Permanent

Ink
Originally uploaded by currtdawg.

You know, sometimes I hear these extremely close-minded people say the Bible speaks against tattoos; however, I really don't think God has a problem with this one I got earlier tonight. If my body is a temple, then my tattoos are merely the stained glass windows.
I'd like to send a special shout-out of thanks to Jimmy and Caleb for sticking with me through this rather painful experience. I've gotten tattoos before, but nothing could prepare me for when that needle went over my spine. Ouch! If any of you are interested in getting a tattoo and happen to be in the Misawa area, I'd be happy to set you up with Yoshi, the nice young man responsible for this beautiful adornment on my back. Please, let me know what you think...unless you don't like it. It's not like I can just get it taken off, alright?
Anyway, my body has been through quite an ordeal today, so I'm going to hit the sack. Take care. No worries. God Bless.

Try me on. I'm very you.

Sky
Originally uploaded by currtdawg.

I'm on leave from today until the 28th, just to take a little time off work and get a chance to relax a little bit. It was kind of a stressful week, and I think I deserve a long weekend (13 days long, to be exact). So anyway, I went outside this morning to go for a run, and the weather was amazingly gorgeous. The air was so fresh. The sky was so blue. I decided that Interpol was just a little too dark to which to listen before I run, so I programmed my iPod to shuffle all my electronica/dance tracks. And the first one that came on was "Power of Love" by Deee-Lite. I'd forgotten what an infectious groove this little early 90s trio spun. For my entire run, I kept singing to myself:

What is it that can make a lost soul found? Love!
And what is it that can make the coldest day seem warm? Love!
And what is it that can bring a smile to two strangers? Love!

It makes me want to go around hugging people. The next 13 days are going to be spectacular.

Heaven restores you in life

Album of the Week:
"Antics" by Interpol
The second album from this New York band, stylistically, doesn't stray to far from their 2002 debut "Turn On The Bright Lights." But they're still moving forward with their incredibly dark and beautiful art rock. It has a post-punk attitude, and it's tuneful without being too pop-ish. I bought it at Shimoda Mall on Monday, and it hasn't left my CD player yet. Few albums have the power to make me dance and cry at the same time. There's no filler on this album (and since it clocks in at roughly 40 minutes, there's really no room for filler), and its bold moodiness sticks with you long after it's over. This is definitely one of the essential albums of the year.

She was a young American

So, yesterday was Columbus day, making it a three day weekend. Besides the Navy Ball on Friday night, I didn't really do too much. Went to Paddy's for live jazz on Saturday night. Church on Sunday. Shopping in Hachinohe on Monday. Sunday afternoon, Caleb and Jeff came over to watch "Dogville." I love that movie more every time I watch it. Caleb really liked it, too. Then, just to balance everything out, we watched "Airplane." Funny stuff.
I'm going to take a few days of leave beginning Friday. I had scheduled leave from the 15th to the 27th a long time ago for the China trip. Then, after we moved the China trip (and eventually dropped out of the China trip), I just forgot to take my tentative leave schedule off the board. Then I found out there's going to be a base exercise during those dates, so I decided to just go ahead and take the leave anyway. I've got plenty saved up, and it will be nice to just chill out for a week and a half. They normally don't let people take leave during exercises, but since I already had it scheduled before the exercise was announced, I got lucky.
Anyway, I'm going to spend the rest of the evening writing e-mails and surfing. Sometimes it's nice to stay home alone. Take care. No worries. God Bless.

Hangin' with the Squids

Trish, Paul, Kyle, Mike, and Dan
Originally uploaded by currtdawg.

Last night was the Navy Ball, and it was SO FUN! A huge group of us went together, and we had a blast. The Navy Ball is so much more laid back and enjoyable than the Air Force Ball. (I guess I joined the wrong service.) But the highlight of the evening was when, after doing a shot, we managed to get Paul on the dance floor...and he was lovin' every minute of it. God Bless those Sailors.

I put my thang down, flip it, and reverse it...

I have but one goal tonight...to teach Paul to dance. I'm not expecting him to moonwalk or even cabbage patch. I just want him to be able to handle a basic groove on the floor at the Navy Ball tomorrow night. He's very reluctant and he's afraid he'll look silly, but it's not really for him. I'm mostly doing this for Trish's sake. All the poor girl wants is a guy who can shake his groove thing a little bit. I have faith he can do it. He's not all white.
I'm acting boss at work again this week. I had to go the scheduler's meeting today (where the big boys go to play), and it always makes me nervous because I never know what they're going to ask and if I'll know the answer. Mr. Futakawame (Futa, for short), the Japanese foreman for our shop, went with just in case they asked any questions about jobs the Japanese are handling. So, the Major asks me a question to which I actually know the answer (!), and all of the sudden, Futa starts in with his broken English, and I kinda felt like a big idiot. I was kinda perturbed at first, but then I thought, "Eh, who cares? I'm outta here in a couple months."
Anyway, I'm gonna shower, pick out some appropriate CDs for dance instruction (I'm thinking Missy Elliott, Basement Jaxx, the Chemical Brothers, early Madonna, OutKast, Electric Six, The Roots, Daft Punk, N*E*R*D*, Peaches, and Felix da Housecat), and head to PQ2. Take care. No worries. God Bless.

Let Me Ride

Escape
Originally uploaded by currtdawg.

I got word today my loan came through, and I am the proud owner of a 2005 Ford Escape. All I have to do is pick it up at the dealer once I get to Utah. How cool is that? It's got a 5-speed manual transmission, 4 wheel drive, anti-lock brakes, power everything, and all kinds of other cool equipment. I'm really excited about taking it up in the mountains of Utah and stuff. Not only is it gonna rock, it's gonna RAWK!

Walking Wounded

Walking Wounded
Originally uploaded by currtdawg.

I just finished watching "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" and started thinking about all the relationships in which I've been. High. Growth. Intimacy. Laughing. Personality. Merging. Shine. Inside. Smooth. Sexy. Flowing. It's all so intoxicating.
But along with all that great stuff comes the pain. Annoy. Sneer. Apathy. Taunt. Empty.
But you know what? I can't think of a single instance where I wouldn't do it all again.

My Buddy Brigham

So, here's the big news:
I'M GOING TO UTAH!
Yep, I got an assignment on Wednesday, and it was finalized yesterday, so it's official. I will be leaving Misawa in December in a permanent change of station (PCS) move to Hill Air Force Base in Ogden (about 30 miles from Salt Lake City). First, the down side:
1) I won't be able to go to China with Paul and Trish. I'm bummed about missing China, but I'm even more bummed about missing it with Paul and Trish. They've become such great friends, and I feel our time together is so precious.
2) I'll miss the birth of Baby Dinkins. Damn, that's gonna be a cute baby.
3) I won't get to see Hiroshima next August.
4) No more onsening.
Now, the up side:
1) Salt Lake City is a big city with lots to do (i.e. movie theatres with NEW movies, restaurants with vegetarian entrees, malls with a Banana Republic, etc.).
2) They have the best snow on earth. (Their license plates say so.)
3) Low crime rate. Not as low as Japan, but lower than, say, Vegas.
4) Other various conveniences that come with living in the States that most people who've always lived in the States take for granted (i.e. not hitting 3,859 buttons on the phone to call my parents, being able to read road signs, actually HAVING road signs, etc.).
5) Only a 6 hour drive, or a $90 plane ride from Vegas.
Of course, I was kinda hoping to get another overseas assignment, but being around all those Mormons will almost be like living in another country, so I figure it's an even trade. I'm supposed to leave sometime in December. I'm hoping to spend another Christmas here in Japan, so I wrote December 30th as my requested departure date. Now for the scary part: three months of outprocessing hell.
Anyway, that's the big news. Take care. No worries. God Bless.

