Tuesday, February 28, 2006

Primping

Today I have my first dress fitting. We drove one and half hours south to this one lady that came very highly recommended. I got into my dress, crinoline, shoes, bustier and all and stood looking at myself in the mirror while they pinned the dress away. The bust needs to be taken in and the length adjusted. I am flat chested and short lol. I love my dress.

After that we drove to the place where I was doing the hair and make up trial. The appointment was at 5 pm but got seriously lost. We went all the way inside the Fort Lauderdale airport and back out. We didn't actually make it to the place until 6 pm. We quickly got to work. I loved the make up but I am not so sure about the hair. I want something clean looking and slick. I don't know if the problem is her or that my hair is too short for what I have in mind. I have booked her and gave the deposit but I am really not crazy about the hair and I don't know what to do.

I have also been working on the programs. Man, that's hard work! Why did I ever decide I wanted to have them??? Can't wait for Matt to get here to put him to work!

Sunday, February 26, 2006

Uneventful

I woke this morning at 8 am out of sheer habit. For the past 5 years I have been getting up around 6 and now I just can't sleep past 8 or so. I hope that changes cause Matt likes to sleep late. I got out of bed and online. My grandmother got up at the same time and we just chatted for a while. I took a computer break to go through all the boxes of wedding stuff that have been accumulating in the past few months so I could locate what's where. I didn't realize we'd bought so much stuff!

My mom and I went to the bank to deposit a check my dad gave me and Matt as a wedding present, then we did a little grocery shopping. Later, the whole family went to the mall. I bought my bra for the wedding (one more thing off the to do list) and a bottle of very expensive champagne for the toast. Not much else has happened today. Just boring, rainy Saturday. I thought civilian life was supposed to be a non-stop party?!?!?!? LOL

Friday, February 24, 2006

The End Of The Affair

When are young and impressionable, we make decision that, for better or worse, have long lasting effects. Some people choose to go to college, some choose to work, others choose to go down less desirable paths. Just over 5 years ago, I chose to join the Navy. I wanted to travel, I wanted to go to college, I wanted to work, I wanted college money. All that was what made me sign the dotted line, besides the idea of serving the country. I wanted to wear a uniform that some many before me had proudly worn. I wanted to part of something bigger than myself. I wanted to say with pride "I am a United States sailor"

Shortly after, I left for bootcamp. No matter what anyone tells you, bootcamp is no summer camp, for anybody. It was by far the hardest thing I have ever had to do. I hated every minute of it, as did everyone else I know. Their intention is to break you down and build you back. They want you to be a team player, not an individual. That of course, isn't easy for must of us either, after all, there is no "I" in "team" but there's an "m" and an "e". Fifteen weeks after arriving on a very cold March night at Great Lakes, Illinois, I left Recruit Training Command a sailor. My ballcap no longer said "Recruit", it said "Navy". I was no longer to be humiliated or talked down to. I was really a sailor.

It wasn't till I got to my first duty station at the Naval Hospital in Bethesda, Maryland, that all my idealized notions of the US Navy disintegrated. I realized that I wouldn't be out there in the field saving lives, that I was no GI Jane and that it was certainly not what I was lead to believe. For 2 years I worked in the gastroenterology clinic assisting with endoscopies, colonoscopies, bronchoscopies, etc. I never worn my uniform to work, I wore scrubs and even though it was a military hospital, it was just that, a hospital, not a very military environment.

Just before the war in Iraq started, I got deployed with the hospital ship USNS Comfort in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and eventually Iraqi Freedom. This was more like it, I was actually on a ship. I was assigned to work on the Casualty Receiving department. All the patients that came through the ship came through here, sort of like an Emergency Room. At first we were just getting normal patients from other ships, and when the war broke out, we started getting actual war casualties.

At first it was hard to deal with emotionally, at least for me. It wasn't so much the adult that I couldn't handle, it was the children. Burned children, shot children. At least one of them, a 3 year old, had been used as a human shield by he's mother. That was hard for all of us. There was the Iraqi man who had half his right thigh blown off but kept trying to grab my crotch while I drew his blood, when I tried to hold his arm down, the tried to grab my breasts. You know, I'm American, so I must be easy. The military police finally had to put him in cuffs so I could finish treating him. There was the 1 year old girl who somehow fell in a tub of boiling water. Whenever they changed her dressing, you could hear her scream half way down the ship, despite the morphine. There were the ones that kept trying to stab us with our own pens and there was the 17 year old girl who has lost a leg and all she could think about was that no man would want to marry her now. Of course, there were also the ones that were glad we were there and very thankful that we were treating them.

Not all the patients were Iraqis though, we had our fair share of American troops. There was the marine who got hit with an anti-aircraft missile and half he's abdomen was gone but somehow he was still alive. All he wanted to do was home. There was the guy who got run over by a Humvee that killed his Gunny sergeant and broke all his bones from his pelvis down. All he wanted was for us to patch him up so he could go back out there and keep fighting.

