27 September 2006    Off I Go! (T-338)

This may be my last ever Air Force TDY! Please don't think I sound sad about it though. I'm headed to Maxwell/Gunter AFB in Montgomery, Alabama, so I'm not exactly headed to the awesomest of awesome places - BUT, I'm only there for less than a day, as I'm going there for SNCO Academy graduation. It's a nice break from the ORI grind, to be sure. I do think it'll be a fun time and if there's any cool pictures from the trip, I'll make sure to post those along with the rest I've been hoarding lately.

I also got all my pieces in to rebuild my computer, so that will keep me occupied this weekend.

Other than that, not much at all going on. I got my feedback from my CC today - not bad at all - I totally thought she would tear me a new one. I was wrong. I also found out my stratification in the squadron through 'unknown' sources and found out I'm not too bad on that front either. Not #1 (and I gladly give that title to the person who occupies it - he really is an awesome officer and I regularly learn from his example) but I'm not #3 either, yet I AM higher than #3. Oh well, it doesn't really impact much anymore considering in less than a year I'll be done with AF matters. But it's nice to know nonetheless. I do have exception with how the rest of the list was broken down - not much that makes sense there.

Alright, I am just going to wait for Project Runway to finish DVR'ing, which by that time I should have my pizza and then I'll get packed and ready for my early morning flight tomorrow. Ouch. I can always sleep on the plane though. Yay!

Only a week and some change before our ORI starts!! That much closer to it being done.

And a big Good Luck to my Mom and Harv - they're heading up to Lake Tahoe for some scenic gambling fun up there! It sounds like it's amazing weather at the moment out in that area, so I'm sure they're going to have a good time.

Till I return from Alabama!!

24 September 2006    Death of a Computer (T-341)

Sad to say, but my gaming rig took a dive on Friday night. But don't be too sad for it - it loved a long healthy life, going on 3 years without any problems. But for some reason, while I was installing a game on it, it decided to crash. And crash hard - after finally getting a PS2 keyboard on Sunday (because Windows setup does not like USB keyboards, especially wireless ones, at set up time), I found out that I couldn't even reformat the drive. Whatever happened to it happened hard. Fortunately I don't keep too much 'essential' data on that drive, but it does suck that I will need to rebuild. But I will rebuild, and I will make it stronger. In fact, it's getting a 3-year upgrade - I went and bought a new mobo (motherboard, to you non-geekspeakers), processor, memory, video card and hard drive (320 GB!!!!! - talk about compensating for something!). I have half of the parts now and will get the rest in a few days - next weekend will be 'Build a Computer with Hobie, 2006 version' time. Don't worry, I WILL have an updated picture set to go along with this.

I've jumped ahead though - what the heck happened on Friday? Well, it was a very rainy AND snowy day. At least up at the Mountain. Throughout the rainy day, the rain would turn to snow, then sleet, then back to rain... it was all very exciting to watch out my window. Sometimes I like to just stare out from my desk out the window and see the weather wreak havoc. I was truly happy it wasn't snowing so that the snow stuck on the ground though. Like I mentioned earlier, I'm not quite ready for that yet. I need to get my skis bound and put my ski rack back up on my car, THEN I can look like a proper Colorado skihead. I totally love this state.

On Saturday, I went over to Jeff's house to help him install his oh-so-sweet new stereo in his car - all I gotta say is, this stereo is unbelievable. He got a Pioneer AVIC-Z1 stereo system. Don't think it's just a nice CD player - oh no. This baby is totally hi-tech, all the way. First off, it's a double-DIN size unit, which means it's twice as high as normal stereos. Second, it's a touchscreen system, with just a few buttons at the bottom. But if you have a video button on the screen, you can press it directly. Third, it's a navigation system / DVD movie player / CD player / Bluetooth phone interface (we tested it on my bluetooth-capable RAZR phone - it's freakin' awesome) / iPod interface. It's truly awesome. Expensive though, but you get what you pay for. I think I fell in love with the fact that with my burned CD mix, the stereo was able to read the tags and then put up a touchscreen interface listing the songs on the CD, so you could jump to a song by pressing the title. That was awesome. Although I don't really need the navigation system part of it all that much, those times when you do need it are when the navi system is perfect. Especially when it's talking to you and telling you 'turn here' and 'turn there in .5 miles', etc. Very cool.

We put it to use on Saturday night when we went back to Rodizio's to have dinner with our former commander. She was the one who just retired back in July (it was her change of command ceremony where I showed my flag-catching prowess), and it's a lot more fun to talk to her as a normal person than as my boss, for sure. Rodizio's was as usual, good. I had my first two drinks of the evening there, and then we went to Dave & Buster's afterward, where after a few games played, I was just ready to drink some more. These past few weeks have been such that I had earned the drinks. So I got sloshed. Not sloppy though, but definitely sloshed. There's pics from that night, but I have not endeavored to download them from my camera just yet. But soon! I'll hopefully get those up sooner than later.

And then today, after eventually crawling out of bed, went about and bought my PC parts, then had some dinner at Fox & Hound, and then watched Amazing Race!!! I also cleaned up my house a bit, so that it's truly turning in to a kick ass and clean house. Woo hoo!

So here's the latest happenings on the Amazing Race!

