Basic Training Week I

So I finished my first full week of basic training. Early, but still finished. On Monday we got our madei bet (2nd uniforms, not the nice ones), and Tuesday we got our guns. When we got them, we had to write on a piece of paper the number of the gun and the scope that it came with. I was writing down the number, and above the number on the gun it says where the gun came from:

Colt's Firearms Industries Co. (or something like that)
Colt's Firearms

And now, here's the Kicker:

Colt's Firearms
Hartford, Connecticut

I couldn't believe it. I looked at it for a minute in shock. Like, no, no, can't be, that would be just too good. But no, it's really from CT. You know what that means? That means that ALL, yes ALL of the M16's that the Tzva Hagana L'Yisrael (IDF) use are from CT. Can anyone say "represent"?

Weds night we had our first masa (army hike). It was only 3 Ks, not even 2 miles, and I can do that in 20 minutes, but never have I done it with my battle vest, in it were 5 (FIVE!) full magazines of [29] bullets (which are quite quite heavy I might add), 2 water things, and we had to hold our gun the entire time. Personally, I think I was fine, it was good. A little tired at the end, but I was fine. We had to run at the end a little bit, but it was ok. In my kittah (3 kittahs in a machlakah, 3 machlakahs in a unit) theres this big guy, tall and big, and not so in shape, and he was losing it even before the halfway mark, so we brought ourselves together and helped him do it, literally taking him by the arms and leading him pretty much. But we finshed, had a type of tekes (ceremony) and we got our tags that hang off of the left shoulder, the coat of arms so to speak of my brigade. I'm starting to look like a real chayyal...

Right now I'm off til next Wednesday. I got off yesterday to go to some government office so I can be a chayyal bodeid, but then I went and they're on strike. So I have Sunday off too to do it, and then its yomtov. And then off for Shabbos Chol HaMoeid and second yomtov I'm off again, at least that's what my mefakeid told me today. I love yomtov.

Anyway, time to get ready for shabbos. I don't knwo how often I'll be able to update, we'll just play it by ear. Good Shabbos everyone.

Schimmelism Of The Week LXXX

Tonny: Ezra, how old are you?
Ezra: 3.
Tonny: Oh yeah? Cool, when was that?
Ezra: I turned 3 on my birthday.

"Tomorrow, Tomorrow..."

Yup, tomorrow it is. 730 tomorrow morning I have to be at Bakum, the same place I was at on Jan 25 to get my tags and ID. I'm staying at my friends house in Ramat Gan, which is like, literally minutes from Bakum.

I was going to post on Sunday, but the computer froze and was annoying. I remember a while ago when I would see a chayyal, I would think, "hey, that's going to be me at some point sometime soon." But then motza'ei Shabbos I saw one and I thought, "hey, that's going to be me not sometime soon, but in THREE days." Like, it kind of just HIT me. But I'm excited, I can't wait.

NOTE TO THOSE CONCERNED: To all those who are going to lose sleep because I am in the army, DON'T. Well, not yet at least. Literally, nothing happens in the beginning. So don't worry. Yet.

Next time I write I will be a full chayyal. Can't wait. And hopefully I'll be posting a new picture.

14 hours, 25 minutes...

Schimmelism Of The Week LXXIX

Mordy: *argh* How do you lock you phone?
Tonny: Try closing it...?

Purim, Tzahal

Purim was absolutely amazing, and I leined Megillah 5 times times. Not bad right? Well, I know that Abba has done it at least 6 times in one day once, my 5 times was over 2 days But anyway, it was awesome, let's just leave it at that.

2nd, they told us finally where we're going to in the army, which unit. Everyone who has a 97 in my yeshiva (and S'derot too, Zsh is also gonna be there) is going to Kfir, which is in Chirmak -- the unit with the ugly camouflage barrets.

All I have to say is, if we get the ugly red boots I WILL have to shoot somebody in the stomach.