Corrupting Newbies

Ok, if you haven't noticed, I'm a snowboarder. It is one of my passions and the main thing that has me looking forward to winter.

Today, I went snowboarding, and I dragged a newbie who has never been with me. I tend to do that a lot. See, my reasoning is if I can corrupt them into snowboarding with me once, they become a future snowboarding partner when I really feel like getting crazy.

There are three ways I snowboard. By myself, with people worse then myself, and with people better then myself. I prefer to go in that order reversed. Unfortunately, most people I know are worse then myself or have never been, which are almost the same thing. So whenever i get the chance, I talk people into hitting mountains with me.

Though I've had instances where they came off with the lame excuse of taking the hamster to the vet (yes, somebody brushed me off with that very line).

So anyway, today, I corrupted one of my troopies. See, she is a soldier who recently joined the military yet was still in high school, and her unit was on the other side of the mountains, so we kind of babysat her for a while until she went to basic. That was fun.

She has turned into a pretty good troop. That, and she went to the same exact basic training company I did. I got a kick out of that. I could have done so many mean things to her on account of that but I didn't. *kicks self*

Anyway, the story of Lisa, as that is all you shall know her as. Lisa has lived in this town all of her life and though there are five ski resorts within a two hour drive, she had never been. I felt the need to remedy that.

She picked it up pretty damn fast. We finally pulled the camera out at the end.


Lisa is riding here, this was the last run we did, for reasons which I will go into momentarily.

Conditions were interesting. It snowed about three or four inches. The snow covered Ice. Falling was not fun, especially in certain spots where the snow had been worn away, leaving nothing but ice.

Lisa fell right on a patch of ice and banged her knee. She called it quits about this time.


She was still on the mountain, but had to get down, so she converted the snowboard into a sled. I call this, Board Sledding!

Lisa got going pretty fast for a moment, but lost control of her direction. She fell off, and the board kept going. I saw this coming from a mile away and kept yelling "get it! Get it!"

Damn I wish I got a picture of her chasing after it.



This is the board, in the ditch.



This is Lisa, going after the snowboard.



This is Lisa and the board trying to get out of the ditch. About this time I was thinking "you know, I should have gone after it, considering Lisa banged her knee on the ice!"



This is Lisa, laid out exhausted after getting the snowboard.

Well, then there was me. See, I let Lisa use my board and because she is taller then me, I let her use my boarding pants, so I kind of mix and matched my gear. *warning, boarding terminology in use* I've actually got four snowboards (I carry extras for newbies to get them hooked), three are strap ins and one is a switch step in bindings. Because all of the support is in the boot on my Switch Gear, the boot is a bit big. I usually use my other pants to cover over the boots, but unfortunately, Lisa was wearing them. So I reverted back to my other pants.

They have suspenders that I often forget to strap. And I'm wearing Camouflage with a bright blue knit cap.

The result?



I think I'm going for a fashion statement here. And it ain't workin'.

Oh well, who cares? I had fun.

Doing Nothing

So, I'm home for the holidays, and I have been doing absolutely nothing. And it's been GREAT!!!

Ok, so I lied, I haven't been doing absolutely nothing, just a whole lot of nothing. Coupled with Sleep, Laziness and all around Vedge Mode.

Christmas wasn't a big deal this year, only the fact that I got to spend it at home. Over the last few days I've been catching up on a couple of video series, well, mainly one, which is almost to embarrassing to say because I'm watching a Kid's Series and I'm 24. But I was a Kid when I used to watch it, and since they remade it, I had to catch up and watch it again and see what I saw in it then.

Yes, I admit it. As a child, I was seriously addicted to Turtles. I loved them, watched them every day, collected the cards and used my meager allowance on buying action figures. Ninja Turtles were bigger then SpongeBob and Pokeman are now. And I was one of many young minds engulfed into the following.

