The Long Road

It's already the beginning of week 4. Although it is moving at a quick pace, the amount of stuff on our plate for the time ahead makes me weary. Exodus may be a welcome respite.

I had CQ duty yesterday. As such, I had access to the company scale when I did my security checks. I am now 10 pounds below where I was when I came here. It puts me at the lowest weight I have ever weighed since joining the army. My weight after WLC was even greater than my current weight now. I am 3 pounds lighter than when I met my wife. The combination of stress, lack of food, and physical activity seems to be eating away at my body at an extreme rate. 10 pounds in three weeks is not ultra unhealthy, but it is pretty quick from what I'm used to. On a plus side, the decrease in weight allows me to belt out pushups like they're nothing. It also allows me to do pullups. I haven't been able to do more than 2 pullups at a time, well, ever. I am now up to about 5-6. On the other plus side, my wife should notice a different husband when I come home. I haven't really looked at myself in the mirror, but I assume that the decrease in weight yields a slightly different body type. Maybe the abs I know I have will finally show.

The 24 hour pass ended abruptly. Most of us figured that the sign in formation was more of a formality since we would be on "study time" and not "study barracks." I think a lot of people hoped to hop in their cars and go study at Starbucks. Instead, the duty trainer informed us that we don't have those privileges yet since it isn't officially week 4. I am taking a short study break now before I go back to reading "Once An Eagle," our assigned book for the platoon. I wouldn't mind the assignment much if we were allowed to choose our book like other platoons. Instead, we were assigned the 1300 page novel about two competing officers. I find it horrible. The story is somewhat interesting, however the prose used to tell the story is not linear and doesn't really allow you to get to know the characters. It seems to jump in time quite a bit. I'm at 500 pages in this sucker and my goal is to have it done by the 19th. Given a parallel assignment to prepare a presentation, I doubt that I will be able to complete the novel by then. I would really hate to have to read it during my break. Either way, it will get done. Nothing much else to say, I think. The new week begins tomorrow with new challenges and new possible pitfalls. Life drags on.
-BOC Sharp