Day 2 in Denver and Day 1 in Christchurch, NZ

Today we had to be up extra early to have our bags down to the lobby and to get on the shuttle to take us to the next phase of training. I didn’t sleep well last night, so it was a long day for me. Lots of safetty lectures today. Don’t bother the wildlife. Clean up any spills. Recycle everything. That was the basis of our training.

They did feed us lunch, kind of. We got ‘Picnic to Go” lunches, which were actually worse than any MRE I’ve ever eaten. Flavored tuna in a can, some kind of vegetarian friendly pasta or bean salad in a tin, crappy cheese, and some other stuff. The only good part was the nuget candy and the pita chips.

We had to wait for our luggage to make it from the hotel. Evidently they were running a bit late. Still, we got off to the airport in Denver 2 minutes early.

At Denver we had a bit of time. We got there around 1300, and our flight didn’t actually leave until 1720. We had some real lunch, and just kind of vegged till it was time. I found out that Verizon had cancelled my phone service early, and had some fun times trying to sort that out over the payphone. Luckily, I could call my mom’s work with an 800 number, and she helped me get things sorted out. The woman I talked to on the phone was actually very helpful.

After that I called the people I needed to call and hung out. The flight to LA wasn’t that long, and I was all the way in the back of the plane, with an empty seat between me and the other girl. Once we got to LAX, we had to leave the terminal we were in and walk outside to get to the international terminal. The lines were really long, and our gate was under construction. While we were waiting at the gate, I saw one of the actors from the movie Ladder 49. I think he was either the truck driver or the engine driver, but he was the guy I saw at Firehouse Expo the year the movie came out. He signed my ball cap. It was kind of neat to see someone semi-famous.

The Quantas airplane was by far the biggest I had ever been on. It was one of the ones with an upstairs and everything. I was supposed to have an aisle seat, but the girl sitting in the middle seat said I could have the window. We didn’t have anyone sitting between us, so we got to stretch out a bit. I didn’t get much sleep though, since we were right next to the kitchen, and the flight crew hung out in there all night talking. They had little TV screens in the back of each seat, so you could watch movies and stuff. I got to see Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer and the third Pirates movie again. I started watching the 5th Harry Potter movie, but fell asleep. I have to say though, that the food was horrible. I managed to get a couple of 1 to 2 hour naps in once they turned the lights out. At one point in time I woke up, and the lights were dimmed, and I could see out the window at the ocean. I couldn’t see much cause it was dark, but the white clouds against the darkness of the ocean was beautiful.

We landed in Aukland, NZ, and had to go through customs. I thought I would have more trouble than I did, but it was no trouble at all. We had a bit of time to kill before our flight to Christchurch, so we got some real breakfast (the airplane breakfast was horrid), and did a little window shopping after changing some money. New Zealand money is neat; it’s plastic, with little plastic windows in it. Every bill is a different color too. The smallest bill they have is a fiver (as they call it). Anything smaller is in coins. They have $1 and $2 coins, and then the 50, 20 and 10 cent pieces. There are no pennies, instead they just round up or down to the closest amount when giving you your change. And the tax is built into the price, which is nice, since you don’t have to figure out any extra money to pay.

We had an hour flight to Christchurch, which I actually fell asleep on for a bit. I had an aisle seat, which sucked, since I was really looking forward to taking pictures of the mountains. I did hand my camera to the girl sitting in the window seat, and she got some decent pictures of the mountains. They were breathtaking. Totally covered in snow, with some pine trees poking through in some places. Just like in Lord of the Rings.

We collected our bags and headed to the hostel. Unfortunately, we weren’t allowed to check-in until 1300, and it was only 1130, so we left our luggage in the back room and went exploring.

Christchurch is a beautiful town. Lots of gardens and stuff, and the Botanical Gardens were just down the road from us. We didn’t get to see much of them, but what we did see was incredible, even though the only flowers that were out were the daffodils (remember, it’s coming out of winter down here). We saw a bunch of ducks, and they don’t have pigeons, only sea gulls. But the sea gulls here are huge with bright red beaks and legs, and they are more aggressive than the ones in the States.

This was where I stayed. It was called Base Backpackers, and had a bar inside the hostel on the ground floor.








