[ Jonaŧhan Đ. Spraggıns ]

Who can take a simple two hour trip to Dothan and make it into a 5 hour ride from hell?! ~points to self~ Got up early yesterday to visit one my the closest friends I have, Jessie Arnold. Of course, being the male I am, I listened to half of the driving directions and figured I could wing it the rest of the way. So I drive ... and drive ... and drive ... and end up in Andalusia ... which is a good hour from Dothan. So I head back... After four hours and 41 mins from the beginning of the trip, I meet up with Jessie at a Checker's Resteraunt... driving her Mustang (I swear this now ... if she ever turns her back on that 'Stang ... ~assumes a thieving look~).

She hasn't changed a bit (and that's exactly how I like her!)! Still short (I have to pick on her about that), still quick witted, still... ... ~drones off into devilish thought~. We headed back to her apartment where I was introduced to her room-mate (it's nice to put a face to the voice), her dogs (which have to be the two biggest balls of energy I have ever seen!), and was shown around her house (noting the Kitchen that is just big enough to turn around in).

Now, my extended drive down here, cost me precious time in Dothan, because I had to be at my Mother's house for a Thanksgiving... Spaghetti supper?! So, in light of that matter, Jessie and I headed to the mall. Had some general "catching-up" chit-chat, went into a few stores... joked around about the slogans on most of the t-shirts we saw... visited an Art Gallery and drank some "Caramel-icious" coffee... watched the carousel and it's Lion that never moved... visted some more stores... then headed back to her Apartment.

She typed up some directions for me to get back... of which I am extremely thankful for. We headed back to my vehicle (Thanks Pops! The Blazer drove great!), had some lengthy good-byes, and I began my trip back to Auburn.

The drive home was dark, silent (my CD Player's batteries died), and it left me with just my mind to wander. I thought about the good times I had waaaaaaaaaaaay back in the day. Bothering Jessie's Mom by visitng every... single... day (yeah, I was an annoying kid in my day), the countless hours spent in Jessie's room, talking about nothing and loving it, being a witness to Mrs. Pat's (That's Jessie's Mom) surprise wedding... there's volumes of memories I have relating to that. ~sighs~ Good times, good times.

Made it back to my Mother's safely... ate food, talked with her for a while, then said my good-byes to her and headed to Dad's to return the blazer. Talked with dad for awhile... he seems stressed about me deploying... he reminds me to trust no one while I'm over there... everyone's a suspect. Extreme thinking, but it's Dad's way of thinking that as long as I don't trust anyone, I don't open myself up to be killed. In a way, he's right ... it does lower the chance, but I shan't talk about that. If I deploy, I will do what I can to survive...

Well, gotta get ready to head back to Bragg... back to the other life... I get assigned to my unit tomorrow so it's bound to be an interesting day. I'll write about it as soon as I can. This is Jonathan, signing off (in Civilian-land, I refer to myself as Jonathan ... of course in the Army World, you'll hear me refer to myself as Spraggins... double personality? you tell me!). Peace out!

It was a long, drowsy, dark drive... but it was well worth it! I'm back in my home state! I can thank my sis-in-law, Jess (or as LJ knows her as Wishful_Seeker), for taking that long trip to get me and that long trip back! It was a trip filled with stories, Chicken McNuggets (forty to be exact), blaring geek music, and constant 180s (my kinda road trip!). We took turns driving, cuz we were both tired... taking short naps. We made it, safely, back to the state in which my heart and soul belongs... Alabama ~starts pluckin' on a guitar~!

Next day (well... today)... Thanksgiving! Full of Turkey, Ham, Giblet gravy, Dressing, vegetables ... and blank cds?! I took part of the feast residing at Jess' relatives... stuffing myself full. It was fantastic! Hannah and Jacob (my niece and nephew) were dressed in their sunday finest, being the usual monkeys they are... running everyone around in circles. Felt real good to be back again... even if it is for a short while.

The rainy weather didn't deter from my good mood either. Nothing could spoil this 4 day weekend for me... I will not allow it. With any luck, I'll be visiting an old close friend of mine (I say old cuz she's just turned 20 ... God, we are getting old!), Jessie Arnold. This might be the last time I see her before I might possibly deploy, so I'm gonna do my best.

Well, that's all for now. I might get online and post a supplement. I hope everyone enjoyed Turkey-Day ... even you vegetarians out there! Remember everyone: "When the day is over, giving thanks does not end. It continues and will continue until the end of our time"

Your soul is bound to the Yellow Rose: The
Gentle.