LEG 2 - Beijing, China to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia Previous Legs: 1

Bilal & Sa'eed David & Mary Duke & Lauren Dustin & Kandice Erwin & Godwin Kellie & Jamie Jamie and Kellie's luck ran out on them this episode. Everyone was on a pretty even footing as they left Beijing, China and took a train to Outer Mongolia ("bring on the barbecue" was heard by one of the teams). But it seemed that once people got off that train, people just ended up going places that were completely incorrect. What I wonder is why don't people see where others are going? I know that you don't want to be a lemming, but sometimes, the majority really is where you want to be. My Aunt Helen has always said that if there's a crowded line or lane, that IS the line or lane you want to be in. Without fail, this adage has always proved true. And with Amazing Race, you probably should do that. Once the teams got to the Detour was when things got interesting. Each team had to decide whether to take down a Mongolian hut or fill up a big water bucket by leading a beast to the river with little buckets to fill up. They were also issued Mongolian 'helmets', which was important for safety (witness Dustin & Kandice's horse-dragging incident) and the game (witness Dustin & Kandice's potentially game-ending mistake when they LOST one of the helmets, which you had to have in order to progress). Anyways, this was a task that if you let yourself panic, you could really lose it. Rob & Kimberly seemed to nearly come to blows (not too surprising though) and Peter & Sarah were freaking out, each in their own annoying way. Finally though, all the teams finished, but bad luck was the name of the game, as the Mongolian trucks they were driving were not what you would call 'good' automobiles. Lyn & Karlyn and Jamie & Kelly's trucks wouldn't start up, ensuring those two were going to be racing for last place. Along the way, others' trucks stalled out - these were definitely not the BMWs and Mercedes from earlier. It seems that the Pit Stop is not just a drive there and be done with it anymore - like in the last episode, there's a slight hurdle or Detour to accomplish right before the end (scaling the Great Wall last time). In this one, they had to shoot a flaming arrow 160 ft into a little receptacle that would ignite if hit correctly. Not that I could do very well on this, but it was hilarious watching people's first few attempts at shooting the arrow - Tom & Terry's especially. Lyn & Karlyn: You better hope for better luck - and you better start racing faster and smarter if you want to get out of last place. Good luck. Peter & Sarah: I like this team, but as Sarah noticed, there's things about Peter that aren't quite right... Rob & Kimberly: I could watch these two all day. They are so damn mean to each other: "I'm not yelling at you!!!!! It's just the only way I can get you to do what I want you to!!!!" Priceless. Tyler & James: Modelboys are doing good so far - making mistakes yet racing well enough to make up for them and come from behind. I definitely think they're in it to the Final 3. Dustin & Kandice: Officially a team I am rooting for. They're gorgeous, but they're also racers. They made a mistake with that Mongolian helmet thing, but I think that's ensured they've learned to not be careless. Better now than later. Erwin & Godwin: Talk about coming from behind! Another team I think that can do well as long as they focus. Duke & Lauren: They race hard, and don't look like they're making too many mistakes - another team I'm rooting for. Although the previews with them not having enough money for the taxi next week are NOT a good move. WTF?   Lyn & Karlyn Peter & Sarah Rob & Kimberly Tom & Terry Tyler & James Vipul & Arti

And before I head off to sleepysleep, I had to let you know that I'm headed out to Maxwell AFB Thursday & Friday for SNCO graduation. One of our own is graduating but the CC can't go. So I may be going on my last TDY!!!! Unfortunately it's to Alabama, but hey, it's a break from the routine. Anybody want me to pick them up some Alabamanian souveneirs? :-)

21 September 2006    Snow on the Peak (T-344)

In the past couple of days, the weather has gotten pretty cold - our lows have been in the 30s and highs in the low 60s. We're one really good cold front away from snow down on the lowlands. And while I can't wait to start my ski season, I am not really wanting to have to deal with the unfun part of snow - driving to work / home from work. That does suck. But I guess you take the good with the bad. Anyways, when I opened up my fantastic wooden blinds this afternoon when I got home, I was blown away by the sight of Pike's Peak topped with snow and framed by a beautiful sunset in the snow clouds nestled on the Peak. Here are some pics - not Split Rock/Azores good, but still beautiful to behold. Just a bit colder.

21 Sep: Snow on the Peak
It's getting cold here!	Pike's Peak says it's COLD!!!!

So guess who I heard from today? That's right! Ryan Conk! I haven't heard from him since right after I got my house - and it looks like he'll be up next month briefly for a TDY at Peterson AFB, so I will get to see him. Sweet! He also said that he and Jennifer may be taking a ski trip up to Colorado this season - I am definitely down for that, and the invite is out to crash at my house. I'm also toying with the idea of heading down to Albuquerque sometime in the near future - I got an invite from the Sandia Casino down there because they've partnered with the Harrah's group. I've got enough points to warrant an invite, and it's not too outrageously priced. AND they have craps! So I may have to take a field trip down there as a mini-vacation sometime after the ORI. Maybe if I win lots at Vegas in November, I'll go down there and play with some of my winnings. Yeah, that's it!

I'll put up the pictures of my bedroom soon...maybe once it's finished. I am almost at that point.

And here is my latest update on Survivor - I must say, it's been a great season so far, and we're only two episodes in!