After seeing all these, it was hard for me to understand why human beings would do such things to each other. Nothing is worth so much human suffering and tragedy and no human should ever have to endure, or witness, such atrocities. Even though this was happening in my United States Navy, my conscience was clear because what I as an individual was doing was OK. I was just healing people. After we came back to Maryland and back to work at the hospital, I tried to live as if nothing had happened, until we had a mass casualty drill with moulaged people. The moulaged looked so real, and all the running around pushed me over the edge. I lost it. I just stood in the middle of the action and just cried. Turns out I had a mild case of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and I have just been bottling things up and I just needed that release. I got over it right then and there, I just needed to let things out.

Even after all that, I still believed we were in Iraq for a good reason and that we were really bringing the freedom we treasure so much to the Iraqi people. Then, as time went by, I realized that it wasn't just about that, and the longer we stayed the less I believed. I finally admitted to myself that had been fooled by my own desire to believe in the organization I was a part of and that is when the Navy fell from grace in my eyes.

In October 2003, I moved to Naples, Italy where I got stationed at the Naval Hospital. I was assigned to the Emergency Room were I served as an Emergency Medical Technician and an Emergency Vehicle Operator. My time there went by without much excitement. No deployment, no seriously injured people, no suffering. However, I hated all the bullshit we had to put up with, but that's an ailment that affects sailors Navy wide. In those 2 and half years I met a wonderful civilian British man who I am so lucky to be marrying next month. I spent my last 10 months in Italy flying back and forth to the UK.

Today, just over 5 years after I signed on the dotted line, and a month short of 5 years after having gone to bootcamp, I am officially a civilian. I have been honorably discharged. I had 3 physical fitness test failures so I can't even be in the inactive reserves, which is fine by me, one less thing hanging over my head. They took my ID card and handed me my official separation papers and sent me on my way to get a plane ticket to my home of records.

I'd be lying if I said I only had bad experiences in the Navy, I had very good ones too and as much as I'd hate to admit it, I am gonna miss it. This has been my life for the past 5 years and everything I've ever known as an adult. I have been paid rain or shine, work or no work, every 1st and 15th of every month. I have had free dental and medical insurance, whatever I needed. I have never had to worry about having money for food or a roof over my head. Everything has been provided for me, and I am gonna miss that.

A little while ago I was planning on going to Applebees for lunch while I wait for the time to leave for the airport, and as I was about the call a cab, I thought, "If I go to Applebees, how am I gonna get back on base if I no longer have a military ID card???" I had never had to think about that before and it was my first "Damn, I'm not in Kansas anymore" moment. Funny, but also disconcerting. I have been completely cut off from everything I know. I know that I will blend in and function just fine as a civilian, after all, I adapt quickly, but I am still scared. It's gonna be hard to get used to my new life and it's gonna be hard to stop thinking as a sailor, but luckily, I will have the support from my wonderful soon to be husband and that will make the transition easier. How long is it gonna take me to ease back into civilian life and way of thinking? I don't know, but I am glad to be detached from an organization whose ideas and believes are no longer my own and an organization I no longer believe in.

Thursday, February 23, 2006

So Much To Do....

The closer it gets to the wedding date the more things I find I need to do. This morning I started working on the seating arrangements and it's not as easy as it seems. I was planning on only assigning tables but now I am worried that couples might get split up so I am considering doing seat assignments. That alone is even more work. A couple more things were scratched off the to do list today. I bought gifts for the flower girl and the ringbearer. I bought cute piggybanks with their names engraved. I also bought bubbles for when we exit the church, a pair of maracas just for fun and a just married sign for the car.

Thankfully, today is my last day here then I fly to my mom's tomorrow where I'll be able to work on things properly. Matt arrives on Wednesday and he will be helping me do everything that needs to be done so that's great. Just so many things, I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed.

Wednesday, February 22, 2006

Hot, Cold, Hot, Cold, Hot, Cold

In my five years in the Navy I have learned many things. For instance, there is just no happy medium, it's either all or nothing, no gray. Take the showers in these barracks I am currently staying at. Sometimes the water is fine when you first get it, that is its tactic for luring people into its vicious flow, and then it goes really cold and no matter what you do or how much you turn the know it just doesn't get warm. Other times it gets boiling hot and you feel like a potato getting prepped for mash. This morning it came with a twist. I got in and it was nice and warm, and it stayed like that for a while, until I lathered my hair up then it got really really hot, then really really cold, the really really hot, then really.........well, you get the drift. To make matters worse, when someone flushes a toilet the showers make a spitting-like sound and the water stops for a fraction of a second and comes back. Just one more shower here......that's all I have to endure.

"Work" is still cake. Show up at 8:30 am, say "here" when they call my name and leave. Why didn't I get a job like that before??? I want my money back! However, I must admit that not having anything to do but sit around all day is not fun either, at least when I am not home and don't have my own entertainment. Just one more day like that and then I'm outta here.

