Sweet Sunday! I had so much fun the last few days, I didn't think it could get any better, but...
Got up around 8! Robert and Julie were coming between 0830 and 0900, so I had plenty of time to get my NSU's on with my brand new sweater. :)
The "Sure Foundation Church" met in a small building owned by another church. I've been to plenty of small churches before, but in this one they didn't overwhelm me with super-friendliness. :) The people were wonderful (lots of Navy and retired Navy), the pastor was great (good preaching, and excited about his ministry... he even sat down and talked with us afterwords, telling us a bit about the history), and the free food was fabulous (rice & meatballs, pies, drinks)! My new family have been bringing another sailor to church for a while now... he's also from Washington... and is on hold here for a few more months :( Very cool to meet people from my home state!
After the worship and teaching and eating and visiting we piled into the car to go have one of their favorite after-church treats... corn-just-off-the-cob with mayo, Parmesan cheese, butter and lime juice, served in a cup. Wow! I had mine light on the mayo, and it was incredibly good! What a treat!
They had talked about joining me for my afternoon movie on base, but their was a Bears game scheduled at the same time :) so they dropped me back at the base (and signed me back in). After relaxing a bit in my room, I found out that my roommate Allen was going to see it (Secretariat) as well. We took off for the theater (just across the base near the main gate) and we had a great time together, especially with that big bucket of buttered popcorn she got. :)
Needless to say, I had a lovely day and didn't need much of anything for dinner. :)
Monday... was shocking to get up at 0500! But school went really well. So well, in fact, that I went back for a couple hours more after I worked out with my other roommate at the fitness center under the Loft. Caught up with where I was supposed to be (and surpassed it) and finished my required 5 hours of extra study at the same time. Whew! I was tired by the end of that!
Gosh, the fitness center was amazing! It has incredibly new machines (no indoor track, hence the reason I hadn't visited it before) and new facilities with lots of room. I shall return, I think. :)
Jp
Monday, November 29, 2010
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Nice Long Weekend... Even With Duty
Oh, Thanksgiving! What a day! Even with getting to the pick-up area an hour before people were actually going to pick us up, it turned out alright. We were waiting in the base museum... and they had lots of interesting artifacts and pictures from the early 1900's. I was amused at WAVE PT... they had to work on Posture and Dancing. LOL! I especially loved the old cameras and the old cryptography machine.
Hibbard and I were one of the first groups to get picked up. Right away they announced "We need two females!" and we jumped at the chance. After our big breakfast, we watched a bit of the Macy's Parade, including seeing Betty Buckley. They then told us to take naps if we wanted and I called home for about 45 minutes and then slept for 30 (deep enough to dream of course). When I woke up I thought I was late for some muster and it took me a second to remember where I was! :) We went shopping for snacks for the party with Julie, the wife for a while... and I picked up some snacks for the barracks. We watched a little of the first football game when we got back, and then we took off for Robert's parent's house where a bunch of his extended family was getting together. It was almost like a Thanksgiving back home. Lots of good homemade food... split pea soup, juicy turkey, green bean casserole, jellied cranberries, etc. Ate so much I only had room for one piece of pumpkin pie. :) We finished watching the Saints/Cowboys game and then were returned to the base. I went to bed right after getting back at 2030 (8:30)!
