Another Beer Tasting

Tusker

From Kenya (I think)

ABV:  4.2%

Price:  2500 Shillings for 500ml ($1.01)

Warnings on Bottle:  (1) Store in cool dark place (2) Excessive consumption of alcohol impairs your judgement:  Do not drive or operate machinery (3) Not for sale to persons under the age of 18 years.

Description on Bottle:  Together.  Foever.  When you open a bottle of Tusker you are joining the world in celebrating one of Africa's great original beers.  Tusker has been brewed with care, craft and love since 1922.  Every crisp, clean mouthful summons up the taste sunshine and love of the life of its African roots.

Ingredients:  Water, Barley, Malt, Cornstarch, Sugar, CO2, and Hops

My first impression was that it doesn't have much flavor.  I've only had this beer once before, I remember it being a hot afternoon after a long day at work.  But, I do not remember it tasting this worthless.  I am almost upset that I paid a buck for this beer!  I think that the best part of this beer will be getting the deposit back on the bottle.  I just took another swig, and it almost has a fruity after taste.  This is probably a good beer to drink while doing yard work.

I bought 2 of each beer for this tasting and Im not upset that my boss stole the second Tusker.  That should tell you a lot about how I feel about the beer...  Although I would like that deposit back on the bottle.

From Uganda (apart of Nile brewing company)

ABV:  6%

Price:  2300 Shillings for 330ml ($0.92)

Warnings on Bottle:  (1) Store in cool dark place (2) Not for sale to persons under the age of 18

Description on Bottle:  Brewed with dark roasted malt and a touch of lactose milk for a rich creamy head and smooth taste

Ingredients:  Water, Malt, Maize and Hops

My first impression was the fact that I had never had a "milk" beer before, so I was slightly scared.  Then I poured it and thought, man that thing looks amazing.  Then I took a sip, ver dark, very heavy, very flavorful, and a hint of milk on the finish.  I'm not sure if I like that or not...  This is definitely not a beer that you sit around and get drunk on.  I notice that the front label read:  "Rich, Dark, and Creamy"  and I was thinking, "I like my women like I like my beer... rich, dark and creamy... hehehe (I'll get in trouble for that one).  After that beer, I'm ready for bed.

Beer tasting 1 of ∞...

Nile Gold

 From the Nile Brewing Company (Uganda)

ABV:  4.8%

Price:  2300 Shillings for 330ml ($0.93)

Full name:  Nile Gold Crystal Malt Lager

History:  The Nile Brewing company is in the city of Jinja which is known as the 'Mouth of the Nile'

Description on bottle:  Nile Gold is a full bodied beer crafted by our internationally qualified brewmaster from only the finest crystal malt, to give you that uniquely rich, satisfying flavor.

Warning on bottle: (1) Not for sale to persons under 18 years)

(2) Alcohol abuse is dangerous to your health.

My first impression was that it was a little pussy beer.  I thought this because it comes in smaller bottles, than most of the beers here.  The main beer that I drink here is Nile Special.  Nile Gold is like the little wimpy sister of Nile Special.  After the first taste I wonder if there are actually hops and barley in this drink.  I checked the ingredients.  They are as follows:  Crystal Malt, Pale Malt, Maize Grits, Hops and Carbon Dioxide.  So, yes there are hops and malt in this pansy drink.  I feel as if I wasted 2300 shillings on this drink...

Well now I know not to buy this again. 

Pilsner Lager

From EABL Group (Kenya)

ABV:  5.5%

Price:  2500 Shillings for 500ml ($1.01)

Warnings on Bottle:  (1) Store in cool dark place (2) Excessive consumption of alcohol is harmful to your health (3) Strictly not for sale to persons under 18 years

My first impression was that it couldn't be any worse than the Nile Gold.  Just as I suspected it was no worse than the Nile Gold.  It had a decent flavor and a high alcohol content for a pils.  While it wasn't the heavy flavor of beer that I have grown accustom to in Germany, it was still good.  I would probably buy this beer again.

Bell

From Uganda Breweries (Uganda, obviously)

ABV:  4.0%

Price:  2500 Shillings for 500ml ($1.01)

History:  (from the label)  Expertly brewed on the shores of Lake Victoria since 1950.  This award winning beer uses only the finest ingredients to capture the true taste of Uganda's heritage.

Warnings on Bottle:  (1) Store in cool dark place (2) Excessive consumption of alcohol is harmful to your health (3) Strictly not for sale to persons under 18 years

I've had this beer before at a cookout.    The main problem with it at the cookout was that the ice the cooler came from a fishery and it made all of the bottles smell like fish (GROSS).  I decided to give it a another try.  Here it goes...  And it still sucks!  Definitely a waste of shillings.  This is the kind of beer that you open at a party, realize that it sucks, and then 'accidentally' forget where you left your beer and get a new better-tasting beer.

Taste test

I have decided that to make the lives of those around me I should do a beer taste test.  I grabbed 7 different local beers (2 of each) and will write a review of each as I go through them.  I have tried 4 of the 7 before, but I wasn't grading them.  I will take pictures of each of them as I try them, and judge them, as well as include some history about the beer (if possible).  I will not do all of these in one day, if I did then the comments about each would get crazier and crazier as the day went on.  I will attempt to complete this taste within the following week, but no promises.

