LOL

I had another awesome day yesterday despite being very tired from little sleep. I headed to the other side at 1020 yesterday so I could make it to MIR before 1100 to check on my cold since I have been coughing up phlegm and unable to sleep. They gave me 4 T3's for sleeping and some ibuprofen for my knee and some sudafed for the day. She also did a throat swab so we will see what happens. She doesn't think I have strep throat.

So I was there way too early but that let me be able to go for lunch with Andre. He is the guy that is helping me learn the job. Normally he fills in for me when I go eat but since the other guy was on watch he could go to the mess with me. Was nice to chat about stuff and what is going on. He is a Griffon Pilot and he is retiring in June. He has been working 16 hour days helping us although yesterday he didn't go till 0930 and he left at 2000 so he is pulling back because he knows I can handle it.

The day went really well. I was a rockstar. I love this job alot. It taps into all of my special skills. I get to use 2 computers, monitor the chat program, control assets, liase with the air battalion, etc. I really like it. 12 hours goes by really fast when you love what is going on. The problem is that I keep thinking about it after I am off shift. I even had a dream about it and I was Mircing in my sleep. MIRC is the chat program that we use for comms with everyone. It has since become a verb. anyways that was what I dreampt about.

I took 2 T3's last night and I only managed to sleep from 0200-0745 again. but I got up and had a hot breakie, and then took a shower. Now I am doing my blog and email and then I will try and squeeze in a little nap before work.

It was a beautiful day here yesterday ending with a fabulous sunset. My warrant officer took pics so I will post them when I get them from him when I get home.

So there was a couple of highlights yesterday. One was that I did an "attention in the JOC" That was awesome. The JOC is where I work. So I did one to clarify things for everyone in the room since there was alot of confusion. Was awesome. I got bonus points for that from G3.

Then later the General came in to the JOC. Here is the funny part. The general went back to where my Warrant Officer works. He was wearing his desert cadpat with his patrol pack and his helmet and the flashlight on the helmet. P turns around and doesn't recognize the general. He thought it was the captain that works behind me. So he goes "Nice helmet". The general goes excuse me? He goes "Nice helmet Sir". Then he sees the nametag and realizes who it is. The General goes, What's your name and who do you work for. He goes WO.... And the General goes 'Don't you ever dismiss me like that ever again". Then P goes, I am very sorry Sir, I didn't recognize you, and shook his hand. So then the general is standing by G3 to the left of me and Paul comes out to talk to me about something. I go, there's 99er (the general) and Paul goes, I know and told me that story and I couldn't stop laughing. I was almost crying. It was so ridiculous. The general is a very very scary guy. I almost pissed myself. Then we had a rocket attack so I had to run to the other room and put on my flack jacket and helmet and come back to my station. The problem is that everytime I saw Paul after that I couldn't stop laughing hysterically. The general has no problem ripping someone a new one. So I think because I was so tired I couldn't stop laughing. I was going a little crazy. Everything was funny. But I am laughing as I type it. Kris, you probably are too. It was that funny.

So we are guessing there will be a power point presentation happening soon with pics to ensure that everyone can recognize the general.

Anyways, having a blast but missing my son terribly. Can't wait for Gill to visit him on halloween to take pics since Paul told me last night that he is way too busy to take pics for me. He says he will do it when I go to Afghanistan but I am not convinced. If he can't do it while i am away for 2 weeks then I don't know. It really pisses me off since I get no email or pics from him. All he has to do is post it on facebook for me. Or at least take 1 pic a day and leave it on the camera so I can download them when I get home. But hockey and skiing are more important. I will have to have a major discussion about this with him when I get home. I will not come back after a 6 month tour and have no pics or videos of my son for my scrapbook. I am not sure what I will do. I think I will arrange for Logan to spend some time in Manitoba with my parents because they will take pics for me. I think it is good that Paul is seeing all of the stuff I do because I don’t think he realized it before.

Another thing I am really worried about when I deploy is P spanking L. He has been spanking him since around 10 months I think. I don’t like it and I don’t know how to fix the problem. Spanking is so old school and I don’t want Logan to be afraid of his parents like I was growing up. (I am not angry that I was spanked). There was 5 kids. I am sure it was a nightmare and that was how things were then. But now there is so much research on the negative aspects of spanking. I need to figure out a really good support network for while I am gone to ensure that my son is well taken care of while I am away.

Logan was crying on the phone last night when I got to talk to P because he got into the garbage and P spanked him and he was crying. It broke my heart to hear him cry while I was away and couldn’t soothe him.

P figures that L isn’t sick anymore.

P is spending a fortune on babysitters while I am away so that is another reason why I wouldn’t mind L heading to Manitoba for a month or something. That would also let P know what it feels like to be away from your son and not see any pics or anything. He had a babysitter last thursay night, Friday night, all day Saturday, all day Sunday and last night. Hockey and skiing seem to be the priority.

Mom H, I may be in Kingston from 5 Jan to 5 Feb. I am wondering if you can talk to Aunt Maryann and see if she can keep L for that time. That way, if I can borrow a vehicle from you, then I can go visit L on the weekends and spend some time with him. I want to spend as much time with him as I can before I deploy. Can you see if that is a possibility?

Thanx.

Anyways,

That’s all for now.

Xooxxo
RH