Today I woke up with the wedding to-do list on my mind. There is just so much to do and it seems I just won't have enough time and I'll be running around like a chicken with the head cut off. I had a long "chat" with Matt about writing his vows, but we won't go into that because it's a sticky subject. I made the appointment for my first dress fitting, made reservations for the rehearsal lunch and booked the limo. This is the most productive day I've had in a while. Still, that's only 3 things down, got a long way to go yet.

Tuesday, February 21, 2006

Second Time's The Charm

I decided to keep the car for one more day, and I'm glad I did because today was a nice day. It was cold but the sky was blue with nice white clouds. After morning muster, I made the drive out to Jamestown Settlement again. It was overcast but then it picked up. I got there just 30 minutes after they opened and was one of the first few people to go in. I'm glad I went that early because it was getting pretty busy by the time I left at around 12:30PM.

The first "exhibit" is a Pawhatan indian village which consists of a couple round/oval vaulted ceiling huts, some more rustic huts, a fire and a corn grinding apparatus. The people manning this exhibit, dressed as indians, were very distinctively Caucasian. You'd think they would at least have tried to get people that look semi indian. Next was James Fort, which was constructed to protect themselves from the Spanish and the native indians. It was nothing more than a tall picket fence with a few cannons around a handful of buildings, including barracks, church, armory, governor's house, etc. All this is reconstructed mind you, but apparently this is what the original settlement really look like to the best of their knowledge. The structures were pretty small and dimly light. The time period of this historical site is circa 1607 so the buildings are actually constructed in the late medieval/early renaissance manner. I am fascinated by that period in history so I was really excited to see what everyday buildings looked like then, as opposed to castles, manor houses, etc.

Next were a couple exhibits outside the fort, by the water. They were mainly boatmaking places and places related to fishing. There were 3 boats docked, the Susan Constant, the Godspeed and the Discovery. The Discovery is the smallest of the 3 and it's hard to imagine how such a small ship could have survived such a journey. Even the Susan Constant, the bigger one, is very small by today's standards. The berths were very small and enclosed, but then again, people were a lot shorter then. It took them about 4.5 months to make the first trip from London to Virginia, stopping in the Canary Islands and several Caribbean islands. They had their only hot bath in the Caribbean. Pretty amazing, makes you be glad planes exists. I tried to talk one of the workers into escorting me on to the maintenance pier so I could take proper pictures of the ships but they said no, short of trespassing, not much else I could do.

I was all done by noonish so I headed back to Norfolk, got lunch, my Canon 100-400 lens and went to the zoo. I was expecting a proper zoo, but this is more like a small park with a few animals. It only took me a couple hours to see everything, and I lingered by the lions' den. There wasn't much activity, I guess winter is not exactly a popular time of year to be outdoors.

Sunday, February 19, 2006

Cold Get-Together

Last night, after having gone the Williamsburg area and back twice, the car needed refueling. I drove up to a Citgo and for the first time in two and a half years I had to pump my own gas. I grabbed the pump all the way to the left because it's the cheapest. I tried putting the nozzle in the tank but it just wouldn't fit. H0w hard can it be to pump gas?? Turns out it was the diesel nozzle. Had it not been because it didn't fit in the tank, I would have put diesel in the car. That would not have been pretty.

I went home and after some reading fell asleep. At 4 in the morning I got woken up by the noise made by one of my roommates when she came in. She always does that, nevermind that there's people sleeping. I can't wait to leave the place. When I got up at around 10, I made absolutely no effort to be quiet while I made my breakfast. I scrambled some eggs on the microwave and I bet that beeping was bugging her. An eye for an eye.

I was supposed to meet with some people at noon so i got in the car and following directions from MapQuest, and with the help of Matt, I made it to Downtown Norfolk and to the Nauticus. It was freezing, nice weather but freezing. We went on board the battleship USS Wisconsin, the biggest and last battleship built by the US Navy. We got a tour of the main deck. The water on the deck was frozen so it must have been at least 32 degrees. After that we just walked around downtown and made one big loop. We had lunch at Johnny Rockets and I didn't even have ONE fry. I am being so good! Almost 4 hours later we ended up back where we started at the Nauticus. We said goodbye and went our separate ways.

Norfolk really has nothing going for it. It is by far the most boring city I have ever been to, hands down. You'd think that it would have more entertainment, sights, etc since it is home to the largest naval base in the world, but no. Even Downtown (if you can call it that) was dead. It may just be because it's winter, but then, it's just boring.

Saturday, February 18, 2006

There And Back

Things are still boring around here. The forecast said we were supposed to get 1 inch of snow and ice today. It was overcast this morning when I woke up, just like yesterday so since yesterday turned into such a nice day, I thought I'd go do something anyway. I drove one hour to Jamestown Settlement. When I was almost there, it started raining and eventually snowing. I got the parking lot and it was virtually empty. I didn't even get out. It looked very unpromising so I just turned around and drove back. I was disappointed to say the least. Once back on base, I decided to take a drive by the pier where the ships are moored. There's a lot of them and man, they are big! I didn't wanna look like terrorist just driving around, scoping things out so I came back to the barracks. It has been raining on and off all day which pretty much kills any chance of being able to do anything other than stay indoors and be bored. I have processed some pictures from yesterday and read a bit, but that's it. Hopefully tomorrow is a better day and if Monday is nice, I may try to go back to Jamestown Settlement.

