Two Double O Four
Phew. As years go, this one was packed.
Took a look back at previous new year's blogs, and was interested to see what resolutions I had last year. Hit 175 by June was one, which I succeeded in doing, although about 6 months behind. Graduating on time was one, which I succeeded in doing... well not really but hey what else was I going to do during the summer. The other was be able to look back and see a ton of fun things that I did with my last year in college. This one I'm proud to say I more than overdid, although much of it can't be advertised here. The New York trip was definitely a blast, and that reminds me, I never got around to doing my best things about college list. It's still on my to do list someplace.
So, resolutions for this year. This time I won't be so easy. We'll go with maintaining 175, and yet be able to do 80 pushups in 2 minutes. Last check at OTS I was at like 46, so I have a real long way to go there. Managed to get through the holidays with only about a 3 pound gain, so by ASBC that should have fallen off again. If only there weren't so many good sweets lying around at home... Let's see what else. I'd like to be a Distinguished Graduate from ASBC while I'm on the subject. That will require some hard work but I think it's doable, and will be a good kickstart to JSUNT when I get back. That won't be completed by next January 1st, but I'd like to be doing well come that point. And last I'd like to expand my circle of friends here to something like I had in college, with there always being someone I can call and go out with.
Disneyland recap, pretty much the usual. Great fun. I took advantage of the video recording aspect of my digital camera, and had a nice old guy standing around by the teacups take a 30 second vid once I really got going. If you want to find a really good way to get a headache and feel like you're going to barf, feel free to ride with me. Unfortunately I only get around 24fps on my camera, but it was quite obvious to see I was the fastest spinner out there even though I was by myself [beams]. Had a couple favorite moments from this trip, the first of which was over at the Plaza Gardens stage, where they played swing dancing music pretty much all night long. I hung out there for like two hours, I'd forgotten how much fun it was, having only been once in my life. This has pretty much affirmed that the ideal person must have a sense of rhythmn, because being able to tear it up is just great times. Saw many a couple with grins from ear to ear doing all sorts of random nifty moves, and other than the usual thirty seconds of universal macking after the countdown ends that was the only time I had that pang of "darn, would be cool if I had someone special here with me tonight." Nothing to be worried about though, I'm sure everyone who's single gets that feeling from time to time. My second favorite moment was during the "Believe in Holiday Magic Spectacular" that they actually have on a nightly basis during the holidays. Disneyland does fireworks like no other. Instead of launching them from a single point, they launch them all across the entire back area of Disneyland, allowing for peacock looking effects as well as shooting stars, and countless variations, all timed to some great music. Part of one of the songs is "Do you remember, the way things used to be, when you believed in make believe..." The look on parents' face and the huge eyes of their kids as they watch the explosions of light and color is something else. Then they always play something patriotic, and then an uplifting wha BAM song, as the finale brings cheers from all across the park. I'd probably pay full price to get into Disneyland just for the fireworks and the countdown.
Must say a few words about the plane ride back as well. Unfortunately the lengthier flight to Dallas was quite boring, but my connecting flight to San Antonio got delayed a bunch so while chilling out in the terminal I did what I usually do, strike up a conversation with some random person. Surprisingly I had some excellent for the couple hours I was stuck there and then in the air, since we happened to get seats directly in front/behind each other. They were a combat medic in the army, based out of Fort Something or Other in San Antonio, unfortunately I don't keep up with the bases of other branches, although I probably should. They were an E5 after only being in a year and a half which is pretty impressive, and eventually I had to answer the question of what rank I was, which luckily happened pretty late in the flight, because from then on as usual the aura of the conversation changed to something other than what it was before. Nothing like rules about fraternization to kill a conversation. There might be something about different branches though, I'll have to look it up if it ever becomes relevant. Luckily there are no rules against conversation when bored in airport terminals. I need to find a clever way to dodge those kinds of questions without making it obvious.
