Finally! I found it

So the problem I have been working on for so long is solved! I finally started to get in the correct direction. I narrowed down the problem areas and kept plowing forward. I would hit some dead ends. But finally I was able to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I found that my machine worked fine and no one elses' worked. So I knew it had to be something that was changed and I had not gotten the update. I found a component had been worked on. The names of the variables were changed. But the front end logic on the XSLT pages had not. I could not make the changes though because the person who had made the variable name changes left for the day. I am stoked that I may have reached the end of this one though. Other than that work was not that eventful.

I went home and on my way I needed to pick up some Hard-A for my mom. She is getting ready to go on a trip to North Dakota. They got some pizza from Papa Murphy's for dinner as well. It was darn good and I was starving.

I took some pics of my old ROTC uniform with the ribbons I earned because someone else on G-Shack posted his. Here is a pic of it.



I was only in ROTC for one semester. I joined because when I was in middle school a guy I knew was in high school. He talked to me about ROTC. He asked if I would join. I said I would. He said you promise? I said I promise. By the time I got there I did not want to be in it, but I made a promise and I am good for my word. So I joined. I did have a blast while in ROTC. We did the security at the home football games. We then went out for pizza afterwards. That was good times. We did community service at the Issaquah Salmon days. I worked both days. I got a crash course in directing traffic and then I went out and directed traffic. I am glad there were no crashes. It was in a larger intersection.

We went to San Diego for a week as well. That was a huge blast. We flew out of Boeing Field on a DC-Nine. In San Diego we stayed in the barracks. Had our beds made like in the military. When an officer entered the room people would yell "OFFICER ON DECK!" Everyone would drop what they were doing and to the end of their bed and stand at attention until we were told to carry on. We did a lot of marching drills. We ate at the mess hall hung out in the PX. We went to the Navy SEAL base and got a tour through there. I saw a dive chamber where a guy when down about thirty or forty feet and held his breathe for a few minutes. They had a sign they that said "The easiest day was yesterday." We went to the firing range and watched them shoot off an M-Sixteen. We were able to gets some of the brass. I took those home and shined them with Brasso.

We had one drill at a place where they taught about fixing a pipe that had broken on a ship and was leaking water. We took a piece of wedge shaped wood and drove it into a pipe. Then we broke it off at pipe level. Took a thin piece of black rubber and covered the hole. Finally wrapping a waxy string around the pipe and rubber tightly and with no gaps to form something that would stop the leak.

We went out on one of the smaller boats. We made a trip to Knott's Berry Farm. That is where I first heard the story of Green Golf Balls.

We went down with Issaquah High Schools' ROTC group. So we had two mens' platoons and one female platoon. We were in the yard marching with our platoons. Practicing turns and other marching techniques. At this one point we were marching forward and the female platoon was coming at us. Our platoon leader was not going to change course. The female platoon leader decided the same thing. So as we got closer to each other It appeared the planned to march through us. Our platoon leader gave out the order for Dress-Right, Dress. We kept marching with our right arms touching the person next to us. Making our lines into an impenetrable front. The women kept coming. Their platoon leader had them squat down and still march. So they went under our arms and our lines and their lines slipped between each other. It was a small thing but at the time just a kick in the pants.

The time in ROTC was very fun and at the same time I was not ready to be in it for four years. I kept telling myself when I got a bunch of ribbons like the seniors it would be different. I earned four ribbons pretty quickly and got a star with one of them.

One event in ROTC that will always live in my mind was at a major inspection. Normally each Friday we would have to get into our uniform and get inspected. That meant our covers had to be clean, our brass and shoes polished, our pants pressed, and black socks. If you had something wrong you would get a gig. Each gig was a one point deduction out of ten. The major inspection was done by a higher up in the Navy. He came to Liberty. Issaquah High School came over. We stood at attention in the gym for more than an hour during the inspection. This was worth one hundred points. And each gig was ten points off, plus the next Monday you had to have the problem fixed and you would have to come back for an inspection.

Before the inspection started the Navy man came to a classroom where all the freshmen were. We had not had one of these inspections. So it was our chance to learn about them. We were told about the procedures and what would happen. During the question period I was dumb and asked a question. I asked "What kind of questions will you ask us?" He said things like the chain-of-command, etc. The chain-of-command is the line of power from the bottom up or the top down. At the time it started with Senior-Chief Bushore, Captain Ferrani, and then into the Navy's ranks going up to Secretary of the Navy The Honorable Mr. Ball the Third, and then up to the top of the chain-of-command: The Honorable Mr. Reagan. But I did not know too much of it. In fact all I knew were the top two, Bush and Reagan and the bottom two, Bushore and Ferrani. So when I got back to the main classroom we had about fifteen minutes. I crammed. I studied the chain-of-command as much as I could. The only one I could remember was the secretary of the Navy.

Now we are in the gym and I have been waiting my turn the man gets to me. I did not get a gig. I thought I was clear. Then he said “Who is the secretary of the Navy?” I knew it, but in that situation I was having a brain fart. But as the clock was ticking to an end, I spit out “The Honorable Mr. Ball the Third.” I dodged a bullet. If he had asked about anyone else I would have been sunk.

The end of the semester is coming. My grade and an A. I was going well in the class. I really did like it, but it was not my cup of tea at all. I came walking into class and Captain Ferrani called me up to him. He said he did not see my name on the list of people returning. He asked if I quit. I lowered my head and voice. I wanted to lie, but I didn’t. I said that I was leaving. To me I had fulfilled by promise of joining and I wanted out.

After eating dinner I spent time chatting online with Jared and Roger while watching TV. I finally went to sleep at two am.