Wearing civilian clothes in my daily life does, indeed, make me much more proud to wear my uniform and much more comfortable with who I am. I only got to wear them a few days, including Friday night, and then I had duty this weekend which means wearing your uniform outside your mod all the time, mustering (getting together with everyone on duty so that they can tell you as a group what work needs to be done, etc) four times a day on non-school days, doing some random work, standing a watch or more a day usually, and NOT leaving the hill -- even the Library is off-limits on a duty weekend.

So, when I went to church (the only thing you ARE allowed to leave the hill for), I wore my whites because that's what you wear to church when wearing a uniform -- utilities are just not appropriate -- and other than that, I was in my utilities all weekend.

And now, on our day off, I'm back in my civilian clothes.. wearing one of the sarong wrap skirts and a tank top, with one of my new pairs of shoes (I got THREE at walmart on Friday.. ME! What the snot?) and my new purse-thing, and feeling really good about the freedom to dress like a normal human being again .... and I'm really looking forward to going out with some friends later. I think I'll be doing my Laundry on Tuesday, so that I can just completely relax today.

I'm wondering how my family and friends have been faring through Frances, of course. (That really didn't start out as alliteration in my mind, but it went there.) I'll probably call my mother tonight for a report, if I can get ahold of a cell phone.

Right, mine's still not in. Called Murray on Saturday about if there was any kind of tracking number, and he said there was and it was at the office and he'd call me back with it after stopping by the office on Sunday (a mod-mate and a friend each offered their cell numbers for return calls) but he never called back, and didn't answer when I called Sunday evening. Seriously, this whole situation is getting more than a little suspicious instead of just frustrating.

So, civilian clothes, an trip to Walmart (while WEARING civilian clothes), the freedom to stay out 'till Midnight nights before non-academic days.. It's getting better here, more tolerable. The base has been completely dead this weekend since everyone's been gone almost as much as they were allowed to be. And listening to my home radio station every time I'm in the library has been helping the most, I think.

I should be home in time for the Garlic festival, which I look forward to every day. And then two weeksish total of a visit, prolly including at least a little extra trip or two, depending on where my first command will be. There are some good options out there, and I actually requested to be part of a squadron (I prolly don't know much more about it than you.. you may even know much, much more) because they're shore duty 'till a ship is deployed and then they go on the ship and get all the port visits and all, so that they seem like the best of all worlds. All the fleet-returnees (or fleeters) here have recommended them.

On that note, what amuses me is how many people think that I'm a fleeter and/or have been here, at this command, for quite a while. But then, people thought that within my first week here. The fleeter thing, though, is new, and fabulous. For someone who took a year deciding to join the Navy and then went in knowing so little about it, and has only just seen the bootcamp and this command side of things, plenty of people already think I've spent some time out in the fleet. And that includes fleeters themselves.

I guess I've adjusted pretty well, then.