Monday was something of a surprise. PT was pretty regular, as were the power-points and lab on the TSP (torpedo settings panel). But after class I had a couple emails from Lt. Castro about meeting up again to talk about formatting, so I arranged with her to meet right away. When I parked in the TSC lot at the NEX, a petty officer was pulling out of his spot, but then stopped, got out of the car and called to me. It was ET1 Jordan, the recruiter-in-charge at Bellevue when I first met the Navy! I knew he was stationed in San Diego now, but I never thought I'd run into him! What a nice coincidence! We chatted, but we couldn't for long as we were in the middle of the parking lot.
The meeting with the LT went well. I hadn't had a clear picture of what exactly she was looking for, but I do now. More of a journalistic approach, with date and place, and even a "thesis". I've been so used to blog writing, I didn't consider someone would want a who-what-when-where-article written like a history paper. But that's what I've got to do.
Tuesday we had no Quarters because the staff had a meeting, or something. This was our test day, though, on the XBT, LAMPS, & TSP. I took the longest time, beating my brains out over two questions... but otherwise it was pretty easy. Wednesday morning, I found out I pulled off a 100%, making it my 3rd in the last 4 tests. Still in third place, but now at a 97.54% (behind Trimpe at 98.67%). There was a lot of down time, but we also started the H&SG (handling & stowage group - for the acoustic sensor). Signed and got my copy of my first evaluation in admin... I officially "meet standards". :) The last thing we did was finally discover the insides of Bldg. 12: ASW command's set-up of the H&SG. But it was just a quick walk-through to get formally introduced to the heavy machinery. Actual practice will come a little later.
Today, I ran circuits with Witte and Hibbard on the volleyball court for PT. A good workout, indeed! So glad to be able to push myself harder with other people. Retired Senior Chief Jerry taught us today. He gave us schematics (as he did back when he taught us the Power Supplies) for the hydraulics and power circuits for the H&SG. Again we broke out our colored pencils and traced some of the lines so we'd better understand what did what. Most of the day was taken up with the 84-slide Functional Interfaces power-point. Gosh! So much!
Back at home I finished the final few pages of the very readable 600-page novel The Sand Pebbles. It marks the fifth book I've finished in class... and tomorrow I'm going to start Battleship Sailor from the MCPON's suggested reading list. It's a personal account of a radioman 3rd class on the USS California from 1940 to 1941. Promises to be very interesting.
Showing posts with label writing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label writing. Show all posts
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Friday, April 6, 2012
Good, Good Friday
I woke with a start, as my alarm went off for duty section muster. At first glance, I thought I was late, but that was because I had an odd schedule today, not having to come to class until 0715, and partly because I was so tired. I was upset for about five minutes before I realized that I was ten minutes earlier than I had planned. Whew! I signed the watchbill on my way to muster, had a normal muster at the Red Deck, then had breakfast at the galley.
Class was pretty normal... finished up LAMPS, and started the TSP slides... and read in my book. But at 1030 we were whisked out of class for the first of several short GMTs this month about sexual harassment awareness. It's a theme for this month... they said one gets reported in the Navy every day. Good grief.
It was soon time for the afternoon (1230 on Fridays) muster, and that also went quickly and smoothly. Right after that, I utilized the Lib Hall computers to write the article that I interviewed for yesterday. Took me about an hour, then I sent it off to the LT. I hope she likes it!
When I got home, I had exactly two hours before my watch, so I took a light nap and had a bit of a snack while I got into my service uniform (khaki & black). I had the 17-21 MOOW (messenger). The OOD sent me over to take over the Bldg. 51 access watch while she found a replacement for the guy who was away on TAD orders. It was that kind of duty day. This has been the only duty day in recent memory that took up the entire day. I'm very glad to be resting in my bed right now.
Class was pretty normal... finished up LAMPS, and started the TSP slides... and read in my book. But at 1030 we were whisked out of class for the first of several short GMTs this month about sexual harassment awareness. It's a theme for this month... they said one gets reported in the Navy every day. Good grief.
It was soon time for the afternoon (1230 on Fridays) muster, and that also went quickly and smoothly. Right after that, I utilized the Lib Hall computers to write the article that I interviewed for yesterday. Took me about an hour, then I sent it off to the LT. I hope she likes it!
