I am tired of being embarrassed in practical exams. Usually we are thrown into a situation and expected to know what to do off hand. I suppose I should have known on the first hand to go straight to the flow chart in the Tech Doc from the long lab we had with Senior, but my first thought was to look at the LED indicator stuff for 871 (since the one was out)... and I traced it through on the schematic (STG2 liked that I could do that, but it wasn't what we were supposed to do). I'm tired of being expected to do things that we've only done bits and pieces of before. Not to mention, that I didn't know how to interpret a critical thing in the flow chart, and a few things on the schematic (like how to test the power supply... how the in and outs worked).
And so Hibbard and I have to re-take the practical tomorrow (and if we do it perfectly, we'll get a 90)... meaning I will probably drop at least 3 places in class (labs are weighted higher than written tests). And that is what hurts my pride the most. Yes, now I understand how troubleshooting with the Tech Doc works... but I'm not the best (or even up there with them any more). So very sorry for not figuring it out by myself. Call me stupid.
So I shouldn't really complain, because we've learned and we're moving on just fine. I'm just embarrassed and very tired of being so; my intense pride has been trodden on... again.
The morning started out with an hour of non-guided "study"... where everyone else chit-chatted. Then we had breakfast (I love being able to come home and cook) and then had Quarters at 0730, as normal. Came back to the classroom, test started at 0800 and we were given some extra time past the 2-hour limit to finish the last couple questions. I was done a quarter after 1000... and then I went right into the lab.
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Friday, February 24, 2012
Fried
We've been given quizzes every day this week (that Senior Chief has been in charge of)... and especially today, when we had 29 questions (instead of 10 on the last two) and two labs. I had the first one this morning with Trimpe and Hibbard, going over how to check the diodes on the relays... safely... since there were a lot of volts running through them.
I just realized someone reading this with the title in mind might think I got zapped... lol. No, we all are just fine. It was one of the other groups that was reading voltage with a multimeter set to ohms and saw sparks. Even then, everyone was alright. It's just I had the lab first thing, then we had all those confusing questions about the Tech Doc and schematics, then later on, I had a troubleshooting lab with Witte and Nordgren, and found out about a fault in the Tech Doc. That took us up to a quarter til noon... practically the latest we've ever stayed in class... but it was a good mind fry.
I just realized someone reading this with the title in mind might think I got zapped... lol. No, we all are just fine. It was one of the other groups that was reading voltage with a multimeter set to ohms and saw sparks. Even then, everyone was alright. It's just I had the lab first thing, then we had all those confusing questions about the Tech Doc and schematics, then later on, I had a troubleshooting lab with Witte and Nordgren, and found out about a fault in the Tech Doc. That took us up to a quarter til noon... practically the latest we've ever stayed in class... but it was a good mind fry.
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
New Stuff!
Old news from last week's test: I'm now at 3rd with a 97.47%.
Yesterday and today, retired Senior Chief Jerry has been teaching us the PDUs (power distribution) and how to initialize them. Starting to follow the schematics now, learning what relay turns on what circuit, to what piece of equipment. Gave us a quiz this morning that's helping us learn how to use the Tech Doc for referencing specific information... and tomorrow, there's going to be one on tracing some schematics. Should be pretty difficult... I needed help a couple times today, just to wrap my head around it... but I did get it so far. I'm enjoying doing something more than just book-learning from dry power-points... for the first time, really. Sure we've had labs in the past for operating the system, but it's not the same. This is like a combination of methods... hands on book-learning. :)
Tuesday we had Dress Blues inspection after Quarters, which went just fine, and this morning was PT. We were promised a hard workout with the instructor, but he deferred until next week, as his PRT is tomorrow.
