The Good, The bad, and the really ugly....

OK I am in Iraq for nt only christmas and New Years but in the middle of those two ia my birthday as well. There is the bad in a nut shell. The good. I got to see my kids open most of their christmas gifts, not a bad feat for thousands of miles away. I got to hear and SEE my kids sing happy Birthday too me. Yup I cried, I stopped as best as I could but I think MamaLang may have noticed. I got to enjoy the season as best as I can being where I am wth them being home. there is the good. The Ugly.. you say what can be uglier than being so far from home on the holidays??? I will tell you a brief story. My co workers bought me a birthday cake. It was cute really. They sang Happy Birthday to me (It was bed but not ugly). I cut the cake and started to serve it. I put a piece on my plate and noticed on the board the cake came off of looked like small dark spots. I looked at the bottom of the cake and asked what kind of cake it was. When one of my Soldiers that went and got the cake said it was yello wcake and not chocolate chip I put my piece right back onto the board it came off of and asked what the cakes expiration date was.....it was ready for this.....AUGUST 15th 2008!!! THis cake had been in Iraq longer than I HAVE!!! It was taken right back to the PX. I went with them to look for a different cake. We looked at all the cakes in the cooler. The freshest cake in there expired in October! None of the workers would take the cakes out and the manager was nowhere to be found! We left without a cake. I appreciated what my guys went through just getting a cake. It would have been nice to eat it but hey i am trying to lose weight anyway and really didn't need the empty calories.

That ladies and Gents is the Good nope great! the bad and the really really ugly of my Holiday season.

May you all have a Happy New Year. Spend it with someone you love orthink about the love one you wish you could be spending it with!

Christmas time this year

MamaLang did something huge and she just though she was doing something small to make me smile. She sent me christmas decorations!!! OK I am a Christmas decoration fanatic, I love to put them up and last year we even won a gift card for our decorations! I love Christmas and every thing about it. Except for the fact the idiots at Wally world had Christmas stuff up for sale in JUNE this year and it was NOT leftover stuff!!!!! I have been feeling a little detached about christmas this year for many reasons. Obviously one is that I am not at home with my family. Another is that in the messed up world where we have to be politically correct We have HOLIDAY parties, we have been told we have to say Happy Holidays not Merry Christmas. I am sorry but there are several different religious holiday's this time of year. Celebrate them if you believe in them and rejoice but dammit there is no X in Christmas! There is however Christ in Christmas he bongs there he is there for a reason stop trying to take him out...Judas took care of that a long long time ago. Up until yesterday I knew it was December, yup closer to my birthday, this year I get to celebrate it by taking an Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT) Yeah just what I wanted.... There are no decorations around here, we can't have them might insult the islamic foks of Iraq. There is no christmas carols playing outside anywhere. It just does not feel like christmas. I have been a bit depressed over it and it was getting to me. Yesterday I am running around trying to learn my way and find someone and when I went to our company office I was told I had mail!!!!! I LOVE mail! It is a way to touch someone from home that you just can;' do over a phone or texting...Just need to teach ML to send some scented stuff too a paper maybe a small spray on the blanket she sent so it smells like she is in bed with me at night...I digress. I get back to my CHU ( that is what they call out trailer rooms) and open it up! I get a fleece blanket that I was really needing even though I didnt think I would (that woman just take such great care of me) and then there it was a MINI CHRISTMAS TREE!!!! with bells for ornaments and red ribbons and candy canes, and a min tree skirt and a wrapped present. Ok now it seems like christmas. I got some christmas music from a fellow soldier and played it while decorating my room. Next week I will put up the lights she sent when I buy a converter. I also got a full stocking the is on the wall (not looked in by the way) and a santa hat that I am damn sure going to try to wear on my way to work on the 25th. I also got an ornament in another package yesterday that is too big for my little tree but it is on the wall right next to it. I can;t up load many pics but I am at least up loading one of my tree. Thank you honey for my decorations they were exactly what I needed to cheer me up! I love you very much.

This year at church please let Monster or Boo hold a second candle during Silent Night, that way I cna at least be with you guys that way since I wont be there in person. I will miss looking at you while you hold the candle the light always reflect the gold tints in your eyes and you look at our kids with a look of pure love. There are little thing I miss about home, it just seems this time of year there are LOT more little things and big things to miss.

