August 2nd was my first paid day with the Federal Aviation Administration. Finally all the waiting came to end, it just so happened to also be my 6th year anniversary with my wife :(. Apart from having to leave on my anniversary it really wasn't that bad of a day. The whole family woke up nice and early so we could make the trek down to John Wayne airport in Orange county at 7:45 Pacific Standard. The flight went smoothly it involved a layover in Denver CO and finally arriving in Oklahoma City, OK at 4:15 Central. From there I shuttled over to my current apartment at Mansions South in Moore OK. Upon arrival I found out the apartment complex put me in the wrong apt, I had a 2 bedroom reserved they put me in a 1 bedroom with a study. So I had to stay the night there and the next day after class I would be able to move it over to the 2 bedroom.
August 3rd day 2, Have to wake up at 5:40 to get dressed and ready to make the bus at 6:10 that shuttles those of us without cars here over to the academy. That whole process is really nerve wracking you do not want to miss the bus you do not want to be late! They have a zero tolerance for it. At any rate I made the bus ok which dropped us off at the security command center at Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center. Its required you have an ID badge on at all times while in the facility. After this we all hop in cars and drive farther into this ridiculously large facility to our classroom for the next 5 weeks. At the classroom we go over all the benefeits and rules and HR nonsense up the ying yang. After that we get sworn in as Federal Government employees. That mostly sums up our first day at the facility. Class technically starts at 7:00 and ends at 3:30 for week one. After getting out of class we shuttle back to the apartments where I get all my junk moved over to my new apartment. Really the move of my junk would be no big deal but it 100 degrees here in OK and like a billion humidity or something like that you get the picture so Im dripping in sweat and mentally exhausted from the stress of day 1 at the academy itself. After hitting walmart with my friend Colton from my class, I head back to my apt and get cleaned up and say hello to the wife and tell her about the day, get into bed around 10:30.
Day 3, this is actually the first day of teaching at the academy, we have awesome instructors for Tracon basic training, Burt Willis (not to be confused with Bruce Willis) is actually rather funny, but very serious about the FAA. Poor Colton didn't quite make it to class on time (dont forget ZERO tolerance, its ok he won't make that mistake again, they made an example out of him unfortuantely and repremanded him and of course his facility has to hear about it. Don't worry Colton still rooting for you over here! We really got into the information about Tracon and other FAA activities on that day. Apart from that not really a lot happened on day 3. Oh wait except my roommate Arthur did arrive he's been a cool addition to the apartment here not quite as boring around here and nice to know you're not sitting in the apartment alone. I almost forgot to tell you guys yesterday morning I got the pleasure of waking up at 3am to thunderstorms, apart form having it wake me up ridiculously early looking outside at the storm was really amazing, don't get to see a lot of that in California.
Day 4 (Today) This is my first day that actually started to write this blog. I went to bed at 9:00 last night, 5(whatever) comes really really fast. The academy was crazy today, they shove information into your head until it can't take anymore then they pick up the pace even more. The only nice thing is they give you a 10 - 15 minute break every hour on the hour. so we basically have like 5 breaks and a 30 minute lunch in our short day, really though that is still not enough. I think they're trying to get us ready for the facility already. It is all really intereting stuff though. Today was what they call Pizza day, I guess they do it once every 5 weeks or so, a bunch of managers and first line supervisors come to the facility and the agency provides us with free pizza and soda while we get the opportunity to meet the supervisors from our potential facility. Unfortunately my facility didn't come. Do I blame them? Where would you rather be CA or OK? Anyways the supervisors were all pretty cool and interesting, hopefully it will be the same at my facility. That pretty much sums up my day at the academy though. After work I came home and made a list of groceries I still needed and Colton picked me up and took me down to walmart! Thanks Buddy! This is where I am now back from walmart with a new camera so I can take some pictures of the area (I will provide as they come I have a few of the apt here) See you all tomorrow after academy!
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