november:
02nd
BONITA's b-day
04th
ADRI's b-day
11th
SABA's b-day
veteran's day
13th
JUBAILE's b-day
22nd
PAM's b-day
24th
ERIKA's b-day
26th
KALEN's b-day
27th
thanksgiving day
28th
DAVINA's b-day
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WEDNESDAY 19TH NOVEMBER 2008
10:09-PM-(UTC/GMT -6 hours)
"'Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away.'"
-- MATTHEW 24 : 35
I had the privilege of taking a dear friend to dinner tonight just a day or so after she returned to America from a year long deployment to Iraq. I met AGNES in Korea; she was one (01) of the platoon leaders in the company when I arrived. We bumped into each other during a field exercise in November, just a month after I arrived. Anyway, she managed to convince her platoon sergeant to let my section stay in her tent for a night because the NCOIC of my section insisted we set up our shop van instead of the tent we'd be sleeping in. I was a staff sergeant at the time but he, as a sergeant first class, wasn't really listening to reason when I suggested we start on the tent first in case we ran out of daylight. Sure enough night fell and light discipline was called for. As a result, we ended up cramming into another platoon's tent. Embarrassing? Yup.
Anyway, she and I worked together from time to time. She was always upbeat and positive. I ended up running with her on the weekends to help her improve her run time. I was more than happy to do it since she had been there to cheer me, and just about anyone and everyone in the company, up on numerous occasions.
I can't recall when I caught up with her via the trusty internet, but I did while she was deployed as part of a military training team in Iraq. We talked via instant message and I was pleased to recently learn she was headed back to America and Fort Riley. I always get a kick out of seeing friends from past places. She arrived only a couple of days ago. I headed from the company to pick her up and we were off to the Cracker Barrel. She started in on stories from her very first deployment. Aside from us both being deployed, we'd also both picked up another rank since we'd last see each other in the "Land of the Morning Calm".
After only slight miscommunication as to where she was staying on post, we made our way to the restaurant. It was breakfast all the way. I had the French toast breakfast and she had a newly feature skillet breakfast. We talked and caught up. She said she'd be here a few months before heading off to a school which would put her in Georgia for almost a year. Even though her stay here won't be for a long while, I'm glad to be able to see my friend again and catch up. I know she'll be in the States and a much more convenient phone call away and she knows the same when it comes to me. But I hope to move on from Kansas in the months to come so it not problem that she's just passing through. She doesn't have a rental car just yet so I offered to take her around when and if she needs a ride here or there. It's the least I can do for one (01) of the handful of people who lifted my spirits while in Korea and continually encouraged me. That was a tough assignment for me being a freshly minted staff sergeant and thrust into the position of platoon sergeant halfway through the tour. Managing over sixty (60) Soldiers can get frustrating to say the very least and I didn't have mentors to help me along the way. It was pretty much a trial by fire. I think I did fairly well though. But day in and day out AGNES was one (01) of the people who made the time seemingly fly by as well as a great deal more bearable.
I won't be riding on the roll out tomorrow. I was supposed to be in Indiana for training on a new piece of equipment this week but the paperwork didn't go through in a timely manner so at the end of last week the trip fell through. Therefore, I was added to the roll out matrix to ride in a vehicle. Before the day ended yesterday however, my platoon leader called to ask if he could take my spot. He was on leave when it was being planned so he wasn't slotted to ride in any of the vehicles. I, of course, obliged him. I've done my share of roll outs and convoys; he needed to ride along and have a taste of that. Yes, no argument whatsoever about not being included tomorrow morning. I have a few tasks I need to take care of and tomorrow morning will be an ideal time to knock them out.
Well I have a nice French toast breakfast in my stomach and I'm beginning to yawn. That's an ideal recipe for a good night's sleep indeed.
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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TUESDAY 18TH NOVEMBER 2008
10:11-PM-(UTC/GMT -6 hours)
"GOD called the light 'day', and the darkness He called 'night'. And there was evening, and there was morning--the first day."
-- Genesis 01 : 05
"AGNES, ...
... welcome back! I'm so glad your tour in Iraq has come to an end. What will you do while hanging around here? How long will you be at Riley? Call me when you get semi-settled and I'll take you out for a coming home meal. Yes, I still enjoy a good meal! And I'd be more than happy to share a meal with you. Well, not my meal, but "the" meal. You know what I mean.
So you have a deployment under your belt and the TT mission in your records so you won't have to do it again anytime soon. I know you learned a lot and are much better now for the experience. I'm sorry you had the hardship of troubled working relationships but it only made you stronger and strengthened your ability to work with people whether you like them a lot or not so much. I know though that it must have bruised your tender heart to have to witness such a division of your team. But hey, it's now in the past and all those memories are ones you can look back on and learn from.
I'm very proud of you and I can't wait to see you again after these couple of years. We've both been promoted and have both been deployed since we last saw one (01) another. I'll congratulate you and you can congratulate me and then we can begin catching up and talking about our individual plans for our futures. I hope your future involves being stationed in Germany after your schooling; I know how much you want to head there. I want to be overseas too. And GOD-willing, once I an selected, do a couple years of training at Fort Bragg, and have settled in at my SF group (hopefully at Fort Lewis, Washington) I'll be able to head to Japan for a couple of years. But that's a long way in the future and dependant upon all of those "if"s. You're much more likely to go to Germany in a year than I am to see the SF battalion in Japan in two (02) and a half years.
Again, congratulations! Be proud of your accomplishment; you truly made history during your time in Iraq. You performed your job, held your own, and didn't give up. And now you're finished and back in America; I know at times you didn't think it'd ever happen. The days became long and you became tired of seeing the same faces and the sand. But you survived and have come out improved on this, the other side. *squeeze* Here's to you! Give me a call when you're able."
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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MONDAY 17TH NOVEMBER 2008
9:19-PM-(UTC/GMT -6 hours)
"But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."
-- Galatians 05 : 22 & 23
"Enter This Temple"
Leeland
We are saved in a world that’s lost
All our hope rests in Your cross
God of Strength, our weakness shows
We need You
We need You, LORD
FATHER, enter this temple
Come touch Your people
We need to be where You are
And children living as their Father
Washed in pure water
We need to be like You are
We are searching for Your presence
We are knocking on Your door
Let Your wings cover us with promise
For communion
For communion
FATHER, enter this temple
Come touch Your people
We need to be where You are
And children living as their Father
Washed in pure water
We need to be like You are
To be like You are
To be where You are
FATHER, come touch Your people
To be like You are
To be where You are
FATHER, enter this temple
Come touch Your people
We need to be where You are
And children living as their Father
Washed in pure water
We need to be like You are
To be where You are
To be like You are
To be where You are
To be like You are
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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SUNDAY 16TH NOVEMBER 2008
3:03-AM-(UTC/GMT -6 hours)
"Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters."
-- Romans 14 : 01
I just recently returned from downtown Manhattan, a place which is called "Aggieville". CHRIS and I headed out there to watch the UFC fight. BROCK lesnar was fighting 3-time UFC Champion RANDY couture. There was standing room only in all the restaurants and bars which boasted the pay-per-view event on their screens. After a brief dinner at the Pita Pit we ducked into Tubby's to see the action. There was a few undercard matches before the main event which weren't bad. The main event however was short. BROCK caught him good and sent him to the mat before pouncing on him and hammering him with his fist. The fight was called just a few seconds afterwards. So BROCK has now claimed the championship belt. Of course, it's almost common knowledge there will be a rematch. I was the designated driver for the night. I didn't even drink water throughout the night. I think I drank a root beer at the Pita Pit.
It was well after midnight when CHRIS and I decided it was time to head back to our respective houses. Ten (10) minutes later, after he'd managed to close out his tab at the bar and I drove down a couple of streets, we were on the side of the road in front of a police car. The officer walked up to his window and knocked on it. He looked over to me and said that I'd almost been hit by a car going through an intersection and then turned into the middle of the street. I told him I didn't recall the intersection incident nor did I recall turning into the middle of the street, but that I was conversing and could have been distracted. He asked me to walk back to his car and have a seat inside. He then asked me how much I'd had to drink; I told him nothing but that my passenger had been drinking throughout the night. He asked me the usual questions: "Student or Soldier?", "How long in the Army?", "Rank?". He let me off with a written warning. I was relieved. The humorous thing about the whole ordeal was that as I was walking back to his car I was trying to think if I'd drank even a little bit of alcohol during the night. Nope. Not a drop.
