by Selma in Sandy Eggo » Sat Sep 13, 2003 2:58 am
OK, I guess MCRD is still in business. That's the Marine Corps Recruit Depot. The Naval Training Center (NTC) was right next to it, with the USS Neversail,(which I believe to be one of the only commissioned plywood vessels ever built) located in the parking lot. It is, sadly, gone.
I work right across the bay, at North Island. That's where the Navy parks the large grey objects with the little airplanes sitting on the deck. I'll wave as I go across the bridge, twice daily. The San Diego opera is somewhere downtown - OT can give you more specific directions. I presume he knows where the theater is...
If you go to Tijuana, a few tips:
1. The Border Patrol and the CHP randomly check blood alcohol of returning young people. They seem to particularly check young military people. Word to the wise. The under-21 bunch needs a blood alcohol level of nothing to be safe.
2. The Tijuana intimate entertainers have a collection of pathogens second only to the working ladies of Bangkok. Avoid them. There are four or more incurables, and one of them is lethal. The Sandy Eggan intimate entertainers are not far behind, as they share many of the local customers...
3. The Trolley (and it actually looks like Mr. Rogers' little red trolley, all grown up) goes all the way to the border. The Orange line goes to the football stadium and the Mexico border, the blue line goes inland to El Cajon and Santee. Do not plan to drive across the border, you can go south without even slowing down, but going north on a weekend will cost you two hours in line at the Immigration crossing. You can walk down to the Avenida Revolucion shopping/restaurant/tourist district from the trolley drop, easily.
If you decide to stay north of the line, there's plenty to do here. For beaches, I'm fond of La Jolla Shores and Moonlight Beach in Encinitas. If you like critters, we have the Zoo (sundays the boys in uniform get in free, I believe) and the Wild Animal Park. That one's a real mind trip, but you can't get to it without motor transport. It's in the outback of Escondido. Know anybody in Escondido?
You have, sadly, missed the Quilt Show. <sniffle> And the Comicon. Life can be very hard, sometimes.
Oh, yes. I understand you will be pretty much incommunicado for some time, and then will be allowed to escape for short periods of time. Plan for poor public transportation connections, and then plan another hour for the inevitable screwups. They're quite serious by the "report back by" number. And San Diego busses do NOT run in the middle of the night. Your immediate supervisor will make an example of the first screwup. Don't be him. (This last courtesy of a retired Master Gunny Sargeant with whom I work.)
He also said to remind you that the stuff between your ears and behind your eyes belongs to you. Everything else is the property of the Corps. Keep your head down, argue with nothing, volunteer for nothing, go along with all the OO-rah nonsense, it's temporary.
Keep a sense of humor and you'll have a wonderful time.
Selma
Oh, yeah. He retired after 32 years, says you've made the best decision of your life. Might be a tad biased.
>^..^<
layer starts to show up more often. Rather nice.
)