This is going to be a rough job, but someone has to do it.  It might as well be me...

I blessed the rains

It is a rainy day in Africa so I thought I would post this

I know I haven't posted anything in a while, but I decided today that I would write a food review as well as a beer review of the local drink and cuisine.

NCOwned

verb. transitive. 

To be made a fool of by an NCO; To make a fool of by an NCO; To prove wrong using various AFIs, OIs, or policy letters.

I learned this word from my new supervisor.  About an hour after he taught it to me, I NCOwned him on two changes to the dress and appearance instruction.  Later in the day we teamed up and NCOwned a Captain for having sideburns that were too long.

Straight Bs

My 5^th grade teacher once told my parents that I was the most straight-B student she had ever seen.  Since then I have been plagued with a few A-grades, a few C-grades, but mostly B-grades.  Not that there is anything wrong with B-grades.

Im currently attending a month-long school in Florida.  I was learning a bunch of information and I thought it was all clicking.  Unfortunately the passing grade for this school is 85% (that is a B).  The first test had 50 questions.  To prepare for the test, we had a few study groups, tried to get a little more direction out of the instructors, and did a little last minute cramming on the way to class that morning.

We got to class and started the test.  About five questions into the test, I started cursing quietly.  I got a little more confident around the middle of the test, and then started cursing when I thought about how many questions I might have missed.  I dropped my test booklet with the instructor in the back of the room and then went to another instructor to get my answer sheet checked.  To NOT let my 5^th grade teacher down, I got eight questions incorrect which means my score was an 84%.  The instructor told me that I would need to stay during lunch and after class for extra training, and would have to retest the following duty day.

I went over the questions I missed.  As I read one of the questions and answers, I said to myself, the answer is obviously B I remember marking it.  Turns out I didn’t know the difference between B and C on that one…

I realized what I was incorrect on and the other seven questions I got wrong.  The only problem was that 25% of the test questions were going to change for the retest.  I studied the day before the retest on my own, then with the other eight people that failed, and again in the morning before the test.

If I were to fail the retest, then I would have a training review board in front of multiple Lieutenant Colonels and full-bird Colonels and I would have to explain to them why I failed the test twice as well as why I thought I should remain in the course, also my leadership back at home would be contacted.

Needless to say when the retest started, I was slightly nervous.  I took the test, however, I was nervous about three questions.  I got those three wrong, but I passed!

Two days later, today, we had our second test.  Only 30 questions on this one, that means that you could only miss four questions and still pass.  I only missed one question!

That is all from Florida for now!  Enjoy!

Bacon

While walking through the commissary I was looking for something yummy to make.  I decided that I should make bacon-wrapped pizza rolls.  So I bought my supplies, see below:

It was a fairly easy recipe:  Pre-heat oven (I set it at about 230ºC, which is about 10ºC higher than the pizza rolls bag called for).  Then I cut the bacon in half and wrapped it around the rolls.

The pizza rolls ready for the oven

This was about half-way through cooking.  I forgot to get a picture of them after they were done.  But these things tasted amazing!

Epic Breakfast Time

So it wasn't exactly an epic meal time, but I did make a couple of small bacon weaves, I even candied one of them!

This was the first bacon weave, it looks so pretty doesn't it?

 Cooking the bacon weave

The candied bacon weave.  To candy bacon, you simply sprinkle brown sugar on the bacon while it is cooking.  It is hard to believe that bacon could taste better than it already does, but candying it definitely makes it better.

I took some of the pancake batter and mixed in chocolate chips, bacon and brown sugar.  They were delicious!

The final plate:  Candied bacon weave, epic pancake, and hash browns.  The only thing that would have made it better would have been some whisky in my coffee!

Epic Meal Time

If you haven't heard of Epic Meal Time then you are failing at life.  Check them out on YouTube.  

It is a group of Canadians that make ridiculous meals using tons of bacon and Jack Daniels.  I made a candied bacon weave for breakfast this morning, pictures to come.

Watch the video:

Nice Things

After making dinner, I was straightening some things up in the dinning room.  The kids were running around me playing.  I farted, and Maddox sniffed the air and then said, "I want to smell your butt to see if you have poopies."

I guess I'm the reason that we can't have nice things...

Led Zeppelin

You know the British band from the 1970’s

Yesterday Maddox and I were getting our rakes and heading to the yard to rake up some leaves.  While I was getting the rake out of the basement (along with a beer), our landlord’s son pulled into the courtyard to park his SEAT hatchback, which is a Spanish automaker but currently a subsidiary of VW.  As he was parking, I could hear Led Zeppelin blaring in his car.  He got out of his car and said hello as we continued on to the yard.  About five or ten minutes later, he walked over near the yard and yelled, “Marshall, Have you heard Led Zeppelin, do you know?”  I responded that I knew who they were and I liked their music.  He then proceeded to tell me that he LOVES Led Zeppelin, then he left and went back inside, it was slightly awkward…

This evening we got back from dinner at a friends house.  As we were getting out of the car, the SEAT started up and the son started to leave.  He stopped at the gate, rolled down his window and said, “Marshall, do you know?”  And then blasted the Led Zeppelin song Kashmir.  Kashmir was released in 1975.  He was head-banging as he played it.  Mary and I laughed and he drove off, it was slightly odd.  But I still enjoy our experiences here in Germany.