Yesterday and today, retired Senior Chief Jerry has been teaching us the PDUs (power distribution) and how to initialize them. Starting to follow the schematics now, learning what relay turns on what circuit, to what piece of equipment. Gave us a quiz this morning that's helping us learn how to use the Tech Doc for referencing specific information... and tomorrow, there's going to be one on tracing some schematics. Should be pretty difficult... I needed help a couple times today, just to wrap my head around it... but I did get it so far. I'm enjoying doing something more than just book-learning from dry power-points... for the first time, really. Sure we've had labs in the past for operating the system, but it's not the same. This is like a combination of methods... hands on book-learning. :)
Tuesday we had Dress Blues inspection after Quarters, which went just fine, and this morning was PT. We were promised a hard workout with the instructor, but he deferred until next week, as his PRT is tomorrow.
Friday, February 17, 2012
How Time Flies
Suddenly, it's the long weekend upon us!
Tuesday was pretty standard: Class at 0500, breakfast at the galley, quarters at 0730, power-points until getting let out.
Wednesday was PT, got there early for Baldwin; normal set of cardio, shoulders and abs. Finished labs during class, did a lot of reading in Big Red.
Thursday was the odd one.
And today, we finished the labs and started into the next topic. Got let out at 1000, however, since my husband was coming in at 0930. God bless STG1. We enjoyed that extra time together.
Tuesday was pretty standard: Class at 0500, breakfast at the galley, quarters at 0730, power-points until getting let out.
Wednesday was PT, got there early for Baldwin; normal set of cardio, shoulders and abs. Finished labs during class, did a lot of reading in Big Red.
Thursday was the odd one.
And today, we finished the labs and started into the next topic. Got let out at 1000, however, since my husband was coming in at 0930. God bless STG1. We enjoyed that extra time together.
Monday, February 13, 2012
Notes About Class
We labored through a couple power-points today. I was very tired the entire time. Workout this morning was good... I went from push-ups to the elliptical to crunches to more push-ups to rowing to more elliptical and finally, lower back exercises. Need to get Baldwin to get there on time though. He was late again. So I'm going to muster him a quarter till every day.
Our grades from the last test were printed up... I'm at 5th place with a 96.8%. Witte is 1st at 98.8%. I'm not going to be jealous... :) I've had some mental blocks about using the references that I need to shed.
Our grades from the last test were printed up... I'm at 5th place with a 96.8%. Witte is 1st at 98.8%. I'm not going to be jealous... :) I've had some mental blocks about using the references that I need to shed.
Friday, February 10, 2012
More Thoughts
Class today was crazy. Got there at 0500, then STG2 released us until 0715. Know I shouldn't complain, but I could have taken it a lot easier in the morning. I did get up in time to eat breakfast at home too... so I sat and listened to the current audiobook in my car until it was time for duty section muster at 0630. Read in my new book from the library, "Big Red", about a three-month deployment of a trident ballistic missile nuclear submarine... and their day to day life. The rest of class was dull. Finished 30 slides from one and breezed through another short maintenance set of slides. Other than that, I read, and talked about the Revolution and Civil War with STG2. Wrote down a couple notes, but not much. Thankfully, afternoon duty section musters on Fridays are held at 1230, instead of 1530... so I'm already home and happily resting.
Here's another funny FB side-note from a friend:
Here's another funny FB side-note from a friend:
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Just a Thought
Today we went over the next lecture in class. And PT was pretty normal too.
A quote from In Harm's Way really stuck out to me, even so I remember it a few days after reading it... even though the situations are markedly unrelated and different, it struck a chord in me about how I've been adjusting to the oddities of military life since boot camp:
"At first you get in a situation where you abhor it. You can't stand it. It's terrible. But you can't get away from it. So you stick with it. And then you get so that you tolerate it. You tolerate it long enough, you embrace it. It becomes your way of life."
Obviously, I've never abhorred anything about the Navy; that's way too strong a word. Everything about the military is adapting to (frequently) changing situations... and that's something I've always had trouble with. So this thought became strangely reassuring to me.
A quote from In Harm's Way really stuck out to me, even so I remember it a few days after reading it... even though the situations are markedly unrelated and different, it struck a chord in me about how I've been adjusting to the oddities of military life since boot camp:
"At first you get in a situation where you abhor it. You can't stand it. It's terrible. But you can't get away from it. So you stick with it. And then you get so that you tolerate it. You tolerate it long enough, you embrace it. It becomes your way of life."
