11th June 2008, 0635B
After 2 frustrating hours I’ve eventually decided to give up on rolling around pointlessly in bed & just get up, perhaps even do something constructive. Not much chance of that though, we’re talking about the Procrastination King here after all.
This insomnia I’ve had lately has got to bloody well stop, and soon. It’s been better the last few days, but I still didn’t get more than 5 hours sleep last night, or the night before, & it’s doing neither the happy thoughts, nor sense of goodwill towards my fellow man any good.
When school breaks up next weekend I’ll head into the office to sort out my leave / prac shifts so that they know where I am, & while I’m there I’ll see the doc for some sleepy pills. I had hoped to avoid this though, I spent too damn long relying on drugs to sleep while I was in Burundi.
Anyway, enough of bitching about not sleeping. The last few days have been pretty quiet, with just tech going on really, and even there there’s not been much happening to speak of. We had a brief 20 minute anatomy & physiology lecture on Monday, and an hour or so of library orientation yesterday, and that’s been pretty much it so far. It’ll be the same again today, just another short library session, a pretty useful one this time though as we’ll be learning how to reference the way the school wants us to, which is important for the assignments we have coming up.
Tomorrow looks like it could be a lot of fun though, as we’ll be taking part in a large disaster management exercise at the airport, a simulated air crash. I was involved in one of those a few years ago from the military side, and while the actual management side of things turned into a huge circle jerk – these things usually do by all accounts – the practical “on the ground” part was quite fun. It’s also good to get to meet the people in the industry you’ll be working with in future, and network a little. You can make some very handy and beneficial contacts at little events like this, contacts which may prove very handy in a few years when I graduate.
Other than this event, the schedule at school looks pretty quiet for the rest of the term, and it looks like we’re done with OSCE’s (practical evaluations) and tests for now at least, with just some neurological emergency, assignment rubric lectures and a post-traumatic stress presentation left before we break for the vac. I’m kind of looking forward to the PTSD presentation truth be told, though not so much for myself – a reasonable number of the class I’m in isn’t new to the industry, but we do have a fair few “youngsters” with us who haven’t had the exposure, or learned the coping mechanisms the more experienced among us have along the way. I can’t help but think I might have found a few presentations like that useful back when I was 18 or so – chances are I would have laughed them off for the most part, young macho soldiers being what they are, but perhaps something would have stuck along the way, and maybe I’d have known how to cope with the fun and games in the townships a little better. Those were not always such fun & happy times, take my word for it......
So far as plans for the vac are concerned.... technically I’m supposed to either go back to work at the office, or take leave for the duration of the school vacation. I [b]really[/b] don’t want to do the first, and I’d prefer not to do the second, so I’ll be trying for Option C – having the school roster me for practical shifts in either hospitals or at ambo stations. Evidently my old Officer Commanding here at the unit on the Bluff was bitching about my having taken leave for the last vac, and had wanted to know why I’d not been at work, but my section head from the School for Military Health Training in Pretoria has confirmed he’s happy for us to do prac shifts instead of sitting around the office during vacations – his requirements are that we do something constructive, and that it be controlled – we have to be able to show we weren’t just loafing around at home instead of being at work / on shift in other words. Other than that I have a fair sized anatomy and physiology assignment on neurotransmitters to do, and also a fair bit of studying, both for the upcoming A&P test, and also because I’m not happy with how my last emergency care test went. Like I said in the last post, I know I could have done better, and I have to accept that at least some of that was because I was over confident about it – I can’t blame everything on insomnia – so I really need to work on being a bit more conscientious about studying.
And during the vac I also want to work on being a little more diligent about getting some exercise, which is one of the other reasons I decided to resurrect this thing – to keep track of my progress in losing at least some of my fat ass. It’ll be awhile before I can really start with that plan given I’m so broke I can’t pay attention, never mind afford a gym contract and assistance from a biokineticist that’ll entail, but for now I can at least start with doing a few sit-ups & push-ups, and on the days I’m really feeling enthusiastic I can go for a jog too I’m sure. It was gratifying how quickly my fitness improved at the beginning of the year when I had that fitness test motivating me to do something about how out of shape I was, but since our recue lecturer resigned & we’re not doing pt any more..... things have dropped off again, & I’m not much fitter now than I was at the beginning of the year :/
Anyway, on that note I think it’s time for me to finish off here, grab another cup of coffee, and then start getting ready for the day. Till next time.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Sunday, June 08, 2008
08th June 2008, 0525B
Well, we're up to post number 2 at least, and it's only around a week since the last post, so maybe I'll get back into this after all.
It might be pertinent at this point to go into the "why" of this blog again, because as I said in the last post, the reasons have changed.
