I have a lot of time to think out here. Some thoughts I've had in the past day:
1. I'm going to write a paper on how to be a good teacher. This is for my benefit. I'm not sure anyone else will gain anything. But my methods of instruction have worked so far, so who knows.
2. I'm going to actively take part in a political party upon my return to the States.
3. Eisenhower smoked four packs of cigarettes per day and became president... while I don't think this would be beneficial to any campaign these days, I find it impressive.
4. I look more respectable with a 1-2 fade than with long(er) hair. Picture to follow.
5. Reading books about military history and overall leadership at work is not only enjoyable, but is accepted by the senior officers... 215 seemingly automated days remaining doesn't seem that long or boring anymore.
6. Note to self - look into career as military historian / public speaker.
7. I need to be more interesting...
1. I've been wondering how I'm so comfortable speaking in front of an audience, and how I get that audience to not only listen, but WANT to listen. How I get in a "groove" with communicating with people. If I ever finish this paper, you'll see one word a lot: friendship. That's all I know so far.
2. Since I'll be leaving the military, I want to help out in some other way. I doubt I'll be heading to any office that's shaped anything other than "cubicle" or "maintenance vehicle", but we'll see. I'm not THAT charismatic or appealing!
3. Nothing more to say about that really. But jeez: 80 cigarettes! At the peak of my smoking career, I could never smoke more than 30 in one day. I guess I'm not even half the man Eisenhower was.
4. I got my hair cut significantly shorter. Immediately after, numerous people at Division HQ were seen smiling at me. Perhaps they were politely not laughing. I think I had my hair this short when I met Jen though, so maybe I'm more handsome this way? Though I remember looking like a malnourished hostage in high school when I shaved my head.
5. This is how I came about with the four packs of cigs information... like I said - enjoyable. It certainly makes the time go by faster. And the O-6 approves, so it can't be wrong.
6. Based off of my recent doorway that opened to the treasure of military literature I have at my disposal, I will probably be well qualified to clean house in any Jeopardy! category that involves war. If my "education paper" and ideas go into syndication, I should probably go on tour. That is, assuming my music career doesn't result in more stardom than "Frankie Goes to Hollywood"(Relax!(Don't Do It!)).
7. I know my wife loves me, but I can make her happier by being a better, more well-rounded, and diverse person. I know my children love me, but I can better support them by being able to take more of an active role in anything they want me to. I'm a pretty basic person right now. The only things I'm really good at, are the military and food(eating a lot of it). I don't have a lot of talents to share with anybody; nothing interesting, nothing exciting.
This certainly wasn't meant to end on a depressing note, and I hope you didn't take it that way. Like I said before - just thoughts I've had in the past day. Goodnight.
-C
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Sunday, November 25, 2007
at work
There’s kind of a lull at the moment at work, so I’m writing this in the office. I actually DON’T have anything better to do in case you’re wondering. When I’m not doing training, my job pretty much consists of being a “gopher” – “Go for this, go for that”. I do some administrative stuff, some operations stuff, some travel stuff. I just got done checking the box scores for last night’s NBA games. Good job, Celtics once again. It’s kind of scary to see a team as talented as they are only barely squeak by a perennially weak and underachieving team like the Bobcats. I think underachieving is a good term for them. Charlotte has a lot of talent, but just can’t seem to put it together. I think they’re just trying to discover their style; trying to discover the best way for them to play together. On the same token, I see a lot of teams in the NBA that are “underachievers”. As much as I’d like to be, I am not a sports columnist… maybe someday, but not now. So, carrying on with my usual self –
Yesterday at dinner I met my cousin (-in-law?), Rob Crotty. We spoke for a little while. He actually kind of surprised me when he came up to me and asked if my first name was Corey. I didn’t realize it was him at first, all I saw was the silver bar indicating his commission. Of course, I responded appropriately, and then toned down a little once there was some recognition. Rob seems like a good guy. I’m sure I’ll get responses: “Of course he’s a good guy”. I don’t mean it like I’m surprised he’s a good guy, it just makes me happy to meet a good and happy person out here. A lot of the time we only see the sour and begrudgingly happy faces. Rob had an authentic smile, like he was genuinely pleased to meet me. I hope I came across the same way. I hope I don’t have a false attitude that I’m not aware of. One more item of note in our encounter… he’s tall! I slouch quite a bit now, but I take some pride in being one of the taller (if not the tallest) member of our family. I wonder if he’s taller than me. In any case my friend, Jamie, saw Kaeleb not too long ago and said that “he’s going to be the next Paul Bunyon”. He said the kid is absolutely gigantic. So I think we can bank on Kael being tall also – maybe taller than me.
Good things seem to happen in bunches for me. Yesterday I also got a package from my Aunt Julia and Uncle Jim. I’ve already talked about how much of an NBA fan I am, so I’ll go ahead and throw out the fact that the best gift I’ve received yet has been a Golden State Warriors opening night T-shirt. I think these could only have been received at the game itself so it’s really something amazing. Thank you for all the books also; a couple of those are exactly what I’ve been looking for – history that won’t put me to sleep. I also received a Thanksgiving card from my Grandma in Omaha, and it’s very nice to hear what’s happening back in the motherland. I only hear bits and pieces of what’s going on in everybody’s lives through brief conversations with my parents (who I only call about once or twice a month). Does everybody want to live in secrecy?! I’m proud of what I do, so I want to tell you about it. I hope that didn’t come across as arrogance, but you’ll never tell me anyway. I don’t want to keep tabs on everyone, but we’ve all got such large families that updates on the ins-and-outs of daily life are often lost or downplayed in the fray. I guess what I’m getting at is: talk to each other, and let people know how you’re doing. Or just be lazy like me and write a blog so you only have to tell your story once, and everyone can hear it at their own pace. Wow, I am lazy. Or my communication skills have gone down hill faster than I thought.
