Its bad when you miss Army Docs!

You know that things are bad when you start to miss Army doctors. Maybe its because of where we were stationed or because of George's rank (and the fact that if he pulled you aside to talk to you, it wasn't good), but we've always had good experiences with Army medical personnel. Now, I miss them more ...

When I first got here my primary care manager (PCM) was recommended by other military families though my experiences with her were not so favorable and for the past 18 months I sat on my hands when people recommended her to incoming families.

I’ve visited her office 5 times and each time I have not been seen less than an hour AFTER my appointment time, in some cases it was nearly 2 hours past the appointment time.

As many military families, I do not have family in the area to watch my 14-month-old and either have to take him with me, have hubby take off from work or pay a babysitter. The appointments run so far behind that either it runs into a meeting for my husband or costs me dearly for the babysitter or our only sitter isn’t available, so there are times I have to take him. Today though, was insane.

I arrived 15 minutes early for my 11 a.m. appointment and wasn’t called to the back until 11:40 a.m. in the meantime the baby is getting anxious as it neared naptime and he had finished off his juice cup and naptime bottle. He started to get fussy, wanted to get down, and was unable to fall asleep with all the activity in the small waiting room. Finally when they called us back and placed us in the small room, I thought we were going to be out of there soon, but as the baby’s tantrum at being unable to nap escalated so did the time we waited.

At one point, the PCM/Dr. came into the room because she thought the baby had fallen and hurt himself he was so loud. When she realized he was ok, she left again, this time leaving the door open where others started to gather and watch me struggle with him. Boy, was that a “world’s greatest mom” feeling.

We waited about 10 more minutes until I’d run out of juice, water, milk, cheerios and all other snack options. I packed him and all the toys/items I’d pulled out of his bag and my purse to entertain him and walked out the room.

“I think I’ll have reschedule,” I said.

“I thinks that’s for the best,” a staff member replied as I struggled down the hallway.

So I held my tongue (which is a feat for me and I think I deserve a medal!) and left the office. The kicker is ... I was just there to get the results from my “well woman” exam ... something that up to this point had always been mailed to me unless there was an issue ... and of course an updated birth control prescription which after the 45 minute tantrum is now my best friend. Now my prescription will run out (well it already has) and I get to do the whole thing over again.

At this point I’m willing to overlook any non-emergency and life-threatening issues until after we PCS at the end of the year.


Now, I have to go call for a new appt- wish me luck!

Until our next cup of tea ...



Michelle Lindsey
112th SigDet

And the Adventure Continues: The Tale of Seven Weary Travelers ...

Good morning! O.k. I appear more cheerful than I truly am ... because I am still NOT home! Seriously, its 5:30 a.m. and I am sitting in Tampa, but let's pick the story up where we left off ...

So there I was waiting ... and waiting ...

But as I said, I wasn't the only one.

There were 8 of us displaced from the Orlando flight trying to get to Fort Lauderdale. of them one was unknown, his name was Scott, but I only know that because the gate attendant was making some sort of other arrangement for him to go North like Chicago or Philly. I thought it strange, but left it at that. The others included:

1. An elderly gentleman who seemed a bit of a cad. He joked that he was still fighting a hangover and wished he could drink. I asked him if that was a regret, just like booking this flight and he said, no, he'd only change the flight and keep drinking!

2. An adorable grandfatherly gentleman who reminded me a bit of my own grandfather who'd passed away last December. He often checked on me and made sure I was up to date with any change in information.

3. An hispanic man, a few years older than me. He was trying to get home to see his family before he left again on Monday. His job was as a store opener for a popular bagel company and had one more before he headed home to be with his wife and two kids. He too looked after me and I spent the most time chatting with him while we walked from one gate to another on flight changes or waited for baggage.

4. A third elderly gentleman who I imaged was named "Bentley" or "Bradford" with his pinstriped suit and elegant breifcase. I wouldn't be surprised if he spoke with a British accent or spent his weekends have tea in a rose garden with his elderly mother.