I know I haven’t updated this stupid blog in a while, but I’ll try and post more stories about our adventures around the world!

Mornings with the kiddos

Since my camera broke back in October, I haven't really been able to upload many pictures. sorry...

This morning I decided to take some pictures while the kids and I let Mary sleep in a bit:

Since he is going for the beer I know that he is my son!

Sitting on the couch watching TV waiting for her waffles to be ready

She wanted me to take a picture of her mouth

Mav working in his office

Maddox practicing for River Dance

Mav cheesin it up

Maddox eating 2 waffles for breakfast, we don't have a toaster so we have to make them in the oven if we want them crispy.

Mav eating some puffs (above and below)

He is almost ready for a nap

Mdx playing with stickers
Mdx likes to make 'surprises' for Mama. This is Mary wearing her new dress.

That is all for now, I hope that I got these in the correct order!

Instant caffeine

Koreans are very limited when it comes to counter space. Due to this fact, we had to start drinking instant coffee. I started thinking of when I have used instant coffee in my past:

Pudding, A scoop or 2 of instant coffee in some chocolate pudding goes a long way!

When working long shifts, watching pred or reaper, a scoop in the lip (like dip) works wonders!

I hadn't used it much prior to this trip, but I had used it. Now I use it atleast 4 or 5 times a day everyday (if not more). This afternoon while starting to get drowsy, I threw 1.5 scoops into my cup of coke, it is delicious! That is all...

Pizza night

When I was but a wee lad, I remember a special Friday night tradition. After school and playing outside, when Dad had the night off, he would make pizza. It would consist of him making large over-portioned, over-loaded pizzas. While Dad would create the pizza, I would fetch beers for him, try to watch TV and steal samples of toppings. It was a delicious evening, and usually turned into cold pizza for breakfast!

I decided that I should bring this tradition into the Quad-MGM household. Mary wanted to go to an investment seminar that one of friends was teaching this evening. So I decided that Maddox, Maverick and I would make pizza. It was slightly tricky since we only have an oven big enough for one small baking sheet and enough counter space for said baking sheet. I made it work and turned out 2 beautiful pizzas. Maddox likes it and I enjoyed making it for her. I also learned that it is easier to steal toppings when you are the one in charge!

I think that my father would be proud of me.

updates

Alright no more stories about how big of a douche I can be...

Work has been busy and I keep thinking about the scene from the movie Office Space when Ron Livingston's character says:

"So I was sitting in my cubicle today, and I realized, ever since I started working, every single day of

my life has been worse than the day before it. So that means that every single day that you see me,

that's on the worst day of my life."

I don't think that every day actually is the worst day of my life, but there are times when I question what it is that I actually do. I am being put in for a couple of awards, so I must be doing something correctly...

We are all enjoying ourselves here in Korea and have been enjoying the warmer weather. We started a new Sunday ritual. After I finish my homework for the week. We all go downtown to this bar called Blue Opera. This is the bar where you can sit outside. We usually get either McDonald's or some street food then sit there and Mary and I have a few beers. When the weather is nice it is very relaxing. Maddox likes to go because she can eat all the popcorn she wants, the waitress always brings a little bowl of it.

That is all for now, sorry for not blogging more With work, homework, and family time there isn't always time to write out stories. But, Im trying.

One of the first...

I was working as the report editor, I only had a handful of analysts submitting reports. It was my first time working with my old flight in about a month or so, it was good to work with them again. I was having a good time and the analysts were making very few mistakes. Next to me was A1C D and 2 seats down was A1C G between the two was A1C L. D and I were making many 'mom jokes' and 'that's what she said jokes', it was a great time. It is very rare for me to joke with airmen this much at work, but for some reason I was in a really good mood, so I was in rare form!

G submitted a report that was completely jacked up. I called him over and told him to tell me what was wrong with it. He pointed out 2 or 3 things, but missed a BIG mistake. I said, "Good job on those, now how about the elephant in the report, What the hell is that? I pointed to the mistake as I said this. He started responding, "Well I-I-I thought that it might be correct." My smart ass comment, "Well your first mistake was typing it, your second mistake was thinking that you were correct. Now read the report guide and fix it then resubmit it, if it is still wrong when I get it back Im deleting it and you'll have to start from scratch." He tried to continue, "Well I-I-I.." I interrupted, "It is wrong, now fix it and quick screwing up! Get back to your chair and get to work."

He walked away and D turned to me and said, "Wow, Sgt Mac, that was just mean" I asked if she heard his soul crush as I was talking to him. She agreed that she heard it crush. I had to quickly correct her, "Uhh, no you didn't hear it crush, airmen have no soul, you don't get those until you are a sgt. Now get back to work." A1C L told G that it was going to be alright as long as he fixed it. L then informed us all about a time when she almost cried from something I said after she submitted a jacked up report to me. She said that she didn't actually cry but she cried on the inside.

