living in hawaii

2010-05-31T05:15:00.006+03:00

Haven't done the blogging in a while. I thought I would post a few things I've seen lately. The weather has been near perfect lately, allowing me a lot of time outside. Below are a couple slideshows of adventures I've taken in the past couple weeks. One was a 10 mile hike which really kicked my butt. The other is my normal snorkeling spot at Sharks Cove. My first underwater camera died last week, so I quickly replaced it with a brand new camera, Pentax Optio W90. It is a huge improvement from my first camera, and I can use it for all types of shooting besides underwater. I even took a few videos of turtles while I was out today. Take a look.

Manana Ridge Trail

Sharks Cove

It's cold

2009-12-11T03:02:00.003+03:00

Sorry to anyone that might have kept checking my blog to see that there has been nothing new in 5 months Well, I redeployed back to Hawaii. Now, I am on my post-deployment/Christmas leave.

First in my travels for leave was Chicago for the Midwest Clinic. It was a great time for me to be reacquainted with old college friends as well as here some really awesome bands. Included in the performances was the U.S. Coast Guard Band, Eastman Wind Ensemble, and The Ellis Marsalis Quartet. It was a really great time. My buddy, Matt David, who is stationed with me in Hawaii, drove up with his nephew from Florida to also attend the Clinic. I was able to get to some of the sights with them as well as more by myself. Next time, I want to take a trip just to explore more of the city.

I'm in Jacksonville, FL, now, visiting my Dad and step-mom. I hope this is a little less hectic than Chicago. We went to explore St. Augustine today. Oddly enough, it's more humid down here, so the 50s today felt very similar to the 30s in Chicago. Xmas eve I will fly to Asheville just in time to have lasagna at my Grandparent's for their anniversary.

More to follow.
Happy Holidays

Here are some photos from my trip, so far.

Relatives of Soldier Killed in Afghanistan Decry Lack of Coverage Amid Jackson Spectacle

2009-07-07T18:48:00.001+03:00

Relatives of Soldier Killed in Afghanistan Decry Lack of Coverage Amid Jackson Spectacle

Tuesday , July 07, 2009

By Joshua Rhett Miller

A day before New York Rep. Peter King called Michael Jackson a "pervert" unworthy of nonstop media coverage, the aunt of a U.S. soldier killed in Afghanistan on the same day Jackson died asked why her nephew's death went virtually unnoticed while the King of Pop got memorial shrines across the country.

"Mr. Jackson received days of wall-to-wall coverage in the media," Martha Gillis wrote to the Washington Post. "Where was the coverage of my nephew or the other soldiers who died that week?"

Gillis' nephew, Lt. Brian Bradshaw, 24, died in Kheyl, Afganistan, of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. Bradshaw, of Steilacoom, Wash., was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Airborne Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division in Fort Richardson, Alaska. He was one of at least 13 U.S. soldiers to die in Afghanistan since Jackson's death on June 25.

Bradshaw's mother, Mary, said she agreed with Gillis, saying the nonstop coverage of Jackson's death has become "totally ridiculous" and laughable.

"I can watch the news many nights and there's no mention of what's going on in Afghanistan or Iraq and there's boys dying over there," Bradshaw told FOXNews.com. "Oh God, I can't talk."

Gillis, of Springfield, Va., could not be reached for comment. In her letter to the Washington Post, she described Bradshaw as a "thoroughly decent person with a wry sense of humor" who loved history, particularly the Civil War.

"He had old-fashioned values and believed that military service was patriotic and that actions counted more than talk," Gillis wrote. "He wasn't much for talking, although he could communicate volumes with a raised eyebrow."

Bradshaw, who graduated from Pacific Lutheran University, was the product of a military family. His father, Paul, is a retired National Guard helicopter pilot, and his mother is a retired Army nurse.

"He was a search-and-rescue volunteer, an altar boy, a camp counselor," Gillis' letter continued. "He carried the hopes and dreams of his parents willingly on his shoulders. What more than that did Michael Jackson do or represent that earned him memorial 'shrines,' while this soldier's death goes unheralded?"

Gillis said the only media outlets that covered Bradshaw's death were in his hometown of Steilacoom, Wash., and those where he was stationed before his deployment in March.

Gillis' sentiment echoes that of King, the Long Island, N.Y., congressman who called on society to stop "glorifying" Jackson in a YouTube video posted on Monday.

King said Jackson had been excessively praised in the days after his death while society ignored the efforts of teachers, police officers and veterans. In the two-minute video, King called the "day in and day out" coverage of Jackson's death "too politically correct."

