Sweet Home Alabama

Well folks, Alabama is as hot, humid, and classy as ever. Don't get me wrong. Alabama is beautiful but some of the people...well...bless their heart. I arrived last Wednesday. The instructor pilot course promises to be a challenge but I'm finding it pretty hard to focus on the task at hand because, once again, I'm away from my family. We have been trying so hard to figure out a way to bring them down here for the month of July but there is just no way to make it work without it costing thousands of dollars. We even thought about buying a cheap travel trailer but we'd have no were to put it when we got back home. We've always wanted one but, we've wanted a small one and we couldn't live in a small one for a month. Oh yah, and even the small ones cost a few thousand dollars. The army wont give me a bigger room and they wont pay me to get my own hotel room. Its looking like the best case scenario is for me to drive home for the 4th of July weekend and enjoy two days with them before driving back for another month of being alone.

Cal, are you driving through Alabama?

So, for the curious, here is a sampling of my study material for the next two months.

Its a lot like any other profession. Its just bits of information from exhaustive books on the subjects. When I study, it does help pass the time but its hard knowing that the kids miss me the same, regardless of how busy I can be. Poor Will is so confused about where I live, I've been gone for more than half his life. I tell you what, these are the days that make me want to get out of the service as soon as I possibly and legally can.

The classes are lecture/discussion so its a bit hard to stay awake. My train of thought usually goes something like this "oh I see, the slow relative velosity causes the induced flow to be less affected by the rotational relative wind thus causing the air to strike the blade above chord line...time for some more sunflower seeds...these sure dry out my mouth and my lips...I haven't kissed Laura in five days...I wonder what Laura is doing...I really like our new car...I hope we keep it for a long time...I wonder where we'll be living in five years...Kate will be in Junior High...man i hated Junior High...are there ever any TV shows about kids in Junior High...The wonder Years...that's it...my all time favorite show...I need to find that on DVD...crap, did he jsut explain retreating blade stall" "Um, excuse me, could you explain that again." "I'm way to dumb to be here!"

Now I'm in my room trying to remember all the things I should have listened too in class and will have to read in a boring book so if this is my last post for quite some time, you will understand. I think I want to quit flying and be President for a while. Then I would make it mandatory for families to travel with their soldier. Plus I would mandate bio-diesel for use in all vehicles. I would send Paris Hilton and Brittany Spears to jail. I would also require that "Lost" be played as a continuous movie from start to end in HD and the entire event would be a national holiday!! DOMINO suckers.

Farewell Werewolves

This is a bit late like most of my post will be but worthy of note. The last four years, I've striven so hard to be as good a soldier as the men that surrounded me. I will never be as brave or true as some of them. Two weeks ago they had a farewell lunch for me and, as it turns out, they thought I was pretty swell too. They made this great parting gift for me. I was so honored by the things it says. I can only hope they all know how I feel about them.


Jeremy Averett and Emanuel "Manny" Vero were two of my best friends in the unit. If the bullets are flying and you can hear Manny's voice, you can know in your heart that he is going to take you home. I'll miss you Manny. Bring them home again.

Jeremy, you are the friend that everyone loves to have. Genuine, caring and loyal to the end. I don't know if I'll ever lead an air assault again but if I do, I want you next to me.

Jeremy, Manny, and Me



The Werewolves will be returning to the desert in about a year. I will pray for you all.

Godspeed

In Virginia

We packed our little house in Harker Heights and hit the road last week. We loved that house so much when we bought it. I had been trying to get this duty assignment for over a year and here we are.

First, the home we left and the truck we packed it in.




We rolled in to Virginia at 10 pm and we still don't have our stuff. Here is our house. The army pays a lot more to live here so we can afford a much nicer place. And we have a basement. We never did have one of them things befur.



I send more when we get settled. Sorry my redneck autorama is blocking most of the view.

Mrs. B

This is a little late but still worth talking about since I'm still reeling from the experience.

Let's go back to 1991 when I tried out for choir. I had never been in a choir. I didn't even know what harmony was. I don't remember what I did to audition for Varsity Choir. I think I just sang a few notes in front of the piano for some lady I'd never met. I had just heard that choir was great and I should be in it. Once in choir I auditioned for Expressions. (the pop performance group) I auditioned by singing "Every Rose Has its Thorn" by Poison and playing my guitar. I really wanted to be a cowboy glam-rocker back in those days. I was so nervous and mostly just wanted to be there because of a girl I had a crush on. The things we do for love. So I made in into the group, barely got the time of day from the girl and spent the next two years as a choir dork. It was the greatest time of my young life. Everyday, Mrs B. (that lady) would pour herself into our lives and demand our most wonderful voice in response. She held us all off the tip of her fingers, guiding us through the notes and shaping our minds to better understand the world.

So two weeks ago she retired after 33 years of conductiong and I went to the party. I have been keeping up with her through the last couple of years but I hadn't seen her if over nine.

Here I am with Mrs B.


I try to tell her as often as possible how much she has meant to me but there is no way I could ever repay the inspiration she has given me. She is the reason "The Sound of Music" and "Marry Poppins" are staples in my house. I can't imagine my kids growing up without music.

Thank you Mrs B.

Her I are some pictures of me with some of my dear old friends. I could write another entry about how awesome it was to see them but they all know.

Here are Cal, Adam and Me. I have no idea how Mrs. B put up with us sometimes.


Sarah and I.



Leanne and I.

Moving

I think I'll start a new blog. I've gotten a few promptings from friends that wonder why I haven't updated in a while and I'm tired of paying for the .mac site so here it is. We'll see how long it lasts. On to the days events.

There is a good feeling when you start moving. We started packing a couple of weeks ago and now we are in the trailer loading stages. No matter how well we plan and no matter how good our intentions are, we always digress from neatly packed boxes to holding a box at the end of the counter and shoving everything in with a push broom. Next comes the trash bags. We start throwing stuff away and giving stuff to Good Will that doesn't fit. We had a perfectly good reason for not selling it in the last garage sale but now its just rubbish. Our semi trailer is filling up and I don't want to load up my truck like Jed Clampett for the 1400 mile trip. I'm already nervous about the new neighbor hood so I don't want to give the impression that we are the new local rednecks with the trampoline in the front yard.

Anther fun thing about moving is how good it is for our marriage. We get along so well and really connect with each other after a long day of manual labor and getting in each other's way. In fact, I'm pretty sure I have a back rub coming tonight. Moving is almost as romantic and therapeutic as when we do our taxes. If we survive this and make it to Virginia, we'll make even more magic memories unpacking.

I can't wait to be out of the army and living in one place for a really long time.

I HATE MOVING!!! I'm pretty sure all caps means I'm yelling. Anyway, I was.