Sorry that I didn't have much time earlier.
We played basketball for PT this morning. It was maybe the first time I have had fun because I was with these people. Sgt K also blew out his good knee.
I just wrote an VB script for programin schedules.
We may be going to three shifts soon. That would mean only an eight or nine hour day. Then I would be free to do luxury things like sleep and do laundry. yesterday I worked just a hair under 18 hours. keep your fingers crossed for me.
I think I have made myself too invaluable in the TOC. Now anytime someone has a difficult task, they walk past everyone else and add it to my pile. I am doing all of the future ops and plans. Once I make the handoff to the crew I forget about the flight and flush it from my memory. One part of this job is that everyone who wants to fly talks to me. Everyday there is at least 15 SF guys on one of our birds. Everyday there is at least 15 retards who want to be with them. Two airforce goons wanted to go for a pleasure cruise today and the only thing we had going was infils into a hot lz with gunship escort. They said it sounded cool. I told them it would sound cool all they want and they should sit their asses down and wait for another flight. Some people are just lacking common sense.
The VIPs are the worst though. It bugs me that they are always late, but the real kicker is that they suck up all of the resources so everyone else goes without food and ammo. Some dumbass Canadian four star general wants to go "on patroll" with his troops(who have never even seen his face) uses every aircraft in the fleet to accomplish that. Everyone elses emergencies get bumped because they are lower priority than a General's ego. I'd like to tell some of these generals off. Thats coincidentally why I am usually not the person who "handles" the generals on their flights. I am always stuck with SF and their ANA cronies.
The SF guys are kind of cool in a way but they can also be dickheads. Today was handling a group for a flight and told them to stand fast. they just went rogue and started driving all over the flight line. Fucking cowboys. They are the most relaxed and kicked back people in the world. They are personable and friendly but there is no way in hell that you can get them to do something other than what they want.
I should get back to work.
Lots of love and inflated egos
-Bert
63 Years of Memories....
63 Years of Memories....
that's what I have now. The photo below shows the chair on the point which for so many years was my father's favorite after-supper place to contemplate and cast for walleye. As much as I feel guilty about what's happened, I know he would understand and even say there's nothing to forgive. He lived life fully and moved on many times. I'm the one with the unique experience of being attached to a beautiful place for my whole life. And despite all my best efforts, yesterday the 'cabin' was sold. I signed the papers and, truth be told, a weight was lifted. A new life lies ahead without the obligations, but with all of the wonderful memories. My unrelentingly positive attitude says this is truly how it is, but my heart is still sad.
There are some things in life for which the balance between the obligation and the joy of ownership often cannot be sustained forever. It became clear that I was no longer up to the task of taking care of the place quite a while back. However, knowing what needs to be done and doing it are often far apart. Finally, no choice was left. It had to be sold.
Now it's gone. No more worrying about how long the grass or how deep the snow is up there. No more sublimely pleasurable early morning cups of coffee sitting on the dock when the color of the lake is like pale blue glass and the air is completely still. No more endless repairs, high taxes, and utility bills. No more late nights around the fire pit with friends and family - warm from both fire and friendship. No more frozen pipes or emergency calls to the furnace guys. No more saunas and midnight skinny dipping that make you feel like you'll live forever while your connection with nature is confirmed by the gazillion stars of the milky way and the loons calling out in the dark. No more concerns with low well water levels or water so hard and full of iron the clothes turn yellow and your newly washed hair feels like brillo. No more finding the way home by boat in the dark after a long day on the lake feeling like this is the only place you really, really belong. No more praying that the boathouse will make it another year without collapsing. And ultimately, no more making new memories with friends, family and loved ones. No new memories, that is, at Half Bay, Lake Vermilion, Tower, MN. New life... here we come!
How do you thank a place for memories?
2 comments:
Hi!
Okay, I know what PT is and VB but I don't know what SF means.
I'm not looking for kudos but I just wanted to make sure that was the package I sent that you finally wrestled from that mail clerk. Tania has sent you one now too. And my second one is on the way. Feedback on what you liked would be good so we can send more or different or whatever. I still don't have the knife sharpener. But I bid on one on Ebay. I think I should just go buy it. But do you want the serrated type too, the 3 hone type or the 5 hone type?
If you think of it, write something to Grandma and I'll print it out for her.
Spring has sprung here and it's gooey and muddy. Can't imagine blue sky and lightning. Sounds Heinleinish! (sp?)
Hugs and love,
Mom
Physical Training
Visual Basic (the original or the sane .net version?)
Tactical Operations Center
Special Forces
Landing Zone
Afghan National Army
There, I can contribute. I'll just deacronymify Bert's posts ;)
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