Candidacy

I just got back from a membership class at Washington Heights. It was just a little discussion led by Roy, the pastor, to inform potential members about what this particular church believes and expects of its members. I still have questions, and I'm not sure if I want to join or not. The whole deal seemed rather formal with signed statements and membership forms. I just told them I had to think about it, and they were very cool about it. Maybe after church on Sunday, I'll pull someone aside to ask more detailed questions.
After the class, Heidi, Sam, and I went and got coffee and had some great conversation. They're so fun to chill out with. Anyway, I need to get up early tomorrow for work, and sleep has been kind of hit-and-miss lately, so I need to hit the sack.

iDizzy with iAnticipation

I did it. It may have just been a side effect of the novocaine, but I grew a pair and purchased the new 60 GB video iPod. It won't arrive for five to seven business days, but I'm so excited. I'm already thinking about what to do with all the extra space and which videos to download. When the shopper's remorse sets in, it's going to be harsh, but I'm totally going to be the coolest kid in school!

Novocaine for the Soul

I just got back from a dental appointment. About a month ago, I put a piece of gum in my mouth, and when it got crunchy, I knew something was wrong. A piece of my tooth had broken off, so I went in the next day and they put a temporary filling in it. Today, they did the permanent one.
A lot of people hate going to the dentist, but it never really bothered me too much. I think the sound of the drill is more painful than the feeling of it hitting my tooth. Once I get over that, I just close my eyes and relax and sometimes have to keep myself from falling asleep.
However, there is one drawback: numbness. I hate leaving the dentist with no feeling in my lower jaw. And I don't understand why my lip and tongue feel about three feet thick. (I guess it's a good thing I don't have a date tonight.) I wish the anesthesia would wear off as soon as the dentist is finished. Basically, that's the only thing that really keeps me flossing every night.
By the way, I still have the hunk of tooth that broke off in the cup holder in my truck.

Hung Up

As most of you know, I used to be a pretty big Madonna fan. Actually, "fan" is kind of an understatement. For about 10 years, I ate, slept, and breathed Madonna. I've spent an obscene amount of money on albums, magazines, books, t-shirts, and other various memorabilia. She even turned up in several of my dreams.
Well, over the years, it kinda faded away. I don't listen to her music as often or follow her career as closely as I once did, but she'll always hold a special place in my heart.
Today, Madonna was on TRL, and I watched it. I surprised myself at how giddy I got when she came on the screen. It was rather painful having to sit through videos by Ashlee Simpson and The Black Eyed Peas, but you gotta do what you gotta do, right?

Cough

I just watched The Insider, the 1999 biopic based on Dr. Jeffrey Wigand, the higest ranking whistle-blower against big tobacco. Normally, movies based on true stories (especially ones dealing with law) tend to be dull, but not this one. Plus, it takes place partially in Kentucky.

Triple Word Score

Letters
Originally uploaded by currtdawg.

I just got back from hanging out with Tanya, Caleb, Sarah, and Josh. It was the first time I'd seen Caleb since the Green Day show, and even longer than that for the others. But what made this night extra special was that I introduced them to the wonderful world of Speed Scrabble. Their lives may never be the same.

Fall Foliage

Cougar Warning
Originally uploaded by currtdawg.

After spending the past two weeks mostly indoors, I was pretty desperate to get out and see more of the beautiful state of Utah. Autumn is in full swing, so I went and hiked for a couple hours today in a nearby canyon, despite the sign instructing what to do in case of a cougar attack (Yipe!). Here are a few pictures.

Hike 1
Originally uploaded by currtdawg.

Hike 2
Originally uploaded by currtdawg.

Hike 4
Originally uploaded by currtdawg.

Hike 6
Originally uploaded by currtdawg.

Hike 8
Originally uploaded by currtdawg.

Hike 9
Originally uploaded by currtdawg.

Hike 10
Originally uploaded by currtdawg.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Utah is gorgeous. Oh, and in case anyone was concerned, no Currt-Dawg's were harmed, even by cougars, in the creation of this post.

