We've been wearing the sewing machine out today. Tomorrow is the line-crossing ceremony, and our Sergeant Major is playing Davy Jones. So we had to make him a set of finery appropriate to an undead buccaneer. It came out quite nicely, I'd say. Three-cornered hat and all.

Then the MEU CO came by for a sewing lesson. The highest ranking Marine officer within a thousand miles. The guy that my boss's boss's boss's boss's boss reports to. He's going to retire soon, and bought a heavy-duty sewing machine to upkeep the tack for his horses. So he came by for a lesson on how to use these magic machines.

I've got the reputation as the shop's best teacher, although Cpl O_ is a better hand with sewing. So I got to sit down with The Man and teach him how to do my job. We did about an hour's worth of work tonight, and he said he'll be back tomorrow. The other guys were hassling me that I should ask him to promote me. Which he could do if he felt like it.

Anyway, I should go to bed. In less than six hours, myself and the other 800 filthy pollywogs abord the USS Boat will be cleansed of "the dirt of the farm and the stench of the city", with pure delicious cold salt water. We'll break our fast with salt fish and codliver oil, report on the traditions of the naval service, get quizzed on tactics, perform PT, get our hair trimmed, and in general be subject to some mild hazing. Then we will have purified ourselves sufficiently to become Trusty Shellbacks, loyal subjects of His Neptunic Majesty.

Posted by: Boviate at 09:53 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
Post contains 282 words, total size 2 kb.