Boots for Camp

  Amy is so excited, with boot camp just  two days away, she has to choose the boots to take.  She considers herself somewhat of a "fashion diva" so this is really exciting.  She has spent the last 3 weeks collecting a closet full of boots!  She has Alligator (only $18.00 at Goodwill), Uggs, flat boots, boots with heels, sturdy boots, cowboy boots, the list goes on!  This is the day to begin to choose the perfect boots to take to camp.
  Amy wakes up and smiles to herself," I am going to knock them dead!  No one will come close when it comes to boot sense."  She jumps out of bed and heads to the kitchen to prepare a hearty breakfast.

  Luke, her little brother, is standing in the doorway with a sleepy look on his face and hair standing in every direction.

  "Good morning Lukie, did you sleep well?"

"Don't call me that, I hate when you call me that!" 

"Wow, did we get up on the wrong side of the bed or what?"

  "No, I just don't like being called Lukie."

  "Well let's start over. Good morning Luke, did you sleep well?"

  Luke looks at Amy and rolls his eyes, "You're such a dork, are you still collecting boots?"

  "What is that supposed to mean?  I have the best collection of boots in all of Mississippi.  They will probably give me a medal or something." 

  Luke just walks away laughing and Amy is left to wonder what eleven year old boys think about.

  Amy finishes breakfast and gets out the largest piece of luggage she owns.  She starts choosing the boots that she thinks are sure to impress the Big Brass.  Her camp is in South Carolina and it is Mid-October so she goes to the Internet and checks the weather for the area.  It's still pretty warm so Amy picks the fashion boots over the warm lined boots!  She decides on a pair of tall, sexy black boots, cuffed red boots with a 3 inch heel and of course the Alligator cowboy boots that are sure to impress even the toughest Sergeant!

  The big day arrives and Amy is on a plane to South Carolina.  After landing and finding a cab she goes to the army base.  Amy is wearing the Alligator boots and a cute gaucho skirt.  She knows she looks "hot."  She is directed to intake and goes into a big gym type room.  There are about forty other recruits standing around talking and waiting to sign in.  She catches the eye of a tall dark haired guy that is smiling down at her.

  "So...you look like your dressing up for one last hurrah!"

  "Huh?" Oh, yeah, you like them? I got them at Goodwill for eighteen bucks.Thought maybe I'd get a leg up on the competition! So... where are your boots?" 

  The cute guy continues to smile down at her and says with a slow southern drawl, " I guess I'll just have to wait until I get my issue."

  Amy smiled perplexed, "What kind of issue is that?"

  The guy just laughed and said, "Whats your name cowgirl, I think I want to get to know you better.  This whole Army thing is looking up."

Amy just grinned and said, "Thanks pardner, the name is Amy, Amy Riener." 

"Hello Amy,  I'm Jack, I gotta go but let me know if the boots help. See ya around."

  Amy, waited her turn and seemed to get a lot of stares because she was the only one with a suitcase big enough for a month stay in a foreign country.  Finally, "Amy Riener," boomed over the loud speaker. Amy jumped up and,  with as much panache as you can have while hauling a huge suitcase on wheels, she strolled to the desk.

  "Hi, I'm Amy Riener," the receptionist was in uniform and looked at Amy over the top of her wire framed glasses.

    "To your left Ms. Riener, you can leave your luggage in the holding room." 

"Holding room?"

  "Yes, Ms Riener, just sign it in, you can retrieve it on your way to your assigned barracks. You do have someone to take that thing home don't you? Your storage space won't accommodate such a large piece of luggage."

  "Uh..no, I didn't realize that we wouldn't have sufficient closet space."

  "Closet space?" Ms. Riener, I believe there may be a lot you didn't realize. Please check in your luggage and continue to intake."

  Amy was a little confused but smiled her brightest smile and went across the hall to check in her luggage. She was given a little tag and sent to the intake room. It was cold and rather sterile. A unsmiling military nurse told her to fill out some paper-work and strip down for an exam.

  "Oh I already had my physical, didn't you get the paper-work?"

  The nurse looked perturbed,"This is for uniform size, weight, height, you know... general health on intake.  Just routine stuff."

  "Oh, uh, thanks."  Amy stripped down and put on a gown another nurse got her height and weight and sent her to get dressed.  Her clothes were in a little pile and her Alligator boots were parked on top of them, beside  them were camo-pants and top and the absolute ugliest black boots Amy had ever seen. Surely they did  not expect her to wear those boots, someone must have mistaken her room for one of the guys.

  She peeked out of the door and cleared her voice, "Harrumph, excuse me ma'am, I think there has been a mistake. Someone put the wrong clothes in my room." 

  The nurse looked up with something just short of a sneer, "Oh really? What did you think you were going to wear here Ms. Riener? Gucchi?

  " Uh, no but these are for a guy, I think."  She kept picturing the woman at the reception desk. She at least had a skirt and some ugly pumps.

  "Everyone gets their combat camo and boots on intake Ms. Riener."

  " Please get dressed and report to the first door on the right to get your barracks number."

  Amy was more than a little humiliated. "How was she supposed to know that they expected her to dress like a guy." She hurried and dressed and went to get her cabin number.

  As Amy walked out of the exam room she saw Jack leaving. She ran to catch up.

. "Hey Jack,  whadda ya think?  Can I rock a uniform or what?"

  Jack smiled and said, "Well it's not Prada but it'll do."

  "Everyone here is sort of snooty, I thought camp was supposed to be fun." 

  Jack turned and looked at her like she was crazy. "Fun? Where have you been hiding all my life? Amy, this is boot camp they are going to do their best to make you wish you were home with your Momma in the next few weeks.  I think someone may have forgotten to fill you in on a few details about the army."


So.... Jack proceeded to fill her in on the reality of "boot camp"  Amy was shocked. It never occurred to her that boot camp had very little to do with boots, but... there were a lot of cute guys and how hard could it be?  No one could  Zumba like Amy Riener and all that training would just make her look better than ever in those camo pants!!