July in Texas

Hello!

Life in Texas is pretty good. I’m liking the hot weather more than I thought I would as it is a nice, dry heat. You know that feeling when you get in your car on a hot day and it’s like an oven? That’s what it’s like a lot of the time here. :) which is good for me, because I always liked that. Not that I want to spend a ton of time in it, or do any sort of physical activity in the heat, but really, it’s nice to pass through and makes for pleasant morning and evening temperatures. I really like going downtown and reading in the evening by the river. My apartment has a pool so I go swimming about every other day. For the Air Force, we get 90 minutes 2-3 times a week for physical training. I like to leave work around 3 and come back to the apartment gym and workout, then be able to jump in the pool and swim some laps. It’s very relaxing. Sometimes as I’m floating around the pool at 4 in the afternoon, in 90+ degree weather under bright blue Texas skies, I can’t help but smile at the crazy turns my life has taken to get me here. That realization seems to be my theme.

Air Force life is okay. I am still waiting to get fully licensed so I can actually see patients. My days are spent meeting people, and getting in-processing stuff done. Like getting fit for my gas mask and body armor. I had no idea how heavy that stuff is! I can’t imagine having to wear it around in the desert all day. Let’s hope the crazy life turns don’t take me there. I really like the sergeants that work with me. They are both great guys and know how to do their jobs well. The poor men get a constant bombardment of questions from me, but they don’t seem to mind. As great as they are (confirmed by pretty much every person I meet in the clinic), I have been warned multiple times to keep an eye on them. With me being their new supervisor, I’ve been told they can be pretty smooth in finding what they can get away with, ie leaving early, taking longer lunches, being on facebook… As you all know, I’m not a disciplinarian, so I’m hoping they won’t put me in the spot where I have to get on their case. I don’t think it will be an issue, but it’s a good warning, I guess. Anyway, I should get my license this week. Then next week I actually have a refractive surgery course in San Antonio. So maybe the week after that I might get to look at an eye. Maybe…

I’m quickly learning the optometry clinic is a little secluded. It’s just the three of us in the office, without much reason or need to go anywhere else in the clinic. Everyone I have met has been nice, but I don’t really interact with anyone regularly. This may make for a lonely existence in the clinic. Good thing there are lots of staff meetings so I can get out and see others!

Outside of work, I wander around in various stores and try to explore new areas. Like I mentioned, I do enjoy the river walk downtown and coming to the coffee shop. The search for a good church continues. The problem with this town is that it isn’t that big, yet there are about a billion churches! So every church I’ve gone to has a pretty small attendance (like 20-40 people). I guess I like bigger churches. Today I actually found one with lots of people! Like a hundred or so. There is one more church I wanted to check out. I need more Sundays in the week. I signed up to volunteer with the Humane Society, which has a very small presence here. I've learned animal rights/protection/care isn't a priority here, but the Humane Society is starting to make a difference. I spent several hours Saturday walking dogs and playing with them. We were at a pet shop for a mobile adoption. Animal lovers are a funny breed of people. :) No, I didn’t come home with any pets of my own… yet.

So I don’t get too bored I am trying to find things to occupy my time. Ideas? I’m working on my guitar skills, hopefully my neighbors can’t hear me. As I told Dustin, I have no rhythm ability, so while I play chords well, actually strumming to a beat seems to be beyond me. I’m working on it though. And I do want to learn Spanish. I was going to go with Rosetta stone, but they are expensive… Maybe I can find a good deal on ebay. I have about 3 books going – Mere Christianity, Nanny Diaries, and a short story collection by Ray Bradbury. I also am looking for good cupcakes and frosting recipes (if you have some, send them my way!). This is a delicious hobby, but not so good for maintaining my waistline, lol. I wouldn't care about it, except that it can’t expand because then my uniform pants don’t fit. I really should have puffed out my stomach when they fit me for those. :)

I still can’t decide if I want to keep blogging… maybe I should be more like Kim, and just give little entries about things I notice. Texas is like another country after all. And since I mentioned her blog, you all should check it out http://kirribillikim.blogspot.com/ (hope you don’t mind that plug for you, Kim).

That’s all I got. Hope everyone is having fun with life!

(Fourth of July pops concert and fireworks... sing the Indiana Jones theme for the fireworks)

The End

Get ready for a long post!

Well, I have successfully graduated from COT. The last week was our simulated deployed environment. We slept in tents on cots, which was kind of like a big slumber party since it was a tent of about 10 girls. :) The MRE's weren't too bad, but were very hard to eat for breakfast. The first day we had the medical course. I was going to be a lab tech, but got pulled out to be a patient instead. Patients got plastered in makeup for various ailments and then sent out to go wither around on the ground screaming so the security forces could find us, drag us to the med tent, and then we got fixed up there. It was pretty boring to be a patient; a lot of waiting around to go out for a few minutes of acting.