We wandered around a bit, checking out some of the stores and planning what we were going to get for the folks back home. Once 1300 hit, we went back and checked in. Our dorm room is on the third floor, and can sleep about 10 people. When we first checked in, there was only one other guy in our room.

The other 2 girls went shopping, but I decided to take a shower, since I was feeling rather rank from being on a plane for 16 hours. Then the other guy (there were 4 of us in our hostel the first night) and I went and did a bit more looking around. ChCh has a free bus that runs around a certain part of town, and we hopped on that to go to the Pak-n-Save, which is a grocery store. He got some munchies, and I got some new batteries for my camera, since it had died in the Gardens.

We got back and met a couple of guys in a bar near the hostel, and then headed out to the Dux-de-Lux,a vegetarian place where everyone else was meeting up. After a bit of time there, all the firefighters decided to go to a place the LT knew of, that had a stone grill. They couldn’t take us right away, so we went across the street to an Irish pub. One of the other firefighters lived at Station 10 while I was living at 33. I definitely remembered seeing him on some calls. The stone grill place was really good. You order your food and they bring the meat and veggies out on a 400C stone to cook on. I had an eye fillet, wrapped with bacon. YUM. After that, I started hitting the wall as far as being tired, so I wandered back to the hostel and went to bed.

Training Day in Denver

Today was horribly boring. Up early to get to classes. For some reason, the HR department didn't have half the paperwork I had sent in, and they seem to have lost my W-4, so I had to spend a bit of time this morning filling out paperwork. They also gave us little bracelets with our names on them, that we have to wear until we leave tomorrow. They're the same kind of things you get at amusement parks and stuff. Then it was off to the IT room to start up my account and fill out my expense reports. Hopefully I'll get the money for my boots back and the dental expenses soon.

Then it was the actual orientation classes. BORING!!! It was good information, but it was presented pretty dryly, and the instructors just read off the slides. They did, however, mention that there are 2 scientific presentations every week (Sunday and Thursday), and tours of the Crary Lab every Sunday. Rock. On.

They gave us a huge break for lunch. I didn't do much except meet some new people and play a little Civ 4. The afternoon session was an hour of harassment training. But we got released at 2, and got back to the hotel. I packed my uniform and rearranged some things in my bags to even out the weight a little bit. Talked to mom, and cleaned my gaiters (they were dirty and you have to have your camping stuff as clean as possible before going).

At 4, the other firefighters here and I took a nice walk to the local Target. I got my cold sore medicine, and some more lib balm, and a new CD (soundtrack to Harry Potter 5). We stopped at a little Mexican place called the 3 Margarita's, and had some fairly decent, if bland, Mexican food. One of the other guys and I headed back to the hotel, while the other guys headed over to check out a store called 'Scuba, Underwater Phantaseas.' My stomach just hasn't been right since that BBQ at the Dallas airport, so I wanted to get back to the room.

I've almost finished repacking. I have to wait for my gaiters to dry, and for things to finish charging, but other than that, I'm ready to leave tomorrow. Training tomorrow is all about safety. Which is ironic, since we are the ones who deal with safety. But at any rate, we sit in class for 4 hours. Then it's back on the shuttles for the trip to Los Angeles. It's kind of strange, actually. We get taken to the airport sometime before 2pm, probably, but our plane doesn't leave until after 5pm. We land in LA at around 6-ish, and then we leave LA and head to New Zealand around 9-ish.

I might be able to post again tomorrow, depending on the connectivity at both airports. Other than that, you will all have to wait till I actually get down there.

In Denver

I am in the hotel in Denver, fighting with the computer. I seem to be having issues with my iPod, which will be some serious problems once I get down on the ice.

I met up with one of the other guys from my class, at the Denver airport. It took us a while to get the shuttle, but we finally got it. I totally forgot my shuttle voucher number and actually deleted it from my email inbox, but no one said anything, so hopefully it's not a big deal. I think one of the other people on the shuttle forgot theirs too, so I don't feel too bad. Heck, one of the guys made his number up.

The guys asked if I wanted to go to dinner, but I am way too tired. I am also getting a fever blister but I can't find the medication, so I might have to run out tomorrow night and get some more.

And since I have to be up at 0600 tomorrow morning, I am off to bed.