Afterwards CHRIS and I discussed how easily it was to receive a driving while intoxicated (DUI) citation. I wasn't driving excessively erratic, at least I didn't think so. But if I'd had even a drop of alcohol I probably would have been over the limit. And even so, I was able to confidently and honestly answer no to the question. I don't know how many times Soldiers in the unit has been caught driving while intoxicated, even less than ten (10) hours after having received a directive from commissioned officers not to do so. If I'd have drank and been caught it'd would have pretty much been over for me. A Soldier getting caught is one (01) thing, but a senior noncommissioned officer; that's a whole different thing entirely. Just the shame of having to face my commander, first sergeant, and platoon sergeant would crush me. It's not something I'd easily be able to bounce back from and in fact might cause me to decide to get out of the Army instead of reenlist. But I don't have to worry about getting caught; I don't drink so there's no way that thought or fear would enter my mind as I drive down the street.
I headed to Wal-Mart after dropping CHRIS off at his house. I do my shopping in the middle of the night in order to miss the packed parking lot and store aisle. I suppose I have a couple of anti-social bones in my body; what can I say, I enjoy my privacy and being alone. I'm quite comfortable in my own company for hours upon hours at a time. Now it's time to get some shut-eye.
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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SATURDAY 15TH NOVEMBER 2008
6:01-PM-(UTC/GMT -6 hours)
"But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that."
-- 01 TIMOTHY 06 : 06 - 08
Two (02) years ago I'd just arrived here at Fort Riley. While in South Korea I called my branch manager to ask if I was too late to have a request to head to Fort Riley honored. I'd received an email while in the Philippines that there was an open slot for my rank and MOS at Redstone Arsenal, Fort Riley, and Fort Stewart. I wanted to deploy as soon as possible upon returning from Korea so I choose Fort Riley after discovering they would be deplopyed when I arrived and I'd be able to follow on. That's what happened, although ultimately I ended up leaving in January, a couple months after I thought I would. I wanted to hit the ground at the end of October and be in Iraq before Thanksgiving. Of course, it wasn't the first time my own plans haven't worked out the way I originally intended.
WEDNESDAY 15TH NOVEMBER 2006
4:59-PM-(UTC/GMT -6 hours)
"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I'll fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me."
-- Psalm 23 : 04
Day two (02) of in-processing went well, I have a nice cotton wad taped over the site of my influenza shot site to prove it. My plan was to take a nap, get dressed, and head to the Cracker Barrel for a plate of French toast. I haven't really gotten that plan into motion. I did wake up though, but I'm still wearing my ACU pants and am a little groggy. I'm sitting here kind of watching television and sending text messages back and forth with MAGGY. I'll still be good if I get moving in another hour. I might even head into Manhattan to see if I can find a theatre. I might head down Washington Street and do a couple of loads of laundry at the laundry mat later. But I don't know, if I go eat, and try to include a movie, I'll be washing awfully late into the night and I have a long day of briefings ahead of me tomorrow. It's a day of preparations for those who are going to deployed or deploying units. So yes, I'll be there tomorrow morning and pretty much throughout the entire day.
Today was productive. I have an internet appointment on Friday afternoon and the stuffage I had shipped from Korea will be delivered next Tuesday. I'm hoping I'll be able to move into my temporary barracks quarters tomorrow afternoon and close out my time here at the Ramada. I'll spend Saturday morning getting settled in; I won't unpack everything though considering I'll be leaving in a couple of months and will have to box things up anyway before deploying to meet up with the unit in Iraq. My computer will be unpacked, of course and some movies and clothing. And if I need anything I'll gingerly open other boxes to fetch what I need day-to-day.
So essentially I only have to attend the briefings tomorrow and get my gear issued to me Friday. I'm going to have to arrive as soon as possible Friday morning in order to squeeze a little appointment in before lunch and then be back at my barracks room in the afternoon for my internet hookup. By this time tomorrow I should be finished in-processing and moved into my barracks room anticipating my delivery on Tuesday. If Friday comes together I'll be more than relieved. Saturday I'm planning on heading into Missouri to spend some time in Independence. I believe this is the weekend ADRI is going to Florida so she won't be around for lunch or dinner, but I'm still going to head there to spend a day; I'll catch a movie or two (02), browse some stores, try a new restaurant.
Now I'm thinking I might just get some food and do laundry instead of trying to squeeze in all three (03) and paying for it tomorrow morning. I guess it's either eat and do laundry or eat and go theatre hunting in Manhattan. The site of my influenza inoculation is throbbing. He really stuck me, it's as if he was throwing a dart. He brought his hand back and then jammed the needle in my arm. And it's high on my arm, almost on my shoulder, weird.
Okay, no more putting it off, it's time to get up, throw some clothing on, and figure out what I'm going to eat for dinner. I know I should just go with the Cracker Barrel since I wanted it earlier during lunch but it didn't work out. Anyway, I'm out.
After leaving the Ramada and moving into a barracks room I quickly learned that I wouldn't be deploying as soon as I orginally thought. As it turned out I stayed through Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the turn of the year. I was in the middle east though on the last day of January. I didn't head home for Thanksgiving. The day after I drove to Illinois to meet a good friend who I'd been in contact and communnication with soley via the internet. It was a spur of the moment kind of thing. Oddly enough, I haven't heard from her since leaving the very next day. It turned out she was busier than she initially though. I guess she was disappointed by me after seeing me in person. Who knows. But she didn't return my phone calls soon after and I haven't heard from her since then. I imagine she just figured I didn't fit in her world. It wasn't the first time. No worries though. I suppose the season of our friendship came to a close. It was unfortunate though, we'd been friend for many years.
And now I've been stationed here in Kansas for over two (02) years. My, my. It's time to move on. I've met great people here and there are enough in the unit to make the days enjoyable. But still, I've worn out my welcome here in Kansas. Ha!
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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FRIDAY 14TH NOVEMBER 2008
7:03-PM-(UTC/GMT -6 hours)
"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."
-- JAMES 01 : 02 - 04
Well, one (01) of my Soldiers and I should be leaving for Indiana next week to attend training on newly fielded equipment. It's not happening due to a little miscommunication and the slow movement of paperwork from reviewer to reviewer. No worries really, I'm pretty sure I'll be able to get the training via CD-Rom or just fiddle with it until I get the hang of it. I was really just looking forward to a few days away. That would've been nice to say the very least. I'm not even really sure what all is going on next week since I planned to be absent. I know there's a vehicle rollout on the 20th and I know I'm in charge of the platoon's APFT Monday morning. Other than that I'm not sure what's on the schedule. I do have my own personal and shop things to take care of. I need to get my Soldiers over to the civilian calibration shop in order to start training and learning about the equipment and shop operations. I also need to sit down with the commander and work on a plan to request a building. Personally, I have to get my dress uniform to the cleaners, pick up my new DLAB results, and start linking up with the SF guys for PT each morning. Yup, I'll be putting my Army PT uniform away for awhile and I'll be wearing the ACU and running shoes for SF trainup until I head to Fort Bragg again. ... In the cold.
But again, regardless of what's in store next week, I'm psyched about what Friday evening means, ... two (02) days off before another work week begins. That's always good. A full week is on the horizon before another short week due to the Thanksgiving holiday. I don't ever remember a year with so many four-day weekends and days off. I'm not complaining, but it just all seems too good to be true. What other profession includes so many days off?
I can safely say I'm out of the rut I was in for the past several weeks. I suppose I can say couple of months since September was rather rough and I haven't been totally confident in saying I can see the light at the end of the tunnel since a few days ago. But I'm growing and GOD is showing. I know I've a lot to work on still, but I feel better about once again diving in and attempting to stretch myself a little more and raise myself to higher and higher plains. It's tough to realize you've accomplished so much but on closer inspection know that you're plateaued, become comfortable and lazy, and haven't worked to accomplish all the things you planned three (03), six (06), or twelve (12) months beforehand. Though I've always had to struggle with my habitual procrastination, it really gets me down when days go by in which my Sundays to Saturdays boil down to nothing but going to work, coming home, sitting around, eating a little something and going to bed. Sure I work and do my duties throughout the day but with no time to take care of personal goals and working towards personal aspirations, life can feel rather hollow.
