Message from 1st Oboe

[dai bread]

Originally posted by operatenor:

Originally posted by Serenity:
[b] Always question authority!

Yeah, what she said.

I advanced as far as I could very rapidly while I was in the USN, but could never make chief because I always questioned authority. It didn't matter how affiliative I tried to be, or how good my intentions were, they simply did not like getting another perspective from below.
[/b]

If you can get away with it. It's not just the military who have that superior attitude. Civilian management is every bit as bad. Just a bit more subtle with the punishment. Only 1% pay rise, for instance, instead of the 2% that everyone else got.

[Serenity]

I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death. ~Patrick Henry

[shostakovich]

"I only regret that I have but one life to give for my country." ----- young and innocent Nathan Hale, Coventry, Connecticut.

[barfle]

"It is better to be rich and healthy than poor and sick." - My Dad.

[Selma in Sandy Eggo]

Update from 1st Oboe

***********************
dated: 10/25/03
Dear BBB

Thursday is the day. As of right now, I'm taking the bus, but I've been on enough greyhounds from Boise to Salt Lake City to know that riding from SD to Boise will not be fun. Going to try to see if family can get me a plane ticket. Would rather spend 3 hours on an airplane than 20t{that's the characters he wrote, I'm not sure of a translation} on a bus.

If I do end up on the government issued bus ride, I will have plenty of free time. I've been here long enough to know that most bus tickets that are bought for us are evening departures. We generally get taken to the airport/bus station around 1030-1100. Plenty of free time. (Oops, guess I already said that).

I also know that flights are usually between 1400 and 1700, so if I do get to fly out, I'll have less time but still enough for a meet-'n-greet. (or whatever)

In any case, expect a phone call from the airport (hopefully) before noon Thursday.

15 chows to go!

Aaron

************************************

He wrote this the day this end of the state caught fire, and presumably before he knew the state caught fire. It's now Wednesday night and, what with all the airline rescheduling and road closures, I'm not too sure that his actual schedule will fit the one he described in the letter. Now that Colorado has also caught fire, he might make better time on the bus than an airplane to Boise.

Tomorrow is sort of short scheduling for any sort of "hello", but today is the first day I've had a mail delivery since last Friday afternoon. Aaron had no way of knowing that I'd not get mail until today; neither the USPS nor UPS was delivering because we were an evacuated area.

Poor kid, he only got to see SoCal at its worst.

<small>[ 10-30-2003, 01:02 AM: Message edited by: Selma in San Diego ]</small>

[BenODen]

Hey baby, it's cool around here.

Er, I mean a bit of snow came (freezing drizzle at the moment!) and it's calm, so perhaps the firefighters will have a very good day. The smoke had shifted away from my house by the time I came home, but earlier in the day, it was definitely VERY thick up my direction, and I live probably 20 crow flying miles northeast of the fire. This morning I know less than the news, since I haven't watched this morning. I can't even tell anything out my front door, but winter-fall has finally arrived, YAY! (come-on inches! [ed. of snow]) Here's hoping!

-Benito

P.S. Now up on the news I can say what a difference 12 hours makes. They're reporting that the fires are now just hot spots. YAY!

<small>[ 10-30-2003, 11:15 AM: Message edited by: Benito Of Denver ]</small>

[Selma in Sandy Eggo]

Poor Aaron.

I came out of my microwave-impervious navy building this afternoon, turned on my cell phone, and there was a voice mail from him. At ten-thirtyish, he called and left the message that he was at the bus station until his bus left at 11:30. So by the time I heard this, he was probably passing through Baker. Unless he had a phone number to catch OT, we've altogether missed him.

Anyway, have a good trip, Aaron.

Selma

[piqaboo]

Poor Aaron - been a short but tough road!
and yet....
he coulda chosen to swap the ticket for one on Friday, and had an entire day to play.
So, we'll have to catch him on his home turf sometime.

[The Great Carouser]

"Anyway, have a good trip, Aaron."

Would you think less of me; perhaps even think me a churl were I to take this opportunity to say "oboe is me!"?

[1st_oboe]

Hello all...
I have made it home safely. Thank you all for your kind words and support. It's been a long couple of days, not really thinking too clearly right now. Going to hit the rack and get some much needed rest. Talk to you all soon!
Thanks again.

P.S. Did try to call OT, phone was busy (must have been a soprano... )

[barfle]

Welcome back, Aaron!

I'm waiting anxiously for some war stories...

[1st_oboe]

Hmmm... war stories. Don't have too many of those that I can put on the board. Most of the others are the you had to be there type. But I have a couple of amusing incidents I'll pass on.

One time marching to chow, the DI was on the sidewalk marching the platoon on the road. He was eyes right watching us. He had a head on collision with a stop sign. He wasn't hurt at all, just terribly embarassed. After picking his cover up off the ground, he turned to the platoon and said "Go ahead and laugh *****" We did.

