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Saturday, November 08, 2003
This is all in the course of about two weeks. Need I say more?
The Navy brought me back to Dahlgren. We refinanced the car from 24% to 4.9%. The financial counselor we are seeing found 3000 bucks in taxes from a couple years back for us. Anika’s insurance settlement from Cali is about to go through. We may be seeing a new car in a couple of weeks. I got a new job, my own office away from all the people I was facing when this started. I got my clearance in, so I can work the secondary job I came here for. I got my other clearance, so I can get my part-time job in a few months (which could make my career if I decide to go to the civilian life). I got promoted, so I’m now OS1 (SW) Hickok. Found a church we’ll be able to attend and worship with regularly (sorry, Anchor, we’re not quite able to drive all the way to you yet). Started a new study using Rick Warren’s “The Purpose Driven Life.” And most important: I got a huge smile out of my wonderful wife for the first time in two weeks, which blew all this other stuff away.
Praise the Lord! I’m slowly learning to remember:
“Don’t tell God you have a BIG PROBLEM. Tell your problem you have a BIG GOD!”
Romans 8:28 still stands as my #1 verse.
And here, of all things, you’ll find the most recent photo of me. Not many pookapictures have been on the market of late, but I finally found one. Fuzzy, I know (not just the mustache).
Idiots
Sunday, October 19, 2003
If they would all just shut up and let us sail through this temporary assignment for the next five months, all would be fine. We hear how wrong it is for me to have to take the orders. "But you have three kids, Rob! Your wife is pregnant! How can you just let the Navy send you away for six months like this?" Here, I'll tell you. I SIGNED A CONTRACT WITH THE NAVY. My wife is my partner, not my chattel. She is quite capable of doing things on her own. In fact, last year saw the end of TWO YEARS of separation. Six months is a pittance compared to what we've been through. I know the family I left behind is still going to be the same family when I return. The Navy required my presence in Cuba. Not forever, not even for long enough to miss the baby. Just SIX months. Maybe less, if lucky. What makes the separation difficult is all the well-wishers pounding on the door with their "I'm so so sorry why did Rob have to go did you fight it I heard somebody else was supposed to go but got special treatment man that's too bad (thank god it wasn't me) don't forget to ask if you need any help (just don't ask me personally)..." This gets tedious after maybe the FIRST time it happens. I can appreciate the folks from church or our families dropping their concerns and whatnot. But they are actually coming out with the desire to help us if we need it. It stops being kindness when people drop in out of the blue to apparently console themselves because they're glad they didn't have to go instead of me. BAH! I love my job (to an extent). I love my family. I love them so much, in fact, that I REFUSE to be that guy knocking on my neighbor's door and consoling my sense of guilt by saying "Sorry it had to be you." Dammit, why can't we just follow orders these days? When did they put the clause "question authority" in the regs? I assume it's located right next to the "family card" clause. Wasn't there when I joined up in 1992. WEAKENED discipline and professionalism results in WEAKENED performance. Do you want your Armed Forces to question the Pres. when he says "Defend" in our darkest hour? That's what this piddly little issue points to. I could write for days about the piddlies that add up to catastrophe, but I'll boil it down to one thing: I want to serve my country. I want to serve my family. Obviously doing both, or even choosing one or the other results for me in one thing: Wait for the honorable discharge, hold on to the proud memories of service and find a real job, probably as a contractor, making the things the military needs to win. Some of the guys don't believe this is right. Stay until retirement. Whatever. I'll shut up and let you think about that one. I'm off the soap box.Stitch
Tuesday, October 14, 2003
In honor of one of the greatest members of FLOPPY. Stitch will be going to the great mousefield in the sky soon. I hate to lose a cat. Cats are this man's "best friend" for life. From Mewsic, Tympanie, Magic, Hutchie, Napoleon, Angus, Loki, Luna, Loki jr, all the way to Stitch, this world would not be so bright without cats. We're all sorry it was so short ol' pal. We'll be listening on the wind for you. STITCH, november 2002 to october 2003, Give us a response here, all you supporters of Cat Dominion, by FLOPPing your cats' names down in the comments section.Little miffed
Tuesday, October 07, 2003
This was working out just fine until it brought us to a deadlock. The Wife was supposed to be able to work while I'm gone, and now we're facing the frustration of quitting. I understand it's better for her, healthwise, to be home and not going out all night three or four nights a week. That wouldn't be a problem if I was there, giving her the opportunity to catch up on sleep and taking care of the girls. Now she's out of work, still tired and run ragged by everything, and there's the end to the extra money that was making things work for us. I can take some satisfaction in knowing the rats who shoved this on us will be seeing some compensation for their troubles. I do hope they get fired and we can get a better selection in their place. Representing servicemember families to their chain of command is an important job. Family support has never been better in the Navy. These guys suck at thier job. They're oh-so-happy that they didn't have to go to Cuba. And they're oh-so-sad that I did in their place. This wouldn't be so bad except EVERYBODY knows this. My face is getting rubbed in the fact that I followed orders and somebody else WHINED their way out of it. I can put up with anything until you start affecting my life. Life is synonymous with WIFE in this case.Cuban Smokies
Sunday, September 28, 2003
Cuba is kinda like Hawaii and Arizona squished together. Except for the banana rats. It's really hot, really dry (except when it rains) and filled with cactus and crabs. It's deserted, virtually, with little but old, crummy buildings and dirt. Can't recommend living here, locked in a little base with several thousand people almost all of whom are military. It's wierd. I'm surviving. Lots of things to do (like clean stuff). Lots to eat (1500 bags of Ramen Noodles while on a micro-budget). Lots to drink (bottled water since we don't trust the plumbing). Lots of showers (Brrr without hot water). Plenty of places to go (home, exchange, church, work). I could get used to here (sort of what a convict might say facing his second day in prison, probably). Apparently Molly had a good birthday party yesterday. Her birthday was actually on the 16th. Roen's is today. !!!!HAPPY BIRTHDAY ROEN!!!! My Bo is FIVE YEARS OLD! I'm sorry I missed it! Glad I could talk to you yesterday!101 Things 2003 v2.0
Sunday, September 21, 2003
I’ve wanted to do this for quite a while. Here’s a bit of me via good old-fashioned media. The closer to the top, the more significant.