Boy was it nice getting into my car again, after driving the old minivan while at home. Leather seats, bumpin sound system, sunroof wind in the hair, ahh....... Oh and that whole put your foot on the accelerator and it actually goes someplace thing is nice too. Now all I have to do is get running again (today's three miles was a good start) and be back in a bit of shape by ASBC in a couple weeks. That and finish up my last three flights for NIFT and take the test and pass with flying colors after studying a bunch...
Tuesday, December 30, 2003
Recap...
Yeah it's been a while, I've been busy. Busy enjoying myself actually.
The flight home was relatively uneventful, other than the fact I had to leave by 4am for the 6am flight... Also got robbed blind for extended parking at the airport because the economy lot was full, but oh well. It seems the plots that caused massive security at LAX were foiled along the way at some point, for other than the rain there were no mishaps on that end. All in all I awoke about 1:30am Pacific time and finally walked in my front door about 10:30. I was already tired, but alas it was a full house and Christmas had just begun.
Had the usual good time in the living room, with my sister's fiance and my brother's girlfriend making it a group of seven rather than the usual five. The typical hilarity ensued, which was captured in quadruplicate thanks to new digital cameras for my mother and sister to go along with my father's and mine. Great fun had by all, and eventually much chocolate was eaten and many insults were tossed.
Finally got an MP3 player for running, although it appears that the wireless earpiece I was hoping for doesn't actually exist. It would be a really cool James Bond type of product, being able to just have the mp3 player in my pocket or on my arm and have a wireless little thing in my ear, but alas. Got all sorts of interesting books and whatnot, which should keep me busy for the couple weeks before I'm off to ASBC.
Was able to meet up with a bunch of people during the few days I've been here, which is always good for the soul I suppose. Saw one friend I had missed out on seeing my last time to Santa Barbara, so it had been quite some time. That had me more cheerful than usual, even though misestimating the travel time to get down into that general area caused us to miss the movie time we were aiming for. Allowed more time for chatter though, which I never complain about.
Yesterday was dedicated to the art of snowboarding, which is always a good time. Although I can still make my ankle hurt if I move it a certain way, it wasn't noticable on the slopes. There was more snow on the ground than any previous trip, so the dreaded patches of ice were much fewer and far between. I took on the roll of teacher for the first few hours and managed to get one person from the stage of not being able to stand up to being able to heel edge and skid all the way down, and the other person from that stage to being able to do toe edge and sometimes string them together. Quite a lot of progress, and in the meantime I managed to not do anything retarded. Then while they all ate lunch I went over to some of the more difficult slopes, since we'd gotten on the mountain much later than planned thanks to me reading the wrong opening time and then an hour long rental line. We finally made it onto the mountain at like 10:30, and I highly recommend showing up at like 7 for a 7:30 opening in Big Bear in the future. Anyway, had some fun going fast for a while, then right before the lift managed to eat it pretty hard in a flat patch, which is always the most difficult section for me. I'm fine with most steep slopes, the steeper the better to a certain point, but give me a flat section and I'll find a way to catch an edge and go flying. I later did a nice somersault off the top of a lip (unintentionally) but other than that it was a mishap free day. Sore wrist and sore ass are really the only casualties, other than the usual sore muscles pretty much everywhere. Ended up being quite a long day as we didn't leave until around 6, then raided Denny's for all sorts of unhealthy food (I didn't eat lunch I was allowed) and eventually made the three hour trip or so home due to routing through Glendale to drop someone off. Finally hit it around midnight and tried to stack up some sleep, as we all know where I'll be tomorrow.
Speaking of which, all you stalkers and internet admirers, as well as prison inmates in Nebraska (well assuming you break out), I'll be at Disneyland tomorrow doing the usual New Years Eve thing. You could probably read past years' posts for info. Rumor has it that at Noon I'll be at the Walt Disney and Mickey statue in the center of Disneyland in front of the castle. Then of course for the big event at Midnight I'll be in New Orleans square at the edge of the bridge above Pirates of the Caribbean. Too bad I'm already hoarse from yelling so much encouragement yesterday, as busting out the countdown at the top of one's lungs is always great fun. So yeah, feel free to come say hi, I guarantee I'll say hi back. Well, potentially once I pick myself up from having keeled over.
