Blather

Today is Sunday, October 7, 2012. I'm in Columbus, Indiana, having spent a few days in Columbus, Georgia. Hence the clever title. After being put on medical hold in April, I finally got my A1C blood sugar down to 6.7. One more check-up with my doctor, more blood lab work, and I contacted my prospective employer, FedSys. They put me back in the system, and sent me an e-ticket. Had a bit of trouble going to sleep Tuesday night. Last Wednesday, bleary-eyed, I boarded a Delta flight from Oakland to Salt Lake City, barely making my transfer to the SLC-Atlanta flight. I didn't eat or drink anything from Hayward to Atlanta. My checked bag got to the baggage belt, and I found my way to the shuttle that would bring me from Hartsfield International to Columbus/Fort Benning. Here's a photo of me qualifying with the Glock. Tne next photo is me shooting the M-4. Here are the five of us walking from the terminal to baggage claim. Here's my VIP ride from the airport. Oh, all right, it's just a coincidence that my arrival occurred at the same time the Fire Department chose to drive Code 3. Below I am enduring a grueling processing outside Camp Atterbury. Yep, it's a tough job, but someone's got to do it. I met my colleague outside the airport at the shuttle area and we took the next van to Columbus. One more brief shuttle to the hotel, where our corporate den mom was waiting for us. We checked into the Residence Inn, Columbus, and did nothing else that day. Dinner with some colleagues was pleasant. The next day, we completed a few essential tasks. I got another audiogram. I'd forgotten how loud breathing can be. I had to hold my breath for the really faint tones. A very nice nurse took my blood pressure (140/70), drew some blood samples. Most everything was fine, except I had some kidney issues. Not drinking for a day and a half will do that to you. The tech said to come back the next day for a subsequent urine sample, and suggested I drink a lot. "Beer?" I inquired? She said that wouldn't hurt. Been awhile since a medical person gave me such a pleasant ... um ... "prescription." (The quotes are to satisfy my definition of beer as a requirement.) Dinner was good. I drank lots of water and the next day, provided a urine sample that was perfectly fine. I also qualified on the first try with a Glock 19 and the M-4. My M-4 target was not good by my standards, but the rater said I passed, and that was sufficient. On Friday, there was a burocratic kerfluffle when our shuttle didn't come to the hotel as expected. We waited a bit, then one of the colleagues phoned. Someone said we'd get picked up in five minutes, and the van arrived in four. Went to the shuttle office, where we got on another van and rode to Atlanta International. I chatted with a very interesting guy who was a National Guard a couple of ports to the west from where I was TDY in North Dakota. He asked if a 50-year-old could become a CBP officer and I told him he should confirm the age requirements at usajobs.com. Got to the airport, picked up our bags and our den mom went to get our rental Suburban. As soon as she left, an Indianapolis Fire Department truck rolled up, and I said, "We'll get to the hotel in no time with lights and sirens." When the Chevy rental rolled up, we left the fire truck there and drove to Columbus, Indiana. Checked in, went to Cracker Barrel for a late lunch and then back to the hotel. Two of my colleagues were in the jacuzzi, so I joined them for a bit. Went back to my room, showered and promptly fell asleep. Woke up at 0130 and stayed awake until 0400. Slept a bit, and the alarm found me with that cotton-mouth sensation that tells you sleep approached a comatose state. Got downstairs, met the others, had a bit of breakfast and went to Camp Atterbury, where we got an intial briefing from the military on which forms to fill out, where to take them, what to expect, and dire warnings of not getting on the plane if we didn't comply with all of the requirements. Our den mom had already filled out our forms for us, so we got to be bored for a couple of hours. After this briefing in a cement-floored military building, we drove back. Lunch at Subway, and time for this post. Tomorrow will be medical processing. I'll have to take a stress test. Walking and counting heartbeats. I'll also know if the computer can find my shot record from 2008 in Fort Benning. If not, I'll need to get stabbed with various vaccines, about a dozen, I believe. There will be classes on body armor, various things that only the military's acronym generators will understand- CIED, TARP, ANAM, TADDS, METT, and lots more ponderable topics. The first aid training will be gruesome. The legal folks will tell us what we can do, should expect, etc. And there will be reams of forms in military-style format. The staff sergeant who briefed us this morning said that the military dates are always written in one format- two numbers for the date, three letters for the month, four numbers for the year. Thus today is 07 OCT 2012. On the very next slide, the date became 07102012. Anyone's who has ever been in the military knows that axioms have exceptions. Regularly. To summarize- Got a lot of processing done. Not yet uncomfortable with this process because our den mom is very, very competent. The experience has been very positive thus far.