Relatively quiet long Christmas weekend for some of us on island. Chow hall served its traditional Christmas spread, followed by the annual 'Stray Dog' Christmas party at the Adult Recreational Center for most of us unaccompanied folk on the island. Lots of snacks and Christmas themed movies, in the 'Bad Movie Night' tradition. First off was 'A Muppet Christmas Carol', followed by 'A Christmas Story', then 'A Tuna Christmas' and capped off by our cheesiest movie of the night... 'Santa Claus Conquers The Martians'!
I was originally going to take Saturday as one of my unpaid furlough days, but moved it up to New Year's Eve, since I am undergoing some serious dental work in preparation for getting dentures. Extraction at the dental hobby shop on New Year's Eve, and the rest of the weekend will be spent popping antibiotics and painkillers with an Ensure chaser! Gonna be expensive insurance wise but it had to be done.
Saturday evening had a few brewskis at Vet's Hall. Amazed myself with some BQ cooking for breakfast Sunday and Monday. And totally forgot about my haircut appointment at the hair salon. Shit happens...
Back to work Tuesday and Wednesday before getting tortured... at least I will have five days to recuperate before going back to work on January 6th.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Friday, December 25, 2009
Merry Christmas from the Marshall Islands!
CHRISTMAS DREAM
Watch me now, here I go, all I need’s a little snow!
Starts me off, sets the theme, helps me dream my Christmas dream,
Every year I dream it, hoping things will change,
An end to the crying, the shouting, the dying,
And I hope you will dream it too!
It’s Christmas, remember?
We’ve got to remember!
So, light the light, I’m home tonight,
I need you to warm me, to calm me, to love me!
To help me to dream my Christmas dream!
Crazy things, said an’ done,
Every single day but one!
Every night should, I believe,
Be the same as Christmas Eve,
Nights should all be silent,
Days should all slow down,
An end to the hurry, the noise and the worry!
And I hope you believe that too!
It’s Christmas, remember?
Does no one remember?
The whole world needs, a Christmas dream,
We need it to warm us, to calm us, to love us,
To help us to dream our Christmas dream!
(German lyrics)
Lüge dirigiert die Welt, Ehrlichkeit bringt selten Geld,
Jeder möcht' Sieger sein, wer verliert bleibt ganz allein;
Doch manch Will' ist möglich durch die Fantasie
Du stirbst um zu leben und nimmst um zu geben;
Einmal im Jahr wird alles wahr
Zu Weihnacht vergiss nicht,
Vergiss es gewiss nicht.
(Literal English translation of the German lyrics)
Mendacity turns the world and honesty seldom brings riches,
Each must be the winner, for losers stand alone;
Though for those with imagination
it’s possible to die to live and to take to give
‘cause once in the year all is truth;
So at Christmas don’t forget
don’t forget this.
The whole world needs, a Christmas dream,
We need it to warm us, to calm us, to love us,
We need it to warm us, to calm us, to love us,
We need it to warm us, to calm us, to love us,
To help us to dream our Christmas dream!
(From the original soundtrack of the Columbia Pictures film The Odessa File (1974)
Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by and Tim Rice with German lyrics by André Heller
Sung by Perry Como and the London Boy Singers)
A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all of you from here in the Marshall Islands!
Watch me now, here I go, all I need’s a little snow!
Starts me off, sets the theme, helps me dream my Christmas dream,
Every year I dream it, hoping things will change,
An end to the crying, the shouting, the dying,
And I hope you will dream it too!
It’s Christmas, remember?
We’ve got to remember!
So, light the light, I’m home tonight,
I need you to warm me, to calm me, to love me!
To help me to dream my Christmas dream!
Crazy things, said an’ done,
Every single day but one!
Every night should, I believe,
Be the same as Christmas Eve,
Nights should all be silent,
Days should all slow down,
An end to the hurry, the noise and the worry!
And I hope you believe that too!
It’s Christmas, remember?
Does no one remember?
The whole world needs, a Christmas dream,
We need it to warm us, to calm us, to love us,
To help us to dream our Christmas dream!
(German lyrics)
Lüge dirigiert die Welt, Ehrlichkeit bringt selten Geld,
Jeder möcht' Sieger sein, wer verliert bleibt ganz allein;
Doch manch Will' ist möglich durch die Fantasie
Du stirbst um zu leben und nimmst um zu geben;
Einmal im Jahr wird alles wahr
Zu Weihnacht vergiss nicht,
Vergiss es gewiss nicht.