Obviously, I've never abhorred anything about the Navy; that's way too strong a word. Everything about the military is adapting to (frequently) changing situations... and that's something I've always had trouble with. So this thought became strangely reassuring to me.
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
One Year Mark in San Diego
And just about this time, last year, we were checked in to TSC admin, and then led, wonderingly, over to the red deck at Bldg. 51, with all our bags being carried by guys. Wilson was in my room when I opened the door, and she helped me bring them in from the access. This week she just got married to a Marine at her duty station in Washington State.
And what did I do on my anniversary? I finished reading In Harm's Way and played make-shift Frisbee with stapled paper plates. It took the whole day to get everyone else through the practical. Later on, I talked to the tax counselor about my best options, and tonight found a couple more Navy books at the library for future class days. I've practically run out of Navy reading of my own.
PT this morning was good as usual... all PRT sort of stuff on the elliptical and on the mat. Monday I ran on the treadmill, which made for a more punishing workout, also did a little bench pressing. Tuesday, of course, was Quarters and an NWU inspection that went fine. Wish my mind didn't go blank when put on the spot though... I had been practicing in my head what to say to begin it, and I still flubbed. Live and learn... hereafter, I shall be perfect at it. :)
And what did I do on my anniversary? I finished reading In Harm's Way and played make-shift Frisbee with stapled paper plates. It took the whole day to get everyone else through the practical. Later on, I talked to the tax counselor about my best options, and tonight found a couple more Navy books at the library for future class days. I've practically run out of Navy reading of my own.
PT this morning was good as usual... all PRT sort of stuff on the elliptical and on the mat. Monday I ran on the treadmill, which made for a more punishing workout, also did a little bench pressing. Tuesday, of course, was Quarters and an NWU inspection that went fine. Wish my mind didn't go blank when put on the spot though... I had been practicing in my head what to say to begin it, and I still flubbed. Live and learn... hereafter, I shall be perfect at it. :)
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Test #2
Well, yesterday was the written test. It was more difficult than the first, in that I didn't realize I needed to use the terminal for finding out the answers to command line functions. The whole business of getting into a screen that can manipulate hardware and software is sort of beyond me. It feels unreal... and foreign to my poor, non-technical sensibilities. But with a little help, and near to the end of the two hours allotted, and after the angry tears stopped... (felt rather helpless and hopeless... and that I had gotten into the wrong rate... and what was I doing there anyway?)... I did just fine with a 96% (94 originally, but there was one give-back).
Today we waited a good long time for things to get started (I suppose that was the same yesterday too), I read a bunch more in "In Harm's Way", and then STG1 Gonzales had to teach us a lesson for his teacher's certification, then one-by-one, four of us took our practicals... and we all got 96%'s so far. So it's a solid 96% total for me this round. I've practically given up worrying about my place in the ranking, and my score is alright so far. And we found out that Kosi's orders from yesterday are also to Hawai'i; his first choice. DDG 93. So some of us are hoping that'll stay true for us all. :)
Today we waited a good long time for things to get started (I suppose that was the same yesterday too), I read a bunch more in "In Harm's Way", and then STG1 Gonzales had to teach us a lesson for his teacher's certification, then one-by-one, four of us took our practicals... and we all got 96%'s so far. So it's a solid 96% total for me this round. I've practically given up worrying about my place in the ranking, and my score is alright so far. And we found out that Kosi's orders from yesterday are also to Hawai'i; his first choice. DDG 93. So some of us are hoping that'll stay true for us all. :)
Saturday, February 4, 2012
The Stories of "A" and "M"
Interesting things have been happening to my classmates this week. For their confidentiality, I'll just use the first letters of their first names.
Maybe a couple days into class, a few weeks ago, "A" was sent up to DRB (disciplinary review board - a panel of chiefs who yell and tell you you're lower than dirt while you stand at attention in your dress uniform and politely try to answer their questions - usually you're there because of a dumb decision, so good luck). "A" was there for getting a tattoo where the Navy says specifically a person can't. It was pretty much an act of defiance... everyone is clear from the day they swear in about this rule.
