22 February 2007    Suck, Suckity, Suck Suck Suck (T-190)

I had one of those afternoons that kept on giving.

Yeah, definitely not one of those afternoons you wake up in the morning hoping to have. I had been at meetings all morning at Peterson AFB and came up to Cheyenne Mountain afterwards to work on a decoration package - something that wouldn't take all that much time to get done and I'd be happy to have actually accomplished something today. Well, that plan went out the window. No sooner had I arrived back at work did I get sucked into a meeting with the deputy group cc for an hour (which was an impromptu follow-up to a meeting that lasted an hour just yesterday afternoon). Well, that meeting went fine (long, but fine) and I sit back down at my desk to work on the decoration. Then I get word that some of the info we were investigating didn't get collected as needed. I made a call to find out what had happened - tell the person that we'll redo the info gathering because it obviously wasn't done right this morning - but about 10 minutes later, I get the deputy group cc in front of me wanting to speak to me immediately. We go behind closed doors and I get the first dressing-down I've had in a long time. So that was a barrel of laughs. Then it was just time to vent to those who were there as well about the ridiculous situation we all find ourselves in. To interrupt that pity party though, we get a call from another squadron saying that they are going to do the exact opposite of what we had asked them to do (in response to what our group wanted) - meaning that basically tomorrow, the ass pain will continue. You can't have your pudding if you don't eat your meat.

Seriously, what the fuck?

I think I'm going to dispense with my backwards storytelling endeavor from my previous entry. Basically, the first half of this past weekend was also fun. Drove up to Keystone with Kyle and Melissa and ran into some CRAZY white-out weather right at the Hoosier Pass and all throughout the rest of the drive to Keystone. Eek. But the ferocious wind and falling snow meant for some AWESOME snow conditions on the slopes...for the first half of the day. After lunch, we went back on the slopes and discovered that the wind had increased to ridiculous levels. At the top of the mountain, the wind was blowing so hard you were getting pelted with grains of snow - and it wasn't letting up. So you just had to persevere and snow down the mountain, stopping every now and then when you literally couldn't see the slope anymore. By the time I reached the bottom of the trail, Keystone had closed all but one of the skilifts up because the wind was so bad. And of course that one skilift that remained open was crazy packed. So we left a little earlier because there was no point in waiting in the ridiculous line to go back up the mountain and also because news was getting back to us that all the mountain passes were getting shut down - I-70 too. Fortunately Hoosier Pass, the way we came in to town, remained open, and we got home that night! Yay. Waiting for me at home were Jeff, Susan, KD, and Eric, who had decided to come over and cook dinner at my house and watch movies. Definitely sounded like a plan to me! So I got a home-cooked meal plus we all watched Moulin Rouge, which I definitely can watch again and again.

Saturday was a slow day - played video games and hung around the house doing nothing. That night I went over to Jeff's and watched movies and TV - saw School For Scoundrels, which was pretty funny and entertaining. Also then watched the Sarah Silverman Show, which I think both Jeremy and I are now fans of. FREAKING HILARIOUS.

And that's that for this past weekend. This week has been interesting transitioning into the role of deputy squadron cc. And when I say interesting, I mean 'fuck-me'. And not in the good way. Lots of ridiculousness and I ended up cancelling my Transition Assistance seminar from March and moving it back to April, because I realized I just couldn't leave in good conscience for half of March. I'm still leaving the last week of March though and the first week of April to Europe, because dammit, I care about myself above all others and I feel I deserve this trip. I can't argue with this logic.

So here are some pictures from this weekend - the first set from when I got back from Keystone and the second set from the Denver-Dave&Buster's-PartyatJeff'sHouse day. Enjoy. And hope that I maintain my sanity tomorrow(Friday). There's the promise of a Brew Festival on Friday evening, which I plan on attending and whether there or at home, I plan on getting absolutely shitfaced, Saturday-hangover be damned.

