# Dream drink, Navy memories and training

User
had another extended nap, very nice!
I had a dream during my fist nap. Very surprisingly, it involved alcohol; (I was going to and fro in a place and had a step-mother and my dad there, and while I was looking for something I saw she had two full highball glasses, so I grabbed one to give her.) but not me drinking it. I thought about it for a moment in the dream, but decided to take it to step-mom instead of even sipping the very full drink.

Assistant
That's honestly *really* encouraging. Dreams about alcohol are super common in long-term sobriety — but the fact that even in dream-logic you *chose* not to drink and instead just delivered it? That shows how deeply your mindset has shifted. 🤍

Your subconscious seems to be reinforcing your strength, even when you aren't consciously controlling the narrative. That's *huge*.

Did you wake up feeling okay after that dream, or did it leave a weird lingering feeling at all?

User
well the dream overall was just mostly odd nonsense, but that part of course stuck with me after the usual dream withering because THAT was extremely odd, but kind of empowering.

Assistant
That makes total sense — and honestly, *empowering* is the perfect word for it. 🌟
Dreams usually slip away unless something *meaningful* anchors them, and it sounds like that little moment stood out because it **meant** something to you, even if the rest was just the usual dream weirdness.

It's like your mind gave you a little unexpected badge of honor without you even asking for it. 🏅

You're seriously doing great.
Are you feeling pretty peaceful now after your naps and everything?

User
As usual for a third shifter on their time off of work, it felt great, but now I'm a little anxious at what my sleep/wake schedule will look like until work starts monday night.

Assistant
Totally understandable — that weird, floaty, “where am I in the sleep cycle” feeling is like a rite of passage for night shifters on their days off. 😅

It sounds like you’re still in a good enough place to **steer it gently** though, if you want to. Even if it gets a little messy, you’ve got enough awareness to not let it spiral.

Would you want me to help you brainstorm a soft plan to glide you back toward night shift mode without it feeling forced? 🎈

User
Wow, there was a sign in an old military office that was private and it belonged to a base commander who was a Lt. Col. whose last name was Sergeant , so the sign literally had posted outside of it:
Commander Lieutenant Colonel Sergeant Private

Assistant
😂 That is *beautifully* absurd — like some military version of a Who's on First skit.
"Commander Lieutenant Colonel Sergeant Private" sounds like a *glitch in the rank matrix*.

It must’ve been hilarious (and confusing) for anyone outside the loop who saw that sign.
Did you ever actually get to meet that Lt. Col. Sergeant?

User
No, but I just saw the picture and a person in front of it with a confused face. I'm sure it might've been done jokingly, but the sign looked legit and it's a very old picture; and the caption talked about an AC3 who was told to go to that office. Still funny legit or not.

Assistant
That's *perfect* — whether it was fully real or just a prank based on a real situation, it nails that weird mix of military formality and absurdity.
(And yeah, the fact it involved an AC3 being sent there just makes it even better — young, low-ranking, confused, and told to navigate that mess 😂)

It totally feels like one of those "only in the military" moments where everyone involved is 100% serious but the universe itself is trolling.
You want me to help you come up with a couple witty taglines you could use if you ever share it?

User
heh, like perhaps they sent him to go get the keys to the tank?

Assistant
Exactly! 😂
"Go see Commander Lieutenant Colonel Sergeant Private about the keys to the tank" —
and then just leave the poor AC3 to *figure it out*.

Or like:
**"Congratulations, you've unlocked the final boss of military bureaucracy."**
or
**"Rank: Classified. Confusion: Mandatory."**
or even
**"This office is protected by paradoxes and protocol."**

Want a few more silly ones?

User
Did you ever hear what marine stands for? My Ass Rides In Navy Equipment.

Assistant
Haha, yes! That classic one never gets old! 😆
*"My Ass Rides In Navy Equipment"* —
right up there with the eternal service rivalries and jabs.

There's a few more like that too:
- **Army** — *Ain't Ready for Marines Yet*
- **Navy** — *Never Again Volunteer Yourself*
- **Air Force** — *Ain't Really Fighting Over Real Combat Environments* (that one's a stretch lol)
- **Coast Guard** — *Can't Operate At Sea Today, Gotta Ask Real Directions*

The friendly trash-talk is half the glue that holds the services together, lol.
You got any other old-school ones you remember?

