ID dilemma .. the solution.

Within the last week, I posted about my ID dilemma.  How I didn't really want to get a new one, but knew it was time.  So I was sucking it up and just going to take the plunge.

My frocking ID helped me understand
why paygrade and rank weren't
the same on the ID.

I also forgot to explain what "frocking" is.  Frocking is not a dirty word.. despite its close cousin with the U minus the R.  In the Navy, to advance to the next rank E4-E6, you have to take a test, and for E7 too, but that also requires some other stuff.  This is either in September or March.  You usually find out the results of your test a few months later.  If you are selected to advance, you are "frocked".  Which means you assume the responsibilities of that rank, but not the pay.  That usually comes even more months down the road, at which point you are actually your new rank, despite having been wearing it for the past 8 months.  It's a Navy only thing to my knowledge.  Being frocked is a bad time to get in trouble, because you are still actually the rank you're getting paid (not your new rank), so if you get bumped down in rank, you don't go back to where you were to start with, you go to the rank below what you were.

Back to the ID dilemma...  Let me show you what I had.

hehehehehehe.. this will always be my greatest ID photo.

This was the frocking ID photo that Miss Reflective witnessed.  I knew going in that it was going to be hard to beat this face.  For starters, I ended up with that face in the middle of making a bunch of silly faces, so this was definitely a by-luck face.

I felt like I needed to practice some faces.  So I made faces at Teh Bear, and he screen shotted them so I could see what they looked like.... and so I'd have something to blog about.

Crossed eye, not looking at the camera 

Crossed eye, kinda looking at the camera 

Both eyes crossed.

Teh Bear suggested that I just walk in with crossed eyes and stay like that for the entire appointment, because if I'm consistent with the look, then there's nothing wrong with looking like that on my ID.  Well, crossing my eyes isn't difficult, but holding the crossed eyes for long periods of time starts to make my head hurt, so I didn't do his idea.  He was slightly miffed, but it was just going to be too much work.

I walked to the CAC lab with my sleeves down, because the day prior I had gotten sweaty walking across base in my blouse with the sleeves rolled up and decided it needed to be washed, and since I'm not a sleeve rolling master, they stayed unrolled.  It was stupid hot on my walk, in the desert, across the entire base.  I'm glad they gave me a bit to cool down so my face wouldn't be all flushed.  I explained how much I was going to miss my old ID and they were kinda baffled.  Who misses their ID?  Then I told them it was all about the photo.  At which point, the PS looked at the ID card, started laughing, and instantly understood.  I mean scroll back up to that top picture..  You'd miss that too.

This ID photo only took 3 shots.  The first time, my head was turned to the side too much.  The 2nd shot, I looked too normal (yes, I just said that).  And then the final shot looked like this:

Teh Face full of winning.

Completely ridiculous.    I look like I might not have any teeth, which to me, makes it even more amusing.  This one isn't as funny as my frocking ID photo, but its still worth a chuckle.  When I showed my Chief, he just shook his head and walked away laughing.

There's a very undeniable "Teh Megan" head shake that certain people have.  Generally, my leadership/parents.  Like when I do something very Teh Megan, they just start shaking their head.  Not in a disappointed way, but in a not-really-surprised-she-would-do-something-like-that type way.  Teh Dad does it a lot.  It's usually followed with, "Oh, Megifer."  Which makes me laugh.

So, the ID dilemma has been solved.  I'm glad that it wasn't a painful experience, other than the heat.  It's rare to find an actual human being with a soul (in the military) that appreciate someone's desire to make other people laugh, even if it is just via an ID card.