(Literal English translation of the German lyrics)
Mendacity turns the world and honesty seldom brings riches,
Each must be the winner, for losers stand alone;
Though for those with imagination
it’s possible to die to live and to take to give
‘cause once in the year all is truth;
So at Christmas don’t forget
don’t forget this.
The whole world needs, a Christmas dream,
We need it to warm us, to calm us, to love us,
We need it to warm us, to calm us, to love us,
We need it to warm us, to calm us, to love us,
To help us to dream our Christmas dream!
(From the original soundtrack of the Columbia Pictures film The Odessa File (1974)
Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by and Tim Rice with German lyrics by André Heller
Sung by Perry Como and the London Boy Singers)
A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all of you from here in the Marshall Islands!
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
No longer a helicopter virgin!
Finally 'busted my helicopter cherry' and got to fly in a helicopter today as part of a site audit at Illeginni Island, about 30 miles north of Kwaj. Ya never forget your first one so mine's UH-1H Huey 62-0240, owned by the Army but operated by Berry Aviation pilots.
After checking in and obtaining life preservers we boarded the helicopter and took off from Kwaj due north as the sun rose in the east. First stop was Ennylabegan (Carlos, it's WWII invasion code name and still referred to as such) where we dropped off a couple of people from the generator shop before continuing to Illeginni (pronounced 'Ille-gee-nee, with a hard 'g'). After dropping an optics engineer and myself at Illeginni, the helo continued across the lagoon to Gagan and Meck Islands before returing to pick me up on a 'quick turn' - the audit didn't take long - about 45 minutes later. Back across the lagoon to Meck, where we picked up another guy for the return trip to Kwaj. Flew over Gugeegue ('goo-jee-goo'), Ebeye then back to Kwajatraz were we landed about 8:45.
After checking in and obtaining life preservers we boarded the helicopter and took off from Kwaj due north as the sun rose in the east. First stop was Ennylabegan (Carlos, it's WWII invasion code name and still referred to as such) where we dropped off a couple of people from the generator shop before continuing to Illeginni (pronounced 'Ille-gee-nee, with a hard 'g'). After dropping an optics engineer and myself at Illeginni, the helo continued across the lagoon to Gagan and Meck Islands before returing to pick me up on a 'quick turn' - the audit didn't take long - about 45 minutes later. Back across the lagoon to Meck, where we picked up another guy for the return trip to Kwaj. Flew over Gugeegue ('goo-jee-goo'), Ebeye then back to Kwajatraz were we landed about 8:45.
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Island humor - Part I
Biting satire is a way of life here in Kwajalein, and this little song rings so very true to the inmates of 'Kwajatraz':
TEN-TEN (Sung to the tune ‘Downtown’, by Petula Clark)
Where would you go after the movies were over
And they just weren’t closed? Ten-Ten!
Feeling downhearted and you wanna get carded?
There’s a place you can go - Ten-Ten!
Don’t pick up The New York Times;
We know what Wall Street’s thinking –
Sometimes it’s just slightly out of date –
Hey, someone just shot Lincoln – watching a play!
Fluorescent lights shine in the store,
You can forget all your troubles, and what you came here for…
‘Cause at – Ten-Ten!
Whether it’s small or large… Ten-Ten!
It didn’t make the barge… Ten-Ten!
Come back in a month or two!
Feeling just dandy, go buy Valentine’s candy
On the fifth of June – Ten-Ten!
Or wanna kill time, just hanging out in a line
Then there’s a place for you – Ten-Ten!
They just got in some softbound books
On snow and how to plow it –
You wanna read a magazine
But space just won’t allow it – don’t block the aisles!
They may not have fresh OJ
But they’ve got more than two thousand white fake flower leis…
‘Cause at – Ten-Ten!
They’ve got lots of comic books… Ten-Ten!
No room to stand and look… Ten-Ten!
Just buy one and hit the road now!
Wanna buy milk or something close to that ilk
And you find empty space – Ten-Ten!
You come back in a day – the empty space gone away
There’s goat cheese in its place – Ten-Ten!
Stroll back where that liquor’s kept and shelving space is ample –
Can’t buy without a Kwaj ID – what’s next, a urine sample?
Six quarts a month! They may not have bread on hand
But they’ve got lots of that dried stuff they get from Japan…
‘Cause at –Ten-Ten!
Food that was once first rate… Ten-Ten!
You can’t even carbon date… Ten-Ten!
There’ll always be some left for you!