But I've been trying to look inward as well as recommit myself to improving my relationship with GOD. I know that the seasons aren't always lush and full of plenty and that I'm tested by the seasons of drought and by hardships. But through good and bad He has and will continue to remain faithful. I know I can't get through the hard times without his care and grace and compassion; at the same time, I know I shouldn't trust in myself and believe that I'm the sole reason for the good things I accomplish and encountre in my life. All comes from GOD for one (01) purpose or another, but ultimately His end game is to enrich our lives by bringing us closer to Him and leading us to realize our GOD-given potential and destiny.
I can only hope to, and learn to follow, His lead by doing what I'm able to live the best life I'm able according to His word. Once again I find myself facing tough decisions and potentially life changing events in the months to come. Where I'll be when it's all said and done, say in March, I'm not sure. I am sure, however, of His constant watch, patience, and grace, ... empahsis on the patience and grace; I'm always in need of those two (02).
So I won't give up on fighting to break bad habits, curb procrastination, and ultimately do what I'm able to improve my life by drawing closer to my GOD. Sometimes it's tough and sometimes I don't cover a lot of ground on my journey, but I believe a large part of any process or journey is simply being willing to begin to change once the realization that change is neccassary happens. That and trying to gather the neccassary resources to make the change happen. Good intentions go along way towards success. Though they are the beginning and action must follow, they provide the strong foundation to ultimately build success upon. So here's to the building of my foundation and here's to the beginning of theh process to improve through renewing of my committment to success through my personal Savior.
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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THURSDAY 13TH NOVEMBER 2008
10:33-PM-(UTC/GMT -6 hours)
"'I am the Good Shepard; I know My sheep and My sheep know Me--just as the Father knows Me and I know the Father--and I lay down My life for the sheep.'"
-- JOHN 10 : 14 & 15
"JUBAILE, ...
... it's your birthday! But I guess I don't have to tell you that huh? How are you on your very special day? It's been far too long. Far too long. I think about you often and hope you're doing very well. Get a hold of me and we'll set something up next time I'm in town. It probably won't be for a few more months, February or March perhaps.
I pray this new year brings much more happiness to your life. I'm proud of you for reaching your educational goals and I applaud you for remaining hungry for higher pursuits. Continue what you're doing JUBAILE! You have a lot to be proud of, you're doing great! I hope we can talk more in the near future. Happy birthday! You're going to have a great year, I just know it!"
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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TUESDAY 11TH NOVEMBER 2008
7:07-PM-(UTC/GMT -6 hours)
"If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone."
-- Romans 12 : 18
I did better than I figured I would on my APFT this morning. My run suffered a bit but I did it in the rain so I'm putting the weather on center stage as the reason for my 14:01.00 two (02) mile run time. It's still a score of over 90% for the event though so it's not a bad starting place considering I haven't done an APFT since July in ANCOC. The run is always the toughest part for me. I'm not a natural runner at all and I've always been prone to wander and daydream during the event. Daydreaming always means running slower. I have to force myself to stay in the moment and dig deep to gut it out. I'm shooting for a maximum score of one hundred (100) for the event; that means, according to my age group of twenty-seven (27) to thirty-one (31), I have to run the two (02) miles in 13:18.00 or less.
The general conscensus was that we'd work a half day since today is the holiday. And Veteran's Day is pretty much our day. Of course working on the holiday, being Soldiers, makes sense too as we're on duty 24/7. But taking a holiday on Friday and Monday doesn't exactly jive with that logic. Most of the installation was off today so trying to get things done with outside agencies on post was next to impossible. "Everyone" just kind of went through the motions at work, not really starting large projects or tasks, while waiting for the phone call with news of an early close of business. It never came. No worries though, it was just another day and since we had a break Monday it wasn't too big of a deal.
Veteran's Day. KLove was airing all kinds of Soldier's musings on the day as I listened to the raido coming into work this morning. It was good stuff. The annual American holiday honoring military veterans is both a federal holiday and a state holiday in all states so the entire Nation celebrates those who've served in the military along with those who are currently serving.
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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MONDAY 10TH NOVEMBER 2008
9:09-PM-(UTC/GMT -6 hours)
"No one has ever seen GOD; but if we love one another, GOD lives in us and His love is made complete in us. And so we know and rely on the love GOD has for us. GOD is love. Whoever lives in love lives in GOD, and GOD in him."
-- 01 JOHN 04 : 12 & 16
I'm still not completely over the Philadelphia Eagle's loss yesterday. The fact "The Unit" was really good later on that night helped a little bit, but today I was looking at the weekend's NFL highlights and watched highlights of the game thinking the outcome would be different. I'm glad that today was a day off and I didn't have to be disappointed right into a work day. Of course, there will be talk of the loss tomorrow; the wound just won't be quite as fresh.
Tomorrow should be a short day. Even though we had Friday and today off, the actual holiday, Veteran's Day, is tomorrow. Go figure. Most of the post will be closed but our battalion will be in to work. I don't think we're doing PT though. Oh, I know we aren't in fact since the PT roads will not be blocked off tomorrow morning. There are certain roads on post which are blocked off during PT hours each morning. But tomorrow, as most of the installation will be off, the roads will be open to traffic. The first formation will be at 8:00 at the motor pool. I'll be booking it to get finished with my APFT and get to formation on time. I should probably get to sleep soon if I expect to perform halfway desent tomorrow morning. I'm not too worried though, it's just a diagnostic APFT to see what kind of shape I'm in and what I need to work on. I don't expect to attain a perfect APFT score tomorrow. Of course, I do plan to do my very best and more sleep is conducive to "more best".
Though it's a short week, it'll be busy. I have to lock in a SFAS date this week, head to the education center to take another Defense Language Aptitude Battery, (This will scale my aptitude to learn a foreign language. I took on (01) a couple years ago but I want a "fresh" score in my records.) and I have to finalize TDY paperwork for my trip to Indiana next week for training on a newly fielded piece of equipment. Busy indeed. And it all begins bright and early with an APFT. There's nothing like beginning a work week with two (02) minutes of pushups and situps and a two (02) mile run!
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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SUNDAY 09TH NOVEMBER 2008
11:11-PM-(UTC/GMT -6 hours)
"Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that GOD has promised to those who love Him."
-- JAMES 01 : 12
All they needed was a touchdown. Even without the extra point my Eagles would have gone on top by a point. I'm more than disappointed. KEVIN curtis made the play of the game on fourth down: A sliding catch in the end zone to put them within five (05) points. It was a battle to say the very least. It wasn't even the Demps fumble which upset me the most; it was ANDY reid's play calling on third and short, and later fourth and short, which downright angered me. And it's not the first time the call to run the ball has gone in when having DONOVAN rolling out with the option to run or pass would have been the better call.
It's almost like coach Reid is throwing the game away when they have a chance to win. I can't even believe that game didn't go our way. It was a huge game too. It would have put the Eagles in contention not only to make the playoffs but to be on top of the always tough NFC East. Well, okay, it wouldn't be a sure thing but beating the Giants tonight would have made them 06-03, tied with the Redskins and a game behind the Giants in the division. Now they fall to 05-04, tied with the Cowboys.
I'm really, really disappointed and pretty much just want to go to sleep right now. I can't believe it! The Eagles are a great team. They're good. No team has killed them on the field. If anything it's because bad plays are called when it counts and they can't put the ball in the end zone. More than once this year they haven't been able to put the ball in the endzone from within the ten (10) yard line. The redzone issue was worst last year, but this squad's record isn't an accurate reflection of their talent. Dallas shouldn't have beaten them and neither should Chicago have beaten them.
Now it's pretty much "must-win" time for my team. It's frustrating being an Eagles fan because now, at the very least they must win the next three (03) games before going into New York to do battle against the Giants once more. And even if they come out of New York with a win their last three (03) games include two (02) powerhouses: Washington and Dallas, which just happen to be in the NFC East as well. Oh and the last three (03) games are kicked off when the Eagles welcome the Cleveland Browns into Lincoln Financial. Yes, the same Browns which served the defending Super Bowl Champion Giants their only loss so far.
