Amanda Update 1

I just got my first letter from Amanda today, so here’s her update -Megan

Day 1 + 2 = (Tues/Wed)

We didn’t sleep at all last night.  I haven’t slept for over 36 hours.  Last night they issued us 3 PT shirts and 3 PT shorts as well as a beanie, gloves, a laundry bag, and two sets of PT sweats.  I’m so tired I can barely keep my eyes open.  We had that stupid PPD test today.  The girls in my reception platoon are bitches in a big way.

Day 3 = (Thurs)

Yikes!  We went to medical this morning.  Had our hearing checked, eyes checked, blood taken (yuck!) and filled out a bunch of damn paperwork so that they would let me have my birth control, thankfully they approved it.  It sucks here, I want to go home.  Guess what?  There’s nothing to go home to.

Day 4 = (Fri)

We had a crapton of shots today, the kind they stick way down in your muscles.  Two in each arm, plus more.  My are are f-ing killing me!  We got our ID cards and dogtags today.  Yesterday we got our ACU’s and all that jazz.  We wore our summer boots with knee high green socks and PT’s yesterday.  We were bringin’ sexy back.  Today we wore our ACU’s and our winter boots.  They hurt my feet, but not overly so.  I looked in the mirror earlier while I was in uniform, I think I look so ugly I love that it says US Army on one side and Mahar (my last name) on the other.

There’s so many guys here.  None overly good looking, but damn, I’m not liking this no boyfriend thing.  I’m also not liking the fact that I know Levi will sleep with someone else even though he won’t date anyone.  I haven’t written to him yet, I don’t think I’m ready.

Day 5 = (Sat)

Today has been nothing but DRAMA.  Some bitch threatened another girl with a straight razor.  Most of us still haven’t gotten to make a phone call, and I miss my cell phone.

Day 6 = (Sun)

Today has been hell, we had to carry our duffel bags, our laundry bags, and all of our linens outside.  My shoulders are flipping killing me.  That crap weighs a TON!  My feet hurt something terrible too.  I like wearing our boots, and I like my new Brooks running sneakers, but standing in formation for hours is killing my feet.

I wish I would get to dress up and go out for Halloween.  I want to go pick more apples too.  Oh well, there’s always next year.  I’m just glad I’m here getting this taken care of.

Oh, and these are the most drama havin, shit talking, non-disciplined, unmotivated bitches I’ve ever met in my life.

Amanda

HOOAH!

*Sigh*

And Shepherds we shall be For thee, my Lord, for thee. Power hath descended forth from Thy hand Our feet may swiftly carry out Thy commands. So we shall flow a river forth to Thee And teeming with souls shall it ever be. In Nomeni Patri Et Fili

Some Military Humor…

Dear Ma and Pa,

I am well. Hope you are. Tell Brother Walt and Brother Elmer the Marine Corps beats working for old man Minch by a mile. Tell them to join up quick before all of the places are filled.

I was restless at first because you got to stay in bed till nearly 6 a.m. but I am getting so I like to sleep late. Tell Walt and Elmer all you do before breakfast is smooth your cot, and shine some things. No hogs to slop, feed to pitch, mash to mix, wood to split, fire to lay. Practically nothing.

Men got to shave but it is not so bad, there’s warm water. Breakfast is strong on trimmings like frui t juice, cereal, eggs, bacon, etc., but kind of weak on chops, potatoes, ham, steak, fried eggplant, pie and other regular food, but tell Walt and Elmer you can always sit by the two city boys that live on coffee. Their food, plus yours, holds you until noon when you get fed again. It’s no wonder these city boys can’t walk much.

We go on “forced marches,” which the DI says are long walks to harden us. If he thinks so, it’s not my place to tell him different. A “forced march” is about as far as to our mailbox at home. Then the city guys get sore feet and we all ride back in trucks.

The sergeant is like a school teacher. He nags a lot. The Captain is like the school board. Majors and colonels just ride around and frown. They don’t bother you none.

This next will kill Walt and Elmer with laughing. I keep getting medals for shooting. I don’t know why. The bulls-eye is near as big as a chipmunk head and don’t move, and it ain’t shooting at you like the Higgett boys at home. All you got to do is lie there all comfortable and hit it. You don’t even load your own cartridges. They come in boxes.