After G fixed the report and resubmitted it I called him over. I showed him why the second one was correct and asked if he had questions about why what he submitted before was wrong. He assured me that he had no questions. I told him to continue writing correct reports and he wouldn't be scolded anymore.

I may be a mean SOB, but Im the same mean SOB to everyone!

What's for dinner?

I made it to the hotel, however on the ride back, the manager informed me that it wasn't a hotel but a guest house. I think they took small apartments and they just rent them. Im not sure, but that is my hypothesis. The man that drove me from the airport to the 'guest house' gave me his business card so that I could call him to get back to the airport to pick up the fam. According to his business card his name is 'Yong Gun'. He can't be serious...

I asked the Young Gun if there was anywhere to get dinner. He told me there were only Korean restaurants. I was alright with this because I love Korean food. I looked around the room and decided that it was good enough for a single night's stay. So, I decided to head down to the first floor of the building to look for food. I went to the first place that I saw, this might have been a bad idea. I walked it and it was as if these people had never seen a white person before. They spoke absolutely no English. Luckily there was a former Republic of Korean (ROK) Marine around. He spoke a little bit and helped me order. He asked me what I wanted, and I said, "Bulgogi, or Galbi". I should have specified what animal I wanted... He ordered for me. The waitress brought some kimchi, a radish soup of some sort, and the big bowl of meat and veggies for the food. It looked good. I wasn't sure what kind of meat it was, but it still looked good. After about 10 or 15 minutes of it cooking, the waitress brought over a bowl, I couldn't see what was in the bowl but I did see tongs and scissors. When she got to the table she used the tongs to grab the squid that was in the bowl. She then placed the squid in the bowl of cooking deliciousness. It was still moving, until she placed it in. After putting it in she cut the tentacles off. I decided that I didn't have a choice but to eat it. I grabbed my chopsticks and started chowing down. It was difficult to grab, but I made it happen. I ate a good portion of it, but couldn't finish it all (it was a portion for 2).

I thanked the woman, told her it was good and rubbed my belly while smiling, paid my bill and left. I wish I had looked around more before going in to eat there. However, this adds to the list of animals that I've consumed!

I tried...

I tried do something nice for Mary. I scheduled for an ajuma to come to the apartment to clean it before she got home. That way she would come home to a clean home. I called my realtor Kenny and asked him if he could help me out. He said, "Sure thing Marshall, I get ajuma for you." I asked if I had to be home when she came or if she could come by while I was gone. He told me that she could come while I was at work, and that it shouldn't be an issue. I asked if she could come Monday, then I didn't have to worry about making any messes. Sunday evening I picked up some clutter and made sure that all of the laundry was done (I forgot to fold the last load).

My plan was to leave work around 3 and get on the bus at 5 to head up to the airport. When I got to the airport I was going to figure out how to get to the hotel and check-in then head back to the airport to wait for the family. I got an e-mail at about 2:30 from Kenny, it read: "Marshall, ajuma can't make it today............ maybe she come tomorrow to clean?" I called him and explained that if she could get it cleaned by 11am (about when we should be back to the apartment) that would be fine. He said that he would call me back. I didn't leave work until about 3:15, and got home around 3:30. I would have to leave by 4:30 to get to the base and catch the bus. I called Kenny when I got home and he said that the ajuma couldn't finish it by 11am, and that he was having trouble finding someone that could. I told him not to worry about it and that I would clean it (insert freak out).

I quickly cranked some music and grabbed the simple green and a rag. I started in the kitchen: I wiped down the stove, counter, water cooler, washed dishes, wiped down the sink and cleaned the sink drain like never before (F-ing gross!). Then to the bathroom, sink then toilet then shower/tub (Sorry Mary I didn't do the floor). Afterwards I had to do the other bathroom, there was no shower/tub in that one so it didn't take as long. Finally it was time for the floors. The floors are difficult here because there is so much dust. I didn't want to fumble with the broom and dustpan, so I just snagged the swiffer (Dear Swiffer Company, Thank you for making my life easier). I used the dry swiffer first (it took 2, or 3 I don't remember) and then the wet one. I only used one wet swiffer because I needed the floor dry so that I could finish getting everything ready. The house wasn't spotless, but it was good enough...

It was about 4:15, so I decided that I had time to shower. I took a quick shower and grabbed clothes for the morning, along with some baby formula, burp clothes, Mary's computer, and baby wipes. I set up Mary's anniversary gift (more to come on that after she opens it) and called a cab. While I was order the cab, I put on my shoes and zipped up my backpack. I got the trash bag and went outside.

While in the cab, I realized that I only had $4, this would be enough for a cab, but nothing else. Instead of getting the cab to the bus stop I got it to the BX, I went inside and grabbed a coke (I need my caffeine) and some pringles so that I could get cash back. I proceeded to the bus stop and there was the bus waiting for me (it was about 4:50 at this point).

