Andrew's Adventure

Finally Home

2009-05-24T22:24:00.002-04:00

Made it home. No problems with the trip. The flights were uneventful. Holiday Inn was a luxurious experience compared to the last few months. Capped off with a nice meal at the Macaroni Grill and a trip home with lots of state troopers positioned along the highways to make sure it was safe. Unpacked some tonight, but other than that just distributed some small gifts and now enjoying a little high speed Internet. I was greeted by a goat, a dachshund and a large black and white mutt here at the farm. Other than that everything is pretty much normal. I am just enjoying the green and the relative cool (only in the 80s). Made it home. I definitely have a greater appreciation for those who serve much longer terms.

Home Soil

2009-05-24T07:10:00.003-04:00

Arrived in the USA last night. The average US citizen still appreciates what the military does for them. Many are still appreciative of the job which we do. I have a new appreciation for those who are deployed for 12-15 months. No matter how we try to "Americanize" the forward bases, they are still nothing like living in the US. I didn't realize how nice a real bed is, how lovely a large shower is, and not having to walk 1/4 mile to get my breakfast. It is really sweet to be back on American soil. I pray that terrorist do not transform the US into a place like Iraq, but I fear that the terrorist will not leave the US alone for much longer, especially with the current administration.

Movement Home

2009-05-21T16:23:00.002-04:00

Finished the first leg home. It was a long day. Flying in a C-130 is tiring. At least I got to have fun with the aircrew. It truely is much more fun being part of the "crew" then being self-loading baggage. They are a fun bunch and are still upbeat because they just got here. Luckily and "act of God" cut our trip by 1 1/2 hours, so that was a blessing in disguise. Less flight time, but earlier arrival at Quatar. Doesn't hurt that I am also travelling with one of our Chaplins. Safety has still been a blessing. We continue to look out for our wingmen as we travel. Tomorrow will be a very long day. I hope to sleep in. Not much else to do here, unless I drank beer. I will get cleaned up and then hit the hay.

I now have potential energy.

2009-05-20T08:29:00.002-04:00

It is exciting. There are actually times and flights for my redeployment. I am no longer just waiting for flights and space. I pray that the weather holds, only 105 today. I pray that the airplanes all work the way they are supposed to. You try not to get too excited until you actually step foot at home again. It is still a long trip and a lot of hours on planes. But as I reflect to my early notes, nothing compared to the WWII veterans who endured week long ship rides across the Atlantic or the Pacific oceans. Or even going by prop only aircraft all the way home. I pray that the people that I leave behind here can do well, it was a little sad when I first got here and all the people you came to replace slowly left. Hopefully tomorrow I start movement.

Waiting

2009-05-19T07:08:00.003-04:00

Sitting and waiting here. Not really anything that I can do useful except for be available. There is no real space for me here, so I just am kind of trying to be available and help out as best I can. It was going from a slow cruise to idle. I just need to keep looking around for opportunities. Not much else as almost everyone else has rotated out. "just keep swimming." At least I have a date and a time for return. Now just need to wait for that date.

Human Nature

2009-05-15T15:02:00.002-04:00

It is funny. Yesterday a lost a friendly bet with a master Sargent. The loss cost me running a 5K on the treadmill. Not a big deal, but my old knees just don't like running that far, cycling is fine, a little butt numbing, but otherwise fine. I made it through the 5K without stopping, slowed down for 500m, but never stopped. Never needed oxygen, did not need 911 called or the AED. While I was running this there is a distance meter on the treadmill. It defaults to miles. I about fell off the treadmill, pushing buttons to change the miles to kilometers so that I could see my progress. I know that 3.1 miles is 5k, but I just wanted to see that number. I guess it is the same when we count how many surf and turfs we have enjoyed. (This was my 10th and hopefully the last in country, nothing bad about all the shrimp, crab legs or lobster tails and steak you can eat, but I want to go home.) All I could think of tonight was, how Kevin and Kristina would have loved this surf and turf, they cut the legs in half, so all you have to do is pull the meat out, dip it in butter and eat, no cracking, no pulling, just eating.... Overall a fairly good day, just up to 103 today. Nothing major, met the new deputy group commander and new group chief master Sargent. Probably the last blog for a while,until I get to the deed.