Daytrip

Last night, after much debate, I finally rented a car. My first stop after picking it up was Walmart, not because I needed to do any shopping but because I needed a cell phone. Calls with my British phone are outrageously expensive. I got a cheap pay as you go T Mobile phone.

Today, after muster, I headed off to Colonial Williamsburg. On the way there, I had to keep reminding myself to slow down because there actually is an enforced speed limit here. I am not in Naples anymore. Even then, I made it there in about 45 minutes, which I hear is a bit fast. It started out as an overcast and drizzly day but by the early afternoon it had turned into a nice, warm day with blue skies and fluffy clouds. Colonial Williamsburg was great and of course the highlight of the day was the parade behind the Courthouse with the drums, cannons, etc.

I think I may go to Jamestowne Settlement tomorrow, depending on the weather. It doesn't really look promising, they say there will be about one inch of snow and ice accumulated and it's suppose to drizzle/snow all day. The days when I haven't had a car have been wonderful........just my luck.

Wednesday, February 15, 2006

Boredom, Day Three

To my disappointment, I spent Valentine's Day all by myself. I knew it would be like that, but it still sucked anyway. This is the first time in years that I actually have a significant other at this time of year and he happens to be over 3000 miles away. I did absolutely nothing except go to some stupid TPU indoc class.

My "job" assignment was to the separations office and my job consists of mustering every morning (workdays) at 8:30 am and that's it. The life.....you would think, but the truth is I am bored out of my mind. I don't have a car, no tv in the room and the tv in the lounge has no sound, no internet in my room, nothing. To make things worse, I can't even read in my room in the morning because one of the girls doesn't have to be at work till 1:00 pm so she sleeps late. There is a little gooseneck lamp for my bunk bed but the light bulb is busted. This morning I got in the shower and the water was warm but as soon as I shampooed my hair it went freezing cold. I had no choice but to carry on. Not a pleasant experience. There is nothing else left for me to do so I am just supposed to find something to occupy my time with, like bitching about being here for instance.

This is an absolute waste of my time and their resources. They should just send me home instead of making me wait another 9 days.

Monday, February 13, 2006

Boredom, Day One

Not much going on really.......which really sucks. This morning I had my first muster and I was told I was missing my HIV test so I went to the medical clinic and got that done. Luckily, I had done everything else in Naples. In the afternoon we had a briefing with PSD and they told me I'd check out of here on the 24th, so I'll be here for almost 2 weeks. I wasn't thrilled, specially since they won't let me take the few days of leave I have. They are forcing me to sell them back.

That was done by 1:30 pm and I had the rest of the day to myself. I tried killing time by getting online but I was bored so I decided to go downtown. I wanted to see the USS Wisconsin, the largest battleship ever built by the US Navy and it is permanently moored downtown. Twenty minutes and a $20 cab ride later, I found out they are closed on Mondays. I wasn't pleased. The cab had left so I thought I'd might as well walk around a bit. I took some pics and then went into a mall type structure that was deserted. All of downtown Norfolk was deserted. What a disappointment. I had a late lunch/early dinner and got another cab back to base. I am $60 poorer and it was badly spent money. I don't think I'll go back when they are open, I can't afford another $40 worth of cab rides. At least I got to see a couple 7 Elevens :P

I get the feeling this is gonna be a VERY long 12 days. By the way, I have been taking pictures, I just can't upload them because there isn't a single wifi hotspot in this bloody base.

Sunday, February 12, 2006

"I'm just separating"

The flight actually left a little bit early than scheduled. It was very crowded and by far the worst flight I've ever been on. There were only three children on the plane and they were sitting right next to me, right behind me and right across the aisle from me. I was stuck in the window seat the whole way with no chance of changing seats. The plane was a 757 with virtually no leg room. All the overhead lockers were stuffed so even though I was on row 16 I had to stow my camera bag all the way back in row 31. The kicked sitting behind me kept kicking my seat and that went on for pretty much the entire flight. To make things worse, we had a stopover in Shannon, Ireland and then one for refueling only in Bangor, Maine. By the time I got off the plane I thought I was just gonna kill somebody.

I went through immigration, collected my bags (that took effort), went through customs and then outside. It was hailing and freaking freezing. There was a shuttle I was supposed to wait for to take me to where I needed to go on the base but it was too cold to wait so I just got a cab. Getting my bags in the trunk was no easy task. As a matter of fact, the trunk didn't actually close and we drove like that to my destination.

When I arrived at TPU they asked for my orders, ID card, service, medical and dental records then gave me a piece of paper and sent me down the street to get a barracks room. I got there and I thought that's where the room would be but instead they gave me a room in the barracks right across from TPU. I was given linen and a few more forms to sign. TPU's main job is not to separate people like me from the Navy because that is done in their commands if they are in the US. The people that usually go there are people right out from the brig awaiting discharge, pregnant girls from ships waiting to get an apartment, people that have been awol or deserters, etc, so not exactly the cream of the crop. When I walked into my assigned room the first thing i noticed was that there were 2 bunk beds. Then a voice came from one of the beds.... "What are YOU here for?".....I was stunned and sorta mumbled...."I'm just separating" I felt like the Birdman walking into D block at Alcatraz or something. Not exactly the best first impression or what is gonna be home for the next few days.