In a short and concise response to a comment asking what my usual or typical meals are like: Bountiful yet plain. Isn’t that the same slogan as Hooter’s? I know it’s not, but I tried. The variety of food served at every meal, spare breakfast, is terrific. For breakfast we can get eggs scrambled or as an omelet with many different additions such as ham, cheese, mushroom, peppers, and onions. There is always oatmeal or grits. Pancakes or french toast is always served. Finally, the coffee is hardly tasty, but always blistering hot. My mouth has turned into asbestos in an adaptive effort to ignore the pain. Consequently, I think the coffee tastes okay now. Lunch and dinner are always and yet - never the same. Which translates into: the food comes in different shapes and sizes, but the variety is served on a regular rotation, so there’s never any pleasant surprises. I usually nap in lieu of lunch. Every Friday they have steak, shrimp, scallops, and crab legs. I’ve only eaten the steak once. Everybody told me that the food out here was good. It WAS good, and then I got used to it. Now I crave some of Jen’s macaroni and teriyaki tuna steaks more than ever. Whenever you guys come see us when you get a chance, I’ll bribe her to make it for you. I haven’t eaten any chicken yet. I stopped eating chicken for some odd reason some equally odd number of years ago. It wasn’t until I was married that Jen made some chicken that I ate. No reason for me not to like it… probably the same non-reason that I don’t like chocolate. I just don’t. Of course there is free Baskin Robbins ice cream and cookies out here, but I don’t eat ice cream either. I did for about a month when I first got here, but then suddenly realized that it’s too sweet for my tastes.
Alright, that’s enough for now, I should get back to “work”.
-C
Yesterday at dinner I met my cousin (-in-law?), Rob Crotty. We spoke for a little while. He actually kind of surprised me when he came up to me and asked if my first name was Corey. I didn’t realize it was him at first, all I saw was the silver bar indicating his commission. Of course, I responded appropriately, and then toned down a little once there was some recognition. Rob seems like a good guy. I’m sure I’ll get responses: “Of course he’s a good guy”. I don’t mean it like I’m surprised he’s a good guy, it just makes me happy to meet a good and happy person out here. A lot of the time we only see the sour and begrudgingly happy faces. Rob had an authentic smile, like he was genuinely pleased to meet me. I hope I came across the same way. I hope I don’t have a false attitude that I’m not aware of. One more item of note in our encounter… he’s tall! I slouch quite a bit now, but I take some pride in being one of the taller (if not the tallest) member of our family. I wonder if he’s taller than me. In any case my friend, Jamie, saw Kaeleb not too long ago and said that “he’s going to be the next Paul Bunyon”. He said the kid is absolutely gigantic. So I think we can bank on Kael being tall also – maybe taller than me.
Good things seem to happen in bunches for me. Yesterday I also got a package from my Aunt Julia and Uncle Jim. I’ve already talked about how much of an NBA fan I am, so I’ll go ahead and throw out the fact that the best gift I’ve received yet has been a Golden State Warriors opening night T-shirt. I think these could only have been received at the game itself so it’s really something amazing. Thank you for all the books also; a couple of those are exactly what I’ve been looking for – history that won’t put me to sleep. I also received a Thanksgiving card from my Grandma in Omaha, and it’s very nice to hear what’s happening back in the motherland. I only hear bits and pieces of what’s going on in everybody’s lives through brief conversations with my parents (who I only call about once or twice a month). Does everybody want to live in secrecy?! I’m proud of what I do, so I want to tell you about it. I hope that didn’t come across as arrogance, but you’ll never tell me anyway. I don’t want to keep tabs on everyone, but we’ve all got such large families that updates on the ins-and-outs of daily life are often lost or downplayed in the fray. I guess what I’m getting at is: talk to each other, and let people know how you’re doing. Or just be lazy like me and write a blog so you only have to tell your story once, and everyone can hear it at their own pace. Wow, I am lazy. Or my communication skills have gone down hill faster than I thought.
In a short and concise response to a comment asking what my usual or typical meals are like: Bountiful yet plain. Isn’t that the same slogan as Hooter’s? I know it’s not, but I tried. The variety of food served at every meal, spare breakfast, is terrific. For breakfast we can get eggs scrambled or as an omelet with many different additions such as ham, cheese, mushroom, peppers, and onions. There is always oatmeal or grits. Pancakes or french toast is always served. Finally, the coffee is hardly tasty, but always blistering hot. My mouth has turned into asbestos in an adaptive effort to ignore the pain. Consequently, I think the coffee tastes okay now. Lunch and dinner are always and yet - never the same. Which translates into: the food comes in different shapes and sizes, but the variety is served on a regular rotation, so there’s never any pleasant surprises. I usually nap in lieu of lunch. Every Friday they have steak, shrimp, scallops, and crab legs. I’ve only eaten the steak once. Everybody told me that the food out here was good. It WAS good, and then I got used to it. Now I crave some of Jen’s macaroni and teriyaki tuna steaks more than ever. Whenever you guys come see us when you get a chance, I’ll bribe her to make it for you. I haven’t eaten any chicken yet. I stopped eating chicken for some odd reason some equally odd number of years ago. It wasn’t until I was married that Jen made some chicken that I ate. No reason for me not to like it… probably the same non-reason that I don’t like chocolate. I just don’t. Of course there is free Baskin Robbins ice cream and cookies out here, but I don’t eat ice cream either. I did for about a month when I first got here, but then suddenly realized that it’s too sweet for my tastes.
