Monday, February 28, 2011
Continuation Confirmation
I found out today my extension was approved, and I'll now be staying in Italy until February 2013. True, I once had some skepticism about staying here longer, but it seems like every day I'm out in the small towns of Italy, drinking caffe' and communing with the locals, I want to stay here more and more.
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Got Wood?
The Kaiserslautern community is pretty big, especially compared to Aviano. They have a huge shopping centre here with tons of stores and restaurants, and it's almost like being back in America. Josh, one of my classmates who's also from Aviano, and I did a little shopping today and ended up spending quite a bit. He bought a new bike, and I picked up a Burton Blunt 159 Wide plus a new jacket. I won't get to use them this season, but by the time the first flakes fall next winter, I'll be ready to go.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Back to School
Class looks like it's going to be...interesting. There are about 150 students in the class with 15 people in my flight from different bases in different jobs. There's a lot of reading involved, along with papers, speeches, case studies, role playing, and tests. It seems kind of overwhelming right now, but I'm sure, once I get into the swing of things, the next six weeks should fly by. The people in my flight seem pretty cool so far, and I'm sure we'll have lots to learn from each other.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Road Trippin'
After 10 hours of driving, I finally arrived to Kapaun Air Station near Kaiserslautern, Germany. It shouldn't have taken that long, but there was snow and construction. Thankfully, tomorrow is a holiday, so class doesn't start until Tuesday, giving me time to get settled in and rest up a bit. It's gonna be a rough six weeks, but I'm doing my best to step up.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
In For The Long Haul
This morning, I re-enlisted for another four years. I was going to wait until later in the year, but since I'm going to be spending six weeks up in Germany, this was the best way to ensure retainability and give me a better chance at extending in Italy.
The ceremony took place at the top of the water tower on the flightline, and my friend Casey Bustamante did the honour of giving me the oath. I brought my Grandfather's flag, which made it even more special.
It was cold and rainy, but our spirits were high. (High as the water tower, to be exact.) Thanks to Casey for braving the cold and the altitude, and to everyone who came out to watch.
The ceremony took place at the top of the water tower on the flightline, and my friend Casey Bustamante did the honour of giving me the oath. I brought my Grandfather's flag, which made it even more special.
It was cold and rainy, but our spirits were high. (High as the water tower, to be exact.) Thanks to Casey for braving the cold and the altitude, and to everyone who came out to watch.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Like Pulling Teeth
It's been nearly three weeks since I put in my paperwork to extend in Italy, and I've been going over to the personnel office about twice a week to check for updates on my status. The people over there keep telling me they haven't heard anything, and that when they do, they'll let me know. Unfortunately, the people who work in personnel don't have a great track record of keeping up with paperwork, which is why I go over there and bother them so much. And this time was no exception.
When I went over there today, I found out that the guy who had my original paperwork was on leave and didn't give it to anyone else to send to headquarters. So I have to start all over again.
The only funny thing about this was when I was waiting at the front desk, I could hear all the personnel workers in the back arguing over whose fault it was. I just shook my head.
When I went over there today, I found out that the guy who had my original paperwork was on leave and didn't give it to anyone else to send to headquarters. So I have to start all over again.
The only funny thing about this was when I was waiting at the front desk, I could hear all the personnel workers in the back arguing over whose fault it was. I just shook my head.
Monday, February 07, 2011
Challenge
Last night was the Super Bowl, and like most people around here, I wasn't too concerned with who won. I was kinda pulling for Green Bay, but really I was just against Pittsburgh because I don't like Ben Roethlisberger.
Anyway, the game didn't start until 12:30 AM here, and Stan had a party at his place. We hung out, ate junk food, and watched the game. But the real fun came when Stan dozed off and Steve tried his hand at stacking stuff on Stan without waking him up. Luckily, Stan's a good sport and we all had a good laugh.
