For all my Marine wives living on a Marine installation and those who frequent a Marine installation you will understand my pain. For my civilian friends..I only hope I can express just exactly what happened to me today.
My geography skills are questionable at best, I have shared this will all of you in previous posts. I have a had time grasping where anything is unless I have been there before. This is one reason I believe I must visit RI or it will remain to be my Afghanistan. The base I currently live on is Camp Lejeune NC. I truly enjoy base living. I have a wonderful group of neighbors and friends. I have a great beach within 20 minutes. I have a great climate.. I love warm weather. Life is good here.
There is currently massive construction going on here aboard base. There is a new school being built, several hundred homes, a new bridge to connect two housing areas, new roadways, and a new entrance to the base. This is proving to be a difficult time if you live here. You hear noise at all hours of the night as they work 24 hours a day to keep on schedule. You get trapped in crazy traffic and they have changed the road patterns. ..... now than if that is not enough for me to get used to.... I am now required to know the location of any and all buildings aboard base by a number....HUH????
This is how the base is labeled. Every building has a number and all those who work here are apparently given a geography test so that when they say building 65... all personnel on base will know exactly where it is. I am a resident... not personnel.... I only ask for you to treat me as the civilian I am. I have not taken this geography skills test and I am not into playing the game of hide the building numbers, it is akin to playing where is Waldo. I truly am not up to this feat when I am checking into a doctors appointment at the Naval Hospital clinic 10 minutes before my scheduled time. I am also sure that my appointment has been made for over a month and when I made it...YES I ASKED WHERE!!!! I was told Naval Hospital clinic.... so now when you the desk lady tell me.. oh you need to go to Building 65.... do not be alarmed when I look at you as if you are speaking in parseltongue. Where is building 65 and does this building have a number too? Do the numbers go up or down and in what direction? Holy crap.... you are now giving me a map!!! Now with the above mentioned construction of new roads, new schools etc... I am now expected to leave the hospital with my treasure map in hand and drive to building 65 in under 5 minutes! Oh... and on base speeding is BAD! You must go to traffic court for an infraction you have... hmmm... dilemma or gambling? I gambled... I drove well over the new speed limits that have been changed several times due to construction. I drove like a mad woman... those with TRICARE no... you do not want to miss any appointment you may never get a new one.
I did all of this and had my map all in hopes to find building 65.... I am good!!! I found this building and walked in ready to argue.. ready to battle for my appointment until I walked in the waiting room and saw over 40 Marines sitting there... Well, crap did somebody alert the Marines that I was enroute? Why are all these men here... I am going to see a gynecologist!!!!!!
Yep.. I battled the hospital, the base construction, the speed limits, the tricare system, the MAP and now I gotta battle Marines all just for me to get my lady parts looked at.... now that is being hard up!!!!
To say the least, all is well and my appointment went fine. I am now needing a cocktail and a valium.
This was too much excitement for one day and all before noon.
Bill-
I won my battle with the MAP.. thanks for alerting the troops for me... I guess you were sending that poor GYN some back up in case. No worries they were not needed and all of them were gone when I left, reporting to some other location standing guard from another's wife.
Bring your helmet and flak with you when you come... you will need it for safety purposes.... the construction is crazy!
Bill, my absolutely amazing and handsome husband has left for a one year plus tour to Afghanistan with RCT8. He is a Marine, a dad and a husband. This blog is for me, his wife to share the trials of being a military spouse.
Where in the devil is bldg 65 and why did you have to go there instead of the clinic at the naval hospital?
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