Episode List: 1

Billy Cecilia Cristina JP Ozzy Nate Rebecca Sekou Stephannie Sundra Becky Brad Cao Boi Jenny Yul Adam Candace Jessica Jonathan Parvati Episode 2 - Aitu backdoors Billy The first episode introduced us to a LOT of people - this episode moved the game along and reminded us what Survivor is all about: Strategizing, Backstabbing, and Lying... I mean, Outwitting, Outlasting, & Outplaying! Every tribe went through a bit of drama, and before I get to Aitu's Problematic Thinking, let's recap the other tribes' minor issues that may cause drama further down the road: HIKI - Okay, there wasn't much drama there, after their defeat last week. They couldn't get fire going very easily, but I think they finally realized that you just don't whack sparks onto large pieces of kindling - find that little stuff to burn, THEN burn the big stuff with the little fire. Other than that, we didn't see much except some bonding. Although, I must say - they are a very SLOW challenge team. Aitu threw the challenge, yet they were only 'just' behind Hiki. Hiki needs to get moving in these challenges, because if no one else decides to throw a challenge next week, they're going to be in trouble. PUKA - Mini-alliances are forming! We see that Yul and Becky (the tribe's Koreans) have made a pact, and this could be a pretty powerful one, as both Becky and Yul are strong, smart and wanting to win. I think Yul is a little naive thinking that Becky isn't here to win for the money - just because she's a non-profit attorney doesn't mean she came on Survivor just for the social experiment aspect. Who would want to suffer that much for that???? But regardless, I'm going to watch them as I think they'll go far.       - Yul: Like Terry before him from Exile Island, getting sent to Exile Island by Aitu proved VERY beneficial for Yul; he got the second clue and used it wisely, finding the Hidden Immunity Idol. It remains to be seen if he'll actually use it though. I bet when we get some merging occurring, it may force its use. RARO - I am VERY disappointed with my race's tribe. Adam is proving to be a massive tool. "I don't see the logic in wasting our time..." ...wasting your time in making a comfortable shelter that will prove a long-term investment worth having? Even Candice had to say to him, 'uh, watch it'. Poor Jonathan is stuck with a bunch of lazies, although my assessment of flaky Flicka (aka Jessica) is somewhat changing, as she was actually one who is trying to work hard with Jonathan upon his return from Exile Island. They may be good in challenges, but soon they're going to splinter, and I don't think it'll bode well for Jonathan. AITU - It still amazes me that people still think throwing a challenge is a smart move. As Jeff Probst mentioned, you really don't want to whittle your already limited #s down to 4. Forcing yourself into a disadvantage is stupid - yes, Billy may have shown he's not the most proactive, but he seemed hardly Mr. Conniving. After only 6 days, you don't wisely come to the decision to get rid of someone. Who knows what Billy could have provided later on? They'll never know now. Cristina's gut reaction was correct - you don't purposefully wound yourself. But JP and Ozzy were pretty set on it - and Billy didn't do himself any favors with his declaration of 'Love at First Sight' with Candace. If anything, it was probably better to get rid of Crazy Billy now than wait for his inevitable meltdown. Do I think they got rid of the right member? Of course. But they should've waited until they HAD to vote someone out because who knows what the next challenge will be like? If they lose this next one (when they easily could have placed in this roped-together clue quiz), they're going to quickly regret their decision (although I assume they'd go after Cristina next). Anyways, I'm loving this season so far. Internal racial breakdowns are always interesting to watch. next week with Cao Boi losing his mind seem to show that Puka's up next for the drama. Which usually means that it's not looking too promising for Puka next Tribal Council... I'm just sayin'. Interesting Episode 2 Links: Three Little Words - RealityNewsOnline Episode 2 Recap

19 September 2006    Wooden Blinds? Check! (T-346)

The redecoration of my bedroom is commencing swimmingly, with KD and Eric coming over yesterday and helping me to install my new custom wooden blinds in the bedroom. And they look freakin' great. It was awesome to get rid of the vertical Venetian blinds (which had a few missing panels) and the ugly little green valance at the top. I've got a little bit of painting work to do over there, but once that's done, I'll put up my pictures so you can see how the project goes so far. With my bedroom nearly complete, it is almost time for me to start on my bathroom! Sweet. I was at Lowe's this past weekend (btw, not a very exciting weekend, to be honest - just mostly a lot of shopping...) and drooling over pieces of furniture and fixtures for my bathroom, as well as even maybe replacing my chandelier in the 'bar' area. I have many ideas, you see! My house is going to rock!

Okay, I don't feel like staying up all night updating, but I will get my Amazing Race section done, since it just started on Sunday!

LEG 1 - Seattle, Washington, USA to Beijing, China

Bilal & Sa'eed David & Mary Duke & Lauren Dustin & Kandice Erwin & Godwin Kellie & Jamie The Amazing Race 10 has begun! So I hope to do my best in terms of trying to keep these updates as up-to-date as possible, as well as timely. I know I haven't been doing my best lately, but I have some decent ideas for doing these pages, and I like putting them within my existing journal page. It means less clicking for you and more reading - goodie! Anyways, the Amazing Race 10 started this past Sunday, with 12 times vying to reach the finish line (some 40,000 miles from the beginning) and earn themselves a tidy $1 million prize. Not too shabby. At the beginning of the episode, there was quite a bit of getting to know the teams, and some personalities immediately struck me even from the get-go: David & Mary: Wow - you can't get much more backwoods country than these folks. It should be interesting to see how they interact with the rest of the world. Lyn & Karlyn: Funny, but you can see them possibly getting drama started if their comments get taken seriously as these girls don't look like they'll back down. Peter & Sarah: I definitely admire Sarah for doing this race with a fake leg, but seriously, wouldn't you try as hard as humanly possible to get a leg that is in good working order and won't start leaking hydraulic fluid at the BEGINNING of the race? Rob & Kimberly: Good God - these two are NOT going to remain a couple after this. They got annoyed with each other about 5 minutes after the race started. Not a good sign. Tom & Terry: Could you have gotten more gay (or should I say - flaming) of a couple than these two? I think not. Tyler & James: Former drug-addicts turned models. It's a good thing we have at least some type of role model on this season. ;-) Vipul & Arti: For some reason I immediately liked this team...which was unfortunate for me I guess. Anyways, the typical mad dashes occurred as everyone left Seattle for one of two flights to Beijing. Once they arrived in China, the fun began as people couldn't always find the first Roadblock - and then discovered they had to eat fish eyes. Blech. If they managed to get through that, the first major 'surprise' of the season was dropped on the racers - as Bilal & Sa'eed discovered, getting to the next route marker at the Forbidden City last resulted in their elimination - and this was NOT a Pit Stop. Hold UP!!!! This was a reality check for everyone to realize that perhaps things were going to be shook up (and it explains why there was 12 teams to start as opposed to the typical 11). Even with this motivation, the next day people made stupid mistakes at the brick laying detour, because in their panic they missed the blatant border blocks needed to be laid first. D'oh! Finally, the last hurdle to get past in order to reach the true Pit Stop was scaling the Great Wall of China. Seriously. And that's when it became clear that Sarah (One-Leg) was going to have problems. She made it, but not without some serious drama as Peter had to calm her down and get her to focus and take things slow. If they had been last, I think her panic would have destroyed their chances. But the last place team was Vipul and Arti, who unfortunately had very bad luck with taxis and buggies, but who easily scaled the wall anyways. Too bad - I did like them. So I'm not sure who I'm rooting for yet. After only one episode, it's tough to commit. I'll report back after the next episode to see who I have bonded with yet. Lyn & Karlyn Peter & Sarah Rob & Kimberly Tom & Terry Tyler & James Vipul & Arti

