written on 26 July 2006

Everyone is walking around with bandages on their arms that cover our smallpox vaccination site. I feel like a freakin' guiena pig. When all of this shot stuff is done and over with, I'll have had the Hepititis B series twice. But at least I get a free typhoid vaccine on the Army.

*****

More complaining, more bitching, more changes. I'm just rolling with the flow. By now I'm just kind of numb to everything that's going on. Yeah, our conditions aren't the greatest but so what? We're here, and we're getting paid. My only complaint is the lack of communciation between various levels and other all-around personality conflicts, but there's nothing I can do about that. At least my squad leader and my squad are awesome.

My feelings on it all has been that all of this will change in a few hours/days/weeks/months anyways, so why make a fuss about it?

*****

I've been exchanging emails with Sweetheart just about daily since I got here. He's telling me to keep my head up, to "embrace the suck", and to not stop caring about being a good soldier. Which I really do need to hear.

When all of this is said and done with, he will be one of the very few people in my life that really understands what all of this is about.

Part of me still wonders how this deployment will affect my relationship with MeuAmor. There are already so many things that I've choosen not to tell him that I'm really not sure how his reaction to all of that stuff will be.... and his track record of reactions hasn't exactly been the hottest lately. I seriously would not be surprised if this deployment meant the end of the relationship. And days like today, I don't think it would really get to me.

But that's a long, complicated story that should wait until after I've calmed down.

*****

I'm looking at taking my leave either when the cherry trees are blossoming in Japan or for the Chinese New Year in Hong Kong. Fuzz is aiming for the cherry trees blossoming so he can go play all the new video games. I told him not to tell MeuAmor because MeuAmor might just orgasm at the sound of cutting edge technology open to the public.

*****

I just got off the phone with Dragonette, who sounds super excited that we're coming to Hong Kong to see her. Man, I just can't go to Tokyo and not see her while knowing that it's a short flight away!

We were playing phone tag earlier tonight (or this morning, depending on what part of the world you're in!) which always gets a little interesting when you don't speak Cantonese, and you can't understand a thing that is being said on the other end.

I do feel a lot better now that I've talked to her. Gosh, I miss her.