Travel Day 1: Baltimore to Denver

I cried like a baby all morning. From when Chris and I got in the truck till after I got to the terminal and got off the phone with him again. I don’t know if it is fear, or just sadness over leaving everything and everyone and him. I was just so incredibly sad. I also miss him terribly, but it’s getting more bearable, if only slightly. At least I don’t feel like I’m going to bust into tears at any moment anymore.

So yeah…in my ever-lasting fear that I will arrive late and miss my flight, we once again got to the airport at an impossibly early hour for my actual flight time. It sucked, actually. Earlier wake-up in the morning, and in the interest of not sitting in the terminal for hours, we got coffee and breakfast and sat and watched the security line get longer and longer. My flight wasn’t supposed to leave until 1:50 (it actually was later than that…we didn’t leave the gate till nearly 2:40) and we got to the airport at about 11am or so. So we sat and I cried and I’m sure made a general spectacle of myself to the other people. Finally, around noonish or so, I screwed up the courage to actually go get in the very long security line. We walked together till I turned the corner, and then I cried some more. Made it through security with only a couple of people staring at me, and was looking for a place to sit in the terminal when he called. He was crying which only set me off again. I’m pitiful. Good thing I wore my glasses and brought a pair of contacts with me.

I managed to get a call in to my mother and my grandparents and talk to them, and they made me feel slightly better. I went and bought a book to read, since I only had 2 with me.

When I was boarding the plane, I was one of the last people on, and therefore was left with less-than-optimal over-head space. Trying to hurry (we were late already, and I detest people who hold up the line trying to find the perfect spot for their luggage) I had to shove my one carry-on up while trying to not dislodge the bag on my back and clock the guy sitting in the seat I was next to. He gave me a hand, and I was rushing trying to get my other bag off my back, and got all tangled up in my headphones. Between that, and trying to slide into my window seat, I lost one of my earpieces (the little rubber thingy that makes it comfortable for your ear). No clue where it flew off to. So I was left iPod-less the whole 3 hour flight. Luckily, I can get lost in a book.

The woman next to me was actually very nice and we chatted a bit about her time in the military, where I was going, and so on. When we got to Dallas, I was looking for the stadium (just for a reference), and she said that her husband was a huge Skins fan and was a Hoggette. What do you think of that one Art and Ron?? No, I didn’t get a chance to ask her if he was in the commercial, or which one he was.

Because our flight was late leaving Baltimore, I got to Dallas with not enough time to do what I wanted to do, which was to find out the scores of the games. Instead, after trying to find my earpiece on the plane, I hurried out to the bathroom and find some food and maybe a replacement earpiece. I changed into a set of contacts (since I was done crying now and hate wearing my glasses…I like peripheral vision), and went in search of food. Luckily, my new gate for the flight to Denver was 2 gates down from the arrival gate, so things weren’t too bad. Unluckily, there was hardly any place to eat that I could find in a hurry. As it was, I waited for one person to serve several people, with only 5 minutes till my boarding time. I ordered my food, and went across the way to the Brookstones, where they had earphones and stuff. Not that I could afford the noise canceling $200 ones, but I scoured the place for some replacement earpieces. I did manage to get a pack of them, and while they aren’t a perfect fit on the earphone, at least I have music for while I travel. I really wasn’t looking forward to buying a new set of these things in Denver. I went back and grabbed my food, which wasn’t that great (I would have rather had a Fuddrucker’s burger, or something from Einstein Bro’s) but the line for Fudd’s was just too long and the Einstein was closed.

As I was walking to the gate after getting my food, I ran into one of the guys from my class. He’s a couple seats ahead of me, but it’s nice to know that there’s someone to travel with for the last bit of the trip.

The plane to Denver is hot. I think it’s just the sun coming into the windows, because my window shade is hot to the touch. Whatever the reason, the A/C on the plane can’t keep up with it. The pilot just said we are about 170 miles south of Denver, so we’ll be landing soon. I guess I better turn this off and put it away. I’ll post it as soon as I can.

Pre-Travel

Three days of being taken out for dinner. If it didn’t require me to leave for 5 months, I might actually feel better about things.

Paulette took me for thai food on Thursday night. Sadly, I had to go back to work to finish some things, so I didn’t get to spend as much time with her as I would have liked. Friday, the coworkers took me for Chevy’s, and gave me a card signed by everyone in the company and a stuffed penguin. Because our company’s motto is “See More with KPL” we decided he should be called Seymore. Seymore is currently in my carry-on, sadly stuffed into an over-head bin. Friday night was thai again, in Old Towne Alexandria, with the FFG crew. I did get a chance to get over to Seamus’ to see the Jake-dog before I left. I also got to see Delfina’s new car, which is quite spiffy.

