A non-trail related blog. Five days in the real world.

As a heads up, I talk a lot of military in this post... I tried to explain it though :)

All smiles together!

After getting off the trail, I spent the night in my own bed and then took off for Madison Memorial Day morning. I had to go 'home' to Madison for a board to become an officer in the WI Army National Guard. Brat fest was still going on in Madison so I stopped by that, sat with some friends and some friends of friends and ate two delicious brats (my first of the year) and one SUPER delicious cob of corn. Cannot wait for more corn fests by the way.

After that, I took over a room at my friend Kathryn's where I would be for my time in Mad Town. All my stuff is currently in storage until I move into my apartment in August.

For a bit of perhaps boring background on my military career: I was (I can say that now) a Master Sergeant but have been working on my direct commission since October 2014. After being notified last week that I would need to appear before a board to determine if I would be accepted by the WI National Guard as an officer, I had to make plans to get off the trail for a little longer than originally anticipated. Little did I know I would have the board and be told minutes later I was accepted and then be whisked away to swear in as an officer. WHIRL-WIND!

Going from enlisted to officer! Sworn in by an officer I was deployed with!

I then worked on some stuff to make up my drill time and started to toy with the idea of having a small pinning ceremony to go from Master Sergeant to Second Lieutenant.

The next day was when I started to stress about the commissioning ceremony. I didn't want a big-deal thing and I had never been commissioned before... :) so I didn't really know where to start. After working out a bunch of details, I felt like it was morphing into something I didn't like so I was about to call the whole thing off and just have someone pin me real quick in some never-used office and be done. There were a million details to work out it seemed like and to pull it together so quick and it still be nice, meanwhile the only uniform I had was a very well-used just recently through a deployment - not nice looking thing and there was no time to get my Class A uniform converted from enlisted to officer.

However, the day was still amazing. Went to lunch with a great friend and upon walking into the restaurant, the only others sitting inside are friends one of whom was one of my prior bosses who I wanted to pin me the next day! Small world!

Similar restaurant tastes!

So I asked Kristine if she was available Thursday and/or Friday for the little shindig. The next great thing about that day was getting to meet (not-so)-little-man Tucker who is about six months old and getting to see his pretty darn great mom ;)

So adorable! 

By then end of the day, I had pretty much decided I was not going o mess with the ceremony and would do it in August when I was done hiking. And then my friend Tammy called. She was going to be my first salute. A first salute is something a new officer does with an enlisted Soldier who is normally in someway important to them. She recently got promoted to E7, Sergeant First Class, but had not been pinned officially and she asked me to pin her. Tammy and I go back to riding the school bus to elementary school together, and joining the military, moving to Madison together and becoming roommates plus another 10 years of memories since. To share this day with her, and have my first action as an officer be to promote such a near and dear friend was such an honor, privilege and how-did-timing-ever-work-out-for-this opportunity! I was going to make this ceremony happen. That night while waiting for the longest ever oil change I devised the plan and made some phone calls. The next morning after some amazing people jumped through hoops, we had the ceremony held over lunch period from the class I was in. I was pinned by the two of the greatest mentors in my military career, I received my first salute from one of my best friends, got to promote an amazing NCO, and all in front of a group of people who took time out of their schedules to show their support. Everyone present in some way touched either my, Tammy's, and most likely both of our lives and military career in a positive manner. It was humbling to see all their faces in the room. Sharing the day with Tammy and everyone present is more than I could have EVER hoped for and I feel it was meant to be as the timing was so perfect and impossible to have ever been planned if we had actually tried. Even with the stress of putting together the planning puzzle in addition to the shabby uniform, it was a highlight of my military career.

Getting pinned by the two of the best mentors a person could have asked for!

My first salute! I held it extra long which was great for photos, but it also took me an extra moment to realize that I am the officer! I drop the salute first!!

Pinning a FANTASTIC NCO and a FANTASTIC friend. I threw her rank and woops, hit someone in the leg with it! Those little things can really spin!

Silver dollar coining! A tradition for first salutes.

AND second salute

After the oil change I went to REI, and walked out of the store and checked into the poor house. Ha! love that place, but it does a number on the wallet. I bought some inserts for the NEW SHOES I had received. https://youtu.be/hmbUNF1Q4R8  I recommend listening to this linked song because I was singing it to myself for most of last Sunday. :) Thank you Ahnu! One of Warrior Hike's sponsors. I bought some inserts to lift my ankle out of the shoe a bit so they don't cause excruciating pain the that bone that sticks out at the ankle, not the shoes fault, just my ankle build. In case the inserts are painful, I decided to just buy a new pair of shoes as a backup. After trying on about five pair, I stuck with Asolo. I love the ones I have and they won't put that pressure on my ankle, plus they last for a heck of a long time. When I put them on I thought "now these are a familiar and happy feel." I also bought ANOTHER pair of $22.00 underwear. Soooo ya, as a follow-up to a previous blog, they are in fact worth it. The under armor ones I have I dislike. I also got some new dehydrated meals to try out. nom nom nom. After REI, I met my five day roommates for supper and we actually got to catch up and talk... oh - AND eat yummy yummy food - to include cheese curds. Kathryn and Peter are seriously the bestest ever. Not only do they provide shelter, and meaningful conversation and friendship, but they also provided a delicious celebratory meal :)

To top things off, the evening after the ceremony I got to go see a past roommate during her going-away party.

Another great timing, stars aligning in the atmosphere thing to happen. I just happen to be in Madison the week she is. The weather was beautiful and I, who am rarely early to events devised the plan that if I showed up before the party's start I might get one-on-one time with her before other guests arrive. We haven't had a chance to see each other since I got home from deploying and showing up early TOTALLY WORKED! We had a good 30 minutes to chat and I helped her set up the area and also walk to pick up a grill. We were walking about a half mile back to the park with this grill and two separate guys made comments "Hey! Is that a Weber? - big smile?" (it was by the way). However! That got Genya and I thinking... and for any single ladies out there - the answer is so simple! Just walk down the sidewalk toting a grill along! Seriously! I bet a model could walk by, but the girl with a grill would probably be the one approached. It may work with other things too... maybe a band saw or something. Just a tactic. You can thank me at your wedding. 

After the party I met back up with Tammy and actually got to catch up. We ate supper from the food carts staged on the east side and got three cupcakes for desert to go and headed back to her apt to sit by the pool and watch Tammy's daughter swim and splash around. Gotta love that little, expert cart-wheeler!

The cupcakes were mediocre like most cake in my opinion, but still a nice treat :) Seriously, when is pie going to get in on these desert places. They have frozen yogurt places, and cupcake or macaroons... Pie reigns superior. Face the facts people and start up a pie place!

Tomorrow is my last day of work down here, I am looking forward to lunch with some good friends and then leaving directly to go home to my dad's place before hitting the trail Saturday morning.

Quote of this blog is just a movie title that I find fitting right now. "It's A Wonderful Life"