Cuba Life

To whom it may concern, (Beware this may be you!)

2006-04-02T04:01:00.000-07:00

My name is Murray. I am 30 years old. I have made some incredibly huge mistakes in my life and I do not care to repeat them. I AM MARRIED. My wife’s name is Kelly. I love her, and her only. No matter what you may know, or not know, about our relationship, rest assured that I am committed to her. I am not looking, seeking, nor asking for anyone else. I need true friends. If you’re not one now and would like to be, come back in a year and we’ll talk about it. If you ever decide to make any inappropriate comments to me, suggest we hook up, ask me to cyber or whatever…

You WILL BE DELETED FROM MY LIFE! I have a gift (sometimes a curse, but not now) to be able to walk away. I can and will forget you. Forever.
Yes, I have cheated. I have almost(hopefully just almost) destroyed our lives together. I have wounded Kelly deeply. Yes, I am a liar, which doesn’t change any of the above, and I’m working on it. If you are not here to help me then go away. You will not be missed.

For all the things I have done to my wife I am eternally sorry. That she has no reason to believe that, I am even more remorseful.

I know I can’t change the past, but I can damn sure change the future. This is a start.
Heed my words or else…

after 30...

2006-02-15T10:33:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I am a dork. I'm addicted to "The West Wing". Every time I watch, it moves me to tears. I wish I could articulate why, but the answer seems to elude me every time. I just sit or lay there in awe of the presence of this man(on screen) who makes me want to serve my country, my government and my President (NOT the Shrub, President Josiah Bartlett). In what fantasy world do I live in? Why can't we have a President like that? This man has every single value that I would ask for in a leader. If thie show was real life, I would sign up for the Secret Service and gladly take a bullett for that man. I guess I just want something to believe in. Is that so bad?
I just turned 30 last week and recent events in my life have really forced me to step back and take stock of my life. I have done some things I'm not proud of, things I regret, things I'm ashamed of. I flash back to a quote by Benjamin Franklin, "I regret not the things I have not done, but the things I did not do." I wish that were the case. Oh well, back on topic.
The things I have realized in the last month or so have been so profoundly simple, they would startle the average person and make them think I was an idiot for overlooking what was evidently right under my proverbial nose. I have a wife who not only loves me but has had the perseverance to put up with me almost half of my life, She is my best friend and my companion. Since my life is evidently movie quotes, even though I know Kelly thinks should be my own words, I'll spout out a few which certainly fit the way I feel about her. "Love is the recognition of a souls counterpoint in another."-The Wedding Crashers "You complete me."-Jerry McGuire " I would rather have had one breath of her hair, one kiss from her mouth, one touch of her hand, than eternity without it. One."-City of Angels "Anything that might be special in me… is you." "Take love, multiply it by infinity and take it to the depths of forever… and you still have only a glimpse of how I feel for you."-Meet Joe Black "The best love is the kind that weakens the soul, that makes us reach for more, that plants fire in our hearts and brings peace to our minds. And that's what you've given me. That's what I hope to give to you forever." " I am nothing special, of this I am sure. I am a common man with common thoughts and I've led a common life. There are no monuments dedicated to me and my name will soon be forgotten, but I've loved another with all my heart and soul, and to me, this has always been enough."-The Notebook. I guess that's enough for now. I have a family who I love very dearly despite the trials and tribulations of my childhood as well as those of my brothers. I have two children whose unconditional love makes me weak in their presence. (Relax Mum, just the cats.) I am fortunate enough to have been adopted as a Dad by one of the most exceptional young women I have ever known, with a beauty in spirit that truly blows my mind. I have a career that serves me pretty well and am at a place where I feel I'm needed. I have my health and what's left of the vigor of my youth.

I lost my train.

