S
Sand Squid
Guest
The good news: I'm out of the sandbox !!!!!!!
The bad news: I'm heading back out in for another tour in March.
Durring a layover in Germany I enjoyed a Dortmunder and a
Jägermeister, they were divine.
Upon my arrival to Norfolk, VA I scouted out a few decent liquor stores
and found some goods to satisfy my craving for some "serious" hops. I
lucked out and after 4 stops I had a six pack each of: Dogfish Head
Brewery 60 Minute IPA, and Cottonwood Endo IPA, coupled with a bottle
of Buffalo Trace has made for several enjoyable evenings while I try to
fight through the De-Mob Porcess and get my ass back to home.
Hanging out in the "smoke pit" several picnic tables, and a BBQ stand
in th courtyard of the B.E.Q.( Bachelor Enlisted Quarters.... think of
a big cheap military only hotel) surrouded by dozens folks young
enough to be my children doing keg stands and being about the only
married one among them is a "different" experience to say the least...
It was not easy to decline the blatant advances of drunked 20 year old
females at first but it's getting much easier now. (Nice to see not
much has changed in Norfolk in the past 20 years ;-)
No riding yet. I shipped my Van Dessel SS home via Military Air Cargo a
week before I broke camp, so I've been relegated to spining on the
stationary bike in the Gym while grooving to my iPod. There is a
Scalpel w/ w Left HeadShok chained to the bike rack every night. I have
not found the owner yet, but I thought to leave a note on his steed
begging for a rip around the Base. I know it sounds like a wierd thing
to do, but it is the first "real" bike I've seen in almost a year, and
I'm jones'in for a ride, even though it is a CrapN'Fail.
Some things I've come to appreciate, more than I could ever imagine
after almost 9 months in the Desert:
Of course the essentials: beer, and beautiful women.
Wearing something (anything) other than DCU's
Seeing any color besides "brown" and "sand"
Trees, shrubs flowers and foliage of ay kind
The feel of grass (lawn type ;-) between your toes
Laying on your back on a freshly mowed lawn and watching CLOUDS roll
by.
Rain, ohh god rain felt so good! aboyt a 3 dozen of us were just
standing outside in the pouring rain two nights ago, it was AMAZING.
Not having to get dressed and pull on your boots and hike 100 Meters to
use the latrine in the middle of the night.
When I was over there a Master Gunnery Sergeant (that would be a USMC
E-9) and I were talking and he made a comment that I did not really
entirely grasp untill I got home: "Freedom has a flavor the protected
will never know." Now that I'm back, I get it.
The bad news: I'm heading back out in for another tour in March.
Durring a layover in Germany I enjoyed a Dortmunder and a
Jägermeister, they were divine.
Upon my arrival to Norfolk, VA I scouted out a few decent liquor stores
and found some goods to satisfy my craving for some "serious" hops. I
lucked out and after 4 stops I had a six pack each of: Dogfish Head
Brewery 60 Minute IPA, and Cottonwood Endo IPA, coupled with a bottle
of Buffalo Trace has made for several enjoyable evenings while I try to
fight through the De-Mob Porcess and get my ass back to home.
Hanging out in the "smoke pit" several picnic tables, and a BBQ stand
in th courtyard of the B.E.Q.( Bachelor Enlisted Quarters.... think of
a big cheap military only hotel) surrouded by dozens folks young
enough to be my children doing keg stands and being about the only
married one among them is a "different" experience to say the least...
It was not easy to decline the blatant advances of drunked 20 year old
females at first but it's getting much easier now. (Nice to see not
much has changed in Norfolk in the past 20 years ;-)
No riding yet. I shipped my Van Dessel SS home via Military Air Cargo a
week before I broke camp, so I've been relegated to spining on the
stationary bike in the Gym while grooving to my iPod. There is a
Scalpel w/ w Left HeadShok chained to the bike rack every night. I have
not found the owner yet, but I thought to leave a note on his steed
begging for a rip around the Base. I know it sounds like a wierd thing
to do, but it is the first "real" bike I've seen in almost a year, and
I'm jones'in for a ride, even though it is a CrapN'Fail.
Some things I've come to appreciate, more than I could ever imagine
after almost 9 months in the Desert:
Of course the essentials: beer, and beautiful women.
Wearing something (anything) other than DCU's
Seeing any color besides "brown" and "sand"
Trees, shrubs flowers and foliage of ay kind
The feel of grass (lawn type ;-) between your toes
Laying on your back on a freshly mowed lawn and watching CLOUDS roll
by.
Rain, ohh god rain felt so good! aboyt a 3 dozen of us were just
standing outside in the pouring rain two nights ago, it was AMAZING.
Not having to get dressed and pull on your boots and hike 100 Meters to
use the latrine in the middle of the night.
When I was over there a Master Gunnery Sergeant (that would be a USMC
E-9) and I were talking and he made a comment that I did not really
entirely grasp untill I got home: "Freedom has a flavor the protected
will never know." Now that I'm back, I get it.
