Blau-bur-gunder

Sunday 29 May, 2011

Today was a nice reprieve from daily life at the Krystal Inn.

I woke up this morning to two cups of espresso courtesy of my friend Mike followed by some eggs and bacon.  I also had some kind of juice that one would be hard pressed to find in an American grocery store.  It was pear juice and was one of the thicker beverages I've ever had.

After a very leisurely morning, we hopped in the red mini, saddled up the dogs, and headed to one of two extinct volcanos that flank the Army training area of Grafenwoher.  In the town of Parkstein, the people of that town have built a city around the base of the old volcano including a church at the summit.  Castle walls also encircle the extinct volcano and make for a nice walk to the top.

After the trip to Parkstein we returned to Mike's place and prepared for the evening meal.  Mike went out and got some steaks from the local market while I skype'd with Karen and the kids.

For any rum lovers out there, my buddy introduced me to a rum from India called "Old Monk".  It was very good and I highly recommend it.

I've attached a few pictures for you all of one of Mike's dog..."Chowder" who happens to have a severe underbite.  Also polished off a bottle of wine this evening which was very good.  I know Jen Gash would be proud.

I found it a little ironic that Mike chose to use a smokey joe grill instead of the massive stainless steel grill pictured in the background.

Tomorrow I need to get back to the Krystal Inn and do some school work and get ready to move out of the sanctuary of the hotel.

Until later.

S.

Today in Germany

So today was the second day in a row I slept past noon.  Not a great habit considering I'm expected to on central european time as of Tuesday.  I'm still dealing with a slight bit of depression at my plight and the prospect of spending the next 15 months away from home.  I promise not to complain about this much longer...I know it can be depressing to read about.

After getting up today I ate a "smart one" and washed it down with a nice Dr. Pepper then decided to delve into some school work.  For those of you who don't know, over the next 12 months I have to complete the remainder of my intermediate level education for the Army.  From January through this past April I finished the common core portion at Fort Belvoir.

So I managed the muster the strength to get through one lesson and write a small paper which puts me 60% of the way through the first block of the course.  My goal is to finish the block over the next two days of Memorial Day weekend.

On a positive note, I will be getting a rental car sometime this coming week and my per diem has been increased to a more acceptable level.  Not that money can buy happiness but it sure does help.

My friend Mike came by the Krystal Inn today and rescued me from myself.  He invited me to pack a bag and come to his place for the night.  I am certainly glad I did because there was some good Thai food involved, two friendly dogs, a green back yard to hang out in, and a memory foam bed to sleep in.  I also managed to bring my dirty clothes over here to get washed.  Mike is going though a hard time right now too as he prepares to transition to the civilian work force.  He and his wife leave next weekend for Huntsville, AL to begin house hunting.

I've attached a few pictures of the little restaurant in the woods and what appears to be an old playground right next to it.

Who knows what tomorrow will bring and I apologize for the boring blog post...please continue to read as I am sure it will get more exciting in the next few months....especially if you want to know what the day in the life of being deployed is like.

To all of my wife's friends..."sister wives"....I hope your hard...I mean yard sale went well today.  I miss you guys...even you Amanda.  Take care and thanks for all of the facebook notes...they really help.

S.

The Power of Prayer

So this week was pretty tough.  As with every other long trip I've taken, much of the week was spent with misty eyes and praying for strength and a speedy passage of overwhelming and frequent feelings of mistaken roads taken and bad decisions.

As usual, in times of sorrow I turned to prayer which always seems to be the first thing I turn away from during the good times.  Won't be making that mistake again.

So it came as a refreshing surprise to me this morning when I awoke with a renewed sense of purpose and a slightly less sting of being homesick.  At the end of the day, an old friend of mine skype'd me and told me he was in Grafenwohr Germany and told me I was welcome to come over and catch up.

So within just a few days of praying and seeking comfort I was able to have dinner tonight with an old buddy...who happens to be feeling a bit of a loss right now as he faces retirement.  God works in mysterious ways and quite possibly gave both my friend and I the opportunity to seek the comfort of old friends in a nice pub in the little town of Vilseck.

As for the rest of my week, things are looking ok.  I've been able to email and talk to my family every day and I plan to seize that opportunity while I can before heading to less friendly areas.

I've attached a few pictures of the notes I've found this week in my boots, shaving kit, bags, and other places from Karen and Carlie.  I think they are cute and they were certainly appreciated this week as I found each of them.  Carlie also thought enough of me to let me have the homemade ledger that she made in vacation bible school last summer.  I don't think it meant much to her...but she just wanted to give me something of hers to take with me.  I'll have to think of something to do with it to give her back when I get home....maybe I could post pictures in the little book of my adventures.  Any ideas?

As far as assignments, I'm now in the 172d brigade combat team as a part of the 1-2 Infantry battalion.

Talk to you all again real soon.

S.

The saddest day ever

Well friends, we are off to the races.  After clearing Fort Meade, I took ten days of leave which were the fastest days I have ever seen.  I can only hope the next year plus goes by that fast.

Its interesting how often the phrase "You don't know what you have until its gone" has to be reaffirmed to a man before he understands that he should cherish each day of his life with his family.  As the past two weeks went by I was waiting for anxiety about leaving that never came until the final few hours when I realized how much I was leaving behind.

I've left two good friends who I didn't spend nearly enough time with.  Jason and Jeremy seemed to always be there for me if I wanted to go out and do something but I didn't make a lot of effort to get out there and have a good time with two good role models.

There is no way to describe the hurt involved in leaving children behind in the airport holding their mama's hand while she cries.  What a hugh sense of guilt and loss I have right now.  I know these feelings will pass, but there is an utter hopelessness surrounding me right now and I expect it will keep me company for at least a few weeks.

Even the dog seemed to know something was up yesterday as she lay beside my army bags in the foyer.

On the airplane ride from Chicago to Frankfurt I started reading a Scott Turow book "Ordinary Heros".  On the second page a quote really spoke to me.  "...there have been moments when I've found the vastness of the Atlantic terrifying.  Gazing out, I realize how far I have gone from home, how alone I am now, and how immaterial my life is to the oceans, or to most of the people around me".

I'll try to keep that thought in my mind and not project my hurt onto others, but use this time to get back to the things that are good in my life and to grow my relationship with God.

Karen, Carlie, Sofia, and Bubba....(and Doodle and the nasty cat)...I love you guys.

Until later.

S.

One week and counting

Alright friends, its been a few weeks since my last posting.  In the past three weeks I have completed my King Air refresher training and managed to earn an Airline Transport Pilot rating out of the deal.  The only deal better than that is breakfast in the Army.

The United States Navy has also managed to kill Bin Laden during the past few weeks.  I'm obviously pretty excited about that but also wonder what that will mean for my upcoming year in Afghanistan.

Emails out of the 172d to the inbound members of the STT have increased.  I'm in nearly daily contact with the welcome party in Germany as it begins to take shape.  I received an email today from what appears to be someone in a leadership position at the 172d (name omitted for opsec) who may indeed be a leader of one of the STT teams.

Last night my wife Karen and I went to see the movie "Bridesmaids"...well worth the six bucks.  If you have the time to see it please check it out and enjoy the "air marshall" scene and think of me fondly when you do.

I was able to spend this past weekend with my Dad, brother, step mom and sister in law.  This week finds me in the Brushy mountains of North Carolina with my in-laws.  Good company, chicken, and happy kids here at Grandmas house.  I don't know if it is the house or the surrounding area that calms me when I am here.  I have always felt that way about 993 Cedar Forest Road.

Until next time.

S.