"Let's knock out the psychobabble," he said in the video, which was taped outside an American Legion Hall in his district. "He was a pervert, a child molester; he was a pedophile. And to be giving this much coverage to him, day in and day out, what does it say about us as a country? I just think we're too politically correct."

King, who is among the possible Republican contenders to run against Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, acknowledged that Jackson "may have been a good singer" and "did some dancing," but he blasted the King of Pop as someone who could not be trusted around children.

"There's nothing good to say about this guy," King continued. "But the bottom line is, would you let your child or grandchild be in the same room as Michael Jackson?"

Happy 4th of July

2009-07-04T19:05:00.001+03:00

It's been some time since I updated my blog. There is not much I can update. Things have been very quiet around here. I've changed living arrangements recently, and don't have internet in my room anymore. Hopes are that it will be installed shortly. The weather has been horrible lately. The air has been filled with dust daily for the past week. There was a terrible storm a few weeks ago with 45 knot winds that covered everything inside with a thick layer of dust. The temperatures have been nearing 120 degrees. Luckily, my new living situation yields much less dust and the A/C works a lot better.

I have been working 11am to 11pm the last two months and in the near future will start working 7am to 7pm. I will still be working at RAID-A, only with different hours. My daily routine is still work, gym, sleep. Nothing's really changing.

At least I can say that there is less than four months to go. Then, it will be back to the hard life in Hawaii.

Horrible Blogger

2009-05-16T22:57:00.003+03:00

Well, I guess you could say I am not very good at blogging, or even using Twitter. Sorry for not keeping this up to date.

What have I been doing lately? Starting in May, I switched back over to work RAID shifts, 12 hours a day. It was a pretty easy switch, since I work 11am to 11pm every day. The only big thing that I had to change was when I did PT. Since the temperatures rise to above 100 daily now, I workout after work in the middle of the night. It's much cooler then.

Since I work with a bunch of other people on a shift, I do get a lot of time to practice, so that keeps me busy, as well as reading. That is something that I didn't do much until I came here. Currently, I am reading the new Chuck Palahniuk book, Pygmy. It's pretty good so far. I have also started to arrange music for brass quintet, which is something that I am not very good at, am starting to get the hang of. Currently, I am working on Raiders of the Lost Ark. We'll see how that goes.

Last week was Mother's Day. Since I wasn't home, I at least covered all my bases and sent flowers to Mom and both of my grandmothers. I think they were happy.

So, I'll try, maybe bi-monthly, to update this. I won't make any promises, since not much really goes on, and if something really good happens, I probably couldn't write about it here, anyways.

R&R

2009-04-10T18:35:00.003+03:00

F0r the last two weeks, I have been on R&R at home in Asheville, NC. I leave for Iraq tomorrow. Back to work. It has been a good two weeks, however. While I was in Asheville, I was able to catch up with a couple old friends, Derrick and Erin. It was a good night out, even though it was the only night I was able to see them. Hopefully, I will be able to hang out more when I come home in December. (That's when I come home for the holiday, not from Iraq. I should already be back by then)

Mom, Jaime, and I went to see the Biltmore Estate. It was the day before the Festival of Flowers began, but most of the flowers were already blooming. It was a pretty nice day. Was able to taste a few wines as well.

Kenny and I ran the Black Mountain Greenway Challenge 10k. It was my first 10k and my legs were sore the next day. Luckily, it was sponsored by Pisgah Brewing, so two beers came free with the race.

The last thing I did was take a trip to Washington, D.C. with my Mom. It was a good time. It didn't rain, like early reports were saying, but it was a little cold for the beginning of spring. We were a week late for the peak bloom of the Cherry Blossom Festival, but it was still pretty nice. We saw all the major sights, went into a couple museums, but weren't too impressed with those. Probably the most impressive thing to see was the inside of the Library of Congress. The murals were very nice and we also got some pictures of the actual library were you can't take pictures.

Late entry

2009-04-08T14:28:00.001+03:00

I don’t want to get ahead of what I’ve been doing. One thing I haven’t been doing is blogging. I’ll work on it. I am on R&R right now, but I will leave that story for the next blog.