BACKGROUND: ‘Ten-Ten’ (probably a Marshallese pidgin corruption of ‘ten-cent store’ – further research is needed to verify) was the original name for what passes for a convenience store on Kwajalein. It became the AAFES (Army and Air Force Exchange Service) Shoppette in 2008, but long time Kwaj residents still call it Ten-Ten, just like the PX and PXtra are still called ‘Macy’s’ and ‘Macy’s West’, respectively by Kwaj veterans. Inconvenient hours, lousy selection… it hasn’t changed much in years!
I don't know who composed or performed the song, or when it was first introduced in Kwaj, but if you wanna follow the tune, here's a link to the WMA file: http://65.61.15.78/kwaj/Ten%20Ten.wma .
Where would you go after the movies were over
And they just weren’t closed? Ten-Ten!
Feeling downhearted and you wanna get carded?
There’s a place you can go - Ten-Ten!
Don’t pick up The New York Times;
We know what Wall Street’s thinking –
Sometimes it’s just slightly out of date –
Hey, someone just shot Lincoln – watching a play!
Fluorescent lights shine in the store,
You can forget all your troubles, and what you came here for…
‘Cause at – Ten-Ten!
Whether it’s small or large… Ten-Ten!
It didn’t make the barge… Ten-Ten!
Come back in a month or two!
Feeling just dandy, go buy Valentine’s candy
On the fifth of June – Ten-Ten!
Or wanna kill time, just hanging out in a line
Then there’s a place for you – Ten-Ten!
They just got in some softbound books
On snow and how to plow it –
You wanna read a magazine
But space just won’t allow it – don’t block the aisles!
They may not have fresh OJ
But they’ve got more than two thousand white fake flower leis…
‘Cause at – Ten-Ten!
They’ve got lots of comic books… Ten-Ten!
No room to stand and look… Ten-Ten!
Just buy one and hit the road now!
Wanna buy milk or something close to that ilk
And you find empty space – Ten-Ten!
You come back in a day – the empty space gone away
There’s goat cheese in its place – Ten-Ten!
Stroll back where that liquor’s kept and shelving space is ample –
Can’t buy without a Kwaj ID – what’s next, a urine sample?
Six quarts a month! They may not have bread on hand
But they’ve got lots of that dried stuff they get from Japan…
‘Cause at –Ten-Ten!
Food that was once first rate… Ten-Ten!
You can’t even carbon date… Ten-Ten!
There’ll always be some left for you!
BACKGROUND: ‘Ten-Ten’ (probably a Marshallese pidgin corruption of ‘ten-cent store’ – further research is needed to verify) was the original name for what passes for a convenience store on Kwajalein. It became the AAFES (Army and Air Force Exchange Service) Shoppette in 2008, but long time Kwaj residents still call it Ten-Ten, just like the PX and PXtra are still called ‘Macy’s’ and ‘Macy’s West’, respectively by Kwaj veterans. Inconvenient hours, lousy selection… it hasn’t changed much in years!
I don't know who composed or performed the song, or when it was first introduced in Kwaj, but if you wanna follow the tune, here's a link to the WMA file: http://65.61.15.78/kwaj/Ten%20Ten.wma .
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Sorry about not posting photos to my blog entries lately...
...'cause internet service here on Kwajatraz sucks giant donkey balls!!!
For such a state of the art space and missile tracking facility, you'd half expect the island to have state-of-the-art communications... Nothing could be farther from the truth. We only get very limited bandwidth off the satcom for personal internet use (on a separate network from the .mil); it's provided only as a service by the Army, and like anything that's not mission-related it gets pushed down to a MUCH lower priority.
To access the satcom gateway we rely on slower-than-molasses-in-January dial-up only in our BQ rooms and family quarters; only a limited amount of phone circuits available. We do have wireless gateways at the ARC and the AAFES snack bar area, but the transmit range was throttled back after complaints from the families and other BQs who couldn't connect from 'leeches' in the nearer BQs (Palm, Reef, Ocean and Shell) leaving their connections up 24/7.
I could schlep my laptop to the ARC and hook up to the wireless but it's a royal pain in the ass. Plus you're limited to whatever hours the ARC or the snack bar is open. If the wireless goes down don't expect it to be up quickly, especially on a weekend when no on-call IT personnel are assigned to work the public net. Like most of the inmates here on Kwajatraz, we've gotten used to the lack of creature comforts on island. And management wonders why people aren't extending their tours?
