How the HELL did you get here ???

I am a firm believer that this is a much smaller world than any of us realize, although walking all the way around a suburban mall parking lot because you can't remember exactly which big store you parked outside of can make you forget that. I live in Tampa. Kinda...close enough. I was working at Chicago O'hare Airport last week. I had Wednesday off. This seems as good a place as any to start a new paragraph.

So I figured with my day off, and 27 year old memories of some good times in The Second City, I would head out of the hotel in search of adventure. Which I did. I might mention that on Monday, the day I left, 1 died and 300 were sickened running a race in 85+ degree weather. So I, in my "we don't got no discernible seasons" way, headed up to Illinois in mid-October without a coat. Promptly upon my arrival the weather, of course, turned more seasonable. I were then cold. And coatless.

I drove my car, a nice little Mercury Milan, down to Navy Pier on Lake Michigan. A place that was rightly dead on a Wednesday mid-morning and, if anything, colder than my hotel in Rosemont. Brrrr-lacious!! I walked around some, enjoying the stained glass exhibit and having a great view of Lakeshore Drive. It would have made a great picture except for the fact that my camera was in my desk at home.

I had a nice, leisurely 45 minutes or so there, where I did buy a t-shirt with a good double entendre which I intend to wear next time I have to fly Southwest, the only airline without a dress code that enforces one anyway. It shows a cloud, complete with old man winter face, with his cheeks puffed out and wind being breathed into a boats' full sails. It says: "Sailors get blown offshore". Heh heh heh. Anyway, I was in a short sleeve silk shirt, both cold and bored, so I figured to move on. An hour ten minutes, and $16 parking fee after arriving, I was back on the road. Headed north. I may as well point out that after buying my wife a new, touch screen Garmin GPS, I was now free to travel with the old GPS. Which I was. I punched up "North Chicago" and haded for the navy base where I learned Basic Electronics. And that marching to the Exchange after a long day at school because the class leader needed a new label maker gun was not, in fact, negotiable.

So I drove up, found the base, got a day pass and headed in. Straight to the NEX, where I went in, found a nice coat for $24 that also had 25% off (taken at the register). That was $6 and some coinage taken off, so less than twenty bucks to get warm. I can deal. I decided that since I was here, I might as well have a good, hot meal at the Chief's club. Being that the base has been around since 1911 or 1921 or something, I was sure they had one and that it was nice. I was mostly wrong. But we'll get to that.

Since I had not been to Great Lakes (aka Great Mistakes) since 1980, and I was an E-3 back then, I had no idea where to look. So I approached a young CPO in line at the uniform center and asked where the CPO club was. He told me, "Forrestal Village, in the back, near the Autoport. We just built a new one." I did think it strange that the CPO club was in the housing area, but who was I to question. I went off in search.

It was not easy to find. And neither was the Autoport, so I stopped and asked. Several times, in fact. Everybody kept telling me that there was no club. When the lady at the Navy Lodge told me the same thing, adding that "it's been like a hundred years since there was a CPO club," I started getting discouraged. Then I told her, "I hate to be difficult, but a Chief told me there was a new one here. Can you tell me where the Autoport is and I'll look for it some by myself."

Fast forward through the minutiae of the search, and there I was, in front of a tiny little building with, of all things, a loading dock. And the words "THE GOAT LOCKER" stenciled on the door. I had found it. I walked in and there were 4 people, drinking and smoking in a most unfinished club. There were 3 stocked refrigerators and 4 televisions. 2 couches and a wet bar. Which, really, makes a CPO club. The other accouterments are just for atmosphere. I sat down and they all looked at me. I said, "Hi. Do you need to see my club card (military ID)?" They said no and handed me a brew. Then I looked at the guy I was seated beside and said, "Dang! You look familiar." "You too. What's your name?" "Ed Abernathy." "Yeah. Senior Chief Abernathy. FCCS. We were on Vincennes together in Yokosuka. I'm Josh. I was a third class Gunners Mate. Ummm... How in the HELL did you know about this place? It's only 2 weeks old. How did you get here??"

Before I left, I had a couple of hours old grilled hot dog. Tasted fine, but not the "Nice, hot meal" I had envisioned. And you know what? So what. Josh being there or not, I was with brothers.

Yep, it is a mighty small world. [Cue singing mouse and cricket .... it's a small world after all.... it's a small world after all...]

Semper Why, out

Ramblin' Ed