Boards and a lil sunbeam

As most of you know from Mom's email, I won the soldier of the month board for Janurary. I have to clear up a few things from her email that may be a little false. The way the board works, at least in my company, you can either volunteer or get volentold to go to the board. I volunteered to go because some people, mostly my platoon sgt and my 1st sgt, think that I am a slacker and just trying to skate by. They have told me before that I was unmotivated, which is a blanket term that the amry uses to say multiple things. So anyways, every since I have been trying to change that perception and going to the board is a great way to get out there and show them that I aint full of bs and that I want to inprove and grow as a soldier.

Here is now the board works. There is a collection of NCO's (Non Commisioned Officers) that sit on the board. For mine, there was the other platoon's plt sgt, 1st sgt and basically her right hand sgt. My plt sgt was susposed to be on there but he couldnt make it for some reason or another. So just to make it clear, there are no officers in the board. Thank God too because I would of been 20 times more nervous. You go in and report to the board, do some facing movements while they inspect your uniform and ask you about what you have on your uniform like medals, ribbons and various insignia. Then you sit down, in a military manner (you would be amazed at how any steps there are to sit down), and the board takes turns asking you questions. Every person going to the board gets a list of topics and you should expect at least 2 questions from each. Mom was right when she said I had 90 pages of study material. That was the most brutal part. Question after question about stuff that I had no clue about. The only good thing is that they dont really care all that much about getting the question correct as long as you are confident about your answer. Half the time I was making up numbers and answers and saying them with a straight face and a confident voice. See, Mom? At that lying and making things up I did when I was a kid did actually come in useful. And you said I would never get anywhere lying my way thru life HA! Little did you know. NAh you guys know I'm joking. After the questions, You have to give 3 local, 3 nation and 3 worldwide news events for the current week, recite the Soldiers Creed and give 3 short term goals and 3 long term goals. Thats it really.

Like Mom said, I was the only junior enlisted to go to the board so I kinda won by default. However, the 1st sgt told me that ust because I was the only one didnt mean I automatically got SOM, but that I earned it. While that is true, I told her that I wasnt satisfied my preformance at this board and that I wanted to attend the next one. This time I will have some competition and a little bit more time to study. The next board is on Feb 6 so wish me luck.

On an even happier note, I put in for a pass to go down to Texas over the upcoming 4 day weekend over Valentines Day to go see Solita for the first time. Its weird that we have never seen each other, as we say, in 3D because i know so much about her already. I am really looking foward to seeing her and taking her out to dinner and a movie like a normal couple.

Completely random thing that happened a few days ago that brought my childhood rushing back to me. Gma Walker called me up a few nights ago to tell me that school had been cancelled for the next day. Now I know what you are thinking, especially Dad, that she has finally gone senile and had forgotten that I had graduated high school 6 years ago (wow as it really been that long???) but no. How dare you people think that of Gma? You should all be ashamed of yourself. Ill take a quick break so you can offer a prayer of forgivness.

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Gma just called because she remembered how she used to call us up the night before and let us know that school was cancelled for the next day and it always was her thing. I loved hearing the phone ring late at night when a blizzard was raging outside. So thank you Gma for reminding me of simplier times and it was great to hear your voice and it was great to know that you were no longer afraid of calling my phone after repeatedly telling you that it was a local number and wouldnt cost you long distance charges. haha sorry I had to say it. Ok its my turn to pause for forgivness.

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Hope everyone is enjoying their day and enjoyed this procrastination from their work.

Your Soldier of the Month
Frank

E-girlfriend

Just a quick update one some developing things y'all should know.

There are rumors (confirmed by a meeting I was the Powerpoint slide clicker for) that our deployment might get pushed back till September. Not too stoked on that. I would much rather leave in July and get it over with faster then wait 2 more months. Not to mention that I am susposed to get my license back in Sept and that would really suck if I got it back just in time to leave the country for a year.

I am working on getting a pass approved to go down and see the girl I have been talking to online for a couple months now. I am really excited about that. She simply rocks. She is the best thing to happen to my life since I started my new life in the Army. I dont count anything before I joined. i feel like I was a different person then and like it was a different lifetime. I am ready to start fresh with the Army and hopefully this amazing woman. I just have to meet her face to face first haha. I call her my e-girlfriend.

I am also trying to get some tickets for a Slipknot concert on Saturday in Kansas City. Already got the mask as evidence by the pics below. Got it online from a dude that makes them in Australia.

Ok well I said it was just a Quick one today. Enjoy you week everybody and if you see Mom, ask her about the night she spent the night on the couch because she was too scared to walk upstaires after she finished reading a book. Its a good story. It had me rolling on the floor laughing imaging her curled on the couch afraid of a mythocal creature.

Frank

Update on the New Years Resolutions

I thought I would write a quick post to let you all know how the NYRs are coming. I havent smoked in a week, mostly due to a bad chest cold I have come down with. The Lord works in mysterious ways, I guess. I have been working out alot lately. I do morning PT with the company and then after work I spend about 35-45 minutes on the eliptical machine in the gym. My room is not quite inspection clean but it should only take about 15 minutes to straighten up when I get back tonight. To the shock and dismay of the soldiers in my shop, I havent had any fast food in over a week. Chinese and Chipolte dont count. Im talking about Burger King, McDonalds, Wendys, Taco Bell, things of that nature.

