Camp Lejeune, NC.

And the Navy mobilization machinery springs to life!

Formation went at 0730, as advertised. I handed my admin package to the mustering petty officer who directed all of us to the classroom to wait.

And wait we did.

After a couple of hours, I began pestering the admin types to see if there was ANYTHING I could do.

“No, sir, we will call you when we are ready.”

After a morning spent waiting, dozing, and reading, I decided to reaquaint myself with Marine “Chow”. Meals, or chow, are special to the military. I am not sure why, but I suppose that eating is better than working or training. The chow halls at Camp Lejeune have much to commend them. Other than a token nod to ‘healthy’ food with a salad bar, they proudly serve lots of the same stuff that fed generations of public schoolers in their cafeterias: burgers, spaghetti, chicken fried steak, and casseroles galore. And they serve lots of them.

I rediscovered my love for government chocolate cake, along with milk served from a giant stainless steel box at two degrees Kelvin. Nothing makes tasty chocolate sheet cake that much tastier than spectacularly cold milk. The pace picked up in the middle of the afternoon. A vat of blood drawn, and replaced with immunizations. New ID card, and a power of attorney for my Beautiful Bride. And big plans for getting more done tomorrow.