peeves.
I'm ready to get the dirt out of my skin; dirt and grease that has been embedded in the creases of my fingers; grease and oil that poses a daily hazard of possibly giving me a migraine.  But, God forbid, I not do that specific task.  I "suck it up" cause that's what I'm supposed to do.  You can't be in maintenance without getting dirty well...I HATE MAINTENANCE!!! 
The next 35 months will be spent doing all that I can to prepare my guys for their years ahead in the Air Force and preparing myself for life afterwards.  There is $42,000 in debt to be paid off--a home equity loan, a vehicle, and a credit card.  There is a degree that I may complete more classes towards.  There is a house that I may prepare to move out of once that degree is complete.  There is a life to live because I want to honor those who were not able to get any further in theirs.
Tomorrow is Mother's Day and I so wish that I could spend it with Mom.  Soon enough, I will be able to call her and find out how she is really doing and catch up on six months of missed biweekly phone calls.