THE JACKPACK

For those of you chemists out there, I have transitioned phases: SOLIDS.  This is a big step for me, and I must admit that it makes me feel more masculine.  After all, not only do I now have the coordination to get things to my mouth without getting them into my eye, but it definitely also takes muscle to lift the dense teething biscuits.  Coordination and muscle -- life is becoming more and more entertaining. Now, Mom and Dad have not yet let me try any bulgogi, fried grasshoppers, or boiled silkworm larvae, all of which are available here in the "Land of the Rising Calm."  Instead of these wholesome foods, I've gotten a few french fries, some pizza crusts, some sourdough crust, mushy banana....  Well, you get my drift.  I'm on the road to obesity.  Ok,ok.  I jest.   These have merely supplemented the standard issue "chicken, vegetables and rice," "carrots," "bananas and blueberries," "pears".... I've gotten my high cha...

This morning, Mom, Dad, and I went out the gate.  We strolled around the streets, and wow, it's hard to describe this place.  Even the mixture of smells is difficult to describe.  Everything is so colorful, but at the same time, it's so drab and filthy.  On one corner, it smells of delicious food, but on the next corner, it smells like sewage.  Then, if we walk a few paces to the left, it smells of some weird fish concoction -- a few paces to the right -- kimchi -- then perfume -- then diesel -- then.....  It's so filthy in some areas, but for some reason, this filth does not repel.  It merely fuels the curiosity.  We ventured through tiny streets and into tiny alleys.  These alleys had makeshift markets selling some strange foods!!  Bizarre is probably a better word.  Mom and Dad saw some beautiful paintings and have decided to purchase some for the house.  I want one with a train.  We walked into a children's boutique, a...

Boy, I've got quite an agenda today!  Actually, Mom does.  She must be feeling particularly energetic, considering that I did her a favor and slept 9 hours straight.  Jet lag is kicking in.  I can hardly stay awake in the evenings to eat dinner.  By the time five o'clock rolls around, I'm ready to hit the sack.  Big news!  I get a high chair today.  It's not my own, but we get to borrow one from a buddy who's still too young for it.  I think Mom is going to order one for me really soon.  Sweet!  I'll tower over everyone at the table.  After my morning nap, we're headed to the BX because Mom forgot to buy lunch meat at the commissary yesterday.  I guess the Shopette has some.  Then, there was some talk of heading out the gate again.  According to Mom, we need to find a place to buy bread.  The commissary charges $4 for a small loaf of sourdough.  Apparently, there are some bakeries on the outside, an...

Late this afternoon, after my short nap, Dad, Mom, and I crossed into "real" Korea.  It's the urban area just outside the main gate.  Until now, I felt like a typical "gringo" -- still eating oatmeal cereal for breakfast, sipping on a nice cold cup of Enfamil, or simply chewing on a teething biscuit.  Well, well....  It's not a long walk to the base's main gate, but considering how cold it was, I thought it took forever.  Mom likes to bundle me up in my "red snow suit."  Sure, it's great -- nice and warm, even has an airplane on it.  BUT, I hate getting into it.  It messes with my style.  I can't exactly impress the ladies when my arms and legs are immobilized.   So annoying....  Eventually, I do get over it, once we start rolling in my SRV.  I quickly accepted my fate after realizing how darned cold it was. As we went out the main gate, I was thoroughly impressed with the soldiers guarding the entrance.  They had...

Howdy Folks!  Just checkin' my fan mail (one word or two?).  I asked Mom to pull me up to the computer, so that I could "post" to my blog.  I'm fighting my first cold, and man, it was a rough night and morning.  But, I think I'm feeling better, especially after getting some of that sweet, cherry flavored Tylenol.  Big day today...  Mom and I are going to lunch with some wives from the squadron.  So, I better get my overalls on.  By the way, please, no calls.  I'm losing my voice, which is really tampering with my morning squealing solo.

We arrived at the LAX international terminal around 9:30 am on Sunday, January 24th.  It had been a rather quiet trip from Bakersfield to Los Angeles.  We were in Dad's big truck --- ahhh, so much better than Mom's riding lawn mower (Toyota Camry, 4 cylinder wannabe speed demon).  Mom and Dad sat up front, and I cruised in the backseat, comfortably strapped into my Graco bucket seat.  Grandma kept me company back there. When we got to the airport, my carseat transformed into what I like to call my super-duty, range-rovin vehicle, or simply SRV -- my sweet first set of wheels.  Quite frankly, it's a chick magnet.  Grandma powered me along.  As we entered the airport, I couldn't help but feel relieved.  "Thank the Lord, I don't have to learn that language or that language or that language."  The sounds coming over the loudspeakers were not at all familiar.  But, I was in an airport again.  Woo hoo!  I love airports.  Firs...