And now to try for some shut-eye...

After working extra long shifts for 12 days straight (and over what was supposed to be a 3-day weekend), the exercise has finally ENDEXed. Now begins the annoying task of switching my biological clock back to a daytime schedule. I invite everyone to randomly call me anytime between the hours of 8 AM and 10 PM to make sure I'm not napping. I can't do this alone, people.

Gadget-Gasm

Apple released the new iPod yesterday, and I've been walking around feeling as though my feet aren't even touching the ground. That's how excited I am. True, there's really nothing wrong with my current Generation III iPod, but this new one is just SO FLIPPIN' COOL! I don't normally purchase things I don't desperately need (...well, except for clothing and electronics and home furnishings and Krispy Kreme Donuts), but I might just have to make an exception. I just watched the Apple Special Event hosted by Steve Jobs, and I'm seriously freaking out.

Balance Beam

I think I've fully acclimated to working the night shift. I wake up around 6 PM each evening, go to work around 9-ish, get off around 10 AM the next morning, and get to bed around 11. I don't even get drowsy in the middle of the night anymore, which is nice. I'll have to switch back to day shift at the end of the week, but I seriously doubt it will be as difficult as switching to nights.
As I've mentioned, I'm working in the armory, so, along with guarding the weapons all night long, we also have to hand out the weapons to all the exercise players on their way out to the play area and receive the weapons after their shift is over. When people come through the processing area, they're wearing their chem suit and all their field gear, and they're getting ready to spend up to 12 hours putting up with a lot of crap. Meanwhile, I'm passing the time playing cards, reading magazines, and watching DVDs. Because of this, I feel kinda guilty, and I never know how to react when people come to get their weapons. If I'm really cheery, it just makes them extra jealous. If I act bummed out, they're all, "What do YOU have to be upset about?" And it's really difficult for me to talk with no emotion whatsoever. Kind of a strange situation.
As far as the whole armory thing goes, it's a good job to have, and I'm definitely lucky. But, as I've also mentioned, I don't really like guns, and sitting in the armory surrounded by about 150 M-16s and 15 9mms just makes me nervous. Just think happy thoughts.

Hot n' Steamy

Do you ever get in the shower, and you just stand there under the water, and you slowly turn the temperture up, little by little, and it gets to the point where it just barely stings your skin, but you don't move because it feels so amazingly good? Yeah, I just had one of those showers. Of course, eventually, the water heater starts to get low, and the water slowly gets cooler, and you realise you've been in there for way too long because your fingers are all wrinkly and you have to get ready for work. Yeah, when I get to heaven, the water heater is never going to run low.

Baby Got Going

A big congratulations to my troop Brian Thomas and his wife, Tracy, on the birth of their daughter, Kristen Alexis, at 4:24 PM this afternoon. She weighed in at 7 lbs,. 6 oz. and was 21 inches long. Brian is extra lucky because now he gets out of the exercise this week. Maybe this whole kid thing really is a good idea!

Meat Market

I got off work around 10 tonight, and then headed down to SLC to hit up a club with my friend John. I really wasn't in the mood to go dancing, but I'm still trying to acclimate myself to night shift and I'm basically doing anything to stay awake for as long as possible. My goal is 6 AM (only three hours to go).
Going to clubs is such a strange environment. Yeah, I'm a really social guy, but clubs can be overwhelming. It's not like you can really talk to anyone, so everything is based on looks, which isn't really my strong suit. That's why I like the clubs in Vegas where you can just go out and dance, either by yourself or with whomever, and there's no pressure to talk to anyone. Clubs here seem to be a little more clique-ish. It's frustrating, but when you're in Utah, you take what you can get.