After Keystone @ My House: Friday, 16 Feb 07
Eric the Guitar Hero	Jeff and Susan	KD cooking up a storm	Eric, Jeff and Susan	Me and KD, keeping it real	Eric, Me, KD and Jeff	Getting the hand from Susan	Lovely shot of me and KD
Eric's skeptical	Inappropriate fondling picture time

Denver Fun Day: Sunday, 18 Feb 07
Trying to take a cool reflection pic	Didn't really work out	A sweet Lotus in the Dave & Buster's parking lot	Racing, yo!	4th place at the time - ended up 2nd place by like .2 seconds!	Dancing on a DDR-imposter!!!	Jeremy	Susan
Jeff and his monkey	ME!	My favorite game at D&B's - the skeeball horse race	Putting smiles on people's face, no matter what it takes	Jeff, Melissa and Jeremy	Me and Melissa rowing for our lives	There we are!	Jeremy also was up for the challenge
It's one helluva triceps workout	Shuffleboard masters!	Melissa is terrified	DDR! The real thing.	Me and Jeremy show skillz	KD is unimpressed	Neither is Kahlua	Jeff and Jeremy
Melissa smiles - safer than dancing	Me getting sleepy?	Tabletop dancing ensued	Uh, I'll stay on the couch. I'd break the table.	Guitar Hero time - notice KD and I are about done.

19 February 2007    End of Another 4-day Weekend (T-193)

Damn, those weekends never seem to go by very slowly.

C'est la vie. Had a relatively eventful weekend though, which always makes it nice. To make it interesting, I'll tell the story in reverse. I just finished watching 24, and I gotta say, Thank God that (former) President Logan is back on the show!!!!!!!! Now we're talking! It looks like Mrs. Logan will be back too. SWEET. Also watched Marie Antoinette on DVD (a blind buy from Best Buy) - I think I liked it.... but honestly, while it was actually interesting to watch a take on Marie Antoinette that showed her as a girl way out of her element (and not just the monstrous "Let Them Eat Cake!" beyotch), nothing...seemed...to...actually...happen. And when the French Revolution occurred and things started to pick up...it ended. I don't need to see guillotines and stuff, but maybe I do? Before I watched Marie Antoinette though, I caught up on Survivor, and realized, like a total moron, that I STILL forgot to TiVo the Amazing Race. DAMMIT! Survivor was great though, and it's shaping up to be quite a season - especially if the Mavo team keeps losing and don't improve their squalor. I also managed to get my car cleaned up and sweep out the garage of a lot of dirt and roadsalt that my car dumps on the floor once it dries out. All the snow we have had had led to my garage being filthy. Everytime I would drive into my garage, I'd cringe and go "Man, I really need to clean that out..." but of course I would have that thought right as I drive on top of it after a long boring day at work. And by that point, I was NOT going to go clean my garage. But it's done, and looks great. All stuff I did after waking up on Jeff's couch this morning from last night's party at his house....

Yep, we had an impromptu party over at his house on Sunday night - it was a combined Dance Dance Revolution / Guitar Hero party - one room had the DDR set up and the other had Guitar Hero. It was freakin' awesome. I of course had plenty to drink - but not too much, as I didn't throw up or end up hungover. I know it helps to do a lot of DDR - not only is it an awesome workout, it sweats the alcohol right outta you. But good times nonetheless. We did this after driving home from Denver where we ended the Denver trip with a visit to Dave & Buster's. It's really hard not to have a good time at D&B's, and this was no different. We played all the good stuff, including air hockey, the horse race skeeball game (my FAVORITE), 3D war games, all the gun games you could try, and a couple racing ones as well. Shuffleboard also, because shuffleboard is awesome. We didn't eat there but we could have after exploring the Cherry Creek mall in Denver, which is WAY fancy. All the high-end stores are there, and it's a blast to just look around in there. Anyways...

I'm really sleepy now - I have pictures to put up, but I'm not at the energy-level I need to be to put them up just yet. Tomorrow for sure. I'll continue going backwards in time to recap what else I did, and perhaps I'll have some energy to discuss other stuff too?

13 February 2007    Tomorrow's Valentine's Day? (T-199)

Who knew? And frankly, who cares?