Questioning Connubiality

Amendment
Originally uploaded by currtdawg.

So, along with my absentee ballot for President, I also received this nice little piece of paper asking if I am in favor of denying over 1,000 rights, benefits, privileges, protections, and responsibilities to a couple, just because they happen to be of the same gender. It's a shame there isn't a box for "Hell, No!"

Demon Crazy

I made my daily lunch trip to the post office today, and when I looked inside my box, I was pleasantly surprised for two reasons: 1) a wonderful little yellow package notice (new duds from Banana Republic); and 2) my absentee ballot. When I first saw it, I got all giddy like a school girl. "Woo-hoo! My chance to participate in our wonderful democracy!" Then I opened it and saw, listed on the paper, five (5) choices for President of the United States of America. They're listed in this order:

Bush (Republican Party)
Kerry (Democratic Party)
Peroutka (Constitution Party)
Nader (Independent)
Badnarik (Libertarian Party)

While researching Peroutka and Badnarik, I found out that there are 74 actual candidates. 74! That's crazy. It's a shame we have such a bi-partisan system that we barely hear about three.
So, anyway, I pretty much ruled out Peroutka and Badnarik (though Badnarik had a few redeeming qualities). And I think I've made it pretty obvious I'm not voting for Bush. Now I have a rather difficult decision to make. Nader's platform is the one most consistent with my values and morals, and major change in this country usually results due to the minority raising their voices; however, I realize, of the big two, Kerry is the "lesser of two evils," and a vote for Nader is basically a vote for Bush. So, I can vote with my heart, or I can use my vote to do the most good. I don't know what to do. Take care. No worries. God Bless.

Gooooaaaal!

Paul and Caleb
Originally uploaded by currtdawg.

This is Paul and Caleb shortly after their MSOC Team victory over the Med Group (3-2) in intramural soccer yesterday. Way to go, fellas!

MC Jeni-Bomb

Dialogue from last night's PQ2:
Me: (in reference to a bill being presented before James Murphy's senator buddy) "Is it legit?"
Jeni-Bomb: (rapping) "Too legit! Too legit, legit!"
Me: "What?! Don't you mean 'Too legit to quit'?"
Jeni-Bomb: "Whatever."

I Think I'd Be Good For You

Hmmm, where do I start? Okay, so, Saturday night, we had our first official Group Bible Study at the newly re-opened Hospitality House. Our first Bible study was actually a DVD of this guy explaining his theory on creation. In a nutshell, he believes the Earth is about 6,000 years old and that dinosaurs and man lived on the Earth at the same time. (There's tons of other info, too, but those were the two statements that seem most unbelievable.) While he put forth some convincing evidence, I don't think I agree with everything he said. If you want to check it out, you can go to his website at http://drdino.com.
The weather in Misawa is crappy today. Rainy and chilly and just plain crappy. It's supposed to be crappy for another week. It makes me want to curl up on my couch and read.
This morning, I had a big interview with the Mental Health Clinic (which the Air Force, in all its political correctness, refers to as "Life Skills"). It's part of all the stuff I have to do for my cross train, and Mental Health is one of my choices, so it's probably a good thing they interviewed me. I mean, I wouldn't want some crazy person offering advice to another crazy person, right? Anyway, part of my interview was a 567 (that's right --567!) question personality test. It was rather interesting, to say the least. It kept asking me if I like to hurt animals and if I love my Mom. Weird. I finished the interview at 10:30 and decided to come home and take an extra long lunch. And yes, I'm enjoying it thoroughly.
Oh, I changed the title of my blog to just "the wax." I think it sounds cooler and there's probably something to be said for brevity...somewhere. Let me know what you think.
Here are a few websites to which I've been addicted recently:
http://theplug.net
http://dooce.com
http://www.fark.com
Anyway, I guess I'm going to brush my teeth and get back to work. I'm underneath a blanket on my couch, and it's so warm and cozy. I need some new candles in my living room. I miss Don. And Brad. And Melissa. I'm typing my stream of consciousness in order to delay going back to work. Take care. No worries. God Bless.

...back to the Good Life

Album of the Week:
"Pinkerton" by Weezer.
About two weeks ago, I put this album in my truck's CD player, and I haven't taken it out since. I've had the album for years, but I've never devoted this much time to it. I've deduced that it's basically about Rivers Cuomo's obsession with Japanese girls. Even the album artwork is Japanese. I don't know if that has anything to do with why I'm listening to it all of the sudden. Probably not. Regardless, it's got some great driving guitar and catchy So-Cal poppy tunes. It's defintely a relationship album, and Rivers seems to be wounded, but hopeful. I sing along with it in my car, and it's just out of my range, so I have to sing really loud and my voice cracks a little, but that kinda makes it fun.

Serving Suggestion

Two Too Artificial
Originally uploaded by currtdawg.

So, I was chillin at the Hospitality House earlier tonight, socializing while drinking my Pepsi Twist (with artificial lemon flavoring). And Trish, the culinary master that she is, had prepared lemon bars (also with artificial lemon flavoring). Well, I am here to warn all readers that:
artificial lemon flavoring
+ artificial lemon flavoring
-----------------------
horrible taste!
I'm going to push to have the Surgeon General's Warning on these products, just in case anyone (like me) thinks it might be a good idea to mix two different kinds of artificial lemon flavoring. Don't say you haven't been warned.

Cubans

Ryan and Me
Originally uploaded by currtdawg.

The Japanese in my shop threw a little party for us Friday night. Not for any particular reason. Just to have fun. We smoked cigars and I drank a little more than usual, but I had a good time.

Tossed To and Fro

What a stressful week! And I still have one more day to go. Work is crazy. And when I say "crazy," I mean, "karayzee!" I've been very productive, but it seems the more productive I am, the more work keeps getting piled on. Decorations. EPRs. Inventories. Training new troops. And on top of all my regular work, I'm in the process of applying for my cross-train and an out-of-cycle DEROS extension. I suppose I should explain a little about that last thing. Due to the fact I was originally supposed to leave Misawa in July, but I waited until the last minute to re-enlist, I have busted my DEROS (due date to leave), and now MPF and PACAF are trying to get me out of here by November. And since I was told a few months ago by MPF I shouldn't have a problem staying here until October of '05, you can see how I am a little bamboozled. So now, I'm having to run around like a headless chicken getting endorsements and checklists and signatures to try to get all this paperwork through so I can stick around for another year. Yeah, it's stressing me out, but I guess if I didn't have the hard times, I wouldn't be able to enjoy the fun times.
Other news: I got a new cell phone on Sunday. Jimmy came over Sunday afternoon, and, out of boredom, we decided to go shopping (which is the worst reason ever to go shopping). So, I ended up getting this phone that's insanely small, but it's so cool. Every time someone new sees it, they say, "Is that a phone?" Like it's some kind of toy that doesn't really work. Kinda funny.
More other news: We're officially re-opening the Hospitality House tonight. I'm pretty excited about it. We had a big meeting on Saturday to decide which nights to be open and what to do each night. The whole deal is going to be run by us. Apparantly, Cadence won't be able to put a new family in the House for a few months, maybe even a year, so we've been told by Cadence and the Chapel to go ahead and use it, but we will be responsible for all activities, clean-up, etc. We're going to have social night on Thursdays, large group Bible study on Saturdays, and dinner after Chapel on Sundays. We'll see how this goes for a while, and possibly change things around in the future depending on how everyone's needs are getting met. I'm really hoping and praying it all works out okay.
Anyway, I'm going to take a little 45 minute disco nap to try to get rid of some of today's stress. Take care. No worries. God Bless.

