I don't do New Year's resolutions, but I'll take New Year's revelations.
So New Year's is over and I had quite a bit of fun the last couple days. Trading Christmas Eve for New Year's Eve seems to have really paid off. I didn't mind working on Christmas Eve. Everyone stays in on Christmas Eve, anyway. I didn't miss anything. But New Year's Eve... Well, now we're talking.

I had let everyone know I was doing a duty swap so I could have New Year's Eve off just as I let them know that we were going to party like it's 2099. It was only the day before New Year's Eve, however, that I thought it might be fun to have people over to my room and Malinowski's room (which are joined by the bathroom). Snacks, drinks, games, music, videos... This was the idea. Surprisingly, it worked out pretty well. There weren't that many people over, but it was still wicked fun. In fact, everyone had fun. Nothing went wrong at all. I say that meaning that nothing could have possibly gone better. People were either focusing their attention on gaming or watching funny videos or just sitting around drinking and chatting about whatever it is that amuses them. No boredom here and by the end of the night everyone dispersed feeling pretty good things. Although, as it would turn out, one guy did wind up throwing up after going home that night. Unfortunately, that part sucked for him. Especially since he had work the next day. Bleh...

Thirty minutes before New Year's we walked over to Duffy's (on-base bar/food court), all of us pretty buzzed by this point, to enjoy the countdown and a toast with the rest of the base.


At the room:











At Duffy's:











Mills dancing (on the right):

Behold: the power of alcohol.


At midnight, the balloons fell down and we all drank our free champagne. We danced a little bit, had some fun, then headed back to the rooms for a little more gaming and socializing. By the end of the night I had: Lots of hypnotiq, some shitty wine, hypnotiq mixed with the shitty wine, multiple bottles of beer, two cigarettes, and a partridge in a pear tree (minus the partridge in a pear tree). After most everyone had left, Malinowski hooked up with an MA he had a crush on (how cute), and Duprey had stopped by to say hello, Mills and I decided to take a walk up to the water towers (where we head most of the time we want to just want to talk). These are the times we usually save most of our philosophical, psychological, or literary conversations for. As you can imagine, most people in the military aren't into that stuff. At least not enough to hold a conversation based around it for any substantial amount of time. Mills was in speech and debate back in his high school days, as well. He did LD as well as a multitude of interp events. This similar background and similar personalities has prompted many conversations, which has now become a regular thing.

One of the major topics of our discussion this night was what to do after the military and where we intend to go when we get back home. Mills gets out of the navy in June, after he leaves this command. We started talking about family and friends and I had quite a revelation in the middle of our conversation. Malinowski recently got back from going on leave back home for Christmas. When he got back he told me it was good to be back and that he practically considered this place home, now. I think most people here feel that way even if they don't express it through conscious thought all that often. What else are you going to consider the place you live? As I was talking with Mills, I told him that it's hard to want to stay in Arizona because no one needs me there. Even though I've thought things like this before, saying it out loud was an epiphany. Even though I have family and friends whom I love back in Arizona, no one needs me so I have nothing holding me there. There's still so much I want to see and so many places to go, and I'll probably never be tied to any single place until I feel I'm needed there.

When we got back to my room, we tried to watch The Forbidden Zone but could only make it through half of the movie (perhaps the weirdest, nonsensical movie anyone can ever watch, but the first film scored by Danny Elfman). Mills went home to get some sleep after that. I nodded off myself soon after.

I woke up early with a growling stomach, but stayed in my room for a few hours regardless. I watched the final episode of the BBC Robin Hood series for the season. Fun series. I highly recommend it to anyone who can download it (or watch it when it airs on BBC America in March). I then went to Duffy's to get some food and play a little pool. Malinowski showed up with my still somewhat new roommate Coggins. We talked a little bit then headed out to Duprey's BBQ. More socializing ensued with a slue of inside jokes, outside jokes, nonsensical jokes, and talk about sex. Somehow, talk about sex is always included in these gatherings no matter who is part of the company.









Malinowski and I eventually parted with the gathering to go work out. As it would turn out, about 15 minutes after we arrived, the gym closed. So we decided to run down the ROK base. As we walked over to the other side (the two bases are joined) Ski and I started talking about relationships and the like. He told me that he seriously had not had as much fun as he did the previous night in at least a year. I knew what he meant. I haven't had that much fun since probably the summer of '05. It's definitely been a while and shows how much I've really warmed up to this place and those around me. New Year's night we talked about how weird it will be when we're at separate commands. You see, we both shipped out of Phoenix on the same day and went through boot camp at the same time (although different divisions). Then we were in the same A school class up at Great Lakes and wound up with the same orders to Virginia and Korea. It's like a roommate you've lived with for the past year-and-a-half but on a whole new level. We hang out together, work together, and have not only many of the same navy experiences but many of the same Arizona experiences, as well (he lived in Glendale). Except for that whole Boston thing I have going on, we can, if not agree, at least relate on most anything. I won't have that at my next command. Without Malinowski and Mills, I just pray that there will someone I can connect with. I'm just not social enough to get along with everyone.

Well, thus ends my ramblings for this post. Please come by again soon. I hope you all had as much fun as I did on New Year's. Here's to a New Year and new beginnings. Here's to friendship.