Blog Today

2009-05-14T23:43:00.002-04:00

Just a short note today. Probably will be my last entry for a few days. I am beginning the process of movement. It is funny, this process should be fairly practiced and routine, but it is always a little stressful. The new group is coming in and so the old group needs to move out. It is called overlap. I have packed up 80% of all my stuff and will be living out of my luggage for a few days. Don't really know what a "few days" is, but it is like everything else in the military, or for that matter moving any large group of people, - hurry up and wait. I will probably lose this Internet connection. I may get to pick one up in the "deed" but depending upon the speed of my movement it could be days to hours. At this point, as one of the master sargents put it "you have low motility"

For All things there is a time

2009-05-12T12:25:00.002-04:00

I am slowly cleaning my areas and gathering up all my stuff. It is amazing, I came here with 2 bags and I have sent home a full trunk and another small box. I still think that I have more stuff than when I came here. This is just the physical things. I know that I will be leaving behind a group of friends, as my last commander put it, "war buddies." We will always have a unique shared experience which is not describable in any amount of words. Things happen, don't really know why God lets them happen, but they do. Everyone deals with the things in their own unique way. One of my war buddies told me yesterday, I know why we get snippy with each other at the end of the deployment, because is makes it a little bit easier to part company. It's funny, I know we are in a war zone, and there is death and destruction all around us, but we all will miss the people, not the situation. But, if not for the situation, we would not have met these people and bonded to them. It is kind of like college, only different. Our first Sargent keeps telling us "short-timers" to minimize our footprint, so that when the new folks come in, there will be plenty of room to welcome them in, so we pack and get in redeployment mode, we live out of our suitcases for the next 1-2 weeks.

Fragile Tranqility

2009-05-11T23:52:00.002-04:00

It's amazing how fragile the status quo can be. I often take it for granted that things are just going to sail along without too many bumps in the road. Then out of left field there it is something tragic which changes everything. Only a split second and things are very different. People who you know are struggling, others who you thought would be weak find strength. Everyone pulls together and gets the job done. It is odd how these things bring out the best and worst in people. I honestly don't know how they do it without God. I know I wouldn't do very well if I didn't have that Rock, that Horizon which I can fix my gaze upon and know that the destination is sure and definite. The bumps and the waves they may get big and temporarily block my view, but I realize that my faith keeps me going in the same direction where I know that Rock lies.

Saturday again.

2009-05-09T14:42:00.002-04:00

Another uneventful Saturday. A little reading. A little e-mail. Almost had to say goodbye to friends, but the weather kept them from leaving. The new people are getting the realization that the jobs are theirs, no backup. No one else to help. Everyone pitches in and helps, but until you actually have to do it yourself it really isn't your task. Prayerfully hoping that my hand off will be good so when I am gone, my replacement will be able to do a good job and continue the mission. Time is short.

Sun and Sand

2009-05-08T14:42:00.002-04:00

Well it was nice to not see lots of dust today. Actually saw the sky. It was grey, but not rainy at all. It got up to 95 today. Not much else happening today. Anther Steak and crab leg night. Had the change of command ceremony. It means that my time here is almost done. Packing stuff up and cleaning stuff up. Getting ready for the next group to come in.

Wee

2009-05-06T15:24:00.002-04:00

Days are going by fast now. Seems like there isn't much time to get things done. People are now starting to rotate out and that means big change. It is funny looking at it from this side, how tired and disoriented you are when you get here. No matter how much you are prepared, it is a lot of adapting just to move that many hours difference in the body. Let alone being from totally different climates and such. The dust and the sand have really kicked up. Lots of irritated noses and sinuses. You have to be deliberately careful so that you don't do a careless thing and get hurt. Best piece of advice I have gotten so far, keep your mind in the game until you are safely at home on your own couch, until then your still at war.

New Faces

2009-05-05T15:17:00.002-04:00

Today we have new faces. They are all excited. It is good to have new excited people, they add energy to the group. They really seem tired after all the travelling all that way. I guess I probably felt that way when I got here. It seems like a distant memory. Everything has a purpose. It is funny how all that travel just taxes your body. Some do much better than others. It is amazing when people are more out of shape, or had small problems at home, it gets much worse when they have 24-48 hours of stress on their body. I am tired, was up lots last night. It is time for bed.