I hope everyone has had a good week so far. After getting my blinds up, I totally fell in love with my bedroom and can't wait to do more on my house. Remodeling is fun! I'll post pics shortly, I promise.

14 September 2006    Survivor, baby!!!!! (T-351)

The Ultimate Reality Show has returned - and it's just as racialicious as you could have expected! I'm going to implement my Survivor and Amazing Race pages within the confines of my journal so you don't have to search for the entries or go to another page. They'll be contained within their own boxes, so if you could give a rat's ass about the show, then by all means, scroll past it. But you know you'll read it, and then you'll get hooked on Survivor, and soon enough, you too will want to own all the Survivor buffs! (hint, hint, that would be a SWEET birthday gift - but people better coordinate and not get me the same season's buffs!!! - that last note was for all my adoring friends who love to buy me gifts) Here's the first Survivor: Cook Islands (Season 13!!!!) update for Episode 1!!!!

Billy Cecilia Cristina JP Ozzy Nate Rebecca Sekou Stephannie Sundra Becky Brad Cao Boi Jenny Yul Adam Candace Jessica Jonathan Parvati Episode 1 - Hiki votes out Sekou And we now have the return of Survivor, after its long hiatus following the end of Survivor: Exile Island. The major twist in last season was that there was an island you could send people to as punishment; well, that twist has continued, but there is also the issue that has had some people up in arms: The Division of the Tribes by RACIAL LINES (duh duh DUH! <- that was a dramatic musical cue). Freakin' sweet, is all I gotta say. It's a new twist that many probably thought would be interesting but never actually thought CBS would go through with. Well, they did. And it was certainly funny to see how everyone reacted. Most everyone thought that there would be an advantage to working within your ethnic group, but most also realized that this IS Survivor, and at the end of the game, there's a winner who has had to outwit and outlast all the others, whether they're your race or not. I must admit it was humorous to see some tribes come together easily enough, but then to splinter off by different divisions immediately within the tribe. In the Puka tribe, there seemed to be an internal split immediately by age, bu I think that was just an immediate reaction - even though Cao Boi was a little off-putting, the others realized he wasn't completely nuts. In the Hiki tribe, the tribe eventually separated by gender - seemingly out of necessity in my opinion. The other tribes didn't have too much division...yet, but I think the divisions will come soon by internal alliances. It looks like love is in the air at Raro between Adam and Candace (snuggle-buddies already - it's only Episode 1, people!) and by the previews for next week, Aitu is going to kick off the fatty. So we'll have to see. Like I said though, I am enjoying this twist so far. There's really nothing racially charged about the show - because the internal struggles in the camp basically have removed the racial factor, which personally I think was always a factor when tribes in earlier seasons had to come up with a reason to get rid of somebody. With the fact that minorities were always underrepresented on the show, it was an easy, although unfortunate, target. So while competitions definitely have a 'Battle of the Races' aspect to them, after that the tribes have to duke it out internally, where as I noted above, the lines are drawn in other divisive ways. Since it's only Episode 1, it's hard to pick a team to root for. I must say that Jessica is a freakin' idiot, and I must complain that we already had her character last season with cuckoo Courtney. I'm not surprised Sekou was voted out - he didn't seem to have much energy nor capability at camp, although he did like to talk a good game. I'm not sure if Hiki will regret that decision, but I really don't think they will. He didn't prove to be a resource provider, and based on how Nate and Sekou went and made the decision to send Jonathan to Exile Island without the women, it was probably best for tribal relations and unity that he is gone. So we'll see. Anyways, a fine return to form for Survivor - it came at a perfect time just as Big Brother 7 ended, and coming up this Sunday is Amazing Race! Sweet..... Interesting Episode 1 Links: "Karma's a Bizzle" - RealityNewsOnline Episode 1 Recap Why Sikou Lost - RealityNewsOnline Analysis

So there's Survivor for you! And can I say how much I love Tivo/DVR? Everyone needs to have one of these magical devices. Because you see, I didn't watch Survivor live and waited for it to be done, so I could watch it and fast forward the commercials, because frankly, that is the worst part for me when watching reality shows - i can't stand to wait through those commercial breaks!!!!!!