Then we have what they call hand-to-hand combat training. You get to wrestle with them city boys. I have to be real careful though, they break real easy. It ain’t like fighting with that ole bull at home. I’m about the best they got in this except for that Tug Jordan from over in Silver Lake. I only beat him once. He joined up the same time as me, but I’m only 5′6″ and 130 pounds and he’s 6′8″ and near 300 pounds dry.

Be sure to tell Walt and Elmer to hurry and join before other fellers get onto this setup and come stampeding in.

Your loving daughter, Alice

Xmas

Black Leather Checkbook cover

Pink Army Shorts

Pink Army Shirt

Pink Army Hoodie

1000 Places to See Before You Die

1000 Places to See Before You Die US and Canada

Pink Army Hat

Textually Active Tshirt

Im kind of a big deal Tshirt

Snuggleslut tanktop

Scarf and Hat

Maple Sugar Candy

Subscription to SmartMoney Magazine

Subscription to Money Magazine

Emotions

It’s an unusual concoction of emotions I’m feeling today, on the eve of the day I go to MEPS.  48 hours from now I’ll be sitting in MEPS, already having sworn in.  I keep thinking I should be dreading my departure, but I feel oddly eager to get there.  On a basic and immediate level I’m fairly nervous, but I also feel an inexplicable excitement and undeniable optimism about the future.  It’s hard for me to admit that most of what I feel is positive, for fear that I’ll later regret my naivete.

3 days?

Yea, a break down is a very good possibility.   Yikes.  Three days!  Levi is coming over tonight after he goes bowling.  Maybe I can talk him into taking me midnight bowling tonight since he never showed to take me last week.  I had wanted to spend tonight sitting home on the couch cuddling watching movies, but that was before I remembered that tonight is bowling for him.  So I texted him and asked if we could go midnight bowling tonight, he said yes!  Yay.  That makes me happy.  We can spend tomorrow night cuddling on the couch watching movies.

Last night I watched Fried Green Tomatoes.  I hadn’t seen it in years, it was like watching it for the first time yet with a sense of Deja Vu lol.

Ssg Horn said we were doing a PT test today, I haven’t talked to him lately so I dont know if he’s still planning on it.   I sent him an email saying today wasn’t really necessary.  He said we were doing a PT test today to see “where I’m at” and I told him, I can tell you where I’m at.  I’m at the bottom.  I can’t do one situp, I cant do one pushup, and it takes me 30 minutes to walk/run a mile.  It’s as simple as that.  They’re going to throw me in fat camp faster than they can say Hooah.  I mean thats cool, if they send me to fat camp.  I kinda hope they do, so that I dont go into training way behind everyone else.  I’d kinda like to at least be able to pass a PT test at the BEGINNING, so I KNOW I’ll be able to pass the one at the end.  I really just want to give myself the BEST chance of graduating that I possibly can.   Being sent to Fat Camp very well may delay my graduation and therefor make me miss my spot in AIT, but as long as I still get 44C AIT, It’ll be okay I guess.  I mean, I’m still getting paid.

Oh FYI, I’m in love with “Stay” by Sugarland.  Jennifer Nettles is amazing.

Packing List

Paper

Stamps

Envelopes

Pens

Address book

Bible

Small notebook

Underwear

Socks

Glasses

Toothbrush/case

Hairbrush

Deoderant

Soap/case

Tampons

Pads/liners

Shampoo/conditioner

Birth control w/rx

Bobby pins

Hair pins

Sock

Hair ties

Wallet/Checkbook w/license, $, debit card/ss card

Direct Deposit Form

4 Days

Crap, I think I’m going to have a damn nervous breakdown.  Four days and counting, and I haven’t even gotten to see Levi since the football game.  I’m SO not packed.  My room is a mess.  I have to take a damn PT test tomorrow, and another one Monday with Ssg Horn.  Definitely not looking forward to that.  I pretty much suck at life right now.  All I want is a hug from Levi.  And to find my purse, which is nowhere to be seen.  Scratch that, found it.

I desperately want to leave things very organized.  That way when I get home, I know where everything is and I don’t have to unpack everything I own to find one thing.