5. A tiny Asian guy who at first seemed confused about everything. He shuffled from one location to the next, couldn't find his boarding pass half the time and kept asking questions that had already been answered. Apparently, he just wasn't a night owl, because as we walked through the ticket and security lines at 5:30 a.m. he was chatting away about his engineer job and anything else that popped into his head.

6. The antsy lawyer ... boy this tiny pencil thin man with glasses who was at best, the same height as me, fit the classic profile of a fidgety oil and gas lawyer. He was adimant about getting to a 10 a.m. tribunal and was constantly on his phone or pacing.

7. Then there was me. I wouldn't even know what they thought of me in my khaki carpenter capris, white tank top and teal cardigan with the bright pink bag and pink ribbon holdng my wild hair in place. They kept me close though because George was monitoring flights from home and helped us stay informed because the crew sure wasn't.

Eventually the flight arrived ... 15 minutes late, but that was the least problem of the day. There was a flight in Tampa that had been delayed from its original departure time of 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. and before the delay we would have arrived about 5 minutes before it departed, but the additinal delay wiped that option off the board.

So there we stood, the displaced 7, not convinced that this plane would actually take-off. At the end of the line, we waited as others began to board. Maybe the third time would be the charm.

Finally seated on a plane we waited for it to take off. I thought that I'd be able to relax a little bit or get some blogging done, but I was stuck next to this EXTREMELY chatty grandmother who brought out photos of her children and grandchildren, told me in great detail of her mother's alcoholic tendacies and how taking care of her until she passed away has lead her to be on some sort of anxiety medication. I also heard of her intense irritation for her sister-in-law whom they were on the way to visit because she was pushy, brash, overbearing and talked to much ... hmmm ... I know what that feels like. As we finally disembarked almost two hours later she told me that the two of us could get into some serious trouble together and she was sorry that our visit had ended ... that made one of us!

After regroup, our not-so-merry band of travelers headed for baggage claim to get out luggage and then waited in the chilly night for the hotel's van to arrive. Since it only runs every 30 minutes we were lucky we only had to wait 15 minutes.

Once the van arrived we loaded our luggage in, did a quick head count and headed for the hotel. It took us 7 minutes to get there and another 10 or so for us all to check in. As one of the last ones, I finally got to my room at 12:30 a.m. Tired and exhausted, I changed into my pjs and fell into bed ...

And that dear friends is where the story ends tonight. I invite you to return to see if I made it home.

Until our next cup of tea ...

Home Sweet Home ... Hopefully ...

Hi! I'll be you are wondering if this adventure ever ends ... we let's go back to this morning ... there I was at 5:30 a.m. and I'm sitting in Tampa. I was scheduled to catch a plane leaving at 7:230 a.m. for an hour flight to Fort Lauderdale ... well, just shy of an hour but let's not give them too much credit.

So after catching attitude with a ticket agent who said my bag was 2 pounds over the weight limit (the same bag was 3 pounds under in Houston), I headed to security with one of the other displaced travelers. I was ready for a wait but aside from the guy in front of me not having his ticket or ID in hand and then the lady in front of me at the scanner having issues understanding the "take off all jewelry" part of the screening, I was sent through the body scanner and pulled aside for a quick random check and sent on my way.

On a side note ... I don't really have issues with the scanners or pat downs. Maybe its because I lived on a military base for so long and you see the effects of lax security as well as the benefits of diligent guards, but it seems to me the peopl who patted me down at the various points of the trip were just as uncomfortable as I was ...

Anyway, back to the trip ... After I went through security, the other displaced traveler was pulled aside for a complete carry-on check so he told me to go ahead to the gate (which was across from security) and he'd catch up. So after checking in at the gate, nodding to a few of my other displaced companions having breakfast at the nearby Chili's, I headed to the Starbucks about 100 feet away for a coffee and muffin (Chili's just didn't sound like they'd have a good breakfast, so I passed.) Then with my treats in hand, I headed over the gate where they had some really comfortable booths for those with computers (bonus points for Tampa). Thats where I wrote the last post, drank my eggnog latte and ate my very yummy muffin. At 7 a.m. hubby called to make sure everything was on track. I told him my flight was just as long as the drive from Miami to Fort Lauderdale so he shouldn't wake the baby until I called to tell him we were on the plane.