The 'coconut telegraph' (aka the Kwaj rumor mill - not to be confused with the e-newsletter put out for residents called the 'Coconut Wire') says the cable-laying ship bringing the long-awaited fiber-optic line from Guam is supposed to dock soon. And unlike official news, the rumor mill is generally accurate! Another wild-assed rumor says we might get increased bandwidth when fiber is up and running, but I think mission ops will snag most of it. I'll believe it when I see it.
For such a state of the art space and missile tracking facility, you'd half expect the island to have state-of-the-art communications... Nothing could be farther from the truth. We only get very limited bandwidth off the satcom for personal internet use (on a separate network from the .mil); it's provided only as a service by the Army, and like anything that's not mission-related it gets pushed down to a MUCH lower priority.
To access the satcom gateway we rely on slower-than-molasses-in-January dial-up only in our BQ rooms and family quarters; only a limited amount of phone circuits available. We do have wireless gateways at the ARC and the AAFES snack bar area, but the transmit range was throttled back after complaints from the families and other BQs who couldn't connect from 'leeches' in the nearer BQs (Palm, Reef, Ocean and Shell) leaving their connections up 24/7.
I could schlep my laptop to the ARC and hook up to the wireless but it's a royal pain in the ass. Plus you're limited to whatever hours the ARC or the snack bar is open. If the wireless goes down don't expect it to be up quickly, especially on a weekend when no on-call IT personnel are assigned to work the public net. Like most of the inmates here on Kwajatraz, we've gotten used to the lack of creature comforts on island. And management wonders why people aren't extending their tours?
The 'coconut telegraph' (aka the Kwaj rumor mill - not to be confused with the e-newsletter put out for residents called the 'Coconut Wire') says the cable-laying ship bringing the long-awaited fiber-optic line from Guam is supposed to dock soon. And unlike official news, the rumor mill is generally accurate! Another wild-assed rumor says we might get increased bandwidth when fiber is up and running, but I think mission ops will snag most of it. I'll believe it when I see it.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Christmas is just around the corner...
... and what a year 2009 has been so far! The island is abuzz with preparations for Christmas and the traditional arrival of Santa Claus on Kwaj for the kidlets on Saturday.
Another Kwaj 'kwirk': Santa Claus arrives by helicopter at the air terminal and is met by a bunch of screaming kids barely contained by their parents. Then instead of a sleigh and reindeer Santa (the guy who plays him is actually Hawaiian) is carried aboard a flatbed truck down a short parade route to Downtown Kwaj, where the island's Christmas tree is lit. It's also the signal that allows families to begin lighting up their Christmas decorations on their houses in the evenings (until midnight daily).
Back stateside, Mom is hurriedly packing up the house so the movers can pick up on the 15th. My brother flies in from Vegas and will meet up with Mom to share driving duties for the 1200 mile trip west to Vegas. (My car is being shipped.)
Hard to believe that I will probably never return to 'Wide Awake Wylie'; something that didn't even cross my mind three months ago. But the economy soured and my mother got a layoff notice after 13 years with Verizon. She did get a decent severance package and just needs a small job to tide her over for the next three years before she hits 70 and pulls on the total retirement loud handle with maximum social security benefits. So, she got an apartment in Vegas (my younger brother Jim will move in when the lease is up on his apartment in March, and I keep the address as my 'home of record'.)
Another Kwaj 'kwirk': Santa Claus arrives by helicopter at the air terminal and is met by a bunch of screaming kids barely contained by their parents. Then instead of a sleigh and reindeer Santa (the guy who plays him is actually Hawaiian) is carried aboard a flatbed truck down a short parade route to Downtown Kwaj, where the island's Christmas tree is lit. It's also the signal that allows families to begin lighting up their Christmas decorations on their houses in the evenings (until midnight daily).
Back stateside, Mom is hurriedly packing up the house so the movers can pick up on the 15th. My brother flies in from Vegas and will meet up with Mom to share driving duties for the 1200 mile trip west to Vegas. (My car is being shipped.)
Hard to believe that I will probably never return to 'Wide Awake Wylie'; something that didn't even cross my mind three months ago. But the economy soured and my mother got a layoff notice after 13 years with Verizon. She did get a decent severance package and just needs a small job to tide her over for the next three years before she hits 70 and pulls on the total retirement loud handle with maximum social security benefits. So, she got an apartment in Vegas (my younger brother Jim will move in when the lease is up on his apartment in March, and I keep the address as my 'home of record'.)
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
The Kwaj Thanksgiving Food Orgy - ahem, Dinner!
After being told about the legendary Kwaj Thanksgiving food orgy at the chow hall by all the Kwaj veterans, I finally got to experience my first.