Saturday Chris and I finished my packing, got my prescriptions, and we went to dinner with Anna, Art, Sarah, Tim, Cali, Brian, Susan, Mike, and Beth. We had hibachi, which was a good choice for so many people. We hung out at Anna and Art’s afterwards, and I finished packing before everyone went home.

So yeah…aside from the incessant crying I’ve been doing the past 3 days (leaving work was exceptionally hard) this whole long trip thing has it’s benefits.

I still don’t want to do it that often though…

Time Crunch

I found out at almost 1900 Friday night (1700, Denver time) that I have, in fact, been PQ'd. This led to a flurry of spending money this weekend, with a trip to get boots (but they are such NICE boots!), and other sundry items. I also managed to start packing stuff Saturday, to the point where I need more space saver bags to finish.

The things I have left to do are primarily phone calls. Call the climbing gym to see if I can suspend my membership. Call the insurance company to authorize additional prescriptions. Call the phone company to find out about suspending my phone. Call the company about additional uniform supplies. There isn't much left to buy, a couple more space saver bags and a toiletries kit, and the toiletries that I haven't bought yet. I need to assemble a box of things to mail myself (Christmas cards, extra toiletries, etc) but I think I'll have Chris send me that at some point in time.

Other than all that....it's all over but the crying.

Updates since training

Since training, I've been on vacation for 2 weeks, and sweated bullets trying to get all my ducks in a row for leaving.

Easier said that done. My doctor's appointment was the Thursday I came back from training, 2 days before I left for vacation. That went off without a hitch. The week after I came back from vacation, I had the first visit for my crown. Well, I thought it would be the only visit, but no such luck...I had to go back to get the permanent crown on.

Here is where the trouble started. I called all my doctor's offices to get the required records sent to Raytheon. My GP I had to call twice. The first time the woman answering the phone didn't seem to understand what I was asking. The second time I got someone who was significantly more coherent. The problem was that they didn't send EVERYTHING Raytheon needed, so I had to call again. Luckily, I got the same coherent woman, and we got everything straightened out.

I also had issues with my lab work. Supposedly, LabCorp is contracted to Raytheon or something, so if the lab you are going to is Labcorp (and not just contracted to LabCorp), they should have the paperwork you need. So, armed with this knowledge and the list of lab work I need done, I march into LabCorp near work. We can't take this, it doesn't have a patient number on it, the guy said. In not-so-good English. But you said you WERE LabCorp, not just contracted to them, and this paper says that I should be in the system cause I'm with Raytheon. Can't you just look up my name? Evidently not.

Steaming, I head back to work and call the medical office and complain. They send me the paperwork I need by fax, and I take it to the LabCorp in Waldorf at 0700 Saturday morning. Where the lab tech promptly tries to bill me for the work. Ummm...It says here that you guys will direct bill Raytheon I tell him. Luckily, this guy had some brains, looked at the paperwork again, and agreed. Good, less people I have to be angry at.

Meanwhile, I've been fighting on the phone with the woman at my other doctor, who is claiming that I need to send in an authorization letter to get the information I need. Ok, HIPPA and all that, I understand. What I didn't understand was that I had to pay a fee for you to fax this stuff, and that suddenly, the hand-written letter I wrote and faxed to you wasn't good enough, and I had to fill out your special paperwork. Well, I'm a nurse, and I don't do this kind of stuff. I'm normally in the back. Can you call back next week when the receptionist is back from vacation? Well, I can, but this is really time-sensitive stuff, and needs to be done NOW. But I manage not to scream and yell. Instead, I take the time to drive down there the next week (when I had the appointment for my crown, so now I'm mad, AND in pain), and walk into the office. The doctor is there and tells me that they faxed report X last Monday, but here's a copy, since you drove all the way down here, and that way if anything happens, you can have your own copy.

She must have been looking in a crystal ball.