Prior to going on R&R, my brass quintet took a trip to FOB Marez near Mosul, Iraq. While we were there we were able to play at the dining facilities and shopping area, but our primary mission and reason we took the trip was to be part of a larger recital with local Iraqi musicians. The trip was a very unique experience that has so far been the highlight of my time in Iraq. For the entire quintet, this was our first time to leave to confines of a military post and convoy through Iraq. It was about a two hour ride from our base to the town north of Mosul. I think everyone got something out of it. The community we played in was very receptive to our presence there, even with the tight security surrounding the building. It’s pretty cool to be able to travel around to different areas in Iraq. We’ve been lucky that no incidents have happened during our travels. Pictures should be up by the end of the week of my travels. Here is a link to a short story about our performance. http://dvidshub.net/?script=video/video_show.php&id=56987

Too long

2009-03-09T20:03:00.002+03:00

It's been a while since I posted. Things have been busy for the past couple months. Nothing bad. I think it's actually been good to be busy. It's definitely made the time move faster. We've just passed four months since we left Hawaii.

The weather has been changing daily. Sometimes it's pretty cool in the mornings and warms up into the 70's. The past few weeks we've had sandstorms weekly, tonight included. The first sandstorm I experienced was after I had already started to get congestion in my lungs, so that didn't help at all. Typically, you can't see 40 or 50 feet in front of you and having to walk outside, you can just taste the sand in your mouth.

In a few weeks I will be in Asheville for two weeks of R&R. Hopefully, I will also be heading to D.C. to see the sights with my Mom.

Band News

2009-01-26T20:45:00.000+03:00

A Lighning5 Farewell

By SGT Bree and SGT Carmical
25th ID Band

Lightning5- Storm Bringers

(Photo by SGT Robert Carmical)

Lightning5 is one of the two excellent brass quintets of the 25th ID Tropic Lightning Band. SGT Jason Binde uses his vast musical and performance experience as the group’s trombonist but he is also the group’s musical director. SGT Steven Gilbert plays a dual role as well. Acting as both tuba player and operations manager, SGT Gilbert ensures that the logistics for all performances are taken care of. Keeping in step with his peers, SGT Benjamin Stevens plays trumpet and functions as librarian. SSG Lawrence Henry will join the group soon and will have some large shoes to fill - because the group is incredibly lucky to have the talents and experience of their very sage 1SG Steven Sonnen. The “technical, menu, and spiritual advisor” (NCOIC) of Lightning5 is the horn player, SSG Andrew Smith.

The quintet accurately and respectfully performs standard military repertoire when requested or appropriate. But given the choice Lightning5 leans heavy on jazz and Dixieland, performing frequently and exuberantly for the often excited Soldiers in chow halls across northern Iraq. Whatever the genre, members of Lightning5 are ready to bring it, on- or off-COB. Their mission is simple: entertain troops, help maintain a high morale, and instill the will to fight and win. As a group Lightning5 loves to perform and is eager to travel to as many different COBs and FOBs as possible over the course of their deployment.

Most recently Lightning5 hopped on a CH-47 (Chinook helicopter) to travel to Camp Liberty near Baghdad. SFC Lance Powell accompanied the group on the trip and because he had previously deployed to Camp Liberty was able to show the group around the Victory Base Complex consisting of Camps Liberty, Victory, and Slayer. Lightning5 soldiers enjoyed the change of scenery, but the real treat was the opportunity to visit with their friends and fellow Army Bandsmen. Members of the 10th Mountain Division Band (based in Ft. Drum NY) are currently deployed to Camp Victory. Lightning5’s mission was actually concerning yet another Army Band. They had the rare honor of playing for the 4th Infantry Division Band as they began their well deserved trip home to Ft. Hood, Texas. Performing for fellow musicians can be a particularly daunting experience, but in this case, it was very rewarding. Members of Lightning5 understand that Amy Bandsmen seldom have music performed for them and they sincerely wanted to honor the efforts of their peers during their deployment. Often “saying good bye is hard to do” In this case however, Lightning5 was eager to bid farewell to their brothers in arms and wish them a safe and quick return home to their loved ones!

Road Trip

2009-01-16T15:19:00.002+03:00

Haven't had much to post about lately. Mostly, it's been the same routine. That last couple days my brass quintet has been down near Baghdad at Camp Liberty. We went to play for the departure of the 4th Infantry Division Band. It was short and sweet. The ride down and back was in a Chinook, which lasted a couple hours, with lots of stops on the way. We were lucky enough to see some cool sites on post of the palaces, though we were not able to get inside. Here are some of the pictures I managed to take while I was there. One thing you'll probably notice is that there is lots of water and palm trees.

