Day 2

What a difference from one day to the next. While yesterday was filled with emotion, tears, and countless messages from friends and family, today was Monday morning...the day where everyone rolls up their sleeves, bites their bottom lips, and head into work and/or the kids go to school. That being said, it was a quiet day with morning and late afternoon calls back to Kansas. Nice to know everyone was feeling a lot better and very few tears. Most tears shed today were normal in Kansas...Scarecrow always sheds them on Monday morning before school. If you are looking for a person who dislikes Mondays immensely and is NOT a morning person, then Scarecrow is your person. It must have worked to some extent because Dorothy provided a ride to school vs. the school bus. Dorothy is doing well in her own right. She's tough as nails and will do what needs to be done. She's not absent of emotion nor is she heartless, but she's 50% of the team here and none of this came as a surprise. Now it's time to "git 'er done!"

This morning was extremely humid out and after a cleansing breakfast at the on-base galley, I headed on over to check in to the processing site. I say cleansing because I'm going to make a sincere attempt at changing up my diet. Breakfast consisted of some breakfast potatoes...very small amount and a bunch of strawberries, pineapple, grapes and two kiwi. I also had the egg whites of two hard-boiled eggs (dipped in ketchup, of course!), a grapefruit half, and a tall glass of water.

Check-in consisted of me amongst about eighty other sailors. Some heading to Oz, some to DisneyWorld, and even some down 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Reserve sailors are an interesting bunch. We're such a melting pot. You have doctors, nurse practitioners, pharmaceutical sales reps, CEOs/CFOs, government workers, business owners, and even some on unemployment who lost their jobs. The ages are equally wide-spread...those in their 20s to those in their 50s. All have a unique story to tell, all left families behind and all have a mission to accomplish in service to their country. Quickly, I realized that I'm just one of the very many. My story is my story but everyone else has their equally-important story as well along their journey. The first thing to accomplish, outside of the side conversations introducing ourselves to each other, was to shed our sailor digs for the uniform of our ultimate location. I tried on my boots, pants, jacket, and hat. Proper sizes recorded and that was that. By Thursday, name tapes and rank patches will be done and our uniforms ready to issue. I also ordered some new dog tags which in unbelievably quick fashion, I got them by the end of the day and they now hang around my neck. The rest of the day consisted of brief after brief after brief. Ironically, one brief was about talking to the press and you guessed it...OPSEC...operational security...and even blogging and social networking was mentioned. Of course, my mind quickly came to this blog and my extreme attention to detail in how and what I write...thus, the need for the "Answer Key" and the absence of all real names and locations. We also had our medical records fully reviewed and good news followed: my record is really squared away. My home base near Kansas did a GREAT job. They only thing I require is that nasty small pox vaccine and to have my hearing checked. I heard the rumblings around me, too. Others weren't so fortunate.  I expect lots of down time later this week since I have so much already done while others do not.

More briefs follow in the next few days, a time to sit down with the folks who handle my pay who will explain how things will start up and change along my journey on the Road, and even some "lawyer speak" as the JAG folks will come in and brief us. Thankfully, Dorothy and I did a mighty-fine job in that category and have our act together. Time to just relax tonight, grab some dinner at the galley, and watch some tube. I need to enjoy this downtime that will be turned on its head at my next stop and that stop is coming quick.

Today's quote which has proven itself true in the past 48 hours: "Hug them, kiss them, and tell them that you love them. Don't miss the chances that life is giving you to spend with people you love. There are no rewinds."