But like most kids, I grew out of it, and for a time was almost ashamed to admit that I watched Ninja Turtles. It even went through the phase that it was nerdy to actually like them. Kind of like Power Rangers *barf* (never liked those).

So anyway, in a moment of trying to rekindle the nastalgia, I found the first five episodes of the original turtles and bought it for kicks, and having not seen it for about, oh, eleven years, got a kick out of it and remembered that I used to dig these guys.

So what did I do? I got the new series on DVD and watched it. And got hooked.

Mikey's still my favorite :P

Tis the Season

A few months back, my brother Jerardo was looking for a video game for Xbox that he just couldn't seem to find. However, I could order it through my work so I did.

For some reason, it proved to be a pain to get a hold of because it wouldn't come in for quite some time.

Anyway, I left for training, am back in town on Christmas Leave, and low and behold, the game came in a few days ago.

So I bought it with all these intentions of wrapping it up and surprising him with this hard to find game.

*grumble grumble* He bought it four days ago.

Now I know what my parents mean when they lament about how hard he is to shop for.

The thing is, I'm the same way.

Merry Christmas Everyone.

Merry Washington Christmas

Well, there's 'good' news for washingtonians this christmas eve. Chris Gregoire is finally putting an end to the governor fiasco. See, she 'won' the last recount so now she's governor.

Governor my ass. You don't hold recounts until you get your votes, that's bullcrap.

The lady pisses me off to no end. I would have been fine with her as governor if she had won fair and square, but she didn't. Unfortunately, this entire thing was in her hands to begin with. She should have conceded before and not many people will take her seriously as governor if she gets it.

Look at it this way. This was a solid blue state that went to Kerry pretty easily. Yet it was that close for governor, meaning that several people crossed party lines wanting to get Gregoire out of there. Doesn't that say something about her?

Yeah, I think it does. She strung it out this long, now Rossi is fighting. I hope he does.

It might have to be held in another election, which I sincerely hope it doesn't but at this point that might make more sense. If it does, I say hold another election, whoever wins, wins, and no more of this bullcrap. If luck holds out, enough people who voted for Gregoire might be so pissed at her for dragging it out that they will either sway at the polls or stay at home.

Unfortunately, either I'll have to sit it out or vote absentee.

Not a Whole Lot

Somehow, tomorrow, I have to get my brother on post.

Then I can leave for christmas.

More in Dogtags.

(I'm learning how to drive in Europe. This should be interesting.)

Getting Off Fort Lewis

You never realize how much you like having a car, until you are stuck without one. Cars are wonderful, glorious things to have and if you have one parked outside in your driveway, you should go out and stare at it and realize how lucky you are to have a functional car that you can use to get from point a to point b.

I have a car. It is currently 300 miles away and signed over to my parents, technically making it no longer mine. In other words, I don't have a car.

I am stuck on an army base with no form of transportation other then shuttle busses that are destined to only go certain places and consequently they are not places I want to go.

See, this is the thing. Today is Commander's time, and it is time I didn't expect to have off. Woe is me, eh? But what does one do with oneself when they find themselves with a day off and stuck on an Army Post?

They try to find a way OFF!

I got a shuttle from North Fort to Main Post easily enough, which brought me to the wonderful and glorious PX. Not exactly where I wanted to go, because I'm still on Post. So I decided to find a way to get around and enjoy myself and use this opportunity to take back that disfunctional memory stick (which turned out to work fine).

I tried to find a bus. It's sunday. Busses don't run that far south on Sunday. I tried to get a taxi. They wanted to rape my wallet. I tried my feet. I have to be back by formation tomorrow, and I don't want to walk that far.

I rented a car. Surprisingly, for what I can do, renting a car was actually cheaper then taking a taxi. Is it just me, or is something wrong with this picture?

Well, I now have a car and I want to use said car, and using it consists of me actually driving it, not sitting in a kinko's catching up on my blog.

