The past week, I heard people putting OCS down saying that they would rather have been doing their paid vacation than running through the mud[dy water] and getting yelled at. But I am fully prepared to tell them that OCS is not about suffering for six weeks straight...well, it is, but there is more to it than that.
Of course there is suffering involved at OCS. They want you to suffer so that Candidates and future Marines can look into themselves and find that through the suffering, through the pain, and through the thoughts running amok that it can't be done, the Marines find a way. Through all of the adversity, the Marines use their will and strength to overcome and succeed. That is what makes us great. That is why we are sadistic and put ourselves through hardship.
We gladly run distances no one else will, do the dirty jobs, and get messy for someone else all because that is part of being a Marine. Self-sacrifice just because it needs to be done. And if you cannot see that in those who proudly wear the uniform, then you are missing something within and will never be able to see it until you have worked hard for anything.
"What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly. It is what we work hardest for that we hold dearest to our hearts." Thomas Paine
Monday, September 6, 2010
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
OMG, we're back again
Yeah, just like that song everybody used to all sing in elementary school. Evan and I are back at sweet Georgia Tech. While Evan is not so happy to be at school again and for his final semester, I am more than willing to go to school as long as it's not Officer Candidate School.
My sleep schedule is about the same as it was while I was in Quantico. I still get tired around 2100 and wake up before my alarm clack and I'm still tired throughout the whole day but can't quite seem to let my body fall asleep. I'm very much eager to start Marine and Battalion PT. I am so much faster now than I have ever been. I made a 300 on my final PFT with an above maximum run time of 20:16 (max is 21:00 min). My goal is to continue that same time plus get faster.
I did have some trouble getting through OCS, but I graduated. And as long as I graduate, people will still call me "ma'am" just like every other female in my platoon, to include the number one candidate. We started out the first day with 64 female candidates in my platoon and we graduated 41. We lost ten the first week due to medical and physical fitness disqualifications. The others that we lost were due to medical reasons, their desire to no longer be a Marine Officer, or various other reasons (such as eating an MRE in the middle of the night). Luckily, I was not one of those who got sent home earlier than when she should have been. I successfully completed the required 44 days stated on my orders.
It was tough--there is no doubt about that. But I did have an experience unlike anyone else I've known. The first reason is that I am female. The second reason is that my staff was female. That had a lot to do with my experience. And for the sake of professionalism, I'm going to leave it at that.
I'm back. I graduated. And I never have to go through that again.
My sleep schedule is about the same as it was while I was in Quantico. I still get tired around 2100 and wake up before my alarm clack and I'm still tired throughout the whole day but can't quite seem to let my body fall asleep. I'm very much eager to start Marine and Battalion PT. I am so much faster now than I have ever been. I made a 300 on my final PFT with an above maximum run time of 20:16 (max is 21:00 min). My goal is to continue that same time plus get faster.
I did have some trouble getting through OCS, but I graduated. And as long as I graduate, people will still call me "ma'am" just like every other female in my platoon, to include the number one candidate. We started out the first day with 64 female candidates in my platoon and we graduated 41. We lost ten the first week due to medical and physical fitness disqualifications. The others that we lost were due to medical reasons, their desire to no longer be a Marine Officer, or various other reasons (such as eating an MRE in the middle of the night). Luckily, I was not one of those who got sent home earlier than when she should have been. I successfully completed the required 44 days stated on my orders.
It was tough--there is no doubt about that. But I did have an experience unlike anyone else I've known. The first reason is that I am female. The second reason is that my staff was female. That had a lot to do with my experience. And for the sake of professionalism, I'm going to leave it at that.
I'm back. I graduated. And I never have to go through that again.
Friday, July 16, 2010
Quick Update for the world!
Just a quick update:
I am in Ely MN until the start of August. Call me if you need me. Internet is only when in town and I have my computer, and this is the first time in like 2 weeks, so that barely happens.
Jennifer is in Quantico at OCS. Wish her luck, keep her in your prayers, whatever is your style. We all know she can do it, but cheering for her won't hurt.
If you want to cheer for her more personally you can send her a letter:
Candidate Jennifer Thompson 6813
4th Platoon, Echo Company
2189 Elrod Ave
Officer Candidates School
Quantico, VA 22143-5033
Now to pull some information I need to pull to work on the wedding.
