Preparation

The Webers leave on Sunday. I'm totally bummed, but I've had a couple weeks to prepare for it, so I've kinda been slowly making my peace with it. I don't think it will be really emotional for me when I watch them get on the plane. I only hope that once they're gone and things start getting back into a normal routine, the horrible depression doesn't set in. I think I can avoid it. Don and I have hung out every day this week. Precious little time.
Anyway, I'm going to head to our weekly Friday lunchoen at the E-Club. Take care. No worries. God Bless.

...at all times.

So, here it is, almost 2 AM on Saturday night/Sunday morning, and I'm laying here in bed (or rather, on the couch), and decided to write a little bit. It's been a strange week. I was the boss at work this week, which, surprisingly, went rather well. I think the boss's main job is just worrying about what all the guys in the shop are doing. I spent half my week chasing people down and making sure they were completing jobs and not missing appointments. The other half was spent answering e-mails from the superintendent regarding said jobs and appointments. It all seems so crazy and pointless sometimes. I guess I just have to have faith I'm doing some good, somehow, somewhere. All the big management changes take place on Monday, so I'll have a new boss. I'm looking forward to seeing how things will go. It should be interesting, to say the least.
Brad left on Friday. He's headed to his next assignment in Texas. I'm really going to miss him. He's basically the only other person in the shop with whom I can engage in good, intellectual conversation. I'll see him again in March when I go to his wedding, but things just won't be the same in our shop without him. I know he's ready to get out of Misawa and be back in the States. He's gonna have a great time there.
On Thursday, I had the re-birth of Social PQ2. For those of you that don't know about it, PQ2 was a standing weekly social event that used to be held at my house every Thursday back in 2002. Well, things kinda slowed down when other obligations started interfering with the Hospitality House Bible Study, which used to be held on Wednesdays. That, on top of me getting ready to deploy again, kinda caused the demise of PQ2. But now, with events at the HH on an indefinite hiatus, I've decided to start it back up again. We had roughly 20 people on Thursday, which is about the max of what my little pad can handle. I'm sure attendance will die down and fluctuate in the future. Regardless, I think everyone had a really good time, and I'm looking forward to next Thursday.
I went to Shimoda earlier tonight to see Fahrenheit 9/11. Why Japanese people have an interest in this movie is beyond me; however, it was pretty entertaining. Michael Moore does a good job of making Bush look like an idiot, but the movie didn't really tell me anything I didn't already know. Yeah, Bush is an idiot. Yeah, the whole Halliburton deal is pretty crooked. Yeah, this whole Iraq thing is a pointless farce. What bothers me is that he worked so hard and spent so much money to make this film just to bring someone down. It's so mean-spirited. I understand that there are some major injustices going on and these things need to be said, but it's done so biased and it's like a big witch hunt. Maybe if the facts were presented in a more even manner, it would be more apt to sway my opinion.
Other good news: I ran completely around the base today! I was so proud of myself. It wasn't nearly as hard as I thought. The worst part was from the base beach up to the North Area. It's a pretty steady hill, and it goes on a long way. The last half was relatively flat. I think it's about 8 miles. Luckily, tomorrow is my day off of running. I think I'm going to lay on my couch all day long and watch movies.
Anyway, I'm going to close up the PowerBook and get some sleep. Take care. No worries. God Bless.