Tomorrow is the range. Tuesday is. . . other mass unpleasentries (watch my mood drop from cheerful to homicidal)

Today, I have a blessed rental, though it runs like crap, but then again, it's a rental.

Thursday, I'm home sweet home!

The Infamous "To Do' List

I'm notorious for To Do lists. I make them all the time, every once in a while I even post them online and will cross things off as I accomplish them. Tis very gratifying.

Anyway, I got a hell of a lot of things to do when I get home. Unfortunately, at this time, I can't think of everything I have to do. Maybe this will be a list in progress? Aren't they all?

• Take extra crap home
  
• Sew Tags on Uniforms
  
• Go Snowboarding
  
• Eat Home Made Won Tons
  
• Fix all of the 'ate up' programming on my weblogs so they actually lead somewhere when somebody clicks on them. (Dogtags is a mess) - Well, its a lot better now, however I can't do a whole lot with the crude HTML because my system is down.
  
• Update all dead links
  
• Get PhotoGallery Up
  
• Go Snowboarding
  
• Pay off at least One Credit Card
  
• Sleep in until noon at least one day. (make that three days)
  
• See christmas Lights - Scratch that, we mised them
  
• Take Pyro (my Desktop) in for a check up. (fixed it myself)
  
• If car isnt' already cleaned, clean car.
  
• Go Snowboarding. (doesn't look like I'll get to go a third time)
  
• Get pictures taken.
  
• Solve the Inbox Dilemma. (soon, very soon)
  
• Cut Hair (or find suitable alternative)

This is a living and breathing To Do List, in constant metamorphosis. Let's see how long it lasts before it decomposes into a puddle.

Bad Ass

You know, I should have put something up about this a long time ago, but I was, um, a little caught up in briefings and Flu Shots and firing ranges and what ever else.

I nearly forgot about my little bad ass brawl

Yeah, yeah, that sounds about right.

Girl Issues

I'm having hair problems. I'm having a dilemma on what to do with my wig.

When I was in Basic, that became standard fan fare from the Drills. "Erickson! Fix that wig!"

I got this really fine, thin hair, and it just kind of, well, it doesn't like to stay put unless I put heavy duty hard core axel grease in there. So I got fly away strands that I can't seem to get to go anywhere.

I'm thinking about chopping it. And really chopping it. Short. Really short.

Problem is, I like my hair long. I've had it short before, but I can't seem to pull it off without having my sexuality questioned. And that always gets old.

I like my hair long, but constantly pulling it back in a bun tears it up. In a year and a half, I will have to chop my hair regardless. I don't like putting axel grease in my hair every day so that it stays plastered to my head and stays in place.

I might start the new year with a butch hair cut. My mom won't be thrilled. But hey, I just want to get through this deployment in one piece and with as few distractions as possible. My hair is a distraction.

And cutting it short might take care of the men as well.

I should just shut up already

Alright, alright, maybe I should just shut up already and from this point on, post as I go without saying that I'm not posting anymore.

I found another computer. its a bit of a walk away and I only have a thirty minute wait on it.

Although my own personal thoughts are kind of at a scramble right now, this blog is gearing down. Check Dogtags for more information.

PS - Reserves is a cake walk in the mobilization area, that and I'm in the medical field so it's a double whammy. No lockdown whatsoever. And I took somebody else's advice. EFMB should be my priority (expert field medical badge for you civilians out there)

Well, this appears to be it, for real this time

Well, it looks like I have to wander back up to hotel now where I will sit in the confines of my room bored to tears while and gearing up for a rather hectic day tomorrow. They are really breaking me in, I get to get up at 0430 so we can be at the drill hall to draw weapons and be down to the barracks by 0800. I don't know what exactly is in store for me these next few days, I just know I'm getting Gassed on Saturday.

I think I'll write a running journal of the events as they happen.

I'll be back around in about two weeks. If I am running around sooner, I'll be back sooner. Until then, adios. And Happy Channukah. (did I butcher that?)