I got on the bus and double checked to make sure that I had Mary's flight info and the info to check into the hotel. I realized that I forgot to get the number for the hotel shuttle bus, I triple checked my info and remembered that the website said to go to the information desk to get a pick-up, I hope it works.

I got to the airport, went to the information desk and she said that they don't have a contact number for my hotel... Uh oh... Wish me luck!

Wrong hat

This is a story from a few weeks ago:

I came into work one morning. While eating my breakfast, checking e-mail, and starting the day 2 of our NCO trainees came in. One of them I've known since I was deployed, Marty. He B-lined it straight to my cubicle and started, "Mac, I need your help and only a douche bag like you can help me with this one." I was excited to help, anytime I'm able to spread my douche-baggery, I'm game! I asked him to fill me in. He continued, "A1C W, stole my hat yesterday and I had to wear his home. I want you to do what you do best, be an asshole and make him feel like shit for me." I humbly agreed and explained my idea to them, I must admit it wasn't the best soul-crushing idea that I've ever had, but I hadn't even started my first cup of coffee when I came up with it.

The plan:

I was going to be out of pocket with the other trainees got in. Marty was going to ask about his hat and tell the Airman that I had his hat. I was going to tell the airman that the hat was in a place that didn't exist. We were going to let it ride as long as we could.

Even though it wasn't a great plan, I think we adapted it well.

The execution:

I came into the office and Marty called me over. He said, "Hey Sgt Mac, this is the Airman I was telling y..." I cut him off, "Oh this is the thief, Mr. sticky fingers, Sir steals alot? Well Airman, what do you have to say for youself? You stole an NCO's cover, that isn't a little infraction, that is a big deal." Airman W stood up to talk to me, "Uhh... Sgt McIntyre, I was told that you have my hat." As he was saying this my coffee started kicking in and I started having a better plan, continue reading to see how it all panned out. I told him that I had it, but since I didn't know who it belonged to, I sent it to the incinerator. I then quickly changed the subject, I forget where I went with it, but I had a perfect segway. When I was done with whatever I was saying, A1C W tried to say something to me but I cut him off with a comment about how I needed more coffee and since he didn't bring me any coffee I had to go get my own. I also made sure that Marty got his hat back.

I went back to my desk and did a few work things. After about 5 or 10 minutes the Airmen (there were 3 airmen, to include the thief) started getting loud with their conversation. In a normal office I would have let this slide, but since it is my job to positively influence these people, I had to shut them up. I had a stack of papers that needed to be shredded. I grabbed 1/3 of them and asked the airmen who was the oldest (I knew that A1C W was the youngest). The oldest spoke up and I handed her the stack of papers and told her to shred them and then send the next youngest to me. She shredded them and then the next guy came over, I gave him his stack. When A1C W came to get his stack, he started with, "Sgt McIntyre, can you show me where the incinerator is?" I quickly responded with, "I see no need for an incinerator, it is just a stack of papers." As I was handing him his papers he tried asking me about his hat and the incinerator. I interrupted him and told him just to use the shredder since he didn't have access to the room where the incinerator was located. I also reminded him to hurry up because I had to escort them all to another office in a few minutes.

Another 10 or 15 minutes passed and I had to get all of the trainees to take them to another office. I was gathering them all and double-checked to make sure that they all had a pen, because I feel that while at work you should always have a pen on you (see 2 posts down). When I was done I told A1C W not to worry about his hat because we weren't going outside.

I dropped them all off at that office and then went to do other stuff all around the building. When I got back from lunch Marty told me about what happened while I was gone.

Apparently W came back asking for his hat so that he could go to lunch. Marty gave him the hat back but before he did he compared the hat to a weapon, saying that if we were in a combat zone and someone left with a weapon that wasn't his or hers then they could get in a ton of trouble and possibly lose rank.

This was a huge 3 or 4 hour gig/gag, but it was a wonderful start to a morning. When the end of the day came, we made sure that W checked to make sure he had the correct hat, and we made fun of him in the days to follow. All in all, I think it wasn't a great prank, but it was a good enough prank.

Cake time? NO!

The other day I was having a stressful day. It was about 3:30 or 4, so the day was almost over. I sat down at my computer to send Mary and e-mail and clear my mind for a minute before I finished up everything for the day. All of a sudden, I hear a voice, "Umm... Sgt McIntyre, I have a question." I turn around and it is a girl that usually asks for signatures on papers, so it wasn't a big issue. I asked what I could help her with, I noticed that she didn't have anything for me to sign, but she was eating cake... She proceeded to tell me that the Wing (our 'daddy' unit) wanted some checklists. While I do use these checklists, her office is the group in charge of keeping checklists up to date. I informed her of this and she said that the Wing asked for these checklists a few weeks ago and that they needed them by the end of the day. I raised my voice and asked her why she was just now trying to get them at the last minute if she had known about the request for so long. She gave some worthless story, I didn't listen to it. I then told her where the checklists were electronically and she asked me how she could move them from one computer system to another. I told her to finish her cake and figure it out. Her response, "Ill go talk to my boss and see what she wants us to do. Then Ill come back." I raised my voice again, "GET OUT! Im not going to help you finish a task that you've known about for weeks while you eat cake, go talk to whoever the hell you want to but don't come back here, now get out."

