Well, I'm Back

Got back to Fort Hood on Saturday night, it was raining and cold. Woke up Sunday morning to go to church and it was still raining. Long walk plus freezing cold rain equals go back to bed. Woke up this morning to go to breakfast and it's still raining. It's kind of nice because they don't make you stand out in it so once you go back to your room it's too hard for them to find everyone if they've got some stupid stuff that needs to be done. Speaking of stupid stuff, here's one for the "just shake your head" file. I got back on Saturday the 13th. Went to the chow hall for dinner and there was a sign on the door saying the chow hall was close for the week and will re-open on Monday under new management. Under new management?? How does a chow hall on a United States Army Post re-open under new management. Who's going to manage it now? Canada? Not likely, they're the Switzerland of North America. I don't think they'd get involved. Maybe Mexico, the food would probably be good but stay away from the water. Whoever is running it now it was opened for breakfast this morning and didn't seem much different.

Right now it's 12:30 ish just after lunch. Just before lunch we turned in our sheets and blanket in preparation for leaving tonight. We're not sure if we're flying out at 2:00 a.m. or going to the airport at 2:00 a.m. but so far we know that something is happening at 2:00 a.m. It's quite possible that at 2:00 the thing that happens is that they tell us nothing is happening. Either way I'm packed and ready to go with three duffel bags worth of gear and a small handful of personal items. I'm glad I didn't really bring anything because you're only allowed three duffels and a carry-on. The stuff the Army issues you takes up 2 3/4 duffels so you basically have room for a shaving kit and a bible. I'm not sure if you can bring more back than you brought but how many times have you gone somewhere for a year and didn't come back with more stuff? My plan is still to acquire a guitar while I'm there even if I have to give it away or sell it at the end. My goal is to write an albums worth of music while I'm over there and hook up with some guys I've played with back home and start a band. It's been my only dream since I was old enough to have dreams and I figure now's as good of time as any. So if any record labels or independently wealthy music lovers wants to fund our first tour leave me a comment.

The vacation with my family was awesome. We spent a few days at home, went to Disneyland and gave them all of our money, then spent a few more days at home. I know all the sappy stuff about cherishing your family and absence makes the heart grow fonder but I did have a great time. In normal life you have so many other things going on that compete for your attention. On this leave time I didn't let other things have my attention. We even told people that we couldn't have dinner with them or go out because we wanted to spend all of our time as a family. Thanks to those people for understanding. It was a fine line between worrying you were offending someone but really needing to spend the time as a family. Thanks to our friends for understanding.

The plan from here is to go to Kuwait for an undisclosed amount of time to do something I have not yet been told. Then, at another undisclosed time we will move to somewhere in Iraq by an undisclosed mode of transportation. That's how much I know about what the future holds. In fact I had to stretch some of it just to make a sentence. I'm sort of glad I don't know because how can you worry about something you don't know is coming.

I'll try to post as much as possible. I figure some pretty interesting things are about to happen so feel free to ask questions. Treat this as some sort of interactive journey where you can live vicariously through me. You don't get to be as good looking as me but you can pretend. Also you don't get a weapon, but so far you already have the same body armor I have.