Midshipmen conversations do not vary much from one another. It really doesn’t matter who is talking conversations are usually about: 1-class sucks 2-Mid X is a total Joe 3- EE sucks!! 4-My company officer or senior enlisted is making me do X 5- Saturday’s football game 6-Plans for Saturday after the football game 7- Service selection or 8-..you’ve fallen asleep! After meeting Charles at a glorious 2000 restriction muster-somewhere between our third or fourth conversation-came up the usual question: “What are you service selecting?” I was expecting Marine Corps Air, maybe even grunt; what I wasn’t expecting was the real answer: SEALs! Being the natural planner that I am, I began thinking of all the implications to any possible future this possible relationship would have. Naturally, I was service selecting Marine Corps-air if at all possible so this whole trying to date a Navy guy was not a good thing so far. Should I just totally discard this really cute guy and move on? How were we supposed to live together and happy in different services? Co-location would be a nightmare right? All common sense was thrown away and I did the unexpected; I actually decided to not ignore him and try to pursue a relationship.
The first event in this six-year journey begun shortly after we met; while we were seeing each other already we weren’t exactly officially together. It was Charles’ second class year and one Mini BUD/s screener had already taken place. Charles wasn’t able to partake in it because of sprint football season, January was his only opportunity to do it. As he trained for the screener I discovered something about Charles- he was addicted to working out and you better not get in his way. I of course attributed all this crazy working out to the screener. In order for him to compete with his classmates for a much coveted spot, he had to be incredibly fit and ready for this.
Annapolis winters while not the harshest in the country can potentially be brutal. The Academy’s prime real estate location also promises the nastiest winds in town; it wasn’t surprise when that first three-day weekend came up and a snow storm hit town.
At exactly 2:30 pm I was walking from my 5th wing bedroom to class. It was Friday and I certainly did not want to attend that last period- but what option did I have? It’s not like I was at a regular college! Spanish class with Proffesor Garth was quite boring and I’d rather watch the “screener guys” start off their weekend. Sure enough, as I get to 1-0 (1st wing, 0 deck) I see Charles running, ready to start the weekend. A huge smile donned his face; he looked like a three year old child on Christmas morning. That smile was the last one I would see for a while.
To be continued...
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Friday, October 1, 2010
Late night transmission
My dear followers,
I want to apologize for not posting anything the past week. For one reason or the other I have no been inspired to write the past couple of days...or maybe I just didn't have anything new to really say. Either way today is a very special day for me. My husband finally becomes a Navy SEAL today; unfortunately I cannot be there for this much awaited ceremony which culminates years of tears, hardship and sacrifice on both ends. Additionally two of my favorite colleagues get promoted today: Maj Hennigan and Katie Halle; very different paths but both extraordinary women who I care about a lot and have impacted my life in a significant way. Ladies...congratulations!!!
Given today's celebratory mood I found it would only be appropriate to write about my six-year journey with Charles. What I originally thought would be another post immediately turned into a short story that I have yet to finish. I will continue to write this evening about this journey..just as Charles is getting his Trident thousands of miles away.
Tune in soon for our short story! Good night from the big A!
-Prada
I want to apologize for not posting anything the past week. For one reason or the other I have no been inspired to write the past couple of days...or maybe I just didn't have anything new to really say. Either way today is a very special day for me. My husband finally becomes a Navy SEAL today; unfortunately I cannot be there for this much awaited ceremony which culminates years of tears, hardship and sacrifice on both ends. Additionally two of my favorite colleagues get promoted today: Maj Hennigan and Katie Halle; very different paths but both extraordinary women who I care about a lot and have impacted my life in a significant way. Ladies...congratulations!!!
Given today's celebratory mood I found it would only be appropriate to write about my six-year journey with Charles. What I originally thought would be another post immediately turned into a short story that I have yet to finish. I will continue to write this evening about this journey..just as Charles is getting his Trident thousands of miles away.
Tune in soon for our short story! Good night from the big A!
-Prada
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Female cadiness, team rivalry, both or lack of manners?
If you talk to men odds are seven of ten will tell you that women cannot get along. It is beyond their comprehension why this phenomenon exists. Explanations range from females are too caddy, often jealous of other women, crucially judgmental and crazy hormonal. This can sometimes be true, especially if they are the type “A” kind. After a week of living with females from the other unit I have seen more tension then that of four years at the Naval Academy. Without saying it has immediately become a ‘us vs them’ situation; you can cut the tension with a knife! Although I have been out of practice-that is of living with other females-I am no stranger to it. This is the first time there have been any real issues; even though technically nothing has been said or done. This feeling is not exclusive of to the room though. This brings me to think that the issue may be a little bit of team rivalry. Maybe they just don’t like us because we’re from the West coast and they have to live in dreadful North Carolina- I mean think about it… that would suck! Who doesn’t want to live in San Diego???!! Seriously! Maybe, just maybe they don’t like that we’re coming in to their “home” and doing things better?