And something unrelated to get a laugh:
I am in Ely MN until the start of August. Call me if you need me. Internet is only when in town and I have my computer, and this is the first time in like 2 weeks, so that barely happens.
Jennifer is in Quantico at OCS. Wish her luck, keep her in your prayers, whatever is your style. We all know she can do it, but cheering for her won't hurt.
If you want to cheer for her more personally you can send her a letter:
Candidate Jennifer Thompson 6813
4th Platoon, Echo Company
2189 Elrod Ave
Officer Candidates School
Quantico, VA 22143-5033
Now to pull some information I need to pull to work on the wedding.
And something unrelated to get a laugh:
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Location, location, location
Location no. 1 is our our apartment. After Evan narrowed down all the apartments that Promove gave us based on our needs, he handed me a list of six apartments. I only went to four before calling it a day. But what we (I had Josh with me) found was pretty good place with an easy location -- that is if you consider fighting 285 traffic easy. But it's not that bad. It's two traffic lights away from I-75, so it's easy to get to, just a longer drive from Tech than anyone wants. Besides the ease/distance for the drive, it is a nice apartment, and more importantly, it's one we can afford.
Our second location is The GT Alumni House and that's for our reception site. We are both really excited about this place. It's a great venue and only three blocks away from All Saints' Episcopal Church! Both the church and the Alumni House have lots of parking spaces. Both lots should be able to support the number of guests we expect (combined if not alone).
And our last location is our individual locations for the rest of the summer. We will get to see each other this weekend for a few days and then not again until August 20th. This weekend we will be at a lake house in North Carolina that belongs to a former neighbor and remaining friend of the Valdyke family. After this weekend though, I'll be in a sunny Quantico, VA for Officer Candidate School. Evan will be vacationing with his family at their island in Minnesota. So while Evan is off having fun in a cabin surrounded by a lake, I will be running around surrounded by my peers all drenched in sweat. But I graduate on August 21st; family day is the day before.
Oh yeah, did I mention that Tech starts on August 23rd?
Our second location is The GT Alumni House and that's for our reception site. We are both really excited about this place. It's a great venue and only three blocks away from All Saints' Episcopal Church! Both the church and the Alumni House have lots of parking spaces. Both lots should be able to support the number of guests we expect (combined if not alone).
And our last location is our individual locations for the rest of the summer. We will get to see each other this weekend for a few days and then not again until August 20th. This weekend we will be at a lake house in North Carolina that belongs to a former neighbor and remaining friend of the Valdyke family. After this weekend though, I'll be in a sunny Quantico, VA for Officer Candidate School. Evan will be vacationing with his family at their island in Minnesota. So while Evan is off having fun in a cabin surrounded by a lake, I will be running around surrounded by my peers all drenched in sweat. But I graduate on August 21st; family day is the day before.
Oh yeah, did I mention that Tech starts on August 23rd?
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
I think I've found my dress
Yesterday was a great day! And it didn't even start out to be as great as it was. Evan's family was in Charlotte, NC for his cousin's high school graduation. They were going to make a special trip through Macon, GA to meet my mom for lunch. Evan is the only one from his family to have met my mom. She was shorthanded at the State Farm where she works, so she wasn't able to make it there, but I bargained to have Josh with me instead. Since we were going to be meeting in Macon, I thought it would be a good idea to stay at Lindsay's house the night before.
My good day started out when I took Josh with me to go apartment hunting in Atlanta. We visiting several places and liked about half of them. They each have their reason for why I like them (price, location, neighborhood, etc.) but there were three that stood out. The first one, Conservatory at Druid Hills, stood out due to its love for pets and it's location in a great area of Atlanta. It's also within the perimeter. There is a dog park for residents! Some rooms have fireplaces, some have decks/patios, kitchen was satisfactory (and the "tour guide" was from Milledgeville). The fourth(?) place we went to, Forest Hills, has a great price! They also have options with a loft and a spacious, private patio area. But that's about all they have. The bathrooms are tiny! It's good that those doors open out instead of in to the bathroom like most other bathrooms I've come across in my life. The last place we went to, The Abbey of East Cobb, had very friendly staff, pet and family friendly. Two features stand out that make The Abbey the best choice: 1) It's two traffic lights away from I-75 N! It's so easy to get to. 2) The entire complex was redone in 2008, including the kitchen. The kitchen that I saw at The Abbey stood out from ALL of the kitchens I had seen at ANY apartment I have checked out. It is small, but plenty of cabinet space and new appliances. (They also had spacious bathrooms!)