So today Jeff let it be known that he has reordered the European itinerary. I basically am along for the ride on this trip, as this will be my 3rd time or so going back and this is Jeff's first time out to see Europe (besides Germany, which he saw this past holiday season). So he decided instead of spending most of the time in Great Britain, that we would start out in London, head to Paris afterwards (with a day or two in Normandy for the reenlistment), then down to Rome to finish it off. Now that's taking on the premiere capitals of Europe. And I'm very stoked to be going back to all these amazing cities. Especially Rome - I made it there back in December 2001, but it was such a whirlwind Space-A trip that I'm definitely going to appreciate the re-visit. You know, I don't think I ever posted my pictures from that trip I took with Wade back then. That was a last-minute adventure, to be sure. Flew Space-A from Lajes (Azores) to Naples NAS in Italy, then took a train up to Rome. Spent I think two nights in Rome, then made our way back to Naples and flew Space-A back. It was such a whirlwind trip, and last-minute, but I think that was part of what made it cool. Too bad Wade turned out to be such a freak. I'll have to revisit the pics and put them up one day.

But anyways, still have about a month and a half to think about what to see and do. I've completely converted Jeff to the Rick Steves way of thinking when it comes to European traveling. You just can't argue with the advice Rick Steves gives. Jeff picked up three of his books today, one for Paris, one for London and one for Rome. I picked up the latest version of the Rick Steves travel phrasebook (German, Italian, and French) because I have no idea where the other one went and I remember how indispensible it was during the Tambien trip. Can NOT wait to go on this trip.

So how snarky was I yesterday in this post? very. Even Michancy got a chuckle out of my irateness. She sent me a message basically stating she does the same thing when reading her old posts - get angry all over again about things that happened so long ago, that your mind has allowed you to erase. But then you realize that it wasn't erased, it had just had a dropcloth put over it until you decide to rip it right off. I will confess that I have a 'secret' page that I haven't published - and never will - that has basically all the ultimate truths in it. I don't even like reading it but every now and then, I dip into it to see what twisted anger I have summoned onto electronic documents. It does feel good to just get out complete sincerity via any delivery method - I think the one I use is the safest for me - and keeps me out of trouble.

Alright, I am now three-for-three in nightly updates. If I keep this up, I may shock even myself!

TV Ramblings:
Veronica Mars: Definitely not it's finest season, but tonight's episode was funny and interesting and all around great. I do hope this show returns for another season, but with it being on the CW, and not exactly getting stellar ratings, this third season is probably it's last.
How I Met Your Mother: The 'Lucky Penny' episode from Monday was freakin' hysterical. There were so many great moments - Marshall's peptalks mixed with Vaseline; Barney unable to use his legs after his marathon (I can TOTALLY relate to that); Robin and Lilly's dementia after an entire evening listening to the car alarm; and the surprising wedding future-flash at the end of the episode....who IS Ted going to marry?

Oh yeah, I don't think I put some of my plans in that came up two weeks ago. I'm basically going to start seriously training for a triathlon sometime this summer. Not an Ironman one (that makes me cry just thinking of it), but one along the lines of Olympic or Sprint distance. It should get me in great shape, help me lose some pounds, and overall notch another accomplishment in the book of How Hobie Rulez!

One last thing: Definitely take a gander over at my good friend Al's redesigned website - he's made it quite professional and it seems he's poised to make his photography hobby potentially a career. He's very good at it, as you'll see at his site. Much mad props to Alan and what I predict will be a promising future career (as he's exiting the AF too this September!).

12 February 2007    Chuckling at Circumstances (T-200)

Reading one's own thoughts/rants from a few years ago can be awfully entertaining.

I was looking at my uber-Rant from Nellis AFB in 2004. If any of you remember, it was the one I actually went to the trouble of password-protecting because I just went OFF. And when I first started to read it, I tried to remember what the issue was - and I couldn't. But then I started reading it and not surprisingly, I got PISSED OFF again. At those people. At myself. At the things I should have said and could have said. Why did I get mad again? Literally, that's been almost 2 and a half years ago when all that shit went down. But it's just the fact that there are so many things that I guess I wish I had done differently. That's potentially the curse of having kept this website going for so long - if I choose to, I can go back and see, in gory detail, some of those things that took me to really low places. And then re-examine them. For better or for worse. What pisses me off also is that I make the same mistakes it seems. I'm a relatively smart man - you'd think I'd have learned a few lessons or so. It just seems that some of the important lessons I continue to forget.