Anyway, the game didn't start until 12:30 AM here, and Stan had a party at his place. We hung out, ate junk food, and watched the game. But the real fun came when Stan dozed off and Steve tried his hand at stacking stuff on Stan without waking him up. Luckily, Stan's a good sport and we all had a good laugh.
Sunday, February 06, 2011
Riders on the Storm
This weekend, Steven, Berg, and I went up to Cortina D'Ampezzo. It's a little resort town nestled in the Alps of northern Italy. I'd driven near there before, but we were unprepared for how gorgeous everything was.
The weather was a little warm, but the snow was perfect. And it was surprisingly not crowded.
Even though Cortina is only two hours away, we decided to go up Friday night and stay until this morning. First, we wanted to get in a good solid day of riding without any sleep deprivation. Also, we wanted to check out the nightlife of the town, which didn't disappoint. This will probably be my last chance to get any board time in this season, and I'm glad it was good, quality time.
The weather was a little warm, but the snow was perfect. And it was surprisingly not crowded.
Even though Cortina is only two hours away, we decided to go up Friday night and stay until this morning. First, we wanted to get in a good solid day of riding without any sleep deprivation. Also, we wanted to check out the nightlife of the town, which didn't disappoint. This will probably be my last chance to get any board time in this season, and I'm glad it was good, quality time.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Bearing Right
I found out today that in less than a month, I'll be heading up to Germany for a six-week class. It's all about becoming a better leader and professionalism and Air Force heritage and blah, blah, blah. I'm not really looking forward to it, but it's something everyone at my rank has to endure. I'll be there with about 150 other Tech Sergeants from all over Europe. Usually, even though I'm not really excited about these things, I end up meeting lots of cool people and having a good time. I'm sure that's how this will be, too, but as of right now, I'd rather spend the rest of my winter hitting the slopes.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Humble Pie
On Friday, I did something high-school-ish and unprofessional and totally got called out. It ate at me all weekend, and this morning, I apologised to the guy I wronged. He could have been a richard about it, but he was really cool and I feel a lot better. It's amazing how cathartic confession is.
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Greased Lightning
I've been driving Dan's little Volkswagon around for the past two weeks, but finally, my brake parts came in. This morning, Mike helped me put them on, which in itself, wasn't too difficult. However, I was sent the wrong parts (thanks, Autozone), so we had to drive around looking for parts for an American vehicle in Italy. By pure luck, we found brake pads for my truck, and now Babe is back and better than ever. Extra special thanks to Mike, without whom I'd likely be totally freaking out right now.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Uncertainties
Earlier this week, my form came down that allows me to choose if I want to try to stay in Italy longer. As it stands now, I'll leave in February 2012. My goal all along has been to stay as long as possible, but certain policies prevent me from staying over five years. This means the longest I can extend for again is another year, and for the next few weeks, I'm going to jump through a series of hoops (some will probably be on fire) in order to do so.
But here's the strange part: when I was flying back in to Italy a couple weeks ago, I didn't feel that little bit of excitement about returning to Italy I've felt every other time I've left. Sure, it was nice to get back home and get back into the swing of things, but as far as Italy was concerned, I was left feeling a little numb. Perhaps my love affair with Italy is through. Has it lost its lustre? Has the lack of a 24-hour gas station finally gotten to me?
Despite these initial feelings of uncertainty, I still plan on jumping through those hoops to try and extend until February 2013. And even if I do all the paperwork and my commander signs off, there's no guarantee it will get approved at headquarters. If it does, I'll be happy about having another year to travel around Europe. But if it doesn't, I'll take it as a sign that I should move on and not look back.
But here's the strange part: when I was flying back in to Italy a couple weeks ago, I didn't feel that little bit of excitement about returning to Italy I've felt every other time I've left. Sure, it was nice to get back home and get back into the swing of things, but as far as Italy was concerned, I was left feeling a little numb. Perhaps my love affair with Italy is through. Has it lost its lustre? Has the lack of a 24-hour gas station finally gotten to me?