So now that I've got my template up for the Survivor section (only about an hour and fifteen minutes of work - and yet it looks like it was hardly any work at all, doesn't it? Well, go ahead and you try then, Seabiscuit! It's tough work to be creative on-the-spot!), I guess I'll catch you up on the previous few days. On Tuesday night, as I was about to head home, something happened at work that made quite a few of us stay till 11PM that night. It sucked. To top it off, we had to shut down our network for the next day and a half - we finally got our connectivity back right before lunchtime today. Yesterday then was a day to help you contemplate how you'd be quite limited in today's day and age without network connectivity. We ended up finding organizational projects and clean-ups and hanging things up on the wall just to make the day go by. Eventually it turned into just razzing on each other, which we're all very good at. It's funny how we must sound to outsiders - we all must sound like a bunch of assholes but to us doing it, it's just another way to express how much we enjoy each other's company. I do really like the group that is in our office right now though. We all have our moments, good and bad, but overall it's always a great group to work with and talk with. I think we all (by we, I mean the entire Mission Support Group) got used to not doing much though, as when the network came back on, it was nice to have it all back, but at the same time, it wasn't. It was a realization that we were back to the same AF mindless interaction through email which just gets so depressing at times.

Anyways, last night I had some training to qualify myself as a Blackjack dealer for Deuces Wild. Of course I passed with flying colors. I tell ya, I think I would be an amazing Craps or Blackjack dealer in Vegas - I just wish they made lots of money. It's really not worth it to do that but only be scraping by. But I am thinking that I need to figure out a way to get myself involved at the higher levels of the Deuces Wild operation. If I can learn and see how the business is run, perhaps I might open a similar business in another market somewhere, or even a franchise of it. I really like the owner, Patsy, and it's just been so much fun so far. There haven't been many events lately, but October is looking to be a bit busier and then it just explodes in November and especially December. Woo hoo!!!

Okay, here's a quick wrap-up to Big Brother 7, and then it'll be time for me to go to bed!

11 September 2006    I just read a whole book tonight (T-354)

Seriously. When Jeff and Susan and I went to Barnes & Noble yesterday (did I mention that?), a book on the new paperback nonfiction table caught my eye called Busting Vega$ <click here for a link to the book at Amazon>. The cover caught my attention and then when I read what it was about, I knew I had to pick it up: I'm sure you've heard about the group of MIT students who created teams to take on the casinos at blackjack. Well, the same author wrote a book on those groups called Bringing Down the House which I haven't read, but I'd like to. This is a follow-up to that book, and it does involve more MIT students (damn geniuses!), but it takes the Blackjack Team play to a whole 'nother level. The book was addicting, to say the least. I secretly (I guess not so secretly anymore) want to become a professional gambler - I'd love that. Not poker, mind you, but craps and blackjack. That would be BLOODY AWESOME. Anyways, these guys refined a system that required no card-counting (they knew how to do it, but it wasn't necessary) but only finesse, precision, and observation. Needless to say, it's a system that with plenty of practice, and with the help of a friend or two, I think is still lucrative - even if the casinos are aware of it now. To truly take advantage of the system, you'd need a sizeable bankroll to start with, although hell, if you just start making the money starting with a small bankroll, you'd eventually build to the big bankroll. Just don't let me play with my separation money! But the story at 289 pictures was unstoppable - even one of the reviewer quotes on the back of the book said you wouldn't be able to put it down by your bedtime. I can hereby vouch for that sentiment - just lucky for me I started earlier in the day so I could finish by now. But with me and my gross ankle, sitting around is something that doesn't hurt - plus it's storming like hell outside. I truly was expecting a twister!

Today was a somewhat crappy day back to work, with my not really enjoying being back with my wonderful boss. But I guess I should be careful as to what I say here. I still have almost a year (355 days, yo) to go, but boy is it tempting to see if it's possible to up my date by a year or so. I think this will be a monumentally slow year to go through. Or it may go super fast - who knows? Maybe it's just this ORI/ERI/UCI that is looming over us - after 25 Oct, it'll be over and maybe people will calm down a bit. Although people are telling me that's when it's over is when the bosses want to spend time to fix everything. Well, that's fine and all, but I'll be in Vegas the second weekend of November, so y'all can do without me for that period of time.

I had my first 'Pre-Separation' briefing today at Peterson AFB. It was glorious. The Air Force really does try its best to provide resources and counseling on how to transition to the civilian world. That's pretty cool - they have a ton of books that you can borrow on resume writing, interviewing, etc, as well as lots of information on job hunting, etc. Lots of seminars available too - it's just a matter of how much you're willing to put into it. After that, I went home - hence why I had so much time to read the book.

Okay, here's a pic of my gross ankle. It's bruised quite a bit from my fun on Friday. Not cool - but at least it's already not hurting as much as it used to be! I've linked the picture to the words above, as a lot of people for some reason have a weird food aversion - I'm not posting it, even in miniature form, for those people. You're welcome. But notice how I guess it was more my foot that got the bruising - by my toes, the side of the foot, and the bottom of the ankle. My actual ankle area is only just swelled. Gross.

10 September 2006    September 11th (T-355)

It's been 5 years. As penance, which is a cheap way to put it, I watched United 93 tonight. Emotionally exhausted now. I know it sounds trite. I really do. But that movie wasn't just a movie. It presented a without-frills recreation of not only what happened on the flight that didn't make it to its target, but also what was happening at the ATC centers throughout the nation as they realized what was happening as the jets began crashing into the World Trade Center towers and the Pentagon. It's a horrific movie. It really is. You watch with dread as you know that the 4 terrorists are about to make their move on the cockpit. I was not prepared for the violence. I was not prepared for the fear I felt. I was not prepared for feeling like I was in that plane. I was also embarassed to realize I was hoping for the movie to end happily. It didn't. I wanted the passengers to pull the plane out of its spiral to the ground - but they didn't. But they did fight, even if they were scared. I don't even know how it would be to know that more than likely you're about to die and there's almost nothing you can do about it. But they tried anyways. It was heartbreaking to witness the passengers make calls to their families and just basically cry realizing they're about to die. But they fought - and they sacrificed themselves to prevent what they knew would be a suicide mission. I think that the DVD's special feature was really what was hard to watch - the families met with the actors who portrayed the people on United 93, and they shared memories and reminisced about their loved ones. And you felt like they were your family. Each family grieved in a different way.