Happy nonspecific winter holliday

2005-12-30T07:06:00.000-08:00

I got my presents, I got my presents!!!! My wonderful wife had just gotten off the phone with me when I got my package from her delivered to my door. There was soooooooo much cool stuff in there! I got a daily crossword calendar, a fridge magnet calendar of her photography business, Mosquito Magic (yeah), a bunch of mosquito wipes, Jaqueline Carey's new book, George Lopez' new book Why You Crying, the A Mighty Wind soundtrack, West Wing season 4, a compendium of military sci-fi short stories, some magazines, my PADI Advanced booklet, a book by John Muir, my family Christmas tree and BEST OF ALL Greg Behrendt's UNCOOL dvd autographed by Greg. He rawks!!! I just want you all to acknowledge that my wife is the coolest person in the whole wide world, so BOW DOWN TO HER! I love you Kelly.

Customer Service

2005-12-22T08:47:00.000-08:00

Is it really that hard? I don't think my Dad ever said anything to me about customer service. There was no customer service class in my high school. So why do I have, apparently, such high standards? Now I don't want to go off on a rant here,(enter Dennis Miller)

Why is it in America that going somewhere, buying something, calling someone- just about any transaction that you can name in America is about as nerve-racking as a Bosnian grocery run? Why is it that seemingly everyone with a job along the great service highway is an uninterested sociopath with the interpersonal skills of a wolverine?

Now, I don't want to get off on a rant here, but why is it that I can't seem to go through the simplest procedures without a major hassle? For example, I recently subscribed to a magazine, and after paying for it they sent me another bill. So I called them up to rectify the situation, and they assured me they'd correct the problem. I then started receiving two copies of the magazine each week, one addressed to "Dennis Miller" and the other addressed to "Denise Miller." Now, I want to know two things: One, how can they not know they're sending two magazines to the same address, and two, how did they find out about my cross-dressing?

You know, nowadays, half the people you ask for help say, "It's not my job, man." And the other half don't have a clue about how in the hell to do their job. See if this sounds familiar: Hotel clerks who, even though you requested a nonsmoking room, give you a suite that smells like Denis Leary's index finger; maids who don't give a shit about the "Do Not Disturb" sign and come through the door like Pete Wilson raiding the kitchen for green cards at El Pollo Loco; movie ushers who constantly ask you to remove your feet from the seat in front of you, but refuse to even shine their flashlight on the gang-initiation golden shower taking place during "The Lion King".

In trendy restaurants from the Upper West Side of Manhattan to West Hollywood the one dish you can be sure about on the menu is ATTITUDE. Now I know all these waiters and waitresses have the talent to be the next Luke Perry. Or the next Luke Perry. Couldn't think of anybody else that bad. And excuse me for wandering into your restaurant in a quest for sustenance to jam in my pie hole. But from the time you strap on the Buford Pusser pepper mill to the time you drop your last check, do all of us hungry patrons a favor and use your sense memory to portray a wait-person who gives a shit about the customer they're serving even though that customer rudely insists on not being Mike Ovitz. Okay?

And it's not like I don't sympathize. I've been in the vast service gulag. After I graduated from college, one of my first jobs was as an ice cream scoop at a Village Dairy in Pittsburgh. I'm standing there at age twenty-one in a paper hat with my two fellow employees asking me if they're gonna find the driving test hard and the prettiest girl from my five years ago senior class walks in to order a cone. She recognizes me, and tries to cover her discomfort by taking small talk about sugar versus cake, as I think, "Yeah, I'll get laid on this planet...sure."

And once I had a job cleaning toilets for a living--on the night shift, for chrissakes. Got that? I didn't even rate cleaning toilets during the DAY. My bosses actually thought to themselves, "Yeah, Miller's good, he's REAL good. He's just not ready for The Show yet."

I know jobs can be unrewarding, but I'd like to go on vacation for a week, call the paper boy, and ask him to suspend delivery during that time and not come back to nine newspapers sitting outside my doorstep, screaming to every lowlife in the area, "Yoohoo! Over Here! Nobody Home!"

I'd like my groceries in a bag that will actually contain what I purchased, and not open up like the bomb-bay doors on the "Enola Gay" as soon as my pickle jars are over the cement driveway; I'd like the universal remote I bought to change the channels on my TV and not shut off my neighbor's home dialysis machine.