Anamnesis

Third anniversary of September eleventh.
...the people in those planes.
...the people in those buildings.
...the loved ones left behind.
Let it remind us to bring Christ's love to the world.

Erratic Thoughts For This Week

1. You know, if Mama Cass had just given Karen Carpenter that ham sandwich, they'd both be alive today.
2. We might as well have a team of monkeys working in the Military Personnel Flight.
3. I don't think we need to be digging up old Air National Guard records to discredit Bush. I mean, isn't that why we have his Presidential record?
4. One of these days, my habit of leaving burning candles unattended is really going to come back and bite me in the ass.
5. Few things in life are funnier than Trish Dinkins doing her impression of a Lipizzan horse.

And the 4th thing I learned on my camping trip...

Chubby Bunny
Originally uploaded by currtdawg.

...is that Paul can fit 8 marshmallows in his mouth at one time. He tends to drool a little, though.

In the Rough

Went to the beach and camping with Paul, Trish, Kerry, Jimmy, Caleb, Dan, J.B., Chris, Krista, Kyle, and Joe. Had a really good time. Here are a few things I learned:
1. Never let Jimmy drive your chariot.
2. Never pee on a campfire.
3. Make sure there are no other campers around before you decide to drop your clothes and streak across the beach.
Please take this valuable information to heart, because we learned the hard way.
In other news, tomorrow is Labor Day, and I plan on doing absolutely nothing. The rest of the week is going to be kind of rough, I think. We have all this readiness stuff going on, and it's so ridiculous. Some things you just have to endure, though.
Paul, Trish, and I decided to try to do the China thing at the end of November, instead of October. We came across a great deal that also allows us a lot of options once we get there. We want to hit all the major stops (i.e. Shangai, Beijing, the Great Wall, Terracotta Warriors, Yangtze River, etc.), but we also would like to just travel at our own leisure and see what we can find. Plus, our friend Tania is teaching English in a small town a couple hours from Shanghai, and we'd like to hook up with her, as well.
Anyway, I'm going to grab some food and chill out with a movie or something. Take care. No worries. God Bless.

Delayed

What a crazy week. So much adjusting. So, the Webers are gone. I miss them, but so much other stuff has been going on, I haven't had time to dwell on it. I'm still adjusting to having new bosses at work. I don't understand why people feel the need to come in and make so many changes. Nothing was wrong before. Plus, when you come in and revise things so drastically, you're bound to upset people. If you want to change things, fine; but a gradual change is much better for all involved parties. But enough ranting about work.
Justin and Jeff left today, but I wasn't really upset about seeing them go. It's not like I won't miss them. They're both great guys and great friends. But I'm so happy for them (they're both entering the civilian world), that my sorrow was overshadowed by my excitement that they're going on to much cooler things. Melissa leaves next Friday, and I think I will be bummed about that. She and I have really been through some shit together, and supported each other through so much. But, she's going to Nellis (my old stomping grounds), and she's going to have a blast. I think I'm going to visit her in March while I'm in the States. The both of us on the loose in Vegas could spell trouble, but it will be a hell of a lot of fun, too.
Anyway, I'm supposed to go out tonight with a few friends, so I'm going to take a nap first. The air show is Sunday, which means about 300,000 Japanese people will be swarming Misawa. And where will I be? Far, far away. I think some of us are going camping this weekend. It should be a good time. More to come later. Take care. No worries. God Bless.

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.

Keep On Truckin'!

This is me and my new truck at the beach. I love this thing! It's so fun to drive, and I can't wait to take it up in the mountains this winter. It's gonna be hella cool!

Truck & Me Originally uploaded by currtdawg.

Float On

So much going on. I had a great weekend. It was full of karaoke and running and laying at the beach and socializing. Lots of fun and very relaxing. Plus, Don (who's been in the States for three weeks) and Paul (who's been in Hawaii for a week) got back yesterday, so it was great to see them.
Today began my second post-deployment week of work. There are going to be tons of changes in my shop in the coming weeks. We have three guys moving to other bases, one guy separating, and our boss is moving to another shop. This means I now have three EPRs and two decorations to write. But I'm somehow staying really motivated at work, even to the point of enjoying my time there. This may be due to the fact I have lots of work to do, and no choice but to stay motivated. But it's more than that. I'm going to sound like a total richard, but certain things I wouldn't have cared about before are starting to bother me (i.e. people with tongue rings in uniform or out of regulations, etc.). Is all that Air Force crap getting to me, or am I just maturing and starting to accept responsibility more? I turn 30 in two weeks, and I've been thinking about it a lot lately. Is it really a big deal? I used to think 30 was so old. But I don't look 30, and I most certainly don't feel 30. I guess I'm the only person who can really put age limitations on myself. Being limited stinks. To quote Aaliyah, "Age ain't nothing but a number."
I don't really have any major plans this week. I'd like to hang out with Don one night and hear about his trip to the States. Other than that, I think I'm just going to chill out and watch a few movies and stuff. It's nice to get back into a normal routine again. I think I have just enough variety in my life to keep it from getting boring, and just enough predictability in my life to keep it peaceful. It's a nice balance.
Things are looking good for the China vacation this fall. I scheduled my leave at work, and I haven't heard any objections yet. Paul and Trish and I are basically just deciding on which travel agent to go with. I'm trying really hard to save money. I'm used to just frivolously buying whatever I want when I want it, but now I'm thinking twice.
Anyway, I can't think of anything else to talk about. But before I close, I'm going to give you the Album of the Week:
Franz Ferdinand's self-titled debut. I got it right after I got back from the desert, and I'm so addicted to it. They're a Scottish band that produces some of the catchiest danceable rock I've heard in a long time. It's full of kicking tempo shifts, disco-ish drums, fuzzy guitars, and a Brit-pop meets post-punk attitude. Highly recommended.
Okay, I'm gonna get outtee. Take care. No worries. God Bless.

Back in the Zone

As you can see, I'm really into this photo blogging thing. This is a picture of my friends on a little shopping trip to Hachinohe. Kerry is from England and works as an English teacher at some local Japanese schools. Paul and Trish are married, and they are the ones with whom I'm going to China this fall. Jeni-Bomb is amazingly cool and makes me laugh really hard. These are some of the best friends I have here in Japan. I love them so much. So, anyway, in other news, I'm back at work this week, and it's going pretty well. I'm really motivated. I hope it doesn't wear off after a few weeks. The weirdest thing was when I put my BDUs on Monday morning. I lost so much weight in the desert, they looked like I hung drapery on myself. I had to cinch my belt really tight, which caused me to look like a frumpy old man. I'm either going to have to gain some weight back, or buy smaller uniforms. The weather was really nice today, so after work, I came home, threw on some shorts, and headed to the beach. It was so peaceful. I was the only one there. I just stared at the ocean for about an hour. Waves are such a trippy thing. I wonder how they work. I mean, I know it has all kinds of stuff to do with the tides and the shelf and the wind and the moon and stuff, but does that really explain it? I mean, they just keep rolling in and reaching up on the sand, over and over. It never happens the same way twice. It blows me away. Anyway, I've done enough rambling and philosophizing. Take care. No worries. God Bless.

