Of Pens and Swords

Thoughts that have crossed my mind the past 2 weeks

1. I do feel that I’m being singled out by my supervisor and by the 1SG. It’s a 5 month history and recent actions that lead me to believe this. Starting in January, my super started getting really frustrated that I was accomplishing tasks in a matter of minutes that was taking him hours or days to do. I got the impression from him, and from the people he was talking to, that I was making him look bad. I try to tell him that he doesn’t need me for that. It was also about the same time that all my responsibilities were taken away. The 1SG comes into play because for some reason, she’s known who I was since about the same time my supervisor started crying that I made him look bad. He is the one, after all, that tells me that the only way to get anything done with her is to “kiss her ass”. Yep, only one person in this world gets her ass kissed by me, and that’s because it makes her squirm. Other than her, everyone else can proverbially kiss my ass, it’s not gonna happen. It never seemed to be an issue in my life, however, until coming here. It probably won’t be an issue once I leave either, so I pay it very little concern.

   I also feel that I’m singled out on a few other things. Such as, during PT in the early morning hours, if anybody else has a profile, they don’t have to be there. I on the other hand, have had a severely pulled groin muscle, and right now have some sort of problem with my lower back that is really annoying the hell out of me, but I have to be there, even when I’m not supposed to be doing anything. How about when 1SG went on leave for her two weeks, I’m the only one that she mentioned to the person taking her place temporarily, and if I missed a single beat, she was to be notified and have my leave pulled. How about when I’ve been late to work once in months, and even get bitched out by being early of all things, but my counterpart has been late multiple times, and not one thing has been ever mentioned. I’m not trying to dime him out, but am drawing a comparison. I’ve had the super complain on a few different instances that I was here an hour early, and not ‘on time’. Whatever dude…..

2. My supervisor is still annoying the hell out of me. He’s still all about burning bridges, some of which have yet to be crossed. Not only has his complete willingness to lie and falsify documents really gotten on my nerves, but now he’s openly telling my counterpart and myself that ‘in order to ever get ahead in life, you have to lie’. Um, no man, you sure don’t. It really bugs me working for and with someone who has no issues with just lying.

3. On lying, it drives me up the wall that when I was counseled by 1SG, on paper it said I was late. Verbally, however, she called me a shitbag and a liar, that shouldn’t even be wearing PFC rank. I guess one can only be good in her eyes if you kiss her ass. I see ton’s of her people who should be PFC’s or SPC’s, wearing SSG rank that magically appears. What really gets on my nerves is someone calling me a liar. Ask my ex-wife, if anything, I’m brutally honest. I have no qualms about admitting when I’m wrong, and I’m too lazy to remember what I lied about anyways.

4. On working, or the perception of how much work is done. My super will work on a single issue for days, and I can fix the problem in under an hour (so far). But because I may only sit at a station for 10 minutes and solve a problem but he sat there for 3 days, I’m being told that I don’t work hard enough….I fixed the issue in 10 minutes, he sat here for 3 days and made it worse, where the hell is the problem? I guess the only way for me to be good at my job is by not knowing my job now…and kissing ass….and lying….

5. What the hell is ‘Likership’, and who’s the moron that put that sign up. It was dumb enough to have the other ones up…

6. Our living arrangements. I think the powers to be here truly think we’re mushrooms: feed them bullshit and keep them in the dark. Let me explain for those of you sucking it up living in regular accommodation’s. We’re now living in 58 man bays, I’d say roughly 2500-3000 sq. feet. The lights never come on. If there are 45 of us getting up in the morning to go to work, and one person asleep, it’s considered ‘inconsiderate’ to turn the lights on because that one person is asleep. How fucking inconsiderate is it when 45 people have to feel around in the dark or use flashlights to get shit done before work, like getting dressed, you inconsiderate, no logic using fucks. Put a god-damned pillow over your head, like your boyfriend does when you cry because it hurts…What really irks the living hell out of me was that we were moved out of relatively comfortable tents, so they could be torn down. Being over there yesterday, they’re being lived in, not torn down, and instead of having 6-8 people in them, they have 2 or 3. ahh, fucking sucks living there, doesn’t it. And why didn’t the chain of command, the same ones living in air conditioned, single man rooms, in hotel arifjan, stick up for their soldiers…don’t tell me that 2 full birds in one unit can’t make a slight difference…ahh, maybe it’s because they had nothing to gain. Who knows. Long story short, I’m tired of having to feel around for my stuff because someone may be sleeping somewhere.

7. I’m officially sick and tired of chicken in any form. That and any meat, which constitutes everything else but chicken, covered in gravy. What the fuck is the deal with all the god-damned gravy on everything. It’s not a beverage, it’s not a seasoning, and it is plain old. Maybe have a vat of gravy that’s there on request for those of you that LOVE gravy on everything. I’d like some roast beef, minus gravy. Or pork. Or anything.

8. On with the good. If I do get to go on leave in 2 weeks, pending my boots not having any right-over-left lacing issues or I missed a nose-hair, or any other trivial issue that queeny sees fit to make into a horrendous issue, I’ll be in Ireland with my woman. She has to be, by far, the best person I’ve ever been with. Though, we’ve spent a vast majority of our time together, apart…I think in many ways it’s made us a lot stronger. We communicate on a level that I’ve never known with anybody before. We have 9 or so days together, no kids, no work, nothing but relaxation and sight seeing. And real food :) I love that woman and I can’t wait to see her again.

9. I’m excited about seeing Episode III. Call me a geek, I don’t care. It’s rare that I want to see a movie in a theatre, and this is one of those rare moments.