PS - I updated the "earn" column to add a couple badges that I want to get for a triple stack. I will get these, I will get these. . .

Vedging in Seattle

I've discovered a really cool thing about technology. They have free internet access in some of the most bizarre and coolest places. Like the Seattle Center.

This is me. Right now.



I look like hell because I'm in the middle of a Mobilization and I'm getting over a cold. But this is my last night as a normal human being and starting tomorrow, everything is up in the air in regards to internet access and actually getting the opportunity to go out and wander. From what I understand, I could very easily be on lockdown.

I haven't been on Lockdown since Basic Training. Anyway, my NCOIC has been telling me that everything I have experienced in the army, Basic Training, AIT, Annual Training, Drills, well, that ain't the army. Tomorrow, I enter the Army. These last couple days? just padding to help me transition from civilian to soldier.

I give myself two and a half weeks to get in the mindframe I should be. The ironic thing is in two and a half weeks I'll be heading home for Christmas for ten days.

Ah, who am I kidding? I bet tomorrow I jack something up.

Now because everything is closed by 5 due to the whole winter thing and I didn't even get to my hotel room until 4:30, that means I think I'll just vedge here at the Seattle Center and surf the internet for a while. It's kind of chilly and I have no idea when I'll get to do this again.

Why Do People Do This?

I got a troll in my email (I only call her that because of how she phrased her email), and by the phrasing of her email, I felt that she was accusing me of being a closed minded bigot if I refused to answer her.

It was only because of this that I felt I should answer her, but not to really give her a reply to her email, it was more of a kind reminder that I was annoyed by her accusation that if I kept silent it means that I don't want to give an argument on why I think the way I do.

Here is that part of the email, point blank.

"It's been my past experience that people will only believe what they want to believe, and will find a way to justify anything, but what I do find is
if they cannot think of a reply, they will choose silence. This makes me think
that perhaps they have no reply."

I'm not saying that she was trying to make a valid point, which she actually was, but it was more to the point of basically saying that if I don't reply to her, then my minds made up and I have no desire to look at the other side and to get in a debate on the subject.

Believe me, I'm always up for a good debate. In fact, I would have loved to expand on her question with my own thoughts. But it's just the fact that truthfully, my time is precious and I have very little that I can respond to, and believe me, there are about two dozen emails sitting in my inbox that I want to return and I can't.

I want to return your emails, I honestly do! I would love to reply to every email I get! I can't! Please please please please PLEASE don't do this! It's annoying!

If I am Silent to your email, it's because I don't have time to respond to it. That's all there is to it!

More on Badass Championship

Personally, I like Aaron's version of how it will go.

Meanwhile, 'not' SarahK has a poll up on which one of us is going to win. It looks deadlocked.

*prods readership ever so subtly*

Latest

Well, the unit administrator is graciously allowing me to use his computer as we go through my stuff and get it squared away. I had to *sniff* give up my rental car and move into the drill hall until we officially mob.

These next few weeks will be hectic.

Why didn't I think of this?

Hat tip - Army Times / Pvt Murphy's Law

Is this thing never going to quit???

So, two badass tough chicks well known on the internet for their love of guns dooking it out. What will these people think of next?

(odds are apparently in my favor)

Hat tip - SarahK, and her evil twin.

Moral Reasonings

Ok, so I had this come up a couple of days ago in a talk during lunch. And we got into a heated debate about it, or at least it could have been heated if I wasn't dragging my butt exhausted due to the fact that I had a grand total of two hours of sleep the night before.

I don't exactly remember how it came to this topic, but it arrived due to a topic that should be adamently ignored while you are in uniform. We were discussing politics, and we eventually came upon the topic of Gay Marriage.

First, let me state my opinion on Gay Marriage, because that is what it is, an opinion and nothing more. I personally do not agree with Homosexuality based on my religious beliefs and the fact that I find Anal sex to be downright disgusting, and the fact that it is proven that the homosexual 'lifestyle' (term used loosely based on that discussion) is dangerous in the spread of communicable diseases and STD's (my line of work in the military, though I admit heterosexuals are not exempt either)among other things.