There's a lot of "what-if's" involved now that the Eagles don't have a record like, say, the Giants. Not only must they win, but other teams need to lose. Needless to say the Redskins and the Cowboys need to lose, but so do other teams in the NFC. Atlanta and Chicago need to lose a bunch as well as Arizona and Tampa Bay.
I guess that's enough venting for the night. I'm exhausted. The game just ended on two (02) plays which never should have been called. DONOVAN and BRIAN are the playmakers, but you don't give it to BRIAN on a run. You have DONOVAN roll out and BRIAN hit the flat. You have DONOVAN bootleg and look for KEVIN curtis coming across the middle. And you certainly don't handoff to BRIAN when it fails the first time on fourth down, with no time outs left and the game on the line.
I'm going to sleep feeling dreadfully disgusted!
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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SATURDAY 08TH NOVEMBER 2008
1:10-PM-(UTC/GMT -6 hours)
"The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still."
-- Exodus 14 : 14
I was about a month into my second tour in Korea on this day three (03) years ago. I had left Alabama and taken leave in Texas before making the trip to the "Land of the Morning Calm" for the second time in my military career; this time, however, instead of being a private first class, I was a staff sergeant. Unfortunately I wasn't able to get a car, nor was I able to live off-post. I didn't bother to call ahead and see if things had changed since I was there in 2001. They had.
In 2004 all kinds of new policies were put in place, one (01) being that no Soldier under the rank of sergeant first class would be able to drive a privatelt owned vehicles, live off post, or draw an allowance for rations. The last meant I was issued a meal card. That translated into missing numerous meals at the dining facility, where the meal card is used, and having to purchase a meal somewhere else. So yes, that meant my meal card money was being taken out of my check and I was having to pay for the actual meal I ate.
Later in the tour I'd have to put up with those rules as a platoon sergeant. This meant having to make meetings, lose all kinds of sleep, and carry a virtual office in my backpack from one (01) place to another. In retrospect though it was all a fun learning experience.
TUESDAY 08TH NOVEMBER 2005
1:47-PM-(UTC/GMT +9 hours)
"Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling blocks in your brother's way. Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and mutual edification."
-- Romans 14 : 13 & 19
I'm up from my nap. Yesterday evening and last night and early this morning went well; it was a quiet shift. The Soldier I was pulling duty with (again) kept complaining and whining about possibly having to pull the duty until the Soldier being watched was processed out of the military. All his whining and complaining and cussing about the situation annoyed me just a little. But I let him do his venting as I kept reading my book. It was last night (Or maybe it was early this morning, I'm not sure, ... I should really buy a watch.) that I realized the different outlook I have regarding my current situation.
I'm holding fast to the dictum that I can't control all things, therefore, I shouldn't worry and get all wrapped up in them. Some things just are and some things simply must be done. To worry and whine and go on and on only serves to get worked up about something. And I can not afford to get all worked up and bent out of shape about anything and everything thrown my way. There is far too much selfishness in the Army. I suppose it's in the world too, but since the Army's a professional organization, it's frustrating to be aware of it's "inner" workings. There are too many Soldiers just trying to get what they think they deserve and forgetting (or not caring) that they are part of a much, much greater whole.
The first sergeant arrived early on in the shift and asked how long we'd be there. The Soldier jumped at the chance to let him know this was our second shift in a row and that we were on shift for twelve (12) hours and how he "thought" the shifts would be shorter. "Thought", right. He was just told where to be and nothing more. He knew all he needed to know as a Soldier. But he wanted to be slick about letting the first sergeant know just how "unfair" it was. He of course had no idea of the weekend we NCOs had. We hadn't had a break all weekend and we were on a stricter lock-down than the Soldiers. More is expected of us.
The first sergeant said the shifts would be shorted and pulled by more Soldiers. My platoon sergeant came upstairs right before PT and mentioned it too. I don't know if the plan has been instituted yet. I imagine I'll need to head to his office down at the motor pool to ask. Or I could just show up at the barracks at 5:15 as usual and begin to pull the shift. Maybe someone will come. Either way the first sergeant was upset because another Soldier who needed to be guarded wasn't being guarded at all. I don't mind pulling the shift. I think I'll just show up at my post as usual and if someone else shows up or is there, so be it.
It "looks" like I received my pay from back in June. I haven't been receiving my proper pay as a staff sergeant. I put in a couple of inquiries. Now my earnings statement is reflecting just over USD$1,100.00 as my mid month (each two (02) weeks) pay. It is still not as much as I figured it would be after calculating the difference between a sergeant's pay with over four (04) years and a staff sergeant's pay with over four (04) years. But I'll get to the bottom of things once I check out my end of month earnings statement and see that my rank has changed on the statement. But as of now I'm pleased my mid-month pay is a good USD$400.00 more than usual. I still think it should be a bit more from June to October though.
I am reading TED dekker's Black once more. I suppose I'll finish the trilogy once more. After all, there aren't too many things to do on a twelve (12) hour guard shift. I'm not sure why I opted to grab the first book in his Circle Trilogy instead of say something I haven't read, but I tore through most of it during the night and morning so I kept it in my bag.
I guess it was the book (I suppose you have to read it to understand.) qhich made me really come face to face with the realization that I truly want to make these last three (03) and a half years my last in the Army. I suppose I just want to know that if I wanted I could run off to Thailand or the Philippines and stay for a month or two (02) if I so desired. I try to explain to people how just the knowledge that you can "get away" or quit or make a drastic change is enough. That's a part of freedom, free will to do and go where you please. A Soldier sacrifices such freedoms. Just the knowledge that quitting or stopping or leaving is an option is liberating, even if you would never quit that job or leave that school or head to distant lands with nothing but a couple of bags of clothing and a few million baht. And while of course something could come a long to sway my decision, I'm pretty certain 2009 will be the year I transition from Soldier to civilian once more and end what will be eight (08) years and ten (10) months of my career in the military. All in all time well spent, but only as a detour on my way to something else.
Well, it's time to shower and begin what could be my short day before duty. I've resolved that I'll show up at my post outside the door as usual and see what happens. If I'm relieved so be it, if not, I'll carry on until the morning, business as usual. This time I'll try to get on more homework as I realized that sleeping more than twenty (20) minutes at a time is next to impossible. It's so hot in the hallway and the chair isn't exactly made for a good night's sleep.
TED dekker is now quite a few books past the Circle Trilogy, including another series which spun off that said collection. I have all of his books but three (03) I believe; and yes, I'm anxiously awaiting the next couple he'll put out next year. The triology was great company during those few nights sitting outside a Soldier's room. It all started quite innocently: All of a sudden a Soldier needed to be put on suicide watch and a volunteer was needed from a platoon. I volunteered to save from putting up with explaining to a Soldier why they must sit outside another's room. The forum it was brought up in was made up solely of NCOs. I didn't realize it would become my place of duty for so long. But I made the best of it.
It was all I could do not to do backflips when I was on my way out of Korea. Korea I loved, but the unit was wearing me down to say the very least. And now I've been here at Fort Riley for what seems forever, but has really only been a couple of years, not really counting the seven (07) months I spent in Iraq shortly after arriving here. It's time to move on once again. I suppose I'm spoiled, not having remained at a duty station for more than a couple of years. Fortunately I won't be stuck. I plan to head into the Special Forces world, but if that doesn't work out, I have other things in the works; ultimately though I have to reenlist in the months to come and am pretty sure I'll be able to reenlist to go somewhere else.
I haven't pulled guard duty on a Soldier since. I can't say as much for other Soldiers in the unit, but as a staff sergeant, and now a sergeant first class, I've been able to find just a couple Soldiers who I was able to put the task on. It's funny to read writings fro the past when I thought I'd be out of the Army on this date or that date. These days twenty (20) years is the plan; funny.
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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FRIDAY 07TH NOVEMBER 2008
7:43-AM-(UTC/GMT -6 hours)
"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from GOD? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor GOD with your body."
-- 01 Corinthians 06 : 19 & 20
"YVONNE, ...