1. The Bible. I was raised with it, tried for the longest time to ignore it and finally found that it was useless without belief. Now it’s the first, most powerful reference in my life.
2. Robert A. Heinlein. I have yet to discover useless writing from this source. Some of the most influential works include “Time Enough For Love,” “Starship Troopers, (NOT THE MOVIE! LEARN HOW TO READ!)” “Number Of The Beast,” and “Stranger...”
3. Louis L’Amour. My first memorable story was “Down The Long Hills,” force-fed to me in the fifth grade, I think. I loved it and soon my Uncle Wilbur began flooding me with titles in periodic packages. Definite essentials include “The Walking Drum,” “The Haunted Mesa,” “Flint,” “Last Of The Breed,” “Education Of A Wandering Man.”
4. Tom Swift. Okay, I was too nerdy for “The Hardy Boys.” These books, series I, II and III were what got me hooked on reading. I would not read my half-a-million words per week were it not for Victor Appleton’s stories.
5. J.R.R. Tolkien. Put the imagination in me. I think Tolkien could be the seed of my love for languages and, to my discredit in many cases, magic.
I’ll probably come back to post more here, or build this up as a link or something. I’m not sure. I have a full catalogue of books I’ve read, but it’s really long (showoff!).
And, for the first time in public…
The Librarian has decided to provide a dedication for his collection of over Five Hundred Works (only counting un-garbage). The Wilbur Plain Memorial Library in honor of Uncle Wilbur and all the books that got me started in this expensive, tedious, glorious addiction. Mom, Dad, you get a Huge Wall to yourselves, however, for two reasons: Louis L’amour (taking up an awful lot of space on the wall), and for letting me read everything I got my grubby hands on without censor.
6. Isaac Asimov has been a good companion over the last year. His work, though not quite in line with my worldview as far as society goes, has many times brought me to think hard about interaction with others. Much of his ideas regarding humans as a race are, as with Heinlein, worth the effort of fitting into our own thoughts. The Foundation series, and his Guide to the Bible (not from a Christian point of view, mind you) are filled with knowlege and insight. 7. C. S. Lewis, friend of Tolkien, and amazing thinker, has inspired me greatly. Mere Christianity is an eye-opener for those of us new to the Way, as well as anyone who hasn't found Him yet. The Space Trilogy and the Chronicles of Narnia are, simply... You've just gotta read 'em yourself. Beautiful work, not in the immensity of Tolkien, but in a more direct fashion.Burfdays
Friday, September 19, 2003
AND NOW, in Other News: Two girls had birthdays this week. I'll try to immortalize the proceedings with advertisements and silly stuff. FIRST: Molly is 7. She's the biggest, prettiest, coolest 2nd grader in the history of Dahlgren School. Here is a list of her birthday acquisitions: American Girl stuff Super Spiffy Backpack (kinda like this, but a little more of this style Book, "The Secret Garden" And many other little thingies. Roen is 5 and she got a good haul. Lilo outfit from Disney Hello Kitty backpack only hers is blue. Brand new My Little Ponies (can't find 'em accurately in the links). Small other presents were available, but I think I covered the majority. I hope to cover Gwen's Birthday in January just as well, but we'll see, considering the deployment... Needless to say, this wasn't the greatest coverage. I'm gonna get a really good digital camera eventually (minivan first), enabling top-of-the-line media briefing on significant days throughout the year. Until then, it's cheap imitations. I think the girls were pretty keen on having themselves mentioned on the WWW, though, in my own defense.