Another story I find amusing simply bacause I wasn't part of it...
I was on light duty for a few days (the four days before I was dropped from training) due to an ankle injury (twisted it while carrying a footlocker full of laundry down the stairs...) I was stuck cleaning the head while the platoon was in the squad bay practicing rifle drill. Apparently, Suzie was getting heavy. The platoon was ordered to put down their weapons and pick up their footlockers. After a few rounds of RIGHT SHOULDER... FOOTLOCKER - PORT... FOOTLOCKER, etc. the platoon seemed to do much better not letting their M16A2's sag. This is almost a you had to be there story, but just imagine doing drill movements normally done with a 7.3 lb rifle with a 70 lb footlocker.

Oh yes... I also now know that it is possible to fit 77 people in one toilet stall. It can be done when 'influenced' by a couple of very angry Drill Instructors. I can't remember what we did to deserve that one, but whatever it was, it didn't happen again. Looking back at it, it's kind of amusing, but I surrounded on all sides (including on top of my head) by recruits who were just as dirty and stinky as I was. It was definately not fun at the time.

One time during mail call, a recruit got a letter via air mail. Drill instructor: "What the **** is this? We don't get **** air mail in **** boot camp. Take your **** air mail, make airplane noises and fly your **** around the squad bay!" That poor guy was running around making airplane noises for about an hour, when the DI finally told him to stop. Isn't it nice how DI's can punish recruits for something they have no control over?

[barfle]

One of the more humorous (and repetitive) incidents that happened to me in Army basic training: Our platoon's drill sergeant was named Rivera. Our first sergeant was named Romero. Naturally, every once in a while, a recruit would get the names backwards.

When that happened (I'm sure they had this worked out well in advance), they would ask the poor hapless slob "which one of us is better looking?" The answer, of course, was "you are, sergeant." (Never, ever call an Army NCO "sir!")

The response was "Go tell him you said that." And then the other sergeant would have the recruit doing push ups.

That wasn't all that bad. It didn't take me all that long until I really could do push ups until they got tired of watching me. Somehow, these days it seems humorous...

[1st_oboe]

Just an update for those of you who might be wondering what your favorite boot camp drop out is up to.
Upon returning home, I began searching for a job. I found one, a very good one. I am currently a rookie sales representative for Vector marketing. I have been working this new job for three days now (after three days of training), and am less than $400 in sales from making my first promotion, which will drop that 'rookie' from my title.
I am very happy with my job, and since I get to set my own schedule, I have gone back to playing in my college symphony, in which I am principal trombone (didn't need oboes, so I got stuck in the brass, oh well, I got the pole position, I'm happy... I will still get to play English horn as needed, though there is nothing that calls for it lined up for this season

Great to hear about the LCBBBLB. The closest person to me that comes to mind would probably be Benito, which is around 600 miles or so. Don't think there's much of a chance of a lunch bunch I can be a part of, but oh well. Maybe I can save up and take a business trip (ooh... a tax deductible business trip, I have independant contractor status...) to DC or back to San Diego (don't know if I want to go back there yet...)

Anyway, I was feeling talkative tonight, or maybe it's typeative. I think it's out of my system now.

Cheers!
Aaron

<small>[ 11-10-2003, 11:59 PM: Message edited by: 1st_oboe ]</small>

[1st_oboe]

Prof. got this in the mail today...

The President's Own USMC Band
Announces a Vacancy for: English Horn/Oboe (!!!)

Here's the good part, upon carefully reading the details... "Those selected for the U. S. Marine Band are exempt from recruit training and are appointed to the rank of Staff Sergeant (E-6) under a contract 'for duty with the U. S. Marine Band only.'"

So I have the opportunity to join the Corps again, this time with NO BOOT CAMP. In fact, in the unlikely event that I would pass the audition, I would outrank two of my three former Drill Instructors!

Time to start practicing the good ol' orchestral excertps...

Aaron
(Am I going crazy again!?)

[barfle]

You would certainly outrank anything I ever achieved (E-5), but how long does the hitch last?

[haggis]

I wasn't aware the USMC had dropped the boot camp requirement for the band.

I'm glad, the USAF did years ago and is better for it.

When I lived on Andrews AFB my neighbor was in the USAF band and had made E-9 in 12 - 14 years, it took me 24 years!

Face it, how often is the 2nd or 3rd oboist (is that right?) expected to pick up a rifle and defend the ramparts of Washington DC?

(Ed. "Are you Sure? Did you forget that Japanese camera brigade invading the Air and Space Mueseum last Fall?")

I thought you'd sounded a little disappointed you didn't make it last time. If you decide to try for it, good luck.