If someone needs my help on something, even if it isn't my responsibility. I do not mind helping hem, but Im not going to rush to help someone out last minute, especially if they are stuffing their mouth full of cake while asking for help.

Being prepared

Another day in the life, well recently in my life I have been working in the training shop for my squadron. I enjoy the work that Im doing because Im able to make changes and influence how training is being accomplished. It is also my job not only as a non commissioned officer but as a trainer to make sure that the airmen are respecting rank the way that they should be and molding them into upstanding contributers to the Air Force.

Between training and other administrative work, I have found time to mentor these young Airmen. Just today I handed a young 19-year old some papers to fill out after I handed them to him he looked at me and in a nervous voice he said, "Uhh.. Sergeant, do uhh you have a uhh pen that I could borrow?" I swiftly responded, "Yes, yes I do have a pen. Because when I woke up this morning and put on this uniform I decided that I would show up to work prepared. I guess you did not... Now you'd better try and find one, and get those papers filled out." After searching for a few minutes he could not find one so I found a pen in my desk and gave it to him. After filling out the papers he handed them back to me with the pen. I told him to keep the pen and to always have one on him while in uniform.

If I ever catch him without a pen, he will be scolded and ridiculed. What can I say, that is my style...

Busy, busy, busy!

Im not sure if anyone still reads this blog, but I apologize for not updating it recently. I have been busy with the move to Korea, Mary and the kids moving out, then my Grandpa died, then the holidays, I went TDY for a few weeks, and Oh yeah, I've been taking classes online also! Busy, busy, buys.

For the past 2 weeks my mother has been in Korea visiting us. It has been great, we went to a big mall in Seoul, a folk village, e-mart, an open market near by, and all of my favorite restaurants. It was nice to have 2 weeks off from work also. However, I still had to go in a couple of times to take care of a few things.

One of the things that I have been working on is a grant. I will be officially graduating from the Community College of the Air Force the end of April. With the graduation, I was able to apply for a grant to continue my education. The grant needed to include the filled out application (including a signature from my Commander), any citations I have been awarded since enlisting, proof of current enrollment, and a narrative explaining what education meant to me and how my education would better the AF. When the Commander signed my application she asked if I needed a letter of recommendation also. While it wasn't a necessity it was something that would set me apart from everyone else, so I got one. I turned in the application but won't know if I got it until the graduation.

In January I was named the Tiger of the month. My squadron's mascot is a tiger, and the top performers for each group are called 'The Tiger of the Month'. It isn't like I was given a plague or anything, but my name was in a frame in a hallway for a few weeks. While on leave I found out that I was also named the Squadron technician of the quarter. Im not sure if I won for the group also... I think I do get a little desk decoration for winning that.

Mary's grandmother also took a turn for the worse and passed away about a day ago. She is going to fly home with the kids for the funeral this weekend and spend 2 weeks at home with her family. It sucks that Bootsie died, however, she is no longer suffering. When we told Maddox that Great Boo died, she asked if she was going to have a Heaven Party with Grandpa Mac (my grandfather) and Tipsy (my mother-in-law's dog that died). It was one of the cutest things she has ever said. We explained that Great Boo was sick, but now that she died she was no longer sick.

While Mary is gone, I plan on getting caught up (and maybe even ahead) on school work, doing some deep cleaning, and maybe getting rid of some baby stuff.

The kids continue to get bigger and bigger! Maddox is learning a good bit of Korean, and barely says hello or goodbye to anyone in English. Maverick has learned to clap and will start crawling any day now. However, Im probably going to miss it since Mary and the kids are leaving this weekend.

That is all for now, I will try to update this blog more often, however I can't make any promises.

Being an adult

I don't agree with this entire list, however most of them are TRUE!:

Truths for Mature Humans:

1. I think part of a best friend's job should be to immediately clear your computer history if you die.

2. Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you're wrong.

3. I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was younger.

4. There is a great need for a sarcasm font.

5. How the hell are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?

6. Was learning cursive really necessary?

7. Map Quest really needs to start their directions on #5. i'm pretty sure that I know how to get out of my neighborhood.

8. Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died.

9. I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind of tired.

10. Bad decisions make good stories.

11. You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you know that you just aren't going to do anything productive for the rest of the day.

12. Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after Blue Ray? I don't want to have to restart my collection... again.

13. I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten-page technical report that I swear I did not make any changes to.

14. "Do not machine wash or tumble dry' mean I will never wash this - ever.

15. i hate when I just miss a call by the last ring (Hello? Hello? Fuck it!), but when I immediately call back, it rings nine times and goes to voicemail. What did you do after I didn't answer? Drop the phone and run away?

16. I hate leaving my house confident and looking good and then not seeing anyone of importance the entire day. What a waste.

17. I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.

18. I think the freezer deserves a light as well.

19. I disagree with Kay Jewelers. I would bet on any given Friday or Saturday night more kisses begin with Miller lite than Kay.