Previously I maintained this blog as a way of keeping in touch with friends while I was away on an 8 month deployment to Burundi, & evidently it was fairly well received. These days though? I'm quite firmly established in Durbs, where I can and do see my friends fairly frequently overall - some far more than others - and I won't be heading anywhere soon, so I really shouldn't need to use this to keep in touch. Then again, given how infrequently I do see some of my friends, maybe this purpose does still apply....
Anyway, to get back to why I’m resurrecting this. The same as before, this is going to be a journal of sorts where I can ramble away, but it’s also going to be way for me to keep track of how the studying is going (or not as the case may be), how my desire to narrow down my fat ass at least a little in the near future works out, and also to record how this little spiritual rediscovery that I’ve been having the last little while.... ok, 2 years or so... progresses. Assuming I ever get off said fat ass & actually do something about it that is.
Hopefully this won’t include quite so much whining & sulking as I did in this blog previously – looking back over it, it seems I was a seriously whiny bitch while I was in Burundi lol – but I make no promises :p
So far as general background for this goes concerned, I’m still in the military, still an Operational Medic, and still kind of based in Durban. I say “kind of” in that since I last updated this I’ve been transferred to the School for Military Health Training in Pretoria, though it’s effectively a paper transfer and I’ll likely never see the place – oh G_d how I hope I never see the place at least. The reason for the transfer is that I was lucky enough to land full time studies at state expense, and I’m currently busy with the National Diploma in Emergency Care & Rescue here at the Durban University of Technology, which is a really sweet deal I must say – the army pays for my studies in full, and they continue to pay me my full salary while I’m studying. After I graduate I’m bound to work back the years that I’ve studied, which is only to be expected I guess, but the real question there is where I’ll be working back that commitment. There’s a very good chance that I’ll be physically transferred at that point, probably to the Pretoria area somewhere, which is something I’m really not looking forward to, but who knows? Maybe by then they’ll have created regional Advanced Life Support practitioner posts and I’ll be able to stay in Durban after all. What would be really sweet is if I could swing some kind of liaison post at DUT itself, as an associate lecturer or something. The military is on a drive to put a lot of students through the N-Dip / B-Tech, and there are currently 17 students at the Durban faculty alone, including myself, & there’s a chance that’ll go up to perhaps 25-30 next year with a new group of 1st year students. Given those numbers, having a permanent representative at the regional schools to act as a mentor to, and to exercise command & control over, the military students might not be too bad an idea. Now if only I can sell that idea to the various people who make the decisions.....
So far the diploma has gone pretty well for me, though it’s not been too much of a challenge thus far. The reason for that is that I’ve started from scratch as a fresh 1st year student, instead of challenging the diploma and entering it under a Recognition of Prior learning (RPL) program, whereby I’d effectively do bridging training to upgrade my current qualification. Given that the diploma is structured to take you from “zero to hero”, all we’ve been doing so far has been work I’ve done numerous times before, so my biggest problem has been paying attention & taking things seriously so far. And I must confess, my focus has not been what it should be..... With a little luck I’ll wizen up very quickly & start putting in the work, & paying the attention I should be, but things have been a little shaky in that sense the last 2-3 weeks or so. The work is starting to get a little challenging though, so hopefully the last Adult Emergency Care test we did will shake me up & be an incentive to start studying properly again. I’m not happy with how that last test went at all, but it’s not entirely because I didn’t study enough for it – I’ve been having some real trouble with insomnia the last 6 months, and this last month or so in particular, and the headaches, mood swings & inability to concentrate that’s been causing really haven’t helped when it’s come to getting any studying done.
I’ve not received my results from that test yet, so I don’t know for sure how I did – the last I spoke to the lecturer nobody had failed at least – but I know I could have done better.
Overall though, I’m happy with how the diploma is going for me, & I have no doubt whatsoever about my ability to successfully complete the diploma. Which is a good thing, because I really don’t fancy having to refund the army my study fees :p
I think I’m going to end off here for now though, and perhaps do some of that studying I was just speaking of – I have a fair chunk of anatomy & physiology homework that’s due for tomorrow, and a pretty big assignment on neurotransmitters I need to get started on sometime soon. With a little luck I’ll have something to add to this soon, & I’ll get back into the swing of updating this regularly.
Till then.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Blowing out the cobwebs....
Damn, is it really a year since I last updated this thing?
Anyway, the last few weeks I've been thinking of dusting this thing off again, or perhaps of starting an entirely new blog, I've not decided which yet. The reason I'll be keeping a blog this time round - assuming I ever actually get further than this post - is very different to why I started with this one, so I'm leaning towards a new one, but I guess we'll see.