Well I am here

I have arrived. Take a look at my digs for the next year. It may look like a normal trailer, but it is only 1/3 of a normal trailer!!! I also have to share my section with one other person...

Deploying is expensive

I have heard about all the extra money we are supposed to make while deployed. I am wondering when that happens. This deployment so far has been very expensive. Every place we go there is something else that is needed because they don;t supply this here or that there. I will be happy when I am in my long term quarters and not moving around everywhere. I packed a large foot locker that was shipped and it wont be here till 3 weeks after I moved in. I packed extra clothes, creature comforts, extra soap, towels, sheets, blanket..all things I want but some I will NEED before it gets here. I can't get anyone from home to ship anything cause it would take just as long to get. There are some things I am going to have to buy. Once the box gets here I will have so many extras I am not sure what I am going to do with all of it! This is one of the lesser irritating things that have happened during this deployment. At least for me maybe not mamalang, but for me lesser irritating!

In a Different Desert...

OK I though that FT Bliss TX was a sand pit. I am now in Kuwait and honestly El Paso was a dusty sage brush desert cactus garden. This place has NOTHING but sand, check that, it has a kind of dust that is about the same consistency of talcum powder but the color of sand. I have gotten to see a heard of camels, that was cool since when I was in Egypt all I got to see was 2 or 3 of them and one all most ran me over! I will add pics of the camels later. I have made sure I got the kids christmas preseants cause even though I am not going to be there christmas morning does nto mean that something from me can't be! I got them ACU back packs for 2 and an ACU Boonie hat for one. I got their names on it in english and aribic. I think they will like them. I am adding pics of them here with this post.

Mamalang is supposed to be adding a link on here to Operation Happy Note (http://www.operationhappynote.com/)
They send musical instuments free to US military members that are deployed in combat zones no charge at all to the member! They have had thousands of instuments donated to them to send out but not quite enough for postage to send them out! Please if you read this and can help send them a few dollars. For everythign that they do and have done it is a great service they are doing for us deployed folks to get a little bit of home. They only need $35 to send out an instrument! They are a few months behnd sending out the instuments because of nothing more than needing postage. Please again give them a hand if you can!!!!!

I am going to finish up by saying that I have been married to MamaLang for 11 years, I love her more now than ever and the time we have been apart has shown me more ways in which I want, need rely on her in every thing that I do. I tell people that she is my better half, I think that is a very true statement. She is definitly the better of us and she is definitly part of me, a part I miss very very much. I Love You Honey!

Not nearly enough time...

I am currently home on pass visiting my wonderful wife and children. I did not realize how much I would miss them. I am on my second day of a 4 day pass. I am no where near ready to go back. I know how long it will be until I see them again. My wife does an unbelievable job being both parents when I am gone "playing Army" as we tell the kids. I know she is a strong woman that does not need any help, but I love to be there for her. It hurts when I am not there, it especially hurts when I can hear or see how much life id getting to her and I can't be there. She understands why I must go and supports me to go, but she isn't happy about it. I don't blame her but I very much appreciate her support. I probably don't tell her that enough, what husband really does? I love her more than I could ever express with words but I probably don't tell her that enough either. I have looked forward so much to coming to see her and the kids I have so much needed this visit and enjoyed it. That it is going to hurt to leave more this time than it did when I left last time. I know I am going to miss Thanksgiving, Monsters birthday, Christmas, New years, Valentines day with them. I will see them again hopefully for spring break. It is up to the Army if that happens but I will love them with all my heart no mater what happens.

For you...

I am an American Soldier
I fight for freedom each day
To preserve the freedoms we live in
That's the American way

My father fought for this country
And my Fathers Father served this land
When their country called they answered
Willing to lend a helping hand

Some will stand beside us
Some will protest our war
Nevertheless we shall continue
To keep oppresion from our hallowed shores

How can one protest what we do?
When lives are sacrificed for freedoms sake
It's the life we Soldiers choose to live
If we die our souls are Gods to take

How can one protest what we stand for?
When liberty's bell still continues to toll
And you can voice thoughts without consequence
While shouting from your soapbox so bold

How can one protest our actions?
While we put our lives on the line
And you stand in the realm of safety
Listening to Hollywood stars bitch, moan and whine

Don't feel sorry for us
This is what we have chosen to do
To fight for honor and freedom
Under the colors of the Red, White and blue

For You!