I call Raytheon to make sure they have everything now. They tell me they're missing my dental stuff, and that's it. Cool, I can take care of that. I call the original dentist who had the paperwork, and after playing word roulette for 10 minutes, the hygenist and I finally realize we've been talking about the same thing the whole time, and I am scheduled to come in early Thursday morning. I go in, get the dentist to sign the paperwork, get copies of my x-rays, and they don't even charge me (SWEET!!!) I head back to work to fax the paperwork and Fed-Ex the x-rays (they don't fax so well). I call Raytheon to make sure they got the fax. Well, we're still missing report X. Umm...it was faxed to you Monday, August 20th. I even saw the fax record. When I called earlier this week, you said you had everything but the dental stuff, which is on it's way!

My list of people to be angry at is getting long again.

I call the doctor again, and they are nice enough to fax it right away (the copy they gave me was at home). I call Raytheon and leave a message that there is a fax there with report X. I get a call back not 30 minutes later. I'm not sure what you needed to fax, but it must have completed your paperwork, because your file is in the pile to go to review this afternoon.

*headdesk*

I call on Tuesday (the Fed-Ex'd x-rays should have arrived first thing Monday morning), to make sure they got it. Well, we haven't checked the mail this week yet. Check back this afternoon or tomorrow. So I call on Wednesday. Nope, still haven't checked. At this point, I throw up my hands and decide to not call for the rest of the week. If you can't say something nice....

I call the week of Labor Day, on Thursday. Even with a holiday in there, they should have gotten to the mail by now, right? Oh didn't you get our email? We sent an email to you on Friday, August 31. The dentist wants some more information. At this point, I am ready to reach through the phone and strangle someone. No, I didn't get the danged email. If I HAD gotten the email, you bloody well would have had the information you were asking for BEFORE Thursday!!! I was trying to be nice, really I was, but I had to interrupt her when she started reading me the email she sent and what they needed. At the time, I was at lunch, and really had no way to write down anything. She re-sent the email instead.

So I call the dentist (the one who put in my crown, since that was the info they needed) and faxed the dentist paperwork to them to fill out and fax it to Raytheon and email the x-rays. Friday, I called again to make sure it had been done, and was told that the office manager was filling it out and she had questions for me, but wasn't there right now, can she call you back?

It's amazing my blood pressure isn't higher.

She calls me back, confirms the information she needed and says she'll fax it right away.

I call Raytheon on Monday. They claim to have not gotten it, but then again, they haven't checked the email from last week yet. sigh I have to call back Wednesday and maybe they'll have gotten to it.

Since I'm going to get my permanent crown on Thursday, I decide to save myself some aggravation and just get the stuff myself. The dentist is nice enough to understand and tells me to just get a copy of my chart when he's done later that day, and it should take care of everything. I get a copy of my x-rays and leave.

In the meantime, I am so swamped at work, I am pulling 12 hour days and don't have time to do anything.

Monday I call the dentist and get the chart faxed to me. Tuesday I fax it to them, and Fed-Ex Overnight the x-rays. Thursday (we are now up to yesterday, mind you) I call.

We've got it, it's to be sent for review today. We should be letting you know this afternoon or tomorrow. While I'm grateful that you actually HAVE it and haven't LOST it this time, (as opposed to the past 3 times I've tried to send you stuff), it was there on Tuesday!! What was it doing yesterday gathering dust???

I still haven't heard anything.

Meanwhile, I am having kittens, with my captain telling me I leave September 30th, and I have nothing done. I get my proposed itinerary (which won't be finalized till I am PQ'd), and it says to call this person to discuss my deployment. I call on Tuesday, but no one answers the phone. The message is from the Friday before. I leave a message, but also take the number of the person the message says to call. I call her, but she doesn't answer either. One more message. Wednesday I try again, first thing in the morning (and remember, I am on the East Coast. I am calling Denver, CO, which is 2 hours behind) and get her. She confirms things and says she'll keep after medical about my PQ status.

Yesterday I get a phone call from the second woman I left a message with. Turns out the first person (who I got the email from) is no longer in the office, and New Chick will be handling my account. I tell her I went over things with Woman #1, and she says that she'll check the records. (This is when I called medical and found out they sat on my stuff for a day.)

So, yeah. So irritated with Raytheon right now. I'll be calling first thing in their morning today to see if the Great and Powerful Dentist has determined that I will not have teeth falling out of my mouth in 5 months.

In the meantime, I have to buy boots, suspend my phone, suspend my gym membership, and send myself stuff. But first I have to find out if I'm actually going.