Yes..., still pilot #38

Someone, not me, made a pipe cleaner model of the MC-12..., pretty good job.

So, it looks like I'll be pilot #38 for at least one more week.  We're on a kinda hold right now.  The training for my plane moved bases.  And the move takes time (hopefully not that much)....so, we're all over here just waiting.  The #'s 1-7 dudes right now have their dates to leave so they'll be getting out of here for sure fairly soon, first couple dudes at the end of July and the rest of them the first few days in August.  So..., as soon as we start seeing new dudes showing up here from the new training base we'll all start to breathe again over here. But as for now we're just waiting for the first dude to get here from the new training base so we know the system works...... that sucks.

This is me "Chuckin up the deuces" so ya know what I'm talking about

On my day off last week I made the July MWR calendar for my squadron (my self appointed job) to let people know what's going on around the base.  That night I went with my buddy Chris and two cigars to find a good place to light up (it's a war thing... Haha).  We found the BEST spot ever.  We smoked cigars 40 feet from a taxiway under the tower here as the sun set over the mountains.  We sat there for about two hours.  We were even on the flight line.... and flight line security just let us sit there and smoke...... COOLEST THING EVER (probably not the smartest or safest..., but cool none the less).  I always wave at people when the see me in the plane.  People ALWAYS wave back.  It makes you feel good if the pilot sees you,  I always give the "hang loose" sign with my hands.  And Chris and I kept chucking up the deuces to the pilot and they all waved back.  It was cool to see everyone's "wave".  Just like I do the "hang loose" other pilots do their own little "wave"  one plane even flashed his lights like a disco ball.... one my best memories over here so far!

Then the next day I was the scheduler.  Ok, Ok...., my official title is "Assistant to the Chief of Scheduling", but I like to just be called "Scheduler".  The other title is to long and it's cooler to take out the word assistant.  Because was I've actually been doing as scheduler has been going in.  Making sure there are no glaring mistakes for tomorrows schedule (that was already made the day prior ) by the "Chief of Scheduling".  And then I just print out the schedule and get it signed off (by the Ops Sup (Operations Supervisor (dude in charge). And then I usually go home and the Chief of Scheduling comes in the afternoon and creates the schedule for the next day...... wellllllll.......  I decided to give it a hack to do the whole thing.  And I did AWESOME!  Which is good and bad.  Good because I'll get trusted with more, show that I'm competent and just because I showed myself that I can do it. It's a DIFFICULT schedule to do!!!  We fly a bunch of sorties over here (if I told you the number I'd have to kill you)..., and each plane has multiple people on board.  And out of those people on board they all have to have crew rest (12 hours), currency, not to many days working in a row and a number of other things..... so it's DIFFICULT.  The bad part of thins now is that now I can be trusted to do this and probably expected to as well...... oh well.....

This carved fruit on a Thanksgiving tablecloth is cruise ship worthy!

The 4th of July started out awesome over here.  I started out the day with an organized 5K.  Those are so much fun over here with all the different organizations and countries coming together and running..., it's just cool.  And I shaved a minute off of my last 5K time which is amazing!  After the race some Canadians were asking me who was coming to the 4th of July celebration..... I didn't know.  See, General Petraus was coming I knew (it was a secret) to re-enlist about 200 soldiers here and that's all I knew.  Canada just had their "Independence Day" on the 1st of July.  They closed down their complex to outsides and had alcohol and some Canadian celebrities in their compound to entertain them.  So after the race the Canadians were asking me who "famous" was coming?  I didn't know.  Two years ago it was Toby Keith and last year it was some members of Aerosmith.  So it was natural to assume that there would be someone cool showing up this day.

How patriotic!!! USA USA USA!!!  Haha.

I'm focused might as well say CHEESE for the pictures OOhhhhhh

 Well,  I had to fly.  So I'd worry about this 4th of July stuff when I got back.  I flew/had work right in the middle of the day (10am till 8pm).  I got on the bus and went straight to the boardwalk so excited in anticipation of what celebrity was going to be there.  Guess what..... it was no one.  Bummer. And on top of that everything was over.  There was just some Army dudes singing horrible karaoke.  I felt a little uneasy about all the TCN's (Third Country Nationals (mostly south Asians who work "odd" jobs around base) just standing around.  So I went and got some ice cream and sat on a bench by myself and watch Army dudes "sing".  I was almost sure I was going to be witness to a suicide bombing..... but it never happened thank God.  And to top it off..., the USA didn't discriminate, we let EVERYONE, from EVERY cuntry in on our celebration and I heard the TCN's were being really rude.  We had "carnival" type games out there for free that gave tickets for doing well.  And you could trade the tickets in for USA paraphernalia like t-shirts with our flag on it and stuff...... and the TCN's wanted the prizes soooo bad that they were pushing to get to the front of the line.  Just more proof that our country is the BIG DOG.  Everyone wants a piece of our American Pie....., well you can fight for that, I'll just sit back and eat my ice cream...., thanks.

My dad was in Orlando, Fl for the 4th!!!  Awesome!  I can't wait till I'm hanging out with JUST Americans ON AMERICAN SOIL too.  I didn't realize I'd miss stuff like that.  But right now I'd even take hanging out with Florida Gator or Atlanta Falcons fans.....and that's bad!  I also recieved a package from my dad this week.  I had A LOT of beads!  I handed them out to people here and they were pumped up.  I also got an LSU football which I can throw at the head of any Auburn or Florida fans out here.  And candy/snacks.....it was some good stuff.  Thanks dad.

My "buddy" Chris also played a prank on me this week.  Someone sent a pink bag to the someone.  It was left out.  Chris decided to take my helmet bag (the bag I fly with with my gear) and change it with the pink bag.  It was pretty damn funny.   He wanted to see me walk to the plane with that thing.  I couldn't though.  If I was not in a war zone I would butt I could see crashing or worse somewhere and evading the enemy with a pink bag so I borrowed someone else's bag for the day.  My helmet bag was returned when I landed..... Good one.

I flew the next few days in a row and had a day off on Saturday again.  I slept till noon!  Then I just lounged the rest of the day...., that was nice.

I flew today and am on the schedule to fly the next two.  I fly my 40th combat sortie tomorrow.  So that's another medal (every 20)!  That will look good on my uniform.

I got a card from Mama Oddo.  What up Mama Oddo!?!?!?  That was nice to hear from the Oddo's in the desert, haha.  Also, Uncle Jack..., I love to read your comments on my blogs!!!  Thanks!

Wow....  thought that I didn't have anything to write about this week.  Sorry about the long one this week (STS).  I'll try to keep the reading to a minimum and the pictures to a maximum from now on, haha..... Till next week.....

This was Nala while neighbors were popping fireworks (She hid in the shower b/c she was scared).

Dallas has been enjoying the weather.

Check out my buddy's blog if you want to read more about life over here...he's funny!  Just click on this sentence. This is him sleeping on the bus.....good guy.

Skypeing with Mrs....... my better half.