A few minutes later we lined up for boarding. Now, yes, at this point I could have gotten really excited, but remember I'd prepped for boarding 4 times the day before without actually GETTING ON a plane. So my fellow travelers and I nervously joked for a few minutes. Outside you could barely see the plane for the thick fog rolling it. It was like someone have whitewashed the windows! But, then miracle of all miracles, we began to board ... 15 minutes early!

Once on the plane I was still not convinced, but after about 15 minutes of boarding (I was at the front of the line thankfully) the captain came over the speaker and began the departure speech ( you know, no phones, computers, etc ... blah, blah, blah). I called George, told him we were on the plane and about to depart.

Luckily, the plane was not packed so while I sat by the window and another of the displaced pilgrims sat on the aisle, there was no one in the middle seat ... just my muffin and his book.

We slowly rolled away from the gate, taxied up the runway and stopped. We could see the fog getting heavier and heavier. I was sure we would be turned around but after 15 minutes, we were cleared for take-off!

It was a quick trip ... barely time for drinks and such. Soon we were making our approach and I prepared to end this l-o-n-g journey ... exhausted after only 3 hours of sleep. After disembarking at the gate, I headed for baggage claim to wait.

As I waited I talked to George who'd arrived and was waiting in the passenger pick-up. He asked if I wanted him to come inside and help with the bags, but I didn't need the truck being towed at this point.

Just as the bags started to arrive on the conveyer George and Baby Geo walked in to greet me. I was so happy! Then I saw my bag was one of the first, so I pulled it off of the conveyer and Geo grabbed it but for some reason was having trouble with the handle. Once we got the the truck just outside the door we discovered they had crushed the back of the bag, ripping the fabric and bending the bars the handle slides into. Really!?!

I was so tired, we just threw it in the back of the Tahoe, I gave Baby Geo some kisses and a bottle, then settled in for the hour drive back home.

Finally! I was so happy to walk through the front door. George fed the baby while I went to change into some fresh clothes. After we put the baby down for a nap we looked at the bag more closely. It was a mess and told George I'd file a complaint after a quick nap.

What a long, exhausting adventure. All in all, we were surprise that the six-pack of Shiner beer (which my husband loves but cannot find here in Miami) arrived intact. Despite my bag being loaded and unloaded off of 5 planes, dragged about throughout the varous airports and being crushed, the bottled beer made it!

Now, let's see what they say about my compaint!


Until our next cup of tea ...

God Bless the USO!!!

Now I’m sorry, I know I haven’t posted in a while. Time seems to get away from me, but right now I apparently have all the time in the world … or so Southwest Airlines thinks!

I came home to Houston for a brief trip to exchange Christmas presents and attend an “event” will later become public knowledge. Anyway, today I was supposed to go home. It’s the first time I’ve been away from the baby and being away from hubby for any length of time is hard after so many deployments, schools and training missions in the past 7+ years.

Well, my flight was suppose to leave at 2:40 p.m. from Houston’s Hobby Airport, so like a good traveler I get here just after 1 p.m. to check in and wait. Finally the time (and plane) arrived … we line up like good little first graders and wait to be boarded … and wait … and wait.

The staff member then comes over the intercom and states that the plane has a mechanical issue discovered in the pre-board inspection and it will take an hour and a half to fix … that right hour and a half! However, in many situations dispatch could chose to switch to another incoming plane, though they hadn’t decided that option yet.

So we trudge back to our seats to await further news. A few minutes later we are informed that they will switch planes and it will arrive about 5 minutes before the hour and a half mark for the other plane …great! Now we wait!
I was told that they were going to hold my connecting flight from Orlando to Fort Lauderdale since there were 8 of us were suppose to make the flight. Good for us, but now those people are delayed … good plan!

