So I went back to work today. Kind of. SGT Andersen told me I was coming back today but she didn’t mention it was only because I was on some list of soldiers to do this weapons training simulation. So I show up for PT, do that weapons training sim till 11:30, get SSG Powers to sign off on a four-day pass and now I don’t have to go back to work till Wednesday. Off by 13:30. So today being payday, Katie and I went out to get some necessary and not-so-necessary items.

I got a new pair of all-leather boots for inspections. I told the sales woman (who happened to be a manager) that I needed size 9

So my next mission, starting tonight, involves spending three days in a tent, sleeping on a cot, waiting to MAYBE drive some troops, but probably not, but just in case I have to be there. Yeah. But they have outlets and showers and a dining facility and we won’t be doing anything while we’re waiting at ALL. So three days off, almost. Yes this is ultra exciting news coming on my first wedding anniversary.

Happy Anniversary to me and Katie. One year down, about five thousand more to come!

(Edd’s description of “Sin City”, which I plan on taking Katie to when I get home)

YET ANOTHER day off. This is amazing. I’ve had like the last 4 days off. But tomorrow I’ll be rather busy and who knows after that.

No enormous news here. Dying of boredom, now that I’ve finished reading “Neuromancer” for the second time. Julia and Jeremy (a friend of Katie’s whom she met through some livejournal function and her husband) took me to Wal-Mart and Gamestop. I bought The Zutons’ “Who Killed… The Zutons” and A Perfect Circle’s “The Thirteenth Step”, even though I know Wal-Mart edits their CDs, sometimes without noting so on the package, because those were both pretty safe from such editing. “The Thirteenth Step” is amazing, I haven’t really listened to “Who Killed… The Zutons”. And I found a burned CD in the discman when I opened it. Whoops.

AIM Express sucks. Let me tell you. I’m dying to be at home, enjoying Doom 3 or watching Buffy or doing anything with Katie rather than sitting here. Oh well, a little over two weeks left!

The first time I get on a real computer in three weeks and no one’s online to talk to. Still at Ft. Polk. It still sucks but the sucking supposedly is about to get to Hoover levels, rather than vacuous blackhole levels previously seen here. I’m actually enjoying right now a freaking DAY OFF. Nothing to do, no formations, none of that garbage. Maybe a light day tomorrow too. We were ordered this morning to “wash (my) ass” and “do laundry” but I did both of those things last night before I passed out so I slept for a good four more hours instead.

Before coming here I bought this “Ender’s Game” trilogy boxset. “Ender’s Game” being one of those sci-fi books that’s always being recommended, I thought the trilogy would consist of the book itself and it’s two sequels. Wrong. I got “Ender’s Game” which was rather mediocre but the other two books are just the same story from two different characters’ perspectives. The same mediocre story told three times. Thank god I bought William Gibson’s “Neuromancer” and (at the last minute) “Pattern Recognition”, which were both excellent, because I would’ve run out of reading material a lot sooner if I hadn’t. Katie ordered me four more books and a couple CDs to be sent here so I’ll be good on entertainment again next week.

Since I’ve been here I’ve beaten three gameboy games, Megaman Zero 3, Astro Boy: The Omega Factor, and Advance Guardian Heroes. Megaman Zero 3 is easily the best Megaman on gameboy, Astro Boy (despite hating the anime) had a FANTASTIC story and a neat plot device (which I can’t elaborate on) and insane action, and Advance Guardian Heroes was an excellent side-scrolling fighter (like Double Dragon) with some insane twists, like fighting flying things while riding on a missile.

Today is April 6th and Tencate (one of the guys down here with me) said he heard that married people are going to get to leave on the 26th. Tencate and I should be the first two on and off that bus, his wife is in the U.S. for the first time and can’t drive, and Katie can’t drive and is half-blind. 20 more days.