Kerry, Paul, Jeni-Bomb, and Trish Originally uploaded by currtdawg.

The Pet

Since I've been back, this little guy has been hanging around outside my house. I call him "Pete" and have developed quite a liking for him. He's doing a great job at keeping away all the bad bugs. Yay, Pete!

Pete Originally uploaded by currtdawg.

El Scorcho?

Well, I head back to work tomorrow. It's been a pleasant two weeks off, but I have to admit, laying around all day is getting kind of old. It will be nice to get back into a normal routine again. Speaking of work, I'm doing my best to be extremely nice to SMSgt Adams. Since he arrived in Misawa and took over facility management, he has kinda been my arch nemesis. It all began when he decided I would totally redesign a minor maintenance program that has worked since the dawn of time (or at least the dawn of Tora Zone). Then my boots hadn't been shined good enough. Then my hair was too long. Then my hair was still too long. Then there was the issue of how I chose to wear (or not to wear) my hat. So, over the course of time, we developed an understanding that we just wouldn't talk to each other unless completely necessary, and I was cool with this for a while. But now I'm thinking that maybe he's such a bitter, unhappy man in his own life that he feels the need to distribute his gloom to those around him in the work place. So I have decided that it is my duty to bring a little happiness into his life. As of two weeks ago, I have decided I will not fail to miss an opportunity to smile, wave, and/or exchange pleasantries with Fernando Adams. By swallowing our pride and mustering some courage, even our most unlovable enemies can be shown a little love. Some of you may be thinking, "You're just doing this to suck up," but you'd be wrong. If Adams continues to make my time at work difficult, so be it. As my friend Jim once said, "Fuck results! Love isn't about results." That's all I have to say about that.
So, in other news, I have a new truck. Yep, I got rid of my blue Mazda sedan that has been so faithful to me for the past 4 years. My friend Ann was PCSing and desperate to sell her Pajero. The Mazda was starting to act up and the JCI was due in October, where as the Pajero isn't due until April of '06. It's 2-door, gray, has 4-wheel-drive, a ski rack on top, and I know Ann has taken excellent care of it. But the biggest factor is that I want something I can take up in the mountains for snowboarding this winter.
As you can see from my last post, I've found out how to post pictures on my blog. I'll be increasing the frequency of this in the future. Along with the pictures, I'll be randomly including things that tickle my fancy, such as "Link of the Day," or "Album of the Week." I hope you all enjoy my inputs. Also, if there are any questions you have for me or anything you'd like to see posted here, feel free to add a comment or e-mail me directly at currtdawg@mac.com. I look forward to your questions, comments, and critiques.
So, I'm gonna get back to laying around and enjoying my last day of freedom. I was hoping it would be sunny today so I could go lay on the beach, but no such luck. Take care. No worries. God Bless.

There's no other way to put it...

I'm a BAD MOTHER FUCKER!!!

Bad Mo Fo Originally uploaded by currtdawg.

Not Much To Do and Too Busy To Do It

I've been back for about 10 days now, and I feel pretty good, I guess. I've been my usual social butterfly self and I've done my fair share of laying on my couch...all the things I hoped to accomplish upon my return. I've succeeded in running about 3 miles each day, just so I don't get too lazy. Still, something's missing, and I don't know what it is. I've been listening to all my new CDs (i.e. the new Beastie Boys - old school greatness; the new PJ Harvey - spectacular; Franz Ferdinand - groovy; Modest Mouse - pleasantly unique), catching up on movies (i.e. Kill Bill, Vol 2. - completely different from Vol. 1, but still amazing; Spider Man 2 - deeper than the original; City of God - heart wrenching; Amores Perros - intense), and sporting all my new duds. I think it's deep social interaction. Don has gone to the States for some conferences, so I only got to chill out with him once before he left. I've hung out with Paul and Trish a few times, but I don't think I'll ever be on the same level as them due to their couplehood. I enjoy talking to Jeff and Mike and Jimmy, but I guess I just haven't invested enough in our friendships to earn some real closeness. There are a few things about Brad that are starting to bother me. Nothing major. I just feel he doesn't really have any faith in people. It's kind of sad. I wonder how things will go if he goes to Fuji with us. Oh, yeah, Fuji. I missed last year, so I'm extra excited about this year. There's going to be tons of free time, and I love Tokyo. I can't wait.
In other news, I'm going to buy Ann Williams's truck. My car is getting pretty old and decrepit, and I'm really wanting something I can take up to the mountains this winter for snowboarding purposes. It will be nice to have something different to drive around.
Anyway, my vacation time is quickly slipping away, and even though I haven't really done much, I feel like I've been really busy. I guess I'm just going to try and enjoy my last week of freedom. Take care. No worries. God Bless.

Free At Last!

Woo-hoo! I'm back in Misawa, and it feels so good to be home. After spending 16 hours on a plane, we arrived in Misawa Saturday afternoon to a very warm greeting. Seeing everyone again was even better than I anticipated. Some things you just don't appreciate until you're away from them (i.e. my house, the odd fishy smell of Japan, green-ness). After we left Iraq, we spend a day and a half at Al Udeid, which I haven't seen since we left last year, and boy, has that place changed. The new living area looks more like a resort than a military base. We got to chill out at the Plaza (the central social area) and drink beers. There was even a band there that night on a USO tour. They played the type of music I normally don't like (angry-white-boy-nu-metal-rap-rock), but every so often they threw in a Weezer or Rage song, and that made everything better.
Anyway, now I'm back and I have two weeks off. I don't really have any plans yet. Unpacking and getting my house back in order will probably take a couple days. Maybe I'll hang out at the beach, or go camping, or maybe head down to Tokyo. Whatever I do, I need to wallow in my laziness as much as possible because before I know it, my two weeks will be over, and I'll wonder where the time went. So I guess I'm going to get busy doing nothing. Take care. No worries. God Bless.

Commitment and Change

I did it. Let 29 June 2004 go down as the day I committed yet another four years of my life to the U.S. Air Force. I guess that's all I have to say about that.
So, we're leaving today. We have to have our bags packed by 4 this afternoon, but the plane doesn't leave until 9 tonight. We'll spend a day and a half at Al Udied, and then fly to Misawa. I was packing up all my stuff earlier, and thinking about how comfortable I've gotten here. I had such a nice, little routine and no worries. If someone told me today that we've been extended for another three months, I probably wouldn't be too upset. Don't get me wrong. I miss everyone back in Misawa and I want to get home. I've just gotten mentally lazy, or something. I'm sure that once I get off the plane and see everyone and get back to my house, I'll be completely filled with joy. My only major obstacle will be the post-deployment depression that sets in every year.
Anyway, I'm going to go finish packing and get some food and shower and wait around until 4. Take care. No worries. God Bless.