That afternoon we moved on to the high ropes course. The course was various obstacles 35 feet in the air strapped to a wire with a frayed rope. It was fun,a little scary too. Then we did a rock climbing wall, had to walk out on a telephone pole 40 ft in the air, and repelled to the bottom. The next day we had to carry a person strapped to a stretcher through various obstacles. It was a cool experience but I was sooooo glad to go 'home,' back to the dorms to shower and put on clean clothes. I didn't realize how bad we all stunk until we got back indoors in the dorms.

(hanging out on my cot... at COT?)

Wednesday evening was a special dinner at the Officer Club with delicious food and time to meet and socialize with other people. I met two other optometrists and we had fun talking about school and boards and where we were all heading next. I will see them again in August when we all have to attend a conference on refractive surgery. Yay eyeball stuff!

Thursday... wrapping up, awards ceremony, packing, and parents! Since we were moved to first class status, I was able to leave base and go pick up mom and dad at the airport. We had dinner and talked and hung out for a bit at the hotel. I headed back to base since I was super tired. In the morning was graduation. We got checked out of our rooms, took the rest of our stuff to the cars, and lined up for our parade.

(parade, I'm in the back row with the rest of the shorties)

After the ceremony and saying goodbye to my flightmates, the parents and I hopped in the car and headed out for Texas. We drove to Longview, TX the first day, about 600 miles. The next day we went the rest of the way to San Angelo. Texas' highways range in speed from 50 to 70 mph, constantly changing. There were a few roads that were 70mph in the middle of nowhere, with curves and hills and no shoulder. Dad was driving and enjoying the freedom of the road, while I held my breath, just waiting for some weird Texas animal to run out in the road. :) We made it to San Angelo without any problems and got checked into my apartment. The first few nights we stayed at the base lodging, like a little hotel on the base.

The movers came with my stuff Monday afternoon. They dragged it all in while I checked off the inventory list, then they dumped the boxes, took the empty boxes and packing materials, and left. Mom and dad were such a great help getting me settled. Mom helped arrange things and organize, while dad helped me build a bunch of furniture. They both helped me spend lots more money on apartment stuff, and bought some cool things to add to my new place. We did some touristy things, but mainly worked in my apartment, and ate. :) San Angelo has a lot of places to eat.

I went in to my clinic tuesday morning. I met my sponsor for the first time, who has been very helpful getting me started. I met a ton of people and did some computer training. I don't go in again till next tuesday, after the holiday weekend. My clinic is a smaller building with all the medical clinics rolled together. The optometry clinic is tiny! I have two techs (a Staff Sergeant and Tech Sergeant) that have been there for several years. They both seem really cool and will be really helpful getting me started. There is a reception/waiting area with a few waiting chairs and the Sergeants' desks, a very small pretesting room, and my office/exam room. The desk is literally right next to the exam chair. It was funny, as I met people and was introduced, they'd say hi and chat a little, but as soon as my sponsor threw in that I was the new optometrist, people would light up. Apparently, I'm much needed there; I have a long list of referrals waiting, a bunch of diabetics due for their annual exam, the personnel needing exams, and a bunch of new recruits to the base. Good to know I will be busy... when I actually get to do exams. I have the law exam to take this week, then I should get my Texas license around the end of July.

The parents left wednesday afternoon. It was hard to see them go. I was left with the sinking feeling of being alone here. But after a few hours of wallowing in loneliness, I got busy arranging my apartment, watching tv like it was my job, and studying for the law exam. I'm feeling better already and enjoying my time to just be. :)

I will make the best of my time here, because when else will I live in Texas? I'm searching for a new phone so I have more minutes to talk to people in Michigan (and other states too). There are some small towns around here people recommend checking out. I have a friend in Austin (who is in the Air Force), so when she is home next I will probably go there to see the city, i hear it's pretty cool. I'm sure I'll make friends with work people quickly, as it is a small and close-knit group here. And most importantly, I'll hopefully find a church to get plugged into! The weather so far has been mid-80's and rainy (which makes everything flood). I have a pool right across the parking lot, so I can go swimming whenever I want, even in the rain. I've got plans this weekend for a bbq with other officers from base and there is a pops concert downtown as well as fireworks on the lake.

So that is life in Texas so far. I'll post again after I've been at work for a bit. crazy, crazy, crazy... never thought I'd be in Texas as an Air Force optometrist, but it's a twists that make life more interesting. :)

Love you all!!