I don't know, it's just hard to believe that 5 years ago these attacks actually happened and over 3000 people died. I remember where I was when that all happened - I had been in the Azores for just over 2 weeks and I was still getting used to being in charge of my own office and having people who actually worked for me. I was also adjusting to life out in the middle of the ocean but knowing that I had a few friends and that it was going to be okay. I'd met a few new people at work, and things were going good. It was a Tuesday, so I had decided to have my weekly office meeting on Tuesday afternoons. The first jet crashed into the WTC in the morning for people in the states, but for us it was already in the afternoon. I remember Fran, the Comm Squadron commander's secretary and one of my newer friends who I'd started getting along with, came running by and she poked her head in, panicked because a plane had crashed into the tower. At this point, no one knew what was going on, so I remember saying it was probably an accident. My meeting ended and then me and Byron were to meet with Capt Myers, who was the SCB flight commander and our boss. It was our inbrief, and while we were sitting in there, the news was given that the Pentagon had been hit. It was then that we went into the conference room where the TV was on and I started seeing the images we all know in the back of our minds - the towers with the gaping holes in them. I didn't realize that a second plane had hit the other WTC tower until then. Back in my office, there was lots of talk about what the hell was going on. We basically were trying to keep each other calm and vocalize our fears...and then I remember hearing those people in the conference room shout out as the towers started collapsing. I honestly couldn't believe what people were saying to me - how could the World Trade Center towers actually collapse? I thought people were just overexaggerating and that maybe parts of it were falling down. But no. They were actually falling down. As in, 100+ stories of millions of tons of steel completely collapsing, with God knows how many people inside them. It was overwhelming, to say the least. I don't really remember the rest of the day, nor what I did. I remember feeling so alone because here I was completely away from everything - and realizing I had just been in Washington, DC a few weeks ago on my way out there to the Azores. If my PCS had been timed differently, I could have been in the area for that. But being out here far away from my family was what I remember being so distressed about. And just the fact that nobody knew anything for sure about what had just happened. Was there going to be something more? Who was going to make this all better? Has the next World War just begun?? I remember I was in the process of buying a car from my Portuguese landlord, and he picked me up and was all questions and apologies and stuff - and while he was the nicest guy, I just remember being so suspicious. And that's when I realized for myself that because of this, I was treating anyone that I didn't know as a potential enemy. Especially a foreigner. Why did he want to know what my thoughts were? I remember realizing this and telling myself to get a freakin' clue, but I think it's how a lot of people unfortunately have reacted, and some still do - if you're a foreigner, you're not to be trusted. Wow. But that's the power of an attack like September 11 - it did so much to so many on so many levels. And look where we are now. But I'll leave that alone. I know that I don't feel like I did back then when I had such unearned suspicion to others - but there is no denying that I have feelings of paranoia on Sept 11 anniversaries or if I'm at a big tourist area on holiday events - places and times that would make a great target for someone looking to make an equally powerful attack on the country.

I hope I didn't bore you with this. I just felt like writing about my feelings on September 11, especially in lieu of just watching that movie. No doubt it is a painful movie to watch; but it is definitely necessary viewing. It's not too soon. As one of the family members in the documentary said, you can't allow this to ever become vague and distant. Too many people died to let it try to be forgotten.

If anybody out there wants to share their thoughts or memories of Sept 11, I would love to hear them. It is kind of cathartic to remember where you were when it happened and to talk about how it made you feel. Everyone seems to have an interesting story - especially if you were back here in the states. I know that I was sad to miss out on the swell of patriotism that enveloped the country - that didn't quite happen in the Azores. There was sympathy for it, but obviously it's Portugal and not the US where I was.

Okay, I'm really tired now. It's been a long couple of days. Here's a quick rundown on those few days: On Friday, during morning PT while playing Ultimate Frisbee, I managed to severly sprain my ankle as while running down the field, my foot found the sprinkler hole and did a complete inside inversion. I got one step after doing that to my foot before realizing I was in damn agony. it was that pain that would not go away while laying on the grass - me pulling on the grass hoping the pain would just ebb in the slightest. It finally did enough for me to get picked up and hobble to the clinic. They weren't sure if it was broken or not because they didn't have a x-ray machine, but the way it swelled out horrendously and that it had popped when I injured myself had them believing it may have been broken. Fortunately, at Fort Carson and a few hours and x-rays later, it was found to have only been sprained. whew. So that was the first half of my Friday, not exactly the way I had pictured it. Then my flight call was that afternoon - and while doing that at Mr. Biggs, my boss calls me and decides to bitch me out over stuff that didn't need to be argued about. So I spent the next hour dealing with that bullshit. I was so tired that day. Then on SAturday, I had people over for a party and that was very fun. Very drunk, very fun. But as I always comment later, passing out does not equal good rest. Last night was not good sleep. And now today, I got my hungover ass outta bed, did some cleaning up around the house, and then hung out with Jeff and Susan - I ended up buying some skis, poles and bindings. Yes, I'm a true Coloradoan now. And now you're caught up.