A Poem That Touched ME

A small and precious child
My Dad's been sent to fight
The only place I'll see his face
Is in my dreams at night

He will be gone too many days
For my young mind to keep track
I may be sad but I am proud
My Daddy's got yout back

I am a caring mother
My son has gone to war
My mind is full of worries
I have never known before

Everyday I try to keep
My thoughts from turning black
I may be scared, but I am proud
My son has got your back

I am a strong and loving wife
My husband too soon to go
There are many times I am terrified
In a way most will never know


I bite my lip and force a smile
As I watch my husband pack
My heart may break but I am proud
My husbands got your back

I am a Soldier (Marine, Airman, Sailor)
Serving proudly, Standing Tall
I fight for freedom, Yours and mine
By Answering this call

I do my job while knowing
The thanks it sometimes lacks
Say a prayer that I'll come ome
It's ME whose got your back

I read this poem tonight. It touched me.

I hope it touches you too......

OK been away from home for 18 days

It seems like it has been 18 months. Our days are filled with "Army Training". We do have some free time but since we are over a thousand miles from home, over 50 miles from civilization in the Texas/New Mexico desert we can't go any where. Even though AAFES is supposed to be here to support the troops the small shopette we have charges $11.50 for a case of water and 2.00 for a small bottle of Gatorade, just a few examples of gouging there. the nights we do have down time. Honestly that is the hardest part of the day. That is the time that you can slow down and realize how far from home you are. How long it is going to be until you see you loved ones again. The fact that the sexy woman I am used to sleeping next to is in an empty bed far away as I lay down in my empty bunk as well. The fact that every night before bed I went in to each of the kids rooms and just looked at them sleep. How peaceful their faces were, even the teenager when she slept looked like my baby girl that it still seems like only yesterday she was born and she is soon to be 15. Far from a baby. My blue eyed beautiful little girl that is growing up so fast these days, this summer at camp she had her first dance with a boy that will still tease her about being her boyfriend. Then there is the Monster, he turns 6 in a few months. Mamalang tells me he is already showing signs of maturity. I have coached him in soccer for a few seasons now. He has always showed promise that when he really wanted to play well he was going to be very good. The little turd decided now would be a good time. Finally scored his first goal and I was no where near to see it.

I have been away from home a few times, the longest time was 5 months but was able to visit home then a few times in that 5 months. This is the first time I am going to be away for as long as I am. It may be easier when my days are so full there is no time to catch my breath. That is only because I wont have the time to think of them when ever I see something. I have seen lizards, coyotes, road runners, rattle snakes, hawks and the most beautiful sun rises and sun sets in the mountains that make me think of my family and what each of them would like about it. One might run, another would pick up and play with, one would actually watch the sun while another might keep talking about wanting to climb the mountains.

I am glad they are all coping well with me being gone. I had hoped so and so far my hopes are coming true.

I miss my family, I miss my toys, I miss my bed, I miss beer. The biggest thing I miss most of all is the feeling of my wife's arms around me, the smell of her skin fresh out of a shower, the warmth of her body against mine, her voice telling me it is all going to be alright. She is my rock, the center of my world, the reason I keep going every day. She is my wife, but she is so much more.
My Friend
My Lover
My Confidant
My Memory
My Strength
My Soul
She is the best part of me, I thank god every day for her, for him blessing me by bringing her into my life. I love you

Life is NEVER easy

I have said before that my work is sending me on an extended trip.

I have 3 children that are each taking it in their own ways.

Bug 14 about to turn 15 next month and going on 30 in her own mind. She is mine with my ex for this blog we shall call her PITA. Let me start by saying that Bug has lived full time with Mamalang and I for the last 8 years. I took PITA to court and won custody I got all I asked for, joint custody primary placement with me. I did NOT ask for child support and over the years that is exactly what I have gotten from PITA. Bug came back from PITA's house this August saying that she wanted to go live with her mother while I am deployed. We spoke to her telling her that the school here is better (which it is), that she is already established here, her friends are here, here sister and brother are here. She seemed fine with it and went on with school and life. A few days ago PITA called and told me that as soon as I left she was going to come and get Bug and take her while I am deployed. I spoke to Bug and she said she still wanted to live with her mom but was fine staying here as well. I went and spoke to a lawyer and found out that she could do exactly as she said she was going to do. The Soldiers and Sailor's relief act that protects personnel in the Military when deployed does not cover this for the most part. The only protection I have is that she has to bring her back when I return. That is fine for her, but it doesn't do much for my other children when she leaves shortly after I do. She doesn't care how this effects the rest of my family. How this effects me while I am trying to take care of my family. How this feels to Mamalang after she has been much more of a mother to Bug for the last 8 years than her own has. I know she must feel betrayed, abandoned and insulted. Princess and Monster are going to feel abandoned as well. First Daddy leaves for a year and now Big Sissy runs to the mysterious woman they know she visits during the summer the whole time Daddy is gone as well. Bug is just ecstatic, she gets to go live with the mother that rarely gives her the time of day when she visits, how is she going to fell when her mother ignores her for an entire year. More on this later.

