For my Country

This weekend I picked weeds for my country. We are having two admirals come to core school this week. We worked all day until the sun went down on Saturday and until dinner on Sunday. It was hot and humid all day. We were to be in our utility uniform witch is long pants and long sleeves. When I was not picking weeds and raking rocks I was on duty as an external rover. The external rover is constantly on patrol and he checks in to all of the barracks as he passes them. It can be fun if its a nice cool morning or a calm evening, but it rarely is. I has external rover for three hours on Saturday and Sunday. When I got out of class on Friday I had duty for two hours and then went right to sleep. I slept for four hours and then got up to study. I have a test tomorrow that covers three chapters on medical documents and two on preventative medicine. I am tired of information. Its soo hard to be interested.

China Town or China City

Me and a few friends had been talking about exploring Chicago’s Chinatown for some time. We finally agreed on a time and five of us piled into a two-door Solara and hit the road. My friend Voe speaks fluent Vietnamese and Mandarin and had been to Chinatown before. As we arrived a downpour began. We circled the area looking for the best place to explore until Voe found IT.

IT was a inconspicuous spot on the corner of Argyle St and Broadway – it was everything a hole in the wall should be. Cramped, noisy and full of strange and delightful smells. We waited for 20 minutes in the door jam because there was no where else to stand we wanted to escape the pouring rain. When we were seated, Voe immediately began to order. He was having a conversation with the waitress and using exaggerated hand gestures. I was a little frightened. Then the food started coming like an assembly line. Sugar cane and coconut milk right from the husk. Cold mango bubble tea. Vietnamese crapes and barbecued pork that we wrapped in lettuce with mint and cilantro. Almond chicken and shrimp spring rolls with Thai basil. Tempura shrimp and egg rolls. Then came the hot pot; a boiling pot of pho broth set on a butane element in the middle of the table. We each got our choice of noodles in a bowl, and two plates of ingredients. The first was a veggie plate that contained raw broccoli, carrots, baby corn, chestnuts, bamboo shoots and more. The second was a meat plate with mussels, scallops, squid, beef, chicken and a few things I had never seen before. You just dropped them in and took out what you wanted to eat. It was a lot of fun and a big mess. We couldn’t figure out the whole chopstick thing. We had them bring us a ladle and forks.

We took our time and ate slowly, just enjoying being away from Navy base and all the craziness of school . In all it took us more than two hours to eat and by that time the rain had stopped. We went out for a stroll in the local shops. We tried dried squid and shrimp and ate candy ginger. It began to rain again so I bought us all cheep little umbrellas from a street vendor. Then it stopped raining and the sun came out. Figures right?

HOME SWEET HOME

I cant stop thinking about going home ! I miss everyone sooooo much. The hardest part about it is that I know it will be over too soon. I will only be able to go home for four days. I have so much I want to do and say and that just isn't enough time. I will try my best to see everyone but I wont have enough time to. GRRRRR
I cant wait to roll around with mia! She is such a ball. She will be so confused when I leave again.grrrr I miss her so. I cant wait to tell my dad all about boot camp and my superior officers, all the memories made. O and Timmy it will be so wonderful to see the smile on his face when I pick him up and spin him in the air. Slap dap snap eeewwe!

My spot on the beach on base

Driving to Wisconsin

My first weekend off base I decided to go with a friend to visit his home in Wisconsin. His Father drove down and picked us up on Saturday morning. As we left the base I looked back and marveled at its enormity. It wasn't long though before we were out in the country. I stared out the window and took it all in, thick deciduous forests with waving green leaves, dark green fields that stretched for miles. I snapped pictures of silo's and little red barns as if I had never seen one before. I rolled down my window and took a beep long breath of fresh air. I imagine I am a dog on the way to the beach. I am enjoying the the wind in my face and the sun in my eyes.
As we drove we filled in Cris's Father on the happening on base and swapped storeys about navy life. Mr burns was in the navy as a young man as well. We told him all about boot camp, the characters in our class the instructors the training and the pranks. Thing have changed allot since I was in the navy he said, they have gone too soft. "If this is soft I would hate to see the old navy", I thought to myself.
We arrived at the house in the early afternoon. We walked into the house without knocking. It felt unnatural....no salute, no request permission to come aboard.? We announced our arrival and out came Mrs burns. Mrs burns was ansious to see her sun, he was not so much. "Cris is about 32by the way."Cris had a few things to do.Meanwhile we were told by mrs burns to "Make Ourselves Comfortable"????? I wasn't quite sure how. It had been four months since I had been in a persons Home. Things like couches and chairs seem like yetties and leviathans and then you see one and you just freeze and stare it down not knowing what exactly to do.I walked around for a wile and looked at family photos then my other friend and I sat on the deck and had a cup of coffee. Mrs burns joined us of coarse.

Do I Miss home?

It has been an amazing journey for me the last few months. I have been completely cut off from life the way that I knew it to be and I was forced to find out how to be happy despite the changes. I can see myself changing from day to day. Learning new skills and habits having new goles and a renewed sense of my Identity. I have ambitions today that wern't mine only a few months ago.

I miss my family. I miss the closeness I have known. I miss having my family to bounce ideas off and hang out with. I miss not being a part of their life. Some times I feel like I ran away. One day you are a part of the commotion and the next you are isolated from it. I still imagine my self at home with Mom and Dad Timmy and mark. I wonder how my life would be if I was in nursing school or working with the mentally disabled. Then I pause and thank god He is looking out for me. I miss mars hill and the whole gang downtown. And then there is Julie, I miss Julie soo much. I miss lazy days of sitting around the house in our PJ'S to going out on the town for my B-days. I miss Cooking and Hosting and Playing Games. I have lost but not forgotten those joys. I have so mush too be thankful for the times I have shared with my family. I Know that I am loved. I hope they know how much I love them.

II miss days of sleeping in with my dog in my arms......I can still remember the day I brought her home and I realized she was really my dog. I think about her often. It gives me so much joy to know that mom and dad are giving the love that she deserves. I wake up every morning and feel prepared for whatever that day may bring. I have never had to make so many decisions for myself.Its terrifying and exhilarating. I never know how I really feel except that I feel confused. I have always enjoyed, or at times relied on, being able to ask someone with more experience what might be the best choice between the options. I feel like my options here are all too many and too wonderful. I cant handle all of these decisions. They are too important to leave up to chance but each is to thrilling to pass off. I should be asking some one to tell me what to do.... Some one who understands me and really knows whats best for me. some one who knows my likes and dislikes, and wants me to succeed. So I pray and I say Father thy will be dine. With my life and my career and my location and as specially with my heart. I am never beyond his reach no matter how far I travel or stray. He knows me. Better than anyone knows me and he loves me more than anyone loves me. Even more than Mia