it's like sand paper

This week has flown by me so fast! So much has happened, and it's hard for me to know just where to start. Here goes everyone, enjoy.

As for the post title, I'm back to completely buzzing my head. The barber is taking too long recently, but my need to have short hair is still present. You may have remembered me with shorter hair, a simple buzz cut. That was then, when I would use a 1/8" guard to cut it with. These days I'm looking like a BUD/S canidate. No guard, just clean off. When I got out of the shower I was drying my head, and it felt like fine sand paper. Hence, my post. I'm going to run with this style until given a better reason otherwise, aka a girl! Just kidding, but seriously. I know this isn't the most faddish cut, so when I'm getting ready to get back into the game I may grow it out a little bit more.

You may be asking yourself just what that picture is above. Well, that is where the navy is sending me for the next 30 days or so. The place is called Diego Garcia. "DG" is a satellite clinic of Yokuska Naval Hospital, like Sasebo, but it is way out in n0-mans-land. Pictured below is where Diego Garcia is on the globe:

I found this news out on Monday. My LCPO came up to me and just told me that I was being deployed. The truth is though that this isn't a deployment. It is temporary duty, or TAD. The pharmacy tech there is going on leave, and they need a cover while they are gone. This is where I step in. Hopefully, if the stars align correctly I will be extended there, but the odds of that are unlikely. It doesn't stop me from keeping the faith though!

This is what I know about Diego Garcia: It is 7 degrees south of the equator, the highest elevation is only 22 feet above sea level. Technically the island is considered an atoll, a geographic odessy of sorts. It's about 1,000 miles south of the Indian southern coast, and is one of the 22 emergency landing zones for the space shuttle. The chiefs in the clinic are very envious of me that I'm getting this opportunity, and they all ask me if I golf. I tell them that I'm going to start. HM1 Martinez says that there is 2 things to do there: 1) scuba dive and 2) PT. Sounds like a place to be! Anywhere but Sasebo is fine, but it'll help if I get a sliver of paradise in the process.

Oh, from what I hear I'll be spending a night or two in Singapore enroute to Diego Garcia. I'm not going to complain. It is 800 miles east of Sasebo, and 3 time zones away. The only thing I'll be a little mad about is knowing that I'm even FARTHER away from home! Not sure how the whole weekly blog post thing will work out, but I'll figure it out. I leave this coming Wednesday.

So in my last post I mentioned I looked at an apartment, and I posted a few pictures. Because of the TAD came about, I had to expedite my decision, and I ended up choosing that place. I liked it to begin with, but I simply didn't have time to look at another place if I wanted to start getting paid for off-base housing while I was gone. I had to think smartly. Today was move in day for the big furniture. I don't have pictures yet because I want to hold off on it until I'm all moved in, but I'm very excited about my situation. I'm just glad I'm in a financially stable situation. Buying things isn't cheap, but I can afford it. You may disagree when you look at what I bought, but you'll learn to like it as much as me!

Tuesday is my official PRT. Again because of the TAD things had to be moved up ahead of schedule, and this was no different. I'll be taking it a week ahead of everyone else. I just hope I perform to my standards! I'm looking to score an outstanding-high in all 3 categories, the push-up, sit-up, and cardio (which I'll swim 450m instead of run 1 1/2 miles). Pictured above is the standard navy PT uniform. Kind of cheesy I know!

That is about it for me I think. Some pretty big stuff. I scored a 'B' in my sociology mid-term quiz. I'm kinda stoked about that. Today I took my psychology mid-term quiz. Grades will be out later this week on that. I'm very busy with moving and work and preparing to leave. I wasn't given much notice, but that is okay, I'll certainly deal with it!

Obviously morale is high, and next time you hear from me I'll be in Diego Garcia! If I can't post pictures for some reason I will save them and post them once I get back! Everyone is telling me this is more like a vacation/leave that I don't have to be charged for. Life is good.