"I've travelled through the land of
surrender and seen it all. I throw my heart
out and keep my head up, and now I travel
through the land of peace."

The Yellow Rose is associated with friendship,
intuition, and fun. It is governed by the
goddess Hestia and its sign is The Intertwined
Rings, or True Friendship.

As a Yellow Rose, you always look out for your
friends. You would much rather have strong
ties with friends than a single tie with a
lover and your devotion to your friends is
clear. You may have great intuition and be
able to read emotions clearly, but sometimes
you can seem distant yourself.


What Rose Is Your Soul Bound To?
brought to you by Quizilla

My Profile prevented me from taking the PT test, but I could not escape the freezing cold weather (yes, even Nerds get frostbite!). I had to stand outside and hold up a mile marker sign for the other soldiers taking the 2-mile run portion of the test. my PLT SGT, SSG Nelson, was there with me... complaining about the cold the whole time (which proves my theory that NCOs are mere mortals). There's no way to describe SSG Nelson except for one word ... maniac... 'Nuff said.

After a quick breakfast, I got in formation to head to CIF (Clothing Issue Facility) to get my combat gear. Two hours later, I have become responsible for over $2,000 worth of equipment: Rucksack, MOLLIE pack, sleeping bag system, overboots, etc. Headed back to our barracks to drop our stuff in our lockers, then we were freed for lunch till 1245.

Come back from lunch and we are dragged into the Hall of Heroes once again for a Dental Briefing... the one thing that was keeping me from deployment ... dental. I needed an examination and to be placed in at least Class two to be deployable (Class two meaning that I have no major problems at the time). Well, I got checked over... no cavities or anything... just need to make an appointment to smooth out a sharp tooth and fix a sealant.
So now, everything's set... By military standards, I'm prepared to deploy if necessary. Whatever happens, happens... I'm not qualified to make such decisions. If it happens... I hope I'm ready...

I got my uniform highly pressed and starched and my boots all spit-shined up for tomorrow. Got a massive amount of briefings to go to... all by some high-ranking soldiers... so I can't afford to nod off, or do something stupid. It might cost me my 4-day weekend (that the SGTs don't know I'm taking ... at home!). Things are moving forward in my life again... so much is happening: Thanksgiving... moving to my unit... and hopefully I'll be let loose for Christmas (if I'm still in the states at that time).

This 4-day weekend might be the last time in a long while that I will be able to sit down and enjoy family. I'll do what I can with the time I have left. Anyways, I must be going. Lots of stuff to do before the night's out. Peace out! Hopefully my next entry will be made in the state of Alabama!

Wake up ... 2:30am ... Marched over to the 82nd "Hall of Heroes" to begin inprocessing. Got my height and weight done (70 inches tall ... 194 lbs... I'm a big boy!) and a urinalysis. That took from 3:00 to 7:75 ... why? I don't know ... there were 80 something soldiers and there's always a "Joe" or two that screw things up. ~shrugs~ No biggie ... just part of the Army life ...

Anyways, I get dressed in BDUs ... head back to the Hall of Heroes to check my 201 file (my military career resides in that folder ... lose that ... then you might as well shoot yourself) and correct any problems ... so this was a waste of my time. I had nothing to change, so I spent until 8:00 to 11:00 doing nothing but fighting sleep... had an interesting day-dream though! ~tries to remember~...

Here I am, released for lunch... got some uniforms out of the cleaners... got my class A coat in for sewing... got some lunch... and that brings us up to now. Not much of a day, eh? I didn't think so. Today's supposed to be long and drawn out, so if I can't post my supplement then it'll have to wait. In case I can't post, Tomorrow I have a PT test (pray for me, for I have been very lazy lately) and a trip to CIF (where I'll get more Military crap (err ... I mean ... Items) issued to me.

~grabs uniforms~ Well, I'll catch ya'll later! Peace out ... have a good one!

---SUPPLMENTARY ENTRY---
Little did I know that I left some paperwork in the Airborne PX. I realized it just as a Staff Sergeant plows into the Hall of Heroes screaming out my name. After a little bit of foul language directed towards me, we headed to get my paperwork ... got it ... no problems. I returned with just enough time to get ready for some SHOTS! Two in the left arm ... I'm sore as hell right now! I got a PT test in the morning too... grah ... oh well ... do what you can...

