Another day on the Ice

I get up this morning and the first news I hear is that the C-17 is delayed due to weather. A couple of hours later as I see the weather clear I hear that there is a maintenance problem that will delay our flight until tomorrow.

I’ve pretty much checked out…Mila has the pager and the keys so I’m just hanging out. My room is miserably HOT so I go hang out in the clinic. I wrote a letter of evaluation for Jen and an after action report for Greg. Jon made it to the Pole. I’m trying to get my travel arrangements made to get back to Okinawa.

I talk to Cole who tells me that his JROTC Dining Out was a lot of fun. I’m bummed that I missed it this year. I enjoyed going last year but I think he enjoyed me not being there more this year. Cole tells me that the General (the base commander) was called out by his friend Nathan. Apparently, while giving out awards to the JROTC Cadets, he also gave an award to his wife for her contribution to JROTC Kitty Hawk Program. After giving her the award he kissed her! Well, Nathan decided to send the General to the grog bowl for this infraction of the mess. I should explain for my non-military friends. The grog is a horrible mixture of drinks and ‘stuff’ that I’ll be honest…if I was sent I think I would gag and puke before I ever got it down! Usually at the traditional military Dining Outs the grog bowl is a mixture of alcoholic beverages…nothing is spared from the bar and it’s pretty toxic. The JROTC kids usually mix up their concoction with juices, sodas, Gatorade, hot sauce and cayenne pepper…nothing is spared from their refrigerator and it’s a horrible, horrible mixture of nastiness. So back to the Dining Out…there are usually “Rules of the Mess” that must be followed and you are provided with these rules at the beginning of the evening. Most are pretty much the same from Dining Out to Dining Out. If there is an infraction of the rule someone has to call the person out on this infraction by speaking in rhyme and sending them to the Grog. When the person goes to the Grog, of course, there are rules to getting there (facing movements etc) and rules of what has to be done at the Grog bowl. Words to be said; procedures to be followed. This brave kid called the General out on a very simple military rule which is to not show any public displays of affection while in uniform. He definitely violated this rule by kissing his wife in front of the mess!!

I have one more night...everything is closed on Monday. Don and I watched the movie Blood Diamond. Good movie…I was in bed early tonight.