I walked around the barracks for a bit to see what it was like and let me tell you, it's not pretty. First there's the fact that there are four girls to a room. The bathrooms and toilets are outside, not in the rooms. Only two of the toilet work and two out of the four sinks are taped off because they are broken. I took a shower and water went cold on me halfway through. The only thing that we have to cook anything is a microwave, which is of no use really. The room is cold and I can't figure out the heating, on top of that, they didn't give me a blanket because they didn't have any. I guess my honorably discharged ass can freeze to death. The galley is too far to walk and so is the main food store. Just on the next block there is a little store with absolutely nothing low carb and an attached food court with Subway, KFC, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and a Chinese place. I guess I better start eating carbs again or I'll starve.

In general, I hate this place already. I think it was the oh so welcoming question that did it. I realize that I have been somewhat spoiled by my living situation in Naples and that this is more like the real Navy but still. The guy at the front desk must think I'm some spoiled brat because I've been acting like a prima donna....rofl.... The pillow case he gave me smelled dirty, like someone's head, so I asked him to give me another one. He gave me a new one. Matt suggested I look into a hotel to stay at and I asked the guy where the Navy Lodge was and after answering my question he said "These barracks are just fine!" Hhhmmm........maybe...... if you just got out of the brig!

Saturday, February 11, 2006

It's Not Goodbye (My Love-Hate Relationship)



This morning I woke up and it was just like any other day, except I had just slept in Italy for the last time. I didn't really wanna get up, I just wanted to stay in bed, but I had the final inspection to do so I sucked it up. I stripped my bed and for the first time I thought "this is it". After the inspection which lasted all of 5 minutes, I watched a movie and then went online from the mall.

Right now I am sitting at the base air terminal (thank god for wifi), waiting for my 11:40 pm flight. It seems so silly they make you check in no later than 7:00 pm and then make you wait all those hours. At least there is an internet cafe and free wifi now.

When I first came to Italy over two years ago, I had all these things I was gonna do and places I was gonna see and just a million things in my head. I enjoyed my time here. I traveled quite a bit, but there are still so many places I didn't get to see. The Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Sistine Chapel, Assisi, the Cinque Terre, Milan. I would have loved to have gone back to Venice at a better time of year, when it isn't cold and the water up to my knees. I would have loved to see the Venice Carnevale and the Palio in Siena. I never went to see the live Nativity scene at Christmas in downtown Naples. I never saw the Pantheon in Rome. All this saddens me because it makes me realize how much more I could have done, how much more I could have seen. I know that there was no way I could have seen all of Italy in two years but I also know that should have gotten out there more.

Even though Naples is a shithole and the driving is terrible and the people are rude and the roads are more potholes than asphalt and they are covered with trash everywhere and the air is dirty because of the burning garbage, I guess it sorta grew on me, and I didn't realize it till now. I suppose it's a case of "you don't know what you've got until you don't". I wouldn't like to live here all my life, but it's not such a bad place after all. The food is awesome, the wine is great, the pastries are amazing and the bread.....oh my god the bread! I love the bread here, and I am gonna miss it, no doubt about it. I haven't found bread like here anywhere else I've been. The cheese is not too shabby, especially mozzarella cheese, after all, Campania, and specifically the province of Caserta is THE mozzarella producing area. I am also a big fan of prosciutto crudo.

Right about now, I would give just about anything for one more rum soaked baba, for a cream filled cornetto, for a pizza margherita. They say that if you don't like Italy as far south as Naples, you shouldn't go further south because it gets worse, but the food gets better. I must agree with that statement. There is absolutely nothing like Neapolitan food. The seafood is so fresh it 's almost still looking at you, the pasta is incredible and there are more variety of sauces than I could ever list. They put all sorts of things in pasta, ham, peas, beans, squid. They even make dessert that are pasta based. Lovely. I had also never had pizza like Naples pizza. There is no comparison, none whatsoever. There is also an incredible variety of toppings, and not all pizza has tomato sauce. My favorite for instance, is "quatro formaggi", that means four cheeses, which include mozzarella and Parmesan, the other two usually vary.

I am gonna miss driving fast. There are speed limits here, but no one seems to know them or they don't seem to care. Nowhere else have I been able to zoom right past a police car without being pulled over. Red lights and stop signs don't mean anything, most of the time traffic lights don't even work. People expect you to drive like a madman so if you actually drive sanely you'll either cause an accident or get the high beams flashed at you incessantly. One time I saw a man driving a manual transmission car with a baby on his lap. I kid you not. Seat belts are overrated and kids just ride free in the car, with half their bodies hanging out the windows. But I must admit I like driving fast.