Merry Christmas

2008-12-26T05:11:00.004+03:00

Well, it's the day after Christmas, for me, but it's still yesterday in the U.S. Christmas went over smoothly here. Thanks to everyone for all the gifts, and thanks in advance if I still haven't recieved some of the packages, yet. I will definitely let you know once I get the here, so you're not worry about whether I got it or not. As always, I was on shift until the afternoon on Christmas, but at least got off in time to eat some good food. Typical dishes, plus some really good prime rib. Keeping it short, here are couple recent pictures, as promised. Will try to show you how we live and work, when the time allows.

Here's a sunrise in Iraq. Take a close look at the trees. These could be the only ones in Iraq.
The traditional butter bust of Jesus:

Christmas nearing...

2008-12-23T14:50:00.001+03:00

Sorry it’s been so long between posts. I attempted to upload some pictures, but things were pretty slow. I’ll give it another try soon.

There hasn’t been anything new to report. Same work schedule day after day. I’ve kept up with a pretty good workout routine. I think I like it mostly because it makes you workout every other day, instead of alternating between different muscle groups. It gives me a little more time to sleep on the off days, which is really nice working 6-7 nights each week. I’ve probably managed to lose about 8-10 lbs since I got here. Can’t be for sure, since the scales were not calibrated when we got here, only a couple weeks ago.

I’ve received a lot of packages since it’s getting close to Christmas. Still expecting a few that probably have gotten stuck in the mix with everyone else. I can definitely say that I won’t need nuts or coffee anytime soon, including creamer (thanks Dad). After Christmas, as well, I don’t need any more sweets and cookies.

Christmas is about two days away. At least that’s what the calendar says. Some folks in the band have put up tons of decorations in the barracks and or FRG sent a Christmas tree that was put up at work. We’ve also been getting different care packages from kids groups with lots of cards. So, it’s feeling a little more festive around here. There will be the normal Christmas dinner, at lunch, but I won’t be able to have the most important meal of the holidays, Grandma and Grandpa’s anniversary lasagna.

I have just one more week, until Jan 1, that I work nights, then I will start playing in brass quintet for two months. Hopefully, that will be a good break, but I haven’t decided how I feel about that, yet.

Reenlistment

2008-12-05T01:41:00.001+03:00

This week I took a step to stay in the Army for at least a little longer. I reenlisted for an additional 15 months. The bonus I received for reenlisting was $5500, which has gone down significantly over the past few years from what you used to get for reenlisting while deployed. At least, I will be able to pay off my car loan quicker, and still have some money saved up when I leave Iraq.

Working late again. It gets old after a while and you definitely begin to be annoyed by some of the people you work with. I even get annoyed with the ones that I'm not working with, especially when they make assumptions about us having so much time off during a 12 hour shift, but don't understand we're still stuck in one place, away from everyone for the whole 12 hours.

Food

2008-12-01T04:20:00.001+03:00

Here's an article on our dining facilities. Thought you all might be interested in what we have to live with. I found it on an Army site, but couldn't find an original copy to link to, so sorry for it being so long.

How's the Food in Iraq?

By Gary Marx
Chicago Tribune

CAMP SPEICHER, Iraq -- Al Qaeda and other extremist groups aren't the only enemy facing U.S. troops stationed at this massive base in central Iraq. The Americans also are engaged in the mother of all battles -- against gaining weight.

You've heard of the freshman 15. How about the Iraq 20?

Forget the K-rations of World War II and the chewy, tasteless MREs -- "Meals, Ready-to-Eat" -- that sustained U.S. soldiers in more recent conflicts. With most of America's 150,000 troops in Iraq living on large bases, the combat ration has given way to a smorgasbord of food that has some U.S. soldiers bingeing and others in fits.

"You have to have an iron discipline," said Sgt. Robert Carmical, a trombone player in the 25th Infantry Division Band, who arrived at Contingency Operating Base Speicher only days ago. "A lot of people turn to food for comfort, and the opportunity is there."

Barbecue ribs, fried chicken, rib-eye steak, lobster tails, crab legs, roast turkey, stir-fry, cheeseburgers, fries, onion rings, egg rolls, breaded shrimp, buffalo wings, chili, crepes, pancakes, omelets, waffles, burritos, tacos, quesadillas, quiches, bacon, polish sausages, pulled pork, corned beef hash, milk shakes and smoothies -- and that's just for starters.

You name it, and U.S. soldiers are eating and drinking it, except alcohol.

Decorated with colorful college and professional sports banners and TVs tuned to sports and news, each dining hall has a pasta bar, a salad bar and a sandwich and wrap bar. There are short-order cooks and food cooked in bulk and served at long counters by workers in black and white uniforms, hats and bow ties.