Alright, that’s enough for now, I should get back to “work”.
-C
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Underwhelmed. Maybe?
I experienced my first helicopter ride two days ago. If you can guess from the title of this post, I was a little disappointed. I don't know what I was expecting -excitement, exhiliration, some thrill that I've imagined and thought about for a long time? None of those feelings were there. We lifted off and I looked out the rear right window as we powered over the city of Baghdad. I had no feeling; I wasn't nervous or intoxicated with the least bit of adrenaline. Nothing except a hope vanishing in disappointment.
I went to the International Zone (IZ) with a lieutenant and another first class to conduct training with some army folks. I was finally doing my job. No more Excel spreadsheets. I took about 25 pictures or so. Due to my late arrival back on Victory Base Complex (VBC), I haven't had any time during the "good" hours of internet to upload any photos. I must say that the IZ is amazing. Compared to VBC where we walk on dirt roads and have very little vegitation, the IZ is in the middle of Baghdad where there are asphalt roads, an abundance of palm trees, and breathtaking monuments. One of the people we knew there is a fairly high ranking officer. He let us out on his balcony which is about 400 square feet of absolute astonishment. I took most of my pictures here. The atmosphere was pretty hazy due to the winds, but the view was still admirable. We walked around other parts of the IZ and saw numerous features easily recognizable to anyone who watched the news before the war started. Until this point, there have been only two things in my life that have left me speechless - The Vatican, and the Grand Canyon. These palaces and mosques, and the work put into them were truly amazing. The monstrosity of a mosque on the horizon was unreal. It's a shame it will never be completed. If only I could've seen them before countless Tomohawk missles and JDAM bombs had gotten to them. In the evening before our return flight, a group of other navy personnel doing the same thing as us took us to the US Embassy for dinner. The best dinner I've had in months was eaten here. I had a turkey, ham, and swiss panini. It was delicious. We then smoked cigars and drank coffee (wish it was scotch) by the pool as US and foreign officers mingled with each other, all the while classic swing music was being played. Because of the older modeling of the embassy, and the music with people dancing in different uniforms, I really felt like I was in some sort of time warp. I had a good time for once.
Besides being delayed due to the winds, our flight back was signifcantly better than the originating flight. This time I sat right behind the pilots in the middle. I had a full view of everything they saw. I got to appreciate the attentiveness of the gunners. I think I had a feeling of importance also. Relatively speaking, I don't think many people get the opportunity to ride in a helo. I guess that makes me important in my book.
I'm currently recovering from one of the more unpleasant colds I've had in my life. I call it "Saddam's Revenge". It's going around. Some people are acting like it's the hantavirus. I'd like to think that I've always had a pretty strong immune system and I'm trying to convince myself that I'm no longer feeling the effects of the cold.
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving. Another holiday away from home. Before I was married, missing a holiday stopped meaning anything to me in boot camp. I will get sad now, but not visually. I still have no regrets about joining the military. Not everyone has the opportunity to do what I do - to fight for something they really love. I almost feel like a glory hound. Like I want to always have the ability to do something righteous.
Happy Thanksgiving, all.
-C
Saturday, November 17, 2007
anniversary (take some caffeine for this one)
No, this isn't my wedding anniversary in case you were wondering. Nine years ago I arrived in Great Lakes, IL as a Navy "recruit". I showed up with longer hair, no facial hair, no tattoos, no money, no car, no wife, no children, no education, no real knowledge of anything outside of Nebraska, and no credible experience with life. Nine years later, I have a beautiful wife and two loving children, two "luxury" cars (hence, still not much money), about half of a bachelor's degree, five tattoos, I've traveled Europe and now the Middle East, after being arrested twice (including Navy shore patrol once)- I consider myself quite street saavy, and unfortunately, I have to shave twice per day. I'll give you a brief accountance of the last nine years now...
After graduating Recruit Training Command (and getting meritoriously advanced) in January of 1999, I headed to the much more enjoyable climate of San Diego for all of my sonar basic and technical schools. I was overwhelmed here - I have never had to memorize so many numbers in my entire life. Even now, I wish I could forget them and clear my head for some information that I will actually use. Being a sonar technician is a lost art... I think during the Cold War, it would've been the most exciting job ever. It's not that I want an escalation of submarine threats to emerge, but I would surely be a lot busier and more involved if it should. I bought my first car in San Diego as an E-3 from a shady dealership on the "Mile of Cars". I had an 18.99% interest rate (if I recall correctly) on a 1993 Honda del Sol. Yes, it was a "chick car", but since they first appeared on the market in 1992, I believe, I had always wanted one. It was a good car. When it was time to "choose" orders at the end of my training, I remember desperately wanting to go to Japan. Well, "Needs of the Navy" ordered me to the USS Deyo DD-989 out of Norfolk Virginia.
