My Journal Thursday 12 April, 1984

(Transcribed from a daily journal I kept while in the army 1984-1987 stationed at Ft. Meade)

At NSA, went to a briefing about the group I work in. The geopolitical insignificance of my particular part of the world was mentioned. It’s nice to be needed. My job is completely pressure free because it doesn’t matter whether I do it or not. We’re placeholders until something happens. Or rather - I like the biological view - we’re macrophages swimming around until there’s an invader. Then we swarm and attack.

Was pretty nervous most of the day because of the oncoming PT test. Was pretty sure I’d do well, but not positive. I wanted badly to get out of PT for the summer by maxing the numbers. I can stay in shape on my own.

At the test I did 70 situps, 50 pushups and the run in 16:21 - supposedly. I can’t see how my time could have gone up like that in 2 days. I ran 2 miles in 15:43 on Tuesday. Everyone made lousy time, perhaps because the timers screwed up. The test made me feel terrible for the rest of the day.

After, I drove my roommate to Fox dealership in Laurel to test drive a car she’s interested in, then went home to wait for her to call me for a ride home.

Gene stopped by on his way to a softball game and we had a quickie that was pretty nice and all that but as usual I felt a mild self disgust to recreational sex. Gene's my boyfriend, but I don't even like him that much. It's just this physical satisfaction that's keeping me around.

Isabel called and I picked her up at the car dealers. She liked the car. It’s a nice, practical Honda Accord. As with everything, she researched the hell out of this thing and rattled off all of the reasons this car is the one. Too bad she doesn't apply the same analysis with her choice of boyfriend. Ken is amazing, but he's a cheater.

I tried to clean my closet out – did a lousy job.

At 6 I called Ray and told him I’d be going to Curt and Laura’s wedding on Saturday. Ray’s a friend of mine from New Jersey. He’s a production manager with a publishing company there, McGraw-Hill. I got to know him and his large group of close knit friends while bartending in Princeton.

I think I’ll just go the reception because I’m going to be so tired. Sat morning I plan to run 3 miles with Emma, then drive for 3 hours.

Spent the rest of the evening with Gene and got to sleep around midnight.