Lighter and Fluffier

I ran with Joe Salazar this morning, and afterward, when we were leaving the gym, he stopped at the scale to weight himself. I've noticed the scale there before, but I've never stopped to weight myself. Today I did. I've lost a whopping 15 pounds since I got here 3 months ago. Yeah, I'm pretty proud of myself. I just hope, when I get back to Misawa, I don't gorge myself on Pizza & Curry and Santa Baby's and get all fat and stuff.
Anyway, I don't have much else on which to report. Work is almost non-existent. Half of the new guys are here, and they've already been trained on our duties. We're just sitting around the shop waiting to leave. Only five more days. Take care. No worries. God Bless.

Overmanned and Under What?

I was supposed to go to the ziggurat yesterday, but due to the fact the Services squadron here stinks, I will have traveled entirely around the globe, coming within a mile of the birthplace of Abraham and the second oldest building in the world, only to be shot down. It's a story too long to narrate here. A little bitter? Yeah, but I'll get over it.
Also, yesterday, we got in four guys from the new crew. Three are from Beale and one is from Hickam, and they all seem pretty cool. So now, we have entirely too many people in our shop. I've spent most of today sitting around and daydreaming of home. Fortunately, tomorrow, those of us from Misawa are going into half shifts, so I'll be working from 1 PM to 7 PM. Good news, indeed.
Anyway, I just wanted to shoot out a random update. Only six more days till I get to see all my Misawa buddies. I can't wait. Take care. No worries. God Bless.

Almost There

So, it's Friday, and I'm supposed to be off today, but I had to attend a big mass out-processing briefing this morning, so I figured I'd just hang around the shop for a while and get some e-mailing done and stuff. They really shouldn't have had us out-process four days before we leave, because now we'll be totally useless and the next team won't be here for two more days.
I finished "Mere Christianity" and have now started on "Porno" by Irvine Welsh, which is kind of a follow up to "Trainspotting." However, since I've started running again, my reading has suffered a little. I guess it's because I'm getting up so much earlier, and I'm much more tired at the end of the day.
The big question everyone keeps asking everyone else is, "What's the first thing you're going to do when you get home?" Well, we're supposed to be getting home on Saturday, July 3rd, so after we get our luggage and turn in our weapons and stuff, I'll probably head to my house (which will most likely be filled with people) and unpack and socialize. Saturday night will be Bible Study, followed by more socializing at Paddy's. Of course, anything could happen. This is just one potential course of events. All I really want is just to see everyone and talk and laugh.
I got my hair cut the other day, and it's really short. Apparently, "trim up the top" in TCN-speak translates to "I wish to look like Sinead O'Connor." Oh, well. It's a good summer hair cut, I guess.
I'm heading out to the ziggurat tomorrow, which should be really fascinating. I'll be sure and take lots of pictures. I hear the tour guide is very knowledgeable about the history of this area. I hope I can remember everything.
Anyway, I'm going to grab some lunch and head back to my tent for some afternoon relaxation. Take care. No worries. God Bless.

Big Poppa

Happy Father's Day to all the big daddies out there. May you celebrate this day by burping, grunting, and scratching yourself with no shame.
Everyone is totally lacking in motivation and starting to get on each other's nerves and stuff. I'm doing my best to avoid all the drama, and spread a little sunshine wherever I go; but some people just don't seem to appreciate it very much. I just focus on the wonderful time I'm going to have during my two weeks off work upon my return to Misawa. Socializing. Sleeping. Movies. Cooking. Beach-Bumming. Japan. This is what keeps me going.
I had Friday off, and watched a delightfully quirky little French animated film called "The Triplets of Belleville." The visuals were pretty cool and it involved a particularly funny sequence involving an inventive way for catching frogs. There was very little dialogue, so even if you don't understand what they're saying, you don't really miss anything. I also packed up a few boxes to send home and went for a nice run. I've started up my morning gym routine again, as well. Besides running, I've added the stairmaster to my regiment in preparation for the big Fuji climb.
Anyway, it's lunch time now, so I'm going to head over to the chow hall. Take care. No worries. God Bless.

Reels, Rumours, Riding, etc...

I forgot to mention before when I talked about my day off the movie I watched. It was called "Monster" and it was based on the true story of Eileen Wournos, a prostitute / serial killer. So moving and so sad. I've rarely felt such pity for a character. Charlize Theron played the lead character, and now I see why she won the Oscar. Simply amazing. However, nothing could have prepared me for the disturbing movie I watched last night. It was called "Elephant" and was directed by Gus Van Sant. It was obviously based on the Columbine shootings, but the feel and look of this film makes it seem like I'm right there. It borders on being artsy, but the more I think about it, everything was done so purposefully, the messages within are all too clear. Highly recommended.
My friend Heath showed me this really cool website: www.snopes.com. It's all about urban legends and rumours. It includes everything in every subject from religion to celebrities to politics to sports to medical findings and everything in between. Ever heard the one about Richard Gere and the gerbil? Look it up here. Did you get the chain e-mail from Bill Gates asking you to forward it to 20 people? Look it up here. I could peruse this site for hours.
Speaking of rumours, we got an official e-mail from the Shirt today informing us of our departure date. I'll be leaving this sacred plot of ground on June 30th and heading to Al Udied (where I was last year). I stay there until July 2nd, and then fly to Misawa. I still don't know the exact date / time of arrival in Misawa, but I will be sure to let everyone know as soon as I find out.
I ran the water route today with Heath, which was pretty cool. I'm on stand-by this week, which is NOT cool. I've been looking online for hiking boots for this year's Mt. Fuji trip. I'm getting excited about it already. I still haven't been running in the mornings. They received new treadmills the other day, but they're not very nice. I guess I should be picky. Anyway, that's about all I can think of. I'll probably write more random things later this week. Take care. No worries. God Bless.

Slacker!

I'm off today, and normally, on days off, I lay around my tent, watch movies, go for a run, read, etc. However, today there is a power outage for most of tent city, so, rather than lay around in a makeshift oven, I decided to come to my shop for a while to surf and shoot out a few e-mails. I've decided I should never surf the internet without a specific purpose because Curtis + boredom = shopping. It wasn't all bad, though. I succeeded in getting my Dad something for Father's Day. But after that, it was all downhill. I've been looking at video cameras for almost a year, and finally broke down and bought one, which leads me to another interesting development. The main reason I was putting off buying a camera was that, even though I had pretty much decided on the one I wanted, I still wanted to have a hands-on look at it. Thus, I was waiting until the end of this deployment when we were supposed to go through the States so I could head down to the nearest Best Buy and peruse all the fabulous gadgetry. But now, it appears that won't happen. We were informed a couple days ago that we will now depart on a chartered aircraft from the AOR directly to Misawa. This has two aspects. The bad: I was looking forward to some major shopping in the States, as well as visiting my friends Dan, Ben, and Abby. The good: we won't have to drag all our luggage through multiple airports during the 4th of July, and I'll get back to Misawa a little sooner. We've been told to estimate arriving in Misawa around the 3rd or 4th of July. Either way, I'm just glad to be getting out of here in 19 days.
Anyway, the power should be back on now, so I'm going to head back to my tent and enjoy some slacking time. Take care. No worries. God Bless.

Make Over!