I just found out a couple days ago that "A", while having been on restriction on 32nd street this whole time (for 45 days, with a reduction in rank, and a half month's pay times two), that after this is all over, she is being processed out of the Navy. ! ... I guess that makes sense, since it's hard to undo a tattoo... but how very strict. She and I went through both A-school and Ops together.
Now "M" was in the division before me in boot camp. Her A-school was right after mine, and we did Ops together. She's still in my Maintenance class, and Thursday, our instructor told her to go talk to someone downstairs for a sea-duty screening, because her orders had come through! She told us yesterday in class (to a very attentive audience) that she'd been selected at random to go with the last set of people manning the Precom (pre-commissioned) ship USS Michael Murphy (DDG 112) after she finishes class, and she also mentioned all the neat places they get to see on the way to their home port. (My roommate Kat from the barracks, along with her friend D. were also assigned to that ship as operators.) What news! Maybe more of us will be getting our orders soon.
Maybe a couple days into class, a few weeks ago, "A" was sent up to DRB (disciplinary review board - a panel of chiefs who yell and tell you you're lower than dirt while you stand at attention in your dress uniform and politely try to answer their questions - usually you're there because of a dumb decision, so good luck). "A" was there for getting a tattoo where the Navy says specifically a person can't. It was pretty much an act of defiance... everyone is clear from the day they swear in about this rule.
I just found out a couple days ago that "A", while having been on restriction on 32nd street this whole time (for 45 days, with a reduction in rank, and a half month's pay times two), that after this is all over, she is being processed out of the Navy. ! ... I guess that makes sense, since it's hard to undo a tattoo... but how very strict. She and I went through both A-school and Ops together.
Now "M" was in the division before me in boot camp. Her A-school was right after mine, and we did Ops together. She's still in my Maintenance class, and Thursday, our instructor told her to go talk to someone downstairs for a sea-duty screening, because her orders had come through! She told us yesterday in class (to a very attentive audience) that she'd been selected at random to go with the last set of people manning the Precom (pre-commissioned) ship USS Michael Murphy (DDG 112) after she finishes class, and she also mentioned all the neat places they get to see on the way to their home port. (My roommate Kat from the barracks, along with her friend D. were also assigned to that ship as operators.) What news! Maybe more of us will be getting our orders soon.
Friday, February 3, 2012
End.
The third paragraph describes last night.
Today it was more waiting for people in labs, but I also got to do it myself. We installed Windows on one of our systems. And while we were waiting for the load, we were walked around the lab one more time, talking about the different kinds of equipment.
Otherwise, I started reading "In Harm's Way" (by Doug Stanton... another MCPON book) about the sinking of the USS INDIANAPOLIS after they delivered the atomic bomb to Tinian in July 1945. I really had no knowledge about the ship itself, or its mission, so I'm very interested. This ship too had been damaged by a kamikaze at Okinawa... so it's the perfect book to read after the last one. Read another 60 pages.
Today it was more waiting for people in labs, but I also got to do it myself. We installed Windows on one of our systems. And while we were waiting for the load, we were walked around the lab one more time, talking about the different kinds of equipment.
Otherwise, I started reading "In Harm's Way" (by Doug Stanton... another MCPON book) about the sinking of the USS INDIANAPOLIS after they delivered the atomic bomb to Tinian in July 1945. I really had no knowledge about the ship itself, or its mission, so I'm very interested. This ship too had been damaged by a kamikaze at Okinawa... so it's the perfect book to read after the last one. Read another 60 pages.
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Again
Woke up just in time to throw on my PT uniform and fly out the door with my NWU's in my bag. And I was there in plenty of time. :) Did a few more push-ups, ran for 15 minutes on the treadmill, did 5 sets of 10 with the bench press, then showered before Duty Section Muster. Same stuff at the galley... and same stuff in class. I finished yesterday's book... and that was all I did. My lab will be tomorrow. Oh, I guess we did fill out our first set of course critiques. But other than that, nothing. Excellent book, by the way. I have to go back pretty soon for the 1530 muster... and then I need to pick up my new set of NSUs from the Van Lady after 1700, and stand my messenger of the watch (MOOW) assignment from 2230-2430 (23-01). What a day!
