Day 55 - 20 October 2012

Got up this morning to talk to Meagan and the kiddos. Actually got up in time to take a shower and shave beforehand! It can get rather tiring getting up early every morning, but it is certainly a great way to start the day, so I can't complain too much!

We really didn't have much to talk about. Emma was in bed, as Meagan said she fell asleep on the way home from their Halloween adventure to the zoo. Taylor showed me his ninja costume, which looks pretty cool! We are also hopeful that our friend, TJ, can get over tomorrow to work on our dryer. I'm certainly hoping that we can get it squared away. I feel bad for Meagan...two kids, maintaining the house, the air conditioner fizzled last month, and now she's dealing with a dryer issue. She's certainly having a rougher time than I am, at this point anyway.

Went back to the room and took my usual nap. I woke up a little later than I wanted to for lunch, but discovered the guys are going a little later anyway; so, no harm done!

Lunch was ok. I had a grilled cheese sandwich and beef "yakisoba" to eat. They call it yakisoba, but I suppose I am just spoiled. I know what REAL yakisoba is and this is certainly far from it! It wasn't horrible, but not the greatest!

After lunch, we headed over to the BX for a few things. I needed a haircut, so I got that knocked out over there too! I broke down and picked up a pack of smokes. It's been a roller coaster for me. I am trying my hardest to kick this plague of smoking. I am doing much better, as I used to smoke 1/2 a pack to a full pack a day. This is the second pack I have bought in a week. Baby steps, I suppose; but, I am trying and that's what counts. I'm trying to kill the habits: smoke first thing in the morning, smoke after lunch, smoke before work, smoke after dinner, etc. So far, I have managed to knock most of them out. I still get monster cravings after lunch and dinner, but I just tell myself I can't. I would likely be done by now, but just when I think the stress level will stay down, it picks right back up. That's why I'm trying to tackle this challenge here. I figure that if I can quit here, I can stay quit! I'm not giving up...I will keep getting back on the wagon until I am successful!

Went into work and it's still somewhat slow. We have a couple of systems down, but not sure how much we can do. I did get a little frustrated today. It seems like the guys here, on the brink of going home, are in a mode where they are done working. They've already said they aren't traveling anymore, since they don't want to get stuck somewhere and not be able to get home as quick as they would like. My take is a bit different, I guess. I am a firm believer that, at least in this environment, service comes before self. It's one of our core values and the main reason I am here. While I do understand they are eager to get home, that is no excuse for just letting the mission slide. Case in point, my "Assistant" NCOIC was working an issue. He got off the phone with the site we were trying to get back up and said another guy needed called. He then proceeded to the post office to mail his stuff home. Upon his return, he pulls out a piece of paper and says, "Someone needs to call this guy." At that point, the job was pushed over to me. Why? I have no idea. He then proceeded to work on his award package for performer of the month. So, the projects I was working on were put on hold so I could finish up the work. I wasn't too happy...

I finished up one project so I could leave after dinner. I'm getting a chance to go play poker tonight. It's the first time I've played live poker in a while, so I'm not sure how it will go. We'll see!

Dinner was good. It was Mexican night...which means I'll pay for it later! I had a beef fajita and an enchilada. So far, I'm 0 for 2 on Mexican night. For some reason, it wreaks havoc on my stomach. I probably shouldn't have had it, but I really didn't want a cheeseburger...

Over dinner, I expressed my concern to my NCOIC. I just told him I wasn't sure why the particular job was handed off to me, especially since I felt it should have been done before a trip to the post office was made. I'm not sure if anything will come of it; and, I certainly don't want to be a "whiner" in anyone's eyes. I just feel strongly that, if you have a job to do and think you are the best damn guy in theater, then you need to get your priorities straight. I don't consider myself a slacker on the job...mission first. That's what I've been trained...that's why I'm here, really. It's ironic, too, because my current block in Course 14 is talking about organizational management and team building. I would say my mindset is still currently in the forming stage...I'm still trying to figure these guys out. Yet, at the same time, I'm very much performing...it's a weird mix of thoughts, really. However, if you're going to say that you're better than anyone else here...show me! Working on bullets and awards is good stuff, but don't push your jobs down on me so you can work on the icing...I've got stuff to do too!

After dinner, I headed over to the MWR for poker. It started out pretty slow, but I won a couple of hands and made it to the first break! After the break, I moved tables and saw my chip stack start to dwindle. On my last hand, I caught a straight on the turn, only to be beat by a flush on the river. I did manage to finish 14th out of about 50 or 60 people, so that is good! It was fun, to say the least!

Once I finished up poker, I went back to the room and grabbed my netbook to hang out with a couple of guys at the MWR. We ended up loading Diablo II and gamed until around midnight. It's a bit late for me, but I was having fun; so, I'll make that sacrifice.

Alright...back at my room, tired, and need to get up early! Night all and God bless!