Chris' Updates

Surprise! Turns out I didn't ship today like I was supposed to do. I went down to MEPS, got my weigh-in, and waited around until we left. Unfortunately, they called me up to tell me the flight was overbooked, and I'd be staying until Thursday morning. What a pain! All that preparation, sad goodbyes and mental calming, just to be held back for 2 days. They even made a point to tell me that it wasn't anything I had done; I had brought all of my paperwork and everything I needed. But on the bright side, I called my mom and she'd decided to skip work for a couple of days so she can come down tomorrow and say goodbye! I know she was heartbroken when she couldn't come this weekend, and now she gets her chance to be with me. Plus, my dad's father's day gift arrived at my house today, which means Mom can take it back with her. He's gonna like this gift, I have a feeling. I'll post what it is after Father's Day; he might be reading this. All that Ashley a...

Well, I think that's about it. All of my preparations for Basic Training are complete. Everything's been packed, put away, internet and phone scheduled to go on hold, and all of the paperwork prepared. I think I'm taking about double the items on the standard packing list, but that's ok. I'll just have to see what they let me keep. I still have today to enjoy. I think Ashley and I are supposed to have our own long goodbye, then probably hang with the crew and my dad before heading to bed at about 8 PM. I leave for Denver MEPS at 0445 tomorrow, so it'll be an early start. After that, I get another weigh-in, read over my contract, swear in once more, and head for DIA and off to Ft. Jackson. Then, I have no idea what to expect! After today, I'll be sending updates to my sister Jeannie, and she'll post whenever she gets a chance. Expect entries to be back-dated. Thanks a lot for helping me, Jeannie! Love you always, sis! Thanks for all of your support, I lov...

Well, visiting my parents has been very relaxing. I'm glad I came! The trip hasn't been action packed, but I really appreciate that. Pretty soon, I'm not going to have the luxury of sitting around reading for hours on end. Oh well. We did go for a hike today at one of the local pueblo ruins. I enjoyed it, not as much for the ruins as just going for a hike with everyone. It was nice to see Zach and Jeannie having fun being with the family. I don't see them as much as I'd like to, even when I'm in New Mexico. Also, my parents and I saw Episode 3 today. Shweeeet! I knew the general plot, but it still managed to suprise me. Seeing Anakin's turn was shocking and horrible, in a pitiful sort of way. It was also kind of fun explaining Star Wars trivia to my parents, but I would definitely like to see it with someone else who would catch the nuances of the series. Someone who would really appreciate the gap that the movie filled. Oh well, off to bed. I've got lot...

Life's been pretty laid back since school got out. I got exactly the grades I was expecting, so that was decent. Other than that, I'm still doing horrible with physical training. What else is new? Oh, one big surprise. Yesterday Ashley and I went to lunch together, and she surprised me with a promise ring for me! It's very plain, but I like it. It's supposed to be titanium, so it should hold up to whatever I put it thru. And now I'm in New Mexico. Nobody's home yet, but I bet they'll be walking in soon. I'm gonna have fun. 13 days left (Oh and Jackie, don't forget: scanner and KOTOR! Thanks, see you soon)

... For- eva! Oh wait, wrong song. Anyway, yeah, I'm done. Sweet freedom! That's one year and 25 credit hours down. I think my grades will be good; I've already checked my computer class, that's an A. I'm expecting an A in Econ and a B in Calc, but those are both in the air. So yeah, just lazing about the house so far. I found a weight bench on eBay and managed to talk the seller down, but I'm still waiting to pick that up. Hopefully I can work on my arms a little before I leave, and I'm sure I'll enjoy having it when I get home. PT in general is getting better, slowly but surely. I'll definitely be able to get in, although I don't think I'll be able to get a promotion before I leave. So much for that. Oh, and I finally got my hard copy of OotS ! W00t! I've started packing what I can and getting my room ready. I don't know if my cousin Sean will be getting back while I'm in training, so I need the room to appear empty enough that ...

So yeah, life's good. School's been winding down quickly, almost too quickly. My C++ and econ teachers are pretty relaxed, but my calc teacher refuses to drop a section and just speeds thru lectures, which means I need to do homework to actually understand it. Darn! Thursday, Ashley and I got in a little tiff. Not sure exactly what sparked it. I have a feeling she's really tense because my BCT ship date is so close. She still acts like nothing is wrong, but she's not really convincing me. Friday we got Jackie from Ft. Collins since her car has decided it needs work, and Ashley still hasn't forgiven me for whatever got her mad, even though neither of us remembers what. Saturday and Sunday were drill days. As usual, I found a pretty dull job, being a door guard. Our unit was hosting a conference so some of the nearby units could update everyone on their training status, and we held it in the CU Medical Research Center, about a half mile from the main buildings. Si...