My first woes of the Fiscal Year...

Theres Smart, then theres Army Smart, the latter got the better half of me when I enlisted in the Reserves, and luck would laugh at me for being stuck in an office job again...

I recently got an email stating my reclassing slot was canceled a third/fourth time...

I am in a Boat unit that has a Staff Sergeant MP slot that I currently am in. Of course that being I am a Specialist its odd, although my contract has a paragraph and line number for me to be in that slot? Any how I've been doubting myself as I always get the Office type job and seriously lose touch with my original job training. In the coming months if I can I think I will try to transfer from this Aquatic Transportation BN and go to an MP company and earn my way up, instead of almost being guaranteed my 6... (sadly most my friends are E6(s) while some how my lack of leaders leading me has left me behind...) Partially its my fault, but nows the time for me to rebound.

I also am starting to miss MOUT, Stress fire and all the other Combat Arms type training I took for granted. My current unit doesn't do live fire shoot houses, maybe a glass house with blanks with old ALICE gear and A2 rifles...

I digress, I just want to reclass smoothly and want to do the job I signed up to do for once. Not to be like the coffee/typing guy in Blackhawk Down.

Spendatures...

Historically since the 1940s and the Great Depression, Tax Breaks and less spending worked.

California, This is all I want done at least for FY 2010...

Better education benefits for Veterans,
=>Programs like free college for vets like in Texas, Illinois and Oregon.
=>Treat the National Guard better at least pay them on time and give them better benefits.
=>Stop ridiculous pay raises and create a salary cap.
=>Higher education by the state should be unbias and free from opinonated views
=>If you want to take it out on something at least not on the troops, we sacrifice more than our own time and freedom so one can voice their own opinion, have some courtesy and respect please.
=>Reform CALTRANS some high use city streets have been poorly regulated and repaired...
=> Stop sending state budget money toward interest groups and fix the state first.

Transitions, Trials and Tribulations

I had my 3rd Drill earlier this month and come to think of it I have about another 3 weeks or so til my next drill. I'm not too sure if the Reserves act this way nationwide, but I've had my school canceled and reinstated followed recently by an email telling me that there were no slots? available... Originally I was not due to reclass to Military Police until July '10 but whatever first excuse was incorrect phone number listed for me... This devious error just prolongs my promotion and gets in the way of my career progression. I wish I was still active duty some times, I still don't miss the insanity I had put up with. I don't even pride myself on the 7 years luck I've had not deploying, I only lost 3 friends in theater, but still that doesn't warrant the fact that I should be stuck in a staff position my whole career. I feel like Captain Nixon in Band of Brothers... I know I'm losing out on some life experience. I distaste having a lucky strike, I've seen much corruption in Recruiting, put up with lab coats and their antics and wish things could go my way for once. In the end I guess somebody is looking out for me...

To my friends on active duty, I feel for you.

BTW how the hell did I end up in a staff position again and explain to me how I ended up being nondeployed in my 7.5 years on Active Duty?

The 2010 FJ Cruiser vs. 2010 4Runner

Well I've been eyeing the Trail Teams Edition FJ Cruiser for some time now. Come to think of it I stopped by the local dealer and found out the color looks like its going to be sandstorm. Then again on youtube Toyota has sprung out videos on the 5th Generation 4Runner, redesigning it and giving it a more off road/ trail look. The other SUV I'm interested in is the 4 Runner Trail Edition (Thats if a TRD off road edition is unavailable) For the features 4 Runner seems to be the one, but then the price for the full load options is roughly $5,000 more. Versatility, 3rd party customiziation and full offroading has to be the FJ by far. I'll just have to wait for the SF Auto Show to happen late November to see then test drive the new 4 Runner. I still prefer the FJ Cruiser hands down. Oh the waiting... so much waiting for so long, what can 2 months wait do? It can't hurt that much.

btw; I've already drove the H2/H3 for work, I've rode in the Wrangler(s) before and by far nothing beats the FJ or late 90's Land Cruiser. Land Rover is out of my league I think.

San Francisco International Auto Show
4 Runner
FJ Cruiser

Update 1:
Also there is a TRD Edition FJ Cruiser. Iceberg White

So its TRD FJ vs TT FJ vs 4Runner Trail Edition... FML the researching, the choices, all this waiting...