And you know, while we are on the subject of inefficiency, why doesn't somebody warn you that the "stay hard cream" will short circuit the "auto-suck"? Are you with me on that? A little too specific. All right, let go, walk away from it, it never happened.

More important, I've had it up to here with corporations pushing the fucking unions around. You know that if you haven't been laid off by now, you're working overtime. Companies are lean and mean. And so is the service they give you: lean and mean.

Still, a lot of the blame falls on us. There seems to be this notion that good, honest, hard work is something to be viewed down our collective snout. That doesn't make the workers at the bottom of the pole feel very good. Does it?

If you want better service, the next time you see one of those workers in an "employee of the month" photo in a fast-food restaurant, suppress your urge to make your friends laugh by ridiculing the guy as a dork loser with a bad haircut. Instead, why not seek out the guy who actually took pride in doing his job the way it was supposed to be done and thank him for dotting the i's and crossing the t's and making sure there is toilet paper in the stall, and ketchup in the dispenser. Make that person feel good because he is the last thin blue collar line between a frayed but still functioning society and full-blown "We'll be there anytime between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. or maybe we won't even show up at all, assface" anarchy. All right?

And let's grab the reins as customers. Don't stay on hold forever. "What's that? I should press one if I am calling from a touch-tone phone? Hey Hal, I'm pressing flash, 'cause I'm hanging up now and taking my business to a human operator!" Don't settle for fish nugget and the green spooge, turn the car around, go back, and demand the goddamn cheeseburger you ordered!

And lastly, let's get out pride together, go to the whip, and regain our position at the head of the socioeconomic pack! How about less billions spent on getting the war machine cherry, and a few more billions on tightening up our educational system. Forget the "moment of silence" in the morning. Let's shoot for a moment of SCIENCE, okay?

It's time we stopped looking up Japan's ass, and you know why?
Because that is definitely "not our job, man."

Of course, that's just my opinion. I could be wrong.

(now me)but...When you go to work, you go to work. There is no reason to not be there on time and ready. If you work at a counter or desk where you deal with the public, that should be what you do. Not talk on the phone with your significant other, play computer games, do your nails, etc. I believe you should have a reasonable grasp of the language in which your business is conducted. I believe you should have the ability to operate the technology in front of you. Now I'm not saying a complete mastery of such equipment is required i.e. computer programming (unless that's what you do), but you should be able to operate it without the direct supervision of a supervisor. Ah yes, Supervisors. These unique individuals who should have a more advanced knowledge of the process as well as a little more experience than the subordinates. And let's not even get started about basic addition and subtracion.
"Sir, I'll have to get a calculator to figure the change."
"I gave you a five dollar bill."
"Yeah."(Can we start pimp slapping anyone who gives this as a response?)
"The total was four dollars and ninety nine cents. I'll tell you what, keep the change as a tip."
"Sir, are you serious?" (Note to self, at this point just walk away)

On a brighter note...
Next issue, Cuban Christmas

Humanity

2005-11-15T04:53:00.000-08:00

Well, I did my first escorts yesterday. It's hard to rationalize the fact that someone wants you dead. I'm walking with this guy, who happened to be my Mum's age, and as I observe this man who seemed to be pretty nice, I had to force myself to think that he wants me dead. I didn't feel threatened or anything, in fact, quite the opposite. This was a man that, if I spoke his language, I would try to get to know. It was hard for me. After that was a man my Dad's age. The last one of the day was a guy a year younger than me. All three of them were respectful and humble (could be cause they were shackled up) and didn't give me any problems. It's almost like I feel ashamed about being here, but then I see how needed I am here. Too many people just see the people of Islam as our enemies and not as people. Everyone here is someones son, brother, husband, father or grandfather. As soon as we, the human race, realize how interconnected we are, this existance will be much more bearable.

We are all one!