Team X as I will call them-their real name I refuse to disclose-as they call themselves are not friendly at all. We will just say hospitability is not one of their better characteristics. We cannot use their weapons racks, we can’t have our luggage in certain spots in the room (where am I supposed to put it my head? It looks like a bomb exploded in that room!), we can’t have female designated port-a-johns, we get accused of speeding and graffiti; and so the list goes on and on. Just the other day my counterpart and I were in the same room; she knew I was hungry and had to pick up laundry, which probably required a car given that I had to pick up my roommate’s laundry as well, instead of inviting me to go with her and offer me a ride she just left. Later on as I’m walking down the dusty path by myself she just drives by with her friend; no ride offer.
Today I was given instructions, like a private by another lieutenant. While no one was in the office I was nice enough to pick up the phone. I identified myself over the phone and when asked if my counterpart was there he proceeded to tell me to immediately tell her to call her. No ‘please’, ‘can you do me a favor’, ‘may you’; and a thank you was absolutely out of the question. Who are these people’s parents? Did they ever get taught any manners by to call her. No ‘please’, ‘can you do me a favor’, ‘may you’; heck a thank you was absolutely out of the question. Who are these people’s parents? Did they ever get taught any manners by anyone??? If I ever did something like that I was sure to hear it from my mom; bad manners just don’t fly. Worst of all today the company had a barbecue and no one from our unit was invited. Although the chow hall has magnificent food; better than that of the BBQ, I could see our guys walk with their heads down-wishing they had been invited.
This entire situation is just very unfortunate overall. We’re Marines. One team, one fight, brothers and sisters-well I guess this doesn’t apply here. You would think that in a land where some people want nothing more than to kill Americans just for the heck of it we would be more united; instead division rules between us. At this point we want nothing more than for them to leave. Like Christina Aguilera says in one of her songs: “I feel underappreciated.”
But this entire situation will not discourage Prada. Like Louis Vuitton I am more refined and will be at a higher shelf than a knock off. When our counterparts show up we will not treat them this way. We will not make them feel un-welcomed or unwanted. Instead we will receive them with open arms and help guide them and be as cheerful as possible so that they can get accommodated as soon as possible. Hopefully then, our good vibes and hospitality will launch a chain of positive energy through the rest of our brothers and sisters that cycle through the sandlot.
Team X as I will call them-their real name I refuse to disclose-as they call themselves are not friendly at all. We will just say hospitability is not one of their better characteristics. We cannot use their weapons racks, we can’t have our luggage in certain spots in the room (where am I supposed to put it my head? It looks like a bomb exploded in that room!), we can’t have female designated port-a-johns, we get accused of speeding and graffiti; and so the list goes on and on. Just the other day my counterpart and I were in the same room; she knew I was hungry and had to pick up laundry, which probably required a car given that I had to pick up my roommate’s laundry as well, instead of inviting me to go with her and offer me a ride she just left. Later on as I’m walking down the dusty path by myself she just drives by with her friend; no ride offer.
Today I was given instructions, like a private by another lieutenant. While no one was in the office I was nice enough to pick up the phone. I identified myself over the phone and when asked if my counterpart was there he proceeded to tell me to immediately tell her to call her. No ‘please’, ‘can you do me a favor’, ‘may you’; and a thank you was absolutely out of the question. Who are these people’s parents? Did they ever get taught any manners by to call her. No ‘please’, ‘can you do me a favor’, ‘may you’; heck a thank you was absolutely out of the question. Who are these people’s parents? Did they ever get taught any manners by anyone??? If I ever did something like that I was sure to hear it from my mom; bad manners just don’t fly. Worst of all today the company had a barbecue and no one from our unit was invited. Although the chow hall has magnificent food; better than that of the BBQ, I could see our guys walk with their heads down-wishing they had been invited.
This entire situation is just very unfortunate overall. We’re Marines. One team, one fight, brothers and sisters-well I guess this doesn’t apply here. You would think that in a land where some people want nothing more than to kill Americans just for the heck of it we would be more united; instead division rules between us. At this point we want nothing more than for them to leave. Like Christina Aguilera says in one of her songs: “I feel underappreciated.”
But this entire situation will not discourage Prada. Like Louis Vuitton I am more refined and will be at a higher shelf than a knock off. When our counterparts show up we will not treat them this way. We will not make them feel un-welcomed or unwanted. Instead we will receive them with open arms and help guide them and be as cheerful as possible so that they can get accommodated as soon as possible. Hopefully then, our good vibes and hospitality will launch a chain of positive energy through the rest of our brothers and sisters that cycle through the sandlot.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Tired and thinking...
Folks....tonight willl be extremely short. As I smell something like men's dirty laundry in the crisp evening breeze I remind myself of my current location. Call me crazy, but i don't think the women around here are like the ones Carrie and the lovely ladies ran into during their Middle East adventure, wearing Louis, Christian or Dianne underneath their modest garments. I wonder how far the closest pair of Christian Louboutins are from my current location. Even more, I wonder how much that pair of Louboutins can help all the little girls in the nearest village.....something to think about.
Prada sends!
Prada sends!
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Prada reaches new weights!!