Amazing Patriots

2009-05-03T16:11:00.002-04:00

It never ceases to amaze me how some men and women are patriots no matter what the circumstances are. If they are being shot at or blown up, or just sitting at a computer supporting others some are really happy to do their part because that is who they are. Of course there are some who are the exact opposite, but most are here because they want to do their part. They are not perfect, and they do occasionally get a bad attitude about their job, but then they pull out of it and are still glad that they can do their part. I just pray that I can be a good witness for others around me.

Another week completed

2009-05-02T15:21:00.000-04:00

Another week has gone by. Doesn't seem to be any faster or slower than any other. I try to keep a good attitude and also keep concentrating on the mission here. I guess it is just a small part of trying to keep my morale up. It is hard when you are not really keeping up the clinical skills that you normally practice due to a much slower pace. It has been good and relaxing, and definitely less taxing. The stress is different than at home. At home there is more work stress, here it is more non-work stress. Living conditions are not like at home. Food is not like at home. The people have been great, but they just aren't family. Having to walk about 5 miles a day for just food, bathing, toileting, and getting to work, is definitely more healthy, but makes the day a little more time consuming. That is OK, cause there is nothing else to do, but eat, sleep, work, work out and play a little.

Fatigue

2009-04-30T16:10:00.002-04:00

Fatigue is a funny thing. It makes you kind of not think very straight. It also makes me ramble on and be less focused. It seems that in my younger days I could do with or at least deal with less sleep. Now that I am older, well, 3 1/2 hours of sleep and even a 2 hour nap was not enough. Caffeine and everything really doesn't help much either. So now I lay me down to sleep. I pray the Lord my soul to keep. If I should not wake before I rise. I pray the Lord my soul to take. (see I would never write that if I wern't so tired). Goodnight moon, good night stars. Goodnight.

God works in mysterious ways.

2009-04-29T14:30:00.002-04:00

It was a half-hearted request. Not something that I absolutely had to do, but well, physically, it didn't really make sense and lots of things had to work out for it to come true. Well today, I witnessed the awesome power of God. I kind of wanted to visit the main Air Theater Hospital here in Iraq. It is a really neat place, with lots of medical people doing, lots of good things. As a doctor, I kind of wanted to see it, since it was relatively only a hop, skip and jump away from me. Today God granted me that wish, not because I planned, schemed or worked on it, just because my Father in Heaven thought it must be something I should do. I am glad I did it. Not sure why, got to visit some friends and look around. Maybe in the near or distant future, I will know why. Just makes me have a warm place in my heart. Thanks God!!

Wars, Rumors of Wars, Pirates, Pandemic flu

2009-04-27T13:42:00.002-04:00

I sure am glad that this is only a temporary dwelling place and not my true home. Like my commander here, he encouraged me to keep up my good attitude, cause people around me really do notice. So his wise counsel is much like my Heavenly counsel, to keep up the Christ like attitude and remember, this is all just a vapor. All the bad guys and all the disease, and all the sin in this world is only for a brief time. We may lose a battle or two here on this earth, but the war is won. He is victorious and on the throne. No suicide bomber, no pirate, no swine flu will change that fact. If that isn't a rock to stand on, well nothing is. I guess God is really good, I feel blessed this evening, even in the middle of a war zone. I just pray that a little bit of Jesus can peak through this sinful Andrew.

Luau day

2009-04-26T15:46:00.002-04:00

Had a Morale day here. Was a really nice effort on the part of the group leadership to let this rotation get a really nice party. The Hawaiian contingent managed to get a pig to roast and the civil engineers made a real (or really it was a hose reel) nice contraption to turn the spit over the flame. Fun was had by most all and I think that overall it was really well received. Mrs Clinton breezed in and out of here, really didn't see anything but a really big motorcade with lots of really armored vehicles. I guess the windows don't roll down on the armored vehicles, so not even a wave to the troops. Not much else here this Sunday. Just another good Easter message, once again reassuring us that salvation is assured through Jesus and that the Holy Spirit allows us to understand the Bible and what God is telling us. Makes sense to me, I just don't always understand exactly what God is telling me. The chaplain had an interesting though, Peter was the Rock which Christ built his church on, but he also said before Peter got the Holy Spirit, Christ might have called him the 'rock' cause he had such a hard head. A lot like us, stubborn and bull headed, not necessarily what Christ is looking for, but he uses us in whatever condition he finds us in.

Keep focused

2009-04-24T23:11:00.003-04:00

Keeping focused is the task for today. I gotta keep my head in the game and keep doing the best job I can. I pray that I can continue with a positive attitude. Don't want to get the "get home-itis" The reason I'm here is to serve, so I just have to remember that. Another surf and turf night last night, it's funny how if you get the same thing served over and over again, even something special like lobster tail, it is less special.