So, do you like the the new layout? I've had the same template for a while, so I figured it was time for a change. Plus, there are lots of cool new features with this new one. I can put mini-titles on each individual post and insert links. And, you, the reader, can access my profile and insert comments at the end of each post, as well. Sounds fun, huh?
Other than that, the day has been pretty routine. It hit 118 degrees today, and everyone hates it except me. The weather here reminds me of Vegas.
Anyway, I'm gonna take care of a few minor things before the day is over. Take care. No worries. God Bless.

There's not really anything new to report, but everyone in my shop has gone over to the chow hall for dinner, and I'm just chillin' here in the shop, so I thought I'd post some random thoughts.
I finished "The Story We Find Ourselves In" last night. Good stuff. It expanded my ideas without negating my beliefs. Now it's on to "Mere Christianity," which I've read twice, but sometimes you just gotta stick with the classics. It never hurts to have a solid foundation on which to stand.
A lot of guys around here are getting really cynical, and I'm doing my best to not let it get me down. However, I have to confess, it's difficult to keep your head up when the job is so monotonous and we don't really have any kind of a sense of accomplishment. There's not much of a mission here, so the work we do isn't very appreciated. Regardless, I'm still managing to keep somewhat of a smile on my face.
My friend Heath told me about this photographer Joel-Peter Witkin who's images are rather disturbing, to say the least. We were looking it up on the computer during lunch, and even as dark as these pictures were, I still couldn't turn away. Very interesting stuff, but not for the weak stomach.
Anyway, it's almost time to head home, so I'll close. Take care. No worries. God Bless.

So, you know how there's sometimes an issue that you don't think you really have a problem with, but then one day you get a spiritual smack in the face and you realize how much you do? Yeah, that happened to me this week. I was walking across the compound, when, in the distance, I saw a guy from my squadron who isn't exactly Mr. Positive. I took evasive action and ducked behind another shop to avoid him. Afterward, I felt like crap. I mean, would it have killed me to smile at this guy and say "Whattup?" I've kind of realized that having poor expectations of someone is basically the same as judging them. If I never take the risk of interacting with someone, then I'll never have the experience of being pleasantly surprised by them.
Work has been going pretty good. I kind of alternate between driving the water truck, doing maintenance, and working various other jobs. My day off has been moved (again), this time to Fridays. I don't really care, anymore, though. In fact, days off are kind of overrated. All I ever do is watch a movie or two, take a few naps, and read. In fact, yesterday, I was so bored, I almost considered coming in to work. I eventually chose to go for a run at the gym. I'm pretty sure I made the right choice.
So, we latest rumour is that we'll be leaving here around the 28th, flying to Al Udeid (where I was for 7 months last year), and taking the rotator out of there on the 1st. I'm looking forward to spending some time in the States, but I'm going to do my best to control my compulsive buying, especially if I plan on making this trek to China in the fall, and a big trip around the States in March.
What other good things can I report? I'm finally getting a decent tan. Some of the guys here are so dark, and I'm so jealous. Regardless, my deepening pigmentation is manifested in my raccoon eyes, and that's more than I had when I got here. Also, I'm getting to know a couple of the guys in my shop pretty well. It's all about healthy relationships, right?
Anyway, I'm going to ride out the rest of the afternoon, and head home, and by "home," I mean "tent." I miss everyone more than words can express. Take care. No worries. God Bless.

Yep, had yesterday off and did absolutely nothing. Kinda nice. Watched a few movies, laid out for a while, napped, but I didn't get any reading done, unfortunately.
A lot of people from my shop got moved around (a few to Structures and a few to the Dirt Boys), but luckily, I'm staying right here. I'm hoping this last month here will be fairly easy. I just want to ride out my time and get the hell outta dodge, know what I'm sayin'?
So, life in the desert is really dull and tedious and I guess I just don't have much to talk about. Next time I think of something really deep to write about, I'll be sure and post it. Until then, everyone's going to just have to be satisfied with these boring narratives of my boring daily life here in Iraq. That's about all for now. Take care. No worries. God Bless.

It seems we can't have a normal week here in the 407th ECES (that's my unit here at Tallil). Just when things were starting to get back to normal and I was beginning to enjoy my time in the utilities shop, something happens and throws everything out of whack. It has been known for a while that the entire CE compound will be moving across the base in the coming months, but for some reason, our commander has a big hard-on for getting it done NOW. So even though the ROWPU reconstitution guys had been given three weeks to complete their task, now they have 6 days. This will only cause messiness and chaos. The commander has told us that every able-boddied utilities person will work 24 hour operations on getting this done. So ridiculous. Regardless, I'm finding it not so bothersome. All the little things that get in the way and frustrate people somehow seem to dodge me. God has given me patience and tolerance during my tenure here, and for this, I'm grateful. The only way I'm affected is I'm beginning to realize what a richard the commander is. Okay, I'm outtee. Take care. No worries. God Bless.

We've entered a new era here at Tallil Air Base, Iraq. The water plant has officially shut down; and while I once thought I'd be involved with the tear down and reconstitution of our equipment, I have now been directed to work directly out of the Utilities Shop. When I first heard about this, I got a little upset, but now I'm just dealing with it, and even discovering it's not that bad. I'm getting some social interaction with some new people and getting to see some of my friends working in other shops. So I guess a little variety is a good thing. Plus, now I'll be working in the shop, where the computers are, so maybe I'll get to e-mail people and update my blog a little more often.
I've developed a minor addiction here: Wint-O-Green Life Savers. Those things are like miniature donuts of heroin. I can't get enough.
My running routine has been temporarily put in hiatus. For some reason, all the treadmills at the gym have broken down, and I refuse to use one of those stupid cross trainer elliptical things or the stationary bike. The stairmaster is tempting, but it's much easier to just sleep in. When they fix the treadmills, I'll start running again.
I finished "Glamorama" last night, and tonight, I'll start "The Story We Find Ourselves In." I read the preface last night, and it looks quite interesting.
Anyway, lunch is about over, so I need to get back to work. I know everyone is wanting a picture of my long-gone mustache, but I don't have any digital ones. When I get back and have my film developed, everyone will have plenty of chances to point and laugh about my ridiculous facial hair. I hope everyone is doing well. I miss you all. Take care. No worries. God Bless.

I've been listening to a lot of Nirvana lately. I've always been a fan, and still feel a little sadness when I think about Kurt's death. The most recent swell began about a week ago when I heard "Smells Like Teen Spirit" on the radio. I'd forgotten what a great song it was, and how unfortunate that it became such a cliche at the time. But hearing the lyrics again stirs up some strange emotions. "A mosquito, my libido." I think that's the part I feel the most. My sex drive drains me, causes me to think, say, and do the stupidest things. Craziness.
Other than that, things are going pretty well, I guess. I don't have a lot of good social interaction, though. I work with the same two guys every day at the water plant. I only get to hang out with Brad every three or four days, and even then it's only for a half hour or so. I'm not going to know what to do when I get around normal civilization again.
I'm almost done with "Glamorama." I think I'm going to start "The Story We Find Ourselves In" next. I'm not getting as much reading done as I'd hoped I would. It's day 52, and we've gone so far, but it seems like so long until the end. I'm so ready to be done with this place. Okay, I'm gonna get back to work. Take care. No worries. God Bless.

