Chris' Updates

For the most part, I've been settling in to my new routine. My school schedule is just about second nature, and so far I'm keeping up with the workload. Work at Transportation has not been as interesting as I hoped. I've had my permit for almost 2 weeks, but due to several factors we have not been able to start training. To fill the hours, I've been helping out in the shop. And Craig has been finding me some dirty, grimy tasks. I've been throwing out old tires and rims, dusting and sweeping in areas that have not seen daylight in at least 5 years. I even cut apart an old makeshift tire rack that was welded out of steel pipes. Not nearly as much fun as driving buses. PT is still progressing. It's been hard to find time for the gym, but it's still better than nothing. More than anything else, though, I need to run more. My push-ups have vastly improved, and I'm sure my sit-ups are still fine with all the core work we've been doing. I'm running long...

School started back up on Tuesday, although I only had one class for the day. My two lab sections would have been pointless without lectures first, and so they were canceled by both professors. So far so good. I had to miss out on my first Components lecture yesterday afternoon to take my CDL tests and get my permit. On my first round through I failed two of the three tests, but this morning I passed them both and got my permit. (Can I take a moment to rant that I hate the Colorado DMV offices? Yesterday it took me 2 1/2 hours just to be seen! All for a 20 minute test. Ridiculous.) I'm headed to a Components lab next, and hopefully I didn't miss anything critical. PT is getting along, I just hope its going quickly enough. I haven't been able to get into the gym as much as I wanted with my crazy schedule this week. However, I did run for 4 miles on the treadmill last night. As long as I keep up progress, I will be happy. I'm still confident that I can pass the test in Fe...

It's just starting to hit me how many things are whirling around at the moment. For starters, school begins in just under a week. I'm going to be taking Beginner's Arabic 2, Calc 3 and Computers as Components. I've been trying to collect the books I need, and there's good news and bad news. The good news, for calc I already have the main text, all I need is the student solutions manual. And for Arabic the only new requirements are a new dictionary and a grammar book. The bad news is CompAsComp: the textbook is $135 new, and the cheapest I've found used is $90. Oh well, such is life. Before school starts I need to finish Oustad Aissa's holiday assignment. It's not worth credit, but I need to get back up to speed before class starts again. Physical fitness has been progressing. I've met with my new trainer, Keith, who just got out himself. We've set up a strength training program that he will oversee, but his biggest suggestion was to come to the g...

This weekend's drill was fairly quiet for the commo section. SPC Vaughn is at WLC, and SGT Lant is at school for a new MOS, something in finance. SPC Dupio had a family emergency and was back home in Hawaii. And PFC Whittier was, predictably, no where to be found. That left only myself, SGT Nieto, SFC Zimmerman, and MAJ Friberg. We continued where we left off on last drill's work, and got to work on the phone systems. This time SGT Nieto actually showed me how to program the PBX machine, and wow, that's a chore. It's not really so complex, so much as cryptic. Everything is done on a command-line text terminal, and the commands aren't very intuitive. Even so, I learned a lot, and I think our phone system is back to operational status. We still don't have all of the documentation that we should, but at least I know how to get things limping along again. SGT Nieto says he doesn't really want to train any of the other junior enlisted guys on the PBX system, just...

This year, I resolve to: Pass my PT test. And this one's really going to happen. If I haven't passed the PT test by the end of the year, chances are I will be given a general discharge. I've taken a step toward passing today by joining a gym and hiring a personal trainer. With some hard work and new direction, I should be able to pass by February's drill, and certainly by March. Pass all of my classes with acceptable grades. In Spring last year, I failed my Calculus class and had to take it again in the summer. This last Fall I passed Physics with a D. The saying goes, "D's get degrees," but I need to pass that class with at least a C in order to use it as a prerequisite. This year, I resolve to avoid that pitfall and slog through mind-numbing homework and useless recitations and get the grade.

Just as the first blizzard was melting away, we got reports of a second huge winter storm heading over the mountains. For a few days the weather-people predicted another huge blizzard, but conditions didn't pan out, and we only got a few more inches. Even so, the roads were in bad condition from the first storm, and another layer of powder did not help the driving conditions. Worrying about the weather caused me not to travel to New Mexico to spend New Year's with my family, so that was disappointing. However, I did get to spend it at Kristen's annual party with the usual suspects, plus some older friends that graduated with Kristen and Holly. We ate pizza and watched DVD's until 11:50, when we tuned into Dick Clark. Last night was actually more fun; we attempted to have a classic movies night. Ashley is scandalized to know that I haven't seen Gone With The Wind or Casablanca or My Fair Lady . We invited people over and even brought out the fruit and melted white ...