Just a quick note to say that I arrived in Germany late afternoon yesterday, slept 14 hours last night, and feel as good as new. Phew, it's good to be home.
However, the apartment is in horrible shape. Okay, the same shape I left it in. I'd pulled out some boxes to shuffle papers, thrown some things in corners, etc, in my last-minute rush to leave. Now I get to clean up the mess and will do that over the next couple of days.
I'm sitting at the library on post now and will head home in a minute. Tomorrow I go to Priscilla and Charlie's for Thanksgiving dinner with them and more of their/our friends.
It's good to be back.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Monday, November 24, 2008
i'm just waiting on a plane
wasn't that a stones title?
i'm sitting in atlanta and will catch my flight to CDG (Charles deGaulle airport in Paris) in about 1.5 hours. i'll have a 3-hour layover, then fly on to nuernberg. i should be back in hohenfels by 3:30-4 p.m. never thought i'd be so happy to call that place home.
woo hoo! i can sleep in my own apt in my own bed tomorrow night. i will have a bathroom right next to my bedroom. . . no more walking out the door and down the sidewalk to the toilet or shower trailer like i had to do in iraq.
i'll be able to do my own laundry in a small laundry room in the building instead of having to turn in my laundry for someone else to do in 3 days' time.
instead of focusing on what i won't have (a bath tub and a real kitchen, dammit), i'm determined to be happy with what i do have.
and, by the way, people seem to be constantly confused about my assignments. this branch of arc is just like the military. we get an assignment -- in this case, 3 years in germany. and somewhere during that time we get notice that we need to deploy (go to a war zone) for a while.
we're still officially assigned to germany, and it's back to germany we, or rather i go after the deployment is over. thankfully, my post let me keep my apt with all the things in it. i'm returning to my same apartment, same job, same friends, everything.
i considered requesting being reassigned to walter reed army hospital in d.c., because i found that i love the medical environment. (no comments from the rafters about the irony in THAT.) however, the job is open in january, and no way am i ready to move this soon. i need to go back to my same job, have a little peace and tranquility and stability, and then see what's next.
so. . . you may or may not realize that yesterday was my birthday. 48th, to be exact. do you ever just kind of lose track of your age. i've been telling people for months that i'm 48, then realized a couple of days ago that i wasn't. . . yet.
that's enough for now. i'll sign back in as soon as i get settled in germany. it may take a few days to get phone and internet in my apt again, but i can walk down to the library and use the computers there easily enough.
stay in touch!
i'm sitting in atlanta and will catch my flight to CDG (Charles deGaulle airport in Paris) in about 1.5 hours. i'll have a 3-hour layover, then fly on to nuernberg. i should be back in hohenfels by 3:30-4 p.m. never thought i'd be so happy to call that place home.
woo hoo! i can sleep in my own apt in my own bed tomorrow night. i will have a bathroom right next to my bedroom. . . no more walking out the door and down the sidewalk to the toilet or shower trailer like i had to do in iraq.
i'll be able to do my own laundry in a small laundry room in the building instead of having to turn in my laundry for someone else to do in 3 days' time.
instead of focusing on what i won't have (a bath tub and a real kitchen, dammit), i'm determined to be happy with what i do have.
and, by the way, people seem to be constantly confused about my assignments. this branch of arc is just like the military. we get an assignment -- in this case, 3 years in germany. and somewhere during that time we get notice that we need to deploy (go to a war zone) for a while.
we're still officially assigned to germany, and it's back to germany we, or rather i go after the deployment is over. thankfully, my post let me keep my apt with all the things in it. i'm returning to my same apartment, same job, same friends, everything.
i considered requesting being reassigned to walter reed army hospital in d.c., because i found that i love the medical environment. (no comments from the rafters about the irony in THAT.) however, the job is open in january, and no way am i ready to move this soon. i need to go back to my same job, have a little peace and tranquility and stability, and then see what's next.
so. . . you may or may not realize that yesterday was my birthday. 48th, to be exact. do you ever just kind of lose track of your age. i've been telling people for months that i'm 48, then realized a couple of days ago that i wasn't. . . yet.
that's enough for now. i'll sign back in as soon as i get settled in germany. it may take a few days to get phone and internet in my apt again, but i can walk down to the library and use the computers there easily enough.
stay in touch!
Sunday, November 23, 2008
ending a long journey
It was a long, LONG trip home, and I have much to tell.
I'm not going to tell it tonight or even attempt to start. . . but I did want to let you know I'm back in the US, in case you didn't already know.
I was to fly to Georgia tomorrow and catch a flight to Germany Monday evening. However, I've got what I hope is just a slight delay and will have all the flights on Monday (LBB to DFW to ATL to Germany).
More soon, promise.
I'm not going to tell it tonight or even attempt to start. . . but I did want to let you know I'm back in the US, in case you didn't already know.
I was to fly to Georgia tomorrow and catch a flight to Germany Monday evening. However, I've got what I hope is just a slight delay and will have all the flights on Monday (LBB to DFW to ATL to Germany).
More soon, promise.
Friday, November 14, 2008
some parting notes
I'm sitting at the internet cafe at the hospital one last time. . .
I got my certificate for 241 hours of volunteer work at the hospital but unofficially worked a few more hours and reached my goal of 250.
I just found out a couple of days ago that volunteers are allowed to go into the operating rooms and watch surgeries. I watched the tail-end of three yesterday and a bit of two today. The most fascinating was the surgery on a guy's spine. Technology is truly amazing.
Our replacements came in Monday afternoon and officially started working Tuesday. The first day was a bit stressful as I had to help two people since the boss left the deployment early (I was covering the new team leader and one of the team members). After the first day it was easy though. I'm just relieved the transition is over.
We fly tonight. I will have more to add here about my experiences as I have time and energy. I fly to Kuwait tonight, to Georgia tomorrow to turn in gear, then to NM after that for a few days. I don't even have reservations as the dates were so sketchy! Yikes. Gotta get busy.
Stay tuned.
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I got my certificate for 241 hours of volunteer work at the hospital but unofficially worked a few more hours and reached my goal of 250.
I just found out a couple of days ago that volunteers are allowed to go into the operating rooms and watch surgeries. I watched the tail-end of three yesterday and a bit of two today. The most fascinating was the surgery on a guy's spine. Technology is truly amazing.
Our replacements came in Monday afternoon and officially started working Tuesday. The first day was a bit stressful as I had to help two people since the boss left the deployment early (I was covering the new team leader and one of the team members). After the first day it was easy though. I'm just relieved the transition is over.
We fly tonight. I will have more to add here about my experiences as I have time and energy. I fly to Kuwait tonight, to Georgia tomorrow to turn in gear, then to NM after that for a few days. I don't even have reservations as the dates were so sketchy! Yikes. Gotta get busy.
Stay tuned.
Get 5 GB of storage with Windows Live Hotmail. Sign up today.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
leaving soon!
Here's a photo of me after I got my volunteer certificate at the PAD. And one with another volunteer and myself fooling around on the helipad.
I'll be in the States from about Nov. 17-21 and then back to Germany where I'll be off until Christmas.
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