So the plane arrives and we are told that it will get there at 3:50 p.m. and we should be boarded and on our way by 4:10 p.m. … Um, sure …

The plane arrives … people deplane … we line up to wait for boarding … and wait … and wait …

There were jokes that there was an issue with this plane and they were drawing straws to see who would tell us … it was funny until the intercom scratched, drawing us all into silence as we listened for news …

A timid voice comes through the speakers, breaking up as she delivers the news … the second plane has mechanical issues and is being taken out of service. There is no plan as to what the alternate solution is, but we will be kept informed.

After waiting a bit more we were told that a 5:30 p.m. flight to Philly would be rerouted to take us to Orlando and the Philly passengers would be put on another flight … another bright idea! But wait … !

Those of us who were suppose to make a connecting flight in Orlando to Fort Lauderdale would not be there in time to catch any flights … I’m not sure if there were none, or if they were all booked, but we had two options …

1. Continue to Orlando on the flight coming in around 5:30 p.m. and stay overnight catching the next available flight at 2 p.m. arriving about 3 p.m. or …

2. Transfer to a flight going to Tampa at 8:05 p.m. and stay overnight to catch a flight going out at about 7:30 a.m. to arrive at 8:30 a.m.

While I was on the phone talking it over with George the decision was made for me, because next thing I know the supervisor, Chance, said he was switching all of our flight to Tampa and making overnight arrangements for rooms.

So I guess Tampa it is … but the flight will not leave until 8:05 p.m. and they were not going to give us food vouchers according to supervisor Chance.

So after getting my new tickets and room voucher, I trudged over to gate on the other side of the terminal to check in where I met an animated desk attendant named Joe. Joe had the energy of cup of the hot beverage whose name he shared. Once assured that is where I was supposed to be I got directions to the Hobby USO and headed over for my 2+ hour wait …

I'd heard about it many times from one of my favororite "mums", the mother of one of George's childhood friends who volunteers there, but I was not prepared for what I encountered.


The USO … I’d never been to one, but when I walked in it was like the CHRISTMAS STAR … the one bright spot in an otherwise irritating day.

It was quiet and homey … its chocolate leather couches welcoming you with their cool, worn rawhide, showing the impressions of so many tired bodies who’d found comfort in their embrace. So far from home, this little hidden oasis offered a feel of familiarity and reassurance. It was like coming home to mom after your first separation. The refrigerator was stocked with a plethora of beverages and treats to perk up even the weariest traveler. Computers, TVs, books and magazines … there were a variety of entertainment options to help ease the boredom of travel. There was even a playroom for children, that called to me with enticing games and toys, but I was in need of recharging … for my phone and computer as well as my energy.
I settled into the worn leather chair at the little dining table, opened up my computer and attempted to lose myself … in my blog, of course! One good thing was that I finally had some uninterrupted time to write. A method of relieving stress as well as journaling just another one of my …err … “grand adventures”.

So as I sat there writing my blog and loving joking with my Sister Spouse EB mother-in-law is the mother who volunteered at the Hobby USO, I intermittently relayed information of my plight to get home to my mother, who is a force to be reckoned with when she deems a cause necessary, as she “discussed” my ordeal with Southwest Airline’s customer service.

Now, my mom is a die-hard Southwest fan … my brother and I flew SW from the time we were toddlers, going back and forth between or divorced parents. The only time we flew another airline was if we booked and paid for it ourselves. She flew Southwest and if they couldn’t get her there she’d rather drive … seriously … I’ve been on trips that took two days to get to a destination … she was that loyal, and by the end of the conversation I am sure that the CS rep knew that information in detail!

So there I was, basking in my oasis of comfort trying to decide if I wanted to eat or not. My called … again … and said the customer service rep stated that they should give us food vouchers since we’d been stranded so long … more than five hours since the original flight was supposed to leave. The CS rep said that I should go to the CS desk in the terminal, explain the situation and tell them the 1-800 CS rep said I should be able to get a food voucher.