I'm not going to get into anything now though, I'm too tired from the 12 hour shift I pulled, & from not sleeping well at all the last few days, so I'll just get this little note up for now, & hopefully get back to this again in the not too distant future when I've decided what I'll be doing with it.
Till then
Anyway, the last few weeks I've been thinking of dusting this thing off again, or perhaps of starting an entirely new blog, I've not decided which yet. The reason I'll be keeping a blog this time round - assuming I ever actually get further than this post - is very different to why I started with this one, so I'm leaning towards a new one, but I guess we'll see.
I'm not going to get into anything now though, I'm too tired from the 12 hour shift I pulled, & from not sleeping well at all the last few days, so I'll just get this little note up for now, & hopefully get back to this again in the not too distant future when I've decided what I'll be doing with it.
Till then
Sunday, May 13, 2007
Better late than never....
30th April 2007, 1015B
Given the public holiday tomorrow, most people have taken leave so it’s a very quiet day at the office here. Consequently I’m sitting here with nothing to do, so I figure I may as well take the opportunity to catch up on the blog entry I’d been supposed to do last week.
I have to say I’m finding it tricky to get back into the right frame of mind for this, but I’m sure it’ll come back to me if I just keep at it.
So where to start? Easiest will just be to run through what’s happened the last few days I guess, starting with the appointment with the orthopod on Thursday.
To be honest I’m not ecstatic about how the appointment turned out, with the military surgeon declining the further surgery to my knee that the surgeon who operated on me initially said would be the best option in the long run. In fact, they flat out contradicted each other, with the problem being that both of them gave me convincing reasons for giving the recommendations they did. But it’s the army surgeon who calls the shots at the end of the day, & he certainly has a very good point about scar tissue from the op causing further problems later on, so for now we’ll be going with his treatment plan of biokinetic rehab for now, with a re-evaluation in 2 months or so.
My major niggle about this – I can’t call it a complaint really – is that it just feels to be a rather passive approach. It quite possibly is the best way to treat my knee, but I can’t help but wish we were being more aggressive. Then again, I say that now – I’ve yet to see the biokineticist, & there’s always the chance I’ll be in for a shock when I see the program she works out for me :p
That is one thing I’m happy about at least, having a good reason to get back into the gym. Rehab for my knee aside, I think I managed to keep the weight under control the last 6-7 weeks I’ve not been going to the gym, but that still leaves me about 20kg over weight, & it’s long past time I did something about this fat ass of mine. I swear, the weight I’ve picked up since I quit almost makes me want to start smoking again, & I was a tubby bastard then even.
So far as the public holiday on Friday goes, I spent that helping Ash photograph a wedding, & it went pretty well. I’m not overjoyed about the photos I took though, & while I took plenty of “decent” photos, there aren’t so many that stand out for me as being “good”. That’s not really surprising seeing as I’ve hardly touched the camera in going on 6 months & I’m definitely going to need more time & practice to get my eye in again, but it’s still a bit disappointing. Still, what matters is that Ash is happy with the photos I took, especially now that she’s paying me to help her with the weddings. So far she’s not had chance to look at the cd I gave her of the photos I took, & I have to confess I’m doing the whole “but what if she hates them?!” thing right now :p
After the fact performance anxiety aside, I quite enjoyed the day, & the couple who were getting married seem to be really pleasant people. The bride especially was nice, & she spent quite awhile talking with Ash & I at the wedding & the reception, treating us more like guests than hired help, which is always pleasantly surprising.
What wasn’t so pleasantly surprising though, was the reminder of how tiring photographing weddings is, & I was knackered by the end of the day. I was pretty bummed about that, as I ended up having to cancel joining Gareth & Denbeigh for dvd’s that evening because I was so tired, and it’s not that I get to see them as often as I’d like as it is.
The rest of the weekend was fairly quiet, thought Saturday was quite enjoyable, with G & Shirlz dragging me out of the flat fairly early to go furniture shopping with them. They’re both really excited about moving into their new place at the beginning of June, & I’m looking forward to seeing it properly myself.
Their enthusiasm for their new flat is also proving pretty infectious, & I’ve been thinking wistfully about getting a place of my own, but the sad fact there is that I just can’t afford to move out of where I am now, not while I’m still paying off my car. And truth is I’m happy enough in my place – I think I’m just getting itchy feet really, feeling the need to change things more for the sake of change itself than for any real reason.
Sunday I spent pretty much the whole day just faffing around, reading a bit & sorting out my mp3 collection of all things, deleting duplicate files, labelling them properly, finding album art & so on. And yes, that was about as exciting & thrilling as it sounds, so I was very happy when Shirley & G dragged me out of the flat to join them for good food and even better company at Maan Hing for supper.
