posted
I might as well. I joined back in feb 0f '04, it is my 25th birthday (it is still the 17th for me), and well, 1000 is a nice round number.
My name is Nathan Stanislawski. I was born the 17th of April, 1980 in Farmington Hills, MI. However, I lived in Redford and not Farmington Hills. Life is great when you are still considered innocent. It just gets a little tricky when you learn how to not be good . Long live dad's leather belt behind the bathroom door. My dad both hold something very much in common....we've both have had a wooden spoon broken over our rears. Buns of steel, baby . One year later, the older of my 2 sisters was born. She would in time become my best of friends. See, we lived in a neighborhood where there were far too few kids our ages. The ones that were...well let us just say that disassociation was better in the long run.
I keep getting reminded of when I was changing her diaper (she was only one year younger than me). My parents say that I couldn't get her to lay down. I kept telling her to lay down, and when I tired of it I kicked her down. We both chuckle about it to this day. As time went on we walked each other to Our Lady of Lorreto for school.
I still remember 1984, the year I was introduced to baseball, and the Detroit Tigers. It will probably be the only time I will ever see them win a world series. In this I grew a huge fanship for Alan Trammell. I ended up playing short stop (just as he did) in the little leagues. I would ride my bike to practice and the games as it was in the park 4 houses down from my house. My parents never missed a game. It was good too. I stunk at baseball (just as a batter). I got one of my "war wounds" by the time I was 8 years of age. I was playing 3rd base for a change and caught the ball....with my mouth. Somehow it had missed the glove that I intended for it. I recieved my next one a year later while riding my bike past those same fields. I didn't swerve enough and caught a nice piece of steel in my head above my right eye. Doc said if it hit harder and deeper it would have cracked my skull. I recieved 6 stitches. I thank the skateboarder who helped me home.
In 1987ish, my Grandma Rose suffered a stroke. We all left for the hospital right after the call. That was also the same year that my mom told dad that she wanted a third child. In july of 1988 my youngest sister was born Roselyn Ann. First name after grandma, and her middle name is mom's.
Life was great as far as it went. Us children didn't lack any necessities of life. However, the house was too small for the 5 of us. Before Rosie was any older and would start any bonds with other kids we moved.
Town of Linden, MI.
New home, new school, same social problems. I always had a tough time making friends. Now days I just don't care if they want to be a friend or not. I was in the principals office so much we joked a few years later that it was my personnal chair. Oddly enough, some of the kids that I fought with the most became good friends of mine. One is still a great friend. His own mother gets a little upset when I don't call her mom. She did it just the other day when I called her up. She said I could still call her mom if I wanted to. Which broght out a "Yes, Mother."
I digress. It's a lot of work mowing 3 and 1/2 acres of land. I guess my dad was glad he introduced me to the lawn mower by the time I was 5 years old. My mom does it now a days. It gives her chance to get away from the kids. That's ok. She let me borrow her car and jeep for Home-Coming and Prom. As long as I washed them, that is.
However, before that all came about I received my 3rd "war wound." Was mom ever pissed at me for this. TIP: DON"T EVER go to the emergency room on your mom's birthday. They hate that for some reason I don't know. It was just a little motor bike accident. All of us were wearing helmets. Somehow mine came off during the collision, and I almost lost my left eye. I got 5 stitches for that one.
*speeds time to graduation in 1998*
Graduation was fun for one reason. It happened that there was a Red Wings game on at the same time. Chris just happened to have brought his walkman with him. They also just happened to have won the game they were playing in the middle of our graduation. While the congresswoman was speaking you would hear the word being passed around "Wings won 3-2, pass it on."
Day after Graduation:
I'll just add here that I am a Boy Scout. I made Eagle in Feb of 1998. I have been to Philmont twice as a camper. Anyway, the day after graduation I was on the train headed to New Mexico. I got a summer job working for Philmont Scout Ranch. I worked in the Mess Hall. It was a great rotation, 4 days on 3 days off.
When I came back that fall I quickly submitted some job applications. I needed to be able to pay the rent my mother was charging me (If I went to school I would not have had to pay rent). Kmart was the first to call. I took the job. First off, when I went to the interview, they asked if I could ask my mom if she would come back. I answered for her with a NO. Mom made it clear that she did not want to go back. I started out as a cahier. Ack, I hate that job. After a month of that they asked me to take a different spot. I was the only young person they had that was not in school (job was from 6am to 3pm). So I started pushing carts and doing carry outs and cleaning up after people. I did this for about 2 months. I did a couple stints as a floor person (Hardware, etc), hated it more. I was walking in one day when the operations manager asked me if I wanted to take a spot back in Shipping and Receiving. I took it and it was the best move for me over there. I still visit Jim and Tam when I go home.
However, my friend Alex had joined the Navy. He had mentioned me joining with him so we could go to some of the same commands together. We were like brothers. I thought about it. The recruiter called, I went to his office. He looked at my ASVAB scores. I was then asked if I wanted to go Nuke. March 18, 1999 I was on a plane headed to Chicago for Basic Training.
