100110

Binary numbers? Try today's date.
Still making mistakes writing the dates out, 2010 is such an odd year, yeah? We're all so used to writing 9's or 0's in sequence and suddenly...

Just when I fear that I am losing my femininity being Miss Flightsuit, I get a complimenting Christmas card from one of the Ugandan gate guards checking IDs at the DFAC.  A nice card (and in almost perfect English)... and one to Amy as well from another guard-- deserves a nice New Year card back, right? So, to be cordial, we both write cards from the same pack and deliver them while going to breakfast.

Two days later, after a day's work, there is an envelope stuck in my door addressed to LT Vanessa.  I open it, enclosed is a note taken from a flower-shaped notepad.  The note tells me that he is hoping I am having a good day and that he would like to meet outside of chow to talk sometime, or maybe to have lunch.  Write me at this email address.

I'm getting admirer notes? In uniform?? This is the first proven incident.

At first I am thinking... "This guy knows where I live??" At the time (1-2 weeks ago ish) our names were clearly labeled on the outside of our doors, so I thought he just paid a lot of attention to how my last name spelled out on my desert name tag.  Turns out, after I brought the situation to Amy's attention, she was the one who stuck the note on my door.  The guard, who will remain nameless, handed it to Amy to give to me.  What's great (sarcastically) is that we have to see these guards everyday, so there's no escaping.  But I proceeded to go with my initial idea: Pretend like I never got the note.

About three days later, I was almost late to duty, so I walked to breakfast alone.  Strength in numbers, I always said, but this time I couldn't help the situation unless I wanted to be hungry for 3 hours.  After I cleared my weapon, I saw that the guard was not him.  But after I showed my ID and began walking in, I hear "LT!" over my shoulder and lo and behold, its him running to me to ask me how my day is going.  From what I can remember I told him I was tired.  He guessed, 'Gym?' I said, just flying (white lie).  I walked faster, knowing I was going to have to get a take-out box anyway so relief fell over my face.  As I opened the door, he handed me an envelope.  Great, I thought.  Another one. 
  "You wrote me a note?"
  "Yes."
  "You wrote this note."
  "Yes."
  "For me?"
  "Yes."
So I was basically making sure that he was writing this note to me, showing that I was surprised by his move.  He followed me inside, and I told him okay.  I continued in, got a take-out box, still on a hurried pace, got my food, never looked behind me and left.

Basically the same note... told me his email address and his English is a little forceful but of course being a girl, I will read into these things (I need a time to meet... I know you are busy because of your position... write me at this email...) and be a little creeped out.  I have kept the same manner in showing my ID to get in, saying hi, but nothing has changed.  I am finding myself, however, making sure that I am talking with somebody else while having my ID checked, as to not be interrupted.  Silly, I know.  But when he does catch me, I'll have to tell him I don't have time, I cannot write, and its nothing personal.  I wonder if he'll get that cliche.  Who knows?  I just don't think it's fair I have to be the subject because I am one out of [enter single digit number here] females here on the base's southside.

Today, I blew the third of my wall outlets out, also burning my lights.  In doing so, I had no other options but to visit Billeting.  In there, is James, a black man who looks to be the age of 30, smile on his face and all.  Very nice guy, funny, says hi to me all the time at the DFAC.  The second time I go into the office b/c they locked my room up, he tells me he hopes I'm not offended when he says it, but I am a very beautiful woman.  I am in a freakin flight suit.  Really? Because he's a civilian, he feels he can say it.  First off, I'm not even good with compliments in spite of your position--civilian or military.  I told him thank you, but later he makes this comment about our first date being a fix-it appointment in my room.  Incident number two. 

It's because there are a limited supply of females and we are high vis, high target.  It was going to happen even if we were ugly-to-average looking. 

Gaaahh.  Maybe I should stop wearing makeup and chop the hair.  I really do need to chop the hair.  Really.

Okay, that was a fun-filled workday consisting of 3 hours at work total and no flying.  The rest... connecting with the outside world (6 mile run with Amy) and figuring out ways to avoid talking to boys I don't want to know.

That'll be all.