... how are you? I haven't heard from you in a while. I'm not worried, as you always pop up sooner or later, just curious. What's going on? How are you and DAVE? What are the holiday plans? What are the plans for 2009? Yeah, I guess it's still maybe a month too early to be mentioning 2009, but it's going to come in a hurry!How's your brother and the rest of the family? I trust you're taking good care of each other.
Things have been crazy the last couple of months with work and adjustments seemingly every other day and Soldiers acting as if they have no sense or life skills at all. I loathe babysitting when it's grown adults I'm having to keep in line. Hopefully your life is becoming a bit simpler. Keep in touch. You're always more than welcome to email. I'm good though. Some things never change. Well, I just thought I'd leave you a message here to let you know I haven't forgotten you! Love you bunches sister! *squeeze* Keep me posted okay?"
"LAQUAWNA, ...
... I hope you're enjoying yourself in Texas! You happen to be in one (01) of the nicest places the state has to offer. I trust you'll have time to enjoy it inbetween your schooling. Take pictures and keep me posted; it seems as though I haven't talked to you in ages since you'd been in Japan for so very long. But since you're Stateside I expect to hear from you much more often. You know how to reach me. Whenever, if ever, you know I'll be there for ya.
Where will you go once your a certified dog handler? I hope it's a place you want to go, and maybe choose. You deserve to get what you want. You're in my thoughts LAQUAWNA. I can't say I'll get down there to visit; my schedule is kind of keeping me here, what with training up for a January SFAS appearance. You'll be out of there by February huh? Yeah, that's when I'll most likely be heading down to Texas! Nonetheless, you're still important to me. Ciao for now sister! Call me sometime."
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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THURSDAY 06TH NOVEMBER 2008
9:28-PM-(UTC/GMT -6 hours)
Listening - "MY DESIRE"-JEREMY camp Restored
"... Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD YOUR GOD will be with you wherever you go."
-- JOSHUA 01 : 09
It's the last day of the work week. Yes, another wonderful ninety-six (96) hours off. Since returning from the desert over a year ago it seems as if there's been at least one (01) four-day weekend a month. And a few months, like this month, have had a couple. What makes it even better is that I'm coming off an entire week of leave, next week will be an extra short week considering Veteran's Day is on Tuesday, and I'll be going to Indiana the next week for training on a piece of equipment; then, the next week will be short due to the Thanksgiving holiday. Truly, what other profession affords such time off with pay. Okay, I know, it involves being stationed places you might not want to be stationed and deploying and being awake at all hours of the day and night and out in all kinds of weather, ... it works for me anyway! It's nice to have all kinds of benefits and a definite paycheck coming in every couple of weeks.
This weekend I'll start my workout regiment. I joked to a buddy today that I'll be doing five hundred (500) push-ups each day. That probably will not happen, but I'll probably do about half that many each day as I ramp up to my daily workouts. The end of January is going to be here before I can blink twice; I want to be touching down in North Carolina knowing I've prepared as much as possible for the days ahead. Next Tuesday I'll be starting training in the mornings and not doing PT with my unit. So once again it'll be a couple of months not being in my physical training uniform as I'll do my training in the ACU with running shoes on. Fun! It's going to be so very cold too. But hey, I don't really have a choice so I shouldn't even begin to dread it. I wish I could appreciate the cold as I appreciate the heat.
I also have to draw up paperwork for the shop. That's not tough though. The ball is rolling in the direction of getting up and running again. Just today we have set our sites on getting a building; the building my section worked out of years ago is where we will begin since it's already built and it did meen the specifications of a calibration shop. Hopefully we'll be able to evict the current tenants with no big problems. More and more people are getting their hands in the pot concerning my section and getting things in place so that it can run at 100% for the first time in years. Yeah, I inherited quite the mess when I returned from the desert back in August of last year. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get out of here any sooner and now I'm stuck with it. But I'm going to make the best of it all and do what I can to get things headed in a much more positive direction.
But right now I'm going to get to sleep early. I really hit the ground running this week and I need to make sure I get extra sleep whenever I'm able so as not to burn out. These next four (04) days will be a nice mix of additional rest and planning for the months to come. I still can't believe 2009 is right on the horizon.
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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WEDNESDAY 05TH NOVEMBER 2008
9:28-PM-(UTC/GMT -6 hours)
"'Open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to GOD, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.'"
-- Acts 26 : 18
"If You Want Me To"
GINNY owens
The pathway is broken
And the signs are unclear
And I don't know the reason
Why You brought me here
But just because You love me
The way that You do
I'm gonna walk through the valley
If You want me to
Cause I'm not who I was
When I took my first step
And I'm clinging to the promise
You're not through with me yet
So if all of these trials
Bring me closer to You
Then I will go through the fire
If You want me to
It may not be the way I would have chosen
When you lead me through a world that's not my home
But You never said it would be easy
You only said I'd never go alone
So when the whole world turns against me
And I'm all by myself
And I can't hear You answer
My cries for help
I'll remember the suffering
Your love put You through
And I will go through the valley
If You want me to
Cause when I cross over Jordan
Gonna sing, gonna shout
Gonna look into Your eyes
And see You never let me down
So take me on the pathway
That leads me home to You
And I will walk though the valley
If You want me to
Yes, I will walk through the valley
If You want me to
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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TUESDAY 04TH NOVEMBER 2008
8:33-PM-(UTC/GMT -6 hours)
Listening - "FALL DOWN"-JENNIFER knapp Live
"Be merciful to those who doubt; snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear--hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh."
-- JUDE 01 : 22 & 23
What a day! So far November is turning out to be as opposite as can be when compared to September. September was rough for me. The five (05) days of leave I took last week served to really recharge my batteries. I'm so very glad I followed through with putting in the request packet back in September.
I hit the ground running today. I woke up early enough to play a half hour of videogames. Yeah, I'd purchased a new game for my XBox 360. (No, I'm not a gaming fanatic. It's just a toy to break things up I suppose. But after so many years of not playing, I'm far from a "gamer".) Fallout 3 is addicting to say the very least. Exploring the vast world and making all kinds of decisions while going on manhunts and quests is a blast.
I graded an APFT this morning so I was able to leave a whole hour earlier than I usually do. The turn off to Camp Funston is less than a mile past the Fort Riley gate, so not having to head up to Custer Hill where all the units are cuts a whole bunch of time out of the morning drive. It's not too much further, but if timed incorrectly traffic can make it a good twenty (20) minute journey. And that's not even taking into account finding a parking spot if you happen to arrive much later than 6:00. Of course I arrive, most often, between 4:45 and 5:15.
I was able to schedule another DLAB, talk to my SF recruiter about a January course date, and drop my uniforms off to have sewing done on them. I'll be back at Fort Bragg for the course on 20 January. So I'll be back to training with other candidates as my morning physical training, instead of with my unit, come next week. And I'll pick up my own training during this coming four-day weekend. Yes, it's a four-day. Perfect. Sure enough, I'm back from a week of leave and this week will be a short one (01) as well as the next week. Friday of this week and Monday of the next will be the days off which sandwich the regular weekend. Good times. We've had so much time off, I almost feel guilty. Almost.
The quality assurance team dropped by the motor pool. SPC Schoof let me know they were upstairs and I hustled up to meet them. I shook the hand of the first team member I saw. He just happened to be the first team chief I had out of training when I arrived in Korea in 2001. He was on his way out but I definitely remembered the name and face. Once again my commander and I spoke with them about our not having a building to work out of and our just getting our van back. They were cool about it and are going to run their concerns about the military team not calibrating here yet up their chain. My commander and I are working the issue though.
The team chief of the civilian team here on Fort Riley offered to take my Soldiers in and train. So I'm going to work something out for next week to get them involved in some of that team's operations so they can begin learning the job. They're excited and I'm excited because they'll be around calibrators and they'll be doing their job as well as getting an education. Without NCOs and others with experience in my section it'd make it difficult for me to run the section and train three (03) Soldiers from square one (01) even if we were operational. Her help is going to be a huge blessing.