So I packed up my books, computer and other items and headed to the customer service desk. There was no one there, so I headed back to the gate to see what advice Lively Joe could offer. After I explained the “grand adventure” up to said that point he said that the CS desk had been empty for a while, but that he could call a manager over. It sounded good to me, so I waited. A few minutes later I knew my hopes of getting a food voucher were bleak as Lively Joe points me out to supervisor Chance, the same supervisor who’d told me earlier that they weren’t offering food vouchers, that we’d have to pay out of our own pockets.

I didn’t want to take up his time since I knew it was fruitless, so I quickly explained that I was one of the displaced Orlando passengers from earlier and the CS rep had said to ask for food vouchers. He said that they couldn’t offer us food vouchers of we’d gotten hotel vouchers … some mumbled reason of it being over the amount they allot for displacement … I dunno. I knew there was no sense arguing.

I thanked him and then checked in with Lively Joe, who’d gotten quite comical at this point, only to learn that the 8:05 p.m. flight was running 15 minutes behind.

Oh, well. What’s another 15 minutes after I’d been there more than 7 hours. So I sat down with a snack from the USO and a view of some interesting people and prepared to do what I’d been doing all day … wait …

Well, that’s the story for now, my dear friends. It’s late and my adventure isn’t over yet. Come back to find out if … “I’ll be home for Christmas …”

Until our next cup of tea ...

Life is full of adventure ...

I know its been a while since I last wrote update, but the last two months have been a whirlwind of activity. Some of you know parts of it, so bear with me as I fill everyone in.

Many of you know that October was spent with me packing up our home in Georgia (or at least seperating what the movers were not taking) while George finished school. The last week was a flurry of activity as the movers took two days to pack and on top of that the realtor brought 4 families through on those days to view the house for rent. Then the movers were suppose to arrive that Friday morming between 8 and 8:30 a.m. to load the trucks. At 10:30 a.m. I got a call that they were running behind schedule for another move 3 hours away and that they'd be there early afternoon. Many phone calls and one cranky pregnant later, they showed up at 5:30 p.m. to start loading. They finally finished a little after 11 p.m. Ah, the rollercoaster ride of military life!

We spent the weekend cleaning the house (George treated me to a maid who did all the scrubbing!) and then turned the house over to the rental company. That Wednesday (Nov. 4) he graduated school and Thursday we started the trip to Miami at 4:30 a.m. (UGH!) Eleven hours later, we pulled into our new neighborhood and got the keys for our "new home". We opted to stay in a hotel that night, since nearly everything we owned was on the back of a truck somewhere.

The next morning while the puppy stayed in bed (lazy little bugger!), George went to the AFB to in-process and I headed to the house to meet the movers. From the start I was nervous as bags and boxes fell out of the truck, but I was assured that none were ours! Once everything was unloaded and (most) were delivered to the room we'd specified, we settled in for our first night at the new house. (Don't worry, I am working on a post to explain the move in detail!)

That only lasted for a few days, because Nov. 10 we started the 2-day, 22 hour drive to Houston. We got to spend some time with family and I had tons of fun at the baby shower. Thanks to all who attended. While there it was a whirlwind of activity to include a 3-D ultrasound, shopping and visiting all those Texas restaurants that I've been missing!

Unfortunately, the Tuesday before Thanksgiving I got a call that my paternal grandfather was in a serious car accident and was in critical care in New Orleans. George and I cut the Houston visit short to headed to the hospital the next day to spend some time with my grandmother and the rest of the family. Thanksgiving day we got back to Miami and settled in for a few days together. The following Tuesday (Dec. 1) he left for a conference in North Carolina and I settled in to get a few of the nearly 200 boxes unpacked. I got multiple daily updates from my Dad and aunt about my grandfather's recovery and for a while he looked to be improving, but on Thursday (Dec. 3) I got the call from my Dad that he passed away. George returned home the next day (Friday). On Saturday (Dec. 4) we attended part 1 of our birthing class, then loaded the truck and headed to La. to attend the funeral and spend some time with my family. Despite his packed schedule, most of which was spent traveling, George found the time to contact and coordinate with 2nd Bn, 4th Inf. Reg., his unit at Fort Polk, to see if they could get a team together for a military tribute. As few know, George and my grandfather served in the same unit, though nearly 50 years apart.