Just saw this on Facebook:
22 Simple Steps to Simulate Life in the Navy:
1. Sleep on the shelf in your closet. Replace the closet door with a curtain. Six hours after you go to sleep, have your wife whip open the curtain, shine a flashlight in your eyes and mumble "Sorry, wrong rack".
2. Renovate your bathroom. Build a wall across the middle of your bathtub and move the shower head down to chest level. When you take showers, make sure you shut off the water while still soaping.
3. Every time there's a thunderstorm, go sit in a wobbly rocking chair and rock as hard as you can until you're nauseous.
4. Put lube oil in your humidifier instead of water and set it to "High".
5. Don't watch TV except movies in the middle of the night. Also, have your family vote on which movie, then show a different one.
6. (Optional for ex-engineering types) Leave lawnmower running in your living room six hours a day for proper noise level.
7. Have the paperboy give you a haircut.
8. Once a week blow compressed air up through your chimney, making sure the wind carries the soot across and onto your neighbor's house. Laugh at him when he curses you.
9. Buy a trash compactor and only use it once a week. Store up garbage in the other side of your bathtub.
10. Wake up every night at midnight and have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on stale bread, if anything. (Optional: Canned ravioli or cold soup).
11. Make up your family menu a week ahead of time without looking in your food cabinets or refrigerator.
12. Set your alarm clock to go off at random times during the night. When it goes off, jump out of bed and get dressed as fast as you can, then run out into your yard and break out the garden hose.
13. Once a month take every major appliance completely apart and then put them back together.
14. Use 18 scoops of coffee per pot and allow it to sit for 5 or 6 hours before drinking.
15. Invite at least 85 people you don't really like to come and visit for a couple of months.
16. Have a fluorescent lamp installed on the bottom of your coffee table and lie under it to read books.
17. Raise the thresholds and lower the top sills on your front and back doors so that you either trip over the threshold or hit your head on the sill every time you pass through one of them.
18. Lockwire the lugnuts on your car.
19. When making cakes, prop up one side of the pan while it is cooking. Then spread icing really thick on one side to level off the top.
20. Every so often, throw your cat into the swimming pool, shout "Man overboard, ship recovery!", run into the kitchen and sweep all the pots/pans/dishes off of the counter onto the floor, then yell at your wife for not having the place "stowed for sea".
21. Put on the headphones from your stereo (don't plug them in). Go and stand in front of your stove. Say (to nobody in particular) "Stove manned and ready". Stand there for 3 or 4 hours. Say (once again to nobody in particular) "Stove secured". Roll up the headphone cord and put them away.
22. Wake up at 0-Dark-30, line up in the driveway in a light drizzle, and have your mother-in-law criticize your clothes and read you the newspaper.
Have a Nice Navy Day!!
Yay... look what I have to look forward to. :)
Just saw this on Facebook:
22 Simple Steps to Simulate Life in the Navy:
1. Sleep on the shelf in your closet. Replace the closet door with a curtain. Six hours after you go to sleep, have your wife whip open the curtain, shine a flashlight in your eyes and mumble "Sorry, wrong rack".
2. Renovate your bathroom. Build a wall across the middle of your bathtub and move the shower head down to chest level. When you take showers, make sure you shut off the water while still soaping.
3. Every time there's a thunderstorm, go sit in a wobbly rocking chair and rock as hard as you can until you're nauseous.
4. Put lube oil in your humidifier instead of water and set it to "High".
5. Don't watch TV except movies in the middle of the night. Also, have your family vote on which movie, then show a different one.
6. (Optional for ex-engineering types) Leave lawnmower running in your living room six hours a day for proper noise level.