Example: From growing up, I have learned to keep my mouth shut. Even when I want to say lots and lots, I had one incident I'll never forget that to this day reminds me that my true opinions of things are better left unsaid. And while I'm certainly not one to not say anything, to say that my true words have come out 'unfiltered' at any time since that incident would be a straight-up lie. I honestly don't know the last time I've ever not censored my thoughts. I've learned in the interim how to craft my sentences and words in such a way so I don't come across as the raging asshole I really am. Instead, I make you sound like a raging asshole. And it makes me happy. But the counter-lesson to this is that I think I've had enough of not saying the utter truth of what needs to be said. There are so many people's feelings out there in the world that have been spared because of what I chose not to say. Perhaps I've kept a lot more of my friends and family because of it - but I think there's also times, especially now, when what I want to really say would probably help things in the long run. Oh geez, I'm rambling now. I certainly didn't say I have learned to 'edit' myself, did I?

Today was my first day of not being the straight-up Flight CC. I didn't like it. Sure, I was able to play the affable Hobie Barnes, but frankly, I am fucking done with the Air Force. 200 more days? Fucking stab a pencil in my eye. Going back to what I said above, there's SOOOOO much I just want to say.... and can't.

Alright, I need to tighten the filter some more. I think I got set off by the events of the day and night, going back and reading that rant of mine, and just overall realizing I want to just be me. I'm tired of the censored me. He's boring. And he talks about himself in the third-person, and that is just obnoxious.

Well, it's 200 days left. Whooptie-freaking-doo! :-) I am stoked there's a 4-day weekend coming up - tentatively, there's plans to go back to Keystone for a day of skiing on Friday, and then also going to the Coors Brewery on Sunday. The rest of the time? Who knows, who cares?

11 February 2007    Who's Going to London? (T-201)

That would be ME! Indeed, I'll be returning to my favorite European city at the end of March. And I couldn't be happier about it, let me tell you!

You know, I've been meaning to get back to the website for a while (sounds familiar, I know...) but frankly the past few weeks haven't been too exciting except me being mostly depressed about crap. But I think I snapped myself out of that nonsense by the end of last week. Namely because I decided to go ahead and just go on the damn trip with Jeff, even if I'm supposed to be deputy during that time. I had been planning on going on this trip for so long - I'm not going to let some misplaced guilt keep me from going. Part of my depression was caused by thinking I wasn't going to go on this trip anymore because it started in March - but after talking to Jeff about it, well, as you can see, I've booked my flight and in less than two months, I'll be headed back to London (SWEET!!!!!) and even going to Normandy for a re-enlistment ceremony that Jeff is officiating. The ceremony will literally be on the beaches of Normandy - how freakin' cool is that? That was one of the main reasons I was so excited about going on this trip. Also going to see London AND Paris again is something I just can't pass up. Doing this though means my Vegas plans are definitely not until September - going to have to save money for that trip. And oh what a party that shall be too!

Okay, what else? Good news for Kyle and Adam, two of the Lts that work for me. They had applied to cross-train to become a pilot and an ABM, and the results were coming out at the beginning of the month - and fortunately, they both Made It! We found out that Adam is leaving in March (so fast!) and that Kyle is sticking around until November (his UPT doesn't start till then). I'm really happy for both of them and wish them the best of success in their future operational career with the Air Force.

Speaking of Air Force careers (or the lack of), I have to get crackin' on writing my own damn resume. I've been thinking about what Bradley-Morris has been working for me, and I think I'm going to cancel out of the Chicago hiring conference. I really don't want to live out there. I'm still going to go to San Diego, and I think I'll be trading Chicago's conference for one in Austin. But even more importantly, I've decided I can try to see what jobs are out here in Colorado Springs. I thought I would be willing to give it up easily, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized I LOVE it here. I really really love my house, I love my friends here, and I think that I could totally stay here for a while. Not forever, but a few more years at least. Build up the value of the house, wait till my friends PCS, and then think about going elsewhere. So I've got a lot of work to do to figure out all this. I'm getting scared! If you noticed the green countdown numbers above, I'm a day over 200 left to go till I'm done. WOAH!!!!!!