Princess Bear... She is already having sleeping problems, stomach problems, and on top of all that is dealing with having Lyme's disease at the same time. She is still doing well at school at least and is up beat during the day. It is only at bed time that she has problems.

Monster... Ahhh "The Boy" as I call him most of the time. He is peacefully oblivious at the moment. The life of a 5 year old boy is simple, I want food, I want to play, I will hold myself every chance I get ( and yeas I mean "there"), I do NOT want to sleep and will do so only when I absolutely crash from exhaustion. He will notice when I am gone but he will adjust quick. When I went away last time I web cammed home enough that he thought I lived in the computer.

I am trying to keep it all together. I am trying to get all my honey do list done, tie up loose ends around the house. Spend one on one time with all of them. Get myself packed and mentally ready. One of my day job responsibilities is making sure that all the people in my unit are ready to go as well. It is strange to think but I am really ready to actually be in the sand box so I stop getting these curves balls thrown at me by life.

I just want my family to be together helping each other and working together until I get home. Is that really too much to ask?

OK I think I am going to end this small book and go cuddle in bed with Mamalang. I only have 12 more days to do that for a while....

Kids bathroom

OK we are not afraid to pt color on the walls of our house. In the kids rooms we have colors named "Atomic Vomit", "Bikini Bottom Blue", "Building Block Blue", "Princess Pink" in our Kitchen we have "Harvest Orange" our bedroom is two shades of blue. A few weekends ago Mamalang painted the kids bathroom Bright Yellow, talk about a way to wake the kids up in the morning! While putting everything back into the bathroom we decided to embrace the rubber ducks the kids have and love. Rubber duckie, shower curtain stays, Rubber duck towel holder on the wall (including kewl water painted under it by Mamalang) so the shelf/cabinet of fake wood just didn't match anymore. Mamalang asked if I could make a shelf to go in there. I went in and looked and told her YUP! Out to "Man Land" I went, otherwise known as our garage. I had made a hutch for PB's craft desk in the basement and it kind of looked like the sail of a boat so I knew what I was going to build. I built a sail boat, the hull is storage for plastic bins ML bought that holds the girls hair ties/scrunchies/clips/STUFF. The sail is shelving for hair care products. Some of the kids rubber ducks went on for decoration. Not bad for a project that actually I got done in 2 days 3 days if you include the painting ML did. Everyone that sees it thinks it cute and the kids love it.

Honey Do List

I have quite a few things on my Honey-Do-List from Mamalang. I have finally gotten one of them off. I have been working on a Computer desk/Armour since I think January or February. I would work hard and then take some time off and then work hard again. My deployment date is getting quite close so I figured it was time to get it done. I can say that after almost 10 months it is complete and in the house ready for her to overfill it with stuff. I say her cause I am not going to be here to help. Above are pics of it still in the garage. I am pretty proud of it. Is it perfect? NOPE! Does Mamalang like it? YUP! That is all that matters. I can say all I bought was plywood, 4 hinges, 4 magnetic door holders, door hardware and drawer hardware. Everything else I made, doors (including the chalkboard paint on the backs) Drawers (including the slides for the bottom file folder drawer. I learned how to work with wood in High school...more than a few years ago. I have always enjoyed doing it. I have made a few other projects but those are for blogs for other days.

OK so maybe I am not ready for this...

I have wanted to deploy for so long and like the old saying goes..."Be careful what you ask for you just may get it". I am set to deploy October this year. It will be a month at mobilization station for a spat of training and then to the sandbox for ??? I thought I was ready for this mentally and physically. OK I got 1 out of 2. I am still physically prepared for this, mentally??? HELL NO! Talking about leaving your family for a year is one thing, planning for it still not so bad, but when it gets closer to time to actually go... That's hard as hell!

