Saturday, November 24, 2012

New Year, New Vents.

Ok, so I know it's almost Valentine's Day, and I finally got off my ass and remembered this blog. Sorry, Hil!!! Haha. Anyway, so a LOT has happened in the last few months... so I'll start with a few "What Not to Do's"...

1) DO NOT GET MARRIED/ENGAGED TO SOMEONE YOU MET TWO MONTHS AGO. I am a prime example of this. You don't know that person, even if you think you do. It's a bad idea, and you never know, it could be a situation that would end up costing you your life. Or the person is just an asshole who wants nothing more than a nursemaid, cook and house orderly for his kids. You never know. Long story short, have fun, be safe, but DON'T GET TOO EXCITED TOO QUICK. Now, I'm not saying don't date, or don't have fun with anyone, just don't be stupid. Fortunately, I woke the hell up and got out of my situation before it got out of hand. Ladies and Gentlemen, don't let anyone control you for any reason. I'm in the Navy, I have enough people I have to answer to, I don't need a master with a short leash on a choke chain, too. F*$@ that! So there's that...

2) WELCOME TO THE MILITARY. REGULATIONS ARE NOT AN OPTION. This one could get pretty long... here goes. Uniform Regulations: maintain them. If you look like a bag of ass, I'm going to say something. You chose to sign the dotted line and wear these uniforms, do so with some semblance of pride. If you don't care what you look like, that says a lot about who you are. And to be honest, I don't want you on my crew. If you take pride in how you look, and you make that obvious, then nine times out of ten you're a hard worker that doesn't take things for granted. Personally, and my roommates can attest to this, I fuss like crazy over uniforms. Especially what we call our Peanut Butters, since those are inspected most often. If you know your ribbons are supposed to be 6 1/4" from the shoulder seam, then 3" is not going to cut it, dumbass. Get a ruler, they're cheap and the NEX has plenty. Use an iron, honestly, it won't kill you... well, some people it might. Don't over-starch your blouse, it will show up. But the slacks, have at those. You can actually use enough starch on those to make them stand up on their own, I've done it. Collar devices: again, GET A RULER. There is a specific place those go, get there. And for the love of God and all that is holy, shine your bloody shoes!!! It's a simple thing, but it makes a huge difference. If you don't have pride in how you look, how do you expect a First Class or a Chief to take you seriously? Think about that one!
FEMALES: Omg, seriously? FIX YOUR DAMN HAIR. I have a LOT of hair, but I manage to make it look inspection ready all the time. If you don't know, ask someone. A particular FC1 on dayshift is a great resource, and she's pretty cool. Ask other females, if you see one who's hair looks good, ask her how she does it. If someone offers you advice, i.e. "hey, you might want to pick up some straight pins, or some bobby pins" TAKE THE ADVICE AND DON'T BE A WENCH ABOUT IT. We're already facing enough to overcome, we don't need to add little things to it. Make-up: by all means, wear it, but do so appropriately. Bright blue or green eyeshadow is inappropriate for a professional setting. If you can see a clear make-up line at your jaw, here's a hint: your make-up is the wrong color, change it. And if you look like a two-dollar hooker and a petty officer says something to you, don't take an attitude with him/her. They're telling you because you're out of regs, get over it, and roger up.
BOTH SEXES: For the love of God, SHOWER, use DEODORANT, remember that you may not be able to smell your raunchy ass, but the rest of us can. And after living in Europe during the summer for two months, I'm a freak about this kind of stuff. Oh, and brush your damn teeth. If you have halitosis and you know it, bring a toothbrush to school with you. It may be awkward, and people may say something, but oh well. You'll live. I keep those Wisp things on me, and brush my teeth after chow every night. It's not a big deal. Remember, this may just be school right now, but it is your job. You are being paid to learn until someone can ship your tail to the fleet and make you work. Please be professional at all times, especially with hygiene and appearance!!!

3) DON'T ASK, DON'T TELL WAS REPEALED, BUT DON'T POKE A BEAR WITH A STICK. Ok, so here's a vent I just have to throw out there, and please don't get mad at me. You have the right to be attracted to whomever you chose, and that's all well and good. But do not let your actions affect other people, especially in a barracks that has seen more than her fair share of sexual assault/harassment issues!!! Example: the rogue roommate who has decided to have a new gf, and sleep in that room instead of her own, even though our 1MC taps announcement is as follows: "TAPS, TAPS, LIGHTS OUT. ALL HANDS TURN IN TO YOUR OWN RACKS. MAINTAIN SILENCE ABOUT THE DECKS. NOW TAPS." Therefore, sleep in your own bed!!!! If you mess this up for other people, they tend to get angry, angry people do crazy things. P.S. We all know where the blind spots on the cameras are, just sayin'.

4) CLEAN! Ok, so we may be at a training facility right now, but this isn't going to change in the fleet. I currently live in a four person dorm style room. The four of us share a kitchen and a bathroom, and we each have a foot locker, rack, desk, and closet. If you see the same people cleaning all the time, DO SOMETHING. Don't just sit there and read, or do whatever. You live here, too. I shouldn't have to clean your mess all the bloody time. Get off your ass and pick up a sponge, a broom, whatever. Just help out!!! And don't be rude and leave your stuff everywhere, to the point where others can't get to their stuff. Contain your disaster...

Well, for now I think that's all I've got. I need to finish up here, then get my tail to class. Big exam today, though it hopefully isn't too bad. I'll try to get on here more often :)

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