I had a lot to write about - or so I thought. Every time I thought about sitting down to type up an update, I realized I wasn't all that motivated to do it. I've bought a lot of clothes and furniture stuff for my house - plus today I finally put up most of my pictures in my bedroom and I actually used my drill to put up shelves in the bedroom too. Can you believe it? I haven't made any progress on the bathroom - I think I scared myself out of doing it. I still really want to, but I am so afraid of fucking it up. I just need to rip out the vanity cabinet and then I'll be FORCED to do it.

Here's some recaps on my TV viewing habits:

24: I'm enjoying this season, but it's a far cry from the glorious Season 5. The plotlines seemed very forced and I really don't care about any of the characters all that much. Maybe this is going to be like the Ontario Airport section of Season 5 - they just needed to get the ball rolling and then the season will knock into fifth gear... Besides the death of Curtis and the reveal (and subsequent death) of Jack's brother, there hasn't been too much excitement that really gets you going. Even Chloe hasn't been as awesome as usual. When is the other shoe going to drop?

Ugly Betty: Good God, I couldn't love this show anymore if I tried. Rebecca Romijn as Daniel's brother-turned-sister is inspired. Judith Light as Daniel's mother is awesome (so hard to see her as Angela from Who's the Boss anymore). I loved the show at Fashion Week with Hilda and Betty at odds with each other. Henry and Betty's doomed romance is so involving. And good riddance to Walter, although he actually was somewhat likable once he dumped Betty. And of course, the cattiness of Wilhelmina, Amanda and Marc continue to make this show must-watch material. I can never get enough of this show. Favortie scene from last week: Alexis (Rebecca Romijn) making Daniel slap himself and yelling at him: "Why are you hitting yourself? Why are you hitting yourself?" And the dramatic plot reveal at the end of last week's episode (the true killer of Faye Sommers was revealed) was much more gripping than anything 24 has done this season so far. If you haven't started watching this show, do yourself a favor and watch it!

Survivor: Fiji: Okay, I haven't done a page for this season and I have no intention of doing so. But let me just say that this season has started off with so much promise already. The entire cast is engaging so far, there was drama, and the game twists thus far have been pretty interesting. 19 castaways - not an even number this time. The 'leader' (Sylvia) picking the two tribes, and THEN getting sent to Exile Island right afterwards by Jeff Probst. Having all 19 people on one beach for the first two days building up a SWEET shelter and camp - only to then be split, with the winners of immunity returning to Camp Luxury and the losing tribe going to a new beach with just a machete. And these wildly divergent camps do not seem to be poised to be awarded to winners and losers. I think the one tribe is stuck at the pathetic camp from here on out - unless next week's episode tells us otherwise. Should make for an interesting (although potentially pathetic) dynamic at challenges.

Amazing Race: All Stars: This hasn't started yet, but I did panic while typing this up. Suddenly I thought I had forgotten about the premiere tonight - but that isn't till NEXT Sunday. Whew....

Okay, enough is enough. This upcoming week is a short week, and I think I'll be 50/50 at my flight and at the squadron front office gleaning info from the deputy while he's here. We get a 4-day weekend (Woo Hoo! I love February) - not sure if I'm doing anything exciting, but whatever. 4 days off? I'm there.

And here are some random pics from the past few weeks:

Random Feb Pics
Me in my mess dress before the Annual Awards Banquet	Magnum, Jeff's schnauzer	Kahlua, Jeremy's mix	Another of Kahlua	There's Magnum again	Pic of my new mirror in the upstairs hallway	Once more, with feeling

And I just finished rewatching Silence of the Lambs and Hannibal back-to-back. Those were really good, SCARY movies. I had forgotten how damn graphic Hannibal was. blech. I have absolutely no interest in seeing Hannibal Rising though. That looks just like a damned horror movie. No gracias.