Tuesday (Dec. 8) we headed back to Miami, and George headed back to work the next morning. That following Saturday (Dec. 12) we finished the birthing class and then prepared for the Winter Ball in Key Largo that night. Sunday, after a month of constant travel, we decided to forgo unpacking and headed for the warm Miami beaches. It was a good decision, a day of much needed resting and relaxing.

Now the house is nearly unpacked, George is quickly settling in to his new command position and we even managed to coordinate a holiday lunch for the Soldiers and spouses this past Friday. The Christmas tree is up and (kind of) decorated since we could only find some of the ornaments, but Great-Grandma's (Leija) two angels were set aside from the day the movers came and they are now on display in the kitchen.

Baby Jamie is growing and active. I am now 32-weeks and go every other week to the doctor. My new baby doctor is great, though I am looking for another primary care physician. I just didn't like the one I was initially assigned. We are also researching pediatricians and hope to get one picked by mid-January.

January looks to be a busy one as we start the month off with our first spouses social and George's Assumption of Command. We'll finish with the baby's room and start preparing for his arrival as well.

I guess its time to rest now then its off to clean the kitchen. I get tired quite easily these days. Hope all is well with you and your families. May everyone have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! I will post some pictures in the next day or so.

Until our next cup of tea ...

Trying to get ahead, before I get behind!

So much to do and so little time. Everytime I realize that we will be moving again soon (we are down to 5 weeks) I start to panic. November is going to be C-R-A-Z-Y busy! I'm actually stressed right now, which I'm sure if not good for the baby, so I thought blogging would help ... a little.

We have set up the appointment with transportation to pack and ship our houshold goods (HHG). However, without an address to send it too, our HHG will go into storage and we will have to coordinate to get them delivered at a later date. Since we are not going to an active duty installation and there is no on-post housing we HAVE to live off-post and the storage facility is over 30 minutes away, on the other side of Miami. I assume it will be a black hole once our HHG go into storage because it is as a Coast Guard facility and they don't really deal with that sort of thing on a daily basis.

So we went to Miami over the Labor Day holiday to look at housing areas and the different types of houses that were available. We narrowed down the housing community and the realtor began sending us a list of homes available. She also told us that we should look into buying in that neighborhood since it was one with high interest and would continue to gain interest since it was one of the few gated communities near the base and outside the congestion of Miami. Since a new hosiptal was recently built at the need of the community, it also make it a prime location for medical professionals. After research we realized that there would be a growing interest since the City of Miami has decided to start raising its city property taxes.

So now we are in the home-stretch. We have 5 weeks to find a house, the packers and movers are scheduled, then its a fury to unpack and get "necessities" and furniture in place before we head out on a whilwhind trip to Houston for baby shower and Family bonding. Then it's back to Army life while George gets settled in as commander, I get to figure out where verything will go in the house and what we need before the baby arrives. Whew! I'm tired just thinking about it!

Well, I'mm off to spend time with the pup. I do have some funny picture of Sgt. major that I will try to post in the next day or so.

Until our next cup of tea ...

Misadventures of the Life of a Military Wife ... Finding the Gym

Well we are finally here at our new assignment in Georgia. Boy, has the past two weeks been a rollercoasters. There are so many stories I want to share it will take a while to get them all organized and will be out of order, but today I want to post about the gym. That's right ... the gym (this is for you, Army Blogger Wife).

Last week George and I both had been battling a respitory infection. Yes, on top of all the moving drama and activies, we were battling couchs, fevers and general icky-ness. So we made a decision that this week we would get back in the gym and start working out ... twice a day until he had to start his new school.