Despite these initial feelings of uncertainty, I still plan on jumping through those hoops to try and extend until February 2013. And even if I do all the paperwork and my commander signs off, there's no guarantee it will get approved at headquarters. If it does, I'll be happy about having another year to travel around Europe. But if it doesn't, I'll take it as a sign that I should move on and not look back.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Free Space
It's been a long time, but last night, I went back to Bingo at the club on base. I sat with my new friend Jonathan, and across from Claire and Keirsten, who had me in stitches the whole night. I didn't win anything, but this could easily become a weekly event.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Round the Renaissance
For the long weekend, Eric and I decided to head down to Florence. He'd never been, and I love showing people around, plus the forecast called for temperatures in the 60s. We were in.
One of the great things about Italy is no matter how many times I've been to some historic place, whenever I go back, I always find something new, and this time was no different.
We checked out Michelangelo's David, the Duomo, and ate at Trattoria Nella, possibly my favourite place in all of Italy. We strolled through the markets, had caffe along the Arno, and shopped for wine.
On Monday morning, we trekked across the river to see I Giardini di Boboli. Unfortunately, the Pitti Palace, home to the Medici dynasty, was closed, but the Boboli Gardens were amazing.
Since it's winter, the foliage wasn't very lush, but there were tons of statues throughout the gardens.
Have I mentioned how much I love the Hipstamatic photo app?
This is called Il Bacchino, which apparently means "fat, naked guy riding a turtle."
But probably the best part of our trip was when we were walking by the Duomo and that angel high-fived me.
One of the great things about Italy is no matter how many times I've been to some historic place, whenever I go back, I always find something new, and this time was no different.
We checked out Michelangelo's David, the Duomo, and ate at Trattoria Nella, possibly my favourite place in all of Italy. We strolled through the markets, had caffe along the Arno, and shopped for wine.
On Monday morning, we trekked across the river to see I Giardini di Boboli. Unfortunately, the Pitti Palace, home to the Medici dynasty, was closed, but the Boboli Gardens were amazing.
Since it's winter, the foliage wasn't very lush, but there were tons of statues throughout the gardens.
Have I mentioned how much I love the Hipstamatic photo app?
This is called Il Bacchino, which apparently means "fat, naked guy riding a turtle."
But probably the best part of our trip was when we were walking by the Duomo and that angel high-fived me.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Ouch and Ouch Again
Aaron, a guy in my shop, is leaving Italy on Saturday and moving to sunny Florida. As kind of a going away present, I told him I'd make dinner for him and his friends last night.
So, long story short, I'm hung over as hell today. To add insult to injury, I shot this text to Steven last night after everyone left (though I have no recollection of it):
Jyst fell down tge stairs. If o have bruisess tomortow you know why.
To further add insult to injury, he posted it on Facebook. Thanks.
So, long story short, I'm hung over as hell today. To add insult to injury, I shot this text to Steven last night after everyone left (though I have no recollection of it):
Jyst fell down tge stairs. If o have bruisess tomortow you know why.
To further add insult to injury, he posted it on Facebook. Thanks.
Sunday, January 09, 2011
Shaking The Dust Off
My first week back at work was pretty good. It wasn't too difficult getting back into the swing of things, and even though I don't always love my job, I'm very comfortable there. The best part is we have our old boss back and morale seems to have improved due to his presence. Unfortunately, he'll be leaving Aviano in a few months, but I'm sure we'll get by without him.
After a month of being busy and around tons of people non-stop, my weekend has been wonderfully serene and isolated. I had dinner with Eric Friday night, but since then, I've been getting my house in order, hitting the gym, and relaxing. It's been quite nice.
Speaking of hitting the gym, my vacation consisted of laying around and eating everything in sight, so it was a surprise to hop on the scale the other day and find out I only gained six pounds. Still, it's sitting around my mid-section, and it's something I'm going to have to work extra hard to get rid of, especially now that I'm back around all this wonderful Italian cuisine again. Progress will be reported, if there is any.
