You've got to be kidding

Four days during academy feels like four years but a four day weekend feels like four minutes. This is the part where we go to the top of the roller coaster and get that really good view before feeling like we're plunging to our death at a million miles an hour. Ten days of practice before our practical finals. I think only seven days until our written final. Somehow I am much much less concerned with that then the practicals. They are heavily loaded I feel for this last section. And I think our instructors will be watching us much more closely, seeing as how we will have just completed almost FOUR MONTHS of training. Lord, you'd think we'd be competent. I will cross that bridge when it arrives in three weeks. In the meantime, I need to buckle down and get after the opportunities to learn what I can in the next two and a half weeks. Also, tomorrow 10-04 is being sworn in, meaning the class after us (10-03) is being welcomed to the beginning of their four months of academy. Get it 10-04. I can't believe we're at the other end now.

Thanksgiving weekend was good. I made Paula Dean's Caramel Apple Cheesecake half drunk on Wednesday night after coming home from the Wooden Chicken. That was good until I was fishing my CuisineArt spinny slicey thing out of a bunch of cream cheese filling and sliced my hand open. Don't worry, Jackie, I pulled my hand out quick and it was a nice clean cut so I didn't get any blood on the cheesecake. It was like watching a kid fall off a bike, a nice long pause until the tears/blood started flowing. And Thursday I was able to catch up with Grandma, Chris, Mom and Dad on the way down to Veneta. Thanksgiving was delicious, so much food for four people. And I have more than my fair share in my fridge now. Up was probably the best movie we could have watched on a belly full of Thanksgiving and eggnog. Friday was nice, even if the Ducks have yet lose a game. I guess they are earning that number one ranking after all since they are actually playing tough teams now. And I ate a Philly Cheesesteak for the first time, sorry Al. I can see why people like those. I think I managed to eat too much every day but today. It was nice not wanting to vomit immediately after eating. Saturday was a good day too. Went to Triangle Lake and watched Jackie fish for a bit for some Kokanee. Better luck next time. It was raining pretty hard and the dogs were running around the parking lot and the water like maniacs. Paisley brings out the puppy in Suzy sometimes. Or Satan, depending on Suzy's mood and what Paisley is doing to her. Charlie really really thought about getting in the water off the dock. He'd put one paw out above the water and pull it back like he was swimming. And then try the other paw. I didn't have the heart to push him in. Maybe if it was twenty degrees warmer or he was five years younger. It'd be like falling into water with a down parka on. I don't think he'd make the swim to shore with his locks of love. Anyway, we warmed up at Crazy Al's, which ended up being a pretty neat bar. The gal put on the second half of the Husky game and I got towatch them beat Cal for the second year in a row. If I wasn't already warm from a couple beers that sure did warm my heart. We promptly cooled off, choosing to take advantage of the sunshine to walk the railroads tracks in a new direction. Right about when we turned around the skies opened up and the rain came down. Neither of us had on rain jackets, being true northwesterners. The plan was to put on sweats and watch a great game between Stanford and OSU but the TV kept cutting out and that was for the best because the Beavs had their worst loss of the season. Stanford shouldn't be able to be great academically and athletically. That is greedy. More drinking and lots of sleeping capped off the weekend.

Today I drove back to Portland up Highway 99 rather than braving post-Thanksgiving I-5 traffic. It didn't take much longer since I drive 55 on I5 anyway. And it was amazing. Monmouth, Amity, McMinnville, Newberg all had up wreaths for Christmas on their streetposts. The country was way more open than the drive yesterday out to Triangle Lake. That was beautiful but the ceiling felt so low and the hills looked like they had mange with all the moss and logging. This was much more agricultural, open pastures and I guess wineries but I didn't see many off the highway. I could definitely see myself moving out that way when I get some money saved up for a place. I imagine it even rains less out there since the land is technically fit for grapes. I'd eager to do some more exploring as time allows.
Now, I'm home and ready to hit the hay and start off the week tomorrow at 5am. I'm feeling a little under the weather from being so cold last week (I am literally hugging a space heater with my knees as I type this) and probably having too much to eat and drink this weekend. I got some of the yard raked up with the last hour of daylight tonight. And I put a wreath on my door, forgoing the one of my truck grill this year so I don't look like a toolshed at work. My house is clean and ready to go for round 13 tomorrow. Fifteen more days at TAC and then 28 days on the two rotations at 2s. 71 more days and 7 more months of the tough part of training. If getting fired wasn't so easy that might seem like a big step. I'll take tomorrow as it's own day and go from there.

I'm excited to go to sleep.