Behind one counter, a worker carefully slices several loaves of bread, while another worker carves ham for the troops at breakfast.

What's for dessert? Healthy eaters can choose apples, pears and other fruit, alongside relatively low-fat Jell-O. Soldiers with less discipline are in a world of hurt, or pleasure, depending on how you look at it.

At one dinner last week at Speicher, the dessert menu included -- now take a deep breath -- carrot cake, triple chocolate cake, strawberry cheesecake, black forest chocolate cake, devil chocolate cake, banana nut cake, apple pie, cherry pie, chocolate and vanilla pudding, three types of cookies, three types of ice cream bars, cones and popsicles, and five flavors of Baskin-Robbins ice cream with all the fixings, including caramel and chocolate syrup, crushed nuts, whipped cream, and blueberry and strawberry toppings.

"My favorite is the pecan pie," said Staff Sgt. Jason Rodriguez, who was still on his first course, a heaping plate of spaghetti with marinara sauce.

What happens if a soldier gets hungry between meals? No problem. The PX, or base store, has an aisle or two packed with snacks such as corn chips, potato chips, pretzels, beef jerky, cookies and bean and onion dip.

Next to Speicher's PX are, guess what, a kind of mini version of Burger King, Pizza Hut, Subway and Taco Bell.

This is not to say the troops don't deserve a treat or two when they are on base, or as it's known here, "inside the wire." Many rise at dawn and spend hours armed to the teeth, patrolling in cramped armored vehicles, hunting for insurgents, looking for deadly roadside bombs or tracking down the next suicide bomber.

But the U.S. military also is fighting back in the latest Battle of the Bulge. At the buffet line, some offerings have a label that lists calories, fat, carbohydrates and other nutritional information. A sign stuck to the lid of a small freezer piled high with the ice cream bars warns soldiers that two is the limit.

Every soldier has a physical training program to stay fit and undergoes two weigh-ins a year. Those who get too fat are put on a strict diet and could potentially be booted out of the army.

On a recent day at Speicher, a handful of soldiers jogged and power-walked around an asphalt track left over from when the base was an Iraqi military installation under Saddam Hussein. Nearby, at the base's first-class gym, soldiers dripping with sweat were pumping iron, running on treadmills, playing basketball and working out on elliptical machines.

A fit-looking Rodriguez said he limits his dessert to pecan pie and works out 90 minutes a day.

Carmical, the trombone player, also is determined to keep the weight off. "Yesterday I ran 4 miles and today I did sprints, and we have weight-training in the afternoon," said Carmical, who also stays fit doing Hapkido, a Korean martial art. "You have to be real careful."

Thanksgiving & Black Friday

2008-11-28T11:00:00.001+03:00

It's Black Friday, or it is for me. The Amazon.com deals are starting up. That will probably be the extent of my Christmas shopping this year. No going out at 4 or 5 am with my sister to wait in long lines.

Thanksgiving was fairly uneventful. I got around to talking to just about all of my family. Dinner was served twice during the day, and was decent. The rest of my day was spent either working or going to the gym, with a little rest before my shift started back up at 1am.

Those who are interested can search for my Wish List on Amazon.com or by clicking here. I've added some snacks and movies that I wouldn't mind having here. I'll generally update the list whenever I think of anything that I or anyone else could use here.

2008-11-23T11:23:00.001+03:00

Working at night has it's benefits. I am able to get a few more things done around here after work, before it's dark. Somehow I found more time to sleep, although part of that time is while at work for 12 hours. Typically I only get 4-5 hours before I go to work, usually I get more than 10 in a day. I got sick earlier in the week, but that has since passed and I'm feeling a lot better. We no longer have to have unit PT since there are different shifts of work, so I can just just go to the gym with some friends, which is still mandatory. I think today, Sunday is my first full day off. I didn't have to work Saturday night, but still fell asleep early. I could have tried to catch the Penn State game, but fell asleep during the Ohio State game. No big loss, Penn State won!

Transition

2008-11-16T07:29:00.001+03:00

So, the way it works in Iraq for us, is that we have to learn the job of the previous band before taking over for them. This weekend started that process. It's a little boring to have to show them that we know what we're doing, but it also gives us a little practice before we really have to do the job. It also makes the time move just a little faster, especially over the weekend when we have just a few things less to do. It's Sunday, and I have the privilege of working from 2100 to 0100. Once things get rolling, however, we will have teams that work through the night. We'll see if I am lucky to get the night shift or the day shift.

Who knows...

