Days off
I had the day off today and it’s been an unusually pleasant day. After my wake-up call at 9am (a boom went off, I sat up, realized it was far enough away that I didn’t have to run to the bunker and decided to get up anyway). I immediately went about cleaning my section of the trailer. Actually, it was more like an obsessive attempt to get rid of some of the junk I’ve accumulated during the months I’ve been here. Even though I’m still 4 ½ months from going home, I’ve started thinking about what I’m actually going to do with all my stuff when the time comes. After I threw a bunch of stuff out and reorganized, I feel like the “fung shui” is much better. After my cleaning binge, I decided to treat myself to a couple of hours of reading. I picked up a girly book, a new release I bought off amazon, which was a different change of pace from the classics and journalism books I’ve been reading lately. The book was Jamima J, about a fat girl who becomes thin and eventually discovers and accepts herself, blah, blah… but I became enthralled with the book, couldn’t put it down and finished it tonight. I thought it was really well written, made sense and put me in a great mood.
There was one down side to my day today. It may say a little about how I let little things get to me. One of the guys in my unit came in and told me that he thought that our editor wanted to talk to me and him and someone else because our writing hasn’t been the best lately. I instantly got pissed because I’ve been working my ass off for the last couple of weeks and truly doing the best I could, so I immediately stood up and set out for the office, determined to find out what the problem was. By the time I got there, I was infuriated, if I was I fighter, I would have punched somebody. I walked straight up to my supervisor and was like, what is going on. He says, that the editor just wanted to talk to me about some changes to my story, but liked it, and that she wanted to talk to the other two about their writing. So, of course, I freaked out for nothing, but I’m glad I went to find out right away and didn’t sit all night stewing about it.
To put my mind further at ease, I got an email from my commander saying that he liked some photos I took recently. This means a lot because he never directly tells us that we’re doing a good job, he’ll tell our NCOs and then they will tell us what he said, but he never directly compliments us. He’s real military like that. So the email was from him, directly to me, with my supervisors CC’d and though I don’t do my job just to make the boss happy, it was definitely nice to hear it.
I finished the night off with a decent run. I feel like my day is complete. Going home on leave in a few weeks…. I CAN’T WAIT!!!
18 Comments:
welcome to the Milblogsphere and thanks for the link, nice blog you have here. Stay safe! I'll add you to my links, take care.
Dear Buffbabe,
Thank you for your service, first and foremost. I know the anger that was inside you when someone didn't like your writing. Ya see, I am a writer, also! It is not something small when they hit at the core of your being. I have come to realize that sometimes I will write with the assumption that people understand about which I am talking! Not a chance! That is why we can't end a sentence with a preposition! We need definition! AAAARRRGGGG!!! LOL Sometimes, I even put somethings on the blog that are spellchecked okay, but grammatically incorrect! I have learned that I cannot please everyone, so I stopped being offended and tried to see if there was any merit to the critizism. I also remember "Just the facts, Ma'am." No matter where they lead. You will be just fine. I am glad your day turned out well. (Notice I said well instead of good?! lol)
I found your site on Doc's blog. He is a great guy, so I came to your site on his recommendation. I am not disappointed at all! If you ever get a chance, I have two sites you can visit. One is mine, My Newz 'n Ideas, and the other I do with some American and Iraqi friends. It is called Iraq the Future. Let us know what you think about our writings! In any case, stay safe, and may His peace be with you always.
Buffbabe,
Hey girl. I just thought I'd drop a comment... no drive-by viewings for me. Love the blog. Glad your day went well for the most part. I often find the things I work hardest for are the things I'm always the most touchy about.
I'm glad I've found your blog (thru Sean *doc in the box*). I'll be visiting often. :)
Hey chica! I just found your site today and will be back often to read about your exploits. Take Care!
PS. As someone who is getting write a huge friggin' paper for my writing workshop class, I feel ya. It sucks having someone pick apart your sentence style, grammar, etc. (Which is why my comments are all filled with too much slang.)
<3 Tragic
hey there...
I found yer site today and thought I should say "Whasssup!" Actually I found your site by the way of Sean. Welcome to the MilBlog sphere! I'll post a link to you blog on mine, how's that? Take care and keep your helmet on!
Marc
New to your site. Sorry I didn't register at blogger as I have a Xanga blog and do a journal too. Don't need another.
Glad it all turned out well once you steamed into the office. :-) Came here from -oh shoot forgot his name. navy doc? Bonnie in TX, wife of Ret.AF
Hey there....dont let other people ruin what YOU write. Go for what you want, say it the way you want.