I’m trying to weigh the differences between the Mac Book and the Mac Book Pro, wondering if it’s worth the gigantic price difference.  When I get home for Christmas I have to get gifts for the following people:

My Mom

John

My Dad

Maureen

Josh

Mike

Amber

CJ

Jason

Brian

Mikey

Jacob

Not to mention I have to bring a nice bottle of wine or champagne to my Grandmothers house on Christmas Eve, and a bottle of wine to my Dad’s house on Christmas.  I also need to pay the Niagara University bill, as well as the Key Bank bill.

Before I leave I need to send a letter to each creditor stating that in February I am going to set up a payment plan to start paying them off and that I will be in basic training for the United States Army until then and will be unable to pay.  Maybe that will keep them from taking my money.

When I get out of AIT, I’m going to the Apple Store and buying a Mac Book Pro, 15.4 inches.  Then I’m going to buy a X-box 360 Elite.  Then a flat panel TV and a DVD player.  Halo 3, America’s Army.  I can’t freaking wait.

Not to mention bedding, towels, clothes.   I’ll finally be able to afford nice shampoo and nice products.  Good makeup, nice perfume.

When it comes to makeup, I’m fairly certain I’ll be going with all Mac products.  Especially for their eyeshadow, they have more colors than a girl could ever even dream of.

Oh yea, I’ll also get a new Ipod.  The new Nano.  Not to mention I’ll have to get a wireless mouse, and iWork ‘08 for the Mac.  Also a notebook case to carry my laptop in.

Im going to have to go clothes shopping when I get to my duty station.  I wont be bringing much in the way of clothes with me from my house.  You’re only allowed just so much baggage on the plane and theres really no clothes here that I like enough to drag onto a plane.  A few things obviously like my hoodies.  Especially this new black nike one I got the day after the Broncos game.  I’ll also bring things like all my pictures, and all the important stuff thats in the shoebox and the treasure chest I got for my graduation.  A few of my coffee mugs if I can manage to get them in my carryon.  Or I could just ship those and hope they don’t bust.  I’ll only need one or two.   Plus the travel mug my mom got me from the Celestial Seasonings plant.  I’ll probably bring some books, but not a lot.  My  PS2 of course, can’t forget that.  Oh yea, I’ll have to bring my big box of bills lol.  Oh and all my yarn.  I guess I could leave that at home, and just buy new stuff when I decide to make something.  I want to learn to quilt, and since I’ll have the money to do so, I wonder if I’ll be able to swing it in the barracks lol.

5 days and counting

Five days and counting.  Wow!  I can’t believe it’s that close.  I’m scared.  I pretty much suck at life when it comes to PT.  Running, Push-ups, Sit-ups.  I suck at it all.  I’ll probably do better on the run than I do the other two, but I might not do well there either.  I’m definitely not going to do well on the push-ups or sit-ups being I cant do even ONE of either of them.  That in itself is pathetic.

Levi and I had a great talk last night, we talked for like three hours.  That made me very happy.  We talked about a lot of things, and got a lot of things out that needed to be talked about.   He said he isn’t going to date anyone else while he’s here.  That made me feel a lot better.  He said I’ve had an impact on his life, and a good one at that.  Man I can’t wait to see him!  He’s coming over Friday and I get him all weekend, just to myself.  Two whole nights and two whole days just him and I.  I told him we’re going to go apple picking Saturday morning, and I’ll make apple pie.  Friday night we’re locking ourselves in the house.  We’re going to play strip poker, watch movies, cuddle, play cards, play scrabble, just whatever.  I hate that we have so little time left.  <3

PT

Ugh.  PT is going to be the death of me.  I somehow have no motivation.  Ssg Horn is coming here Friday to do a test PT test, and we’re doing a real one Monday.  I’m not going to pass, he doesn’t believe me.  He says he’s really out of shape and he has a PT test Saturday, so it’ll help him too.

Last night my Dad and I went to my Grama’s house for her birthday.  My Grama is a bitch, I decided this last night.  My Dad made a comment about the Army shirt I had on like he always does, and my Grama says, with a dirty look “I heard.” Then, she gives me a dirty look and says, with an attitude, “Are you going to make it through Basic Training?”  Everyone thinks I wont make it.  I’m tired of hearing about it.  Hell, I’m tired of simply knowing it’s true.  I don’t know how my Dad feels.  I think he thinks I’ll make it.

I wonder if my Dad will come to my Graduation.  From Basic or AIT.