Week #1 - Mobilization and San Diego

Just came back from the Padres-Giants game at Petco Park. When I lived in San Diego back in the late 90s the Friars played at Jack Murphy Stadium (since rebranded as Qualcomm Park) along with the Chargers. Every time I visited San Diego the past few years I vowed to make it to a Padres game. Getting over to the 'new' ballpark was a priority this time around.

Here comes the bus!

Without a car, you'd think it would be hard to get across the Bay Bridge and to the stadium. Not so. Public transportation rocks! I've known this for a while, having lived in a few (ski) towns where driving your own car to work wasn't always ideal (or allowed, thanks PCMR). But getting to Petco was easy. I left my room at 5 after 6pm, caught the 901 bus around 1o after, got to the stadium, bought my ticket, and was in my seat in the upper tier by 6:55. That's 50 minutes seat-to-seat!

The only MLB park named after a pet food store

I got a ticket in the front row of the upper tier. Military discount kept the price down: only $25. Then I paid $17.50 for a hot dog and a beer. Oh well! At least my seat was right on the balcony, looked right down the 3rd base line. Sat next to a very talkative guy and his son. At one point he wondered out loud how many times this season "the Padres had the bases loaded with no one out and still didn't score a run that inning." I know someone who could answer that. So I texted, but then decided to call that certain someone at ESPN. Since Katie didn't know I was even at the game, I started by quizzing her "Guess where I'm at? I'm looking at a building that says Western Metal Supply Co." Of course she knew right away. But no time to look up ridiculous stats for random people in the upper tier at Petco Field.

Yeah, it's a pretty cool park (Western Metal Supply Co. building down the 3rd base line, in fact the 'foul pole' is literally the corner of the building!)

More photos on Photobucket

Also found out the same 901 bus goes to North Island on the way, and goes to Imperial Beach in the other direction. Probably about a 10 minute walk from the bus stop to our building on the base. And the bus runs like every 15 minutes.

What can I say about this week? It's been a long one? Seems like I've done a million things in a short time. Here's some stats of the top of my head:

4023 - United Airlines miles earned
1175 - United Airlines miles short of super-duper Premiere status
50 - number of forms filled out (approximate)
15 - number of magazines read (approximate)
8 - number times stuck with a needle
7 - number of times walked back and forth between NMPS and Medical in one day
6 - times across Bay Bridge (we went around the Bay once to IB)
4 - aircraft flown in
3 - hotel or quarters rooms
3 - number of times I was told I was 'ready to go' medically
2 - public buses rode
2 - Navy buses rode
1 - rental car (Sacramento)

With respect to the difference between being a drilling Reservist and being on active duty, here's some other fun 'before and after' comparisons (been saving this up for a few days):

Before: Drill one weekend per month
After: Monday to Friday (and Sunday afternoons, plus watches in Kuwait)

Before: Travel across country from home in Hartford to drill in Sacramento
After: 5 mile commute from NAB to IB here in San Diego

Before: Wake up in own bed 28 out of 30 days a month, next to wife
After: Wake up in hotel/quarters bed to the sounds of SEALs P.T.ing in the distance

Before: Gradually wake up and have a leisurely breakfast
After: Jump out of bed to get downstairs in time for our own P.T.

Before: Wear whatever I wanted to work (at home)
After: Wear Navy issued clothes, Desert Camoflouge Utilities starting tomorrow

Before: Watch ESPN Sportscenter on 48-inch HD TV
After: Watch ESPN Sportscenter on 21-inch TV from the 1970s

Before: Get paid by some form of muster report
After: Get paid no matter what

Before: Medical expenses your own responsibility
After: Navy medicine for everything (thanks for that free Smallpox vaccination!)

OK, that about wraps it up. I'm so tired I can't even spell. Next week we're in school all week here on NAB. Hopefully some interesting training.

Thanks for reeding!