After a month of being busy and around tons of people non-stop, my weekend has been wonderfully serene and isolated. I had dinner with Eric Friday night, but since then, I've been getting my house in order, hitting the gym, and relaxing. It's been quite nice.
Speaking of hitting the gym, my vacation consisted of laying around and eating everything in sight, so it was a surprise to hop on the scale the other day and find out I only gained six pounds. Still, it's sitting around my mid-section, and it's something I'm going to have to work extra hard to get rid of, especially now that I'm back around all this wonderful Italian cuisine again. Progress will be reported, if there is any.
Monday, January 03, 2011
Ritorno in Italia
I'm back in Italy, safe and sound. The vacation was amazing, and obviously God was smiling on me, as I had absolutely no travel delays or issues, despite all the crazy weather around the US. But now, it's back to reality.
Mike picked me up from the airport (Thanks, Mike!) and on the drive home, it became obvious I'm going to need new brakes on my truck very soon. I also have a mountain of laundry and no food in my house. I'm going to do my best to stay awake until 9 PM tonight to try to get on a normal sleep schedule, but waking up for work tomorrow is going to be brutal. Thankfully, it will be a short week. Let's see how it goes.
Mike picked me up from the airport (Thanks, Mike!) and on the drive home, it became obvious I'm going to need new brakes on my truck very soon. I also have a mountain of laundry and no food in my house. I'm going to do my best to stay awake until 9 PM tonight to try to get on a normal sleep schedule, but waking up for work tomorrow is going to be brutal. Thankfully, it will be a short week. Let's see how it goes.
Sunday, January 02, 2011
Back In The Beehive State
Utah was spectacular. I saw so many people, ate at all my favourite places, and even got a day of boarding in at Brighton with Scott.
The apex of my vacation was New Year's Eve. Brian threw a thrasher of a party with plenty of drinking, dancing, and hot-tubbing. Even though I only spent five days there, it was just as hard to leave this time. It's bye for now, Utah, but I'll be back soon.
The apex of my vacation was New Year's Eve. Brian threw a thrasher of a party with plenty of drinking, dancing, and hot-tubbing. Even though I only spent five days there, it was just as hard to leave this time. It's bye for now, Utah, but I'll be back soon.
Friday, December 31, 2010
Melodies In My Ear
It's been quite a year for music, but maybe I'm just saying that because I bought a new computer a year ago since my old one had no space left, which enabled me to go crazy like a kid in an iTunes store. And, boy, did I. There was a lot of quality enjoyable music this year, but these are the ten records I really identified and became obsessed with:
Love Remains by How To Dress Well - Last year, it was The XX, but this year, the best make-out album is from a white-boy philosophy student doing his best ethereal, reverb-heavy, R&B impression. And it works.
Treats by Sleigh Bells - The most pleasant surprise of the year. I love the way Alexis Krauss's voice floats over the driving guitars and thrashing beats. In a way, it kinda reminds me of The Deftones. Particularly bad-ass are the screams thrown in in the middle of "Kids" and "A/B Machines." It's impossible not to rock out to this.
The Suburbs by Arcade Fire
This Is Happening by LCD Soundsystem - If you had a cookout this summer and you weren't listening to this album, then your cookout sucked.
Contra by Vampire Weekend
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy by Kanye West - He's crazy, but his fifth LP sounds like it could have been a greatest hits compilation. Music with this much depth, wit, and variety proves he is a true talent.
Heaven Is Whenever by The Hold Steady - No, it's not their best album. Hell, it's probably their worst. But when a band's worst album is still miles above anything else released, you know they're truly the best bar band in America.