Then Josh and I went to Chick-fil-a for lunch before my orthodontist appointment at 2 pm. I had the new #2 which was a chicken sandwich with cheese, lettuce, and tomato. And then off to the orthodontist. It was my last adjustment, so I was already excited about that part. I thought I was going to have to wait 2 weeks before they could come off. But Dr. E told me to make an appointment for the next available time. IN ONE WEEK MY BRACES COME OFF! Yay! On the way to Macon, I told Josh that I wasn't sure which I was more excited about: getting my braces off next week or seeing Evan tomorrow. Josh and I both thought that I was more excited about the permanent mouth-piece being extracted next week.
And then Josh and I arrived at Lindsay's house. We had dinner then Lindsay wanted to show me her wedding dress she had chosen earlier in the week. So she and I went to David's Bridal to see her try her dress back on. Then she turned to me and said, "You know you want to try some on." I gladly put up the fight to try some on. I tried a few on. There were ones I liked, and didn't like at all. I kept on truckin' through the dresses I had chosen. There was one that I liked a lot but it was restricting, and short. There was another that was a "high to low." I liked the "high," but not the "to low" part. And then there was my dress. Yes, my dress. When I was wearing, I felt strong, without being masculine, and sexy, without being trampy. I like the minimal beading, the neckline, and surprisingly I like the train. I wasn't sure if I was going to love Lindsay or hate her for pressuring me into trying dresses on, but I do love her for it. Thanks, Lindsay!
My good day started out when I took Josh with me to go apartment hunting in Atlanta. We visiting several places and liked about half of them. They each have their reason for why I like them (price, location, neighborhood, etc.) but there were three that stood out. The first one, Conservatory at Druid Hills, stood out due to its love for pets and it's location in a great area of Atlanta. It's also within the perimeter. There is a dog park for residents! Some rooms have fireplaces, some have decks/patios, kitchen was satisfactory (and the "tour guide" was from Milledgeville). The fourth(?) place we went to, Forest Hills, has a great price! They also have options with a loft and a spacious, private patio area. But that's about all they have. The bathrooms are tiny! It's good that those doors open out instead of in to the bathroom like most other bathrooms I've come across in my life. The last place we went to, The Abbey of East Cobb, had very friendly staff, pet and family friendly. Two features stand out that make The Abbey the best choice: 1) It's two traffic lights away from I-75 N! It's so easy to get to. 2) The entire complex was redone in 2008, including the kitchen. The kitchen that I saw at The Abbey stood out from ALL of the kitchens I had seen at ANY apartment I have checked out. It is small, but plenty of cabinet space and new appliances. (They also had spacious bathrooms!)
Then Josh and I went to Chick-fil-a for lunch before my orthodontist appointment at 2 pm. I had the new #2 which was a chicken sandwich with cheese, lettuce, and tomato. And then off to the orthodontist. It was my last adjustment, so I was already excited about that part. I thought I was going to have to wait 2 weeks before they could come off. But Dr. E told me to make an appointment for the next available time. IN ONE WEEK MY BRACES COME OFF! Yay! On the way to Macon, I told Josh that I wasn't sure which I was more excited about: getting my braces off next week or seeing Evan tomorrow. Josh and I both thought that I was more excited about the permanent mouth-piece being extracted next week.
And then Josh and I arrived at Lindsay's house. We had dinner then Lindsay wanted to show me her wedding dress she had chosen earlier in the week. So she and I went to David's Bridal to see her try her dress back on. Then she turned to me and said, "You know you want to try some on." I gladly put up the fight to try some on. I tried a few on. There were ones I liked, and didn't like at all. I kept on truckin' through the dresses I had chosen. There was one that I liked a lot but it was restricting, and short. There was another that was a "high to low." I liked the "high," but not the "to low" part. And then there was my dress. Yes, my dress. When I was wearing, I felt strong, without being masculine, and sexy, without being trampy. I like the minimal beading, the neckline, and surprisingly I like the train. I wasn't sure if I was going to love Lindsay or hate her for pressuring me into trying dresses on, but I do love her for it. Thanks, Lindsay!
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