I have spent the last two years bitching about this place and now, as I am about to leave, I get all nostalgic about it. Sure, it's not perfect and it could definitely use some improvement, but it has been home for the past two years and I have gotten used to its good things as well as its craziness. I am gonna miss looking at Mount Vesuvio every morning when I step outside. I am gonna miss it, no doubt but I am still glad I'm leaving. I know that I am contradicting myself but as you can see, I have very mixed feelings. I won't say "goodbye" I will say "till next time" because I know I will come back here someday and have one more pizza, one more plate of pasta, one more slice of mozzarella and one more piece of bread.

Friday, February 10, 2006

T -1

I had set up my alarm for about 8:20 am today since I had to go to the motor vehicle office to get the final signature on my check out sheet. I was hoping to get some decent rest but that would not happen. At 7:06 am my phone rang and it was my boss. Turns out I had failed a room inspection the day before and the Command Master Chief wanted him to reinspect today. I said fine, I had to finish cleaning for the final inspection tomorrow anyway. I went back to sleep and I was having a rather pleasant dream when the phone rang again. It was 8:00 am this time and it was the night crew section leader telling me that the reinspection would be at 1:00 pm. I told him no, I had to do administrative stuff in the morning and I wouldn't be ready by 1:00 pm. We finally settled on 3:45 pm (notice I am writing in normal time format as opposed to military time, I'm trying to get used to it again now that I'll be a civilian in 15 days). I tried to take another nap but I just couldn't fall asleep so I just rolled around in bed till the alarm went off.

I got to the car place and it was pretty busy so I had to wait a little. Turns out they had overcharged me for my plates and gave me a 40 Euro refund, not too shabby. I got my signature, my stamp and left. Next stop was personnel at the hospital. There they signed in their spot, gave me some crappy letter of appreciation for having served in the hospital blah blah blah and gave me my service record. The next and final stop was PSD (Personnel Support Detachment). They collected my check out sheet and some other paperwork, made some phone calls and gave me my plane ticket for tomorrow......yay!

I still had to do some more cleaning so I went ahead and did that. Scrubbed the tub, cleaned the microwave, the toilet, the works. I even did some laundry. I wanted to finish packing everything except for the clothes I'm wearing so I started putting things in the suitcases. Only then, I noticed one of the suitcase's zipper was starting to rip. I decided I had to get another one because I'd rather spend the money than have that suitcase just rip open in transit and lose all my stuff.

The inspection didn't happen at 3:45 pm but at 1:30 pm instead because I was done cleaning early and he had duty all night so was very eager to go home. He didn't see anything wrong with my room. That was just so stupid though.

I am now at the mall again but when I get back to my room I have to transfer all the stuff from the broken suitcase to the new one. That's gonna be a bitch, but then I'll be all packed and ready to go. The last thing I'll have to do in the morning is pack my toothbrush, soap, comb etc and strip the bed.....then that's it! I still can't believe tonight is my last night in Italy. In the back of my head I still think that this isn't real and that I am dreaming and will be woken up at any time. Maybe it will hit me tomorrow.

Thursday, February 09, 2006

Sans Car

A few months ago, one of the times Matt came to see me, I parked my car at the manned parking lot because I was running late and it was closer to the arrivals section and there was parking there for sure. I got out of my car, handed them the keys and rushed to the terminal. The wait wasn't long, which we were glad about because we were very eager to get back to my place (wink, wink). We went back to the parking lot, paid the fee and walked over to my car where the keys were waiting in the ignition. We got to the car only to realize they had locked it with the keys in the ignition, where they were supposed to be. I almost threw a temper tantrum. The custodians tried a million ways to open the car, they tried a make shift slimjim, they tried rolling down the windows, etc. Then they decided it would be a good idea to put a shove a wooden wedge between the door and the frame of the car so they could stick a stretched out hanger through the gap and try to pull the keys out like that. I kept wondering when they were gonna call the locksmith, as a matter of fact, I thought the must be on his way by then. But no, the locksmith never came, he was never called. Somehow, by an act of divine intervention, or something, they were able to unlock the car. I drove away incredibly pissed. They didn't even offer to give me my money back. A few days later it started to rain and I noticed that there was water leaking in for the gap. They had bent it back as much as they could but it was not enough.

This afternoon I was getting my car ready to be shipped to the US so I had to clean it. I put the vacuum token in the machine and proceeded to vacuum, except that the vacuum wasn't really sucking things in. I looked in the nozzle and saw a Tic Tac box stuck in there. I laughed my head off and got the guy to take it out and give me another token, free. After that was done, I went to the automatic carwash. I parked the car, put the emergency break on, got out and started the machine. Only then I remembered the gap in the car door. After the machine stopped, I opened the driver side door and saw what I was afraid I would see......half the driver seat was soaked through and through. LOL. I had to drive the car to two places, first to get the tags switched out and then to the actual shipping place so I got in the car and planed my right ass cheek all the way on the right side of the seat where is was dry and drove like that, half sitting, half not. It was pretty funny actually. I hope mold doesn't grow on there while the car is being transported.