I drove the del Sol to Norfolk in May of 2000 only to my surprise that my ship wasn't there. If I had arrived a week earlier, I would have been with the crew as it visited New Orleans for Fleet Week - definitely a good time. Looking back, I'm glad I wasn't there, or else my tally of involvement with the law would probably be three instead of two. In case you haven't figured it out, I was a young, dumb, and stupid sailor just trying to fit in. On the Deyo I completed two six-month Mediterranean deployments and finally decommissioned her in 2003. Honestly, it's sad to think about it. I will never be on a Spruance class destroyer again; no one will. I made the best friends of my life there. For one, Brian Miller, who was my old roommate and got in trouble with me a lot; and two, Jason Farmer, who was only on the ship for a short while. Brian was unique because you know that old saying or whatever where people say: it sucks working with your roommate because you see each other all day and then you see each other all night, and you just get tired of each other. Or even the fact that most people don't get along with their roommates at all. Brian was the exception to that. We were thick as thieves. We did everything together when we were roommates. We'd take turns ordering Denny's take-out while recovering from the night before. He was supposed to be the best man in my wedding, but the "Needs of the Navy" sent him to Iraq. He is still Gabriel's godfather though, and he'll always be a best friend. Jason amazed me more than anything - it could be a number of reasons why. When he got to the ship, I was senior to him and he "worked for me". Not really. We worked in the same workcenter and I was the supervisor. He was the only one I never had to get on about not doing anything. You could always find him doing what needed to be done. He needed no direction. It appeared that he already had planned out the rest of his life. Sure, he complained about things, but it was the same stuff I complained about - usually our boss, Jim. He was a whiz with computers, but wasn't a "nerd". He was actually in the Navy SEALs program until some sand or something scratched his cornea and he got booted. We're still good friends to this day, and he is the godfather of Kaeleb. Always a best friend.
I met my wife, Jennifer, about a week into my course of training that would eventually send me to St. Mawgan, UK. One of the best things about her is that she always wants to be around me. I never thought I had that magnetic of a personality, but hey, who's complaining? Not me. I remember the day Lord of the Rings part 3 came out in the theater. (I'm a huge LotR geek, by the way) I asked her last minute if she would want to go with me to the midnight showing of the film, and without hesitation she made the hour-plus drive from North Carolina to come see me. I still don't think she likes the films, but bares with me as I'm always reminding her of how super badass they are.
I was stationed at Royal Air Force Base St. Mawgan in April of 2004. I can't say a whole lot of good things about this place based on my experience. RAF St. Mawgan is in the "West Virginia" of England. County Cornwall is the very southwest county in England... farmland. Everyone else called it the West Virginia - it kind of reminded me of Nebraska. More than anything, I renewed my interest in soccer, and became an avid supporter of Newcastle United. Newcastle is an unfortunate club who always seems to be lost in "midtable obscurity". To all you non-footballers, that term means that they are traditionally one of the most average clubs in the English Premiership. They never fare any better than 6th or 7th place, but never worse than 14th. I didn't travel nearly as much as I'd liked to. I did make it up to Liverpool a few times to visit some good friends, and then to Gillingham once to go to some big club, which turned out to be a dive. I also appreciate a good lager (warm or cold) more than I ever had before. November of 2004, Gabriel was born and I was extremely happy to be able to make it back to the States for that event.
I left England on May 2nd of 2006, and got married four days later. Thank you to those of you that could make it. I do not fault anyone for not being present. I know it was not a good time to get married and expect people to be there with it being graduation time, and finals, and all of that. Jen and I honeymooned to St. Thomas. We had an amazing time while still getting sunburned to the point of agony. Ensure your bottle of sunscreen says 5 hour protection... NOT SPF 5.
I returned to Great Lakes, IL in June of 2006 to become an instructor. My arriving in Great Lakes was topsy turvy because my original orders got cancelled and shifted to Norfolk again... and then changed again to go to Great Lakes. I honestly did not want to go back to Illinois. I saw that nothing good could come out of it. I noticed I was totally wrong about four months into my tour. I really, really enjoy instructing. I'm not sure if it's because I'm teaching sailors right out of boot camp, or if it's the environment where I can tell sea stories that have meaning behind them, or if I'm just happy because of my good life. I can't figure it out. I was one of the lead instructors for the Navy's brand new school called Surface Common Core. I teach maintenance, linehandling, first aid, and CPR. I think since it's such a diverse curriculum, it never gets boring - I really enjoy it. In March of this year, Jennifer and I had our second boy, Kaeleb.
And that brings us to now... Baghdad. I volunteered at first, but then got turned down, and then my command submitted my name again (involuntarily), and here I am. Nine years in the Navy, and I've gotten a wider range of qualifications than most people will get in an entire career - I'm a Surface Warfare Specialist, Undersea Surveillance Specialist, Master Training Specialist, and if I'm lucky out here, I can get my Fleet Marine Force qualification, and maybe my Expeditionary Warfare qualification. I doubt that will happen, as I'm not that lucky. I'm a relatively smart person, but I can't figure out how I can finagle(sp?) that.