So yesterday, we got up early, ate breakfast, unpacked some boxes, then got ready to work out. We live about 7 minutes off post, which is enjoyable for us, but more on that later.

So we head to the gym. After searching through the post mp we found the closest one to the entrance from where we live. About 2 or 3 miles from the gate. It was small and not what we were used to from Fort Polk, which was a training center and had a large central gym with smaller unit facilities.

When we arrived we were turned away because you have to bring your own towel. Unlike Fort Polk who provides towels, these are Soldier run facilities and I'm guessing now that they don't offer any aerobic or other specialty classes.

So we headed home and decided to return in the afternoon. We soon learned that they do vehicle inspections and when they pulled us aside George told them we had a unloaded weapon in the Tahoe. We'd thought about going to check out the range. We were turned away and told that you have to call and get permission ahead of time from the Provost Marshall to bring weapons on post. So to break it down, you have to go on post to the Provost Marshall (Police Station) get written permission, return home get your weapon and then return to the range ... EVERY TIME. We also learned the range is open only two days a week (versus the five at Fort Polk.) So we returned home and gave up for the day.

We returned this morning where we learned the hard way that they close each gym for 2 hours during the day for cleaning. However, they all close at different times and they cannot tell you about the hours of another gym. The gym we went to was closed so we had to drive around looking for another gym.

At this point I was frustrated and told George "I just want to run on a freaking treadmill!" At which point he laughs and said he never thought he'd hear those words come out of my mouth.

We finally got into another gym where we learned we wern't in the system yet and had to be registered. No problem, but they told me that I had to log in each time under George's SS number. Not hard, but then there is a head count but no way to identify how many Soldiers versus Family members are using which facilities, whch in my mind would be a great way to determine class times and such ... but then again they don't offer that kind of stuff.

So we drop our bags off in the lockers and set out to find the cardio area. We found it small, cramped, and VERY hot. It was litterally a 10-foot wide corridor with a row of treadmills and a row of ellipticals. You could barely walk between them and they were facing a wall of mirrors.

Now maybe it's just me, but there is nothing motivating about staring at yourself while you work out, except maybe if you are a weight lifter monitoring your technique. On top of it, they had two TVs on the BACK wall. So you had to watch TV through the mirrors, which of course had not volume and there was no way to read the captioning. Obviously, it was not designed by anyone of the TLC or HGTV decorators!

We braved all of this and got on the treadmills where we started running while staring at ourselves. I had just gotten into a rhythm, passing the point of pain and discomfort from not working out for a few weeks, when there was a power surge and the treadmills and all other equipment shut down. I can attest that if you are not expecting a sudden stop when running at near-full speed very it will result in a painful jolt. I nearly fell off the treadmill!

Disgruntled and irritated we started our run over and then just left, hoping that when we go back this evening it will be better.

I soon discovered the lockerroom was the coolest place in the facility. I hurriedly slipped into a bathroom stall to change and discovered yet another design flaw. The door of the stall barely cleared the toilet, so you were forced to squeeze between the toilet and wall to open or close the door {sigh}. That also gives you an idea of how much room there was to change. I guess I'd better get used to the idea of changing in front of poepl again, but that brings back the horrors of middle and high school gym class ... I don't know which is the less of two evils!

On a funny note, as I was brushing my hair and fixing my makeup I noticed a sign on the mirror that read, "No dyeing hair in bathroom sinks ..." All I could think was, "Is that really a problem here? Is this lockerroon the hub of the salon elite on this post!?!" The things you learn ...

We returned again this afternoon, about 4 p.m. (EST) and found it full of clearly overweight Soldiers. We each grabbed a stationary bike and spent about 20 minutes on them before heading off to to the commissary to get groceries. George said that he thought that the reason it was so hot was because it helped those who aren't meeting the height/weight standard "sweat it out." Also the fans we being pointed directly on individuals instead of pointing into a circulating pattern.

Tomorrow is another day, hopefully it will be better.

Until our next visit ...