Saturday, October 22, 2005
Hey, Navy:
Finished with my Saturday lab and am home listening to the World Series (Astros v. White Sox), wishing Tim McCarver would shut up for 10 whole seconds. How the man keeps his job when every professional directly connected to baseball hates his guts, I will never know. One of the authors of that Red Sox diary I was reading last month said, "When Fox [Sports] talks, baseball listens.” It always gets back to money, it seems.
I dropped off your letters this morning at the post office on Highway 50 and hopefully through the miracle of the modern, overpriced, feather-bedded-to-death American postal service, you have five envelopes prior to this one (1 YM, 4 me). We’ve read repeatedly on the Navy chat board that you don’t get to open them until Sunday, so YM and I want to make sure you get your money’s worth. And we know that time is especially precious to you and you won’t have a lot time to write letters, but writing is good for the soul.
I called Great Lakes on Friday afternoon (10/21) to get your address. I have to say I got a small thrill when this petty officer instantly found you in the computer and was able to give me what I needed in a few seconds. The closest analogy that comes to mind is from The Jerk: Steve Martin is ecstatic when he finds his name listed in the phone book. "I’m a real person!” To hear someone in the Navy say that my daughter was on a military installation and she was a Seaman Recruit…well, it was just one of those proud parent moments.
YM is writing her letter at the table at the same time and she’s telling you about the Reno Film Festival and who will be there and how happy L/D were when they heard who was going to be there. YM really enjoys the RFF and the judge counts it as community service, so it’s a win-win for everyone.
L/D are heading up to Virginia City in a few minutes to see Phantom with Lombardos. You’ll probably hear all about it in one of their letters, but you can pretty much expect their reaction: laughter and much derision.
Looking at the weather at Great Lakes, and it looks like you’re heading into a clearing pattern for a few days after 40 percent of showers Sunday night (10/23). Ouch. It says the high will be 40s on Monday and Tuesday. If it hasn’t happened already, your division will probably have daily (sometimes hourly) discussions about precipitation. Not too hard to believe: the Navy is all about water, be it under a keel or coming down from the skies. Weather awareness will become more second nature to you than it was in Carson.
If you need us to send anything, please let us know, but I doubt that’ll happen. Just trying to let you know we’re here for you, that we’re damn proud of you, and we miss you. (Well, I don’t. So don’t believe what YM puts in her letters. I barely notice you’re not here. When did you join the Navy?) (Don’t believe any of that for a second.)
All my love,
Air Force
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