I didn't like Basic Training, but the crap I had to put up with in the public school system was worse than anything they called us. After that I went to South Carolina for 'A' School and Power School. Talk about going back to public education. Some people never quite leave high school. I made it through 'A' School pretty easy. I treated the boiler plant as a car (as I worked on cars before I joined). Power School was tougher. I hate math, chemistry, and physics. I somehow passed. Probably had to do with the 30+ hours I spent every week studying. Sometime in the beginning of Power School word got around that I work on cars. I had done a few jobs before. All I required was that they buy the parts and pay for the time used in the auto hobby shop and I will do the work. I charged nothing. All of a sudden things were going a little easier. Eapecially when some of the other guys worked on the electronics part of my car while I did the brakes or whatever on theirs.
I went to New York for the last 6 months of the training pipeline as I hated South Carolina (mainly Charleston). Passed the training in New York. I asked to go to PCU Ronald Reagan as my first command. I thought it would help me if I could get a look at how the plants were built. I should've asked to go elsewhere. After one year over on the Reagan I signed up to go TAD to the USS Carl Vinson for her 2001 - 2002 deployment. Best thing I did. If I could rewind time I would do it again.
Now I am past my four years on the USS Ronald Reagan. I have been involved in the training program for 3 of them. I have gone through multiple audits of my program and not gotten a single hit. With all that, some of the other guys found a way to screw it all up this past Jan/Feb. I know that things can be worse than they are for us over here. I keep explainig what it is that they could go to. I'm ok with all the extra stuff they are having us do, no matter how bullcrap it is. I was not ok to hear what some of the senior leadership is saying. I'll end that note on that I am oushing my transfer paperwork rather quickly so I get the heck off of the ship (my transfer time was June-ish anyway). I am trying to go back to New York so I can be an Instructor. It is then that I can shape those little, empty minds into better operators. The program is failing these guys and it needs to be improved. Hopefully I can help in that.
I think by now I have probably lost half of you. So I will end it here. Next time: How I started to believe that Communism really did have some good points .
Posts: 2208 | Registered: Feb 2004
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posted
Happy birthday (slightly belated), happy year+ at Hatrack, and happy 1000 posts. Many happy returns of all of these!
I love learning more about Hatrackers, especially those I've met in person. Here's hoping being an instructor is everything you're expecting. Posts: 32919 | Registered: Mar 2003
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posted
I went through the nuke program. I knew what you were talking about most of the time.
quote:Now I am past my four years on the USS Ronald Reagan. I have been involved in the training program for 3 of them. I have gone through multiple audits of my program and not gotten a single hit. With all that, some of the other guys found a way to screw it all up this past Jan/Feb.
Sounds like you were in RT, and your department kinda screwed the pooch during ORSE. It also sounds like you STAR reenlisted (for the bonus?).
I know it sucks to be on a boat where the morale sucks. I heard that on the Nimitz someone popped the breakers (on purpose) while an admiral was doing a tour of the RAR, plunging him and his staff into darkness (with emergency lights). Crap rolls downhill, and it helps when you have a few superiors who can filter out the unnecessary yelling/cleaning/mindless work. Good luck applying for instructor duty.
Posts: 1423 | Registered: Sep 2003
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quote: Here's hoping being an instructor is everything you're expecting
I hope it is too. My buddy Tavis is trying to go too. I plan on buying a house when I get there. I told him to give me a call when he shows up. I might have some room for him and his family.
quote: Sounds like you were in RT
Nope, I am the M div TPO. I just have a bit of sway here and there if they actually listen to what I have to say.
Morale stinks?! Darn tootin it does. It'll get better when those Electricians quit "kicking" breakers open. Yes, Star. I pretty much do my own thing. I was told when I took the divisional tpo job that if I did my job right then I am my own LPO. I send myself home early now and then. However, I also stay late up to 4 hours more often than not.
quote: Did you realize there is a National Jamboree this year?
I never got to go to one of those. Maybe sometime in the future.
quote: diaper changing technique.
I should patent it. Posts: 2208 | Registered: Feb 2004
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Hey, Stan, congrats on the landmark. You know, I enjoyed your stories about being in the Navy that you told me when you came by ASU. You ought to write more of them down and post them here!
Posts: 3546 | Registered: Jul 2002
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Thank You, I will have to write them down first. This is a family forum, must edit out some stuff. At least keep them clean, somewhat. Shoot, there'd be nothing to tell. I'll see what I can do.
Posts: 2208 | Registered: Feb 2004
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![[Smile]](smile.gif)
. Long live dad's leather belt behind the bathroom door. My dad both hold something very much in common....we've both have had a wooden spoon broken over our rears. Buns of steel, baby ![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
. One year later, the older of my 2 sisters was born. She would in time become my best of friends. See, we lived in a neighborhood where there were far too few kids our ages. The ones that were...well let us just say that disassociation was better in the long run. ![[Razz]](tongue.gif)
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![[Evil]](graemlins/evil.gif)
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Thank You, I will have to write them down first. This is a family forum, must edit out some stuff. At least keep them clean, somewhat. Shoot, there'd be nothing to tell. I'll see what I can do.
