The Man strikes again

As always, I picked up the "crud" my last couple of days playing Army, and got off the plane hacking and sneezing (Mom, Dad - thanks for the immune system that allows me to resist illness until right before I come home, virtually guaranteeing that every homecoming in my life will be a festival of phlegm).

We stopped at Walgreens for Advil Cold & Sinus, which, apparently because you can use it to make meth, is now a controlled substance. I picked up my little I-want-cold-meds tag and proceeded to the pharmacy, where a nice little pharmacist asked for my driver's license.

She took it, got me my 20 caplets, and proceeded to start typing something into her computer.

Pardon me, I asked, but, just out of curiosity, exactly what information are you capturing?

Oh, she replied, we get your name and address and driver's license number. You know, so they can see how much of this stuff you're buying and if they think you're using it to make meth. Even though I know you're not. She smiled.

I can buy 5,000 rounds of ammunition with no ID (unless I'm buying at one of those places that likes to verify age), but they are tracking my cold medicine purchases?

Creepy.

Home (again)

and, as usual, the fabulousness that is one's very own bathroom cannot be overstated.

Money Quote

From our recent camping trip... We were toward the back of the convoy of humvees heading back to the barracks when all was said and done. At one point, there was a stop sign at which we needed to turn right. There were about twenty trucks in our convoy.

You can tell the ones who haven't deployed, said our chief instructor, because they're stopping at the stop sign.

Almost there...

We survived the "field" portion of this class. It wasn't particularly arduous. In fact, the ticks were probably the worst part of it, and led to this sign.



Yes, that sign is on the shitter. I can't imagine a tick infestation there, but it can't be a good thing. Two words, ladies and gentlemen: butt ticks. There - now you'll have a nice image to ponder [shudders].

As for me, I didn't encounter a single one the entire time we were out there. Perhaps that's because I don't like ticks, and thus avoided walking through the tall grass.

They gave us a day off today for no apparent reason, and I went to Philadelphia to walk around and see the sights. We went to the National Consitution Center, which was cool. I recommend it. Independence Hall was full for the day, so we settled for a stroll around Washington Square and then returned to our lovely quarters.

48 hours from now I fully intend to be back at Bad Dog Central, enjoying that most wonderful of all luxuries...my own bathroom.