However, I do not see it as my place to tell other people how they should or should not live. I do not believe in ammending the constitution to ban gay marriage because I have a slight libertarian view on this topic. I don't like the government getting involved in my personal life and choices, and I admit that if I were gay I would still feel that way. If this came up to vote in my own state, to tell you the honest truth, I'm not sure how I would vote. Despite my conservative leanings, I might actually vote against a ban.

However again, I do not believe that the government should also condone homosexuality as an acceptable lifestyle in public school sex education, for a variety of reasons. For one, the government is starting to tread on moral ground, and therefore when the government is teaching you something that is contradictory to what you are teaching them, who is your child to believe? School or their parents? And if they decide to side with you as opposed to their education on the matter, how seriously are going to take the rest of their education? But then again, I don't believe that it should be condemned, because condemnation breeds intolerance, and I know something about that.

What eventually this breeds down to is I told the person I was having this debate with that I don't believe the government should be involved in what I teach my children to be right and wrong. If I choose to teach my children that homosexuality is wrong, his argument started to come along the lines of, 'if your teaching your child this argument and they later decide that they were gay, wouldn't that put a strain on your relationship with your child?'

I basically ended the conversation here, because I was bloody tired, but I wish I continued. The truth is, I believe the freedom of choice, and my own understanding is we live by a series of choices. I will teach my children on what I believe is right and wrong, as they are my children and that is my right. However, if my child decided they were gay and chose to live that 'lifestyle', they would know where I stand on the subject but it wouldn't make me love them any less. There are many lifestyle choices that we can make that will cause contention with our parents, I shouldn't have to change my basic moral beliefs to appease somebody else, even my own children. What does that say about me if I did?

If I taught my children that smoking is wrong and dangerous to your health (which I believe to be correct), and my child then chose to smoke, would that make me love them any less? Of course not. I might be disappointed, but I shouldn't have to decide that smoking was ok because my child was doing it. I can only continue to love and support them, and let them know that in this circumstance, I disagree with their choice but continue to love them.

Of course, what I said instead was that I don't intend to have children because they drive me nuts (I go through these feelings quite constantly, I have 9 nieces and nephews and keep saying to myself that my siblings can take care of the gene pool and leave me out of it.)

Anyway, the gist of the conversation is I don't believe that the government should be involved in anything based on moral reasoning, which includes sexual behavior, unless involving children who don't know any better and non consenting adults. But then again, legalizing Gay Marriage brings up a whole new series of issues that will need to be involved and frankly I don't know if I want to get into that discussion, because face it, this is a hot topic that I find even myself torn in several directions regarding.

I can see why this is a concern for so many people however. For a long time, homosexuality was something that many considered to be vile and wrong and was only practiced in privacy. It wasn't talked about and those that were open were generally shunned. Then it became more and more accepted as an alternative 'lifestyle', and though ten years ago, gay marriage was considered preposterous, now it is considered realistic.

Seeing how far the homosexual lobby has come makes me wonder how long it will take for NAMBLA to gain more clout and become more acceptable by mainstream society. And that in itself is freaking terrifying. When is enough enough? Where does the government draw the line in their interferance on what should or shouldn't be recognized?

More of my own rambling two cents on the matter. Honestly, I don't know what anybody can gain from this.

Kinkos + Laptop + Free Internet = :)

Well well well, what do you know? I could have saved myself some money by dragging my laptop with me about a half block yesterday. To bad I forgot my plugin for my scanner. That'll have to wait until tomorrow.

The next two days consists of me getting prepared for deployment by getting everything that I need to get done done. Now. You see, we had some dates on our orders but very little else. We didn't know what we needed to do now because we didn't know how much time we would have later.

Turns out, we will have a lot of time. I think I'll check out and familiarize myself with my laptop.