20. I wish Google Maps had an "Avoid Ghetto" routing option.

21. Sometimes, I'll watch a movie that I watched when I was younger and suddenly realize I had no idea what the heck was going on when I first saw it.

22. I would rather try to carry 10 over-loaded plastic bags in each hand than take 2 trips to bring my groceries in.

23. The only time I look forward to a red light is when Im trying to finish a test.

24. I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.

25. How many times is it appropriate to say "What?" before you just not and smile because you still didn't hear or understand a word they said?

26. I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars team up to prevent a jerk from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers and sisters!

27. Shirts get dirty. Underwear gets girty. Pants? Pants never get dirty, and you can wear them forever.

28. Is it just me or high school kids get dumber and dumber every year?

29. There's no worse feeling than that millisecond you're sure you are going to die after leaning your chair back a little too far.

30. As a driver I hate pedestrians, and as a pedestrian I hate drivers, but no matter what the mode of transportation, I always hate bicyclists.

31. Sometimes I'll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is.

31. Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating their car keys in a pocket, finding their cell phone, and Pinning the Tail on the donkey - but I'd bet my ass everyone can find and push the snooze button from three-feet away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first-time, every time!

Many are my faves, but you should read and apply them to your life. You should be able to look to your friends and say, "Rule no. 11" and they should know what you are talking about!

2010 review

Mary and I started 2010 on our vacation. She planned a surprise vacation for us and didn't tell me anything about it! It was a ton of fun. We stayed in a bed and breakfast where we had our own cottage, it was really nice! We went to a couple of vineyards, a local brewery, and the Lurray Caverns. It was nice to relax and not have any responsibilities for a few days.

The first week of January I tested for SSgt (I found out in FEB that I made it). The second week I was on Temporary Duty (TDY) in Vegas (rough life). I almost got sent to The Pentagon half way through the week to brief a few Generals, but my LT went instead. Towards the end of January on a Saturday, I got a call from the Major that I was deployed with (he was a Captain during our deployment and got promoted after we got back). He said, "Hey Mac, would your wife leave you if I sent you to Afghanistan?" Well if that isn't a loaded question I don't know what is... I asked him when we would be leaving and how long we would be gone. He informed me that we would be leaving in 5-10 days and would be gone for 30-90 days. I waited for Mary to wake up from her nap to ask her. She said that she would be fine with it as long as I was gone more than 30 days (to get the family separation pay) and as long as I was back before the 4-month mark. I relayed the info to my Major and we started preparing to leave within the week. By the time Wednesday rolled around I was told I wasn't deploying. No big deal, that meant more time with my family, or so I thought.

A few days later I was sent TDY to DC for a few days. The day after I got back I found out that I was being sent TDY for 45 days to Mississippi and that I had orders to Korea! I was being sent on the TDY to train people to deploy. This excited me because it meant more responsibility and I got to teach!

The TDY was fun for the most part. I didn't really have a boss and kind of got to make my own hours. Towards the end of the TDY (maybe around day 30 or so) a LtCol came into my office area and asked what he had to do to keep me for another month. I said, "I don't know Sir, Im just a lowly Senior Airman. I assume that you need to contact my command at Langley and ask them. But you are the LtCol..." It ended up that I couldn't stay any longer than I was supposed to because I had to get back to Langley to attend Airman Leadership School (ALS) before I went to Korea. This is the course that has to be taken before you can officially become a SSgt. So I went back to Langley and got to see my family again.

A few highlights from that trip were Mason and Jennie came down to see me, I made friends with the guys at the Mexican Restaurant (which got me lots of free beer and tequila), I got an awesome Waffle House coffee mug, and I may have met Andy Griffith's brother.

I got back to Langley and more or less went right to work. Before I started ALS, a good friend of mine, Chris, committed suicide. That was probably one of the worst things of 2010 for me. I had to work for Chris that night and then the next day find a replacement for him, then the day after that I started ALS. ALS wasn't too difficult, but I was coping with the suicide most of the class.

As soon as I graduated ALS, I was officially a SSgt! It took me just over 4-years to make it. After ALS it was time to out process so that I could head to Korea.

We moved out of our house the last week of July and moved into the base hotel. We had a decent 2-bedroom 1-bath place. In the evenings when I got off of work I would take Maddox down to the playground behind the hotel. She would play out there and burn off energy then we would go upstairs for dinner. I started taking leave a few days at a time in anticipation of Mav's birth. This allowed Mary to relax and not worry about taking care of Maddox. We spent lots of time walking around the mall and Target. On the night of August 18th we went to Chipotle for dinner. Afterwards we walked to Target to walk around some more. As we walked from one to the other Mary had to stop walking a few times due to contractions. We went back to the hotel and called our friend Jamie (she was going to take Maddox so that I could stay at the hospital with Mary). I grabbed Maddox and all of her stuff for a few days then dropped her off. When I got back to the hotel Mary was double checking to make sure that we had everything, but was having to stop for contractions every so often. I started checking the tunnel traffic (the hotel was down in the Norfolk area and we were staying in the Hampton area and the two are separated by a bridge tunnel). The traffic was pretty bad! We got through without too much stopping. i dropped Mary off at the front door and went to go park the car. As I was grabbing the bag out of the back of the car Mary yelled "Its locked", but I heard "It broke". I thought that her water broke (because she was standing in a puddle). So I grabbed a towel out of the car and came running. It turns out that the hospital locks that door at night. Luckily a hospital worker was coming in through that door and was nice enough to let us in. We got to the room and less than 3 hours later Maverick Garrett was born! He was born just after midnight early on a Thursday morning two weeks before I had to go to Korea (just like Maddox).