That was pretty much it for the weekend though, so I think I’ll be ending off here. I’ll come up with another post before too much longer I’m sure, but cheers for now.
This should have been posted nearly 2 weeks ago, but ended up sitting on my hard drive till now due to issues with browsers, word processors & apathy among other things :p
Given the public holiday tomorrow, most people have taken leave so it’s a very quiet day at the office here. Consequently I’m sitting here with nothing to do, so I figure I may as well take the opportunity to catch up on the blog entry I’d been supposed to do last week.
I have to say I’m finding it tricky to get back into the right frame of mind for this, but I’m sure it’ll come back to me if I just keep at it.
So where to start? Easiest will just be to run through what’s happened the last few days I guess, starting with the appointment with the orthopod on Thursday.
To be honest I’m not ecstatic about how the appointment turned out, with the military surgeon declining the further surgery to my knee that the surgeon who operated on me initially said would be the best option in the long run. In fact, they flat out contradicted each other, with the problem being that both of them gave me convincing reasons for giving the recommendations they did. But it’s the army surgeon who calls the shots at the end of the day, & he certainly has a very good point about scar tissue from the op causing further problems later on, so for now we’ll be going with his treatment plan of biokinetic rehab for now, with a re-evaluation in 2 months or so.
My major niggle about this – I can’t call it a complaint really – is that it just feels to be a rather passive approach. It quite possibly is the best way to treat my knee, but I can’t help but wish we were being more aggressive. Then again, I say that now – I’ve yet to see the biokineticist, & there’s always the chance I’ll be in for a shock when I see the program she works out for me :p
That is one thing I’m happy about at least, having a good reason to get back into the gym. Rehab for my knee aside, I think I managed to keep the weight under control the last 6-7 weeks I’ve not been going to the gym, but that still leaves me about 20kg over weight, & it’s long past time I did something about this fat ass of mine. I swear, the weight I’ve picked up since I quit almost makes me want to start smoking again, & I was a tubby bastard then even.
So far as the public holiday on Friday goes, I spent that helping Ash photograph a wedding, & it went pretty well. I’m not overjoyed about the photos I took though, & while I took plenty of “decent” photos, there aren’t so many that stand out for me as being “good”. That’s not really surprising seeing as I’ve hardly touched the camera in going on 6 months & I’m definitely going to need more time & practice to get my eye in again, but it’s still a bit disappointing. Still, what matters is that Ash is happy with the photos I took, especially now that she’s paying me to help her with the weddings. So far she’s not had chance to look at the cd I gave her of the photos I took, & I have to confess I’m doing the whole “but what if she hates them?!” thing right now :p
After the fact performance anxiety aside, I quite enjoyed the day, & the couple who were getting married seem to be really pleasant people. The bride especially was nice, & she spent quite awhile talking with Ash & I at the wedding & the reception, treating us more like guests than hired help, which is always pleasantly surprising.
What wasn’t so pleasantly surprising though, was the reminder of how tiring photographing weddings is, & I was knackered by the end of the day. I was pretty bummed about that, as I ended up having to cancel joining Gareth & Denbeigh for dvd’s that evening because I was so tired, and it’s not that I get to see them as often as I’d like as it is.
The rest of the weekend was fairly quiet, thought Saturday was quite enjoyable, with G & Shirlz dragging me out of the flat fairly early to go furniture shopping with them. They’re both really excited about moving into their new place at the beginning of June, & I’m looking forward to seeing it properly myself.
Their enthusiasm for their new flat is also proving pretty infectious, & I’ve been thinking wistfully about getting a place of my own, but the sad fact there is that I just can’t afford to move out of where I am now, not while I’m still paying off my car. And truth is I’m happy enough in my place – I think I’m just getting itchy feet really, feeling the need to change things more for the sake of change itself than for any real reason.
Sunday I spent pretty much the whole day just faffing around, reading a bit & sorting out my mp3 collection of all things, deleting duplicate files, labelling them properly, finding album art & so on. And yes, that was about as exciting & thrilling as it sounds, so I was very happy when Shirley & G dragged me out of the flat to join them for good food and even better company at Maan Hing for supper.
That was pretty much it for the weekend though, so I think I’ll be ending off here. I’ll come up with another post before too much longer I’m sure, but cheers for now.
This should have been posted nearly 2 weeks ago, but ended up sitting on my hard drive till now due to issues with browsers, word processors & apathy among other things :p
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Back in the Saddle....