And I didn't get up until 0700! Woke up a few times, of course, but on the whole a wonderful sleep. This (Friday the 26th) was my duty day. We mustered at 0845 and they told us to enjoy our Friday. :) I had a shopping trip to the NEX, where I picked up the dry cleaning and my name tag for my sweater, and a couple other items. The catch with it being my duty day was that I couldn't go out for longer than an hour. So several times I made it back just in time. :) Got the laundry done and I talked with Mom, Mike and my Grandma (Mom's mom in NC) for the rest of the afternoon. :) Love it when I can do that! On my way to muster that night, the yeoman stopped me in the hall and said he needed me to fill in for a watch. (Darn!) And so I was required to patrol the lounge from 2000 to 2400... watched the Oregon game along with a bunch of guys as I did so, and then a first-person shooter game as one guy played when the game was over. After he put in Spaceballs, it was time to go. Thank goodness, I was tired! :)
Today we had to muster again at 0800; I did one little job and then I was Scott-free! So I went to class for my hours of required Open Learning (just a few more hours of class to get ahead... or catch up, in my position). But there were so many people, they didn't have room. Told me to come back at 1100... so I had brunch as I was waiting. I love the omelets they make us here! Returned early and was able to snatch up a computer for three hours of work. Caught up just fine and will start the electronics part on Monday. Otherwise today, I went for a run on the track for a little personal PT... gosh! that was cold!!! And after dinner and cleaning up, I came here to the Loft for a little Internet. Tried to arrange using my friend's roommate's service for in-barracks Internet, but she's gone tonight and forgot to leave the password. So, maybe starting tomorrow I can surf from my own room. We'll see...
[and one more free day to go!]
Love to all :)
Jp
Hibbard and I were one of the first groups to get picked up. Right away they announced "We need two females!" and we jumped at the chance. After our big breakfast, we watched a bit of the Macy's Parade, including seeing Betty Buckley. They then told us to take naps if we wanted and I called home for about 45 minutes and then slept for 30 (deep enough to dream of course). When I woke up I thought I was late for some muster and it took me a second to remember where I was! :) We went shopping for snacks for the party with Julie, the wife for a while... and I picked up some snacks for the barracks. We watched a little of the first football game when we got back, and then we took off for Robert's parent's house where a bunch of his extended family was getting together. It was almost like a Thanksgiving back home. Lots of good homemade food... split pea soup, juicy turkey, green bean casserole, jellied cranberries, etc. Ate so much I only had room for one piece of pumpkin pie. :) We finished watching the Saints/Cowboys game and then were returned to the base. I went to bed right after getting back at 2030 (8:30)!
And I didn't get up until 0700! Woke up a few times, of course, but on the whole a wonderful sleep. This (Friday the 26th) was my duty day. We mustered at 0845 and they told us to enjoy our Friday. :) I had a shopping trip to the NEX, where I picked up the dry cleaning and my name tag for my sweater, and a couple other items. The catch with it being my duty day was that I couldn't go out for longer than an hour. So several times I made it back just in time. :) Got the laundry done and I talked with Mom, Mike and my Grandma (Mom's mom in NC) for the rest of the afternoon. :) Love it when I can do that! On my way to muster that night, the yeoman stopped me in the hall and said he needed me to fill in for a watch. (Darn!) And so I was required to patrol the lounge from 2000 to 2400... watched the Oregon game along with a bunch of guys as I did so, and then a first-person shooter game as one guy played when the game was over. After he put in Spaceballs, it was time to go. Thank goodness, I was tired! :)
Today we had to muster again at 0800; I did one little job and then I was Scott-free! So I went to class for my hours of required Open Learning (just a few more hours of class to get ahead... or catch up, in my position). But there were so many people, they didn't have room. Told me to come back at 1100... so I had brunch as I was waiting. I love the omelets they make us here! Returned early and was able to snatch up a computer for three hours of work. Caught up just fine and will start the electronics part on Monday. Otherwise today, I went for a run on the track for a little personal PT... gosh! that was cold!!! And after dinner and cleaning up, I came here to the Loft for a little Internet. Tried to arrange using my friend's roommate's service for in-barracks Internet, but she's gone tonight and forgot to leave the password. So, maybe starting tomorrow I can surf from my own room. We'll see...
[and one more free day to go!]
Love to all :)
Jp
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Thankfulness
For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food, for love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.
-Emerson
.
Just saw this on Facebook and loved it. I'm writing from my host family's living room as they're cooking a big breakfast! Today is shaping up to be just wonderful! They're Christians, and invited to take me to Church with them on Sunday! And I had already met the husband before... he was in charge of uniform issue at RTC! :)Happy Thanksgiving All!