Jamie offered to bring Maddox down to see Maverick, but we thought it would be best if she met him at a place that she knew. Since we didn't have a home at the time, the hotel would be the place.

We had already decided that Mary and the kids would come out to Korea as soon as she got a passport for Mav. So I went to Korea alone at first.

I was put up in a crappy dorm room on base and told that I wouldn't be able to move off base. I found an apartment for us to live in as soon as Mary and the kids got to Korea.

My Grandpa had quadruple bypass surgery in October. He ended up never fully recovering from the surgery. He passed away the weekend before Thanksgiving. I woke up the Monday before Thanksgiving (around 4 or 5 in the morning) and had a voicemail on Skype. It was Dad telling me that Grandpa passed. I woke up Mary to tell her what happened and then went to call Dad back. I talked to him for a few minutes but he had to pass me off to Mom. It was rough hearing my Dad like that. I asked Mom when she wanted me to come home. She said that I didn't have to do it because of the money that it would cost. I told her that I could get a flight really cheap. I went to work to figure everything out. I was able to fly home last minute to be with my parents, my brothers, my sister-in-law, my grandmother and my aunt, uncle, and cousin. the reason for us to all be together was sad but it was still good to see everyone. I brought a few bottles of soju with me to introduce my brothers to the mythical drink. They both liked it but Mason's stomach didn't!

My Grandpa, Marshall Graham McIntyre, is who I am named after. He grew up on a farm in Illinois, and enlisted in the Air Force. He got out of the military as a SSgt. He was stationed in South Korea for a short time at the same base that Im currently stationed. Grandpa Mac will forever be missed. That was the other low point of 2010. However, Grandpa isn't sick anymore!

Mary explained what happened to Grandpa Mac while I was at work. A few months prior Mary had to explain death because Mary's parent's dog (Tipsy) died and that is where she and the kids were living at the time. When Mary explained that Grandpa Mac was sick and that he died and went to Heaven, Maddox danced around and said, "Woo Hoo Grandpa Mac can be friends with Tipsy." She was happy that they will be together in Heaven!

I got back to Korea to my beautiful family and immediately went back to work. Work has been kind of crazy and busy.

December came around and I was assigned my first subordinate. This was exciting and scary all at the same time. So far it has been good!

In 2010 I took 6 college courses. I finally reached 'Junior' status in school! It only took me seven years... I might be able to finish my degree in 2011, but it is going to depend on how tough the 300- and 400-level courses are!

2011 is already showing a lot for us! In January I will be moved to a new office and I will be given new responsibilities. My mom is coming to visit in March, also March 21st will be my 5-year anniversary in the military. Cinco de Mayo will be our 5th wedding anniversary! Maddox will turn 4 and Maverick will turn 1 in August. September we will leave Korea. Finally we will get to Germany in October!

Wish us luck!!

I love my job

Monday was my first day back at work after a few days of leave to help Mary and the kids get settled in the apartment at on base.

The day started off normal: gym, full water bottle, fresh cup of coffee, and me and my computer! After a few hours of work there was a slight twist. We ended up not having any work to do. The Airmen had to go do upgrade training stuff and the Sgts had to do admin stuff. Since I didn't have admin stuff, I finished up what I was working on and then went to help the Airmen. They were having trouble find answers to a few questions. I spent about 30 or 45 minutes explaining a few things to them. They thanked me and greatly appreciated my teachings. They asked me to help them more when I had the time.

I deeply enjoy my job and love to share my passion for it with others! The time I spent with them was energizing! I hope that I have more chances to share what I have learned!

Language Barrier

Something happened today. Im not going to say that it is funny due to a quote from SHIT MY DAD SAYS: "Don't start a story with This is SO funny. Be like saying My dick's huge before you screw. Even if you're right you sound like an asshole." I'll just say I've got a story for you!

Maddox and I were putting together a shoe rack this afternoon, Maverick was sleeping, Mary was cleaning, and Leslie was sitting on the couch playing cards and entertaining Maddox when she would lose interest in the shoe rack.

Then the doorbell rang, it was the guy that installed our internet a few days prior. I didn't know why he was here, but he said something about installing permanent internet. After about 10 or 15 minutes of work he said that he would be leaving. I asked him, "What did you do?" His response, "I add free porn." I kind of got excited, looked at Leslie, looked back at the guy and then he said it again, "Free porn." My response, "Porn, like on the TV? Is it locked so that my daughter wont see it?" He laughed and said, "porrrrnnn" then held his hand up to his ear like a phone.

So we either have free phone service or some kinky adult TV stations... I haven't checked yet.