Happy Halloween

2005-11-07T14:51:00.000-08:00

Greetings True Believers,
Much has happened since I last brought you up to speed. I am now out of training and working inside the wire. I work in the Escort Control Center which is where we control the movement of all detainees outside of their blocks. My schedule is 12 hour shifts (0500 to 1700) 2 days on, 2 days off. I've got dial up internet connection in my room, but it is slow as hell and it takes forever for the phone line to be free. I've finished up 4 of the 5 dives required for my Advanced Open Water scuba certification and I'm looking at being Rescue Diver certified by my birthday. It looks like plans for that are to be in Miami. The only thing I'm sure I'll be doing is "hanging out" with Gus and Heather. All else is TBD.
I have just finished with my Boat License stuff, so I can check out boats to drive in the daytime. Tommorrow night I will be taking the evening orientation so I can drive at night. A little bit about GTMO. There is 1 base club, 2 bars, 1 bowling alley(I've got fairly good at it), 3 outdoor theatres with movies every night, 2 swimming pools, one of which is for lap swimming. As if it mattered, because transportation here is incredibly inconvienient. I might have a motorcycle soon. Some friends are selling an old Honda Rebel 650 for cheap. Crappy but better than nothing. That's all for now. Stay tuned for more.

P.S. What is up with the new nickles? No one ran that by me!!

Typing Mad

2005-10-20T14:54:00.000-07:00

So I know you're not supposed to drive angry, but what about posting? WTF is up with Cuba? It's not bad enough that we're in a country that doesn't want us here, but then the quality of life sucks too? So today after I got off of work, I went down to the marina to take the test to be able to check out boats here. Me and my friend Jim got off work at 1530, caught the bus back to our barracks and left by 1640 (absolute minimum turn around time.) We got there about 10 min before 1700 (the time his driving test was scheduled for) and went up to the front counter. I then found out that THEY ONLY GIVE THE TEST FROM 0900 TO 1600. How nice is it that they are so supportive of those of us THAT HAVE TO FUCKING WORK. So they suggest that I ask for a day off to come down and take the test. Yeah right, like I'm in the Air Force or something! (Sorry David) Anyhoo, Jim had scheduled his driving test the week before, came down yesterday to verify the date and time and the dickhead still didn't show up on time. We waited for 35 minutes then left. I can't wait to talk to the MWR manager tomorrow. I'll backfill you all in later on the events prior to this day, but I just started this blog and don't have much computer time available.

First

2005-10-05T15:47:00.000-07:00

When we got off the plane, we had to get all of our bags sniffed by dogs and then we went straight to a hangar to get our indoc speech. That’s where we found out that we don’t get meal passes. Those of us that were on PCS orders were pissed! There are 15 of us here as an advanced party. 7 have been here before and are coming back, the rest are just like me (got orders on two week notice and flew straight here). Today (WED) the rest of our company flies in, about 130 people, and we will start with all of the power point briefings tomorrow. Right now I am staying in the Golden Hill barracks. We call them Shit Hill. They really are shitty. Think of the hotel in Chicago as a barracks but dirtier! There are six people to a room here, three bunk beds and three lockers. After an indeterminate amount of time, we will move into base housing (Tierra Kay, known as TK), usually about a month. We need to wait until the last group moves out. At TK, there are three bedroom houses, similar to Hokulani, with six people to a house. I don’t know much about what I’m supposed to be doing as far as work, but from what I hear, I won’t be able to talk about it while I’m here. I’ll try to get you as much info as possible. I know you don’t like not knowing (me either!). Supposedly I am authorized an express goods shipment, but we don’t know much about that yet either. Imagine that. Are you seeing a pattern here? Anyway, assuming I do get one, it will be 1000 lbs. I would have liked to have known this earlier so I could have packed a box myself. I’m writing a letter to Senator Inouye and Rep Abercrombie about this place and hopefully they take a trip down here to see for themselves. I’ve inquired about leave, and yes we are authorized it, but no one knows how much or when. I’ve made a few friends here and it seems like we’ll be a pretty tight bunch. Oh yeah, Iris is down here! I haven’t seen her yet, but some of the guys from Pearl told me.