OLD FOGGIES

17MAY08. SATURDAY. Another weekend is upon us. I know I’m personally getting excited for our daughter’s upcoming High School Graduation. This means three things, first she will be attending Pensacola Junior College shortly. Two my wife and I are getting old(er). Three, I will have less than two months after her graduation overseas. Well, at least we’re not Grandparents yet... We lost power for about 10-hours today. Fortunately, the Back-up Generator kicked-up, and essential power was on. Then Off. Then On. Then Off. Then On. The majority of new folks found the Air Conditioner was not considered “essential”. And, the Temps quickly soared skyward. What a lovely place filled with sweaty and stinky folks. Chatted with my bride, Terri. Guess her day was just as busy and jammed-packed as mine was. Ryan spent the day with his Grandma. I’m sure they had a wonderful time together. Well, folks are starting to stack up waiting for the Internet. Will close for now. Talk Care. Doug

SCREW-UP

6MAY08. FRIDAY. Boy are my days screwed up. I thought yesterday was Friday. So, TGIF Today. Not much going on here other than the wind picking-up. And, like the beach, with the wind comes sand…..Everywhere. Mouth, pockets, PC Drives, everywhere. However, the past couple of nights was pretty pleasant. Haven’t seen nor heard of a rocket attack in quite some time. On the home scene, Ryan is making adjustments regarding his recent fracture. He has an appointment on Tuesday. Hopefully, all that will be required is a splint and nothing invasive. Our middle daughter is now environmentally-conscious. So, we’re separating the paper, plastic and aluminum. I hope her environmental efforts continue to grow. The eldest daughter is preparing for Graduation and all that entails. Finger foods, reception before and after, etc. I only wish I was there…. Boy, what a time in our wayward lives. Well, will update when I can. Take Care Doug

A SHAKESPERIAN TRAGEDY

16MAY08. FRIDAY. Waahoooo. It’s finally Friday. Only two more working days until Monday. Things on this side of the world are pretty much the same. Nothing New. Only measurement of time gone is the size of the dirty clothes pile. Spoke with Terri to get some feedback regarding Ryan’s injury (broken clavicle) as well as an update of her mom’s vision (result of a vehicle accident in Feb). It seems Ryan will spend a little time with his grandmother while Terri is working. I maintain the pair will compliment each other. Ryan in essence will be a seeing-eye dog for his grandmother. She, will be his right-hand man (woman) so to speak. This entire situation reminds me of a Shakespearian tragedy. Well, that’s the latest information from the front lines. Will update when I can. Doug

LIFE'S LITTLE LESSONS

14MAY08. TUESDAY. So, called my Bride (Terri) for a quick chat. Happily I reached her (after many attempts). Sadly, I caught her enroute to the Emergency Room. Seems our son Ryan was doing some stunts on his Skateboard and fell on his shoulder. The discoloration and associated swelling was all that was required to send my wife and son to the ER for some X-Rays. Luckily, it’s nothing life-threatening. And, more importantly, it serves as another reminder for Ryan to wear his Helmet….. Together, mom & son were in good spirits (all things considered). Ryan got away with a Broken Clavical. Will get an update tomorrow. Another day chipped-away here. Weather looked a little threatening, but no precipitation materialized. From a Job-Hunting Perspective, have not had an Interview yet. Have however, been networking my can off. Have also been digging through the Job Boards, etc. Nothing yet. Still, I have a couple of months to play with. I’m sure it will work out fine. My Demobilization Orders take me from North Carolina, to South Carolina, then to Mississippi, the New Orleans and finally Home (Florida). At least all this movement is on the east coast. Ha. Ha. Well, gotta look at some job openings. Will Update when I can. God Speed Ryan. Doug

CARBO LOADING

13MAY08. TUESDAY. Another day drags by. Still only a couple of months to go until unemployment. I can't wait..... My bride is certainly a Starch lover and I thought I'd include a pic of the bread which is made here. They make these dry roll-ups (like fiajitas) but without any sauce. And, these breads are huge.... Son is feeling kinda puny (sick) so, school or scouts - Again. Well, wanted to just check-in to say hi and I'm still here (unfortunately). Counting down the days til home....

