Nocturnal Orders

I am going to be working nights!!!! Aaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrgggggggggggghhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!

Although I am not a night person and this is going to totally screw up my system. Not to mention charge a major hindrance on my skiing for the month of February. However looking at the bright side of it all being put on nights this early in the game is really good. There is a lot of important stuff that happens on nights that they really only save for more trained personnel. I talked to the shift leader for nights and he said that he requested me because he was impressed with "the way [I] carry myself and my obvious motivation." And if any of you met this guy you would know that he is no bullshitter and plus I am a supreme bullshitter. As my grandmother always said you can't bullshit a bullshitter so the nights of February are actually looking somewhat promising.

Looking into my Funeral

If I was deemed a mute and given the choice to have any voice I desire - there would be no conflict in my mind, I would instantly have the voice of Van Morrison. He is my favorite artist period, bar none, awesome. the album 'Tupelo Honey,' my dad had it on vinyl and I had listened to it a bunch before I came into the Air Force but I recently purchased it on cd. Although it does not have the supreme sound quality as a vinyl record does it still is friggin unbelievable. Talk about some good Folk, Celtic, Soul, Blues, Rock Music. Yes all those and much more. I highly suggest you all go pick it up.

Of course after listening to 'Tupelo Honey,' I had to listen to every other Van Morrison album that I own, which I did and I got to listen to my favorite song in the entire world, the song that will play at my funeral "Caravan" however only the live version from the album 'It's Too Late to Stop Now' that clocks in at 9:20. I read this essay by my favorite author Nick Hornsby,(High Fidelity, About a Boy) and he said that he would want that song played at his funeral as well which I thought was an eerie coincidence. The only part that may be strange about having "Caravan" play at my funeral during the service is in the bridge of the song Van introduces the band. He says "Nancy Ellis on viola...Bill Ellwood on trumpet...Jack Schoers on sax..." I don't know any of those people. It may seem kind of strange for everyone else there.

But with how passionately Nancy, Bill and Jack play their instruments on "Caravan" -
I hope the people that come to my funeral are as passionate about something as Nancy, Bill and Jack are.

P.S. Oh and in the song, the crowd does this awesome hand clap rhythm that I would hope my friends and family would get into. Just looking into my funeral I would want everyone together in this hand clap - I just think it would fit me really well.

A Day Well Spent

Moxie and I decided to venture into the hills and that is exactly what we did. Squaw Valley ski resort offers all active duty military members free skiing all season so all one has to pay for is gas. I say 'Hell Yeah!' We went from Beale AFB which is about @ 39.13°N 121.43°W and sits about 38m / 124 feet above sea level to the summit of Squaw Valley which is @ 39.61°N 120.28° W and sits 8900 feet above sea level. It was really something. At around the 3000 elevation mark is when all of a sudden there is snow. Tons of it.

Although I could find no one else to accompany Moxie and I on our endeavor into the heights of the west the day was thoroughly enjoyed. The weather was a little wet in the morning but stopped come noon. With the air clean, the snow white, the sky gray, the powder fresh and the gas tank full - the day was well spent.

Pictures to Share

A close up of the world's smallest mountain range. If you look out back of the left side of the summits you see some snow capped mountains.
The world's smallest mountain range from my third floor balcony.
Just a sunset that I thought was kind of nice.

Sophie Schwinn - the Black Belt

So I am finally on shift work. So that is kicking serious. Although they are 12 hours, 7:00-7:15ish I get about 1.5-2 hours for lunch and dinner and there can be alot of B.S.ing that goes down while we are all waiting for the systems to resync or reboot. The people on my shift are very entertaining and there is alot of comradery.

This morning we had PT(physical training) as a sqaudron and we had this aerobic instructor from the base come and teach a cardio kickboxing class. ***!!!She straight up sucks!!!***
I mean she is not in shape yet she teaches freakin' aerobics so that is an oxymoron to me. A large portion of my feelings stem from the fact that I took a Karate(www.pelletierskarate.com) for a while where we were doing cardio workouts & building technique/fighting skills simaltaneously. So to participate in cardio kickboxing where no technique exists and to listen to this out of shape clueless woman teach a class really pisses me off. Yes I sweat but I also feel cheated. Sweaty and Cheated.

So in my demise while I was doing cardio kickboxing for squadron participation I was thinking to myself 'wow this woman really thinks she can defend herself if she were to get into a confrontation. I would really like to confront her' however coming to my senses I realized I could not openly attack this woman expecting her to stand a chance(no ego intended) so my conclusion was that I needed my close friend Sophie Schwinn(www.livejournal.com/users/sophers89) - the black belt to come and kick this woman's ass. However Sophie is back in Maine kicking ass and taking names there so I had to survive through the entire cardio kickboxing class. But I know that if I was really in a brawl and needed someone to back me up...Sophie would be on the rescue.

Moxie

Okay, I have been posting blogs - however - everytime I went to load the post from the Library computers there would be a crash and my entire post would be lost. In all this happened to me about 3 times so I have been holding off...until now!!!!! I got internet in my room so I will definitely be posting a hella lot more.

I am a full blown big kid everybody. I took out a loan without a co-signer from the base credit union and bought Moxie, my red 2000 VW Jetta. He is so awesome. I love this car. As I was in the credit union signing the papers I was like - "OMG Maxx, what are you doing?" Not that I was unsure about this loan or car purchase it was more of the fact of 'wow, I am actually buying a freakin car myself and excepting all the responsibility that comes along with it. It is a crazy idea.



The car is named Moxie for two reasons. My friend Ezra Horne, www.ezrahorne.blogspot.com, who happens to be one of the great cinematic geniuses of our time just no one knows it yet, has the Virginia lincense plate of his 1980 something Toyota truck say 'Moxie' and he says how in Virginia or anywheres for that matter people would see it and shout statements like 'Yeah Maine, Yeah Lisbon Falls" and so on. I dont even really care for the beverage and neither does he but it is a cool homage to our beloved state. Secondly, the word Moxie itself says alot about me. Moxie is that extra spunk, push, pep in the step, blood rush that you get when doing something. I believe that it was moxie that has brought me to Beale AFB CA, doing the job that I did not think I was going to finish the training for let alone finish with good standing. Since this is my first financial step into adulthood, Moxie is the appropriate name because it had been my fuel.

Work is going really well so far. The impression I have gotten from other my coworkers and from overhearing NCOs(non-commissioned officers[e5+]) talking I have given a good impression on everyone. My attitude walking into the shop was I want to start learning and working as soon as possible. Motivation is the key to success in my opinion. Atleast so I have heard and learned.

As I said earlier I will be posting more as the days come and the adventure expands. So long I'm into the blue -