Jp
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Brand New Places
So Sunday evening, after my last post, I had a very good time meeting and being the guest of my sister's friends who moved out here last year. They had lived at the same apartment complex as my sister in Everett (there's a Navy base in Everett). So as I was chatting with Andrea last week I realized it would be a golden opportunity to have a fun Sunday evening if I could spend it with them. And of course, it worked out just fine. They came and picked me up (and signed me out of my barracks, becoming my "liberty buddies") and we had a great evening. The kids gave me a grand tour, I met their big, salt & pepper-colored bunny (forgot it's name...) and their cat Rodney (after the ship FFG Rodney M. Davis). The kids were full of energy, and that was fun... we played a couple games and then enjoyed spaghetti for dinner. Didn't have a ton of time, but what we had was very nice indeed and it lifted my spirits considerably.
But now it's the day before Thanksgiving, and I have much to be thankful for.
My new ship is spectacular compared to my first, I've finally started school (and I really like it), and I'm adapting just fine to the changes. We get 15 minute breaks every so often in school, and instead of spending all my money on the vending machines, I get time to read from my pocket Bible. I've found it very nice to have since there is always some time or other that we're just sitting around waiting for something.
So I'm on break for the rest of the day now. We had early release from classes because of the holiday. Don't quite know what to do with myself, mostly because I'm pretty tired. I think I shall indulge in more of the Bible after I am done computering. :)
Jp
But now it's the day before Thanksgiving, and I have much to be thankful for.
My new ship is spectacular compared to my first, I've finally started school (and I really like it), and I'm adapting just fine to the changes. We get 15 minute breaks every so often in school, and instead of spending all my money on the vending machines, I get time to read from my pocket Bible. I've found it very nice to have since there is always some time or other that we're just sitting around waiting for something.So I'm on break for the rest of the day now. We had early release from classes because of the holiday. Don't quite know what to do with myself, mostly because I'm pretty tired. I think I shall indulge in more of the Bible after I am done computering. :)
Jp
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Liberty Weekends
So it has been a while... I think I'll try to keep all the Navy stories on the Navy Times and everything else here, as usual. Gosh... "usual"... hardly so! But it's nice to be here again!
At the moment I'm at the Enlisted Rec Center on base, which has the most comfortable and quiet places for relaxing and browsing. My second weekend of liberty is drawing to a close.
Last weekend, as I left boot camp and transitioned into A School, I had the entire time off with my family and my friend Mike, only needing to call my barracks (or ship, as we call them) every night by 9:30 and every morning by 8 to let them know I was fine. Sleeping in a motel, even a Motel 6, was luxurious! And compared to the galley in boot, Denny's was like a King's table. One of the things I missed most was toast! So that was the first thing I knew I wanted. Everything was like a dream... eggs (not served in a scoop) garnished with cheese... fluffy pancakes... oatmeal and sausage... and the company could not be beat!
That's what I loved the most. Just being with my favorite people. Played games of Backgammon with Dad again... went shopping for some essentials at Walmart... had nice things to eat (pasta, Chicago-style pizza, a burger and tortilla soup). The train ride to Chicago (and the Navy Pier) on Saturday was the best though. Took about an hour and a half and just sat and talked and watched the countryside slip by. It was cloudy, but everything was clearly visible, even when we went up in the Farris wheel on the pier. I was so tired though! Saturday night everyone insisted I get some rest while they went out for a late dinner. That felt a little odd at first, given they had come to see me... but as soon as they left I instantly fell into a deep sleep, not even twitching until they returned... thankfully a half-hour before my call-in time! :)
Sunday, several of our plans fell through... the museum on base was only open until 11 am! We decided to check out the off-base Navy Exchange (NEX) and I was surprised it was a regular supermarket. There were no uniform items available. We wanted to check out some of the little shops at towns we saw from the train the day before, but the time schedule wouldn't give my family enough time to do that and get to the airport. So we took a drive out to see "Round Lake" out in the country, and on the way spotted lots of nice options for dinner.