I hope you have a good September 11. Take some time to remember those who died then, and those who have died in the wars since. It's even more tragedy to think about, but these people, all of them, deserve to be remembered and honored.

5 September 2006    Erika's so Effin' AWESOME! (T-360)

Yes, I changed my mind about Erika. She came to her damn senses and actually woke Janelle up from the enchantment Will put on her. It's awesome. I was actually cheering when Erika and Janelle were talking...but more on that in the BB7 box.

Back to work after 4 days of not being there. It's kinda tough. But got through today - mostly because we were at lunch for like 3 hours (went to Hooter's for a going away, but the service was horrendous) and then we were working on rearranging and installing new cabinets in the office. That amazingly took a lot of time. Our office looks like utter crap right now, but once we're done and the trash is taken out, we'll be looking a lot more organized than before.

As for my bedroom project, I only ended up getting two walls completely done. But they look pretty damn good, and once I get some frames up and some shelves put up as well, I think it'll really good. It's just going to be getting those last two walls painted. Didn't get it done tonight because I did yoga, then did a haircut, and finally had to watch BB7. Had to!!! And now I just need to read some more of Dark Tower 7: The Dark Tower (the last one!!!) and wake up for tomorrow, which is a Peterson day for me, spending another whole day in training for the upcoming NSPS system. I really don't care about this anymore, but I have to pretend I do I guess. Who knows, maybe I'll become civil service? HIGHLY DOUBTFUL.

REMINDER re: the Vegas Bash in November - It is NOT on the weekend of my birthday because of those damn rodeo clowns. It is the following weekend. I have my plane tickets and reservations made at Bally's, arriving Thurs 9 Nov and leaving Mon 13 Nov. Don't miss out on the debauchery if you're interested. Remember, if you're going to be in town and you want to go to the Hilton's Benihana restaurant with me/us, let me know now so I can add you to the list. Keep in mind it costs about $30/person, but it's SOOOOOO worth it. The rest of the time will be yours to do with what you will - I know I'll be playing craps, blackjack, and dancing. Drinking too. And I am SOOOOO down for some karaoke. So if you're ready to keep up with me on my 30th Birthday Bash, you best make your reservations now.

3 September 2006    Erika's so Effin' Stupid (T-362)

I'm totally putting some BB7 thoughts up here, because I just watched tonight's show and I gotta say, Erika is one stupid beyotch. Seriously. I'll rant more thoroughly in the red section below, but damn. How deluded are you, Erika?????? I figure they must be pumping laughing gas or something in to the Big Brother house - there's got to be some reason to account for her idioticness. Yes, that is now a word.

I got my Colorado Ski Pass today!!!! I can't wait to put it to good use, but for the love of God, the picture of me on it is pretty horrendous. Oh well, I get on the lift either way, whether the picture looks good or, as in my case, it doesn't. So before I get too far off-track, here are some random pictures from the last few days/weeks. Not too many to go through, but I figured I had better keep up!

Random Aug Pic aka my Green Cowboy one
I do love this hat - although only if I'm wearing it in my house
Pictures from Denver Intl Drop-off
It's downtown Denver!	There's Jeff at ESPNZone	Smiling Susan	KD takes her OWN pictures	And there's me!
Bedroom Repaint + Colorado Pass Pic
My mirror wall was first under the gun	As of Sunday, I have two walls mostly done	And here's my glorious Colorado Pass picture - ugh.

So after Friday's adventure in Denver and back, it was Saturday! We agreed to meet up at PF Chang's for lunch, which was of course delicious. I had warm sake. I love that stuff. It made me remember that I totally want my 'birthday' dinner in Vegas at the Hilton's Benihana. We could have one of those tables all to ourselves - sweet!!!! I just have to make sure I make reservations early for that and try to figure out who all will want to go. If you're reading this and interested in going, let me know and i'll tally it up for an RSVP. BTW, I'm not buying your dinner there. :-) But I digress! After PF Chang's, it was time for me to go to Lowe's and pick up some paint for my next home renovation project. I figured it was time to start the bedroom - that would be easier and less costly to do than my bathroom, which is next though. I knew I wanted my bedroom to have a light brown color, so I started there. So I picked out a color that was close to what I saw earlier, and from there I picked another brown a shade darker for the trim in the room. So I had those colors picked out - then it was time to go special-order my wood blinds! Sweet. So I ordered those... and while I was doing that, I realized I have no idea how to take down the existing blinds, nor how to put the new ones up. Oh well, that's what friends are for. KD said she'd be up for helping, so we'll see how that goes. Those blinds and the new paint in the bedroom will really make my room cool. The finishing touch will be getting black picture frames for picturess to go up around the room. That'll provide just a bit of contrast for the room. I think I am going to pick my best pictures I've taken, make them black and white, and frame those for the room. More scenery shots than 'people' pics. I also want to put in small black shelves on either side of the window to hold books and stuff. Not too big or overdone, hopefully. In my mind, I think it'll turn out good.

As you can see though, the painting is all I've been working on so far. And that is slow going. Especially when there's furniture in the room already. And carpet. But I found a painting tool this afternoon (I had to go and buy more paint for the walls - a gallon of paint really doesn't go that far) that reduces the time dramatically - one of those edging-in paint applicators that has wheels and a square surface area that allows you to skip taping and just run the applicator along. Taping takes FOREVER for me and without having to do that, it's amazing how much faster I can get things done. But I still take a long time to paint, regardless. Hence why there's only TWO walls done so far. Damn four walls. I like how it's turning out though so far. Gotta get rid of that ugly-ass green thing on the window though - that's there from the previous owners; I've just never bothered taking it down. But I don't feel bad getting paint on it at all, as it's gonna be gone when I get my wood blinds.