Oh and ah....as a former Medic during VietNam,...keep your head down and stay alert.
Oh and ah...one more thing...
Keep smilin.
Olehippy13
I want you to know that we are thankful you are willing to put your life on the line every day. I know how it feels to be away from home months at a time myself. I, too use to be in the Navy in the late '70's & early '80's. (VA-37, NAS Cecil Field, FL, CV-60 & CVA-67).
I thought you and your friends would like to know more of what you're up against other than what you are told, so here's a link to such a web site:
http://www.chick.com/reading/comics/0117/theprophetindex.asp
You won't find articles like this in the New York Times or anywhere else. When you get there, click on were it reads, "Read four pages at a time". I realizes it's written in cartoon form but don't let that fool you. It's for real!
I am a member of Northside Baptist Church in Dublin, GA. Most of the men in my church have served in the military, (Vietman, etc.) so we know what it is like for you. We pray for you guys regularly.
May God bless you and bring you home without a Purple Heart. Stephen Johnson
I was in the first Gulf War close to 14 years ago.I don't envy you or the position you are in.I do commend you for doing what a lot of people refused to do in 90, your duty.I understand commanders with fragile egos, stupid orders, and the blanket policy changes because a moron did something stupid.I'm sure that's only the tip of the iceberg,I have forgotten a lot.Don't get complacent, pay attention, and come home to your family.
Just wanted to say I'm real proud of what you'r doing out there, and f*ck everyone who thinks otherwise. You're a brave girl, and we need more like you around. I'd sign up, but I'm a wuss, and I'd probably just cry until they kicked me out of boot camp!!! :)
Oh, if you likd Jemima J, get Mr. Maybe and babyville by the same author. They're girlie books, true, but they are pretty funny.
-Erin
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
My name is Madtom and this is my first blog.
There are a lot of blogs out there and I want to make this one a little different. I will post what I see out there or link to news or other blogs that bring news from the front lines.
Once I figure out how, I want to put up a picture in the title of the Norman Rockwell painting "NEWS FROM THE FRONT". Like the characters in that painting we are all eager to hear news from the front.
The thing that I want to do different with this blog, is that I want to post stories from the point of view of all the different characters that make up this war. I want to post stories from G.I.Joe, and from his enemy and from the point of view of their families. The idea is for anyone, be they friend or foe that has something to say, a story to tell, about this, or any war, can send it to me and I will post it here, anonymously.
I am doing this so that the public at large can get an idea of what is going on in this war, and for those doing the fighting can have their stories told. I want to try to do it from all sides. The good the bad and the ugly.
So if you have a story that you think needs to be told, and you want a forum to tell your story then e-mail them to me at thisfckingwar@yahoo.com
Read or post it all at thisfuckingwar.blogspot.com
There is only a few rules, it has to be good, about a war and anonymous.
Madtom
I think that you are very talented writer and none of the bloggers should be banned from posting their blogs. I believe that it helps the soldiers deal with being away from their families for so long and it gives people here in the states a look at what heppens over there. A more in depth look then what the media feeds us. It helps me to appreciate what the military does for our country and the huge sacrifices they make to ensure our safety. My hat is off to everyone who is in Iraq now and all those who have been in Iraq. May God forever bless you for what you have done Thank you very much.
To everyone serving in Iraq:
Always remember, there will always an idiot who has to shove their opinion in your face, whether you want to hear it or not. Disregard those who do not wish you well and only want to whine. Remember for every single "opposer" there are 100's who wish all of you well, a safe return and gratitude for your service. United We Stand...
Hey...hope the next post isn't far off. It's great to hear from folks on the otherside of the world. Plus, I love the interesting details of day to day work. It helps to make it as "real" as some of us will ever know.
Thanks for being there and thanks for writing this blog. Keep it up and stay safe!
How's this for a bad boss: I used to work for a Lieutenant Colonel who had a copy machine right outside his office. He would take a letter, walk it no less than 60 feet PAST the copy machine, to a civilian GS-8's cubicle for HER to copy for him.
He wouldn't let any letter go out of the office without him having read it first, and they piled sky high up on his desk. Our office became known as "the Black Hole" because correspondance came in, but it never went out. BUT still, he was an Academy grad, so all he had to do was pick up a phone, and stuff got done.
Just wanted to say, thanks for what you do, every day, for us here at home! And thanks for the blog. It's really nice to be able to where read a bit of the human side of what's going on.
(-student, cornell univ)
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