When I got home, I had exactly two hours before my watch, so I took a light nap and had a bit of a snack while I got into my service uniform (khaki & black). I had the 17-21 MOOW (messenger). The OOD sent me over to take over the Bldg. 51 access watch while she found a replacement for the guy who was away on TAD orders. It was that kind of duty day. This has been the only duty day in recent memory that took up the entire day. I'm very glad to be resting in my bed right now.
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Dragging, Tuesday Through Thursday
That's what happens if you don't take a nap! I've had trouble these last three days, getting up and at 'em. Tuesday morning I fell asleep immediately after I swiped my phone's alarm off... and then next thing I knew, STG2 Root called and asked what was going on. "It's five?!" was my reply. And I was in class at 5:30. He broke us for breakfast when I sat down in my chair, so I immediately went home again for a bit of eggs and oatmeal. It was nice we had the extra time, because this was our Whites inspection at Quarters. I led everyone in the Creed for the third time.
First on a timer at the overflow parking lot across the street. Second in the women's locker room in the gym. My pants are a little tighter than they used to be, and they shortened them too much in boot camp... needless to say, I need a new pair.
Tuesday was also our test day on the consoles and the CADRT. It was very tricky, because there were two versions of each that we needed to keep straight. Don't know the exact score yet, but he's told us that no one got below an 85% (which would mean mando).
Wednesday I set the alarm differently, so I thought I'd get up better. Nope. But I made it to PT with about five minutes to spare. It's easier to get up and go on PT days, simply because a t-shirt and shorts (and usually a sweatshirt) are much faster to get into than the t-shirt, socks, trousers, boots, blousing straps (for the bottoms of the trousers), blouse and cover of the working uniform. I did the first bit of the workout on the elliptical, then followed Witte and Hibbard over to the volleyball court for a great abdominal workout, just us three. Very glad I had my book... all we did all day was our practicals. And STG1 Fletcher assigned me the last of the five groups with Nordgren. I read over 50 pages in the 3+ hours I had to wait. At one point everyone's chatter was bothering me and I was getting pretty cold just sitting there, so I took a walk around the third and second decks of the school and then came back. Much better. I had to do that a couple times in Ops, I remember. :) The practical itself was just fine. Actually went through an MRC (maintenance requirement card), verifying it with the MIP (index page), tagging out the "PP" (power panel) and "removing and replacing" the battery on the CADRT. We were given 100's.
Today, I had to sprint to the gym from my car in order to make it on time; and I got there seconds before STG1 came to muster us. (ARRG! So angry at myself!) I was seriously tempted to just go home, since my backpack with my uniform was still in my car. But I did the right thing, came back and worked out. Bench-pressed, shoulder-pressed, pushed-up and called it a morning.
Back in class at the normal 0715, we had STG2 Root back. He forgot to bring our tests back, but after I suggested it, he printed out the cumulative score from the last two weeks combined. I passed up Wagner, climbing to 3rd place with a 97.0% behind Trimpe and Witte. Today we went through the slides for the XBT (expendable bathythermograph - measures temperature vs. depth) and the LAMPS (light airborne multipurpose sonobouy system - talking with the helos). We only have three weeks left to this course, and only three more short topics, the final, and last practical. I also read a bit between us figuring out what we were going to do for our class party.
Oh, and Hibbard (from my RTC division) got orders to Washington State today. That's made me think seriously again about how short my time left at this command is. Three of the four on the bottom of the class ranking have been given orders now. What a silly coincidence! They joke that they did it on purpose. :) So I checked my orders today in the Student Resource Center, just to make sure the new ones haven't posted yet... and they didn't.
And this afternoon I had my first interviewee for my new job. I am such a booter! I knocked on the door before coming in... just to make sure. The chief was very friendly... he came into the office in PT gear after I had arrived, having forgotten all about it. I listened to the others talk with a Senior Chief while he changed. There was a double-pinned, undesignated seaman there, talking about getting out. Nobody can find her an A-school! So Chief and I went to a room upstairs for the interview, and it was very interesting. I told him about myself first, then we got into how he got into the COOL program and what he's been doing. He's a Damage Control guy, wanting to get into FEMA or Homeland Security when he retires in five years. It was an interesting little conversation. If the half-page I write about it ever makes it online, I'll be sure to link it! :)
First on a timer at the overflow parking lot across the street. Second in the women's locker room in the gym. My pants are a little tighter than they used to be, and they shortened them too much in boot camp... needless to say, I need a new pair.