Wow, It's a dry heat

2009-04-23T14:19:00.002-04:00

Today was the first really hot day. Not extreme, but up in the 90's with a really bright sun. Wouldn't take long to dehydrate in the desert. Thank you God for letting man invent the air conditioner and a water purification ROWPU. Other than the heat another usual day in the sandbox. It's amazing how much heat radiates off the T-walls at night, just even being next to them you can feel the heat. Just thankful for another day with God's peace.

Mesopotamia

2009-04-21T15:06:00.002-04:00

It's hard to believe that Mesopotamia is the cradle of life. The river seems vibrant enough, but outside of the small confines of the river the land surrounding it is just like a sandbox. Only that which was cultivated is living and green. I guess too this would be the analogy to our lives without the living water of God. My soul apart from God is very dry and thirsty, when God opens the irrigation ditches to my life, only then does live spring forth from my dry an thirsty soul. It is interesting how I need to see this first hand, sometimes my stubbornness or stupidity does not allow me to see this until I see it with my own eyes. Move over Thomas, I am trying to get your place in God's doubt meter.

Dedicated Workers

2009-04-20T16:14:00.002-04:00

You usually see the quality of worker when there is little work to do. When the work load is light most workers will show their true colors. The hard workers, will continue with constructive work which still gives the employers benefit despite the light load. The slothful worker, will take advantage of the down time and waste that commodity which is so valuable, time. I guess when you are busy, you just don't notice the slothful workers, because you are so busy doing your job, but when you have some time to look around, that is when you discover how your co-workers really work.

Divine apointments

2009-04-18T14:56:00.002-04:00

When God is in control, you never know who you are going to meet, but it is always guaranteed to be a blessing. Met an old friend today and it had to be a God thing. You know that of all the places and all the times it is not coincidence or just plain dumb luck to meet a specific person out of the 6.5 billion people and thousands of square miles of land. Often times you are not looking for those divine appointments, but when they happen you have to pause, thank God and then rejoice that He is making your paths straight. It is kind of like evolution, after so many trillions and trillion of years, you would think that there would be something better than mankind. If I were mother nature, I would have thought that a self-destructive race such as the human one, would have self-selected for a more robust and less fragile creature. So it is, nothing is by chance, everything is for a reason, we were made in His Image. Problem is most of the times, I just don't understand that reason and that's OK. Cause He knows where I am going.

Families

2009-04-17T14:49:00.002-04:00

Families are really important. You never really know how much they mean to you until you are away from yours. As a father and husband, I don't really spend that much time at home, in comparison to work, but when you don't have that daily time to even see your family it makes a big difference. The internet and all it's wonders do make partially up for the isolation, but there is still a dimension which is missing. The military does place you into another family, it is somewhat different, your father is a commander, and depending upon his/her leadership style it may be more or less like the father you have, wished you had, or glad you did not. The people around you are like your brothers and sisters and extended family. They will bend over backwards for each other. You spend an aweful lot of time with them doing the normal things like eating and living, relaxing and exercising. It's still not the same, but there is a bond that you make with the military members around you which is unique and not fully explainable unless you have been there also. I guess both families take care of each other, just at the end of the deployment you'll have a whole nother group of people that you consider family, but you just will never go back to a similar situation with them.

Fragile Creatures

2009-04-14T15:14:00.002-04:00

I am always amazed at how close we are to death. Human life is really fragile. When you think about it only about 1/4 inch of skin covers some of the high pressure blood vessels in the body, like the carotid arteries that feed blood to the brain. All the technology in the world really can't keep a human being running if we are missing just a little more than 1/4 inch of flesh which covers these vital structures. Also we may say we are hard headed, but the two layers of the skull really are not very much protection from direct injury. I still wonder how we are "survival of the fittest" A dog's skin or a lion's skin is much tougher. Also a gorilla or chimpanzee has much more ability to resist damage, plus they haven't developed any real long range instruments of destruction, except for flinging poo. I guess it all comes down to intelligent design, cause if I were "mother nature" man certainly would not be the fittest animal on the planet.
Only one other thought, we must really be made in God's image, cause I am sure no one in his or her right mind would voluntarily put themselves in "harms way" for another human unless there was a soul which told them that that is the right thing to do. Cause once again, survival of the fittest (and I know some really fit soldiers, marines, airmen, and sailors) would tell these really strong men and women to get the h--- out of Dodge, cause there are some really nasty men, who really want to kill them. And I don't think the $100 a month hazard duty pay is enough to really overcome that survival of the fittest/natural selection crap.