In Iraq

2008-11-12T20:46:00.003+03:00

I made it into Iraq late Tuesday morning, Nov 11. After flying from Hawaii to Anchorage, then to Leipzig, Germany, and onto Kuwait, I spent one night before catching a flight to Iraq. They somehow got five of us onto an early flight, so the rest of the band is arrived a day later than I did. We were up extremely early so would could ride to the airport, and then wait a few more hours for the plane to depart. They had us flying on C17's with all of our cargo as well.

Nothing much to tell you right now. It's brown outside and not too hot. The food is pretty good here. I've only eating in one DFAC (dining facility), and they say out of the three, it is the worst, so I should be eating very well while I am here. The barracks are fairly nice considering where we are. I'm sharing a room, but it should be big enough to where we aren't living right on top of each other.

The previous band left a lot of amenities for everyone to sort through. Some folks contacted the band ahead of time to make plans to purchase things like TVs and other things. There were a few things that were left for the room I am in, including a small TV (we get 8 or so channels on cable), lots of plastic drawers, and a ton of power converters. Power here is 220V, so most everything needs some sort converter or adapter in order for the electronics to work. Some of the devices at the PX are $180, so it's good to get a lot of hand-me-down items.

Leaving Hawaii

2008-11-09T05:34:00.001+03:00

Today has been entirely too long. I was up for some 27 hours straight before I finally got on the plane to depart. This will be my last post from a U.S. state for a year. Currently, we are stopped to refuel and change flight crews for our next leg of the trip. This flight only lasted 5 hours, so I was able to get 3+ hours of sleep as well as eat a warm meal, that didn't completely suck. In a little while we will take our sencond flight, which could be 9-11 hours.

Waiting

2008-11-07T22:45:00.001+03:00

Everything is in slow motion right now. It seems like nothing will go as planned. My room has been empty for a while, except for a bed and my computer. Everything has wound down at work, thankfully. Today we were in for less than half an hour just to take accountability of everyone. Sometimes it seems pointless, except when one person gets a phone call telling them one thing and you don't get the same phone call for 3 or 4 hours after. That's when it makes sense to have everyone come in and get the information all at once.

iGoogle

2008-11-03T08:07:00.002+03:00

I spent the last 30 days resting, visiting my family in Buffalo, NY and Asheville, NC, as well as taking two weeks to enjoy Hawaii for the last time until next year. I hope to update this blog more often while I am deployed to Iraq, and with the help of the iGoogle Gadget, I can update my blog from my homepage.

Everyone can still email me, and I also have a Windows Live Messenger screen name, jabinde.

Loan...Sharks

2008-09-02T06:19:00.002+03:00

I hit the beach a lot this weekend. Spent some time on the North Shore and in Waikiki. This morning, I got invited to go with some people from work to swim with sharks. Check out some of my new pictures. The ocean was a bit bumpy, especially inside the cage, and I left a little bit of myself in the water 3 miles offshore.

In other news, I checked my mailbox today and there was a letter from my lender telling me that my loan has been paid in full. So, my 4 day weekend was pretty relaxing. Things are getting busier at work, we know lots of dates, yet they are still keeping us on our toes at the same time.

2008-08-25T21:24:00.002+03:00

Things are busy here in Hawaii. It doesn't look like it will be slowing down any time soon. If everything works out, I will be visiting Buffalo from Oct. 4-10 and Asheville from Oct. 10-16. MHC Homecoming is Oct. 11, so I will be showing up for that. Until then, lots of deployment preparation and trying to enjoy Hawaii for the last couple months that I am here.

Our band has one more big concert on Sept. 26. Unfortunately, I have to put together a solo in between getting everything else done at work and home.

Alabama

2008-07-25T20:43:00.000+03:00

I leave tomorrow for Alabama. I will be there for three weeks training. I only wish they had picked a cooler time of year to be there.

More Hawaii

2008-07-01T07:53:00.000+03:00

For the past few days, Jaime's friend, Mai, has been in Hawaii. Jaime and Kenny were supposed to come, but had to cancel. Luckily, I was able to get a pass approved for a four day weekend and I got to play tourist and driver. I was finally able to get to some places that I hadn't yet seen, plus show Mai a few places I already knew, like where they film Lost. We spent a day at the North Shore, sightseeing and snorkeling. We also went parasailing near Waikiki and kayaked at Kailua Beach. Saturday, Matt and Quincy joined us for a trip to Kualoa Ranch, where they film a lot of movies and television shows. We also went on a short horseback ride at the ranch. Finally, on Sunday, I took Mai up Makapu'u Lookout to see the view and the lighthouse, we took a submarine tour off the coast of Waikiki, and that evening attended a Luau. As you can see, it was a pretty exhausting weekend. Since Mai was staying in Waikiki, I had to get up earlier to drive down and pick her up, and usually didn't get home until 10 or 11pm. Pictures should be posted soon.