Tuesday was also our test day on the consoles and the CADRT. It was very tricky, because there were two versions of each that we needed to keep straight. Don't know the exact score yet, but he's told us that no one got below an 85% (which would mean mando).
Wednesday I set the alarm differently, so I thought I'd get up better. Nope. But I made it to PT with about five minutes to spare. It's easier to get up and go on PT days, simply because a t-shirt and shorts (and usually a sweatshirt) are much faster to get into than the t-shirt, socks, trousers, boots, blousing straps (for the bottoms of the trousers), blouse and cover of the working uniform. I did the first bit of the workout on the elliptical, then followed Witte and Hibbard over to the volleyball court for a great abdominal workout, just us three. Very glad I had my book... all we did all day was our practicals. And STG1 Fletcher assigned me the last of the five groups with Nordgren. I read over 50 pages in the 3+ hours I had to wait. At one point everyone's chatter was bothering me and I was getting pretty cold just sitting there, so I took a walk around the third and second decks of the school and then came back. Much better. I had to do that a couple times in Ops, I remember. :) The practical itself was just fine. Actually went through an MRC (maintenance requirement card), verifying it with the MIP (index page), tagging out the "PP" (power panel) and "removing and replacing" the battery on the CADRT. We were given 100's.
Today, I had to sprint to the gym from my car in order to make it on time; and I got there seconds before STG1 came to muster us. (ARRG! So angry at myself!) I was seriously tempted to just go home, since my backpack with my uniform was still in my car. But I did the right thing, came back and worked out. Bench-pressed, shoulder-pressed, pushed-up and called it a morning.
Back in class at the normal 0715, we had STG2 Root back. He forgot to bring our tests back, but after I suggested it, he printed out the cumulative score from the last two weeks combined. I passed up Wagner, climbing to 3rd place with a 97.0% behind Trimpe and Witte. Today we went through the slides for the XBT (expendable bathythermograph - measures temperature vs. depth) and the LAMPS (light airborne multipurpose sonobouy system - talking with the helos). We only have three weeks left to this course, and only three more short topics, the final, and last practical. I also read a bit between us figuring out what we were going to do for our class party.
Oh, and Hibbard (from my RTC division) got orders to Washington State today. That's made me think seriously again about how short my time left at this command is. Three of the four on the bottom of the class ranking have been given orders now. What a silly coincidence! They joke that they did it on purpose. :) So I checked my orders today in the Student Resource Center, just to make sure the new ones haven't posted yet... and they didn't.
And this afternoon I had my first interviewee for my new job. I am such a booter! I knocked on the door before coming in... just to make sure. The chief was very friendly... he came into the office in PT gear after I had arrived, having forgotten all about it. I listened to the others talk with a Senior Chief while he changed. There was a double-pinned, undesignated seaman there, talking about getting out. Nobody can find her an A-school! So Chief and I went to a room upstairs for the interview, and it was very interesting. I told him about myself first, then we got into how he got into the COOL program and what he's been doing. He's a Damage Control guy, wanting to get into FEMA or Homeland Security when he retires in five years. It was an interesting little conversation. If the half-page I write about it ever makes it online, I'll be sure to link it! :)
Monday, April 2, 2012
New Chapter
I've got an additional job now... the Lt. I met today in the TSC Student Affairs building on 32nd street is the command's PAO (public affairs officer) and she said that she needs someone to help write short articles for news stories related to TSC students to be published on Navy websites. I already have two assignments for this month. So far she wants me to write about students who went to help out on a ship lately, and our upcoming SAPR training at GMT this month. Suddenly, I have a job to do in the Navy without being baby-sat... almost like those three weeks last year when I worked on the USS Antietam... except this is just the LT and I. We'll see how well I do and what comes of it, but I'm glad to be able to help out a very busy officer. She said she'd take me over to Coronado soon to get familiar with the students over there. Possibly a story about BUD/S drop-outs and how they get re-assigned. I hope I'm not in over my head, but I don't think so. I'll give it my best shot.
Class today was pretty usual. PT on our own, and I took it pretty easy because of my big hiking trip yesterday. Only 3 miles on the bike and a few core exercises next door. We finished up the lectures and labs on the CADRT, and I read a few more exciting chapters in Sand Pebbles.
Class today was pretty usual. PT on our own, and I took it pretty easy because of my big hiking trip yesterday. Only 3 miles on the bike and a few core exercises next door. We finished up the lectures and labs on the CADRT, and I read a few more exciting chapters in Sand Pebbles.
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