THE GLASS IS HALF-EMPTY

13MAY08. MONDAY. Well, Mother’s Day has come and gone. Goodness knows it’s probably Mother’s Day all year round. Shame we only recognize it once a year….When wishing my wife a Happy Mother’s day, I was reflecting on happier times. My thoughts quickly turned to my Homecoming us reuniting. Happily we only have about 8-9 Weekends alone left! When you do that kinda math, it doesn’t sound too bad. Attended a class on weapons familiarization…….again. This is a new requirement. Seems some guy shot his buddy in the smoking pit while checking out his weapon. Why the guy was checking out his weapon in the smoking pit certainly raises some questions. Regardless, the Guy survived. Both guys were sent home immediately. And now, quarterly training is required on weapons….. Well, another day has come and gone. Will certainly update when I can. Take Care for now. Doug

HAPPY MOTHER"S DAY

10-11MAY08. SATURDAY-SUNDAY. Happy Mother's Day to all you moms. It's one of those jobs which are often overlooked. Well, today is your day to do nothing. No Laundry, No Dishes, Nothing but watching those Chick-Flick Movies and have your every whim catered to......

I tried to update this darn Blog yesterday, but was unable. The Internet Cafe' was closed due to another "Fallen Camrade" ceremony. Sadly, I've almost become immune feeling sad for loosing another person here. Almost surreal. Another Wakeup, Another line for chow and another death. Taken together, this would put one in an sad mood. Happliy, frequent chats with my lovely bride spring me right out of these blue-days. Just a couple of months left until I can hang around the house in shorts and t-shirt. Hopefully, I can collect unemployment as well. Ha, Ha, Ha. Well, again. Happy Mothers Day to all Mommies. Doug

ROUTINE

8-9MAY08. THURSDAY-FRIDAY. My humble apologies for not updating yesterday. Quickly ran out of time going through the email. Twenty minutes does go by quickly while on the Internet. So, one must set priorities. Happily, the myriad of emails were centered on finding employment upon my return. Do understand that I have some photos from the Prom as well as Ryan’s Birthday waiting for my viewing pleasure via email. I can’t wait to see them. My wife and I continually joke about my “adjustment” when coming home. I giggle only because, my biggest concern is re-learning to drive vehicles and obey the appropriate motorist laws. This includes which side the steering wheel is on, seatbelts, speed limits, and the general safe-condition of the vehicle itself. After that, all else is gravy….Sure, all this sounds good on paper. We’ll see.. Well, same on daily routine. Work 12-15 Hours, Sleep for 5-6, PT for 2-3. Then do it all over again. And again, and again…..Will update when I can. Doug

SPARE A PENNY?

7MAY08. Wednesday. I'm so stoked. I finally have a date for departing this lovely country. Must admit, I'm just a little bit anxious. Only because I know leaving is not far away and I don't have a job lined-up when I get back. Okay, Okay. What I mean is "I have an unlimited number of opportnities from which to excell". Or, you could say that "when one door closes another open". Either way, I gotta now reintegrate back into the civilian sector. Still, these challenges only appear as speedbumps in the journey of life...... Lots going on. Gotta hit the email and do some networking. Doug

SEVENTY-FIVE DAYS

6MAY08. TUESDAY. Well, today I’m pretty jazzed. Received yet another “verbal” confirmation that I’ll be departing for the States at the end of July 2008. This puts me a little more at ease about my departure date. Conversely, I still have nothing in-hand (no orders) which direct me to go home. So, the position leave me hanging a little. The Current intent is to get Stateside and go from there….Something to look forward to at a minimum. Only 75-days left here, but who’s counting? Then will be the adventure of the transition back to some normalcy (whatever that is/was). Still don’t have a job yet. But, I’m certainly developing leads through my simple network of friends. At this point, I have had several opportunities in Iraq, but somehow that really doesn’t appeal to me at this point. Well, only have about 20min of computer time and I need to check-up on my job leads (if any). Remember only 75-days left till I can drink a beer. But, who’s counting? Doug

WHERE WERE YOU???

5 MAY08. MONDAY. Well, another week starts anew. Our Eldest made it through Prom night ($400 later). Guess she was a little bummed because the majority of folks had dates. She went with her friends. Afterwards, they went to a mutual friend’s house to hang out. She admittedly had a better time after Prom hanging with her friends than the Prom itself. Called my wife to find her neck-deep into a cookout/birthday for my son. Actually, the cookout was to celebrate the visiting relatives of the in-laws prior to their departure. Timing of the cookout & B-Day was right so they folded-in the son’s birthday as well. My Son is at the age where money talks. Goodness knows, Innerlight Skate and Surf shop will be doing some business off him in the near future. Do want to get him re-focused on the Boy Scouts again. A challenge from afar….. So, if he can remember to bring his book with him to the Scout meeting he can get credit for some events he has been involved in. The hard part of all is to get a darn adult to sign the Scout Book. Harder still is getting the scout to remember to ask!