Nine years... wow. Jennifer and I have decided that we are getting out of the Navy when my current enlistment is expired. Yes, I said "we". No, Jen is not active duty. She is in the Navy with me. I don't want to be away from my family any more. I missed Gabe's birthday on the 13th. Yes, I cried of course. He's getting so big and smart - I just don't want to miss that development. Sonar Technicians are seagoers... our job is at sea, not on shore - so I'm guaranteed to go to a ship again, and do more six-month deployments. I figure that if I do 20 years in the military, I will do at least five more sea deployments, and probably another tour over here in the Middle East. That's at least three years of family time I can't get back. I love serving my country, but I love my family too. There's only two ways that I'd talk to Jen about possibly staying in the Navy - either I make Chief in the next two years, or I get selected for an officer program. If I can just change my uniform to khaki, I'll try to make a go of it. As it stands now, Jen and I are currently looking at and pricing homes in the mountain areas. In particular, Colorado, Utah, and (yes, Darby) Idaho. We want to relax and get away from things, and have a yard for the kids and our mastiff. We want to live somewhere that won't break our account, and will provide us with terriffic scenery. I had always thought about going back to the East Coast where Jen is from (North Jersey), but I would like to live closer to my family, and because she loves me so much, she's agreeing (right now). The other problem is finding a job. I've decided to follow my Uncle Tim's advice and get the bachelor's degree that will come easy for me. I need to find an interesting occupation in electronics now while I work on my Master's in something else!
On my ninth anniversary (almost sounds like that "Days of Christmas" song), the mailman brought to me a load of packages. Pam and Tim: I received your package. Thank you for all that Fruit by the Foot! I haven't had it in ages, and it's delicious. The puzzle was interesting. I'm going to take it to work and hopefully watch the officers struggle (No offense to the relatives who are officers). I made short work of it, but I noticed it was an "easy" one, so I'm not bragging. I also received two packages from a church group in La Vista, NE. Thank you! I think that group has in their mind that I'm actually living in the desert with no sanitation system in place. I received well over 400 wet wipes to take a "shower" with. Thank you again, but these are not necessary. I have a quality shower facility that allows me to take showers every day (not always hot water). This means a lot to receive things from people I've never met. I can never repay you. Perhaps I'll write a letter back. Finally, I received all of my guitar gear. I took a picture of it, but I can't upload it until tomorrow apparently due to the bandwidth issues. I already have sore fingertips from holding unfamiliar strings in incorrect postions. I'm working on it! I don't have a release date for my debut album, but if I don't stop typing and start practicing, I never will. Thanks for your patience in reading this...errrr..... YOU CAN WAKE UP NOW!!!
-C
After graduating Recruit Training Command (and getting meritoriously advanced) in January of 1999, I headed to the much more enjoyable climate of San Diego for all of my sonar basic and technical schools. I was overwhelmed here - I have never had to memorize so many numbers in my entire life. Even now, I wish I could forget them and clear my head for some information that I will actually use. Being a sonar technician is a lost art... I think during the Cold War, it would've been the most exciting job ever. It's not that I want an escalation of submarine threats to emerge, but I would surely be a lot busier and more involved if it should. I bought my first car in San Diego as an E-3 from a shady dealership on the "Mile of Cars". I had an 18.99% interest rate (if I recall correctly) on a 1993 Honda del Sol. Yes, it was a "chick car", but since they first appeared on the market in 1992, I believe, I had always wanted one. It was a good car. When it was time to "choose" orders at the end of my training, I remember desperately wanting to go to Japan. Well, "Needs of the Navy" ordered me to the USS Deyo DD-989 out of Norfolk Virginia.
I drove the del Sol to Norfolk in May of 2000 only to my surprise that my ship wasn't there. If I had arrived a week earlier, I would have been with the crew as it visited New Orleans for Fleet Week - definitely a good time. Looking back, I'm glad I wasn't there, or else my tally of involvement with the law would probably be three instead of two. In case you haven't figured it out, I was a young, dumb, and stupid sailor just trying to fit in. On the Deyo I completed two six-month Mediterranean deployments and finally decommissioned her in 2003. Honestly, it's sad to think about it. I will never be on a Spruance class destroyer again; no one will. I made the best friends of my life there. For one, Brian Miller, who was my old roommate and got in trouble with me a lot; and two, Jason Farmer, who was only on the ship for a short while. Brian was unique because you know that old saying or whatever where people say: it sucks working with your roommate because you see each other all day and then you see each other all night, and you just get tired of each other. Or even the fact that most people don't get along with their roommates at all. Brian was the exception to that. We were thick as thieves. We did everything together when we were roommates. We'd take turns ordering Denny's take-out while recovering from the night before. He was supposed to be the best man in my wedding, but the "Needs of the Navy" sent him to Iraq. He is still Gabriel's godfather though, and he'll always be a best friend. Jason amazed me more than anything - it could be a number of reasons why. When he got to the ship, I was senior to him and he "worked for me". Not really. We worked in the same workcenter and I was the supervisor. He was the only one I never had to get on about not doing anything. You could always find him doing what needed to be done. He needed no direction. It appeared that he already had planned out the rest of his life. Sure, he complained about things, but it was the same stuff I complained about - usually our boss, Jim. He was a whiz with computers, but wasn't a "nerd". He was actually in the Navy SEALs program until some sand or something scratched his cornea and he got booted. We're still good friends to this day, and he is the godfather of Kaeleb. Always a best friend.