As the day carried on today I kept finding myself with lots to do but lacking the assets to do it. The lack of computers around the workplace and the limited Internet options were not making the day go by any faster. It seemed like the highlight of my day would be finding a coffee mug earlier that morning as I ran out of the chaplain's crack infested tent. Of course when I say 'crack' I am referring to what my CrossFitting friends know as SUGAR. Unknown to me the chaplain here has quite the affair with Betty Crocker; never in my lifetime have I ever seen the plethora of Crocker boxes I saw that morning. The local Vons would run short compared to the arsenal found in this small shed in the middle of nowhere in Afghanistan. To make matters worse there were three containers with fresh muffins and another batch in the oven. Needless to say I ran out of there before I fainted. The food here has been lovely so far. It's very easy to get fat but even easier to remain healthy!
Later that afternoon I decided to hit the gym and do a lift I missed the day before; 3-3-3-3-3 front squat. When I first started CrossFit this was a hard lift because my dear coach Andrea never cuts anyone slack-you either get the complete 90 degree range of motion or it doesn't count! Over time I have gotten better and hitting that 90 degree angle is no longer an issue for me. Prior to this my front squat max was 98 pounds; after doing my third set at 95 pounds I decided to go heavier. Well Andrea...you'll be proud-I front squated 105 pounds!! That's right two sets of three repetitions at that weight! Thank you Andrea for teaching me that the hard way is the only way to improve. I look forward to continue setting some personal records and doing some WODs with the SoCal crowd when I get back home. Until then I will continue to reach new weights.
Later that afternoon I decided to hit the gym and do a lift I missed the day before; 3-3-3-3-3 front squat. When I first started CrossFit this was a hard lift because my dear coach Andrea never cuts anyone slack-you either get the complete 90 degree range of motion or it doesn't count! Over time I have gotten better and hitting that 90 degree angle is no longer an issue for me. Prior to this my front squat max was 98 pounds; after doing my third set at 95 pounds I decided to go heavier. Well Andrea...you'll be proud-I front squated 105 pounds!! That's right two sets of three repetitions at that weight! Thank you Andrea for teaching me that the hard way is the only way to improve. I look forward to continue setting some personal records and doing some WODs with the SoCal crowd when I get back home. Until then I will continue to reach new weights.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
How many females can you fit in a can?
What do you mean a can? Is this a joke?! A ‘can’ my friends is the terminology used to describe service member’s living quarters in a forward deployed environment. Good-bye to the days where we used to sleep in tents. Tents now are only used as a temporary means of living quarters; unless you should be located in a more remote/underdeveloped location then you will sleep in tents.
A ‘can’s’ size is not very big and can vary. Our cans here are not very big. You can fit seven bunk beds tightly. With so many Marines, Sailors, Soldiers and Airmen, it is only natural that billeting becomes an issue at some point and camps start running out of cans. Which brings the next question…how can you maximize billeting space? How many people can you fit in a can? What analysts failed to ask was: How many females can you fit in a can? That is a whole different story! The female species is extremely special; we are caddy, we have hormonal mood swings and can snap at anyone in a split second- especially if it’s at another female. The verdict is in and 11 females will live in one can. Because we are all Marines (with the exception of our Doc) we naturally have a type ‘A’ personality, which will only make the situation more interesting. So raise your glasses, kick back and sip on a nice glass of wine. It’s going to be a loooonnnggg time ‘till Spring arrives, and I guarantee there will be many amusing stories.
A ‘can’s’ size is not very big and can vary. Our cans here are not very big. You can fit seven bunk beds tightly. With so many Marines, Sailors, Soldiers and Airmen, it is only natural that billeting becomes an issue at some point and camps start running out of cans. Which brings the next question…how can you maximize billeting space? How many people can you fit in a can? What analysts failed to ask was: How many females can you fit in a can? That is a whole different story! The female species is extremely special; we are caddy, we have hormonal mood swings and can snap at anyone in a split second- especially if it’s at another female. The verdict is in and 11 females will live in one can. Because we are all Marines (with the exception of our Doc) we naturally have a type ‘A’ personality, which will only make the situation more interesting. So raise your glasses, kick back and sip on a nice glass of wine. It’s going to be a loooonnnggg time ‘till Spring arrives, and I guarantee there will be many amusing stories.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
First Transmission
After more than a week of attempts to log on to my blog I finally have Internet access!! Hello everyone, I hope you are all doing well. The trip was long and many countries were visited along the way. Please note that I will use the term "visited" loosely the stops were nothing more than a simple re-fuel and go. I never thought I could possibly travel around the World via the military that quickly. The final destination may as well be called Dustanistan-it's nothing more than dust all over the place. There is so much dust around this place that you can't even see the mountains when they're right next to you. That being said visibility is not thy friend! To make matters worse it is an extremely fine dust which makes it difficult to breathe. The days here are extremely bright. Sunrises are beautiful and sunsets are barely visible. Even the crescent moon looks different out here. I look forward to seeing some mountains and open terrain; even more I hope that it doesn't get too cold! Prada has officially landed in desert-but unlike Carrie, Samantha and the rest of the girls-my crew and I did not have an entourage following us with the latest designer pieces making its debut in this year's New York Fashion Week. I look forward to writing more about my adventures in the desert. Prada out!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)