It was really sad saying goodbye to everyone. My family took off from the restaurant, and then I had a couple hours with Mike before I had to be back, and that was very nice. He could only drive me as far as the gate (because of a silly rule) and then we had to say farewell as well. While I walked back to my room under the stars, I couldn't help but be a little sad. It was jarring to get back to my bleak room in a strange building with a lot of strangers and have a brief on all the new little rules and then be told that one had to get breakfast before 5:40 if one wanted food... while not knowing exactly where the Galley was. So I cross the line between talking about Liberty and Navy life... but I suppose keeping them exactly separate will be impossible. It was certainly difficult to jump back into being a Sailor after being a Recruit for so long and then suddenly a daughter and friend all weekend. It was really good to be with people from my Recruit Division... at least we knew we were in it together. There's nothing that strengthens you more than knowing that. It has helped me survive everything here in Great Lakes.
After a challenging first day, things got smoother really fast. The week felt incredibly long, but I picked up on things just fine. I think I might even be ready for transitioning into real classes tomorrow! :) The coolest thing was getting my Christmas leave settled really early. Had to go to the NEX in stages, getting everything I needed, but after it was all set, I felt much better.
I didn't take much liberty at all Friday evening this week, so this weekend really started yesterday morning as I was able to sleep in! Woke up at a whopping 0730 and took a private, hot shower! Talk about Liberty! I took my time in my room afterwords, fixing the ribbons on my uniforms to reflect earning my sharpshooter, and putting my E-3 devices on my service uniform. Also straightened my closet, getting everything ready for next week. I really can't stand disorganization. I even took the time my first Sunday night to unpack the sea bag. Couldn't stand having everything here and there, thrown about, as I had left it after first checking in last Friday. (I was in a super rush to get out the door and see everyone!) So now it's in even more perfect order. :)
I tried to use the library, but it didn't open for another couple hours... so I checked out "The Loft", where I am now. Lots of cool stuff here... games and quiet places and so on. It was then time to meet up with my friends for a trip to Gurnee Mills Mall. We got a taxi by the main gate and sped over there, passing many of the things I saw with my family last week. I just wanted to hang out with my shipmates, really. It was Riley's 19th birthday, and she got her hair done. We ate snacks together, did a lot of walking and talking and then enjoyed a fabulous dinner. I was rather curious about the place... people have been talking about it since boot camp. They said last weekend it was packed with folks in uniform. Glad I waited until yesterday!
And everyone knew who we were... many of the cell phone salesman didn't let us walk by without a greeting of some kind. One guy said, "I know you guys have money. You could even buy me lunch. You should buy a cell phone." Didn't know they'd be that direct. And my friend and I talked to a high-school girl at the salon while we were waiting. She was wondering about Boot Camp. :)
Got back in plenty of time for a very quick muster, and then I was surprisingly able to get on chat! That was a lot of fun, even though I got lots of questions from girls on my deck about why I was sitting in the passageway. :)
This morning I woke up at 0700 and got out in time for breakfast too. :) I went ahead and purchased the sweater (for wear with the khaki and black uniform) this morning, tried very desperately for a quiet place at the USO, but couldn't find one... and then landed at The Loft.
Kind of a quiet day so far. It's nice to be able to go where you want on base without fear. :)
Jp
At the moment I'm at the Enlisted Rec Center on base, which has the most comfortable and quiet places for relaxing and browsing. My second weekend of liberty is drawing to a close.
Last weekend, as I left boot camp and transitioned into A School, I had the entire time off with my family and my friend Mike, only needing to call my barracks (or ship, as we call them) every night by 9:30 and every morning by 8 to let them know I was fine. Sleeping in a motel, even a Motel 6, was luxurious! And compared to the galley in boot, Denny's was like a King's table. One of the things I missed most was toast! So that was the first thing I knew I wanted. Everything was like a dream... eggs (not served in a scoop) garnished with cheese... fluffy pancakes... oatmeal and sausage... and the company could not be beat!