I met my wife, Jennifer, about a week into my course of training that would eventually send me to St. Mawgan, UK. One of the best things about her is that she always wants to be around me. I never thought I had that magnetic of a personality, but hey, who's complaining? Not me. I remember the day Lord of the Rings part 3 came out in the theater. (I'm a huge LotR geek, by the way) I asked her last minute if she would want to go with me to the midnight showing of the film, and without hesitation she made the hour-plus drive from North Carolina to come see me. I still don't think she likes the films, but bares with me as I'm always reminding her of how super badass they are.
I was stationed at Royal Air Force Base St. Mawgan in April of 2004. I can't say a whole lot of good things about this place based on my experience. RAF St. Mawgan is in the "West Virginia" of England. County Cornwall is the very southwest county in England... farmland. Everyone else called it the West Virginia - it kind of reminded me of Nebraska. More than anything, I renewed my interest in soccer, and became an avid supporter of Newcastle United. Newcastle is an unfortunate club who always seems to be lost in "midtable obscurity". To all you non-footballers, that term means that they are traditionally one of the most average clubs in the English Premiership. They never fare any better than 6th or 7th place, but never worse than 14th. I didn't travel nearly as much as I'd liked to. I did make it up to Liverpool a few times to visit some good friends, and then to Gillingham once to go to some big club, which turned out to be a dive. I also appreciate a good lager (warm or cold) more than I ever had before. November of 2004, Gabriel was born and I was extremely happy to be able to make it back to the States for that event.
I left England on May 2nd of 2006, and got married four days later. Thank you to those of you that could make it. I do not fault anyone for not being present. I know it was not a good time to get married and expect people to be there with it being graduation time, and finals, and all of that. Jen and I honeymooned to St. Thomas. We had an amazing time while still getting sunburned to the point of agony. Ensure your bottle of sunscreen says 5 hour protection... NOT SPF 5.
I returned to Great Lakes, IL in June of 2006 to become an instructor. My arriving in Great Lakes was topsy turvy because my original orders got cancelled and shifted to Norfolk again... and then changed again to go to Great Lakes. I honestly did not want to go back to Illinois. I saw that nothing good could come out of it. I noticed I was totally wrong about four months into my tour. I really, really enjoy instructing. I'm not sure if it's because I'm teaching sailors right out of boot camp, or if it's the environment where I can tell sea stories that have meaning behind them, or if I'm just happy because of my good life. I can't figure it out. I was one of the lead instructors for the Navy's brand new school called Surface Common Core. I teach maintenance, linehandling, first aid, and CPR. I think since it's such a diverse curriculum, it never gets boring - I really enjoy it. In March of this year, Jennifer and I had our second boy, Kaeleb.
And that brings us to now... Baghdad. I volunteered at first, but then got turned down, and then my command submitted my name again (involuntarily), and here I am. Nine years in the Navy, and I've gotten a wider range of qualifications than most people will get in an entire career - I'm a Surface Warfare Specialist, Undersea Surveillance Specialist, Master Training Specialist, and if I'm lucky out here, I can get my Fleet Marine Force qualification, and maybe my Expeditionary Warfare qualification. I doubt that will happen, as I'm not that lucky. I'm a relatively smart person, but I can't figure out how I can finagle(sp?) that.
Nine years... wow. Jennifer and I have decided that we are getting out of the Navy when my current enlistment is expired. Yes, I said "we". No, Jen is not active duty. She is in the Navy with me. I don't want to be away from my family any more. I missed Gabe's birthday on the 13th. Yes, I cried of course. He's getting so big and smart - I just don't want to miss that development. Sonar Technicians are seagoers... our job is at sea, not on shore - so I'm guaranteed to go to a ship again, and do more six-month deployments. I figure that if I do 20 years in the military, I will do at least five more sea deployments, and probably another tour over here in the Middle East. That's at least three years of family time I can't get back. I love serving my country, but I love my family too. There's only two ways that I'd talk to Jen about possibly staying in the Navy - either I make Chief in the next two years, or I get selected for an officer program. If I can just change my uniform to khaki, I'll try to make a go of it. As it stands now, Jen and I are currently looking at and pricing homes in the mountain areas. In particular, Colorado, Utah, and (yes, Darby) Idaho. We want to relax and get away from things, and have a yard for the kids and our mastiff. We want to live somewhere that won't break our account, and will provide us with terriffic scenery. I had always thought about going back to the East Coast where Jen is from (North Jersey), but I would like to live closer to my family, and because she loves me so much, she's agreeing (right now). The other problem is finding a job. I've decided to follow my Uncle Tim's advice and get the bachelor's degree that will come easy for me. I need to find an interesting occupation in electronics now while I work on my Master's in something else!