Saturday

2009-04-11T14:16:00.002-04:00

Another Saturday has come and gone. It is holy week and the Catholic Chaplins have had services on Wed, Thurs, Fri, Sat and will have one on Sunday. The Christian Chaplins only had a Wed night prayer service/bible study and a Easter Sunday service planned. Just an observation. Good Friday was not so good for Christ, not so good for me, but nothing bad, just another work day. Hoping and praying that Easter Sunday will be a quite restful day for me, I do know that it was a blessed day for Christ.

Rain

2009-04-09T14:53:00.002-04:00

Rain,it is God's reminder that all living things need water. It is amazing when living in a desert everything gravitates toward water sources. You can have all the oil you want under the ground, but ultimately it is water that you need for survival. The rain was refreshing today, unfortunately, the ground does not really allow for the rain to do anything but run off into the ditches and streams. It is amazing how green grass and fields look so much different.

Another day

2009-04-06T15:54:00.001-04:00

Sunny and hot today. Otherwise would have been a lovely day at the beach, just no ocean here, can't be outside without long sleeves and a uniform on. Big cement walls with razor wire on the top and the occasional MRAP or Uparmored HUMVEE driving around. Not too much dust today. A nice weather day. Just a little bit of busy work and some studying. At lunch we were discussing the fact that we got a lot of packages today, in WWII, Korea or Vietnam, we would be in a base, without A/C, not much mail, and no e-mail or Internet to connect with our families. Most of us would not be willing volunteers to be where we are, and many more casulties would be coming our way. War is still bad, it is just more cloaked in civility today.

Palm Sunday

2009-04-05T23:21:00.002-04:00

Another dusty day here in the desert. Not much to report, other than it is a little bit hotter. Just a little bit more tired today, probably due to me running around more. It's just amazing all this money spent on Iraq and it's still a poor country. I guess that is what happens when you have terrorist still doing bad things, and you have to spend all the money on security issues.

Time

2009-04-03T16:07:00.002-04:00

Another day, time keeps going. I don't exactly have any great revelations today. Just another day. One tries to add something to others, but inexplicably you are not always given the opportunities. I guess it is just how you act and react when people around you just happen to bump into you. No other explaination for God's providence, He just allows us to make our choices. I just pray that I am making wise and honoring choices. It's just funny how most people just count the days, wishing for something else, but maybe when something else happens, they are just wishing for yet something else. It's part of the old poem, God give me the courage to change the things I can, and the serenity to acccept the things I can't change.

Another day

2009-04-02T23:14:00.002-04:00

Yesterday, things were the same. Routine, it can be good, it can be bad. When things are the same, they become predictable. Unfortunately, they tend to make you less dependent upon God. When something happens which is really out of the ordinary, well that is when my relationship with God really grows. I guess that is why there is variety in life.

Blessings

2009-03-28T14:44:00.002-04:00

When you fly over the United States you realize how overly blessed we are. There are supermarkets and stores and lush green growths all over the place. There are woods and pastures and lots of animals and crops. We get to go down to a store and actually shop, if we don't like the price we go to another shop. Sometimes we will travel to another city or even another state to get stuff. We don't worry about IEDs. We don't worry about breaking down and no one will stop and help us or at least we can use our cell phones. I really didn't fully understand this concept until I left our United States and came here. I wish the liberal thinkers would really come and live here for a little while. They would realize that that kind of we are the world, lets let government help everybody, just doesn't work in places where hard work is a virtue and something to be looked up to, not just a government hand out and a free ride. When you have a very little, a work ethic is very important.

Dust Storm Lifts

2009-03-25T14:40:00.002-04:00

Wow,
Dust storms in the desert are really nasty things. I would hate to be on a camel and going across the desert following a really bright star. Tonight it cleared up and you can see all sorts of stars and the moon and spy satellites :). Now I know why camels have such long eyelashes and a big old tail. The flys around here are really persistent and the dust just messes with your eyes. The dust really gets to you, it is so fine it takes your breath away. I tried to blow up a glove for a kid, and well I couldn't even get get it past a normal sized glove. Thankfully I am not trying to play trumpet here. Things are kind of in the groove here, like the movie groundhog day. Same story, new day. Thankfully they are not changing for the worse. Last thought, it is funny that they actually use a vacuum truck on the airport ramp, but it seems to stir up more dust than it sucks. Best way to clear the ramp is a rotor wash from a blackhawk helo. 2 weeks down. Seems like an eternity since I was in Ohio.