Watched a little bit of the "Band of Brothers" series. Watched a few Paratroopers die in all it's cinematographic glory... made me feel G-R-E-A-T! Anyways, News from the Commander: 9 hour drive is the limit to this four day pass. Luckily, I'm under 8, but have no car. I plan to just slip out after Close of Business ... as long as I make it back... there should be no problems... I hope ~crosses fingers~

Well, I'm gonna surf the net a little more and then hit the showers. Gotta rest up for my PT test and trip to CIF. Gotta work hard the next two days so I feel I've earned this 4-day. Gotta get hyped up for eating some Turkey... getting fat all over again! Peace out everyone!

Today was rather uneventful... Attended a Financial briefing and squared away all my travel expenses. Got some useful info on my Thanksgiving pass and my Airborne Bonus. Other than that, today's been rather blah. I got to see my Niece on MSN WebCam ... we played a quick game of "Stick your tounge out".

Inprocessing tomorrow... getting my rucksack, my beret crest and flash and all issued to me. Begin my real decent into the world of the Army. After almost a year of training, processing, and waiting ... it begins. Anyhoo, I'm gonna keep this short. After all, I've nothing to talk about right now and my wake up is 2:30 am. So, I'd better get to bed a little early... Peace out!

I was hoping for Lord Voldermort ... or Snape ... or even Hagrid! but not ...

Which HP Kid Are You?

And yes, I am a semi-Harry Potter fan. I found one of those books at the CQ desk back in Airborne School and read it. Now I'm not an avid fan... but if I happen to come across one of those books again ... I'll read it ... ~looks around~ cover to cover ...

Got a little rest after CQ ... 5 hours of well deserved sleep and I'm up and ready to face the world... after I washed some clothes. It was pretty much a do-nothing day for everyone not on duty... people sleeping, playing video games, etc.

Cranked up my MP3 CD player for the first time in about a week or two... got really taken back with some of the old school music I burned on a new CD. Anyone who knows me, knows that music is like my favorite drug... just a simple 3 min song can take me back to a key point in my life... and for a little while, I feel as if I'm really there, reliving that moment. All the emotions, the thoughts of that time all come back to me... sending me back through time, and they are just as powerful as when I originally felt them. It brings on a heavy feeling of nostalgia, it feels so good and it hurts so bad at the same time. I desire to relive those moments (most of them revolve around my early high school years... I learned a lot about life those years... in and out of school) to feel THAT alive again, but I know that I can't and there's nothing I can do about it.

My father used to spend countless hours listening to his stereo system. Right after the divorce, you could always catch him after work sitting in the dark letting the same old songs play over and over. I never really understood why he did that until I joined the service and started listening to my old music again. Music is a harmless way to avoid pain... it puts you in a trance... you forget things for a little while.

I haven't regretted joining the service (so far). But I am always overwhelmed with the thought of "what if I just went to college like most normal people?" I wouldn't be torn away from my friends and family (as much), the sense of loneliness wouldn't be hanging over my head so much either. On the other hand, this decision has jump started my life. I've gained instant respect among my family, who apparently thought I was going to be a drain on their finances until the end of time. When I return home, I'm in the spotlight... I'm the golden child. It feels weird to have that happen. I always considered myself the black-sheep of the family, there was always someone who was upset with me. I could never keep everyone content with me all the time. Don't get me wrong, I didn't live a horrible childhood... it was a but unorthadox... what with my parents warring over an ideal religion for their children to follow and the obvious divorce, but for the most part, I've grown up alright... I guess...

Anyways, I spent most of the day on the computer, trying to entertain myself. Time flew, about a dozen accounts "hopped" (my informed friends will know what that means ~grins evilly~), and the day turned to night in a heartbeat. Didn't accomplish much... visited my usual sites... checked some e-mail, chatted with the scattered online friends I have. I'll be happy when I get some stability going on... get settled down in my unit and get a computer so I can keep up with my friends and family better. It sucks being a computer nerd and having to deal with Internet Cafes and Computer Centers to assuage your Internet hunger...

Well, I'm gonna head back to the barracks now. It's real late and the base is pretty much dead. I'd go clubbing, but I remember that I'm a loser, and we don't do that kind of thing ... not successfully anyway. Maybe I'll watch a movie or two before hitting the sack. Adios everyone! Happy Siesta!