Long weekend

2008-06-09T20:00:00.000+03:00

Nothing much going on lately. We had a four day weekend. I was able to get to a couple BBQs and went to the beach Sunday. I need to work on my tan a little, it was fading since I haven't been able to get into the water. I should be back in soon. My eyes have recovered very well. My eye sight it 20/20 or better now. This week should be a lot of fun. I am off again on Wednesday, so the week is split up. Unfortunately, I do have to work on Saturday. Tuesday night I should be going to a cd release party for Mike White. I hadn't heard of him, but it looks interesting. Also playing is Tim Fagan. I've only recently found out about this, but I guess they are in Colbie Callait's band.

PRK Laser Eye Surgery

2008-05-23T03:54:00.000+03:00

I had my laser eye surgery yesterday. So far, so good. Some friends had said that I wouldn't be able to see very well at first, but I've had no problems seeing in the past 30 hours. Of course, I have been asleep or listening to music with my eyes closed for the majority of that time. It does feel like there is something scratching my eye and won't come out, which is why I keep my eyes closed most of the time. There is a contact protecting my eye while the epithelium they removed grows back. That will be removed on Tuesday.

Best part of this is that I get to wear sunglasses for everything for the next 3 months. I won't be able to get into water for a month, so I'll have to find other things to do, probably watching a lot of movies. So, no more glasses, at least for a while.

2008-05-18T03:48:00.000+03:00

Last night I played in a combined band concert with all five services of the military. It was a lot of fun to play with tons of great musicians. I'm glad it's over, now. Wednesday, May 21, I have laser eye surgery to correct my vision. I'll be home for a few days after that taking drugs and sleeping. It should be lots of fun. No new pictures to post, there has been a lot of volcanic haze, so visibility has been really poor. I was able to get out to Waimea Bay to snorkel today. Visibility wasn't too great in the water since the surf was up a little on the North Shore today.

LOST!

2008-04-25T11:25:00.000+03:00

So, if you caught Lost, you got to see some of the beach. It's cool living in Hawaii now and recognizing a few of the places that are on the show. Maybe I'll have to go sometime and have someone take pictures of me acting like the characters on the show. This episode killed a few people. Did they realize people were going to want to know something about all the characters and it was just easier to get rid of them instead of creating a storyline? One last thing, they have been off for a few weeks while they prepared the last few episodes of the season. Tonights episode was on at 9pm, but the rest are going to start at 10pm. WHY?

More pictures

2008-04-09T07:26:00.000+03:00

I added more pictures from this past weekend. I was able to see some sea animals, the sea turtle and the Hawaiian Monk Seal. Both are endangered. There are only about 1200 Hawaiian Monk Seals remaining. This particular one was up on shore resting. Waves were pretty good this weekend for boogie boarding. I went to Sunset Beach on the N. Shore. It was raining for parts of it, but that didn't bother me too much. Rain here is just rain, rarely ever any thunder or lightning. You can see from the pictures I took that there were some kite surfers and wind surfers nearby.

Pretty uneventful weekend.

Manoa Falls

2008-03-31T08:18:00.000+03:00

Short weekend due to a parade in Waikiki. It wasn't completely uneventful. Got to hang out with friends Friday night until way too late. I also highly recommend the movie "Bank Job." I was able to get out for a few hours today and see a small waterfall, Manoa Falls. It was a short hike but there was a lot of slippery mud. It took me through a bamboo forest as well as a rainforest before finally getting to the waterfall, which was a very high vertical cliff with just a small stream of water. It was pretty cool, regardless. It's hard to tell what things are in a lot of the pictures since everything is so green.

This week I start attending appointments so that I can have laser surgery to correct my vision, complements of the Department of Defense. I'm sure I'll have plenty to tell about that once it happens.

