Mom, please forward Morgan's letter to her after making a copy for yourself. I didn't want to write it twice. She sent me a book and a tiny knitted platypus for my birthday. Things are good here. A new catch phrase is "You're about dumb," which we got from the DIs and it's hysterical to say to each other.
One thing I didn't mention about the rifle range - and maybe this is what happened with my DI when she thought she saw a rifle off the rack - are the ghosts. I swear they're there. See, there's a river, Ribbon River, that runs by the range. Some years ago during Firing Week a male DI marched his platoon through it during the night and a whole bunch of recruits drowned. The legend has it that they stay on the range and in the barracks at weapons, having never qualified. It would explain some stuff, like the time the fire watch counted an extra body in the racks, and things like that.
The DIs are psycho. Today especially, Sgt. Andrew was fricking NUTS. I'm not sure what her deal is; there's a difference between how the DIs act and you can tell. They all DO the same things - quarterdecking us and so on - but Sgt. Andrew somehow does it further, like the way you'd torture a POW. I'm not sure how to explain it but she has a very unstable vibe. I'm not afraid of nor do I dislike very many people, and I LOVE three of my DIs, but I really dislike and find totally unnecessary Sgt. Andrew. She doesn't even instill discipline in how she goes about doing things, just a lack of motivation. It's stupid.
Ha ha, at Religious Ed, we ran into some new girls and they were like, "We're on Training Day 5" and we just burst out tittering and "Oh man"-ing. Training Day FIVE! Losers. The crazy part is I remember the EXACT SAME thing happening to me when I was at church on TD5. And when they're on TD40 they'll be at church and meet the new TD5 females and titter and …
Nothing changes but the names.
One interesting thing I've gotten from boot camp is the verbal repetition. I LOVE things like that; I always have. They're just sort of reassuring, like how Grandpa and I will be talking about food - he'll always say, "I can almost taste it now" and I always say, "It'll be so good." Things like that I enjoy but unfortunately most people get sick of it so I don't get an opportunity. Here at boot camp though you get all KINDS of it.
DI: Pick 'em up!
Rcts: Boot top high!
DI: Point your toes!
Rcts: To the deck!
DI: Let me hear that –
Rcts: THUNDER!
DI: Let me hear that –
Rcts: BOOM!
DI: Lean back!
Rcts: At the waist!
DI: Lean back!
Rcts: And strut!
DI: Elbows tight!
Rcts: Rifles right!
DI: Walk that tightrope!
Rcts: Left over right!
DI: Walk that tightrope!
Rcts: Tight tight tight!
DI: WALK THAT TIGHTROPE!
Rcts: CRACK THAT WHIP!
DI: Alignments to the-
Rcts: Right!
DI: And cover's to the –
Rcts: Front!
DI: 40 inches!
Rcts: Back to chest!
DI: Four recruits!
Rcts: Side by side!
Anyway, you get the idea. I find it great and very reassuring. Verbal repetition when both parties are happily and intently involved is my … my calming activity or whatever you want to call it, and we get a ton of it at boot camp.
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