I have become a little more edgy cause of the lack of nicotine but I will make it. I just dont want to smell like that or have the shortness of breaths on the morning runs anymore. We run about 5 miles 3 times a week as a company and the smoking was catching up to me. Plus, to get the 250 PT score I want, I really need to improve my run time.

OK thats enough for now. I said it would be quick

The Nock of War

New Years Pass and Resolutions

So there has been alot that has happened since the last time I posted that I need to inform you all about. First off, I was able to make it home for New Years after way more hassle from my company than was necessary to come home for the last holidays before we deploy. The Army is always stressing family family family but then this run around with my pass comes up and kinda throws a wrench in all of that. But anyways I made it home safe and sound with my plane touching down a little before 11am new years eve. We crammed New Years, Christmas and enough food to make up for my absense at Thanksgiving into 3 and a half days. I was so concentrated on the next thing we were doing I lost track of time and didnt stop to see my friends. Krista and Amanda, I am truly sorry for snubbing you this time around. My whole family was home and that only happens every so often so I tried to focus most on enjoying their company. Next time I am home, you two can be sure that there is coffee and a dollar movie.



Well New Years was awesome. The kraut didnt dissappoint and having the whole family there at the same time made for good conversation. New Years has always been one of my favorite holidays because of the food and the family time. This year, like all the rest, I got my fill and then some.



On Friday, we had our Christmas. One of the best ones I can remember. I was really excited to give my presents to Mom, Dad and Katie. I was most proud of Katies present. I got her a mp3 player that she can use to take with her to the Holy Land with Mom. That should help the 14 hour plane ride over and back, I hope. Got Mom some jewlery that she wanted and Dad a "Support the Troops" tshirt. Dad is the hardest to buy anything for. Whatever he wants, he just gets himself so all we can really get him is shirts and DVDs. But I think I got a great idea for next year depending on when my R&R from Iraq comes. Not letting the cat out of the bag but it is definately right up Dad's alley. I, on the other hand, made out like a bandit this year. I have been hooked on the Harry Potter series, both books and movies alike. I got all the HP books in hardback and the 4th movie on DVD. I left books 1-3 at home for Mom to read after months of persuading her to give them a try. I just got an email today that she finished the first book in 4 days and is now a "Potter Addict." Glad to hear cause I think this is a series Mom would love and its long enough that by the time you finish the 7th, you want to go back and reread them to get the parts you missed and see how the whole story ties together. I also got a new coffee maker, an amazing book with hundreds of photos from a day in the life of a soldier (that was orginally my late Gpa's and was bequeathed to me. It will be a treasured possesion and hold a cherished place on my bookshelf), about 4 or 5 Mom picked tshirts that has become her niche in my closet (Some of my favorites: "Let me be FRANK with you", "I am the product of a secret government project" and a tank top that says "I have the right to bear arms"), nice dress up shirts and a sweater that goes overtop of them from my sister, Gift certificates to Best Buy that I used to get an external hard drive for Iraq and a $50 savings bond from my Gma that I will be using, along with all the others her and Gpa have given me, towards a down payment on a house when the time comes. I think that that would be the best way to use all those savings bonds. Like I said, I made out high school junior on Valentines Day. Great Christmas!



Also, thank you to all the people that sent me Christmas cards. I have saved everyone of them and like to look at them from time to time to remind me of the large support channel I have back home.



That night, Mom, Dad, Katie and I went to a japanese steakhouse, you know the kind of place that makes the food right in front of you. Great food and a great show but the best part was what we later referred to as the "Sake Shower." Sake is a type of korean liquer that is made from rice but its only 40 proof so its real easy to drink. That is unless the chef decides to squirt it into your mouth from 3 feet away! Which is of course what he did. My mother, the woman who does not drink at all, got sake squirted in her mouth but most of it went down the front of her as her lips clamped shut once the sake hit her lips. Probably one of the funniest things I have ever seen. Ever. You know, it mixes quite well with Diet Coke, Mom. Haha!



Then came Saturday and it was time to leave. I was sad to go after such a short time. Next time I will be home will probably be for my predeployment block leave which should be 2 weeks worth of home time. That will be nice and I hope to make it home Some time inbetween then and now for a weekend if my funds support such a decision.

Now for the real reason I started this post in the first place. I wanted to let you know of my New Years Resolutions I made this year. Actually, this is the first year I have ever tried, really tried, to make some that I would stick to. So here they are in perticular order.
1) Quit smoking
2) Keep room to inspection standards at all times
3) Work out everyday (not including morning PT)
4) No more fast food (chinese not included)
5) 250 PT score

I tried not to do the usual lose so and so many pounds. I figure if I stick to these 5 things, the pounds will come off naturally. A 6 pack would be nice too!

So there you have it. A post that should make my Mom happy and off my back for a week or so haha. If you see her, ask her how her new book is.

Your nicotine craving soldier,
Frank

PS I got promoted at Mondays End Of Month formation. I am now a PFC. Along with the raise in pay from E2 to E3, there is also a 3.9% across the board pay raise. What a better time to get promoted!