On my ninth anniversary (almost sounds like that "Days of Christmas" song), the mailman brought to me a load of packages. Pam and Tim: I received your package. Thank you for all that Fruit by the Foot! I haven't had it in ages, and it's delicious. The puzzle was interesting. I'm going to take it to work and hopefully watch the officers struggle (No offense to the relatives who are officers). I made short work of it, but I noticed it was an "easy" one, so I'm not bragging. I also received two packages from a church group in La Vista, NE. Thank you! I think that group has in their mind that I'm actually living in the desert with no sanitation system in place. I received well over 400 wet wipes to take a "shower" with. Thank you again, but these are not necessary. I have a quality shower facility that allows me to take showers every day (not always hot water). This means a lot to receive things from people I've never met. I can never repay you. Perhaps I'll write a letter back. Finally, I received all of my guitar gear. I took a picture of it, but I can't upload it until tomorrow apparently due to the bandwidth issues. I already have sore fingertips from holding unfamiliar strings in incorrect postions. I'm working on it! I don't have a release date for my debut album, but if I don't stop typing and start practicing, I never will. Thanks for your patience in reading this...errrr..... YOU CAN WAKE UP NOW!!!
-C
Friday, November 9, 2007
Camera
I got my camera a few days ago. The only problem is that I don't get up until about 7:00 now, and by the time I shower and get ready for work, I have no time for pictures. And then when I get off of work, it's already dark... I took some time off today to go down to Camp Slayer to get a haircut and thougt I'd bring my camera while Chapman drove. However, my connection is crap once again, so I can't upload any photos right now. I'll add them as soon as I can.
I bought an electric guitar online yesterday. I'm pretty excited about it. I think I watched Black Snake Moan too much, and that REALLY got me wanting to play the blues. I've got quite a bit of blues now anyway. I figure I have quite a bit of time left out here to learn how to play - I can practice every day. I'm expecting to go on a world tour when I get back, so start saving up some money now to be my groupies. I hear Japan can be kind of expensive.
I think Jen must know how bored I am out here too. I've been reading a lot lately, and I usually start and finish a book in 2-3 days. So she bought me a couple of books that will probably take me a while to read - A couple Steven Hawking books to be more exact. That should be interesting. But I'm actually looking forward to it - it seems to me that Robert Ludlum novels are all the same now - there's an ex-agent who loses his memory, and is trying to find himself; or, there's an ex-agent who must stop a diabolical political scandal.
Thanks for reading.
-C
Monday, November 5, 2007
Jen's photos
With Jen's dotMac account, you can view her photos there. Hopefully a little faster than I can view them. Her address is http://gallery.mac.com/jdavidson085 Check it out. Gabe is a monster, Kael is a monster, Figo is a monster.
Untitled
This was originally created on the night of the 5th. My connection would not allow me to publish this.
If you're reading this, you must really have a good life, or be a really good person to listen to me complain... I know you're all good people. Thanks for reading.
"If you don't have anything good to say, don't say anything at all". To the best of my military abilities, I abided by that famous token of wisdom yesterday. Besides BSing with a fellow disgruntled sailor, I must have said a total of about 25-35 words. It was a test to see if anything changed by me not complaining. As expected, no one noticed. You may ask why I did this experiment. You may have questions about the results. However, you're probably as apathetic as I am about my job. Apathetic isn't the right word. I'm definitely not apathetic about my job. I WANT to not not care about it; but I'm not dumb enough to not care. Throughout the day, very few questions were asked to me, and very few problems were presented. One day of this isn't enough to garner a "complete" experiment, but it was almost entertaining to me. There in lies the reasoning to the attitude: it was entertaining - I had nothing better to do. Which is also wrong in saying, as there ARE plenty of things for me to do. I just know that I complain way too much out here. Most of my conversations with people are held in a negative connotation. I feel bad for laying those feelings on others. They don't need to hear it. But since you're reading this, (like stated above) you must be a really good person, and have genuine interest in me. Thanks again.
I don't believe in karma. Bad things happen to people because they don't think... or because they're unlucky. I DO believe in luck. How can I have these beliefs? I can attribute everything bad that's ever happened to me on ignorance or chance. Why is my credit not as good as it could be? Because when I was younger and dumber, I didn't pay bills on time. Why did I crash our Lexus into a deer? Nothing to do with karma there... pure luck(bad luck). I don't think I do enough (genuinely) bad deeds to merit bad things happening to me. I'm sure some of you are reading this and are thinking that you could change a lot of what I've just said into different categories, and try to explain things to me differently... On the same note, I'm sure my beliefs will change too.
Which leads me to....
Because I was "good" yesterday and didn't complain, I received two items in the mail today. Is that karma? Methinks not. So yes, that whole paragraph above was a lead into this one. I'm so dramatic. The first item I opened was a letter from my cousin, Katie, or Katherine as she apparently goes by now. That really put me in my place. The only thing I can, or should, complain about are the people I deal with. I have it really nice in Baghdad compared to her. So, I hereby apologize for everything negative I've said about my deployment not dealing with people. I don't even know if she can read this, but if you can, Katie/Katherine, I feel for you, and thank you for doing your part. I mean it. Your help in this ordeal/conflict is greatly appreciated. I just want you to know that people serving with you need you as much as people at home. Thanks again. On a side story before I get to the second parcel - I worked at a vehicle shop last week for a few days doing real work. Whenever I'd fix a soldier's gear and get them on their way, I would always tell them thanks, and good luck (because if karma had anything to do with it, we wouldn't have any casualties) out there. That seems to mean a lot to fellow servicemembers when you tell them thanks. I hope it helps. Right, on to the second piece of mail, which I received from my grandma in Omaha. As soon as I opened it, the overwhelming smell of chocolate got me. It seemed like Hershey, PA was in my trailer. I'm not complaining, because the letter and package made my day. They really put a good note to close out my evening/afternoon. The Vic's popcorn was delicious though. I ate the whole bag in one sitting. The highlight of the night though, was reading the letter and enclosed prayer. I'm not really religious anymore, but knowing that I was included in a prayer said in front of a number of people really brings tears to my eyes. Really, tears. But that shouldn't be a surprise to my readers now. I know you are all praying for me - and thank you. I've just never seen my name written in a prayer. It threw me off. I still don't think I'm the guy who deserves it.