Little Things

2009-03-21T15:06:00.002-04:00

It's the little things that you appreciate when they are not there, like grass and trees, clear skies, not having to walk 1/2 mile to get food, and not wearing a reflective belt after dark. Not having to get all armored up to go shopping. Not having to sign out a vehicle keys just to drive it. And for some reason, it bothered me the most taking the 3 min "combat" shower. I realize these are whiny things, lots of soldiers have it a lot worse off, so that is when I just thank God for where I am and remember how truly blessed we are in the United States. It's funny how we American's expect all this stuff and take them for granted. They are a fleeting gift and lots of men and women are sacrificing to allow us to have those little things.

Back On

2009-03-18T14:53:00.003-04:00

Now I know how Radar O'Reily felt. Sometimes you pack everything you think that you need, but don't realize what you need until you get there. So you scrounge what you need and barter with people for things that they want, and you need. It works, I guess it is a throwback to the older days when trading a chicken for nails was still "normal." I am finally adjusting to the time difference. My bladder still thinks that 0330 here is morning, but other than that my mind is slowly getting sharper. At least that what the Nintendo DS game Brain Age is thinking. I still meet lots of interesting people, both military and civillian. All have very different reasons for being here, some for service, some for honor, some for self-sacrifice and some just for material gain. It is nice being able to blog again, unfortunately the military internet does not allow access to blogging sites, it is pretty restrictive, but that is understandable, we've got a war to win, not a blog to write.

Today

2009-03-12T00:58:00.000-04:00

I've spoken to many brave men and women here. They all have various reasons for being here. There is no one reason, but most are still proud to serve and they enjoy doing what they are doing. Many are back and have been deployed multiple times. Some are weary, I can see how this would get to you after awhile. Sitting in front of the BX, you notice that people still get and like the small creature conforts (i.e. Monster drinks, Dunkin Donuts, Lays Potato chips on sale for $0.10 a big bag.) I guess that's what gets you from day to day if you don't have an eternal hope.

Dusty Feet

2009-03-11T11:31:00.006-04:00

Today I had a revelation on how dirty the Middle East is. My laptop is dusty as I type. Also, I ran/jogged/hobbled about 1.8 miles on the track and my feet and shoes were filthy. After this I put on flip flops and treked about 300 yards to the Cadillacs (oddly named shower trailers). Just going that 300 yards from our tents (oddly manufacured by Alaska Tent Co), my feet were once again very dirty. It makes me appreciated how dirty My Savior's feet would have been, and how humble it would be to wash another's feet after a long dusty, hot trek.

2009-03-11T03:20:00.000-04:00

Another day of travel is done. All told it has taken about 22 hours so far, and still not to my final destination. Fatigue has set in and I am making little mistakes. Tried to read the Bible and Epicenter, but only kept reading about the same paragraph. Eventually I just gave up. Maybe I can get some rest, but the time change may take some getting used to.

2009-03-10T04:30:00.002-04:00

I have spent about 14 hours spent on the trip so far. Nothing major so far, Germany is rainy and 37 degrees. Still getting 3 square meals a day. Not much else to write about.

Day 1

2009-03-09T07:27:00.001-04:00

I sit here thinking about the adventure that I start today, while my family sleeps, mostly peacefully. I realize it is by God's grace that I am here and benefit from health and many rich blessings. I am truly thankful for that blessing. I only do this blog because a really good friend goaded me into doing it :), and he knows who he is. I will endeavor to do this daily and make it both meaningful and also a blessing to my Savior Christ Jesus.
At this point, I don't really know why God got me up at 5:45 AM (besides needing to listen to the snoring from my sons, daughters and just a little from my wife) and what lies ahead for me this day. I know there will be a lot of waiting and sitting, but as I contemplate how those before me travelled, a sleek aluminum covered aircraft is really a luxury, compared to travel by ship taking days to weeks to get to the other side of the world. Enough for now, maybe some more later, time to read a little daily bread....:)