Day 12 - Sticking

Today sucked. Last night, 2 guys snuck off and bought candy from the vending machine near the PX, which got them classified as AWOL. One drill sergeant came in and started screaming at 9:45 and made us dress in “full battle rattle” (i.e. body armor, helmet, utility belt, plus knee and elbow pads) for fireguard until 11:30. Then he woke us up again 3:45 because some other squad was slacking off.

So this morning, our drill sergeants tore through our stuff looking for contraband, then came up with the idea to have all of us move our bunks and lockers onto the front lawn of our barracks. However, a colonel was visiting, so they changed their minds and had us move everything down to the CTA (where we form up).

So that’s what we did all morning (oh, we had a first aid test, also).

In the afternoon, we did IV insertions. I had thought I'd be with my bunkmate with the large veins, but it didn't work out that way. Instead, I got matched up with this other guy who stuck me three times in the left arm without getting it right. Then, because my arm was out of good spots, they had him switch. Finally, on that fourth try, he got it right. I, on the other hand, did it right on the first time.

In other news, one of the 18 year-olds irritated me today. (Can you believe people born after 1990 can be allowed in the Army?) He was talking about how angry he was that he’s missing “Batman 2.” I told him Batman 2 came out in 1990 and starred Michael Keaton and Michelle Pfeiffer. I told him - in the sternest voice I could manage - that he was just too young.

It's kind of funny. Being here does make me feel old, and I've never felt that way before. People here have no memory of things like Nirvana or a time before Napster and cell phones. And when my hair’s grown more than a few days my gray hair shows. It makes me wonder where I’ve spent my time, because memories seem so far away here, suppressed by the monotony of daily tasks.

We did some “light” PT in the morning, but with my shins hurting, my left shoulder junky, my sternum sore, and a rope burn on my inner right thigh, nothing feels light.