Days 68-83 Been in another place mentally

Chili is concentrating on chewing Lucy's toe off..."How dare she try to tickle my KITTY TITTIES!!!"

Note it was the COURTESY CAR... Shame on you Matt

1985 was obviously a good year for Defenders...check out the wave of mud

When GPS fails....My bro in law and his mates trying to figure out how to read a map. I have to say my map reading skills found our way around.

What the fuck is this fad about...thanks germany.

haven't felt like blogging much lately. I am in limbo ...job wise. We are completely broke...well let's just say we are suckin a fat one currently.

So to kill time in between jobs... I have been doing alot of personal writing. Went out on the Salisbury Plain with my bro-in-law last weekend and some of his mates. Had a good time...got incredibly muddy, found a ton of military training areas. I even saw a bashed in old tank that obviously is used for target practice. I would have taken a pic but I just didn't think about it at the time. Mostly cause I accidentally drove on a road that warned us to stay on the road..due to UXO(unexploded ordinance). So I wasn't too keen on stopping for pictures.

For the most part I have just been missing doing a job that matters. what I mean by that...I was/have been a paramedic for 12 years...and now I might have to take a job stocking shelves for a long while..until I can save a crap load of money.

So that has been me in a nutshell.

Check back later...maybe I'll wrote more.

Day 67 sites of the army/military...

See at the cemetary for allied forces in Normandy France.

The Old Guard .....changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers.....Washington D.C. 1998

I think the sign reads...Come see ramadi...Hottest vacation spot in Iraq.

Hohenfels, Germany I'll never forget this field exercise....Feb-Mar 2005....It was completely miserable. While we were supposed to be repelling the impending attack from the locals (OPFOR)...all we did was work on our vehicles.... We were constantly wet and frozen. One of my favorite memories is... myself, Moura, Milton, Appler...and I think Andersen....possibly Riley huddling in the back of a M113...all trying to get alittle more heat....from Milton's little propane heater....eating MREs....smokin and jokin....

A foto I took...something the mainstream media will never show you. You see the ball....the smiles....

Grafenwoehr Germany...June 2005..... Calling in a chopper to evac a casualty

Making friends Ar Ramadi Iraq...June 2006

Camp Bhuering Kuwait...Our mortar platoon got real fuckin bored while we were in semi-perm limbo.... I like this, cause it illustrates the geographical diversity of the military.

This was Tower Gate...at FOB Ramadi....not a fun place for anyone to do duty...

Day 66 Friends I served with....

TF 1-35 AR Nov 16th 2005....This is the day before we deployed to Iraq... OIF 3. To be honest...not my favorite duty station...but they were a great bunch of guys.

Doc Garza....out with the Marines and ICDC troops.... Doin a lil' house to house I imagine. He is in his 6th month of his second deployment. This guy is one of my heros. aside from the fact that he saved my bacon more than a couple times over the years. He has had a tough life...and always comes out on top..through hard work, determination... He is simply put the bravest person I know.

C. Hochstetler....My HO...Not the best mechanic I have ever known...but if you are down in the dumps at all....This is "the cure".....he has a wonderful sense of humor...and is almost never without a smile. He would run up to me...well anyone really...and give us all a hug.

Docs Andersen and Moura....right after Moura made Seargent. 2 of my best friends in the desert. I miss them everyday. Moura got out....and went back to Puerto Rico with his family. Andersen os also in the same boat as Garza...'cept...Garza re-enlisted...Andersen is in a stop loss.

Taken right after we got back from a field training exercise...or FTX. Doc's Boyd, Appler, myself, and Henley.....

Day 65 Veteran's Day/Rememberance Day

I was that which others did not want to be.
I went where other did not want to go, and did what others feared to do.
I asked nothing from those who gave nothing, and reluctantly accepted the thought of eternal loneliness---should I fail.
I have seen the face of terror, felt the stinging cold of pain, and enjoyed the sweet taste of a moment's love.
I have cried, pained and weeped. But most of all I have lived times others would say were best forgotten.
At least someday I will be able to say I am proud of what I was......
A Soldier.
My Dad....981st FA Bn, 40th IN DIV Korean War 1950

Veteran's Day has always been very special to me. My dad served, his dad(Army WW2)..my mom's dad(Navy WW2)...my uncles(Don Navy (Corpman)and Army (Medic) Vietnam) and Tom (Army Vietnam)...and my cousin steve(USMC), my cousin Heidi's husband(Army Vietnam)..... They were all my heros growing up. I knew they all joined to make the world a better place...to do something for someone else's cause that was greater than their own causes. None of my family who served, I am proud to say, was drafted into service.
But that isn't the only reason today is special.
On Jan 1st 1995....I joined the proud ranks of my family.
I was young....I wanted to do something more for myself generally....I didn't fully grasp the significance of the choice I made. A little more than a decade later...I now truly understand what it means to Sacrifice for the greater good.
Today reminds me of alot of people. People who are still serving in Iraq, Afganistan and many other places...in many aspects. I am proud of everyone who has served in the military. I don't honestly care what service or what country. we all share a common bond. Whether they have been in combat or not...the intention is there. If they didn't, more power to them....

The next 7 days I will be posting pics of my service...people, places...etc....

I am proud to be a veteran.

Day 64 Did a temp job today....

Today I swallowed some serious pride and did a job that I definately didn't want to do. But I need some money..and the current job search is shit.

I worked in a wharehouse...unloading a massive truck. It wasn't the worst thing ever, but it was pretty boring to say the least. The entire truck was packed with small cases of licorice. I used to like eating it...I think after having to smell it all day.... I won't be enjoying it anymore. it was raining fairly hard this afternoon....so all the colors on the boxes were bleeding on us. My arms turned bright blue...as did my boots, face and hair. It was SMURFTASTIC!!!!

Day 63 random photos for the day

Lucy smokes....my addiction is redbull.... and little cakes from Mark's and Spencer's....

They finally made toy replicas for Lucy and I.....

Mulled wine ingredients...
Lucy and I went to Salisbury for the day. Walked around...had a drink...just killed some time.

Day 62 Africa.. Any advice????

Been doing quite a bit of research on what to expect medically for my expedition to "The Dark Continent".....been asking lots of question of various people who have A. Been there for travel or B. Live there.....
Usually the only form of advice I get is...Don't get sick...and if you do.... find the Quinine...
Yay.