5-30-09
9 days left. Ok, so up at 05:55 as normal. I had iron time at 2330 last night so I got a good 5 1/2 hours of straight sleep, it may be a record.
Today’s big event, PI/DMI (Personal Inspection and Dynamic Material Inspection.)
We get 15 minutes to properly dress in our dress uniforms, then while at attention an inspector (a Chief today) looks at, measures and critiques your entire dress, while grilling you with military questions. (Chain of Command, etc.). Then you get 20 minutes to take that uniform off and stow it and redress in your uniform of the day. But everything has to be placed a certain way, folded exactly right or else it’s a hit (demerit). Get 3 and you fail.
So I did okay, except I got a stupid shoelace hit. My left shoelaces were left over right, instead of right over left. I know better, when I shined my dress shoes yesterday I laced the left one with the toe towards me instead of away so it made the laces backwards. DAMN! SO AVOIDABLE!
Oh crap. So I guess I should [have] fixed it during my 20 minute DMI portion because damn if he didn’t hit be again because they were stowed with the laces backwards. Generally stupid hits get a good IT (Individual Training) session. 30-45 [minutes] of continuous 8 count mtn. climbers, push ups, jumping jacks, sharks. It SUCKS ~ but not today, guess we are on such a tight schedule. Off to lunch chow. After lunch the rest of the division took off to do firefighting class. I’m finished with it so I stay behind to piddle away 4 1/2 hours. No naps, no fun, just studying and sitting. I am writing this journal but not really supposed to be. One of the girls, “Untalan” is getting ASMO’ed due to a stress fracture in her foot, so I’ll help her pack up her seabag. Wait, Petty Officer says its 1400 and she didn’t go to chow. So, yep, I get to double time (jog) across campus to get her a “bag ‘o nasty” (sack lunch) because she is on L.L.D. (Light Limited Duty) then double time back. Did I mention the weather? Has warmed finally and it’s almost 85 degrees out this afternoon. Jogging in long pants, shirt sleeves and boots in 85 degree weather, good times. Not 15 minutes after I get back now Petty Officer needs me to escort her to the Sick Ship and carry her seabag and garment bag. Keep in mind a full seabag weighs 75-80 pounds. Strap that thing on my back and smile, always willing to help. Aghhh. Oh yes and be sure to double time back home. You always double time outside your ship if you are traveling alone, are not sick, don’t have a seabag on your back [and] it’s not raining.
So now I’m back again cooling down. It’s 1630, can’t hygiene till after Ship Staff tonight and I stink. Great. 20 minutes till early chow, then off to Ship Staff. Maybe this evening will go by fast. T.A.P.S. is at 2155. Looking at tomorrow, we get to pick up our pictures and do our last PT test at 1400. Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday are down days because of Memorial Day. I bet we do a lot of studying and drill practice. That’s all that’s left to do before Battlestations on Wednesday. Then we graduate next Friday. I don’t know if anybody is coming to graduation. I know Mom & Dad aren’t going to make it. So myself and Alverado (shipmate) may roll down to Chicago on liberty and go to the zoo. We shall see!