On a different note, got another card from a student of UWF Comms Class. It reads:

Dear Doug,
My father, sister and cousin are doing what you are doing right now and I know how proud of them I am and how proud of you your family is. When I think of how rough school and such can be I think well, at leas I’m not over there. But, smile and be happy you are changing the world and helping the people who can’t always help themselves. You are doing a great job. Keep your head up. Marisa E.

Wow. Pretty Powerful stuff. Thanks Marisa. I already know I’ll certainly remember the good times and the positive changes we’ve made to date. The hum-drum and tedium of daily-life will fade quickly. I will always have stories when asked what did you do during Thanksgiving? Christmas? Birthday? Prom Nite? WHERE WERE YOU? Me, didn't do much……Ha. Ha. Ha
Will update when I can. Take Care for Now. Doug

BAND, BIRTHDAYS, AND PROM - OH, MY!

4MAY08. SUNDAY. Well, it's Prom Night back home for my eldest daughter. Saturday Night, and, I have to admit I have butterflies in my gut even here. After chatting with the family, it sounds like she has a wonderful night set-up with her friends from school. Still though, I hope all goes well for her. Also, got feedback from the middle daughter's Band Banquet. Guess who got voted Funnies in Class. Yup, our middle daughter. Also understand that there is a cookout/birthday at the brother-in-law's house. And my son will be celebrating his Birthday as well. Best Wishes to all and Good Luck. Will be with you in spirit. Won't dwell on the issue. Will Update when I can. Doug

LAUNDRY DAY

03MAY08. SATURDAY. Laundry Day. What a time to celebrate! Certainly far exceeds any celebration at home like Prom, Band Banquets, or Birthdays. Laundry Rules! Actually, just took advantage of the vacant Laundry Room. Also, passing by the laundry sack filled with stinky clothes was a subtle reminder. Still no news to confirm my return in July. Nor any movement on the job scene. Actually, have been hit-up by several defense contractors to deploy to Iraq - but, those don’t count. It’s amazing to see the number of folks who volunteered to come here. And, after hearing how a number of Government Civilian folks are getting a $10,000 bonus for 4-months, I don’t blame them. Also, know of several police officers who continue to draw a paycheck from their respective departments in addition to their military paycheck…. I only wish I had those problems. Still, we always seem to find the Road Less Traveled. On the plus side, my laundry is done, and I need to put it into the dryer. What Fun. Will update when I can. Doug

DARWIN AWARDS – A POTENTIAL CANDIDATE

2MAY08. FRIDAY. So, I called home in typical fashion and spent some time chatting with the kids. Getting the daily dump, finding out who’s sick, school events, etc. In the course of this update, I find our girls climb on our roof to get Sunburn. I mean suntan. So I ask (stupidly) for the rationale for climbing on the roof to get a tan. The answer, it’s closer to the sun….. After chuckling, the vision of one of the girls rolling off the roof enters my brain. In addition, after a little digging, I find that no ladder is used to gain access to the roof. Rather, a bucket is placed in a plastic chair, and with the assistance of a Garbage Can, the girls climb onto the Roof. Now if this isn’t a candidate for the Darwin Awards, I don’t know what is. Lastly, I find that not only are my girls tanning on the Roof, but so too are their friends. Now, the vision of some other family’s daughter in the hospital (with me paying the bills) enters my pea-brain. Still, it’s pretty funny. Well, another day goes by. Will update when I can. Doug

HUMBLED BY NAUTILUS

1MAY08. THURSDAY. Received several letters my involvement with the Leadership Class from UWF. First, I am simply in awe that students in the class are even sending these letters. Second, the message each contains resonates. Lastly, I am humbled that so many people care so much about a simple guy such as my self. The following letters were well received and are certainly an inspiration to me. Talk about a support network! Wow
Dear Doug,
I hope this little note finds you both safe and well in Iraq. I’m sure you are really missing home right now, but be comforted in knowing that we are all thinking of you and your family, and that we are praying for your quick and safe return. Stay safe and please know that the UWF Comms. Dept misses you! God Bless. Than you for your dedication to our country. Lindsey M.
Dear Doug,
First, I would just like to than you!! For everything you’re doing for our country! Many people may not realize how much you are sacrificing by being away but, just know that there are people who recognize you and everything you are doing and we really appreciate it. Amber B.
Doug,
I hear from Dr. DuPre and see from what you are doing that you are a fascinating person. I am a doctor at Nemours. Thank you for the part that you played I the Ronald McDonald House and in getting the van. Please come back home safely and maybe I will meet you when you return. Thanks Dr. Kevin Maupin