I still haven't fixed any of my camera's so I'll be unable to download any new pictures. I am going to get a disposable camera. *gasp* With all this technology out we still have the old famous disposable, and remarkably some pictures taken by these cameras are developed quite nicely.

And so now that I'm able to be home (shall I say) permanently, I've been helping Mum cleaning the house. We've got a lot of family from out of state coming, like the Torba's from Washington and Aunt Sue from Hawaii. It's going to be a crowded house for Christmas once again.

so i finally succembed and bought an ipod. she's a 30gb 7500 song or whatever stuff. i can have pics, those audiobooks, and even videos. so now i get to dig through my 200 or so cds and upload those onto my new ipod. so i've uploaded myself in a way. no longer gonna use a cd walkman. well maybe not that often. LOL.

i'm almost done with the navy, although they aren't done with me. i've got about 5 more working shifts left. and then i go on vacation (which in navy it's terminal leave - honorable). while i'm on vacation i have to continue seeing navy doctors for my back. a nurse practionare was able to get an xray done for my back right away. so she found out that i have 5 disc straightin in my upper back and beginning stages of arthritous in my lower back. i get to finally see an ortho in december. i'm really excited about all this because it's taken the navy 3 years to finally get progress on finding what's wrong with my back. so i'm really happy now.

the only thing is that my sleep schedule is all wacked because i work nights. this totally sucks.

Matthew and Ian are coming here for trick or treating soon.

Happy Halloween!

Just recently seen Flags of Our Fathers with mum. It was a good movie, and since I still don't have a camera that's working I thought I'd post those pics that reminded me of my military experience.
It's a real bummer that there's no camera working though, especially when my little cousins come over to go trick-or-treating this Halloween. And upon Matthew's suggestion, I'm going to be a princes.

So what can I tell you about these past couple weeks? The days have been redundant, and at the same time meeting new people. That book A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints by Dito Montiel and Fortunate Son have me thinking of fate. I guess when you read something about fate, karma, daja-vu then of course you'll think about.

For example, a friend told me that I'll get out of the navy, have some struggles in my near future, and marry in about 7 years. But I think mum's had a better idea of my future than that friend. I agree that I'll miss the military and all this traveling, and that I'll probably go active reserves. (can't watch a military movie without putting in my experience or knowledge). Also fate and the future can be changed with the simplest thought.

my dear grandma,
rest in peace,
i know you'll be looking down on us.
you're in mine and our hearts.
i love you.

july 4, 1930 to october 7, 2005

so i'm shore duty for the last two months i'm in the navy, and guess what. i'm working night shifts, from 7pm to 7am (or 1900 to 0700). my days rotate too so there's no more routine sleep. my shore duty job has been to work as the security/ id checker for the same really old dorm (barracks) i sleep at when i'm in san diego. now there's good with the bad with any job, so this job is still working on both. it's been good to have this job cause i get to sit around for 12 hours reading my books. (right now i'm reading 'a guide to recognizing your saints' by dito montiel and earlier i finally finished the count of monte cristo by dumas). then you get to chit chat with all the drunks and fellow night shift workers. so the downfall of the job besides estranged hours of sleeping, is (1) it's boring between 12:45am and 4am, (2) by the time 4am rolls around all i can think of is that i'll be off very soon. plus at about 3am i'm trying hard to stay awake, cause my body is telling me to sleep. so of course standing for the remainder of your hours is no option, but a must.

last night i had a MA (master at arms - wanna be cop) complain to me about having to start 12 hour work shifts. i gave him no sympathy, even when he tried to point out the fact that i can sit rather than having to stand.

i've also been doing just some random writing on my pen journal. you know the ol' fashion writing style. next work shifts i think i'll bring my old school stuff so that i can study because i'm going back to college in january. i've got nothing better to do while i'm on these night shifts so i might as well make the best of it.

btw all those shore duty peoples in 32nd area come say hi to me in snyder when i've got my night watches. please. so as to help me from my boredom. LOL

bon voyage ship. it was a bitter ending from watching my ship leave for it's deployment. i was standing on the pier thinking how i've been on that ship since may 2003, and now it's going on another deployment, but without me. i'm happy and sad about that; sad cause a lot of friends on that ship. i know that they'll be alright while they're out in the waters, but it's the fact that they'll be having a lot of fun without me at the liberty ports like Singapore etc. and i had no camera's that worked to take any pictures...

so now i'm stuck here in san diego shore duty ("beach det") for the rest of my 2 and a half months left in the navy. who knows if i'll have fun with that or not. so yes, i am getting out of the navy. i'll really be out of the navy in january 13, 2007. but since i have like 45+ days left of vacation time, i'll be really getting out on november 28, 2006 (a few months from now).

so this week i've been busy checking out of my ship and moving three times - ship to barrecks (dorm), "wrong" barrecks building to another "correct" barrecks. hopefully the admin people got it right this time so that way i don't have to move again.

also i took the E5 promote exam yesterday. i know you're all thinking that i'm getting out, so why take this promote exam? well, it's cause i'm gonna try and get in the active reserves while i am going to school. i'm thinking of joining the reserves cause i'm very sure that i can do this navy part time (reserves), but not 24/7 (active duty).

so this was my long week. a bitter ending, and hopefully a good beginning....

ESG 5 to deploy in support of Global War on Terrorism

San Diego (CA) -- Nearly 6,000 Sailors and Marines and eight ships of Expeditionary Strike Group Five (ESG 5) will depart from Naval Station San Diego on Sep. 13 for a six month deployment in support of the Global War on Terrorism.
The strike group completed their last training workup, Joint Task Force Exercise, Aug. 21. ESG 5 completed two other required workups this summer, collectively preparing the group for the difficult challenges a deployment presents. ESG 5 is comprised of Amphibious Squadron 5, the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, USS Boxer (LHD 4), USS Dubuque (LPD 8), USS Comstock (LSD 45), USS Bunker Hill (CG 52), USS Benfold (DDG 65), USS Howard (DDG 83), United States Coast Guard Ship Midgett (WHEC 726) and Canadian Frigate HMCS Ottawa (FFH 341).

Krispy Kreme Chicken Sandwich!!

that's some of the new things at the la county fair. mum and i went today for a couple hours cause the entrance fee was just a dollar. not bad, but then you've also got the parking price of 8 bucks.

oh and then there's the shows, like the one i'm going to miss tomorrow cause i'm going back to san diego for duty sunday. Heart is playing tomorrow. it would have been good to see them.

Happy Labor Day. relaxing labor day. now back to work.
or, like me, back to work for 2 days (today and sunday's duty).

I've got duty right now, so i'm enjoying my time off with a little computer time. So my boredom right now is pretty high. And I have duty with my cheif (E7), so it's even more boring cause he's not much of a talker.
So in between handing out weapons to all the people who have to stand patroling watches, I've been playing on the computer, reading 'the Count of Monte Cristo' by Alexander Dumas, and watching movies and tv. I'm bored.

Flogging Molly
"Laura"
Whiskey On A Sunday (CD/DVD)