Saving a life or two

So IRT is going pretty well so far, the focus so far this week has been CLS (Combat Lifesaver) training---basically first aid. I've learned a few new things and even got a chance to destroy a few of my buddy's veins while trying to give him an IV...

Butts Army Airfield...CLS central

A fellow LT checking for the mid-clivicular, second intercostal space, just above the third rib to treat a sucking chest wound via needle chest decompression

A medic explaining the procedure mentioned above

Another medic showing us how to initiate a saline lock and give an IV transfusion, most of us look in shock knowing that soon we will be doing this to each other

A close-up of a completed IV

Joe wrapping a Combat Application Tourniquet (CAT) around a dummy's leg

Using a litter to transport a casualty to a secure location

My buddy starting the IV process on me....this is the hardest part. Most of us blew each other's veins by sticking the needle in too far (happened four times to me).

Ahhh...it felt good getting that restricting band off (I was starting to lose circulation)

My arms after getting stuck five times!

Even a successful IV can be messy. Inserting the catheter opens up the blood flow...gotta put that saline lock on or pinch the vein to cut the circulation!

Ahhh, Weekend.

We finally had a chance to enjoy a relaxing weekend, and we definitely jumped at the opportunity.

Yesterday, Tom took the time to finish hanging up our pictures downstairs- and I think that it's finally done! Now we just have to tackle the upstairs...

Look, mom, they're still alive! :)

Living Room

Tom's baby

Dining Room

Kitchen

Last night, we went out to dinner and a movie with another couple from Tom's unit. We ate at the Pizza Factory, which features some incredibly tasty, but greasy pizza and then saw Pineapple Express. (HILARIOUS- definitely go see it if you're not bothered by lots of foul language!) The other couple, the H's, also live in Fountain and, like us, are preparing for their first deployment. It was great to meet another wife in the area, as most of the families in our neighborhood aren't very friendly.

Today, we tracked David online while he competed in the Chicago Triathlon- congrats!!!- and then ran some errands. Tom has decided to take up painting, so we made a trip to the local Michaels and picked up some canvas, paint, and brushes. Afterward, we ventured to a new part of town near Peterson AFB (Air Force Base). Let me tell you, those AF guys are so spoiled. Besides having the nicest post housing and shopping, there is an amazing shopping center just a couple miles from the base that includes an IMAX theater, Whole Foods, an amazing Dick's Sporting Goods, and many other stores and restaurants. After picking up a North Face fleece for me and some organic milk and yummy flavored rice milk from Whole Foods, we came home and have since been relaxing. This may be our last such weekend for quite a while, as I start grad school tomorrow and may possibly be taking on a full-time job at the local high school. I'll know more about that in about a week, so I'll save that for another time. Hope that you all enjoyed the weekend as much as we did!

Painting away!

Individual Readiness Training Begins!

IRT began this week, so far we've reviewed land navigation, the use of hand-held radios, close-quarters marksmanship, and the fundamentals of traffic control points....

Had to wait about 2 or 3 minutes driving to work the other day for a family of about 30 geese to cross the road (they're crossing in pairs!)

A mock traffic control point from a distance. On the right is a private manning a M240B mounted on the back of a soft-skinned HMMWV (Humvee). His job is to ensure that any driver who enters the southern end of the control point and doesn't follow the rules gets his fair share of lead.

Joe taking a smoke break after learning the basics of close-quarters marksmanship

More downtime

A PFC following my guidance for inspecting a vehicle...you have to check everythingSome privates learning the fundamentals of detaining and conducting a hasty vs. deliberate search of a detainee...pictured here is a deliberate search, homeboy had a 155mm artillery shell under the passenger's seat of his van, along with a cell phone that he really didn't want to give us! We can safely say he was up to no good.

Me and my non-ballistic unauthorized sun glasses...waiting for the bus after training

Paper Anniversary

On Tuesday Becky and I celebrated our first anniversary at the Craftwood Inn in Manitou Springs, about a half hour drive from home...

Fantastic place. A great setting and unique menu (love that Colorado food!) contributed to a dinner that we'll never forget. By the end of the meal, we each had a taste of beef, ostrich, wild boar, bison, elk, antelope, and deer. Was the meat tough?? No. Gamey taste?? Nope. Perfectly cooked, incredibly tender, great sauces, and the perfect taste. If anyone plans on visiting us, we'd love to go back!