Today is day #45 - the official half-way mark, and I guess I should be kind of excited about it, but something has been really bothering me this week. I was reading the news the other day and started hearing reports of all the Iraqi detainee abuse, and it was rather upsetting. But nothing could prepare me for looking at the pictures. Absolutely horrid. No wonder the people around here don't want us around. Anyway, I'm going to move on to something a little more light-hearted.
So...what's new around here? Well, I had an actual day off on Wednesday. It was great. I had an extra long run. I read. I ate pizza. I napped. A very relaxing day. Speaking of reading, I was reading "The Peaceable Kingdom," but it got a little too advanced for me, so now I'm reading "Glamorama" by Bret Easton Ellis. I'm still working at the water plant, and it's still anyone's guess when we'll get evicted. As I've mentioned before, I'm just going with the flow.
Hmmm. I know there are tons of things I wanted to write about, but I can't remember it now. I'm gonna get outta here. Take care. No worries. God Bless.

Happy Mother's Day to all you hot mammas out there. I sent Momma Sutton some flowers, and I'm hoping to give her a call sometime today, but I think everyone else on base has the same agenda.
Good news: we are finally getting days off again. Mine will be Wednesday when I pledge to sleep all day long. Bad news: the contractors got all their paperwork finished and they'll be taking over the water plant any day now. Good news: we're almost at the half-way point. Bad news: it's getting crazy hot. Good news: we've all been scheduled to depart here on 1 July. On the way back to Misawa, we'll be traveling through Baltimore (which is great so I can see my buddies Dan and Ben) and Seattle (which is great so I can see Abby). Bad news: due to layovers and what-not, we'll be in the air on Independence Day. And, um, let's see....I'll try to end on good news: I got a super package from Abby a couple days ago. It had all kinds of goodies and a cool card in it. Thanks, Abs! Okay, I'm gonna get outta here. I hope everyone is doing well. I miss you all. Take care. No worries. God Bless.

I've usually thought of myself as a pretty smart person, but lately, I'm beginning to realize how stupid I really am. It's not any one thing that has led me to this. It's just the more people I meet, the more I see how much there is out there, and how miniscule my knowledge of everything is.
Overall, it's been a good week. I started up a new routine of going to the gym in the morning. It's rough, but I feel good, so that's what counts. I'm running longer, faster, and farther than I was before. I get home at night, do a little reading, and then lights out. Today, however, I was thrown for a loop. The boss told me that I would most likely be coming out of the water plant pretty soon. And that really bums me out. He says he wants other guys to get some experience out there, and I guess I can understand that, but we've worked really hard to get things to where they are, and now that most of the big work is done, we're just maintaining, so someone else is going to get to slack off and get credit for all the work I did. It's just frustrating, I guess. I'm going to try to appeal, but I'm not sure how much good it will do.
Other than that, there's not much to report. We've had a few little wind storms here and there, but nothing as bad as last week. The best news is that I have one month down, and only two to go. I'm doing my best to keep a smile on my face. Take care. No worries. God Bless.

So my routine pretty much went to shit. Starting last Monday, all of CE has gone into 12 hour shifts with no days off. Apparently, some big projects came down and nobody's going to stop until they're done, by golly. Luckily, I'm still working at the water plant, but now it's from 7 AM to 7 PM. My reading time has been cut considerably, and playing for praise and worship at the Chapel is just not going to happen. But you know what? I'm somehow not really bothered by it all. My circumstances are different, but my attitude is the same. And I figure they can do whatever they want to me while I'm here, just as long as I'm home on time.
Some other interesting developments: we've had some crazy weather the past few days. It started last Thursday with a big dust storm. That was pretty nasty, but we had no idea what was in store for us. Friday evening, we had what would basically equal a hurricane. Tents were flying everywhere. Hail was falling. I spent most of the evening tying down tent flaps. But yesterday was the total mac-daddy of insane weather. Sometime around 5 PM, we had some evil looking clouds coming in from both directions. I went back into the water plant when it started raining. I was going about my business when I looked into the back section, and noticed that the entire tent was off the ground. I started shutting down the ROWPUs, and then stuff started flying all over the place. I was dodging flying hammers and stuff when Max and I decided it would be best to take shelter in the bunker. Anyway, after everything passed, the tent had shifted about 6 feet, and there was word another storm was on the way. So we got pretty much the entire CE squadron out there to help us recover. The next storm didn't do as much damage to the water plant, but the electricians had a hell of a time.
Anyway, that's my story for this week. Stay tuned next week when you'll hear SSgt Johnson exclaim "Auntie Em! Auntie Em! It's a twister! It's a twister!" Until then, take care. No worries. God Bless.

P.S. I just want to thank everyone for all the e-mails, care packages, and prayers while I'm over here. It's impossible for me to show enough appreciation.

Yep, so things are going pretty smoothly here in Iraq. I've gotten myself into a pretty good routine. I get up and go to work everyday at 4:45. I'm done around 2 or 2:30, then I go for a run at the gym, then shower, then hang out or read for the rest of the evening. The stress has gone down, and I'm not as homesick anymore. Last Sunday's Chapel service went pretty well. We had a rehearsal last night, and this week should be even better. I'm still having strange dreams, and I think one day in the not too distant future, I'm gonna read my dream journal and laugh for a really long time. Oh, there's one really cool thing I've been forgetting to mention. Before I came over here, I'd heard that this base was really close to the ancient city of Ur (the supposed birth place of Abraham) and this really old building called the Ziggurat. Well, it turns out that the base is right on top of all that stuff. I walk out the door of my shop and see the Ziggurat. They offer tours over there, but I haven't had the chance to go yet. I'll be sure and take lots of pictures when I do. The whole mustache situation is proceeding according to schedule. I now have hair on my upper lip, and I think it looks pretty retardo. But, I told Brad I'd do this, and now it's just become a big joke. I'm avoiding all cameras like the plague in the hopes that no one outside of this country will ever see me like this. I'm trying to e-mail people as much as I can, but computer time here is limited. I thank you all for your prayers. Take care. No worries. God Bless.

Happy Easter! So, I'd like to write a novel about the past 10 days I've spent in Iraq, but I don't exactly have a lot of computer time, and the time I have is mostly going to be spent writing my own EPR (it's a long story). So, I'm switching back and forth between this window, and the one with my EPR, so if this entry seems rather random, that's why.
I've been a little stressed out since I got here, and I'm not really sure why. I'm working in the water plant, which is cool. But we're kind of in the middle of nowhere. We don't even have a phone out there.
Tonight will be my first night of playing with the praise team at the Chapel, and I'm looking forward to it. Things should go smooth.
I've been having really wacked out dreams since I got here. It's gotten to the point where I'm now keeping a dream journal that I update as soon as I get up in the morning. The strangest one involved me appearing as a guest on the David Letterman show along with Janet Jackson. Strange.
I've been hitting up the gym every afternoon, but I'm skipping today to get some work done. Plus, most people are off on Sunday, so I know it will be way crowded. I was there running on the treadmill yesterday and the power went out.
You know, this is the third time I've been deployed since I've been at Misawa, and never, ever have I wanted to come home as badly as I do now. I don't know if it's because I miss everyone back in Misawa, or because I still don't really know anyone here yet, or because I really have no faith whatsoever in the purpose of this stupid war. I get home after work, hit the gym, shower, and then don't leave my room for the rest of the night. I'm not feeling my usual social self. The upside is that I'm getting a lot of reading done. I'm kind of forcing myself to go to the gym, because I think if I don't, I'll just waste away. It's the only thing that keeps my drive going.
I saw Brad at lunch the other day, and we decided we're going to grow mustaches. Personally, I don't think there are many things a guy can do to make himself more unattractive than grow a mustache. I mean, they work okay on some people, but overall, they're just too cheesy. Regardless, this is a way for Brad and I to just do something goofy to pass the time a little quicker. We're going to try it for two weeks, and see how it looks. But don't get your hopes up. I will be avoiding all cameras so no evidence will be left for anyone.
Okay, so I really need to concentrate on my EPR, so I'm gonna close. I hope everything is going well with everyone. Here's a brief list of people/things I'm praying for right now: Jean-Marie and her leg, Don taking care of his family, this whole Iraq situation, my friend Jason and his spiritual quest, Jimmy and Abby, Dan and his last semester of college, Jim and Nik and their whole household. Okay, Imaboutabeupouttaheeyaallinyagrill! Take care. No worries. God Bless.

