I was able to talk to Anthony on Thanksgiving for an hour. That's the first time that we've been able to talk without someone breathing down his neck and keeping track of the time. Of course, we had to make ourselves heard over the band playing in the background, but there's always some sacrifice. I'm still a little unsure of exactly where he was at. Most of the trainees were invited to the homes of people in the San Antonio area, but a few were lucky enough to attend special events. I know Anthony said it had something to do with Harley Davidson, and I know there were a lot of people, but what it was all about, I didn't understand. A lot of trainees wanted to attend, but only those who were deemed responsible enough (i.e. wouldn't embarrass themselves or the Air Force) were allowed to go. They spent time with a Lieutenant Colonel, they rode over on a tour bus flanked by retired Airmen on motorcycles, and then had dinner and entertainment and were allowed to make phone calls and relax. Anthony really seemed to be enjoying himself, and I was glad to hear that they were taken care of so well.
Anthony updated me a little on Warrior Week. He said the tear gas was absolutely awful. He managed to say his statement, then he had to walk back across the room (one kid tried to run and was told to walk back to the middle of the room and return again to the exit). Once he got out, he said he was stumbling and had tears and snot running down his face. The exercise works though--he will never take off his gas mask in a combat situation. The obstacle course was brutal, and one Element Leader was recycled because he decided to eat the tootsie rolls from his MRE (Meal, Ready to Eat). Other trainees have been recycled for pulling pranks and pretty much treating basic training like it's Boy Scout Camp. Anthony's flight was also awarded the honor of doing the best job during Warrior Week. So the best the Air Force has to offer is the group of band geeks. :) Watch out world!
Anthony earned one extra ribbon so far for graduation--the Small Arms Marksmanship Ribbon. I believe he said he hit the target 47 out of 50 times. He is also still trying to earn the Honor Graduate Ribbon, but I won't know if he made it until I get down there. While he didn't get the top physical fitness award, he was able to go from running a mile and a half in 11:48 to 10:02. I'm pretty sure I can't run a mile in 10:02, pregnant or not, so that's impressive. This week is their final written test, haircuts (how much hair can they have in 6 weeks?), briefing on how to behave with town passes, the Airman's Coin Ceremony, and the Graduation Parade.
Will and I have done lots of Christmas shopping the last few days. Katie Corbin and I ventured out on Black Friday, and while we only hit 3 stores and were done by 10 a.m., we were able to get a lot of gifts. I'm glad I'm close to being done because with as cold as it is and as tired as I am, visiting multiple stores is not appealing. Will also helped make desserts for Thanksgiving. He loves stirring, so I poured ingredients in the bowl, and he sloshed them around for a bit. We had lots of filling from the pumpkin pie left over, so we made pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, one of which he grabbed off the cookie sheet and ate raw. Both of us were a mess, but we had fun. He even took bites out of a cookie (one that was baked) instead of cramming the whole thing in his mouth. Will also seems to be understanding more and more every day. He will say "Uh-huh" if the answer is yes (although a lot of times I still get no regardless of what he wants). And when I was giving him a bath, I asked if he wanted to get out, which he said no to. I told him the water was running out (our drain doesn't work so well), and he stood right up and tried to turn on the water faucet. Every day it's a new surprise!
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