That's what I loved the most. Just being with my favorite people. Played games of Backgammon with Dad again... went shopping for some essentials at Walmart... had nice things to eat (pasta, Chicago-style pizza, a burger and tortilla soup). The train ride to Chicago (and the Navy Pier) on Saturday was the best though. Took about an hour and a half and just sat and talked and watched the countryside slip by. It was cloudy, but everything was clearly visible, even when we went up in the Farris wheel on the pier. I was so tired though! Saturday night everyone insisted I get some rest while they went out for a late dinner. That felt a little odd at first, given they had come to see me... but as soon as they left I instantly fell into a deep sleep, not even twitching until they returned... thankfully a half-hour before my call-in time! :)
Sunday, several of our plans fell through... the museum on base was only open until 11 am! We decided to check out the off-base Navy Exchange (NEX) and I was surprised it was a regular supermarket. There were no uniform items available. We wanted to check out some of the little shops at towns we saw from the train the day before, but the time schedule wouldn't give my family enough time to do that and get to the airport. So we took a drive out to see "Round Lake" out in the country, and on the way spotted lots of nice options for dinner.
It was really sad saying goodbye to everyone. My family took off from the restaurant, and then I had a couple hours with Mike before I had to be back, and that was very nice. He could only drive me as far as the gate (because of a silly rule) and then we had to say farewell as well. While I walked back to my room under the stars, I couldn't help but be a little sad. It was jarring to get back to my bleak room in a strange building with a lot of strangers and have a brief on all the new little rules and then be told that one had to get breakfast before 5:40 if one wanted food... while not knowing exactly where the Galley was. So I cross the line between talking about Liberty and Navy life... but I suppose keeping them exactly separate will be impossible. It was certainly difficult to jump back into being a Sailor after being a Recruit for so long and then suddenly a daughter and friend all weekend. It was really good to be with people from my Recruit Division... at least we knew we were in it together. There's nothing that strengthens you more than knowing that. It has helped me survive everything here in Great Lakes.
After a challenging first day, things got smoother really fast. The week felt incredibly long, but I picked up on things just fine. I think I might even be ready for transitioning into real classes tomorrow! :) The coolest thing was getting my Christmas leave settled really early. Had to go to the NEX in stages, getting everything I needed, but after it was all set, I felt much better.
I didn't take much liberty at all Friday evening this week, so this weekend really started yesterday morning as I was able to sleep in! Woke up at a whopping 0730 and took a private, hot shower! Talk about Liberty! I took my time in my room afterwords, fixing the ribbons on my uniforms to reflect earning my sharpshooter, and putting my E-3 devices on my service uniform. Also straightened my closet, getting everything ready for next week. I really can't stand disorganization. I even took the time my first Sunday night to unpack the sea bag. Couldn't stand having everything here and there, thrown about, as I had left it after first checking in last Friday. (I was in a super rush to get out the door and see everyone!) So now it's in even more perfect order. :)
I tried to use the library, but it didn't open for another couple hours... so I checked out "The Loft", where I am now. Lots of cool stuff here... games and quiet places and so on. It was then time to meet up with my friends for a trip to Gurnee Mills Mall. We got a taxi by the main gate and sped over there, passing many of the things I saw with my family last week. I just wanted to hang out with my shipmates, really. It was Riley's 19th birthday, and she got her hair done. We ate snacks together, did a lot of walking and talking and then enjoyed a fabulous dinner. I was rather curious about the place... people have been talking about it since boot camp. They said last weekend it was packed with folks in uniform. Glad I waited until yesterday!
And everyone knew who we were... many of the cell phone salesman didn't let us walk by without a greeting of some kind. One guy said, "I know you guys have money. You could even buy me lunch. You should buy a cell phone." Didn't know they'd be that direct. And my friend and I talked to a high-school girl at the salon while we were waiting. She was wondering about Boot Camp. :)
Got back in plenty of time for a very quick muster, and then I was surprisingly able to get on chat! That was a lot of fun, even though I got lots of questions from girls on my deck about why I was sitting in the passageway. :)
This morning I woke up at 0700 and got out in time for breakfast too. :) I went ahead and purchased the sweater (for wear with the khaki and black uniform) this morning, tried very desperately for a quiet place at the USO, but couldn't find one... and then landed at The Loft.
Kind of a quiet day so far. It's nice to be able to go where you want on base without fear. :)
Jp
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