April 26th 2007, 0625
For some reason the last few weeks I've had a hankering to dust this old blog of mine off, something I'd been saying I wasn't going to bother with until the next time the Army sent me away for 6 months & I had something to say beyond "Woke up, went to work, it sucked, came home & sat in front of the PC till I went to bed". But given how I've torn up the cartilage in my knee I don't know how much longer my medical classification will be such that I can be used for external ops, the wait till my next trip out of the country to resurrect this thing would likely have been a long one :p
Also, getting back into the habit of updating this blog may in a roundabout way induce me to do something a little more interesting with my life than the usual cycle of work-eat-sleep, or to at least take a little more note of the world around me. It'll also maybe help me organise my thoughts & ideas a little better, & God knows that's something that needs to happen badly.
But on that note, I'm going to end off for now & go get ready as I have an appointment with the military orthopaedic specialist about my knee in about 45 min, so I need to do the whole shower & put on pants thing. If anyone reads this, wish me luck please - this knee has been worrying me the last few days, & was pretty damn sore & swollen last night. The chances are I won't be going in to the office after the appointment, so I'll probably come home & type up a follow on to this then. Cheers for now though.
For some reason the last few weeks I've had a hankering to dust this old blog of mine off, something I'd been saying I wasn't going to bother with until the next time the Army sent me away for 6 months & I had something to say beyond "Woke up, went to work, it sucked, came home & sat in front of the PC till I went to bed". But given how I've torn up the cartilage in my knee I don't know how much longer my medical classification will be such that I can be used for external ops, the wait till my next trip out of the country to resurrect this thing would likely have been a long one :p
Also, getting back into the habit of updating this blog may in a roundabout way induce me to do something a little more interesting with my life than the usual cycle of work-eat-sleep, or to at least take a little more note of the world around me. It'll also maybe help me organise my thoughts & ideas a little better, & God knows that's something that needs to happen badly.
But on that note, I'm going to end off for now & go get ready as I have an appointment with the military orthopaedic specialist about my knee in about 45 min, so I need to do the whole shower & put on pants thing. If anyone reads this, wish me luck please - this knee has been worrying me the last few days, & was pretty damn sore & swollen last night. The chances are I won't be going in to the office after the appointment, so I'll probably come home & type up a follow on to this then. Cheers for now though.
Monday, March 13, 2006
I ain't dead....
March 13th 2006, 0910B
This is just going to be a quick post to keep this thing alive until I have chance to sit down & type up something decent for it.
I'm back in SA now, & it's really good to be home, even though as soon as I walked through the door of my flat it suddenly felt as though I'd only been awy for a few days, and not 8 months. Strange.....
Anyway, for the most part I've been having a great time catching up with my friends & enjoying a life style of the idle & lazy this first 2 weeks or so I've been home. I've been a little limited in terms of transport atm, as the bike's in the shop & costing me a bloody fortune to fix, so I've not actually done as much as I'd planned since I've been home, but I should be getting the bike back in the next few days. Or at least I bloody hope I'll be geting the bike back in the next few days as relying on other people for transport is wearing thin. In fact, not having wheels of my own has precipitated a serious argument with one of my friends, Colleen from the office, as I've not had chance to see her yet & it seems she's taken that to mean that I don't want to see her. What really precipitated the fight was that she'd offered to come pick me up twice, & I'd had to say no both times because of scheduling conflicts, so I can certainly understand why she's upset. But giving me shit because of it really isn't going to help....
I'll make a plan as soon as I have the bike back, but I have a feeling things are going to be strained for a little while between us, & I really don't need the stress to be honest...
Otherwise about all I've been doing the last few days is play lots of WoW over my lovely broadband connection at home, while drinking far too much coffee & smoking cigarettes. It's a really cool game, & much more fun than I thought it'd be. The cartoony graphics took a little getting used to initially, but they've grown on me now & I quite enjoy them. Best about the game though is the social interaction side of it - you always hear about the assholes in this kind of game who ruin it for everyone, but so far I've not encountered anything like that, & in fact have found a really pleasant & helpful bunch of people.
Anyway, that's going to be it for now as I have some sorting out to do here in the flat, but I'll get back to this soon.
Cheers for now though ;)
This is just going to be a quick post to keep this thing alive until I have chance to sit down & type up something decent for it.
I'm back in SA now, & it's really good to be home, even though as soon as I walked through the door of my flat it suddenly felt as though I'd only been awy for a few days, and not 8 months. Strange.....