So things are coming together splendidly as far as the section. And while there's still a mountain to climb, I think the truth is out there and all the concerned parties are in the loop now. I'm just going to keep doing all I can to fulfill my duties here. If I leave here, leave the MOS, whatever, ... but while I'm here, I'm here. But the vibe is in place and I'm beginning to get a slight warm fuzzy feeling especially now that I'm now working a way to get my Soldiers learning and working. I hope to snag the old calibration shop which this team occupied before it was integrated into the maintenance unit. I have the location and will give it to my commander so he can run a possible reclamation of it up the chain as well. It'd make the most sense to put my Soldiers right back there since it was certified and run as a calibration shop before. And of course, it being build is a plus too. But we'll see. First and foremost my priorities are getting my guys around equipment they'll use and they'll work on per their job description.
The icing on the cake was identifying the glass I'll be designing a logo for as the commemorative glass for February's ball. Oh, and I turned my uniforms in and they'll be finished next week. I don't think I could have been more productive these last couple of days. I should probably head to bed pretty soon. When I awake I'll know who'll be my new Commander In Chief. It was a big day for me and a big day for the nation.
So oddly enough, I'll head early to bed. But yes, as always it'll be an early morning.
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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TUESDAY 04TH NOVEMBER 2008
4:03-AM-(UTC/GMT -6 hours)
Listening - "OUR HOPE ENDURES"-NATALIE grant Restless
"Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life."
-- Proverbs 04 : 23
"ADRI, ...
... happy birthday dear friend! How are you enjoying the eastern part of the nation? What are your plans as you begin your 27th year on the planet? I hope you're able to enjoy yourself on such an important day for the Nation. Don't let it overshadow your special day though! Haha! Celebrate ADRI! I was disappointed when you moved from the area so soon after I arrived in the Midwest, but the reason pleased me immensely. And the married life? You'll have to get ahold of me and tell me all about how your life has changed and what it's like these days. I wish you both nothing but the best.
Thanks for being such a dear and loyal friend. I could, and can, always count on my ADRI to be nothing but true, nothing but honest, nothing but a good friend. Have a great birthday. Call me or email or whatever, I need to know what's become of you. Again, I wish you all the best, especially on this, your special day. Eat cake. Eat much cake! *squeeze* Happy birthday!"
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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MONDAY 03RD NOVEMBER 2008
9:29-PM-(UTC/GMT -6 hours)
"'Now My heart is troubled, and what shall I say? ' FATHER save Me from this hour'? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. FATHER, glorify Your Name!' Then a voice came from heaven, 'I have glorified it, and will glorify it again'. The crowd that was there and heard it said it thundered; ... JESUS said, 'This voice was for your benefit, not Mine.'"
-- JOHN 12 : 27 - 30
CHRIS and I headed to Panera Bread for a late dinner. I wasn't too pleased with my roast beef on asiago bread. The texture of the bread wasn't to my liking. I'm not too fond of a crusty bread; I like my bread nice and soft unless it's toasted or seared or something like that. The creamy tomato soup was great though. Ha! He and I were paid a pretty nifty compliment as we were leaving the company: A platoon sergeant said we should have our own food critic show. Later, at the restaurant I joked we could have ANTHONY bourdain make a guest appearance as we ate and toured our way through the Philippines or Paraguay. I'd love to have a show on the Travel Channel when I go around eating and talking to people in different countries. I love the intro to ANTHONY bourains' show "No Reservations". He narrates that he eats he writes, he travels and he's ready for more. It's something like that anyway. ... It's three (03) things I'd love to get paid for is my point.
I'm tired but that's no surprise after not sleeping last night and turning up the heat today in order to sink my teeth into the month of November: The rent's paid, emails were sent out, ... it was a full day. I didn't have to roll too much up for tomorrow, but I've enough to cram into those twenty-four (24) hours. I must still meet with my SF recruiter, turn in uniforms for alterations, and do about eight (08) more things which I added to "the list" today.
But now it's time to do some good ole fashioned shutting of the eyes and consciousness.
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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SUNDAY 02ND NOVEMBER 2008
11:19-PM-(UTC/GMT -6 hours)
"Put on the full armor of GOD so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of GOD, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one."
-- Ephesians 06 : 11 - 16
So true to form it's the night before the first day of a new work week and I'm up. And true to form I'll probably transition from my computer to the shower, and then to my car to head in to work when the time comes. (I'll probably get dressed in between of course.) I have a lot to do tomorrow and the extra sleepiness will help me stay sharp throughout the day. Go figure, I'm a producer under pressure. Okay, not really, but I'm rarely completely rested at any given time, And yes, if it's the first duty day after a day or two (02) off, odds are I haven't slept. But hey, it works for me so I don't mess with it.
This coming week is going to be a busy week. I'm determined to put in place and in play everything I'm able to begin my bounce back. I had a nice week off and didn't have to operate in the midst of the day-to-day happenings. It was nice and now it's time to make up for those five (05) days off, plus start the first work week of November off right. And it's Sunday night; this spark normally comes during a night anticipating the work week. But this time I need to do more than just make plans to accomplish goals, I need to become hungry and passionate about meeting those goals and accomplishing the tasks.
Foremost I have to get my section up and running. This means completing a total inventory and loading up the calibration van so that we can at least get going with a light workload. In addition, it means sitting down with the commander and getting the ball rolling on trying to get a building for our shop. And I have a temporary duty trip to take for a week in order to get some training on a new program. I'll take one (01) of the three (03) Soldiers who share my MOS to Indiana with me for the few days. Yes, I'll be heading somewhere that'll prove colder than here. It's surprisingly mild here in Kansas and I think it'll stay mild throughout the week. So far so good; I'm not freezing just yet. I believe it'll be the third week of this month, so this month will be over before I know it. That's good and bad, but all in all if I can make it half as productive as I need to, it should be a good month. There's not much room at all for procrastination this week, nor this month. Deadlines to meet. So bouncing back is a must this month.
That aforementioned is priority number one (01) since it's my role in my unit as the senior person holding my MOS. I'm running things and now that I have all the pieces it's my job to put them all together. Along with all of the chores and duties associated with getting something rolling with my section, I'm also going in to talk to my SF recruiter and getting back to training for another shot at SFAS after things didn't work out as planned. Completing my attache packet is a must in the next couple of weeks too. That's plenty to keep me busy for the month of November. And I'll have to do a few other things to support the SFAS course appearance which includes taking the Defense Language Aptitude Battery again and possibly getting another physical examination if the one (01) I have on file proves to be outdated. Plenty to do. And if I stay sharp and don't procrastinate, I'll be just fine. Time and time again I've been hard pressed to complete things because I put myself under the gun by putting off and putting off; before I know it two (02), three (03), and five (05) deadlines are on top of each other and I'm burning the midnight oil trying to balance patience and skill and talent and research and time to at least make them all halfway descent. I should be pacing myself and making them all good, even great. So that's the attitude and knowledge I'm going to bring into November; it's going to be a no holds barred, full-court press on procrastination. It's time to start really achieving again.
Tomorrow will have me diving right on in too: I have to pay my rent, make phone calls and send emails to assist in getting my shop up and running, meet with my SF recruiter to talk about SFAS in February as well as doing morning PT with the crew there, have a sit down with my commander about a shop, set up a DLAB retake since I believe mine is outdated, work on scheduling my day to include things I've been wanting to make time for each day for years now, ...
As packed as the day sounds, I know I can handle it if I do right after I think and don't wait. Hopefully I won't be whining the entire month of November. I should throw in writing a novel as a handful of my friends and acquaintances are this month, but that wouldn't exactly be setting myself up for success. I would like to do a little work on the story idea I have this month. If anything, I'd like to end the month with a drafted outline and a few character sketches. But we'll see, it's not priority number one (1) but it'd be nice. One (01) thing I know for sure is that I'll either be getting plenty of rest at night, when I'm able, or I'll be getting no sleep at all. I'm pretty sure that statement makes sense only to me. Ha!
So here's to restful leave and here's to a crazy month to come. Prayers please. Thanks.
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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SUNDAY 02ND NOVEMBER 2008
5:38-PM-(UTC/GMT -6 hours)
"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."
