Things I've learned so far in the military

(in no particular order)
1. They are not as strict with your uniform or the rules as they were during training
2. 10 minute school physicals are a part of daily life
3. Introducing a new doc to the military is getting them to do 30 school physicals on a Saturday afternoon.
4. F15's and F22's make a lot of noise when taking off
5. Ophthalmoscopes do not exist in every patient room let alone on a whole entire hospital floor (don't even think about asking for one b/c they don't know what they are)
6. Residents question your reason for admission (possible NAT??? with head bleed??)
7. It is very easy to get ready in the morning when all you do is put on a uniform and put your hair in a bun
8. 730 is really early to have to be at work everyday.
9. 430 is an excellent time to be done in the afternoon
10. Having mandatory workouts 3 days a week is awesome (for me)
11. Never standing in your closet in the morning trying to figure out what to wear is excellent
12. Tricare allows people to book appts if their symptom has been going on for 2 hours or gone after a day (vomiting x1 yesterday-now gone and acting normally)
13. Tricare pays for Tylenol, Motrin, Eucerin, and a slew of other over the counter things
14. Saluting is a part of everyday life - I get saluted every time I come onto base
15. Everyone is really nice to you b/c they all have been separated from their families

Minnesota part 3...

The wedding day!

After 2 days of going out, I wasn't really excited about another night out, especially after I found out the reception lasted til 1AM, but Colleen is well worth it. We had to be up and in the lobby by 1 so that we could get our hair done at the salon. At the salon all the bridesmaid's, bride, mother of the bride, mother of the groom and honorary bridesmaid all had their hair done. It was fun to be pampered. Michelle and I did our nails there as well as our makeup. We finished a little late from there, the cab came late so we had to hail a taxi to get back to the hotel and quickly got dressed for the wedding. (hiding behind a wall so that our hair didn't get windblown)The bride had to get ready at the museum so all she had to do is grab her dress and accessories. We finished at 5 and we had to be on our way to the museum at 530/545. Wow, what a time crunch. (Sharon scarfing down food since they hadn't eaten all day)All went off without a hitch and Colleen and Kevin got married - while Colleen cried the whole time. The reception was beautiful complete with gorgeous center pieces, yummy food, fireworks(provided by the city) and great entertainment.

Overall Greg and I had a blast. We got back to the hotel around 130ish and Greg and I had to get up at 445AM to catch flights at 650AM. Talk about being tired. I slept as much as possible b/c I was driving back to SC to finish off my vacation with the fam.

The pics from Minnesota part 2

All the rides at Mall of America

Greg on the overlook

cool lego station

the bridal party at rehersal dinner

Colleen and Kevin's Table ( they are in the back right)

another table at dinner - the groomsmen

our table - Greg was cut out

Mom and Sharon - my aunt

Mom and Colleen

The famous porkchop



Sharon and her finance Dave

Mom and Tressa - take 1

Mom and Tressa take 2
Greg, Michelle, Chad, Peter, Brenda and Melissa at Britts Pub

Chuck and my uncle Kevin
Dave and my uncle Norman

Michelle and Chad at Britts Pub

The groomsmen, Cindy, Brenda and Kim

Listening to Michelle tell a story
Hanging out at Britts pub

The famous lawn bowling
and my touching balls...
Ending the night with Greg and I

minnesota part 2....

Friday was time for Greg to come in and rehersal dinner. Greg made it in about 930AM (minnesota time) and rode the light rail from the airport to downtown. Thanks to my trial by error, everyone that came in after me knew where to go from the airport, which way to go on the light rail and which exit to get off at. Once Greg made it in, we visited with the fam and then rode the light rail down to Mall of America. Wow, is all I have to say. This mall is huge. It is 4-5 stories(I can't remember) complete with a full size amusement park. There were about 4-5 full sized coasters, carousel and log flume. I was impressed. While there we met up with Michelle and Chad and then saw Mom, my uncles Norman and Kevin on the escalator. Who knew we'd find each other in such a large mall.

Later on the same day we had rehersal dinner (no rehersal though) at Firelake grill. The food was awesome. I had the porkchop (which was about 4 inches thick) and tender as a steak. I was impressed, and so was everyone else that had it. I wish I could bring it locally so I could have it whenever I felt the craving. Greg had steak and frites ( old fashioned french fries - but called frites to sound more appetizing).

After dinner, we headed to Britt's pub - which has an open area on top of the roof complete with lawn bowling. Such a nice atmosphere and great for hanging out. By the end of the night, we all tried our hand at lawn bowling. I was awesome if I do say so myself. I won a few rounds but Chuck and Greg were good too and kept me on my toes. We played with Michelle, Chad and one of the groomsmen Eric. On the other game was Kim, Norman, Kevin (my uncles), and Cindy (a bridesmaid). Playing with them were Sharon (my aunt), Dave, Rob and Chris (groomsmen). We had a wonderful time and are thinking about opening one ourselves.

The internet on base is being finicky so everytime i try to post pics, it takes forever and time out. I will post pics when I move into our house and Greg gets the internet going.

Minnesota....

This past weekend Greg, my family and I attended my cousin Colleen's wedding in Minneapolis. Minnesota. I am going to break the weekend up so that all the pictures can be viewed better.