7. Have the paperboy give you a haircut.
8. Once a week blow compressed air up through your chimney, making sure the wind carries the soot across and onto your neighbor's house. Laugh at him when he curses you.
9. Buy a trash compactor and only use it once a week. Store up garbage in the other side of your bathtub.
10. Wake up every night at midnight and have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on stale bread, if anything. (Optional: Canned ravioli or cold soup).
11. Make up your family menu a week ahead of time without looking in your food cabinets or refrigerator.
12. Set your alarm clock to go off at random times during the night. When it goes off, jump out of bed and get dressed as fast as you can, then run out into your yard and break out the garden hose.
13. Once a month take every major appliance completely apart and then put them back together.
14. Use 18 scoops of coffee per pot and allow it to sit for 5 or 6 hours before drinking.
15. Invite at least 85 people you don't really like to come and visit for a couple of months.
16. Have a fluorescent lamp installed on the bottom of your coffee table and lie under it to read books.
17. Raise the thresholds and lower the top sills on your front and back doors so that you either trip over the threshold or hit your head on the sill every time you pass through one of them.
18. Lockwire the lugnuts on your car.
19. When making cakes, prop up one side of the pan while it is cooking. Then spread icing really thick on one side to level off the top.
20. Every so often, throw your cat into the swimming pool, shout "Man overboard, ship recovery!", run into the kitchen and sweep all the pots/pans/dishes off of the counter onto the floor, then yell at your wife for not having the place "stowed for sea".
21. Put on the headphones from your stereo (don't plug them in). Go and stand in front of your stove. Say (to nobody in particular) "Stove manned and ready". Stand there for 3 or 4 hours. Say (once again to nobody in particular) "Stove secured". Roll up the headphone cord and put them away.
22. Wake up at 0-Dark-30, line up in the driveway in a light drizzle, and have your mother-in-law criticize your clothes and read you the newspaper.
Have a Nice Navy Day!!
Yay... look what I have to look forward to. :)
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Odd One
PT was pretty normal... cardio day, so I did 20 push-ups, then a 1.5 mile on the elliptical (for 15:45), then five minutes on the rowing machine, then another 17? push-ups, then 60 sit-ups... and I was well exercised. Had eggs and cereal at the galley after my shower, then I reported to class.
But we didn't do much today. I did the lab of loading a software program onto a PMD (laptop) in the last group yesterday - staying later to do it too - so I knew that at least two hours were going to be eaten up with other people doing the lab. So I brought a book. I ended up reading over 60 pages. The only other thing we did was try burning a file to a disc via command lines in the terminal screen.
So most of my day was spent off the coast of Okinawa in April 1945. Arnold S. Lott wrote "Brave Ship, Brave Men" about the destroyer USS Aaron Ward: what it was like on the picket-line, standing watch to intercept Japanese planes intent on crashing themselves into anything afloat, and what happened when they did. I started it before joining the Navy, but couldn't make it through it because of the dullness of the Sailor's duty during their unending watches. However, now I find it riveting. I've read it on watch before, and now I am almost done. Found it because it's on the MCPON's reading list. Very good, indeed! Those Sailors fought ten kamikazes in 52 minutes... and some survived.
But we didn't do much today. I did the lab of loading a software program onto a PMD (laptop) in the last group yesterday - staying later to do it too - so I knew that at least two hours were going to be eaten up with other people doing the lab. So I brought a book. I ended up reading over 60 pages. The only other thing we did was try burning a file to a disc via command lines in the terminal screen.
So most of my day was spent off the coast of Okinawa in April 1945. Arnold S. Lott wrote "Brave Ship, Brave Men" about the destroyer USS Aaron Ward: what it was like on the picket-line, standing watch to intercept Japanese planes intent on crashing themselves into anything afloat, and what happened when they did. I started it before joining the Navy, but couldn't make it through it because of the dullness of the Sailor's duty during their unending watches. However, now I find it riveting. I've read it on watch before, and now I am almost done. Found it because it's on the MCPON's reading list. Very good, indeed! Those Sailors fought ten kamikazes in 52 minutes... and some survived.
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