I had a hard time sleeping last Thursday night. I was very excited. The weather seemed to reflect it, as the approaching thunder culminated in a massive thunderstorm passing directly overhead. Lightning, massive rolling booms of thunder, all right outside.
When I woke up last Friday at 7 am, I immediately got to work. I deflated the air mattress I've been sleeping on since the movers took the futon mattress I had previously had on top of the air mattress (it's ridiculously comfortable like that), and packed up the blanket. I shaved according to military standards for the last time. I brushed. Showered. Finished all the last minute packing, jamming everything into my poor Ford Focus. It is loaded to the brim, but my skill in packing is such that I have a clear view through the rear-view mirror.
At 9 am, when the apartment complex office opened, I was there waiting, in uniform for the last time. My apartment was inspected, and I checked out, and then headed to the base. Showed the gate guard my ID card for the last time. Went to the personnel office. Gave them all my out-processing paperwork, they gave me my DD 214.
The next 2 and a half hours were nothing but pure rage as I took time that I could have been using getting last minute stuff done and leaving, and instead spent that time sitting in a hallway at Pass and ID waiting to get my inactive reservist ID card. Nice for Uncle Sam to give me that one last masterful display of bureaucratic incompetence.
Before leaving, I stopped by my buddy's gaming store and picked up my rifles, which I'd left there last night. For some reason the Air Force doesn't like firearms going on base. Good thing too. With those packed up, off I went.
I'd forgotten how long it takes to get out of Oklahoma. Fucking Oklahoma. It looks on a map like a short trip from OKC to the border, but it's really not. You're driving on a toll road through farmland for a good three and a half hours, passing billboards with scriptures and jesus fish. The privilege of this experience costs you $7, $3.50 going into Tulsa, and $3.50 from Tulsa to the border.
But I'm out now, of the Air Force, and out of Oklahoma. I'm spending the night in Rolla, MO. You've probably never heard of it. It's claim to fame is that it's about a hundred miles west of St Louis and about a hundred miles east of Springfield, which makes it an ideal in-between place to put a whole lot of hotels.
Anyway, 7 years, 2 months, and all done now. From SSgt to Mr.
Peace, I am out.
EDIT: Almost forgot. Around sunset, with the rain that's been going through Missouri today, there was a gorgeous rainbow. Probably the prettiest I've ever seen.
Here's half:
And the other half:
I took some better pictures (there was a traffic jam at the same time, which was convenient for picture purposes) but they're on film cameras.