LOYD!!!!

So it has been a couple of days since my last post even though I told some of you that I would have something posted yesterday. Forgive me, but the days are seemingly so short and the time gets lost.

As usual I like to start off each post by telling a little about my posted pictures. To the left is the TV character Ari Gold (played by Jeremy Piven) on HBO's "Entourage." Lately I have been catching myself watching youtube videos of his character and laughing uncontrollably. He is almost the epidemy of the kind of guy i want to be when I "grow up." If you take a gander at some of the videos I'm sure you will see why. Well, from a comical point of view. The other picture to the right is me in one of my uniforms. "Working coveralls" are just for that, to work in. I did not know however that they are not authorized to wear outside of working spaces (in my case the clinic). This would explain the weird looks I got (one from an e-7 chief) on my way to breakfast. The posted picture is me when I got back from breakfast before I had to change back into civilian clothes to walk to the clinic. Our galley and clinic are in different directions. Ugh! Uniforms are a huge pain in my tookus, but that is for a differnent time. Look at those shined boots though ;)

The first two days of the week included me doing some introductory classes on basic corpsman work to prep me for when I have duty. My duty shifts will start sometime next month from what I hear, but this is a mandatory class. I am a little surprised at just how much I have been able to retain from corps school despite the last 7 months being choked with pharmacy knowledge, and for that I'm a little proud of myself.

As for the rest of the week I am taking a course on learning how to triage in a tactical environment. You know, for if I ever get stuck with the marines and I have to administer medical care under fire and things like that. Today was the first day which was all classroom lecture, but I wasn't detered. Since I have to be there anyway I figured I mind as well capitalize and be awesome at this scope of my duty as a corpsman despite my assigned job in the pharmacy. You never know when I might be on the green, aka marine, side of corpsman work. Though I do not think this should be so openly admitted, I have decided that if the big navy requests volunteers for a tour in Kuwait I will be the first to volunteer for the opportunity. It would only be for about 8 months, and I feel I must remind you that Kuwait is not Iraq and certainly not Afghanistan. It's just one more chapter in my story, and I would be paid a lot! This subject shouldn't be talked about much more lest this becomes a reality.

So the weather is starting to pick up. It isn't quite "hot" yet, but the humidity is becoming quite bothersome. The air conditioning in my room is on all day long even though it really isn't supposed to be when I'm not here (the base is trying to be very high on energy efficiency, but they obviously are not from the cold realm of Wisconsin and thrown in the subtropical climate of Sasebo). Rumor has it that the month of June is the "rainy season" where typhoons are a common phenomenon. This Friday, payday, I plan on buying an umbrella to prepare for this worst case scenerio.

Along with a dietician I should sit down with a financial councelor to knock out a budgeting plan for my time here. There are some big trips I want to take including Australia/New Zealand this Christmas, Beijing sometime next year, and maybe India (I want to see the Taj Mahal) before I go. Also I want to pay off my credit cards as soon as possible (nothing Mom wants to hear I'm sure that I even have a credit card balance in the first place). By the time it would great to knock out one of my college loans too. This doesn't include books for college and the random trips the base offers for single sailors to explore the country.

Friday is payday, and I'll be paid almost $1,100. A part of that is a little extra to help cover the cost of my move to Japan, but also my COLA (Cost Of Living Adjustment aka overseas pay) has kicked in. That is an extra $300/month for my rank/marital status/years of service/ living in the barracks. If I were to be married and live out in town it would be like $800/month, but that is neither here nor there. Either way on my short list of things to buy, besides the umbrella, are a coffee maker (I have finally jumped the tank and converted to my love of coffee), and I'll probably pay off my private loan to navy federal credit union (4 months ahead of schedule).

Time for laundry and some personal reading. I have created a goal sheet and taped it on my wall to remind me of what my priorites are and reading a little everyday is on the list. Writing a personal letter once a week is also on the list, and a couple others, but a lot is navy goals and things that are interesting I'm sure to only me.