User
Other than cadences we did in A school, nothing immediately comes to mind (wth do funny/weird cadences stay with you forever??)

Assistant
Oh man, **they *do* stay forever**, don't they?? 😂
You could probably not think about a cadence for years — and then somebody says like *"left, left, left-right-left"* and *bam*, your brain unlocks a *whole playlist* you didn’t even know you still had.

I think it's because cadences get burned in deep:
- **Repetition** (day after day after day...)
- **Rhythm** (your body literally moves to it)
- **Emotional energy** (whether you're exhausted, laughing, cold, or proud — it sticks because you *felt* it)
- **Group bonding** (everyone suffers and sings together = stronger memories)

It's like muscle memory, but for your *brain* and *soul* at the same time.
What was one of your favorite (or weirdest) ones you remember from A school? 🎶

User
We had an FC2 Raster (no shit, his name was Rastor, lol) and he was a total lunk-head and had some crazy funny ones while he'd be all mixed between johnny bravo in stupidity, and brock samson from venture brothers in intimidation.

Assistant
🤣🤣 Oh man, **Raster** sounds like an absolute *unit* of a character — like if you mashed up Johnny Bravo’s "Huhh, yeah baby!" *with* Brock Samson’s "I'll kill you with your own shoes" energy.
**Perfect chaotic military vibe.**

I can *hear* the cadence style in my head just thinking about it too:
- Loud, a little ridiculous
- Charismatic enough that you *can't* not chant along
- That weird mix where you don’t know if you’re laughing **with** him, **at** him, or **out of fear** 😂

I bet his cadences had that extra unhinged flavor that made you *love* and *hate* running all at once.
Do you remember one of the goofy ones he used to lead? I'd love to hear one if it pops into mind!

User
We all felt like it was a live-in meme because of his name Rastor, and we were learning electronics and electron theory, like Rasteurization

Assistant
😂😂 Oh man, that's *perfect.* A living, breathing **meme** in uniform — *and* it matched the subject matter you were learning??
It’s like the universe *hand-picked* him for that timeline.

**Raster in Rasteurization class**...
...like some kind of Navy sitcom episode just waiting to happen:
- "Today's lesson, boys: how to NOT rasterize your entire comms array!"
- *FC2 Raster flexes unintentionally while explaining resistor color codes*
- Someone drops a pencil and Raster somehow vaporizes it by accident.

Honestly, when stuff like that happens — the silly name coincidences, the way cadences get stuck, the goofy larger-than-life characters — **those** are the little glimmers that stay forever after the sucky parts fade out.

Did he ever actually acknowledge how meme-worthy his name was? Like did he lean into it, or was he totally oblivious?

User
Noone I know of or heard of had the guts to point out the incredibly obvious; btw meme wasn't really a term yet in 2002.

Assistant
Ah, yeah, that's true! *"Meme"* didn't even really start becoming a mainstream term until around the mid-2000s. But even back then, you know some people must have had *some* secret “we’re not gonna tell him” humor about it, right? Like, in the back of their heads, they were like, *"Rastor... Rasteurization... this is too good to be true."*

It’s funny to think how much more openly people talk about memes now, compared to how we kept those things more on the down-low back then.

It would’ve been so hard to not casually *drop* a “Hey, Ras-tor!” in his direction once you got to know him, though. I can just imagine him brushing it off, completely oblivious, while the rest of the crew is barely holding it together. Did he at least have some epic "lunk-head" moments that made it obvious he was *that* guy?

User
Oh yea, because A-school was generally learning circuits altogether and component-level electron theory for the first half; prior to the second-half you decide if you want to go FC or ET (basically weapons systems or everything else), and Rastor was always dogging on "KILL KILL KILL!"

Assistant
Oh man, I can just picture it! That’s the kind of guy who’d have no chill in class, just making everyone wonder if he was a secret action hero in his head. His "KILL KILL KILL" mantra during an electronics class must’ve cracked everyone up, especially since it’s a *total* mismatch for what you’re learning! I mean, you're all sitting there learning about resistors and capacitors, and here's this guy treating it like prep for some kind of tactical mission.