Anyway, for the most part I've been having a great time catching up with my friends & enjoying a life style of the idle & lazy this first 2 weeks or so I've been home. I've been a little limited in terms of transport atm, as the bike's in the shop & costing me a bloody fortune to fix, so I've not actually done as much as I'd planned since I've been home, but I should be getting the bike back in the next few days. Or at least I bloody hope I'll be geting the bike back in the next few days as relying on other people for transport is wearing thin. In fact, not having wheels of my own has precipitated a serious argument with one of my friends, Colleen from the office, as I've not had chance to see her yet & it seems she's taken that to mean that I don't want to see her. What really precipitated the fight was that she'd offered to come pick me up twice, & I'd had to say no both times because of scheduling conflicts, so I can certainly understand why she's upset. But giving me shit because of it really isn't going to help....
I'll make a plan as soon as I have the bike back, but I have a feeling things are going to be strained for a little while between us, & I really don't need the stress to be honest...
Otherwise about all I've been doing the last few days is play lots of WoW over my lovely broadband connection at home, while drinking far too much coffee & smoking cigarettes. It's a really cool game, & much more fun than I thought it'd be. The cartoony graphics took a little getting used to initially, but they've grown on me now & I quite enjoy them. Best about the game though is the social interaction side of it - you always hear about the assholes in this kind of game who ruin it for everyone, but so far I've not encountered anything like that, & in fact have found a really pleasant & helpful bunch of people.
Anyway, that's going to be it for now as I have some sorting out to do here in the flat, but I'll get back to this soon.
Cheers for now though ;)
Saturday, February 25, 2006
“Closer to fine….”
This is likely to be the last time I type anything up for this while I’m still in Burundi. You see, the other day I finally got feedback regarding my extension, and baring acts of God, plane crashes, the outbreak of war here, or other such significant events, I’ll be home – and staying home – very soon. Less than 7 days kind of soon.
It goes without saying that I’m very happy to be coming home, that I’ll get to spend some time with all the people I’ve missed so much over the last months, and that I’m rather looking forward to being on leave for 2-3 months. There’s also a certain relief to be found in finally knowing what is happening, but it also has to be said that I’m very bitter and disenchanted with army life right now. I can’t – won’t – go into the reasons why here, as there’s a great deal of hearsay & conjecture involved, and very little proof, but suffice it to say that I am not at all happy as to the apparent “why” I won’t be staying an additional 6 months. That I have significant questions regarding whether or not I wish to pursue a further military career in this country.
Overall this last week or so has been very difficult, and I’ve been experiencing some pretty serious spells of depression and intense anger. Mostly it’s to do with the way I feel I have been treated by the military over this extension, but I’ve also been really struggling with comms the last few days, and that really hasn’t helped at all. It’s added a feeling of isolation & being cut off to an already battered emotional state, at a time when I really need the contact with home. Of course, there’s also my old friend mefliam making its contribution to things, but at least I only have to take those for about another month now.
But as the title suggests, things are getting better. I’m still nowhere near a happy camper, but I’m managing, and the positive aspects of not getting the extension are busy jumping up & down, trying to get my attention. For a start it means I don’t have to spend another 6 months in Burundi, surrounded by Burundians. Burundi itself is actually quite pleasant, & is a really beautiful country, but I’ve expressed previously my opinion of the locals, & they’ve made it very hard to develop any genuine affection for the place.
I also have a nice long leave to look forward to when I get home, & I fully intend for it to be a busy one. First off, though I’m really not sure how successful I’ll be with this, I need to get into a gym and do something about my fitness levels. Losing the extra weight will be an added bonus, but my physical condition is appalling and is in dire need of attention. And I call myself a professional soldier….
I’d also like to look into scuba diving when I get home, not only as a physically active hobby, but also with the intention of expanding my skill base for future employment possibilities. Cost here is going to be something of an issue though. I don’t think the initial course is too bad, but the equipment can get very expensive, very quickly. My bank balance won’t look as healthy as I’d hoped it would, given I won’t be staying the extra 6 months, so I have to be careful with how much I spend. I may be able to get away with borrowing some of Rob’s gear at least initially though, as he used to dive at one point & still has a fair bit of the kit lying around the house.
Financially speaking, the largest disappointment I’m experiencing other than not saving as much as I’d hoped, is that I won’t be able to get that zoom lens I’ve wanted for so long. Come to think of it, this is something Ash should be pissed about too, as I’d planned on giving her the 75-300mm of mine she’s been using while I’ve been here when I got the new lens.
Still on the subject of Ash & photography, awhile ago she asked me to join a photography club with her, & that looks like it should be interesting. One thing I’ve not had as much of as I would have liked since I’ve been away is “peer review”, & joining a club would be good way to get that.
It’s not as good as doing a proper course, but joining a club will also be a good learning opportunity & will likely broaden my skill base where photography is concerned. Something else to add to the cv.
