GRRRRR!!! BARK!!!!!

Well, it has not been a great week at work.

I have had a thirteen hour day and a fifteen hour day this week.

Wednesday, I ran a PFT. I ran it on an injury. I have plantar fasciitis in both my feet, and in my right foot this week it really blew up. So as not to get yelled at for trying to get out of the PFT, I ran it injured and went in to medical afterward. After taking my vitals, the LT ordered me to get my BCP package. He refused to treat me without it.

Comma, pause for explanation: BCP is the Marine Corps fat kid program. It's officially called the Body Composition and Military Appearance Program. Recently, when I ran my physical fitness test (PFT) for score, I was weighed in. I was, of course, over my max allowable weight (164 lbs for 68 in.) and didn't make bodyfat standards (tape measurement at the neck, waist, and hips for females). I knew I was over my weight, which is why I started training for a half marathon (as motivation) and transitioning to Paleo (cause who doesn't like to pretend she's Rachelle Welch?). Thus, I was processed for BCP, which means blood work to rule out any medical cause for weight gain/loss, another weigh-in/tape, and then various bits of paperwork that keeps me from promotion til I'm off the program.

I was lucky to find the sergeant in charge of the BCP packages about fifteen feet from medical's doors. Of course, his job is also to weigh in all individuals in the unit, and that took priority. Once people stopped showing up to weigh in, he was able to complete my package and send me back over to medical. I was seen by an incompetent corpsman for my foot. Here is what the medical officer said when he walked into my exam room: "You run in Vibrams and you wonder why your feet hurt?" He didn't really bother to examine me first and did a perfunctory exam at best after I got the shoes lecture. He couldn't even recommend a type of shoe for me. I asked specifically. "Arch support" was all he had to offer, and a long drive to a running store about forty minutes away. It's a horrible drive: I'd been to that area before. At least he wrote a scrip for a night splint, and unfortunately for orthotics. Then he wrote a chit for no running and no Vibrams.

(I don't know why anyone would spend the money on special running shoes with arch support and all that stuff only to rip out the whole insole to put in orthotics. It didn't make sense.)

I knew better! I went to a much closer running store that I'd been to before, got put on their video camera, and tried on a dozen different kinds of shoes. I facilitated all the advice I could from the two employees, both avid runners themselves. I didn't end up in an overbuilt shoe, and I know which shoe I'll get for my next supershoe, but I bought the $20 cheaper New Balance Minimus in a color I like to call "Horrible Orange". They have a little tiny bit of arch support, but I don't feel like the shoe is trying to eat my foot or force it in any way. It turns out I pronate a little itty bitty bit, but it's hardly noticeable without slow motion footage.

So after four hours dealing with medical, with no breakfast, I finally get everything sorted: chits to the right people, package back to the training shop, scrip in pocket. Luckily my shift lead was at the same place at the same time as me, and he gave me a ride to get some lunch. I get up at 230 am and am supposed to work until 1330. I got to eat a 270 calorie salad while getting a billion and one things tasked to me at work, and I stayed at work until 1500 (3pm). Did I mention I had other administrative things to take care of, like my screening package for MSG (which I can't do anyway), getting my scrips, and taking care of myself? Well, the Marine Security Guard package didn't get done because my boss forced me to stay late. I barely got to ortho in time to get my orthotics and night splint. Then I came back, grabbed some chow, went to get shoes, and had my group class and private lesson in karate. That takes me to about 9 pm, and I still have showering and basic hygeine to do before bed.

Thursday, I packed myself off to work at 3am, on about three hours of sleep. I do my best work with at least six hours. It was another long day in the making. Work went smoothly enough, except my stay-late project had zero positive comments. (I have a pet peeve: if you're critiqueing my work, your comments had better be freaking perfect. No misspelled words, no grammar errors. Especially basic words like "sentence".) That put me in a horrible atti-mood, and it didn't let up until I got out of work. I left on time, because I refused to stay late, having been denied a chance to get chow. And I headed over to medical to get my package signed and turned in, which I did, but then got it turned back because I missed two signatures. I got a call about a weekly BCP meeting, but instead got called in to see SgtMaj. This was to sign my BCP package and get it sent over to the BNCO. Waiting for that took til about 430, and by 5 I was finally on my way to get dinner and fall into bed.

Yesterday I got a lot of work done, wasn't called out of the shop except to see 1st Sgt.  (I'm double-non-rec'ed for promotion right now. It's so stupid. I'm not sure it's even possible.) It was a wait for him, too, and after a while I finally got in, signed yet more paperwork, and grabbed a takeout tray on the way back to work. I left only a half-hour late!