I mean, getting the paperwork so Mama Lang can be ready is fairly easy. Getting the house, car, Jeep, Boat, Motorcycle, lawn mower, heat/AC, and anything else that may break while I am gone is a bitch.

Mama Lang.. She is tops on my list of priorities to spend quality time alone with. She is my better half, my rock, my grounding. I rely on his for soooo many things. I can not fathom what it is going to be like not to hold her in my arms at night to make every bad in life to go away. I will be able to call, write, web cam, but NOTHING can compare to the felling of her in my arms and my arms around her.

At the same time I want to spend time with the kids.

The kids.... I love them I look forward to seeing them everyday even when I want to throw the teenager out the window. I will miss seeing their faces after they have learned some new and exciting at school that day. Monster starts school this year, I am going to take him to school his first day but I am going to miss all but a month of his first year in school. That really makes me sad. I am going to miss Bug's 10th grade and PB's 5th grade years. I was not into projects when I went to school but I really get into helping the kids with theirs now. I will get to chat with the kids via web cam, we have done this before but not for a year, not from so far away. I will miss them more than I could convey in words in the blog.

My mom and sister... (OK I can skip time with my bro in law he is a BUM and an idiot) are important to spend time with as well considering how close it has been to losing them both over the past few years. I will miss them but keep in contact with them as much as I can.

My sperm donor... He just had a heart attack and then had open heart surgery for a triple bypass and had his carotid artery cleaned out as well but I am really not inclined to spend a weekend to go see him, it would be nice but it is not something worth missing time with Mama and the kids. This may seem callous or insensitive but this is my blog and those are my feelings.

My home... Mama Lang and I waited a long time to buy our first house and we picked a winner. I will miss it from my man land (the garage & shed) to her craft area that I enjoy almost as much as she does. I know I will dream of taking a nap in the cool Autumn or Spring air in my hammock in the front yard under the cherry tree. Especially in the spring when it is covered in beautiful pink blossoms, when they fall off it looks like it have snowed pink!

My toys... The motorcycle, boat, tools. OK really I am going to miss these. I truly enjoy all of them. It is therapeutic to use/play with any of them...not as good as a hug from Mama of a group wresting match with the kids.

I am ready to go, I am just not ready to leave...

I CAN SEE!!!!!

I have worn glasses or contacts since I was in JR High School. Not dating myself but that was almost 25 years ago. This past Thursday something happened that made it so I will never wear them again. That is as long as I don't need reading glasses at some point. The Army actually did something great for me and they did it for free! Well I had to pay for gas to drive almost 200 miles round trip for 4 straight days but other that that free. I had PRK surgery, it is similar to LASIK but without the flap and a little more painful. I can see, I have woken up for 2 days in a row and could see, well only 20/30 at the moment but getting better every day! I have been on a waiting list for about 7 years now to get this done, but since Uncle Sam is sending me to the sandbox to play I got bumped to the top of the list. Let me tell you it hurts like no tomorrow, at this point it feels like someone has dumped about 5lbs of sand in each eye but it will get better every day as well. I was laughed at by MamaLang because I took every pair of glasses I owned in and dumped them into the glasses donation box there at Walter Reed.

Speaking of Walter Reed, I have spoken to fellow soldiers that have been hurt in the Iraq war, my trip there was the first time seeing any of them. Amputees, legs, arms, legs & arms. It is a sad sight except for the looks on all their faces. None I saw were depressed, all look determined, determined not to let their loss allow them to lose the rest of themselves as well. It is a pretty awesome sight. Just for that reason since the office I have to go to is on the second floor we take the stairs, I figure we have two good legs might as well use them and get a little exercise in as well.

I am currently on day 4 after surgery, my vision comes and goes as it heals. Some minutes are better than others. I feel as though I have left daily wear contacts in for about 4 days at this point. Hopefully when the DR takes out the bandage contacts tomorrow It will feel better.

Since we have to be at Walter Reed so early tomorrow we have decided to get a hotel room near there tonight so we can look around a little bit and then tomorrow after my surgery we are going touring around the DC capitol area a bit. Good luck to us and I will blog more about our trip after we get back.