It Feels Like Fall

We're getting closer to my favorite time of year: fall. Today is cold (it's only 55) and rainy, the perfect weather for curling up on the couch and enjoying some Olympic swimming. I get the urge to bake whenever it turns cold, so I've spent a lot of time in the kitchen these past two days. Yesterday I made Tom's favorite meal that I make, Chicken and Broccoli Stuffed Shells, and a small loaf of honey wheat bread. Today I'm trying out a new bread recipe for Herbed Dill French Bread. So far it looks like this:

Ok, so my bread machine is making it. Thank you Cuisinart, for allowing me to bake while blogging and ogling the male swimmers!

Lunch will be leftover shells and the bread. I'm hoping that some comfort food will help Tom feel better, as he's getting his typhoid and anthrax shots today. Apparently the typhoid shot is very painful and the anthrax shot can make you very sick, poor guy.

I think I'll make him some brownies as well.

Almost done redecorating!

So I have spent most of the last 2 and a half weeks spicing up the battalion headquarters. Here is a little taste of what I've accomplished.

Historic paintings in the conference room

The other half of the conference room

Dozens of trophies, many over a hundred years old

More trophies

One more day of creativity left, followed by a medical appointment and then pre-deployment training begins!

A Week of Errands (With a Little Fun)

My parents came to visit us this past week, and it was wonderful to have them out here. They'd never been to Colorado and were welcomed with cool, but rainy weather- a nice change of pace from the 100+ temperatures we'd been experiencing. The rain definitely put a damper on the visit as we weren't able to get out and do a lot of the outdoor, tourist-y activities that the Springs has to offer. I had a few errands that I needed to run for school and my parents were nice enough to keep me company while waiting at the Admissions and Financial Aid offices. Also throwing a (happy) wrench into our visit was the early arrival of our household goods! We finally have all of our things, and we were pleasantly surprised with their condition. A few of our wooden pieces (china cabinet, dresser, and our bed) have some scratches and our couch has a small tear in the fabric in the back, but otherwise everything arrived in perfect condition. We are missing a small folding chair though, so hopefully that will turn up somewhere. The truck that carried our goods contained the things of three families, so it could possibly be at the other home here in Colorado Springs, or it could be in somewhere in California. Hopefully it's here, as it'd be pretty sad if my folding chair made it farther west than me! (I'll post some more pictures of the house after we finish unpacking, as it currently looks like a tornado ripped through a moving truck.)

We were finally able to get out this weekend with my parents. First, we took them to see Garden of the Gods. My mom took most of the pictures this day, so I'm including a picture of Tom and I from our first visit.


We finally caught a morning without rain yesterday, so we loaded up in the Jeep and headed up to Pike's Peak. The nineteen mile drive up the winding mountain road takes over an hour each way. It was a cloudy day, so we drove through some pretty amazing, dense fog and, unfortunately, couldn't get a good view from the peak. We're looking forward to returning, and perhaps hiking some of the distance in the future.

**Please excuse the bugs on the windshield, the Jeep has never been washed to my knowledge.**

Starting the ascent


Halfway there

Ready for the next 9.5 miles

Getting close

View from the top #1

View from the top #2

14,115 ft!

Relaxing

Becky and I are lazing around right now...enjoying our new TV that we bought last week (just couldn't wait for our household goods to arrive). Her parents will be flying into Denver tomorrow, so my boss has given me the morning off to go pick them up at the airport. We're looking forward to some company around here!

Speaking of work, I'm currently doing some redecorating at battalion headquarters, while waiting for pre-deployment training to begin. My boss was going through a closet in the "Yellow Ribbon" Room (kind of a room for family members) when he found a bunch of battalion regalia dating back to the Civil War--very cool stuff. I spent the first day and a half just unpacking the closet, to find hundreds of trophies, plaques, paintings, and other miscellaneous items. Fortunately there's an army of guys who are getting ready to deploy who were able to help me put all trophies in the conference room and tomorrow we shall hang all the plaques and pictures. It's keeping me busy which I appreciate, but I'm hoping for some time off so I can enjoy being w/ Becky and her parents. I'll definitely need some time off when our goods get here--we can't wait!

Hope everyone is doing well--don't forget to leave a comment!