Mixed Emotions

Golly! So much has happened in the past week. I guess I'll tell everything chronologically, because if I write it stream-of-consciousness-like, I'll probably forget something or distort the facts and whatnot. So, the Fuji trip was last week, and it rocked! We drove down Monday, and went into Tokyo Monday night. We didn't really know exactly where to go, so we ended up in the only place I really knew how to get to - Shibuya. We got coffee at Starbucks and frosties at Wendy's. It was great. Tuesday morning was Bible study, followed by more time in Tokyo. I found a Diesel store, and spent an obscene amount of money. Wednesday was the Fuji climb. I made it in 5 hours, which is about an hour less than it took me last time. Thursday was more time in Tokyo, this time in the Ginza shopping district. We went into the Prada store, and I fell in love with a $700 sweater. One day, it will be mine. After that, we decided to try to feel American, so we went to TGI Friday's. Luckily for us, it was happy hour, so we tossed back a few drinks. Friday, we drove home. The trip was great and fun and relaxing and I got to hang out with Brad a lot and got to know Jen Price a little more as well as meet some other cool new people. I can't wait to go back next year.
In other news, Don & Jean-Marie will be leaving Misawa on the 29th. I really don't know what to say about it. I'm really going to miss Don. It's come about rather suddenly, but I understand why they have to go, and I think their whole family will be better off in the future. God bless them all.
So, on a lighter note, I'm pretty much the boss at work this week. The two guys that out-rank me are both on leave. It's kinda crazy. I never knew all the crap my boss had to put up with from his boss. I refuse to screw it up, though. The motivation I've been feeling since I got back from Iraq is still going strong.
Okay, I'm gonna chill out for the rest of the night, and watch a movie or something. Take care. No worries. God Bless.

High...

Me and Brad at the Summit
Originally uploaded by currtdawg.

...on life (and due to lack of oxygen). Brad and I made it to the top of Mt. Fuji in five hours. Woot!

Blissful Trente

All I have to say is "Wow!" Okay, so, I guess that's not all I have to say. I should probably explain myself. Yesterday morning, I woke up unexplainably early, went for a run, called my parents, and washed my truck. As I was driving home, I was listening to the Luscious Jackson album "Natural Ingredients," which is one of my favourite albums ever. And suddenly, it hit me: I am so blessed. As I was driving, I started thanking God and entered this strange state of worship. I looked around and the sun seemed so bright and the sky seemed so blue. I really felt like God was looking down on me as one of His children. It's just that everything is going so great in my life right now. I'm enjoying living in Japan. Work is going great. Everyone in my family is healthy. I have super friends. I'm getting ready to go on this great trip to climb Mt. Fuji. I'm in the best shape of my life and I'll be 30 years old tomorrow. I've had these moments before, but I always ruin it by worrying about how it can't last forever and when it will end. Not this time. Sure, there's going to be drama, but God will take me through it. I mean, look at all the pain I've gone through to get where I am now. And these moments, as rare as they may be, are totally worth it. Thanks, God. Take care. No worries. God Bless.

Area Man

Link of the Week:
http://www.theonion.com/
(Sorry, you'll have to cut and paste. I'm still working on putting proper links in this thing.)
It's a faux newspaper, and it's hysterical. Headlines like "Rise In Teen Sexual Activity Comes As Surprise To Area Teen" and "Bush Asks Congress For $30 Billion To Fight War On Criticism" make me laugh out loud. Each new edition is released on Wednesday, and it's definitely one of the highlights of my week. Other funny features include "What Do You Think?" and "STATshot". Chances are, if you know me, you've probably heard me talk about it, but just in case, look it up. Good stuff.

Puppet

Thanks to Don and Laura, I have a new addiction, and it is called "Six Feet Under." It's a series on HBO about a family running a funeral home. It's the epitome of dark comedy, which, as we all know, is right up my alley. I've watched most of the first season on DVD, and the second season is already out; however, once I finish that, I fear I'll have to wait a while before the third season will be available. Sure, there will probably be withdrawal symptoms, but I think I can handle it as long as it's not as bad as the 4 years I have to wait in between PJ Harvey albums. Sheesh!
Work is still going well, and I think I've successfully avoided the post-deployment depression. I don't know why it hasn't sunk in this year. Maybe because I was only gone three months this time. Maybe because I'm working out every day. Maybe because I'm just learning to deal with it all. Either way, things are good.
Only seven more days till the Fuji trip. I know I keep mentioning it, but I'm way excited. Of course, this also means it's only seven days till I turn 30. Sometimes I think about it, and it seems like a big deal, and other times, it's just...not. I'm just going to try not to think about it. The day will come. I'll have a good time. And it will be over. No biggie.
Anyway, I'm going to take a shower and chill out the rest of the evening. Take care. No worries. God Bless.