Hello all. It's been a while. I really have been busy, but have neglected to photograph my adventures. That will change soon. I'm headed to Roi (via plane) for a girls' weekend this Saturday. Unfortunately, I'll be missing Oktoberfest here on Kwajalein. But fortunately, I'll probably be headed back to Roi (via sailboat) the following weekend for their Oktoberfest. Which, by that time it'll actually be October, so it makes more sense anyway.

Last weekend I went to Bigej again. This time we took a speedboat, so getting there and back was a lot faster, naturally. The big news of the day was that someone had capsized a B-boat earlier that morning. B-boats are simple speedboats rented from the marina. They have a lot of deck space and a hard canopy. They're good for hauling things (dive tanks, fishing gear, etc.) but I don't think the motor's strong enough to pull a skiier or wakeboarder. Driver(s) must have a boating license to rent one, and only adults can operate them. So a group of 3 or 4 people rented a B-boat to go diving near...maybe Bigej or some other island that morning. Apparently they anchored too close to shore, and when the tide came in their hull took on some serious water since the anchor line became too short. When they surfaced after their dive, the first person's weight (as they were getting back on the boat) was that last straw that capsized it. On our way to Bigej we saw the Star Boat (I think it's called that - it's a rescue boat) hauling it back upside-down to the marina. When we got back to the marina that evening, the capsized B-boat had been righted and was draining on the boat ramp, but the top had been torn off and the railing was all mangled. I wish I would've taken pictures of the excitement!

No one was injured, luckily. I'm sure someone's bank account took a hit, though. And our Colonel is very safety-conscious, so it's anyone's guess what new safety measures will be instituted after this incident.

(No, really. Take any food you like now, fry it, and you'll see.)

Hello, everyone! I finally made it! Actually, I got here about 4 days ago. I won't even go into my Internet woes, but believe you me, they are many. Just know that from creation to post, it will probably take me a few days to get every installment up.

My first day was a whirlwind of IT, HR, BQ (Bachelor Quarters) arrangements, and other such two-letter acronyms. I've also been learning a multitude of three-letter acronyms, which I've been told is popular with the military folk. They are:

I'm all packed up! The movers came at 8:30 Monday morning and got right to work! I'm glad I woke up a few hours beforehand to get everything in one spot for them, instead of making them hunt for my things all over the house. I'm also glad I didn't spend hours trying to pack up everything on my own. The boxes that had remained packed from my earlier move back to Lawrence in May were UNpacked, then each thing was wrapped and REpacked into the official boxes (except my contraband items - see below). My total weight was just under 450 lbs. I was allowed 750, and the shipping lady kept asking me if I wanted to add more stuff. (They didn't think a human would survive the 5-week process, though, so... sorry everyone. I tried!) I don't have a kitchen, so I didn't need those thousands of pounds of kitchen-y gadgets. I'm buying a bike there, so I don't have that weight. My apartment is furnished... Really, I think 450 lbs is a LOT of stuff. Plus, I was kind of over it by 10:30am, mostly because I very sleepy. So everything was packed and hauled away in 2 hours! Pretty efficient, those guys. Anyway, I'm not sure if all those boxes are driving or flying to California, but I know they're being shipped from there, as in on-the-water shipped, to Kwajalein. So now I'm living out of 2 suitcases and a carry-on until I leave next weekend. And then I'll be living out of 2 suitcases and a carry-on until Sept. 8th when everything arrives. Woo!