I left Hampton on Wednesday night so I could make it in Minnesota for all the festivities on Thursday. My plane left at 715pm and I arrived in Minneapolis at 1138 PM. When I got there I asked my mom how to get to the hotel and she told me to take the light rail since a cab was $40 from the airport. Now being my mother, she would never lead me astray. She told me to get off at 5th or 4th street. When I looked at the stops, there wasn't a 4th or 5th street stop and the rail runs along 5th street. I should have know I would be in trouble. I had to ask people where to get off at midnight. This could be a problem. I hopped on the rail and asked people on it. One guy told me there were a lot of hotels at the Nicolett Mall station and I should get off there - he had no idea nor did anyone else have a clue as to the location of my hotel. So that's what I did, I got off the rail in the middle of downtown Minneapolis at 115 AM based on what some random guy told me. Luckily I only walked in the wrong direction of the hotel for one block (draging 2 suitcases and a computer bag) and I found the hotel at about 130-145AM. Wow, what a long night. Good thing I made it safely - i did say a continuous prayer on the light rail at 1 AM.

On Thursday, it was time for family (Greg was coming in on Friday AM). We walked the skyway (a walkway on the second floor of most buildings above the street that is air conditioned and heated so that you don't have to go outside during the winter when it is 30 below) in the morning and then headed out to Lake Minnetonka for our boat party. This was for family that was in town and the bridal party. We got there early so we had lunch by the lake and then headed out for the boat. The water was freezing but by the end of the trip we all had made it into the water. The were 2 boats parked next to us that were on a sales call - must be the life huh? Another boat on the other side looked like a barge with a crain that was converted into a rope swing. We asked if the bride and groom could swing and they said no. The nerve of them. We had a blast, danced to music on the boat and headed back home for a night out with the bride and groom. On the way out some of the people on the boat mooned the barge for being rude. It was hilarious.

mom on the boat

(i dont know how to flip the pic but this is Colleen, Kim, Michelle and I)

That night we were supposed to go to a comedy show but we got back to the hotel too late and couldn't manage to get ready and in a cab in time. So instead we went bar hopping. We showed up at one bar ordered a drink and then was told by our "leaders" - the person making the decisions for the group - that we had to move to another bar. At the next bar, same thing. We finally made it to a pizza place where we got something to eat and discovered they had Karaoke!!! We informed the karaoke man that we had a couple getting married and the singing began. Colleen and Kevin sang first and then the rest of us had a turn. None of us sang alone. Each person had at least 3 backup singers complete with their own dancers. Yet when someone else from the bar sang, our group sat down. I would say we took up about 1/2 of the bar. Then about midnight someone decided it was time to leave. We walked a few blocks to another bar - which was on the Mississippi river and would have been beautiful had it been open, but it was closed. We then walked 45 min to an hour back to the hotel. Since noone knew the city except for the "leader" of the group, noone knew it was going to take this long to get back or else we would have called a cab. Instead we walked about 2-3 miles home(over the Mississippi River and through downtown). It was beautiful but a long walk.

Colleen and Kevin

Singing complete with backup...

Chad and I

The sisters :)

Weekend away from home...

I have good news everyone, I found my camera charger and I have my camera, so we're back in business. I can now take all kinds of pictures including where I work, where Im living, and yes..me in my uniform and best of all saluting.

This weekend was my first away from Greg, Macgruber and my family. It is lonely having to do things by yourself. You have to eat all your meals by yourself (unless Im at work). You have to explore new things by yourself, watch tv by yourself, everything. But I am trying to get out there and do something. For example, on Saturday I drove down to Virginia Beach. I left around 1215 and got there around 1. My trusty Garmin led the way, I rolled the windows down on my ol' 4-Runner and away we went. I played "beach" music on the way down and the drive was beautiful. I didn't realize how much Hampton is surrounded by water. I think I crossed 5 bridges to get there and went under one tunnel. Not too much traffic and I was there in no time. I parked in public parking, walked down to the beach and scoped out a place to sit. Since I didn't have my beach chair, I had to lay on the sand. The beach was packed with all kinds of families and young college aged kids. I laid out for about 2 hours, not too hot about 80's that day. I gradded a bite to eat at a restaurant on the boardwalk and then walked the shops. Virginia Beach has a boardwalk running parallel to the beach that goes about 3 miles. Adjacent to it there is a bike path just for the hundreds of bikers there. It is quite nice to walk it, enjoy the breeze and avoid the sand. I got back from my trip about 6pm and settled in for the night. (it took me about 40 minutes to get back).

On Sunday, I had to check out of one hotel off base and check into the hotel on base. It is cheaper on base and the military will only pay for you to stay off base only if there isn't space available on base. Therfore I get to move when they get availability on base. Since I just found my charger today, I took so pics of my new digs...

It looks like a shack on the outside and would be ghetto if it weren't on base. Fortunately it's safe since its on base. It has a small bedroom, bathroom, living room and kitchen. I'm here until the house is ready in August (except when I go to my cousins wedding).

I took a few pictures of the view from about 1/2 mile from my hotel on the base. This is directly across from the runway. Basically the base it on the tip of the pennisula and is surrounded by the bay. Tomorrow I will show you guys the view from the hospital. Quite a site!!