The Little Things

I was reminded of the story of the guy who lived in a small house who complained that it was too crowded. The town elder suggested he move all his farm animals into the house with him. When the man complained that now it was even more crowded, the town elder said, "OK, now take out all the animals," and miraculously the house didn't seem as crowded anymore.

The showers here kinda suck. They are small and cramped and gross, and they use shower curtains which continually blow in towards the shower stall whenever someone opens the door to the shower room. I always feel like I am being molested by a nasty mildewey piece of plastic. I couldn't see it getting much worse. Then the hot water went out. For a week. When it finally came back a couple days ago, it was the best shower I've ever had in my life.

It's the little things that make life enjoyable.

Back to Work

After my one sick day, I went back to work. I was still feeling pretty crappy, but good enough to play my $4 million dollar flight simulator game. Sorry if I scared anyone about being sick. It was just a cold/sinus infection. I still have a slight pain in my sinuses, but it is slowly getting better. In the meantime, I received three of my math class DVD's in the mail, and since I decided to lay off the gym until I am feeling better, it gave me a chance to watch those and catch up on my homework.

A Change

Every day during the past week or so since my last post has been essentially the same: wake up, breakfast, work, gym, study, eat, sleep. Today there was finally a change, although not necessarily for the better. For the last couple of days, one of the people who I work with has been sick, but still coming to work. A day or so ago, I started having a sore throat, which I just put down as being in a dry dusty climate. But last night I started getting a little more than just a sore throat. I went to the flight doc this morning, and was put on DNIF (duties not to include flying) status. Even though I am not technically "flying," if anything were to happen to a plane that I am controlling, even if it wasn't my fault, the investigation board would conclude that because I was sick, I was causaul to whatever happened. So, since I had a fever of 100+ and felt like crap, I decided it would be best to not work today. I felt bad that the other people in my squadron had to cover for me, but in the end, it is probably better this way. I spent the day in bed only getting up to eat, go to the bathroom, and come here to the cyber cafe for 20 minutes. Hopefully I wiil feel better tomorrow.

Milestones

Thursday was my birthday. Out here, it was just like every other day before and after it, except that now I was 27 instead of 26. I celebrated by buying a bunch of pizzas for everyone to eat, and a six-pack of "near-beer," as they call it out here. Since we can't drink any alcohol out here, they sell the non-alcoholic kind.

Friday was Halloween, and another milestone: exactly one year since my last flight in an F-16. I looked back on what I had done in the last year since then, and suffice to say, was disappointed.

That evening we went to a haunted house that they put together on base. It was pretty good, as far as haunted houses go.

The rest of the "weekend" was business as usual in the squadron.