But I was only to learn as the day progressed just how much worse I was off than the others...
After being told where our formation was actually being
held, instead of the standard PT field, I reiterated to my training NCO
that I needed to know how to get to the classroom and just what all did
I need...I was told a DA Form 348 and my military drivers license...i asked
what a 348 was and he said my license...so i went on my happy way and found
the site w/o TOO many hassles...after a weak weak weak cup of coffee at
the Butner AAFES gas station/shoppette...
(BTW, a foresight...I have smoked more than an entire
pack today--well into my second as I type...thats what kind of day it has
been. More foresight...I am still dressed in my duty uniform w/ no
clue when I'll be able to get out of it.)
The class went OK except for the fact that I found out
was a 348 was and that I did not (of course) have one...Released for lunch
i went down to Motor Pool to see if I could scrounge one up (it's basically
a list of what you are qualified to drive and such not) but no-one was
there that could help me and that the warrant officer I needed to see was
probably not going to be back until *well* after 1300 due to some special
formation she had to go to...
OK, fine, I though, no need to bother being back right at 1300. I went to eat lunch then down to the Fayettville Courthouse to pay my traffic fine, right? WRONG! Court costs ran well over the $30 I expected...fifty fucking six dollars over to be exact. I didn't have that much cash and they of course didn't take credit...Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr....
SO there I was, smoking about my seventh, eighth, or twelfth smoke of the day i don't even know, annoyed as all hell, assuming I'm out of the class due to a lack of proper paperwork (which, however, would mean I got my friday off due to thanksgiving holiday 4 day wknd, the class is in session again on friday!) I go back to the motor pool and find another SGT who tells me that yeah, he *could* do it for me..but not this week, not with OP clean sweep....ggggggggggaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa...
SO I go back and the instructor is cool enough(?) to allow me to stay and get him the 348 next week. So at that point I had mixed feeling since I really wanted my friday, but really wanted the class as well, so I could get out of OP clean sweep and FTX recovery next week, and get my promotion points, and learn to drive all this cool stuff.
flick flick mmmmm hmmmm yuummmmmm mmmm
gurgle gurgle swallow (coffee..more on that l8r)
OK, so i got out of class around 1615, go to the commissary (grocery store) as long as I had cash, got coffee beans, milk, grape nuts ;P yum, bagels, cream cheese, coca cola (for the booze I expected to need tonight but haven't touched) then off to the PX (department store) to get a bowl for said grapenuts (hot...double yum!) but of course they had no real bowls except in the full on place settings at around $15.0 which I in no way wanted...so I got one of those big old cappucino mugs which cost me a lot mroe than I expected and came back to the company.
Now, I have had this HMMV dispatched for FTX and what not, and I never got a chance to take it back to the motor pool...it's been sitting in the brigade parking lot since friday. MSG Perez had the keys so I had to get them today after "work"...that went OK...but the key to the motor pool (which I assumed would be locked up since it was after COB) has gone astray and I can't put the vehicle away till it's back...At least Tracy was kind enough to drive me back from the pool where I parked the vehicle outside so i wouldn't have to walk back (about two miles and it's been a bad enough day w/o that). The thing is parked just outside the motor stables and I just *know* I'll catch flak for that if it stays there overnight...
So I hafta wait in my BDU's till that key turns up to put the HMMV away. It SHOULD be back by now I'm hoping...soon as I log off here I'm gonna check.
Anyways, I *finally* get home and still no word from Dan...I was hoping he'd have called or left an email--i haven't heard from him since friday morning and I'm worried that his unit (and him) got deployed over the wknd...something that *can* happen at a moments notice mind you...This isn't the first time such thoughts have crossed my mind...
So I start the coffee brewing...or think I do...fifteen minutes pass...no coffee. Idiot I am I forgot to turn it off last night after using it to brew water for hot cocoa and tea...popped the circuit and I had to fiddle with the reset...finally got to working but I was sweating that one for a while too...
flick flick...
this music has done a LOT to settle my nerves. thank you Jen!
To add insult to injury...Plextor tech support emailed me back about the problems I'm having with my new cd burner...of course they were NO help whatsoever...They gave me a link to download a new driver but of course I can't access the website...grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.............
and I hafta reinstall my printer drivers (after first *unistalling* them) becasue I had memory glitches last night and windows troubleshooter led me astray...
So all in all, a royally fucked up day. AT the very least, two good things...found out I have until Dec 6th to pay my fine and court costs, and I am still enrolled in the class. Having coffee and other such stuff is nice too. The day *did* pass rather quickly at least!
OK, so I think that be enough ranting for tonight. It's soothed me none-what-so-ever becasue I've already run through the shortened versions twice...making this reiteration seem a chore...but ack grrr aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa has to be done for posterity's sake.
least the day *should* be over soon..................................