How to do nothing.

Today was long. Very, very long. The day began at five thirty, pretty standard. I stayed in bed until 6. Also pretty standard. I don't get up till I absolutely have to. Some call it lazy, I call it smart. Today was bring your rifle to work and clean it day. Yesterday and tomorrow are wear your flak jacket to work day. Joy and bliss. Problem one. I am an augment. I came from 24th Regiment. My rifle was shipped here in a box. My rifle had nothing on it to tell the armorers here that it was mine. For all I know, someone else has it. Problem two. My rifle card that lets me check it out from the armory is from 24th Regiment. This is 3/24. My rifle card is meaningless here. I knew this and tried to get it straitened out earlier this week. So much for that. So I got up early and went with everyone else to the armory to get the rifle I don't have with the card that won't work. I didn't take my rifle to work today. I don't know if I have a rifle. So we get to the CP and we set to work trying to get some maps for an officer and to begin preparing a brief. We only have two computers with access to the Internet at the shop. Both were being used for other stuff. We don't have the equipment we need to be even remotely efficient here. Because of this I have brought my personal computer with my air card to the shop so that we can use it for research. I tried that today, but I am pretty sure the mass of com gear outside the CP was interfering with the signal. I was able to finally put one map together, but it pretty much took all morning. After that I wasn't able to use it at all. We sat around for the rest of the morning, bored out of our minds until chow. Half of us went to chow with the 3 shop while Lcpl Fisher took the Captain to supply, and the others hitched a ride with the duty back to 22 for section head meetings and other such nonsense. Those of us that went with the 3 were back by about noon and no one else would be back at the CP until at least 1300. While we were there we got word that Fisher had backed into and pretty well mangled a Pontiac Solstice with the van. We decided to draw up a certificate for the Vehicular Medal of Valor. We got a good laugh out of that. We proceeded to try and stay awake and look busy for the rest of the afternoon. I swept the carpet in the office and helped fix the Sniper Platoons' cubicle. I was then informed that the three day school I was going to in 29 Palms next Tuesday is actually four weeks, and I will be staying in a hotel. God is good. Screws up the plan to go to Tactical Language school, but I'm okay with that. I burned an hour doing pull ups and feeding ground squirrels. They are starting to get fat from all the danishes and cheezits we feed them. The 3 shop has designated a PFC to feed them. PFC Greene is officially the squirrel recruit. I think they are going to die of high cholesterol. He takes his job seriously. As the day should have drawn to a close we were called in to take an online defensive driving course. To take it we had to register on Marine net. We have a mypay, a Marine On Line too. Some how they can't condense them all into one easy to use system. As you can probably guess, my account won't log in. Oh well. My last name is Walje. Nothing works right the first time. In the end, I came back after evening chow to help out Cpl Underwood make a spreadsheet of all the deuces training and experience. I also received official confirmation from the Captain that we still don't know where we are going. I am personally betting on the MEU to fight pirates. As you can see, today I got paid to do nothing for a very extended period of time. Did I mention the map I made was to decorate an officers office? Very effective use of the training I got in basic combat training and MAGTF-ISE school. Again hurry up and wait. In classic military style. God gave me a few more tests today. I hope that I did better today than yesterday. I am praying for forward motion. Even if it is two steps forward, one step back. I am trusting Him and walking. He has a plan. He is in control. He loves me, and I am His. What have I to fear, and what do I a lowly Lance Corporal have to complain about. May I live for Him and live worthy of the calling to which He has ordained me. Semper Fi. I love you all.