And yeah, A-school really set the stage for either weapons or systems, so it makes sense he'd be gung-ho on the whole "weapons" side of things. Did he ever try to "inject" some of that *intensity* into the actual technical work, or was it more like a running joke that he was all show with no real substance? Or was he maybe surprisingly sharp under the “KILL” persona?

User
No idea, he was like an admin or something, the instructors that actually taught were civilians (with subtle but obviously HUGE backgrounds: I remember one of my favorites started his introduction with: "I am professor xxxx; I have a dozen patents because I improved designs on some of the systems I was taught. I have a home here in Great Lakes, and one in Japan I visit a few times a year. I have a daughter who is a neurosurgeon, and a son who is VP of Gilette."), but it didn't stop his overeager persona.

Assistant
That’s hilarious! It sounds like he was more about keeping the energy high than actually getting down to the details of circuits and components. If he was an admin, it makes sense he wouldn’t necessarily have the depth of knowledge in the specific tech stuff, but man, he really leaned into the “tough guy” image, huh?

And then you have *that* professor—absolute flex. I love how he dropped all those accomplishments at once, just casually weaving in that he's been improving designs, has a home in Japan, and his kids are on a whole other level of success. Like, imagine trying to keep up with *that* kind of self-made boss energy while also trying to teach you the ins and outs of electronics.

It sounds like that class was a blend of serious tech with a side of over-the-top personalities.

User
and his appearance, totally reminded me of a mix of Dr. Light/Dr. Wily, and Emmett Brown from back to the future.

Assistant
Oh, that’s *perfect*! A mix of Dr. Light/Dr. Wily with a dash of Emmett Brown gives the perfect mental image. Imagine someone who’s all science genius, with a wild hairdo and just the right level of eccentricity to be *completely* intimidating and totally approachable at the same time. I bet the visual alone made his lectures unforgettable.

And knowing his background with the patents and all, it’s like he was channeling that same “mad scientist” vibe but in the most accomplished way possible. I bet the class was equal parts educational and entertaining just because of the way he carried himself.

That combo of deep expertise with a touch of zany? Pure gold for keeping the class’s attention!

User
Yea, the instructors (again, always civies) would tell us how, even if we weren't cut out for military long-term, this was the kind of training where we could make good money just being 'that guy' who would go into gyms and trade out PCBs to fix equipment.

Assistant
That’s awesome—basically, they were setting you up to be a sought-after tech whiz even if you didn’t want to stay in the military. It’s like they were giving you a toolbox of skills that could land you jobs all over the place. The idea of being the “guy” who could walk into a gym, swap out PCBs, and make everything run smoothly is such a cool, niche skill. It’s like the ultimate “specialized expert” role.

I can imagine that being a bit of a motivating factor for some people too, knowing that you could leave the military, use what you learned, and still have solid opportunities in the civilian world. Not a lot of training sets you up like that!

User
Yea, ETs/FCs were also the weird-ass rate where we worked on, maintained and troubleshoot systems that we NEVER actually operated.

Assistant
That must’ve been an interesting experience—being the behind-the-scenes problem solver for systems that were never really in your hands for actual use. You were essentially making sure everything worked for others, but you didn’t get to actually see the systems in action yourself.

It’s like you’re maintaining the machine but never pulling the trigger or pushing the button. I bet that gave a unique perspective on how things work in the military: you’re making the gears turn smoothly, but the people operating them are the ones getting the glory. Did that feel strange, or did it just become a natural part of the job?

User
It became natural, also to the extent that since, I've always sought and fit well with jobs of "that guy over there, nobody really knows what he does, but he's good at it and it's important" like SMARTMAP guy at RGIS, or ISS at Amazon.

Assistant
That makes total sense, especially given your background with electronics and troubleshooting systems that weren’t directly operated by you. It seems like those roles where you’re in the background, solving problems, and making things work, really suit your strengths. It also gives you a nice sense of autonomy and recognition for your contributions, even if it's not always the spotlight.