I am NOT Dead

I am not been around for a while due to a busy schedule and lack of time management.  As deployment gets closer and closer my free time gets scarcer and scarcer.  Plus my time management skills have gone out the window along with any semblance of training.  The last time I ran was 2 weeks ago in Chicago when I went to visit my sister and brother-in-law and see the Billy Joel and Elton John concert at Wrigley. 

This week I am off of work taking a class on Integrating Information Operations into the Middle East.  It has been very interesting.  The instructor is very good, having lived in the Middle East for a long time. 

Tomorrow, I plan on running and getting my fat soft self back into some shape other than round.   More tomorrow I hope.   

Cleaning Up

As the frequent reader of this blog knows my mother passed away in February.   I have been back to Georgia a few times since then in order to clean out the house and deal with the other issues.  Luckily, my mother was a organized and did not want to leave a huge mess for the kids.  When I talk with other families who have gone through the same situation I am amazed and shocked at the selfishness of the children and the parents total lack of concern the mess that the children have to deal with.  I count my brother and I very lucky in this regard.   It is also a huge help that the house was paid off years ago.  I am not in any rush to sell it. 

This weekend I was back in Georgia with the Bride for a few days to clean, pack, sell, dispose items and to see relatives.  As I was digging around in the basement I found an envelope with   newspaper clipping of things that I accomplished growing up.   I was a relatively big fish in a little pond growing up.  Which is very different than now—I am a tiny minnow in an ocean.   I am not really sure which is better, but I would not trade my life for anything.  

I ran into a number of people I haven’t seen in years and the question was always the same, “Gonna sell the house?”  “Nope,” I would reply.  “We would love to have you back here.   How can you like living in that big city?”   How can I answer that question?  I love small towns and if there was a decent job for people like the bride and I would not mind moving back.  But I can’t make the money or have the standard of living I do here.  However, I would have a bigger house.   But explaining to people that life is what you make of it can be difficult. 

Back to the envelope I found.  It was fun and some what scary reliving the life that once was.  Back in high school and then realizing that your 20th Reunion is next month.   Where the hell did the time all go.   Since leaving that small world I have lived in 3 different countries (been shot at in all of them  LOL), visited in excess of 20 countries, spent 2 years of my life in a combat zone, resided in numerous states, owned 3 houses, and been married twice.  Life has been fast and furious for me. 

The photo I have opted to share today is when I was selected for the All Area Academic Football team for 1988.  I wasn’t a great football players, being 5-8 and weighing about 140.  Plus we were not a passing team and since I was a receiver it was hard to rack up huge numbers.    I was actually a much better baseball player.  But I will share those photos later. 

I hope everyone had a great a Independence Day Weekend and got in some good mileage.  I am off again on Monday and I plan on getting in a long brick.