(no subject)
Got back from my two weeks of combat leave yesterday. I spent it in Las Vegas with Kassi.
Much of the first part of the leave block was spent packing. Kassi was living in a tiny little studio apartment, and since it would be impossible to fit both of us in it when I get out of the Corps next month, we decided to move to a one-bedroom apartment nearby. On Thursday of last week I rented a U-Haul and moved everything from the old apartment to the new one. I managed to run the top of the truck along an awning at the old apartment complex and tear a six-foot section of it off, then parked the truck on the other side of the building and spent the rest of the day skulking around and generally trying to avoid the property manager, who was conducting an energetic search for the culprit.
The rest of the time we mainly spent unpacking and setting up the new apartment--or rather, Kassi did. Since I don't live there yet, she insisted on setting everything up in her own particular way, which was fine by me since I don't much go in for that sort of thing anyway.
We didn't have money for a bed, so we bought an inflatable mattress at Wal-Mart. It lasted less than a week. The cats climbed up it while it was leaning on the wall and left a bunch of claw-holes in it. I tried to fix it with electrical tape and coffee-flavored bubble gum, but to no avail. I never found all the holes, and we woke up in the middle of the night with the mattress half-deflated and the cats sniggering impishly at us in the dark. We ended up buying a futon so we have something to sleep on until we can get a proper bed.
Tomorrow we're meeting up in LA. I wasn't planning on going, but then I found out about a Mentallo & the Fixer show at Bunker and caved in. I haven't been to Bunker in more than eight months, and I've always enjoyed M&tF's music (although I don't know how it will sound now that Dwayne's gone). I have a few friends that I want to see while I'm there, and aside from that I just miss LA. It's one of my favorite places in the US.
In some ways being back Stateside still feels strange. I've pretty much settled back in, but every now and then I feel completely detached and everything feels unfamiliar. And then there are odd little things. Yesterday I was driving back from Las Vegas and I saw a cardboard box by the side of the road. My first thought was that it might be an IED, and then I remembered where I was. I guess old habits and associations are hard to break.
I bought a new car this week. It's a 2002 Hyundai Elantra. I was a little edgy about buying a Hyundai (their debut in this country was underwhelming, to say the least), but the reviews on this one were excellent and I got a very good deal on it. It drove well, it didn't have too many miles on it, and its Carfax report came up clean. The salesman was and Egyptian Army veteran from Cairo and we ended up talking about all sorts of Middle East-related things. It was interesting. It's been years since last I spoke to an Egyptian, let alone one who lived in the same city as I did.
I'm sleepy. Last night I made the mistake of offering to bring some drunk Marines from my platoon back from the bar out in town, and they didn't end up finishing until 2am. I took a nap in the car while I waited for them and then got another four hours or so of sleep before I got up for work, but I'm still tired.
All for now. I hope battalion finishes their bullshit soon so I can leave.
Much of the first part of the leave block was spent packing. Kassi was living in a tiny little studio apartment, and since it would be impossible to fit both of us in it when I get out of the Corps next month, we decided to move to a one-bedroom apartment nearby. On Thursday of last week I rented a U-Haul and moved everything from the old apartment to the new one. I managed to run the top of the truck along an awning at the old apartment complex and tear a six-foot section of it off, then parked the truck on the other side of the building and spent the rest of the day skulking around and generally trying to avoid the property manager, who was conducting an energetic search for the culprit.
The rest of the time we mainly spent unpacking and setting up the new apartment--or rather, Kassi did. Since I don't live there yet, she insisted on setting everything up in her own particular way, which was fine by me since I don't much go in for that sort of thing anyway.
We didn't have money for a bed, so we bought an inflatable mattress at Wal-Mart. It lasted less than a week. The cats climbed up it while it was leaning on the wall and left a bunch of claw-holes in it. I tried to fix it with electrical tape and coffee-flavored bubble gum, but to no avail. I never found all the holes, and we woke up in the middle of the night with the mattress half-deflated and the cats sniggering impishly at us in the dark. We ended up buying a futon so we have something to sleep on until we can get a proper bed.
Tomorrow we're meeting up in LA. I wasn't planning on going, but then I found out about a Mentallo & the Fixer show at Bunker and caved in. I haven't been to Bunker in more than eight months, and I've always enjoyed M&tF's music (although I don't know how it will sound now that Dwayne's gone). I have a few friends that I want to see while I'm there, and aside from that I just miss LA. It's one of my favorite places in the US.
In some ways being back Stateside still feels strange. I've pretty much settled back in, but every now and then I feel completely detached and everything feels unfamiliar. And then there are odd little things. Yesterday I was driving back from Las Vegas and I saw a cardboard box by the side of the road. My first thought was that it might be an IED, and then I remembered where I was. I guess old habits and associations are hard to break.
I bought a new car this week. It's a 2002 Hyundai Elantra. I was a little edgy about buying a Hyundai (their debut in this country was underwhelming, to say the least), but the reviews on this one were excellent and I got a very good deal on it. It drove well, it didn't have too many miles on it, and its Carfax report came up clean. The salesman was and Egyptian Army veteran from Cairo and we ended up talking about all sorts of Middle East-related things. It was interesting. It's been years since last I spoke to an Egyptian, let alone one who lived in the same city as I did.
I'm sleepy. Last night I made the mistake of offering to bring some drunk Marines from my platoon back from the bar out in town, and they didn't end up finishing until 2am. I took a nap in the car while I waited for them and then got another four hours or so of sleep before I got up for work, but I'm still tired.
All for now. I hope battalion finishes their bullshit soon so I can leave.