-- 02 TIMOTHY 04 : 07
Somehow my phone will power done while it's connected to the charger. I suppose it does this when it's fully charged so as not to wreck the battery. In any case I guess it did this in the early afternoon, just a couple hours after I'd plugged it in. As a result I missed CHRIS' invite to Buffalo Wild Wings to watch football. I was keeping up with the Eagles game via NFL.com though. It looks like they're going to come out on top as it's 26-07 with less than 2:00.00 left in the fourth quarter. Good deal. What's also a good deal is the fact the Dallas Cowboys just fell to the New York Giants. Unfortunately Dallas was able to pull out a victory last week. In fact, all four (04) teams in the NFC East won last week. But this week at least one (01) was going to lose and it happened to be Dallas. The Washington Redskins have the Monday night spot against a Pittsburg Steelers team which has a great chance of giving the Redskins a third loss.
It's going to get tight in the weeks to come. And with a lot of the other NFC teams playing well, Philadelphia is pretty much going to be in must-win contests every week from here on out. Yeah, that's pretty crazy. However, I do believe that if somehow the Eagles can pull off a huge upset against the Giants it'll be such a plus. And yes, I'll go out on a limb and say that Philadelphia should get three (03) wins straight between meetings with the Giants. They'll roll over the Bengals. And sure, I'll put up a score: 31-17, Eagles. Baltimore will give them trouble, but they'll come out on top due to an outstanding game by BRIAN westbrook and a one hundred (100) yard performance from rookie DESHAUN jackson. With Dallas losing today and dropping to last place in the division Philadelphia is going to have to get more than a little hungry. And it's that hunger that's going to give them what they need to go head to head with New York next week and win the next three (03) after that upset. So yes, they'll be 09-03 on 07 December when they head into Giants stadium. Go Green! Go Eagles!
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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SUNDAY 02ND NOVEMBER 2008
4:30-AM-(UTC/GMT -6 hours)
"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."
-- Hebrews 11 : 01
"BONITA, ...
... it's your birthday! How are you on your very special day little sister? It's been too long. i know we just exchanged a few text messages the other day but we haven't talked in a while. I guess one (01) of these days I'm going to have to give you a call. I guess today would be the perfect day huh? Well, not now anyway, but later. I do think I'll send you a text message though. Ha! Here's to hoping it won't upset ya! It'll probably result in you flailing around for the phone, knocking something over, and BROCK waking up and screaming at the top of his lungs for the next hour. Ha! That'd be good times.
And BILLY? Are you two (02) enjoying the married life still? I trust both the men in your life are going to spoil you absolutely rotten today. But I'm sure it's no different than any other day since you're such a prima donna. Ha! I hope you're all able to spend a lot of family time together. The military life isn't so bad though right? Right. I'm very proud of you. I know how rough you've had it in your life. And now look, you're a wife and a mom. Wow BO! Email me sometime or instant message; you know how I'm "connected". Call if ever you need to sis; I'm here for you always.
Happy birthday little sister. It's been a pleasure to be your friend as you have grown and matured so much; you're a wonderful, bright, and beautiful young lady, ... don't ever believe anyone who tries to convince you otherwise. Again, happiest of birthdays BONITA!"
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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SATURDAY 01ST NOVEMBER 2008
2:43-PM-(UTC/GMT -6 hours)
"Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it."
-- Psalm 34 : 14
Last night was interesting to say the very least. It all started with CHRIS wanting to head to Buffalo Wild Wings for, well, wings. I think he said something like wanting to stay there to 10:00 or so just hanging out and checking out all the Halloween costumes. There weren't many on display so after tackling our food we made the nonverbal decision to head out and do some bouncing around what is called "Aggieville" in order to really immerse ourselves in the fray.
I stood by the ATM as CHRIS drew cash. In line with him was a redneck and a character who immediately shot to the top of the list for the night, it was the best WALDO costume I'd see the entire night. (And yes, I say three (03) other WALDO costumes.) It took only a glance to realize that you'd just found him. The glasses really made the costume. Sure he wore the red striped shirt and weird little hat, but his glasses had to have been painstakingly made. And he'd left the inside of them white with only small holes to look through, so it really looked like he had cartoonish, beady eyes. Great costume.
It didn't take us too many hops to reach Kite's where we planted ourselves for 95% of the evening. And why not, we sat ourselves about fifteen (15) feet from the front entrance and the costumed characters came pouring in: FRED and WILMA flintstone, about ten (10) Jokers, and JANE jetson (Who we later had the misfortune of being forcefully kicked out of the last club we went to for the night. It was kind of sad to watch really; afterwards her bright orange wig laid on the floor just outside the entrance of the clubs veranda. Poor JANE.) Obama made an appearance and I'm pretty sure there were two (02) SARA palins in the bar at one (01) time but I don't think they crossed each other's paths. But when Papa Smurf came through the door with about ten (10) other Smurfs, including Smurfette, the place just erupted. Sure they weren't two (02) feet tall, but they were all painted blue and wore the signature white Smurf hat; as "pants" they wore long white underwear with blue puffs as tails. They were great and received alot of love from the crowd.
Just about every Disney princess graced the place with their presence except for maybe BELLE and there were all kinds of law enforcement personnel present to "keep the peace". Oddly enough the place didn't really erupt into chaos. CHRIS was drinking but didn't go overboard. I nursed my lemonade for pretty much the entire stay. My throat was burning a bit from all the glorious smoke in the room. It wasn't too odd to see the Joker smoking but when FRED flintstone lit a cigarette I'm pretty sure he received a couple looks. Ha!
The table I was at became the community table as others would gravitate towards it to set drinks down and take pictures or just take a break to lean against it. At one (01) point in the night a girl came right up to me and leaned against the table. She brought with her a rather large and rather drunk burly gentleman. She didn't seem to be talking to him but he sure enough had an interest in her. I leaned over and asked her if she was okay. She said she was, but she wasn't exactly putting off a comfortable vibe. I leaned over again and asked and she kind of shook her head. I told her to sit down and I began to talk to her. The guy wasn't getting the hint so I leaned past her and asked him to give us some privacy. He had that confrontational look in his eyes which I've seen in many eyes before, coincidently in more than one (01) country. It was time for her and I to leave. I told her CHRIS was a safe person to leave her drink with, pushed it over to him, and quickly led her out of the club with a hand on the small of her back. Outside she relaxed a lot more and thanked me for the help. We talked and I learned that her teacher "costume" was in fact her daily garb as she was a student teacher. She'd graduated recently and was working at a high school in the adjacent town.
Coincidently while we were outside talking the big dude was pushed out of the club. I turned her around after I saw she was just looking at him and after a few seconds we headed back in. Her friends were at the table and gave her the whole where-were-you-we-were-looking-for-you deal. But since they'd been drinking it seemed only half sincere. One (01) of her friends was definitely on pace to fall on her face before the hour was out.
I don't frequent Aggieville as it's the place to get liquored up around here and also the place where Soldiers and college students often clash. I don't want to be anywhere near any of that or return from a weekend with my name anywhere involved in any kind of incident, even as a witness. No one is going to say that they'd seen me out there and I'd be able to vouch for them about this fight or that misunderstanding. Plus I'm not too big on being around the smoke and the craziness. But tonight I made the exception because I knew CHRIS wanted to go out and have some fun, so I did the driving. And it was Halloween so I figured I'd have some entertainment simply from checking out the costumes. I was correct.
A guy even came dressed as a red Rock 'em, Sock 'em Robot. He'd made the suit out of cardboard so as to give it a square like, robotic appearance. It was a good suit, but he didn't really play the part too well. There were only a few witches who entered the place. And I saw two (02) guys dressed as JESUS, but only one (01) of them really elicited a raised eye brow. Beard, crown of thorns and all, it was done up right. Fortunately he didn't cross my path later in the night intoxicated. We left maybe an hour after midnight, after the costume contest. CHRIS was upset because a guy he'd named "Nipples Batman" for the night won a prize. This guy's costume consisted of the Batman cowl over his head and a cape. I didn't even really see if he had costume pants because he'd caught CHRIS' eye and CHRIS had very audibly dubbed him Nipples Batman because he was shirtless. Ha! Good times.
We left Kite's and ended up in a very crowded club. But by that time the beer and liquor quaffing was beginning to really bring out the rage in a few people. We'd only been in the place fifteen (15) minutes before I witnessed the scuffle between JANE jetson and the club's bouncer which left her orange postiche on the floor. When CHRIS and I saw JANE jetson go down, we figured it was about time to head to the car.
