Lesson 17: Keep It With You Always

I'm saddened by the fact that this will be my final post for a while. Until around mid-February, I think. In a few short days, I'm shipping off to Ft Benning, GA for the 9 weeks of basic training, and then to Ft Rucker, Alabama for 11 weeks of Advanced Individual Training (AIT). I'll be writing letters, at least, during this time. However the only person that I guarantee correspondance is my wife. But, she'll be updating my blog as regularly as she can with excerpts from the letters I send home for you all to read.
Twin and Girls- I'm sorry I didn't make it up there to say goodbye in person. There are rumors of my having internet access in AIT. We'll see. If not, I'll have Aunt Christine drop you a line for me.
Pop- I'll see you in summer, presumably. Thanks for the support. I'm glad you and I have been able to see each other for who we truly are.
The Man and Dead Poet- Brush up on the Soul Calibur skills. I expect a full-on smackdown when I get back. Thanks for your help with the move.
Christine- I can't express how much I'm going to miss you. Even though you still have a couple of days left with me, I'd like to place something here for you anyway, for you to see and remember. Hell, everyone else can see it too:

Do you hear me,
I'm talking to you
Across the water across the deep blue ocean
Under the open sky, oh my, baby I'm trying

Boy I hear you in my dreams
I feel your whisper across the sea
I keep you with me in my heart
You make it easier when life gets hard

I'm lucky I'm in love with my best friend
Lucky to have been where I have been
Lucky to be coming home again
Ooohh ooooh oooh oooh ooh ooh ooh ooh

They don't know how long it takes
Waiting for a love like this
Every time we say goodbye
I wish we had one more kiss
I'll wait for you I promise you, I will

I'm lucky I'm in love with my best friend
Lucky to have been where I have been
Lucky to be coming home again
Lucky we're in love every way
Lucky to have stayed where we have stayed
Lucky to be coming home someday

And so I'm sailing through the sea
To an island where we'll meet
You'll hear the music fill the air
I'll put a flower in your hair

though the breezes through the trees
Move so pretty you're all I see
As the world keeps spinning round
You hold me right here right now

I'm lucky I'm in love with my best friend
Lucky to have been where I have been
Lucky to be coming home again
I'm lucky we're in love every way
Lucky to have stayed where we have stayed
Lucky to be coming home someday

-Jason Mraz and Colby Callait

You're my best friend, sweetheart. I'll fight for us with all I've got. Until I'm broken, bruised and bleeding. Whatever it takes, we'll be okay.

Lesson 16: *raspberry*

It has been brought to my attention that evidently, I am a downer. *shrug*. So, here's a better story for you: I have just finished my enlistment in an RSP company, which is for those soldiers that have not yet shipped to basic combat training. (I'll be doing that soon.) The "company" is a group of 40-80 soldiers, divided into platoons. Each platoon, of which I am in the 2nd, consists of 4 squads of 5-10 soldiers, to include Squad Leaders, such as myself. Now to explain the Motivational Phrase: The company, when falling in, assemble at attention and sound off with "LEAVE NO TRACE!" As we are the Delta Company Ghosts, this seems appropriate. 1st platoon has it's own Motivational Phrase for when it falls in as a platoon. Usually what it sounds like is "WE ARE WARRIORS! (unitelligible utterances for about 12 more syllables) DRIVE ON, DRILL SERGEANT, DRIVE ON!" I think someone was trying to hard.....

So, SFC Boman noticed that 2nd platoon didn't have one. And so he asked for suggestions. No one was brave enough to speak up. So he said that since no one spoke up, we'd go down the line squad by squad sounding off untill we got one we liked. My mind went blank. Before I knew it, he was to Private Rowley, who sounded off with "LOUD PROUD AND AVOWED!" I thought we should just go with that. But no, he gets to me. Only one thing came to mind:

"NAPALM STICKS TO KIDS, HOOAH!"

Wow. Yup. That's what I sounded off with.

"Napalm sticks to....kids? Hooah?" SFC Boman was understandably confused. Our lead sergeant walks in and asks, "Did I just hear that napalm sticks to kids? You have not been in the military long enough to know about that."

We ended up going with "Loud Proud And Avowed." But the look on Boman's face was enough to make me giggle even now.

Lesson 15: Hey, Spyder. How's It Going? Great!

Honestly, I have no clue what to post about, so I'm going to ramble until an appropriate topic makes itself evident. Know what else is evident? The crippling lack of comments. (Wow, that was fast!) Now, make ready for the thrashing which is to come!
So just why am I so hard up for comments? They are the proof that my post are being viewed. I do not have a visit counter, nor can I set my blog to provide me with read receipts whenever I log on. Thus, it is up to the reader to provide the author with feedback and (con/de)structive criticism. Not that I'm being whiny, but it goes like this: I post. Optimally, I recieve comments about my post to respond to. Thus, I respond to those comments with either comments of my own, or I get excited that I got responses and I post again! It's like Christmas! Huzzah, our long lost child who has had so difficult a time using emails, phone, and/or letters has at long last managed to discover a method of constant interesting communication between himself and others! Wait, or has he? Hello? Anyone? Huh!..........................guess there's no one here........no point in posting another then, I guess.....(See how that works?)

Lesson 14: Gonna Drink 'Til I Puke And Puke 'Til I Pass Out!

So! I'm not feeling very rant-ish today. I'm sure you're all annoyed, disappointed, and the like. Well, I'm sorry. Contrary to what may have graced the pages of this blog prior, I am in reality quite pleased with my life and it's current direction. I am constantly frustrated by the inadequacies of the management of my workplace, and the customers drive me bat shit... but the rest of it is actually rather enjoyable. How many people can honestly say they like everyone they work with? We all get along. The only ones who doesn't really fit are the station manager, regional manager and resident representative. And it's their own damn fault. I have achieved indispensability in my particular workplace, and I know my cities so well, police have asked me for directions. My superiors are supportive of my military responsibilities. My wife is so much more...okay with all this than I ever expected. She used to shy away from the subject if I ever brought it up. Now, she just seems proud of me. She listens to my stories from drill with unending patience, she attends military functions when she can, it's great. I absolutely LOVE my wife. She's a gamer, like me. We play together all the time. We bond that way. It's one thing of many that we share in common.
We're moving to a more affordable place that is ten times better quality, in a quiet neighborhood. It's really nice. And I hate the cliche "I'm so blessed!" stuff. But you know what? I am. Especially when I choose to notice.