Different But Really Same

I started the “Harry Potter and the Deadly Hallows” book last night. Since it is a 752-page missive, it should take me a while to read it. I only read the first few chapters, and it has already captured me. One of the downsides (it really isn’t a downside but more of a contrast) of having to work all day as opposed to being in Jamestown where I had more down time, thus more time to read. I believe it took me three days to read the fifth installment of Harry Potter “The Order of the Phoenix” because I had nothing else to do. I am very grateful for having something else to do and will most likely read this book just like being in the real world. I have been looking forward to reading this book for quite some time, and thanks to my very generous, kind, and loving sister, I have the opportunity to read the book.

After reading a few chapters, it was time for me to go to sleep, and when I awoke, I embarked on my Tuesday burpee/pushup routine. I no longer have any debates with myself on whether or not I should stay in bed. Quite frankly, I like getting up at 5:00 a.m. (Wait a second. Did I actually write that last statement?? What, am I crazy? Yes!) because it starts my day off in the right direction. I have e also made a decision to not put anymore ruts in the lawn. There have been too many comments about this, and today, I worked out in a spot where there were ruts already. There isn’t much grass in the camp as much of the land is dirt, and one side of the grass is very nice. The side of the grass I work out on is not very nice, and the ruts were making it worse. Today, I started off on the concrete but had to quickly move to the grass because my foot was hurting. Yesterday, I dropped a fairly large branch directly on the top of my left foot. The branch hit so squarely there wasn’t even a mark, but it was very sore. I keep escaping serious injury because last week I was hit by a rolling log. I moved quickly enough that the log glanced off my left forearm. Again, there wasn’t a mark, and it was only sore for a day, so I moved to the grass.

The early morning was once again cool and beautiful. There wasn’t a marine layer, and the sky was crystal clear. The temperature felt more like October than August with the temperature in the high 50’s. I’m not sure how long this cool weather will last, but I will enjoy it while it is here. The workout was very good, and it was on to the usual part of my day. There are two crews out on a fire in Santa Barbara, and this allows me to sit with my three friends. It is quite funny as we sit down for breakfast because everyone trades with everyone else. This is almost like family style at a Chinese restaurant. The only item missing is the lazy Susan. I do end up with two oatmeal servings which suit me great.

I was “booted and suited” when one member of my crew came into the dorm informing us we might be going to Santa Barbara, so if there was anything we needed to bring, we should bring it out to the grade. This information put the camp into an uproar because all of a sudden all the crews were allegedly going to Santa Barbara. I learned a while ago not to believe anything until either the C/O’s or the fire captains tell me. These rumors are rampant and most of the time off base. I did take my shower shoes, comb, and Harry Potter book just in case. I boarded the fire bus, and the captain informed us of our assignment for the day. He also said we weren’t going to Santa Barbara but, “you never know.” I have mixed feeling about going out of town. This weekend I have my visitors planned, and I am looking forward to seeing everyone. I don’t mind going out of town because the time seems to pass even faster. If I had my choice, I wouldn’t mind going out of town Sunday afternoon after all my visits had concluded. Unfortunately, I don’t have a say in this, and I will see what happens.

Our assignment today was something different from the cutting of brush in the mountain community. Yes, it was different from the past week’s assignment, but it was really the same as we returned to the local lake for some weed whacking. My strategy when it comes to weed whacking is to secure one of the weed trimmers. I prefer handling the power tool as opposed to the pitchfork. With the weed trimmer in my hands, I am always moving, and I can get into my own little world. I did enter my own little world as the captain told me to go to the far end and work my way back. My fellow crew members were on the opposite end, so I was left by myself. This did not bother me in the least because there were plenty of weeds, and I got into a flow. I finally learned how to use the weed trimmer the proper way, and I only experience one line jam.

No matter what I seem to be doing, these days are passing quickly. The morning went fast, and the next thing I realized it was lunchtime. The afternoon went fast, and the next thing I realized we were headed back to camp. In between all of this, I enjoyed another glorious day weather-wise. The sky was again very blue; there wasn’t one cloud in the sky. This is truly October weather, and now I can see why I have enjoyed living in southern California. I have lived on the east coast, in Las Vegas, and now in southern California. I have to say the weather here is the best of anywhere I have lived. Yes, it does get hot during the summers, but it always seems to cool down at night no matter how hot it gets during the day. I do prefer cloudless days with bright sunshine over gloom any day; however, I would gladly trade these bright sunny days so I could live my family anywhere. In the past, I got hung up on insignificant aspects such as the weather. The only thing that matters is that I get to live with my family. In less than 7 months, I will have this opportunity, and I would follow them to Mars as long as we were all together. We will be together very soon, and I can’t wait for that day. In the meantime, I will continue to enjoy each and every day. These past 13 months have been great for me, and with less than seven months to go, I know it will continue to be great.

On the way back to camp, we made an impromptu stop on the side of the road. We made our captain stop so some of my crew members could relieve themselves. This was not the real reason because it was our “swamper’s” (the leader of the crew) birthday. It is tradition to dump a bucket of ice water (very similar to what football teams do to their coaches when they win a big game; I think a Gatorade bucket) on the birthday person. So while the swamper (birthday boy) was relieving himself, another crew member dumped the bucket of ice water on him. This was very funny, and everyone, even the “dumpee” got a good laugh. Our crew is a great bunch of guys, and we all get along so well. I have been so fortunate to get on this crew because all crews are not like this. Each one of my crew members is a solid person, and I would trust my life to them. There could be a time when this may come to fruition because on a wildfire anything can happen, so I am blessed to be surrounded by these great guys.
We arrived back in camp, and the day was essentially over. I showered and got ready for dinner. My friend who is responsible for the food ordering has outdone himself as he had made a concerted effort to add more food offerings for the likes of me. Tonight, in addition to the regular meal which was barbecue chicken, there was plenty of rice and beans to keep me filled up for weeks. I had so much rice and beans I couldn’t finish what was on my tray. I am going to bring my bowl from now on so I can take the leftovers either for later or for lunch the next day. In the past week or so, the dinner offerings have been great even for me. The plan is to have servings of rice and beans each night so those of us who don’t eat meat get enough to eat. This is working out very good, and when I finished eating tonight, I couldn’t eat another thing.