Finally

2008-03-25T09:49:00.000+03:00

So, haven't posted in a while. Not too much has been going on. Finally tried surfing, seems fun but I'm not good, yet. This weekend was a four day training holiday, so I had Friday through Monday off. Our trombone quartet played for the post sunrise service Easter morning. Attended a few parties and also got my first glimpse of some Lost filming sites. To add to that, they were actually filming when my friend, Krak, and I got there. I was able to take a couple pictures of the crew before they told us not to take pictures. Our guess was that we just weren't allowed to snap photos while they were actually rolling the camera, since they also asked us to move to the side. We're going to keep looking for more locations, maybe we'll get lucky to see Kate. Four day work week thanks to the holiday

Car

2008-03-06T18:25:00.001+03:00

Well, I picked up my car yesterday. Now I'll be able to get around a little easier. I only had a rental car until I received my bicycle last week and I am supposed to register my bike to ride it around the island. I've only been riding it to work and back plus a little around post. I'll most likely continue to ride my bike in the mornings to PT since it's not that far and I can get a little extra workout in the mornings. Now, I'll be able to drive to the beach and use the body board that came with my first shipment of baggage.

New Phone

2008-02-29T09:01:00.000+03:00

So, I was on my way tonight to Verizon Wireless to get help pairing my bluetooth headset. In the car I was charging my phone (which happens to be my 2nd LG Chocolate, since the first one malfunctioned) and using VZ Navigator. When I removed the charger, the inside of my phone pulled out with it, ruining any chances of being able to charge my phone.

Luckily, the manager of the store I went to let me use my new every two plan a month early. In addition to that, there was a credit from a couple months when I person from customer service called to ask me to upgrade to the new service plans. Introducing my new cell phone: The LG Venus!

It was born a little premature, but at least it's not costing me more to have it sooner. Hopefully, I won't need to worry about phones for a while. Wish us luck.

Rain

2008-02-25T05:01:00.000+03:00

Last day of the weekend and it rains most of the day. I was able to go run a route I mapped out on post. 4.4 miles. I didn't stop, but it wasn't very fast. I finished in 41 minutes. I guess I'll just have to keep running that to see if I get any better. At least the scenery is nice here to run. back to work tomorrow.

Free Concert

2008-02-24T19:58:00.000+03:00

I have a 3 day weekend thanks to my band. I got a chance to relax and try to get a tan. It doesn't take long here. Last night the post hosted a free concert with Bowling for Soup and Montgomery Gentry. It was a decent show beside the odd combination of punk and country. Obviously, being in the Army, most the people were country fans. For a free concert, no complaints. I found it a bit odd that one Soldier reenlisted on stage before the concert and Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was the one to reenlist him. If you don't know, he would be the highest ranking officer in the US Armed Forces.

On another note, I tend to wake up earlier than I used to, go to bed earlier as well. I'm not too upset about this. At least I can use as many hours of daylight as I can to see the island.

HD DVD Players

2008-02-19T20:42:00.001+03:00

I just read that Toshiba is stopping production on HD DVD Players. So, thanks Mom and Jaime for not buying me one when I told you that's what I wanted. I guess it's going to be a Blu-ray disc player now. I guess I'll have to reconsider buying an XBox 360 and look into a Playstation 3. Sorry Chris.

2008-02-17T03:37:00.001+03:00

Well, I'm finally getting out to see other parts of the Island (see photos). I met a good amount of the band last night at the Hale Koa (the military resort). Unfortunately, most are on their way to new assignments or whatever. Yesterday I went to Pearl Harbor and the USS Arizona. Best part is that it's completely free, unless you want the $5 audio tour, and included the boat ride to the memorial. I rented a car for the week. They didn't have the size car I requested, so they upgraded me to a Sebring convertible with 44 miles on it. All for $180. Not a bad way to start off my sightseeing. It's rained a little the past couple days, but nothing that lasted over an hour, then back to clear warm weather.

Soon enough

2008-02-14T00:14:00.000+03:00

Week 1 in Hawaii isn't the greatest time. In-processing takes up all the daylight hours. Because of that, I haven't seen the beaches. I've been to Waikiki, but only saw the hotels and shops because it was too dark. I get out of the Replacement Detachment tomorrow, so I will definitely be getting around this weekend to get to the sights. I hear Lost might be starting to film soon, once they get everyone back to the Island. Oh yeah, Kenny, I actually did see one thing in the daylight, I was in a car and didn't take a picture. We drove through Chinatown and went over the bridge where they shot scenes with Jin beside the canal. There will be plenty of time to show pictures and make everyone jealous that I live and work here.

Current Weather: 73 Patchy clouds

Moving to Hawaii

2008-02-02T04:47:00.000+03:00

I head to Hawaii in a week. In anticipation, I'm creating a website, jasonbinde.com, in which to post photos and this blog about what I'm doing and seeing. Let me know what you think.