DDS

Argh! I work with Idiots!!!

OK in my time in the Army I have had several positions. I have been a helicopter mechanic, done administrative duties, I have done numerous communications jobs. My last position was several positions in one. It was admin, leadership, communications, training, I was darn near a parent to about a hundred adults. If they whined I had to take care of them. I did a very good job. I am now in charge of training over 100 people in my own unit and over 300 people in 3 other units as well. The person that took over my job has had struggles. I have helped him as much as I possibly could while doing my own job. The biggest problem is that he just does not learn. Nothing, Nada, zilch, can't remember a thing from month to month. This evening we had a meeting to go over the plan for our upcoming exercise. He was there for the first few min and then left! This is his meeting, he is supposed to run it! He left! I couldn't believe it. Lately he has missed several things that are major parts of his job. OK we are in the military this is not a job to be in if you have thin skin. This is not the job to have if you don't understand there are going to be some sacrifices. There are going to be times that you miss things with the family, sports games, band or chorus concerts, birthdays, anniversaries. It just happens, you suck it up and get over it. He seems to have either forgotten that too or just doesn't care anymore. I really wanted to hit him and tell him to suck it up and get over it. I instead vented to one of my co-workers but was over heard by another co-worker that decided to call and tell this pansy I was calling him a pansy. I actually used stronger words but you get the picture. Well he tried to call me and whine, I ignored his phone call and he tried to call my co-worker that I vented to, he ignored his call to. He finally got our boss to answer his call, I almost feel bad for my boss because he drives from NJ to the middle of DE every day, so he has a 3 hour commute. It gave him something to break up his drive. Well after my boss stroked his ego and got him to calm down my boss calls me and tells me I have to talk to him tomorrow cause he is fragile. I told my boss I am going to tell him he is a pansy and to suck it up and be a man. He chose this job and can at any time quit and go to something else. He wont do it and I am no longer going to coddle him. He can grow up and handle what needs to be done or get a new job. I have missed more things that I will never get to re-create or live through. I have missed more things for my kids than I can count and I know I will miss more. I treasure every event I can make it to for my kids. I know the oldest one gets upset when I miss events but I know she treasures the events I do get to see and or go to. I chose this job, it is in my heart what I know I am here to do. I am good at it, I really am, that is not cockiness it is just the truth. I just want my fellow Soldiers to act like it. OK I am done venting. Have a great night!

First Blog!!!

I have read my wife's blogs for some time now. There are things I have learned about how she is feeling or her point of view on subjects from reading her blog that otherwise didn't share with me. I have decided that I want one of my own. If you couldn't tell from the title of my blog I am in the Army, I have been for over 19 years now. For one reason or another I have yet to deploy to a combat zone. Some people would be screaming GREAT! Those people are called civilians, those of us in the military are in it to serve. Not sit back safely at home going wow I am SOOOO glad the military has given me a college education and a career but I am giving nothing back. I want to be up front with all the Soldiers I have trained over the years making sure they get home safe. Well I finally get my chance, Some time in the next 6 months I will take a long plane ride to the sand box. I am going to blog about my feelings and experiences leading up to that time. I realize no one may want to read this but then again there may be some that do. I am not going to be politically correct. I am not going to say what will make people happy or feel better. This blog is about me. I plan to use it later to try to explain to my three wonderful children, no really they are great, and peaceful, and quiet when they are SLEEPING! Other than that they are loud, can be obnoxious and just plain crazy! I love them with all my heart and will miss them and their loud craziness more than I can ever describe. I will also miss a huge part of me, she is my better half, my rock, not to sound corny she completes me! I am not half the person let alone half the man without her. I not only want her by my side as often as possible I NEED her there. I am going to miss her more than the children but in a completely different way. I have already had to leave home for a few weeks here and there and have had a taste of what it is going to feel like to be gone and I can say this now "I don't like it!" I hate going to bed alone, I hate sleeping alone, I hate waking up alone. It sucks, it really does. I have a strong urge to deploy and do my job with the rest of my brothers and sisters in the military service, I have no urge to leave my family for a year. That is what I signed up to do, that is what I have the calling and want to do, so that is what I am going to do! Well that is about it for my intro. I am going to try to post daily about what is going on. I am not going to discuss where in the sand box I am going or what I do. Just thoughts and feelings during the extra work and training that I am doing.