Now the car is turned in and I have to resort to walking all over the base, which thankfully is not that big, and once again, here I am, sitting in the food court of the mall, typing away. This time I'm not alone. There is a woman sitting a couple tables down with her own laptop. It's nice to be able to share the persistent stares with someone else :P Now if I could only get people to stop opening the door behind me and letting the cold in, I'd be set! It's cold and windy out. Hello???? This is supposed to be the Medite-freaking-rranean!!!

Wednesday, February 08, 2006

Withdrawals



This morning, after my interview with the Commanding Officer, I came home to the most horrible experience of the past few weeks........my ADSL and phone line had been disconnected. I stopped breathing for a few seconds. I wasn't ready for that, not just yet. I had asked them to disconnect it TOMORROW. So, I finally got a hold of myself and sent Matt a text message over the cell phone saying......"My ADSL and phone line have gone, now what???" LOL

In a way, this was a good thing because I still needed to do some more cleaning for the pre inspection today. So, I got down to it. I scrubbed the tub, the toilet, the sink, etc. I had previously dusted but all that did was transfer the dust from one place to another so I used some 409 on paper towels and redusted everything. Then I vacuumed. I must admit that I had never vacuumed that carpet and I've been living there for over 2 years. Right, I'm a slob. My mother would have a heart attack.

When I was ready, I went down stairs to get the barracks people to come inspect my room. They pointed out a few things that I need to work on for the final inspection on Saturday. Earlier today, I had gone to the motor vehicle office to get their signature on my check out sheet. Well, they wouldn't do it until I shipped my car.....even though I was shipping my car on Friday. I pretty much begged but they said absolutely not. So I had to change the appointment to ship the car for tomorrow afternoon because I need to turn all the paper work in to personnel no later than Friday morning. All this red tape is driving me freaking batty.

By the time we were done with the pre inspection I was having some serious withdrawals so Matt recommended I use the wifi connection at the mall on base. It's pretty expensive but an addict's gotta do what an addict's gotta do. So here I am, parked in the back of the food court, typing away on my little computer and sipping on my Diet Coke. The woman on the table in front of me is looking at me like I'm crazy. Maybe it's because I'm setting the self timer on my camera to take pictures of myself typing.....who knows..... rofl. But who cares. Do heroin addicts give a rats ass when someone sees them shooting up? Probably not. So I don't either. I don't know when I'll be online again but I hope soon or I'm just gonna have to take up knitting to keep me entertained.

Tuesday, February 07, 2006

Dust and World Hunger

One more day of preparations. After my appointment with the Command Master Chief this morning, where I lied about what I liked and didn't like about this command, I decided it was time clean this room up and get it ready for the final inspection. I put it off as long as I could but considering I'm flying out in 4 days, I really had no choice. My boss had recommended that I hire one of the maids to clean up after I've packed everything but the truth is I will probably leave packing everything till the last minute because there is just things I need to use while I'm here, like undies and deodorant for example, so, waiting to hire a maid was just not an option, not to mention I'd be ashamed to let anyone see my mess.

I started in the kitchen, emptying out the pantry. It broke my heart to throw all that food away, but no one wanted it so there's not much I could have done. I thought about all those children dying of hunger in Africa and I felt so bad. Here I am throwing perfectly good food away when there's millions of people in the world who haven't had a meal in days. There's not even a charity bin here, nowhere to donate the nonperishable foods, nothing. I know that one woman alone can't fix the world hunger problem, as a matter of fact, I know that there will always be world hunger but I also know that what I did today happens on a regular basis in many First World households. If all those people donated those goods instead, we could at least help some people. I wonder if people even realize what they are doing when they do such things, I wonder if they ever feel guilty, if the images of starving and malnourished children on the verge on being lunch for the vultures cross their minds. I can't help but wonder.

After that came the much dreaded dusting. I dusted everything and I was AMAZED at the amount of dust that there was in here. Not really surprised though, specially considering I don't dust very often. I swept and mopped the floor which was pretty dirty as well. Gosh, from all this you'd think I'm a pig, but in my defense, I do clean, it's just that I've been very busy lately with this whole shenanigan.

I left my printer here when the movers took my things because once in the US I want to print the rest of the wedding stationary with it. My mom has a printer by I only trust mine. I tried to box it up to mail it but the box I had was too small.....lol.....typical. Tomorrow I'll get a bigger box and put some other things in there and mail it, hopefully it will make it in one piece.

I still haven't sold my car. I get the feeling the poor sucker is going back to the US on Friday and that I'm 2k out. I'll try to sell it there but I don't know what I'm gonna do if I can't. It's a good car and it would really break my heart to have to scrap it.

Monday, February 06, 2006

Body And Spirit

Friday night I flew out to London one last time before leaving Italy. The flight was uneventful as usual. I was the first person at passport control, I always am. I've done this route so many times that I know every trick there is to get the best seats, to avoid the lines, etc. The immigration officer asked a lot of questions as they always do. I felt like telling him "This is the last time I'm entering as a tourist. Next time I'm staying......sucker!" but I didn't.....I don't think he would have been amused. I had brought some luggage for Matt to take to the US so I had to wait at baggage claim, which I hate. I just hate waiting at airports, in and out is my thing, no wasted time. Matt was waiting at the arrivals lounge, with a huge smile, as usual. Everything went just like it always does, except this time was different.....it was the last time.