Lungs by Florence + The Machine
The ArchAndroid by Janelle Monae
Body Talk by Robyn - Don't just buy the "Body Talk" album. You also need the first two "Body Talk" EPs. When all three are combined, they create the best pop album of the year, and probably the decade. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: the Swedes know their way around a pop hook. This, combined with Robyn's attitude and delivery, makes this record not only fun, but essential. Usually when I'm singing in my truck and I pull up next to someone, I stop. But when "Dancing On My Own" or "Fembot" is playing, I keep right on singing.
There were several albums I was excited about before they were released, and unfortunately, many were disappointments. But there were just as many that totally came out of left field and surprised the hell out of me. I'm starting to lose faith in new albums from Blur and No Doubt, but the new PJ Harvey, Strokes, and Lupe Fiasco albums are a sure thing this year, and that makes me happy.
Love Remains by How To Dress Well - Last year, it was The XX, but this year, the best make-out album is from a white-boy philosophy student doing his best ethereal, reverb-heavy, R&B impression. And it works.
Treats by Sleigh Bells - The most pleasant surprise of the year. I love the way Alexis Krauss's voice floats over the driving guitars and thrashing beats. In a way, it kinda reminds me of The Deftones. Particularly bad-ass are the screams thrown in in the middle of "Kids" and "A/B Machines." It's impossible not to rock out to this.
The Suburbs by Arcade Fire
This Is Happening by LCD Soundsystem - If you had a cookout this summer and you weren't listening to this album, then your cookout sucked.
Contra by Vampire Weekend
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy by Kanye West - He's crazy, but his fifth LP sounds like it could have been a greatest hits compilation. Music with this much depth, wit, and variety proves he is a true talent.
Heaven Is Whenever by The Hold Steady - No, it's not their best album. Hell, it's probably their worst. But when a band's worst album is still miles above anything else released, you know they're truly the best bar band in America.
Lungs by Florence + The Machine
The ArchAndroid by Janelle Monae
Body Talk by Robyn - Don't just buy the "Body Talk" album. You also need the first two "Body Talk" EPs. When all three are combined, they create the best pop album of the year, and probably the decade. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: the Swedes know their way around a pop hook. This, combined with Robyn's attitude and delivery, makes this record not only fun, but essential. Usually when I'm singing in my truck and I pull up next to someone, I stop. But when "Dancing On My Own" or "Fembot" is playing, I keep right on singing.
There were several albums I was excited about before they were released, and unfortunately, many were disappointments. But there were just as many that totally came out of left field and surprised the hell out of me. I'm starting to lose faith in new albums from Blur and No Doubt, but the new PJ Harvey, Strokes, and Lupe Fiasco albums are a sure thing this year, and that makes me happy.
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Colorado Gurls
I just spent the past two days laughing my butt of in Colorado. It might be easy to blame it on the altitude, but I really think it was the presence of Jess, who, along with Cheyenne, picked me up at the airport Sunday afternoon and immediately placed a King Tut button on my jacket. If you want to know the rest of that story, you'll have to ask them.
From there, we met up with Chelsey, ate dinner, and then went out bar-hopping. Our final stop of the evening was a place called the Grizzly Rose, a place way too classy for words, and that must be seen to be believed.
Monday, we met up with Danielle for a trek up through Boulder and ending in Fort Collins, where they all went to school at CSU. It was a great town, full of personality. We shopped in unique stores and had coffee and drinks. It was a wonderful way to spend time with my friends.
Italy really isn't the same without all these girls around, and it was great to hang out and laugh with them again, even if it was just for a couple days.
From there, we met up with Chelsey, ate dinner, and then went out bar-hopping. Our final stop of the evening was a place called the Grizzly Rose, a place way too classy for words, and that must be seen to be believed.
Monday, we met up with Danielle for a trek up through Boulder and ending in Fort Collins, where they all went to school at CSU. It was a great town, full of personality. We shopped in unique stores and had coffee and drinks. It was a wonderful way to spend time with my friends.
Italy really isn't the same without all these girls around, and it was great to hang out and laugh with them again, even if it was just for a couple days.
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