In closing, I watched Black Snake Moan for like the fifth time in a couple months today. I totally recommend it, but viewer discretion is advised if you're easily put off by: drug use, use of alcohol, strong language, strong sexual language, violence, and nudity. The music in it is powerful. It can make anyone want to listen to the blues. I swear if my connection was faster than dial up in an Eastern bloc country, I would spend loads of money downloading RL Burnside, Son House, and other "Delta Blues" artists. Samuel L. Jackson even sings in the film with great emotion. It really draws me in everytime I watch it.
Goodnight
-C
If you're reading this, you must really have a good life, or be a really good person to listen to me complain... I know you're all good people. Thanks for reading.
"If you don't have anything good to say, don't say anything at all". To the best of my military abilities, I abided by that famous token of wisdom yesterday. Besides BSing with a fellow disgruntled sailor, I must have said a total of about 25-35 words. It was a test to see if anything changed by me not complaining. As expected, no one noticed. You may ask why I did this experiment. You may have questions about the results. However, you're probably as apathetic as I am about my job. Apathetic isn't the right word. I'm definitely not apathetic about my job. I WANT to not not care about it; but I'm not dumb enough to not care. Throughout the day, very few questions were asked to me, and very few problems were presented. One day of this isn't enough to garner a "complete" experiment, but it was almost entertaining to me. There in lies the reasoning to the attitude: it was entertaining - I had nothing better to do. Which is also wrong in saying, as there ARE plenty of things for me to do. I just know that I complain way too much out here. Most of my conversations with people are held in a negative connotation. I feel bad for laying those feelings on others. They don't need to hear it. But since you're reading this, (like stated above) you must be a really good person, and have genuine interest in me. Thanks again.
I don't believe in karma. Bad things happen to people because they don't think... or because they're unlucky. I DO believe in luck. How can I have these beliefs? I can attribute everything bad that's ever happened to me on ignorance or chance. Why is my credit not as good as it could be? Because when I was younger and dumber, I didn't pay bills on time. Why did I crash our Lexus into a deer? Nothing to do with karma there... pure luck(bad luck). I don't think I do enough (genuinely) bad deeds to merit bad things happening to me. I'm sure some of you are reading this and are thinking that you could change a lot of what I've just said into different categories, and try to explain things to me differently... On the same note, I'm sure my beliefs will change too.
Which leads me to....
Because I was "good" yesterday and didn't complain, I received two items in the mail today. Is that karma? Methinks not. So yes, that whole paragraph above was a lead into this one. I'm so dramatic. The first item I opened was a letter from my cousin, Katie, or Katherine as she apparently goes by now. That really put me in my place. The only thing I can, or should, complain about are the people I deal with. I have it really nice in Baghdad compared to her. So, I hereby apologize for everything negative I've said about my deployment not dealing with people. I don't even know if she can read this, but if you can, Katie/Katherine, I feel for you, and thank you for doing your part. I mean it. Your help in this ordeal/conflict is greatly appreciated. I just want you to know that people serving with you need you as much as people at home. Thanks again. On a side story before I get to the second parcel - I worked at a vehicle shop last week for a few days doing real work. Whenever I'd fix a soldier's gear and get them on their way, I would always tell them thanks, and good luck (because if karma had anything to do with it, we wouldn't have any casualties) out there. That seems to mean a lot to fellow servicemembers when you tell them thanks. I hope it helps. Right, on to the second piece of mail, which I received from my grandma in Omaha. As soon as I opened it, the overwhelming smell of chocolate got me. It seemed like Hershey, PA was in my trailer. I'm not complaining, because the letter and package made my day. They really put a good note to close out my evening/afternoon. The Vic's popcorn was delicious though. I ate the whole bag in one sitting. The highlight of the night though, was reading the letter and enclosed prayer. I'm not really religious anymore, but knowing that I was included in a prayer said in front of a number of people really brings tears to my eyes. Really, tears. But that shouldn't be a surprise to my readers now. I know you are all praying for me - and thank you. I've just never seen my name written in a prayer. It threw me off. I still don't think I'm the guy who deserves it.
In closing, I watched Black Snake Moan for like the fifth time in a couple months today. I totally recommend it, but viewer discretion is advised if you're easily put off by: drug use, use of alcohol, strong language, strong sexual language, violence, and nudity. The music in it is powerful. It can make anyone want to listen to the blues. I swear if my connection was faster than dial up in an Eastern bloc country, I would spend loads of money downloading RL Burnside, Son House, and other "Delta Blues" artists. Samuel L. Jackson even sings in the film with great emotion. It really draws me in everytime I watch it.
Goodnight
-C
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