I got one of those letters the other day, letting me know that I was now eligible for a new phone.
Shoot, I'm still getting used to this last one.
I've had exactly four cell phones, kinda sorta. My first phone lasted about two months before going kaput, got it swapped out for another of the same model. I had that phone for about... forever, long enough that I don't remember exactly when I got it, just that it was sometime around '98 or '99. Still have it, and it still works. Looks good too, on account of there's the equivalent of about three years that it wasn't used, packed up in storage or at my folks' house while I was away on deployments.
Heh, I remember when I discovered that it had texting capabilities a couple of years back, when I got a wrong number 'booty text'.
ME: Sweet! Booty text!
ME: Holy crap, this thing has text!
CRICKETS: *sigh*
ME (typing): s-u-r-e... i... b-r-i-n-g... k-y... y-o-u... b-r-i-n-g... w-a-i-t... u-r-e... n-o-t... a... d-u-d-e... ?
Never did get a response, guess it wasn't meant to be...
Anyways, I got a wild hair a couple of years back and got a new phone. One of those fancy ones, with a camera, music ringy thingies, games, and all kinds of stuff. That one lasted about a month before it disappeared.
So, after a short debate about just going back to old faithful, I wound up with another fancy new phone. This phone (the one I'm currently using) has most of the new stuff that comes with phones nowadays, but I realized the other day that about the only thing that I use it for besides calling (gasp!), is keeping a list of Stuff I Gotta Do.
I'm a big fan of lists.
Pretty sure this started in school, writing lists of everything, and it was something that carried over to the Corps. I have my own system, separating things that I have to do, stuff I have to buy, items of interest, and the like. With notes, you don't have to try to remember every little detail, just jot it down and there ya go. I used to have a bunch of note cards, and just grab one as the old one got all items crossed off, or disappeared.
I was always losing those darn things.
I was afraid to keep 'em in my wallet, because with my luck, I'd lose my wallet and all of my personal crap in it. Besides, I had a ton of cards, and if it was important enough to remember, it'd eventually make it back onto another list. That's not to say that it'd get done pronto, just that it had a better chance than before. I was likewise a little leery of putting my lists on a phone, but I figured I had that thing with me even more than my wallet, so mebbe I had a better chance of holding onto it.
As an example, one of those things recently was Find The Holster.
During the work-up to Iraq, I went out and bought my own high-speed low-drag Hollywood-sexy thigh holster. I knew that any crap we'd get issued would be just that -crap- and once I got the impression that higher wouldn't have too many objections to us getting our own stuff as long as it fit some regs, I went ahead and picked one up before they could change their minds. Naturally, as it turned out, there weren't enough m9s to go around, and once I issued them out to guys who needed 'em more than me, I read the writing on the wall and realized that I wasn't even going to get one (sad face), I gave one of my guys the holster to use in Iraq. He remembered to give it back at the end of the deployment, only somewhat worse for the wear, and that was about the last time I saw it, stuffing it down to the bottom of my seabag.
So, down in the garage in my storage space / pile o' military crap, there lies my old seabag. Standing it up and opening the flaps was a trip through memory lane. A faint whiff of stale man stanck, left over Iraqi dust, some uniform items that I doubt I'll ever fit into again, and assorted odds and ends. There was a nifty little map case with a bunch of pockets that I'd long ago forgot about, one of which included a list card. One side had a bunch of Marines' names and where they needed to go (medical, dental, admin, etc), schedules for issued gear turn in, flight schedules, and what looked suspiciously like a list of bars and strip clubs (ah, good times). Flipping it over, I looked at the other side to view my personal list of stuff to buy or do, and had a good chuckle.
ITEM 1 - FIND OLD LIST(S).
ITEM 2 - DON'T LOSE THIS LIST, DUMB-ASS!!!
whoops.
Shoot, I'm still getting used to this last one.
I've had exactly four cell phones, kinda sorta. My first phone lasted about two months before going kaput, got it swapped out for another of the same model. I had that phone for about... forever, long enough that I don't remember exactly when I got it, just that it was sometime around '98 or '99. Still have it, and it still works. Looks good too, on account of there's the equivalent of about three years that it wasn't used, packed up in storage or at my folks' house while I was away on deployments.
Heh, I remember when I discovered that it had texting capabilities a couple of years back, when I got a wrong number 'booty text'.
ME: Sweet! Booty text!
ME: Holy crap, this thing has text!
CRICKETS: *sigh*
ME (typing): s-u-r-e... i... b-r-i-n-g... k-y... y-o-u... b-r-i-n-g... w-a-i-t... u-r-e... n-o-t... a... d-u-d-e... ?
Never did get a response, guess it wasn't meant to be...
Anyways, I got a wild hair a couple of years back and got a new phone. One of those fancy ones, with a camera, music ringy thingies, games, and all kinds of stuff. That one lasted about a month before it disappeared.
So, after a short debate about just going back to old faithful, I wound up with another fancy new phone. This phone (the one I'm currently using) has most of the new stuff that comes with phones nowadays, but I realized the other day that about the only thing that I use it for besides calling (gasp!), is keeping a list of Stuff I Gotta Do.
I'm a big fan of lists.