Sick of Being Sick

Ever since the Green Day show, I've had kind of a sore throat. I figured it was just from all the yelling, but it didn't go away. And a few days ago, it got worse, and now a cough and runny nose have been added into the mix. I don't know why I've been getting sick so often. Normally, I get sick about once a year, but this is the fourth time since I've been in Utah. I wash my hands constantly and get plenty of vitamin C. It's so frustrating. I took a Nyquil this morning before I went to bed, and it helped quite a bit, but I can't perform very well during the exercise if I'm all drugged up. And I'm starting to really hate the taste of cough drops.
Anyway, I hate to be so complainy and stuff. On the bright side, the whole "feigning happiness at work" thing went pretty well last night. We had to process a bunch of cargo and do a bunch of stuff in the armory, and everyone seemed to be in pretty good spirits, despite working on a Friday night. Since we've gotten so much done in the past few days, I'm hoping tonight and tomorrow will be relatively easy, and, if we're really lucky, we might get off early. I could seriously handle tossing back a pint with some friends.

Night Owls

I'm officially on night shift now. I went in at 5 PM last night, and got to bed around 3-ish. However, I was recalled again at 5:30 this morning, and just got home. Now I can't sleep, so tonight is going to be harsh. We have to work all weekend, and, to add insult to injury, we don't get Columbus Day off, either. My decision is to feign extreme happiness, in the hopes it will catch on to my co-workers and we can all at least pretend to be happy.
By the way, if you're ever in the Readiness office at Hill Air Force Base, don't bother trying to explain your location to the pizza delivery guy. You'll save yourself a lot of trouble by just going to pick it up. Trust me on this one.

Home Boys

Me & Chris
Originally uploaded by currtdawg.

Chris got into town yesterday evening. We hung out for a bit, then went down to Salt Lake for dinner and coffee. I had to work today, but afterward we went goofing around in Ogden. We were getting ready to head down to Salt Lake for the My Chemical Romance show, but unfortunately, I got recalled and had to go into work. I told Chris to go ahead and enjoy the show, which is where he is now. I just got home, so I'm gonna crash on the couch and wait for him to get home. I'd like to hear about the show, plus he's heading out tomorrow morning, so any quality time is appreciated.
Have fun on your cross-country road trip, Chris, and good luck as a public affairs guy in Georgia!

Hooligans

Johnny & Me
Originally uploaded by currtdawg.

I've only known Johnny Frost since April (he was deployed when I came to Utah), but he's definitely one of the coolest guys in my shop. He's a hard worker, and we always have fun when we go out on jobs together. Johnny is what I would call a hardcore punk-rocker. He's got strong principles and isn't ashamed of who he is.
Johnny, his wife Aubrey, and daughters Mila and Mazzy are leaving tomorrow for Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany. It's not going to be the same without him, but I wish him and his family the best of luck. Auf Wiedersehen!

Welcome Back, Mel!

My friends Melissa and Andy left Vegas to move to Florida a couple weeks ago. However, due to some unforseen circumstances, they're going to move back to Vegas next week. I'm sorry things didn't work out for them in Florida, but I'm so glad they're going to be back within driving distance. It's going to be great watching little Damien grow up. When we were down there over Labour Day weekend, we took Melissa shopping while Andy was at work. I took every opportunity I could to carry the baby, because it's amazing how quickly people get out of your way when you have one of those little baby carrier things. Maybe I should buy one to just carry around so people will move.

Gearing Up

We start a big exercise this week. Since I'm on RST, my schedule is going to be really strange. Today, I got off pretty early. Tomorrow might be 14 hours. Who knows? Luckily, I have a class on Wednesday, so I know it's going to be a short day. Next week, during the second phase, I'll be working long hours, but it will be guarding the armory, which will mostly consist of reading and playing video games.
Also, my friend Chris Holmes will be coming into town tomorrow evening and staying through Thursday morning. He's PCSing from Montana to Georgia. I haven't seen him in over three years, so it will be great to catch up and see how things have been.

Skeleton Key

I've gotten so used to using the keyless entry on my truck, that now I end up pushing the little "unlock" button when getting ready to enter my apartment. And then I get mad when I turn the door knob and can't get in. If they have it for vehicles, why can't they make one for regular doors? Come on, science!