We didn't do much all weekend. As a matter of fact, we didn't go even to the front door until this morning. We just stayed in bed and talked, laughed, ate, surfed the web. This was out last time together until he comes to Florida for the wedding so we just wanted to enjoy each other's company while we could.

I was supposed to fly back to Naples on Sunday but when Sunday came around I just couldn't bring myself to leave. I wanted to spend more time with him so I changed my flight to Monday. This made us both very happy because we'd have one more night together, the last until March 1st. I don't know about him, but even though I was happy, I was sad too. I don't wanna go back to the US and leave him in London. We have gone 3 weeks without seeing each other but it's different this time, I don't know why.

The upside to all this is that next time we are together, it will be for good. No more being apart, no more flying back and forth just to spend a handful of days together, no more long distance. Next time I'm in that bed, I will be a married woman, as Matt happily pointed out. This last stretch of being apart is gonna be hard, but I know we can do it, specially when there is something so important and exciting to look forward to. This morning we said our farewells like we'd be apart for years. It was somewhat funny but very moving. We just couldn't let go of each other. Matt was out of bedroom and then came back to give me another hug...lol...

Now my body is back in Naples, but I'm not really here. I am still in London. I am still in that room, at least my spirit is.

Is it March yet????

Wednesday, February 01, 2006

Closer





So, the much awaited......and hated....day arrived. I woke up bright and early this morning to finish gathering my crap before the movers came. The day before I had taken all the stuff I am gonna carry with me and set it aside, this morning I put it on the bed. I took a good look at the pile and I thought "How the f... am I gonna fit all that in two suitcases and two backpacks???" So....I trimmed it down a bit. I am still not sure I can carry it all.

The movers arrived at about 8:20 am, just after I had my breakfast.....well, my Atkins breakfast bar cause I didn't have time to make anything else. They walked in and just stood there with their mouths wide open. I can only assume they were in shock to see how much junk a single person can accumulate in such a small room. I apologized for having to much junk and they got to working. I kinda felt bad but if you think about it, this is just one room, I'm sure it's cake compared to actual houses, and they do those too. First they packed the wine.....all 42 bottles of it. They just wrapped them in paper and put them in boxes so their destiny is a bit uncertain if you ask me, chances are they'll arrive in pieces but that's just a chance I gotta take. I explained to the leader that everything except what was on the bed had to go......time and time again. Despite of that, they kept asking....this? this? this? YES THAT!

I couldn't just sit around and watch them work.....not enough room...lol.....so I chipped in. I went through the kitchen pantry and cabinets handing the one guy the things I wanted him to pack. That got old pretty quick so I went back in the room to supervise the operation. At one point I looked in the closet and realized I had forgotten to take my uniform and put it on the bed....I muttered "Shit!!!" and the guy asked what was wrong and we started searching through the box until I found it. Lucky catch, otherwise I would have been screwed.

The leader (and the only one who could half speak English) meticulously wrote down the brand, model and serial number of all my electric stuff, my cameras (the old ones), strobes, etc. They wrapped all my perfume bottles very carefully and boxed them up. I was talking to one of the guys, or trying to anyway, about my great grand mother, whose picture he has just wrapped up, when I look over and see one of the other guys putting my passports and travel documents in a box. I yelled "No, no, no, no!!!" and the guy jumped. I retrieved them and put them in a safe place. Once again, VERY lucky catch.

Once everything was boxed up here in the room, we went to the basement where I have yet more junk. That as easy though as most things were already in boxes. I also had a shopping cart full of books and other stuff. They took that upstairs to put it in boxes. I was a little scared about the telescope but they wrapped it really well and in its own box. Once everything was done and put in the crates, I signed tons of papers, shook hands with the main guy and walked away, feeling very satisfied.

I went to the hospital to check my mail and check in. Talked to my boss for a while (out of sheer politeness) and walked back to my room. As I approach the elevator, I see this big box just sitting there. My first thought was "Crap, they forgot a box!" and that they did. I tried to pick it up and put it in the shopping cart that was still sitting next to it but it was just too heavy. I figured if no one had taken it in the past half hour, I could leave it there for a few more minutes while I got a hold of the company. Once I did, I went downstairs and put the box in the cart with the help of a coworker, 40 minutes later the moving guys came back to pick the box up. They didn't even apologize.

So, now that that is done, I am one step closer to getting the heck out of here. Even though they took all my things, I am still left with a room full of junk....how did that happen??? I always knew I had a lot of things, but I never quite realized the full extent of it. Right now I am tired and sleepy. I didn't do much and I feel like I ran marathon, I can only imagine what it must be like for those guys that do it every day. This is another reason I am getting out of the military, there is no way I can do this every 2 years, absolutely no way. Now if I could only get a massage.....