If you can figure out a way to get to Chile, then i will figure out a way to meet you there !! Sorry youre so homesick, though i cant blame you. And for the record, everyone over here is happy to hear that youre doing the job youre doing !! haha But i get what youre saying, why be there unless you feel like youre serving a real purpose right ? Easter here was good, laid back, but an absolutely gorgeous, unseasonably warm day. And, Bobby, Braeden and I just got back from a little getaway to Vermont. My aunt and uncle have a house in Rutland, it was very nice. Other than that, Gel is having some issues and i am tempted to kill someone. I know someone can relate to the feeling that takes you over when someone hurts your family or friends, its scary !!
Ok Jordan, we miss you, hope to hear from you soon ! Keep smiling ! :)

Finally back online...

Well I'm sorry it's been so long!!! It's taken forever for our internet cafe to get set up. But I'm here in Afghanistan and more or less settled in now. I guess we've been here for almost 2 weeks, but it feels like much longer! As much as I want to be positive and optimistic, right now I'm more homesick then I've ever been on one of these trips. My job entails spending lots of time in an office doing Rations Control, which is neither challenging nor rewarding. I stare longingly at the combat units that are always passing our living area getting ready for or coming back off of missions. I know that life is much more dangerous, but it always made sense to me. In my current position I'm responsible for nobody but myself, which means I don't have enough to do OR to think about, leaving entirely too much time to think about what else I could be doing/wish I were doing.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the rumors of me getting switched to another position as a sort of training liason/special missions NCO will come true. At least in that kind of roll I could put my skills to some use...and I would have Soldiers to look after again, which would make me a very happy camper. In the meantime I'm busting my butt to get enrolled in courses so I can FINALLY finish my degree and as soon as I kick the bronchitis I came down with I'll be back in the gym working on gettin' my butt back into shape!! Let's just say fitness and good eating were low on my list of priorities the last few months before the deployment. And as they say you reap what you sow...

I think that's it for now, I'll be online much more frequently so hopefully we can get this blog up and running again! And hey...does anyone have any ideas on how to get me from here to my Tio Hugo's beach house in Valparaiso, Chile?? Something tells me that would be a lot more fun!!

Jordan left for her overseas journey on Wednesday :( I an anxiously waiting to hear that she is there and settled.

Im sure youre probably enjoying a few drinks by now Jordan, and i just had a flashback to Summer 2002, beautiful hot night in Shreveport, surrounded by Air Force boys feeding us drink after drink !! What a great night !! That is, until i was given one to many "flaming doctor peppers" and i spent time puking in the bushes outside your friends apartment, before attempting to sneak by Uncle Peter, hoping he wouldnt know i was drunk !! hahahaha

Beautiful weather in NJ the past few days ! Been out and about with Braeden, walking on the beach and stuff. Im pretty sure Jordan has arrived in Aiken for some well deserved down time !! Hope you have a great time !!

Freezing Cold Night Shifts

So we're about midway through our validation exercise and despite the fact that it's freezing cold and miserable outside for 12 loooooonng hours at a stretch, it's really going well. I'm enjoying the fact that I have a 12 man team that I'm responsible for and so far we've hit all the standards without any trouble. It's nice to have some responsibility/authority for once in quite a while! I'm in a pretty positive mood - it certainly helps that I'll be in Aiken, SC hanging out with my brother a week from now! I am definitely looking forward to some good beer and good company!! Right now, though, I have a hot date with my pillow and hopefully about 8 hours of sleep coming my way!!

Watchin "Wonder Pets" with Braeden. Saddened by the news of an earthquake that hit Chile early this morning, that theyre saying may now cause a tsunami, and that just means more destruction :(
I hate to hear that Jordan is miserable. I remember something that our lamaze teacher told us about dealing with labor. She said that the thought of labor freaks people out b/c all they think about is how long it could last, so they are thinking they could be in labor for 24 or 48 hours ! She said to put that out of our minds and just take it 1 contraction at a time and then it would seem much more bearable, since then it means thinking about it one minute at a time. Comparing 24-48 hours to a year is a stretch, but i think then it just comes down to taking it one day a time. As hard as it is not to think of the very depressing, larger picture of being in Afghanistan for a year, try as hard as possible to take it one day at a time... We love you !