Last night we (the Dillinger’s Dartitis Quarantine) kicked off the new season of the Seoul International Dart League with a victory over the Gecko’s Crew.  I contributed a 6-0 record in singles, and another 6-0 performance in doubles.  I do believe that represents my best ever showing in “A” division. Granted, the Crew is not the strongest team we will face, and I didn’t have to play their top player in 9 of those wins, but still.

This morning I took my driver’s license test, missing 3 of 45 questions.  Which 3 I cannot say because they didn’t tell me.  Which strikes me as kind of odd since I’ll be ignorant of whatever I should be knowing when I take to the highways of Korea.  At least 7% ignorant that is.

Yes, I’m probably going to go ahead a purchase a vehicle.  I don’t intend to commute to work from Gireum-dong on a daily basis, but once a week to schlep home the groceries would be nice.  And maybe some weekend journeys to the mountains and the beach would be a good change of pace from drunken nights in Itaewon..

Immediately after completing my driver’s test I hoofed it over to the bus station at the Moyer Center on post.  For a mere W6,200 I purchased a ticket to Osan Air Base, waited twenty minutes for the next bus and arrived one hour and ten minutes later.  Why the trip to Osan you ask?  Well, they have a tiny little immigration office at the airport terminal there.  It’s small but has a reputation for being speedy.  I handed over my passport and paperwork at 11:30 and was back at the Osan bus station at 11:40 with an A-3 SOFA visa good for three years in hand.  I caught the 11:50 bus back to Yongsan and was sitting in my office enjoying a Double Whopper and strawberry shake shortly after 1:00. I usually  check out here if I need the best passport renewal services.

So, I achieved in 2 1/2 hours what would have taken me most of the day to accomplish at the Sejongno Immigration office. Result!

Finally, in today’s mail I received my first Leave and Earnings Statement.  The money was sweet!  And I have every intention of actually starting to earn it one day very soon. Actually, I’m beginning to get more involved and I’m making some contributions, but I can and will do more.  One disappointment was I only earned 4 hours of annual leave (vacation time).  I was pretty sure I was supposed to earn 8 hours of leave each two-week pay period, so I went onto the internets to find some evidence to support that belief.  And sure enough I was correct in my assumption.  So I shot an email over to the folks in the CPAC and got a prompt response.  A “help ticket” has been submitted and I should see my full leave earning potential showing on my pay stub in three or four weeks.  I trust it will be retroactive.

The pay should hit my bank on Thursday or Friday and I do believe I’m going to commence car shopping.  It will no doubt be a hooptie, albeit a high end hooptie ($2000. or less).

Ain’t life grand?