So for my bathroom, I now need to figure out what shade of blue will coordinate with the brown I've chosen. I think I've got one, but that's a project for a month from now or so. I'm looking forward to that project - should be interesting to see what kind of trouble I get myself into on that one.

Anyways, only one more day on this weekend....<sigh> It's been productive though, so far. And I hope to get some more wall painting done in my room before it's over. But we're picking Jeff up tomorrow, so there goes a lot of the time.

We went out drinking last night at Rendezvous, and I had 4 shots of some Premium Vodka. I have no idea what the brand was, but it was their Vodka of the Month (it's a Vodka bar) and it was smooooooooooth. Amazingly, or maybe not so amazingly, while I was mighty buzzed last night, I had absolutely no hangover or ill-feelings this morning. Not mixing your liquor with your beer is a very wise paradigm to follow.

And Jenny, your comment on my guestbook is freakin' hilarious. It's nice to know that you're out there to keep me based in reality and to remember my STSs. I get to use STS every now and then at work, as one of the Lts working for me is applying to be a pilot. I'm doing my best to train him well, and to caution him against being a supreme asshole when he becomes a pilot. I wonder how much of the training will stick once he starts flying fighter jets and he is surrounded by other raging egomaniacs? I'll have to make an effort to keep in touch and see how he does.

REMINDER re: the Vegas Bash in November - It is NOT on the weekend of my birthday because of those damn rodeo clowns. It is the following weekend. I have my plane tickets and reservations made at Bally's, arriving Thurs 9 Nov and leaving Mon 13 Nov. Don't miss out on the debauchery if you're interested. As for actual events or planned get-togethers, I haven't come up with any yet. But I will definitely have at least one so that I can see everyone together. The rest of the time will be yours to do with what you will - I know I'll be playing craps, blackjack, and dancing. Drinking too. And I am SOOOOO down for some karaoke. So if you're ready to keep up with me on my 30th Birthday Bash, you best make your reservations now.

1 September 2006    One Year and Counting (T-364)

That's right - in a year, I'll be out of the Air Force. How exciting and scary is that? But I'm looking forward to that sooooooo much. It turns out that many of my fellow officers, especially in my year group, are getting out as well, all at the same time. We're all staying as long as possible to get as much money out of the AF as possible. Plus for me, I wanted the extra buffer time to find a new job. NEW JOB!!!!!

Anyways, I had lots of things I'm sure, to say, but I really can't remember them now. It's been the usual blech at work, with frustrations for everyone and lots of people making drama where there doesn't need to be any. Same old song and dance.

We (Susan, KD, & I) drove Jeff to the airport today in Denver - after which we went to the mall up there (the same one I went to when killing time during Boris' wedding in April). I love that mall. Anyways, I ended up buying my first cologne, and it's pretty damn awesome. It's Armani Mania, and while the name sounds pretty damn lame, especially when I type it, it smells really frickin' good. I'd do me. (Just kidding). But it definitely reacts well to my body chemistry or whatever. I also bought some clothes at Express Men and Banana Republic, and all around, I've gotta say I'm ready for the fall. I had better be, as it's starting to get a little chilly at night here - this evening it was windy and...COLD! Last week during one of our rainstorms, while it hailed and rained down on the 'plains', up on Pikes Peak, there was snow. It melted quickly away once the sun came out, but we're definitely on the turn towards winter, and I for one couldn't be happier. It's almost SNOW TIME again. This year I'm planning to buy a Colorado Pass, which gets you unlimited visits to Breckenridge, Keystone and Arapahoe Basin. Plus, you get 10 passes for Vail and Beaver Creek. SWEET! I need to go 8 times during the season to make it worth my while, and I plan to make it worth my while. I especially want to hit Vail this year, although I'm really stoked about going back to Breckenridge! So that's what I will be picking up tomorrow, as well as the paint for my bedroom. Yep, I'm decided on the 'Cappuccino' and 'Cafe Au Lait' colors for my walls and trim in the bedroom. It'll be sweet. I have to do some good floor taping though, as this will be on carpeted areas as opposed to the wood flooring my other projects have had. I hope to get that done this weekend. I also want to order the wood blinds for my bedroom to complete the effect.

That is probably going to round out my Labor Day weekend. We had today off, hence all the excitement up in Denver. It really was a beautiful day to go to Denver and see 16th Street, before we went malling. 16th Street is like the outdoor mall area in downtown Denver, and it's beautiful. I already said that. But the weather was fantastic, the area not very crowded (everybody else was working), and I was with good friends. A good Friday.

REMINDER re: the Vegas Bash in November - It is NOT on the weekend of my birthday because of those damn rodeo clowns. It is the following weekend. I have my plane tickets and reservations made at Bally's, arriving Thurs 9 Nov and leaving Mon 13 Nov. Don't miss out on the debauchery if you're interested. As for actual events or planned get-togethers, I haven't come up with any yet. But I will definitely have at least one so that I can see everyone together. The rest of the time will be yours to do with what you will - I know I'll be playing craps, blackjack, and dancing. Drinking too. And I am SOOOOO down for some karaoke. So if you're ready to keep up with me on my 30th Birthday Bash, you best make your reservations now.

Oh - I decided to not sell my car Catherine. If she were human, she'd have some serious self-worth issues with me constantly having ideas of getting rid of her and then not. Anyways, I realized it would certainly be nice to not have any car payments in a year, especially with my employment future up in the air. And she still looks just as good as she did back in 2002. I love my Jetta. And she has all the snow accessories for Colorado too - even a ski rack!!!