Yesterday Found Him Today Drawing Out His Last Breath...
I got hurt again. I have an inflamd tendon in my left hand. Then my left hand has swelled to a crazy size. The swelling doesn't hurt but my wrist is really hurt. I don't know if I can heal because my unit keeps putting me on details and other crap that makes me use it. On a positive side I have a pre-seperation physical at the Combat Support Hospital in the Green/International Zone so I am excited. That is just one step closer to me getting out of the Army! I don't know how the physical will turn out but with my current injuries it might help me get disability once I get out. :)
Recent Developments over the last few days...
Well they gave us some additional info about our return home. I am still not excited about the whole thing but there are some things. They told us about our possible blocked out calendar for 30 days of vacation. I am excited about that because it gives me the opportunity to visit some places I have been meaning to see for a while. So these are the proposed plans for my possible travel and vacation:
- San Francisco (via military airlift)
- Los Angeles
- Seattle/Portland
- South Korea
- Hong Kong
- Washington DC
- San Antonio
If they give us 30 days vacation then I will spend a week in San Fran or Monterey. I will take a free transport from San Antonio to Fairfield (Travis AFB). Then hopefully I can hook up with some people and find a nice hotel to stay in for about 4 days. Then I will take a commercial flight to L.A. to visit some people there for 3 days. I will look into lodging for that. Then it is back to Fairfield (Travis AFB). Then I will take another transport flight to Seattle (McChord AFB). This is the problem. I want to go to Portland but I don't know if that is going to fly because some of some logistical issues. I want to spend 3 days in Seattle, 2 days in Portland, and I might shot up to Vancouver, BC with a Rent-A-Car or something of the sort. Then I will return to Seattle (McChord AFB). From that point I will board another transport flight to Japan or Korea. I am still deciding if I want to spend a day or two in Japan. Last time I was in Japan I was not that impressed so that is why I am not so interested in going. I want to spend 5 days in Korea and from there spend 3 days in Hong Kong. Then I need to return to Korea to board a flight to either Fairfield (Travis AFB) or Seattle (McChord AFB). Then if I have enough time I will take a transport flight o Washington DC or just head back to Texas. I have done some basic calculations and the airfare from San Fran to LA, Seattle to Portland, Seoul to Hong Kong is about $1700 which is not bad at all. I figure I will spend another $1500 on food and lodging during most of that time so that is not bad. I figure a big world trip for $3000 is great!!! Hong Kong is still on the scale because of time but I really want to see the city as is Portland. So if you live in these cities and you want me to visit please let me know. I might be able to work something out. I am excited really. This is why I spent the whole year in Iraq and didn't go on vacation while I was here. That is what I am really looking forward too now! A chance to travel on my own terms and on my own accord. I need to find my passport if I want to go to Hong Kong though. I forgot where I put it.
I had a little meeting with a government contractor the other day. We got to talking about music, the Army, Graphic Design, and other such things. He was looking at some of the posters I made for our muscial groups and I also showed him some of my Web Design Templates, Flyers, Programs and some of the Digital Art I have done over the last year. He was really impressed and shared with me that he owns a printing company in the USA. He then began to tell me about the creation of a new position as Web Developer and Graphic Design Artist for his company within the Task Force Baghdad. He said that I was the first person who he has seen who can work fast and is familiar with the military. He took some basic info from me then called his supervisor and told him about me and my work. Then he took some info from me and a mini resume. They were impressed and they told me to come back next week with a resume and a partial portfolio. They said that because it is a new job being created I will be able to set my own pay! Since this companies minimum salary for contract work in Iraq is $84K a year then I know I can get more than that. He told me I could probably get the company to give me $100K for a one year contract!!!
They said they don't expect me to have a full portfolio because I obviously wouldn't bring it with me but some basic stuff is good! I am going all out though with a full CD portfolio featuring some 3D Models, Web Design Templates, and other Graphics all put together through Internet Explorer setup to AUTORUN once inserted into a CD ROM. I am pulling out all the stops! The other thing is they will hold the job up to six months for me until I exit military service. The supervisor said I have a good chance because I am already here in Iraq, don't mind coming back, have military experience, have business and managerial experience, and I already have the skills they need so they won't need to train me. I am reallllllly excited! If I get the job then I will start a week or so after I get seperated from service, go through their 2 week orientation course, and I would leave a few days after that to begin my one year in Iraq again. This company keeps their employees in country 3 months at a time and two weeks on vacation then 3 months on 2 weeks off during which time I will be required to leave the theater of opertions (AKA leave the Middle East). Anyways, I am going to get my butt in action and work on my portfolio and be ready for my meeting on Wednesday of next week. I am so excited! Wish me luck!!!