It didn't take too much convincing on his part to get me to steer in the direction of the International House of Pancakes. I enjoyed a half-hearted Kansas attempt at chorizo and eggs served by KARINA, who tonight was a ladybug. I'd seen her there quite a few times. I like her energy and being a ladybug almost suited her. I half expect to see her in the costume the next time I head to IHOP. And I'll say, yup, there's KARINA the ladybug.
It was a good night to say the very least. I'm glad I went out and very glad I didn't drink because I woke up around 6:00, a couple hours after we returned on the bathroom floor of the house. Yeah, crazy. I remember getting up to use the restroom and I felt lightheaded as I stood there. The next thing I knew I was waking up with a face full of orange bathmat. I'm attributing it to dehydration any my getting up to quickly. Obviously it wasn't because I was intoxicated. I've had my share of waking up on floors I normally wouldn't curl up on due to being a tad bit under the influence. This wasn't the case as I haven't been a drinker in years and years. I almost had a beer early on in the night, but I decided against it because the lemonade was just fine. Ha! But more so because if I happened to be pulled over later with enough alcohol in my blood to warrant a citation, my world would come crashing down. Needless to say I stuck to my lemonade as if I was being paid to endorse it.
Good times.
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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SATURDAY 01ST NOVEMBER 2008
9:00-AM-(UTC/GMT -6 hours)
"Then the LORD said to Moses, 'Stretch out your hand toward the sky so that darkness will spread over Egypt--darkness that can be felt.' So Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky, and total darkness covered all Egypt for three days."
-- Exodus 10 : 21 & 22
November. Where did the year go? I remember a pretty harsh winter last year and a huge ice storm. I attending SFAS. That was June. I remember attending ANCOC right after that and being promoted during the course. That was June and July. Don't ask me what happened from the top of the year to the middle of the year. And now, all of a sudden it's November; I've called Fort Riley my fifth duty station (Not counting training.) for two (02) years now and I just completed my twenty seventh year on Earth. Fortunately, though it's getting colder, the months of November and December always seem to fly by due to it being the Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons. Things don't really pick back up until about midway through the first month of the next year. Thank goodness for that, I'm not one (01) to bask in the snow and cold of the winter months. I pray this winter will be kind to me.
I can truly say I have no idea what to expect in 2009. And I suppose I'm not being politically correct starting 2009 talk and doing a brief synopsis of 2008, but since I don't usually do a big in with the new and out with the old post, I'll write about the new year and the old year as I see fit. And well, this morning, as November is upon me, I see fit.
Last year I didn't expect to be promoted. Well, I did, but I figured I wouldn't be promoted until maybe this month. Nope, earlier, while in a military school. I found myself hot, tired, and lost during the SFAS course in at Fort Bragg. I spent a whooping USD$3,100 to have a refurbished engine put into my car after the old one (01) overheated and went out. I made some new friends, lost track of some old ones, caught up with some older ones, and met my current girlfriend. I moved. I discovered a good friend died. I fell and got back up. I fell behind and caught back up. I was forced out of my comfort zone and I also willingly stepped out. This year has been filled with surprises and significant events. And while I have no idea what's in store for me in 2009, I can say with absolute certainty that I'm expecting nothing more and nothing less than the unexpected.
Officially speaking, as of this moment in time today, I'm due to leave the Army next year. This however most likely will not happen. About the only thing which would prevent me from once again adding more time to my military service would be a significantly large financial gain, I'm talking on the level of a lottery win. That'd be about the only circumstance which would have me stepping out of this fine organization come 01 June 2009. The odds of that aren't particularly in my favor, especially considering the amount of times I'm actually holding a ticket in my hand week in and week out. But as of now, I'm due to depart the Army next summer. When will I re-enlist? Well, most likely in a few months, after I return from SFAS once again.
Where I end up next year will obviously directly reflect the direction of my life. And right now there are three (03), possibly four (04), paths which I might take: The first being heading to SFAS again and being selected to go through the SF qualification course. That means I'd head to Fort Benning, Georgia for airborne school and move permanently to Fort Bragg, North Carolina for a year to a year and a half for SF training. I'd be on the path to become a Special Forces Soldier. Path number two (02): Being selected to attend the Equal Opportunity Advisors course. The curriculum deals with human relations climates in the Army, the knowledge to provide advice and assistance to commanders to prevent, reduce, or eliminate discriminatory practices. Studies progress from communications to individual and group behavior, through studies of major ethnic groups, aspects of power and discrimination, EO advisor skills, and conclude with Army specific studies. Graduates are qualified to serve as full-time EO advisors. I'd like this because it'd take me out of my current position at company levels and out of my current MOS. The third path involves my packet being looked over and my being selected as an Army Attaché NCO in the Defense Attaché System. Army Attaché NCOs serve around the world in United States embassies providing staff support such as coordinating congressional, Joint Staff or presidential visits, supporting U.S. Navy ship visits, arranging over flights of U.S. military aircraft, or even presenting briefings and information to senior host-nation officials in the absence of the military attaches. Of course it takes a while for all of that to go through which leads me to path number four (04), and the path which may prove to cut right through the others.
Path number four (04) is my deploying with the unit I'm currently a part of now. There's been talk of a summer deployment. Nothing is certain but once the new year hits we'll be inventorying and gearing up to leave if our number is called next year. And it could be the summer of it could be a year from now, ... I suspect it could be not at all in 2009. The tempo at the moment though suggests that it's probable. A deployment means a stop-loss and a stop-loss usually occurs from four (04) to six (06) months before a deployment. So who knows, come 01 January 2009, my unit could be under a stop-loss/stop-movement. This would mean I technically wouldn't be able to go anywhere without a super good reason. Even if I was selected come February I may have to remain in the unit and deploy and put off going to the SF qualification course for a year or so. And of course that means packet or not, I wouldn't be released for attache or EOA duty. But again, nothing's for sure about the deployment. I don't mind deploying, after all, it's my wish to become an SF Soldier and deploy much more often with a much more dangerous missions. However, I do not wish to remain in this unit any longer and do not with to deploy with this unit for a year only to return and have to wait out three (03) months of stabilization in order to move on.
And that's not even scratching the surface of the surprises in store for me. I could get selected and break my leg. I could break my arm in SFAS. I could be offered a lucrative position somewhere else and doing something totally different. I may receive that huge financial windfall and end my military career at eight (08) years. Who knows. But anyway, time is just rolling along. November. Crazy. I just hope the last two (02) months, and the start of the cold season is kind to me. If that holds true, well the, 2008 will end on a definite high note.
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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SATURDAY 01ST NOVEMBER 2008
4:11-AM-(UTC/GMT -6 hours)
"For GOD didn't give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline."
-- 02 TIMOTHY 01 : 07
"'TINA, ...
... how's day one (01) going so far? How's RUTH? What is she up to so far? How many words did you put down today? I imagine you're taking full advantage of 01 November being on a Saturday, and you're still writing furiously. I hope your characters are speaking to you and you're in your zone trying to keep up with what they're saying and doing.
You're my NaNoWriMo heroine and you're doing some pretty cool things with PinoyWrimos after your successful kick-off. Are your plans to meet the fifty thousand (50,000) word quota alone, or finish the story? Or do you intend to do both. CAMY's words had to have come at the perfect time. Knowing that projects she's published had come from past November's is inspiring to say the very least. And of course it's just cool to know for sure that a bonafide, published author will be joining you in the fray that is the month of November for writers participating in NaNoWriMo!
I'm in your corner again this year and will be thinking about you all month as you slave away at your computer. I'll be routing for you as the halfway mark comes and goes and more and more coffee is brewed and poured into a mug on your desk. Here's to beginnings and the possibility of all things which begin with page one. I'd love to be able to proclaim my entry this year, but once again I've been juggling far too many things to keep my eye on that prize. And yes, I've also found just enough excuses to sideline myself for another year. Ha! Perhaps we'll tackle it together next year.
I expect status reports as the month and the story unfolds. I just know in my heart of hearts that one (01) of these Novembers will prove to be the origin story of your first published work. And someday you'll be writing about how it all began with NaNoWriMo. So in advance, let me be the first to congratulate you and say well done 'TINA! Keep your sanity this month sister!"
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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Content on this page © 2002-2008 Ted A. Mueller unless otherwise stated.
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