HurryCane
Isabel (should we name the baby Isabel?) hit last night. Half the trees here seem to be a bit shorter or point in the wrong direction. Haven't heard of any real casualties. It was certainly loud. I'm glad we took all the glass hangystuff off the porch. Amazingly, the power went off only one time, and that only lasted twenty minutes or so. A world record for Dahlgren! We expected to be out the entire day. In all, other than my cold (sniffle), everything was quite uneventful during the HORRIBLE HURRICANE!Travellin’ Man
Monday, September 15, 2003
I kinda broke my promise. I was supposed to be with my family for their birthdays and this pregnancy and Christmas and everything else. The Navy sees fit to deploy me instead. Ain't telling you where or when, but I'm outta here for awhile. Hopefully will be able to update the page where I'm going. I'll bring back souvenirs and post 'em here. Pray for the Wiff and girls. They need all they can get. I'm not getting much money for the trouble we're going through. Something like $340 or so each month in addition to my regular pay, but some of that has to buy me food. We're sucking on bux, but stuffed with faith and love so it'll all be fine.Sailor Pride
Friday, September 12, 2003
Sailor Pride
This is the work of a dear friend of mine. We served on the same ship for four long years. I’m feeling weird today, so I thought I’d post something different. I added a little, and did as much as I could to edit this. He’s not the greatest with English and he’ll admit it (much better than you’d get from me). So here it is, in all its glory. Thanks Keith, for everything! You’re in my heart and hopefully we’ll meet again soon. (No, he’s not dead, JEEZ! You people really need to quit being so pessimistic. Keith and his family are just REALLY good friends and we miss ‘em.)
I’m a sailor and I’ve sailed completely around the world. I’ve seen men wallowing in filth, enjoying a simple meal, singing, and joking, having a grand time. I’ve seen people enjoying five star meals in the lap of luxury bitch and complain. I’ve drunk in clubs with such luxuries as you will ever see. I’ve drunk in holes in the wall that would make a garbage man sneer. I’ve seen the Sun set over every time zone in the world. I’ve gotten up to see the Sun rise in those same time zones. I have had friends that didn’t speak English, and I sure didn’t understand their language. Hell, some times I didn’t even know what language they were speaking but we could carry an intelligent conversation till the bar kicked us out at dawn. I guess Sailorese is universal. I’ve talked to a man who spoke the Queen’s English and couldn’t understand a word he said. I’ve been swimming in 4 seas, 2 oceans, 2 gulfs, fjords, channels and places I can’t remember. Some of them I forgot by choice. I’ve seen beaches that clothing was frowned on and been to beaches that you would get arrested for indecent exposure while wearing a Speedo. Guess which one I enjoyed most. I’ve been swimming in water that I’ve had to break the ice to get in. I’ve been swimming in water so warm it felt like a bath. I’ve seen top-notch sailors punished for being 15 minutes late while dirt bags were not even required to work any more. I’ve slept in a hammock under the stars to roll over and order a beer at the bar on the beach for breakfast. I’ve slept in 3 star hotels, waking to an English breakfast to start the day. I’ve seen mothers begging for food holding a dead baby and seen classy women shriek at their fat little boys. I have seen Christmas with family and loved ones, alone in homeport, and alone in countries that considered Christianity to be illegal. I’ve had lepers approach me for money and seen a man in a business suit ask for bus fare. I’ve seen buildings as old as the good old US of A looking as if they were lovingly built last year and seen buildings built a month ago look as if they should be condemned. I’ve seen churches older than the city they were in. These were some pretty old cities. To step into them was to go back in time. To touch walls and marvel at the hands that might have lovingly put that stone there so many years ago. I’ve seen love, lust, hate, murder, and death. I’ve helped a man running from the cops for stealing a bit of food and smiled as I’ve locked and loaded a shotgun. I’ve seen the look on a man’s face when he knows he is caught. I’ve had shipmates to whom I wouldn’t give the time of day and enemies I’d give a pack of cigarettes to. I’ve lost respect for friends and respected a man who might have tried to kill me a day later. I’ve drunk mekong in Thailand and Dom Perignon in London. I’ve seen marriages of loving couples break apart. I’ve seen couples that should never be together withstand the test of time. I’ve been a tee-totaller and a drunkard. I’ve fought fires and boarded ships. I’ve been dressed for full combat and wore shorts and an Aloha shirt at sea. I’ve seen water rations for 34 days (that’s one shower in 34 days). I’ve seen four hours of shore leave after four months at sea. I’ve seen women so beautiful they’d make you cry. I’ve seen women who, as pretty as they were, couldn’t get a rise out of a thermometer. I’ve seen the most beautiful this world has to offer and the most ugly. Hell, I’ve seen the proverbial goats, doing it in the market place and a 24 carat gold baby pacifier. I’ve seen the faces of three hundred shipmates, wondering what happened, the day of the attacks and I’ve seen the faces of three hundred allies bowing their heads with compassion at our plight. Of all the things I’ve done, of all the things I’ve seen I have no regrets except three. Having to say good-by to a friend. Having to leave a loved one behind. Having to miss half my son’s life. I’m a sailor and I’ve sailed completely around the world.