Pretty sure this started in school, writing lists of everything, and it was something that carried over to the Corps. I have my own system, separating things that I have to do, stuff I have to buy, items of interest, and the like. With notes, you don't have to try to remember every little detail, just jot it down and there ya go. I used to have a bunch of note cards, and just grab one as the old one got all items crossed off, or disappeared.
I was always losing those darn things.
I was afraid to keep 'em in my wallet, because with my luck, I'd lose my wallet and all of my personal crap in it. Besides, I had a ton of cards, and if it was important enough to remember, it'd eventually make it back onto another list. That's not to say that it'd get done pronto, just that it had a better chance than before. I was likewise a little leery of putting my lists on a phone, but I figured I had that thing with me even more than my wallet, so mebbe I had a better chance of holding onto it.
As an example, one of those things recently was Find The Holster.
During the work-up to Iraq, I went out and bought my own high-speed low-drag Hollywood-sexy thigh holster. I knew that any crap we'd get issued would be just that -crap- and once I got the impression that higher wouldn't have too many objections to us getting our own stuff as long as it fit some regs, I went ahead and picked one up before they could change their minds. Naturally, as it turned out, there weren't enough m9s to go around, and once I issued them out to guys who needed 'em more than me, I read the writing on the wall and realized that I wasn't even going to get one (sad face), I gave one of my guys the holster to use in Iraq. He remembered to give it back at the end of the deployment, only somewhat worse for the wear, and that was about the last time I saw it, stuffing it down to the bottom of my seabag.
So, down in the garage in my storage space / pile o' military crap, there lies my old seabag. Standing it up and opening the flaps was a trip through memory lane. A faint whiff of stale man stanck, left over Iraqi dust, some uniform items that I doubt I'll ever fit into again, and assorted odds and ends. There was a nifty little map case with a bunch of pockets that I'd long ago forgot about, one of which included a list card. One side had a bunch of Marines' names and where they needed to go (medical, dental, admin, etc), schedules for issued gear turn in, flight schedules, and what looked suspiciously like a list of bars and strip clubs (ah, good times). Flipping it over, I looked at the other side to view my personal list of stuff to buy or do, and had a good chuckle.
ITEM 1 - FIND OLD LIST(S).
ITEM 2 - DON'T LOSE THIS LIST, DUMB-ASS!!!
whoops.
6 comments:
Rooting through your old gear...
When I got out of the Air Force, more years ago than I'd like to remember, I put all my uniforms, boots, various gear in my duffle bag so I'd be able to keep it all together.
I few years ago, for a Vet meeting, I tried to find the bag and get my ribbons, wings and insignia. I couldn't find it. My wife and I have moved five times in the years since I left active duty. Somewhere, sometime, the bag was lost.
Root through that bag and get all those items that you want to keep. Put them in a safety deposit box or some other secure location.
You'll never regret it.
Crucis:
Roger that.
Sarge:
For the shinies & assorted fruit salad, get one of those display frame cases you hang on the wall (for mementos)...they work real good!
As to not getting an M9?
Hell, if I were in your boots, I'd have BOUGHT a SIG P226 or a Walther P99...does the job JUST as well, and it's YOURS!
BTW, they still have that standing order about bringing (but not keeping - damn indian givers)issued sidearms BACK into the USA, right?
Used to be if you crossed the pond by SHIP - no sidearm.
By plane - sidearm.
It was YOURS...period.
That's how my Dad (USAAF-stationed Barrackpore, India '41-'44) got HIS Colt.45 auto...as a PFC!
On the way back (by ship) he was told (erroneously) they'd check his gear after getting stateside. He (and others) tossed the pistols over the side...so I NEVER got MY hands on it.
They didn't check for "contraband" or gov't issued sidearms.
Lesson learned...never listen to anyone w/ a paper a**hole.
AT least some fish got to look at it...LOL.
Carry On.
B.G.
It looks like you eventually managed to follow Item #1 and 2, even if only by accident :)
So.... did you find the holster? :-)
Talking about lost and found- I was looking for something a few months ago and found an old sea bag (old enough to only have one strap), inside were a pair of gaberdine WESTPAC dress whites, a kerchef still rolled and tied (with a roll of dimes in it)... I had "lost" that seabag 30+ years ago! I have no idea whereinhell it's been since!
RE lists. The Marine!Goth has a forearm moto tat (just under the wire before the regs changed - so now he looks 'salty' LOL). He has the habit of writing his notes in pen as a border to the tat. If you don't look close, they blend right in, and he never loses them (though he has showered off a few *G*)
Crusis: There's always hope in the old nfo vein....
Bob G: (Maternal) Grandpa was telling me about transit to and from Europe at this last reunion, and how the only requirement for 'acquired' weapons was that they not be loaded. Some guys took stuff overseas, most guys brought back little more than weapons on the return trip. *sigh* When I was over, personally owned weapons was one of the big 'no-nos'.
Abwf: Ha! Yup...
Old NFO: I got so many bags, it's gotta be in there somewhere... Then again, I have at least one package floating around somewhere that never made it back.
Karla: 'Salty' dogs, gotta love 'em. Hope the shower never killed any important notes..
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