I also have a fair amount of software and shiny new toys to look forward to playing with, such as the i-Pod, new keyboard and mouse, and also the stylus & pen I bought for the pc. The new notebook should also be waiting for me by the time I get back, & I’m very keen to see if it’s as good as the reviews I’ve read say it is – I bloody hope it is given how much it’s costing me lol
One thing is for certain though, that it’ll run WoW like an utter dream, & I’m quite pleased that I’ll be able to spend some decent time on the game, rather than the odd chance I’d have had if I was only home for two weeks. A secondary reason I’m keen to start playing WoW is that there’s a fair chance I’ll bump into Nicole online pretty quickly that way, as I’ve still not heard from her since December, despite numerous sms’s being sent. I’m sure it’s just this fucked up Burundian cell provider losing messages either coming or going, but I’ve really missed hearing from her & it’ll be good to get in touch with her again.
On the subject of notebooks, the guy who’d been going to buy this one to can’t anymore, as he also got shafted on his extension application. It’s not a problem though, and this should also make Shirley quite happy, as she’d claimed first dibs on it if I didn’t sell it before I got home. I’ve been asking around, trying to get an idea as to what it’s really worth before I give her a figure, as I have a feeling I should be embarrassed by what I’d been asking for it here:p
Speaking of selling things, I’ve also got a 20gb Sony Walkman MP3 player that’s up for grabs for in the region of R1.5k – anyone interested is more than welcome to give me a shout.
Best of all I have to look forward to though, is spending time with my friends again. It’s been a very long 8 months away at times, & the support I’ve received from everyone at home has gone a long way to making this manageable, so I’m looking forward to getting home & spending some decent time with everyone. As soon as I’m physically back in Durban, I’ll get in touch with everyone & arrange to get together for at least coffee or a few drinks ASAP – given that pretty much everyone is working these days I’m not sure that there’ll be chance for any heavy duty catching up the first few days I’ll be home, but there’s a weekend shortly after I get back & I’m sure we can plan something decent for that. A braai the Friday and / or Saturday, followed with breakfast at Joe Cools & a day at the beach for Sunday, perhaps? As always, suggestions for group activities are welcome, so if anyone has ideas for things to do, give me a shout ;)
Actually, here’s another reason everyone should be happy I’m not going to be coming back up here after a 2-3 week break – given how limited time would have been, I put some thought into the most efficient way to use the time I’d have available, & the answer I came up with was multi-tasking, or doing as many things at once as possible.
Thing is, the first 3 items on my “to do” list were “spend time with friends”, “long hot shower”, and “session of hot & nasty sex”…….
I have a feeling that the little shower I have at home would have been a little cramped with everyone in it, & there would likely be a new definition to the term “good friends” by the time the hot water ran out :p
Anyway, I’m going to end this off here. I’m probably being going to be rather out of touch ‘till I get home, as the landline here has gone tits up & I’m pretty much out of airtime. I don’t think I’ll be getting more airtime for the cell when what I have left is finished, as it’s not really worth it given the time remaining. I’ll be seeing everyone in person soon enough though, so that shouldn’t be a problem.
Cheers till then though ;)
It goes without saying that I’m very happy to be coming home, that I’ll get to spend some time with all the people I’ve missed so much over the last months, and that I’m rather looking forward to being on leave for 2-3 months. There’s also a certain relief to be found in finally knowing what is happening, but it also has to be said that I’m very bitter and disenchanted with army life right now. I can’t – won’t – go into the reasons why here, as there’s a great deal of hearsay & conjecture involved, and very little proof, but suffice it to say that I am not at all happy as to the apparent “why” I won’t be staying an additional 6 months. That I have significant questions regarding whether or not I wish to pursue a further military career in this country.
Overall this last week or so has been very difficult, and I’ve been experiencing some pretty serious spells of depression and intense anger. Mostly it’s to do with the way I feel I have been treated by the military over this extension, but I’ve also been really struggling with comms the last few days, and that really hasn’t helped at all. It’s added a feeling of isolation & being cut off to an already battered emotional state, at a time when I really need the contact with home. Of course, there’s also my old friend mefliam making its contribution to things, but at least I only have to take those for about another month now.
But as the title suggests, things are getting better. I’m still nowhere near a happy camper, but I’m managing, and the positive aspects of not getting the extension are busy jumping up & down, trying to get my attention. For a start it means I don’t have to spend another 6 months in Burundi, surrounded by Burundians. Burundi itself is actually quite pleasant, & is a really beautiful country, but I’ve expressed previously my opinion of the locals, & they’ve made it very hard to develop any genuine affection for the place.
