Okay, so it has been too long since I update the blog on my wanderings and adventures. Now, thanks to a moment or two to breathe, I will seek to ameliorate that. In the spirit of full disclosure, that means that for the evening I have given up on unpacking and have surrendered to the war zone that is unpacking without sufficient storage equipped furniture.
Oh yes, as the previous statement would imply, Jak and I now have another house. This one isn't ours to keep forever and ever, but it has its compensations. Like the fact that I don't pay the mortgage, the rent, the utilities, or damned near anything but the internet. We (I at this point, we in 18 days, not that I am counting) now reside in Building 116B, USAG Grafenwoehr. It is actually a really nice place, with the exception of some rather dated flooring. If you dont believe me, ask Ethan and Pa, they are the only other souls who have set foot in it so far, and they can attest to how nice it is, and how futile my unpacking efforts have been so far.
I moved in last Wednesday, and they came down that evening to help with things. It was awesome to see them both, I had on the previous weekend as well, but both times were great. I must admit it was frustrating that Pa's German seems to be better than mine. So much for that old dog new trick thing.
In other news, I am now the Platoon Leader of 2nd Platoon, 41st Transportation Company, 18th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 16th Sustainment Brigade, 21st Theater Sustainment Command. How is that for a mouthful? It is quite cool, every LT dreams of getting a platoon right off of the bat, and I have.
Now, as with all things in the military, there are several twists. I am an Ordnance Officer, quite proud of it, yet I am leading a Transportation Platoon. I wont go into details, but the names themselves should suggest the great difference between those two jobs. I still know how to lead troops, I just dont know what they are doing. I took over last Tuesday, just in time to take a PT test in a snow storm, doing the run in a parking lot that was kind of, by which I mean not really, clear of snow. After a total of 4 days with my platoon (okay 3, one of those days I was moving in) I was assigned to be the Unit Movement Officer. Again, explanation will have to wait, lets just say I had to ask what that was. The first part of that is to take a 2 week class, which started yesterday. So my second week in charge, in the midst of trying to work with my equally new Platoon Sergeant on a training schedule, is now spent away from the unit. To be exact, it is spent 115 Kilometers away in Bamberg, a distance myself and 2 NCO's from my unit drive back and forth each day. I am not complaing (much), I am just saying there is never a lack of excitement with the army.
Now for some fun things I have encountered, placed in bullet format as I fear my writing is beginning to deteriorate:
- I have driven on the Autobahn at 150KPH and been passed like I was parked. . .
- I did the same going 120, in a snow storm
- I found a bike shop that has parts stockpiled in a parts area the size of our Condo, many of which I havent seen except in the "New Old Stock" sections on Ebay
- I have already become know as the biking LT, and I havent even gotten a chance to put them back together yet
- I have been assigned as Jak's sponsor
- I bought a dining room table and chairs, they are wicked cool
- My express shipment was sent to the wrong end of Germany, so I still dont have the things that were supposed to be here first
- I heard Tina Turner for the first time on the radio. . .
- and than heard her for the second time. . .in one day
- I saw Ethan, and his iPhone is inferior to my Blackberry
- I have cooked myself dinner every night since I have moved in, and God it is amazing to cook again!
- Multiple old German women have assumed I am German. . .
- Until I start talking
- I found a Xylophone in our stuff
- I spelled Xylophone right
haha. Sounds like some good times. I wish we had a high speed highway here.
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