Thursday evening after pau hana, cold ones at the Snake Pit and Bad Movie Night at the ARC. Tonight's cheesy classic: "Cannibal Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death". So bad, it was worth the hootin', hollerin' and hecklin'.
To get people fired up, AAFES (Army and Air Force Exchange Service) held a 'midnight madness' sale from 11 pm Thursday to 2 am Friday (2300-0200 for those using mil time.) Like any other Thanksgiving sale, it was a veritable Mongolian clusterfuck. But it was somewhat manageable. Bought a pair of athletic shoes for half off retail and a couple of other things. Biggest sales occurred at the PXtra across the way, where big-screen LCD and plasma TVs sold out quickly.
Got in line at the chow hall just before 11 am; when the doors opened our eyes - and stomachs - were treated to a sumptuous Thanksgiving spread: peel-and eat shrimp, mussels, crab legs, ham, mahi mahi, steamship round, and of course, turkey and all the other traditional fixings, followed by a huge selection of desserts. Piggination was had by all. I only went through the slop trough once, not knowing that one could come back later that afternoon for dinner. I got filled up rather quickly the first go around.
After chow, went over to Emon Beach and did some snorkeling... slowly getting used to swimming in open water - something I haven't done in years.
Saturday was one of my unpaid furlough days, not much going on until the evening, when I went to the Vets' Hall for a few cold ones. Watched the long-delayed ATI DC-8 flight finally leave Kwaj at around 10 pm (it was sidelined with a broken engine) and a Navy C-40 land for fuel and an overnight stop. It didn't take long for the passengers on the Navy jet to find Vets' Hall. Learned how to play 'Ship, Captain and Crew' - next time I need to be prepared to buy a round, just in case!
Sunday and Monday I just kicked back and relaxed, in between cleaning my humble abode and making a batch of SPAM musubi. I think I've finally mastered the rice cooker - this batch was manageable and not the soupy glops I'd attempted before. The Foreman grill does a decent job cooking SPAM and other meats, but I really don't have that much room in my fridges. Cooking in the BQ is permitted, with restrictions - no toaster ovens, electric skillets or appliances with open heating elements (unless you hide them after use!) The musubi turned out decent, but I'll let some of my Hawaiian friends be the judge of my culinary skill.
Thursday evening after pau hana, cold ones at the Snake Pit and Bad Movie Night at the ARC. Tonight's cheesy classic: "Cannibal Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death". So bad, it was worth the hootin', hollerin' and hecklin'.
To get people fired up, AAFES (Army and Air Force Exchange Service) held a 'midnight madness' sale from 11 pm Thursday to 2 am Friday (2300-0200 for those using mil time.) Like any other Thanksgiving sale, it was a veritable Mongolian clusterfuck. But it was somewhat manageable. Bought a pair of athletic shoes for half off retail and a couple of other things. Biggest sales occurred at the PXtra across the way, where big-screen LCD and plasma TVs sold out quickly.
Got in line at the chow hall just before 11 am; when the doors opened our eyes - and stomachs - were treated to a sumptuous Thanksgiving spread: peel-and eat shrimp, mussels, crab legs, ham, mahi mahi, steamship round, and of course, turkey and all the other traditional fixings, followed by a huge selection of desserts. Piggination was had by all. I only went through the slop trough once, not knowing that one could come back later that afternoon for dinner. I got filled up rather quickly the first go around.
After chow, went over to Emon Beach and did some snorkeling... slowly getting used to swimming in open water - something I haven't done in years.
Saturday was one of my unpaid furlough days, not much going on until the evening, when I went to the Vets' Hall for a few cold ones. Watched the long-delayed ATI DC-8 flight finally leave Kwaj at around 10 pm (it was sidelined with a broken engine) and a Navy C-40 land for fuel and an overnight stop. It didn't take long for the passengers on the Navy jet to find Vets' Hall. Learned how to play 'Ship, Captain and Crew' - next time I need to be prepared to buy a round, just in case!
Sunday and Monday I just kicked back and relaxed, in between cleaning my humble abode and making a batch of SPAM musubi. I think I've finally mastered the rice cooker - this batch was manageable and not the soupy glops I'd attempted before. The Foreman grill does a decent job cooking SPAM and other meats, but I really don't have that much room in my fridges. Cooking in the BQ is permitted, with restrictions - no toaster ovens, electric skillets or appliances with open heating elements (unless you hide them after use!) The musubi turned out decent, but I'll let some of my Hawaiian friends be the judge of my culinary skill.
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