I also have a nice long leave to look forward to when I get home, & I fully intend for it to be a busy one. First off, though I’m really not sure how successful I’ll be with this, I need to get into a gym and do something about my fitness levels. Losing the extra weight will be an added bonus, but my physical condition is appalling and is in dire need of attention. And I call myself a professional soldier….
I’d also like to look into scuba diving when I get home, not only as a physically active hobby, but also with the intention of expanding my skill base for future employment possibilities. Cost here is going to be something of an issue though. I don’t think the initial course is too bad, but the equipment can get very expensive, very quickly. My bank balance won’t look as healthy as I’d hoped it would, given I won’t be staying the extra 6 months, so I have to be careful with how much I spend. I may be able to get away with borrowing some of Rob’s gear at least initially though, as he used to dive at one point & still has a fair bit of the kit lying around the house.
Financially speaking, the largest disappointment I’m experiencing other than not saving as much as I’d hoped, is that I won’t be able to get that zoom lens I’ve wanted for so long. Come to think of it, this is something Ash should be pissed about too, as I’d planned on giving her the 75-300mm of mine she’s been using while I’ve been here when I got the new lens.
Still on the subject of Ash & photography, awhile ago she asked me to join a photography club with her, & that looks like it should be interesting. One thing I’ve not had as much of as I would have liked since I’ve been away is “peer review”, & joining a club would be good way to get that.
It’s not as good as doing a proper course, but joining a club will also be a good learning opportunity & will likely broaden my skill base where photography is concerned. Something else to add to the cv.
I also have a fair amount of software and shiny new toys to look forward to playing with, such as the i-Pod, new keyboard and mouse, and also the stylus & pen I bought for the pc. The new notebook should also be waiting for me by the time I get back, & I’m very keen to see if it’s as good as the reviews I’ve read say it is – I bloody hope it is given how much it’s costing me lol
One thing is for certain though, that it’ll run WoW like an utter dream, & I’m quite pleased that I’ll be able to spend some decent time on the game, rather than the odd chance I’d have had if I was only home for two weeks. A secondary reason I’m keen to start playing WoW is that there’s a fair chance I’ll bump into Nicole online pretty quickly that way, as I’ve still not heard from her since December, despite numerous sms’s being sent. I’m sure it’s just this fucked up Burundian cell provider losing messages either coming or going, but I’ve really missed hearing from her & it’ll be good to get in touch with her again.
On the subject of notebooks, the guy who’d been going to buy this one to can’t anymore, as he also got shafted on his extension application. It’s not a problem though, and this should also make Shirley quite happy, as she’d claimed first dibs on it if I didn’t sell it before I got home. I’ve been asking around, trying to get an idea as to what it’s really worth before I give her a figure, as I have a feeling I should be embarrassed by what I’d been asking for it here:p
Speaking of selling things, I’ve also got a 20gb Sony Walkman MP3 player that’s up for grabs for in the region of R1.5k – anyone interested is more than welcome to give me a shout.
Best of all I have to look forward to though, is spending time with my friends again. It’s been a very long 8 months away at times, & the support I’ve received from everyone at home has gone a long way to making this manageable, so I’m looking forward to getting home & spending some decent time with everyone. As soon as I’m physically back in Durban, I’ll get in touch with everyone & arrange to get together for at least coffee or a few drinks ASAP – given that pretty much everyone is working these days I’m not sure that there’ll be chance for any heavy duty catching up the first few days I’ll be home, but there’s a weekend shortly after I get back & I’m sure we can plan something decent for that. A braai the Friday and / or Saturday, followed with breakfast at Joe Cools & a day at the beach for Sunday, perhaps? As always, suggestions for group activities are welcome, so if anyone has ideas for things to do, give me a shout ;)
Actually, here’s another reason everyone should be happy I’m not going to be coming back up here after a 2-3 week break – given how limited time would have been, I put some thought into the most efficient way to use the time I’d have available, & the answer I came up with was multi-tasking, or doing as many things at once as possible.
Thing is, the first 3 items on my “to do” list were “spend time with friends”, “long hot shower”, and “session of hot & nasty sex”…….
I have a feeling that the little shower I have at home would have been a little cramped with everyone in it, & there would likely be a new definition to the term “good friends” by the time the hot water ran out :p
Anyway, I’m going to end this off here. I’m probably being going to be rather out of touch ‘till I get home, as the landline here has gone tits up & I’m pretty much out of airtime. I don’t think I’ll be getting more airtime for the cell when what I have left is finished, as it’s not really worth it given the time remaining. I’ll be seeing everyone in person soon enough though, so that shouldn’t be a problem.
Cheers till then though ;)
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