Day 6: PICTURES!!

I was at my parents house and we were taking Lily on a walk when I received a phone call. It was from the full-time missionaries on Lackland AFB. They told me they were trying to send me an email with pictures of Chris but Chris had given them the wrong email address so they had to call me to get the right one. They also informed me that they would have to earn the privilige of writing home so not to expect any letters for a couple of weeks. But they encouraged us all to write incouraging letters to him soon. Also.... I got the address wrong over the phone and I just updated it on the blog so you can have the real address. So send it to the new one!

165 days!

Phone call home. Day 5

Chris called me today around 3:30 pm. I was at work and I was very grateful I was able to talk to him. I answered the phone while running to an area of the building that didn't have surveliance cameras and he asked me if I was at work. I said yes. Then he said we need to be quick and asked me if I had a pen and paper. I told him no and I set the phone down to run and get one. I got back on the phone and got the address from him and he already knows the phonetic alphabet so my S as in Sam sounded pretty dumb to his S as in Sierra. I am glad he knew them or they would have given him a hard time. So he gave me his address I verified it with him and in the background people are yelling at him and counting down the time that he had left on the phone. So at 10 seconds he said send me letters. no packages or candy and I get to have one photo so send me something from our wedding. Then I told him I loved him and goodbye. So that was it.

So here are the rules!

NO PACKAGES!
If you are sending pictures print them off on your computer so they are on a paper because he can only have one photo.

Here's his address:
AB CLARK, CHRISTOPHER W.
321 TRS / FLT 557 - Dorm A-1
PSC #3
1320 Truemper Street Unit 364063
Lackland AFB, TX 78236-5570

166 days to go!!

Day 2: June 24

Hello everyone I, Megan, have taken over the blog and thought I would give you the update. Chris' flight left at 9:50 yesterday so we left the house at 7:45 after the last minute affairs... Like Chris showing me the finance plan he has made for the next two years. It is impressive he can plan that far ahead. hopefully we can both accomplish our goals and be in the position we would like to be in. We listened to Muse on the way to the airport and that made me cry because it was one of the songs on our wedding video.

"I'm far away. This ship has taken me far away. Far away from the memories of the people who care if I live or die.

Star light I will be chasing the star light until the end of my life I don't know if it's worth it anymore.

Hold you in my arms. I just wanted to hold you in my arms. My life, you electrify my life. Let's conspire to reignite all the souls that would die just to feel alive.

I will never let you go if you promise not to fade away. Never fade away.

Our hopes and expectations blackholes and revelations. Our hopes and expectations. Blackholes and revelations.

Hold you in my arms. I just wanted to hold you in my arms.

Far away this ship has taken me far away. Far away from the memories of the people who care if I live or die.

I will never let you go if you promise not to fade away. Never fade away.

Our hopes and expectations. Blackholes and revelations."

Chris said that song sure has a lot more meaning now. And music has always struck a chord with me. So I cried all the way to the airport. We were early so we pulled into the park and wait and said goodbyes and then we drove to the terminal and said goodbye and I drove home crying. So I went home to an empty house and tried to keep busy for the hour I had until I left for work and so I tried to sing because that usually makes me feel better but when I sing I sing with emotion and so the only emotion that I could sing was sadness so whenever I tried to sing I would burst into tears. So I cleaned our shower and ate some food and then headed off to work. I was fine at work. I went on my break at 1 and Chris called me from the airport. He said that he had to wait there for 3 hours before they could be picked up. One of his comrades had brought his cell phone and he let him call me. He told me that they were on a tiny little C-9 airplane that was shaking all over the place. And he also said they had to confiscate his shaving cream and body wash since he didn't check any luggage and just had a carry on. So that is a bummer. He will just by stuff on the base though. He didn't have a chance to call me back but he'll get one official call home to give someone his address to write. so I am expecting at least one more call. Hopefully I wont be at work when he calls. Occasionally when the MTI thinks they can have some spare time they have the option to make phone calls but of course everyone lines up to use the phone and they don't get much time. But that is if you are lucky. The only free time they really have set apart is to write letters home. He doesn't have access to a computer so there will be no emails until tech school. I am planning on getting him a web cam when I bring him his computer and cellphone when he graduates from basic training the last week of August. So far Wade, Debbie, Jean Marie and I are planning to attend. Hopefully we won't have too many unplanned expenses so I can make it out there. But that's the update as of today. Hopefully I will get a call from him tomorrow with his address.

Oh yeah... I woke uo at 6AM today to Chris' alarm.... I will have to remember to turn that off tonight. Who wants to get up that early? lol. Not me.

Zero Week and Week 1

Here is the first of eight basic training updates. They are provided to let you know what life is like as a basic trainee.

First I want to let you know what I am taking:

Glasses
Laundry Soap
Ball-point pen (blue or black)
Shampoo
Deodorant
Toothbrush
Toothbrush Tray
Toothpaste
Notebook and paper
Black shoe polish
Shine Brush/cloth
Shower shoes
Soap (liquid stuff)
Glasses
Razor
Shaving Cream
Calling Card
Watch
3 days Civilian Clothes

And here are my fitness stats:

Push-Ups: 35

Sit-Ups: 42

Pull-Ups: 3

1.5 Mile Run: 12:14

Weight: 198 lbs

ZERO WEEK:



First Uniform Issue is not until Thursday or Friday. So for at least the first day everyone in your flight will be in civilian clothes and you will be called a "rainbow". After receiving your uniform you will not touch civilian clothes again until 30 days into your tech school. However, while you might be wearing spiffy ABUs you will still be wearing white tennis shoes and your whole flight will be known as the "baby" flight.



At about this time everyone gets marched in to get their shots. Everyone in the Air Force is vaccinated to protect against certain deseases. You will also have a trip to the dentist for a complete evaluation including x-rays.



After a day or two at basic you will receive your first haircut. The barber gets paid good money to do the same haircut over and over again, every other week... and all he uses are those electric "buzzers."

Heading off to Basic Training

Alright, it has come at last. I ship out to Lackland Air Force Base on Tuesday. I thought I would give everyone a rundown of what is happening before I leave.

Monday: I will check in at Hill Air Force Base to do my out processing (which is turning in all my financial paperwork and receiving my orders). I will also stop by the recruiter and complete my final weigh in and review. We will make sure I have all the things I need for basic and my recruiter will answer any questions Megan and I have.

Tuesday: My flight is scheduled to leave at 0900. I will be in Texas by 1300.

So everything is finally coming together. Megan and I were a little worried when we found out that I wasn't going to be leaving until Mid June (I swore in on February 3 and we originally thought I would be off to basic by March). I am scheduled to graduate from basic on the last week of August and my Tech School is from September 1 to November 30. There is a possibility that I will be home in time for Thanksgiving but who wants to get their hopes up only to see them crushed by the system?

When I get back in December I will be eligible for promotion from Airman to Airman First Class and the plan is to be a Senior Airman by the time my brother-in-law gets home from his mission in the Philippines.

Along with serving twice a month and two weeks a year as a reservist I will be starting a new GS job on base with the unit I am currently working for as an Air Reserve Technician or ART. In time I hope to move in to Public Affairs or the graphics department.

All of this is to, of course, provide a better standard of living for my family. With all this new income we plan to pay off debts and move to a more pleasurable location by Spring of 2011, Where we can perhaps raise some children?