Yeah it's been a while, I've been busy. Busy enjoying myself actually.
The flight home was relatively uneventful, other than the fact I had to leave by 4am for the 6am flight... Also got robbed blind for extended parking at the airport because the economy lot was full, but oh well. It seems the plots that caused massive security at LAX were foiled along the way at some point, for other than the rain there were no mishaps on that end. All in all I awoke about 1:30am Pacific time and finally walked in my front door about 10:30. I was already tired, but alas it was a full house and Christmas had just begun.
Had the usual good time in the living room, with my sister's fiance and my brother's girlfriend making it a group of seven rather than the usual five. The typical hilarity ensued, which was captured in quadruplicate thanks to new digital cameras for my mother and sister to go along with my father's and mine. Great fun had by all, and eventually much chocolate was eaten and many insults were tossed.
Finally got an MP3 player for running, although it appears that the wireless earpiece I was hoping for doesn't actually exist. It would be a really cool James Bond type of product, being able to just have the mp3 player in my pocket or on my arm and have a wireless little thing in my ear, but alas. Got all sorts of interesting books and whatnot, which should keep me busy for the couple weeks before I'm off to ASBC.
Was able to meet up with a bunch of people during the few days I've been here, which is always good for the soul I suppose. Saw one friend I had missed out on seeing my last time to Santa Barbara, so it had been quite some time. That had me more cheerful than usual, even though misestimating the travel time to get down into that general area caused us to miss the movie time we were aiming for. Allowed more time for chatter though, which I never complain about.
Yesterday was dedicated to the art of snowboarding, which is always a good time. Although I can still make my ankle hurt if I move it a certain way, it wasn't noticable on the slopes. There was more snow on the ground than any previous trip, so the dreaded patches of ice were much fewer and far between. I took on the roll of teacher for the first few hours and managed to get one person from the stage of not being able to stand up to being able to heel edge and skid all the way down, and the other person from that stage to being able to do toe edge and sometimes string them together. Quite a lot of progress, and in the meantime I managed to not do anything retarded. Then while they all ate lunch I went over to some of the more difficult slopes, since we'd gotten on the mountain much later than planned thanks to me reading the wrong opening time and then an hour long rental line. We finally made it onto the mountain at like 10:30, and I highly recommend showing up at like 7 for a 7:30 opening in Big Bear in the future. Anyway, had some fun going fast for a while, then right before the lift managed to eat it pretty hard in a flat patch, which is always the most difficult section for me. I'm fine with most steep slopes, the steeper the better to a certain point, but give me a flat section and I'll find a way to catch an edge and go flying. I later did a nice somersault off the top of a lip (unintentionally) but other than that it was a mishap free day. Sore wrist and sore ass are really the only casualties, other than the usual sore muscles pretty much everywhere. Ended up being quite a long day as we didn't leave until around 6, then raided Denny's for all sorts of unhealthy food (I didn't eat lunch I was allowed) and eventually made the three hour trip or so home due to routing through Glendale to drop someone off. Finally hit it around midnight and tried to stack up some sleep, as we all know where I'll be tomorrow.
Speaking of which, all you stalkers and internet admirers, as well as prison inmates in Nebraska (well assuming you break out), I'll be at Disneyland tomorrow doing the usual New Years Eve thing. You could probably read past years' posts for info. Rumor has it that at Noon I'll be at the Walt Disney and Mickey statue in the center of Disneyland in front of the castle. Then of course for the big event at Midnight I'll be in New Orleans square at the edge of the bridge above Pirates of the Caribbean. Too bad I'm already hoarse from yelling so much encouragement yesterday, as busting out the countdown at the top of one's lungs is always great fun. So yeah, feel free to come say hi, I guarantee I'll say hi back. Well, potentially once I pick myself up from having keeled over.