Wow ... 24 glorious hours on CQ ... on a day off. What could be greater? I have done next to nothing so far, 9 hours 15 mins into the duty. The most exciting part of my day so far has been my pants vibrating from the random messages I get from my good friends and slipping off to eat chow (Taco Bell, Taco Bell!).

Working on my cartooning skills a little, maybe I will develop enough skill to be worthy of a Guest Strip on RWN (Yes, that's right: http://randomwordsnow.deviantart.com ... the brand that eases your coughs and sneezes ... and pisses off ninjas!)... Working on a comic that has something to do with cellphones having video game ringtones, 8-bit pictures of Link, and Lon-Lon milk... Other than that and inprocessing new damned souls ... err .. soldiers, it's been a rather dull day. Maybe I'll have something worth posting soon enough.

Got lots of time to think about things ... where my life is and where it's going. The more I think about it, the more I'm getting accustomed to the fact that I'll probably be deployed. Aside from the obvious death factor (which is small, especially since I'm Signal and not combat oriented), there are a few positives: I have a friend of there that I will probably be stationed very close too (Fignuts!), the ever-awe-inspiring combat patch, extra pay for deploying, and a few good stories to tell the friends and family back home!

I've thought a lot about my friends, old and new, back home... about the good ol' days where the world seemed as simple as I was ... spending the night over at a friends house (or vice versa), playing video games till all hours of the morning, raiding the fridge at around 1:00 am. I hate to do away with those days. But it's soon time for me to accept my fate as a young adult. But fret not, I still prefer the mind set of a child over an adult anyday. I will still act a fool in any public setting ... ask any of my friends or family. Do I have to mention the Santa Hat that's taller than most of my female friends?

Anyhoo, I'll try to add more onto this entry, since I'll have nothing better to do. Maybe I'll play a few games on MSN... or something. Either way, peace out! Sleep good dreams ... cuz I will be guarding the homefront tonight ... eyes wide open! ~plays the Hamtaro Techno Remix ... in his mind!~

[ SUPPLEMENTARY ENTRY ]
Okay... it's about 0130... all is quiet... too quiet ~looks around suspeciously~. The white noise of every electronic device around me is putting my brain to sleep... I wish I could comply.

Okay ... our of sheer bordom, I got my LJ rated... Apparently I'm
What rating is your journal?.

Yippie Skippie! that entertained me for all of 5 seconds. Anyhoo, I'm gonna close this out for the day. I'll write again when interesting shit goes down, which probably won't happen until Monday when I begin inprocessing. Peace out!

I can mark this day up as ... interesting.

I geared up today for a 4-mile run. Drank a load of water last night, well hydrated, ready to roll. But wait! My Platoon Sergeant feels that I shouldn't risk bodily harm to myself by running. So I am sent to the Gym to do some self-improving. Ran a little... lifted a little... went back... no big thing. Got dressed in BDUs, spent the majority of the day lazing about, doing minor cleaning details.

After Lunch however, 21 soldiers from my platoon (including me) were stuffed in a Bus and trucked to a research building. We come to learn that they are doing a study on Head injuries and they believe that Airborne-qualified soldiers are the best candidate for test subjects (Gee, I wonder why?!). We took a nice long evaluation of our memory and cognitive skills which will be compared to another evaluation that we will take in the event of a head injury! How great is that? These people are just waiting for us to crack our skulls open... ah well. Out of the study of the dead and infirm do the healthy live longer...

End of the day rolls around, our Captain comes out to brief us on the 3 day weekend that we have (Huh? 3-day weekend?!). It appears that since our Batallion has had no unnatural deaths (i.e. drunk driving, suicide, etc.) we get a day off. Well, that's fine and dandy for people who don't have CQ... which is not me. I got stuck with a 24-Hour CQ shift on friday... 0830 in the morning to 0830 next morning.

No problem though, I expected this to happen. Sooner I get it done, the sooner I can enjoy myself... it's not like I have anything planned for this weekend anyway. A little sleep, a little time on the computer... that's about it. I have no car right now, so it's too expensive to travel by cab (even though I'd like to see what this city has to offer... might get that tattoo I've been talking about). Maybe for another day, when I get settled in my unit.

Well, I'm gonna take off. I got a new pic uploaded today ... me, in uniform, sporting my 82nd patch. Not much, but it inflates my pride a little. Peace out everyone! Enjoy your weekend... however you spend it!