The fourth of July came and went. We got a lot of things done, even though it was supposed to be relaxed. I guess it was relaxing, just that we did things like cleanup, locker coordination and some other paperwork and getting our LCEs ready, doing our laundry and shining boots. Everything looks pretty tidy now. The only thing I can complain about is my blankets. My dust cover green blanket is too short and has a lot of wrinkles that are permanent, so I have to spend at least 15 minutes everyday to straighten and tighten it. My bunk bed got flipped over yesterday because it wasn’t tidy enough, perfect measurements, perfect everything. I got by today though. One thing bad about getting on top bunk bed is getting up there, and staying asleep on the bunk and not falling off. One guy in reception fell of his bed, hurt his knee (dislocated) but still tried to get up to his bunk in the dark, stepped on the guy’s face sleeping on the bottom bunk, he who in turn punched the sucker in the groin as hard as he could, and he fell down again and fell asleep down there. So far I’ve been lucky and stayed up top. Today we did the 2-mile platoon run again, except they pace it up everytime we do it, every Monday, Wednesday, Friday. We did it today, Thursday, because we didn’t do it yesterday. We ran the first mile in 7:30, the second in 6:20. I got pissed off at myself because I couldn’t make it. We ran over 2 hills on the way there, and ran the same 2 hills the way back. The last hill, I couldn’t make it. I walked up the top, and saw the group still running on the way down, so I tried to get back with the group and sprinted down the hill. But still, I got there 10 seconds after it was over. So I ran 2 miles in 14 minuets almost exactly for the first time in my life. We’re going faster next time, the alpha group is heading for 5:30 miles. I’m gonna try to stick by and finish the run next time, I got pissed cuz I was only a hill away, basically I gave up at the finish line. And I don’t wanna get pushed to Bravo group either cuz I wouldn’t be pushing myself to the limit then. The food’s really great here, it gets repetitive, sure, but they try to change the main course for every meal. Like today we had hot wings, which was really really good. Yesterday some barbecue chicken. There’s 8 of us in here, in our room, up in 3rd floor. The 3rd and 4th platoon live here in 3rd floor, the 1st and 2nd platoons of our alpha company in 2nd floor. There’s Lacerda, white boy from Massachusetts with a weird eastern accent living at the end window side of the room. On the bottom bunk, a Russian just turned 19 years old Shteynberg. He gets in trouble the most cuz he can’t take sweat rolling down his face. Then there’s 17 year old Jun, Korean/Chinese mix, and his bro lives with 2nd platoon. Shalari, Hispanic 19 year old, he can’t march for crap. McKissick, black 17 year old, he gets emotional a lot, but he still likes to chill with us from time to time. Martinez, 18 year old that’s so fit, he can make this training with one knee, that’s my battle buddy. Then there’s 17 year old Carson, he hasn’t graduated ever. This black guy wants to make basic training his first graduation. He got suspended a day before 5th grade graduation, and he went to high school by taking summer courses after his middle school cuz he flunked it. I love my platoon and drill sergeants, I really believe they are the best of the best. They do their job so well, sure I don’t like them sometimes cuz things are rough. But that’s just the way things are here. 55 more days to go here. Doesn’t seem that far, but it’s still 8 more weeks. So far we only made one 3-minute phone call in this last 2 weeks, more than a thousand pushups accumulated, more than a hundred miles marched. We march everywhere and anywhere.