So, here I am in Iraq, and it's pretty cool. Tent city is really nice, but it's rather shocking to see everything else. Everything the military hasn't built is pretty much in shambles. You wouldn't believe the number of Iraqi buildings we've blown up. The country is rather barren. Looking out, it's hard to believe this is in the middle of the fertile crescent.
As far as work is concerned, I'm currently working in the water plant operating the ROWPU (Reverse Osmosis Water Purification Unit). It's a pretty good job to have. It's not hectic, but it keeps me occupied all day long. I go in at 5 AM, and I'm off by 2, so I have my afternoons free to hit the gym.
I went to Chapel last night, and they're in dire need of a pianist, so I told them I'd help them out. Most of the Chapel staff is from Nellis, but I don't think we have any common acquaintances.
Anyway, there's lots more I'd like to write about, but computer time here is very limited, so please forgive me if I slack off on my blog over the next three months. Also, I don't have access to my mac.com e-mail account, but you can e-mail me at curtis.sutton@tlab.aorcentaf.af.mil. My mailing address is
Curtis Sutton
407 AEG / ECES
APO, AE 09358
I hope all is going well with everyone. Thanks for keeping me in your prayers. Take care. No worries. God Bless.

One more thing: I've recently developed a liking to the term "wax" as a verb, such as to enlarge, heighten, or magnify. Hence, the change to my blog's title. Please feel free to give input on this exciting change. Laters...

So, here I am in Kuwait. Please allow me to give a brief narrative on how I arrived here. Well, upon leaving Misawa, we flew to Seattle, and I got to hang out with Abby, which was totally cool. We ate at this really great Mexican restaurant, went to Krispy Kreme, and then chilled out at Borders for a while. Also, while I was there, she called Jaq Harris on her cell phone and I talked to him for a while, too. The next morning, we left for Atlanta. The first night in Atlanta (Saturday), I went downtown to this really cool dance club and pretty much stayed there all night. On Sunday, me and a few other guys went to a couple malls downtown. They had an Apple Store and an Armani Exchange, so I was a very happy boy. We left Atlanta Tuesday morning, and eventually got here, only to find we didn't have a flight to our destination. So we've been chilling out here since Tuesday night. Luckily, we found out this morning that we'll be leaving this afternoon. I'm so ready to get to our destination and just start working.
Anyway, I should have an e-mail address when I get there. But until then, feel free to e-mail me at currtdawg@mac.com. Sleep has been something I've been getting in small doses lately, so my brain is a little fried. I'm sorry I can't think of anything smart or introspective. I'll try to write more once we get settled in and stuff. Take care. No worries. God Bless.

Okay, so I forgot to mention one thing. Brad and I went to Hachinohe to see "Dogville" today, and it was pretty amazing. A great story about man's inhumanity to man and about the conditions of friendship. The entire cast was spectacular. I'm not going to get into the minimalist set or anything. It's just something you all have to see for yourself. Anyway, that's all. Now back to packing, etc.

So, as promised, here's a list of the books I'm taking to the desert:

"The Politics of Jesus" by John Howard Yoder
"The Pleasure of My Company" by Steve Martin
"The Challenge of Jesus" by N.T. Wright
"The Peaceable Kingdom" by Stanley Hauerwas
"Choke" by Chuck Palahniuk
"The Story We Find Ourselves In" by Brian McLaren
"Glamorama" by Bret Easton Ellis
and, of course,
"Mere Christianity" by C.S. Lewis

Hopefully, these will keep me occupied for the next three months. There's gonna be a lot of plane time, so I think I'll be okay.
Anyway, I still have tons of packing to do, plus people to see and a house to finish cleaning. The next entry I make will probably be from on the opposite side of the world. Take care. No worries. God Bless.

I think we have a definite line between our private and our public lives. And not just what we do, but there's a difference in personality, as well. I've always thought I could tell how good a friend was by how much I told him and how much of my private personality I let him see. But now, that seems so fake to me. Why can't I just let everyone know all of me? I'm going to start breaking down that wall between public and private. I've told people before that my life is an open book, and now, I'm going to start following through with it.
Brad and I just got back from the onsen at Komaki's. After we onsened, we got foot massages, and it was great. We were reluctant to put our shoes back on because our feet were all tingling and stuff.
I'm starting to get those last minute jitters about deploying. And again, it's not really about the deployment itself. It's more about the trip over there and all the crap we're going to have to endure with carrying weapons and airport security and hauling bags to and from hotels. Ugh. I get exhausted just thinking about it. I just wish we were already in country and I had all my stuff in my tent and I was working. I'm still in the midst of packing. I was going to list all the books I'm taking with me on here, but they're all upstairs, and I'm down here on my couch getting ready to go to sleep, so I'll just have to list them some other time. Today was totally crazy with appointments and tying up loose ends at work and stuff. Tomorrow is going to be just as bad; however, I'm going to force myself to find time to go to Hachinohe and watch a movie. It's called "Dogville" and it was directed by Lars von Trier, and I'm really looking forward to watching it. After that, though, I'm going to be running around like a headless chicken, which is a rather disgusting metaphor. How about, running around like one of those little wind-up toys that keeps going until it runs into a wall and then turns around and goes the other way until it hits another wall, etc.? Maybe not as chaotic, but definitely more tame.
And one final thought: liberation in mind is a good thing. Take care. No worries. God Bless.

I've been feeling old a lot lately. Not like, "my body is falling apart and I have gray hair" old. More like, "gee, I'm hanging out with people who were born a decade after me" old. I don't think I look or act old, but it's just when I think about dates, I realize how fast time is moving. I'm almost 30, I'm not married, I don't have any major financial assets, and I still haven't really learned how to accept responsibility. I guess all things will come in time. It's so ridiculous to worry about it.
In other news, Jean-Marie broke her leg snowboarding yesterday. Things are going to be way tough on Don for a while. I kinda wish I weren't deploying so I could be around to help. I'm sure people will step up, though, and hopefully, Jean-Marie will be back on her feet by the time I get back.
Anyway, I have this week off work to do last minute stuff in preparation for deploying. We take off on Friday. I haven't even started packing yet. I'm going to take it easy, though. I'll pack a little, take a nap, pack some more, eat, pack, watch a movie, hang out, sleep, etc. I can't really think of anything else to write. Take care. No worries. God Bless.

What a great weekend! Friday night, the Japanese in my shop put on a little party for those of us deploying, and it was really fun. We drank beers and smoked cigars and sang lots of karaoke. Saturday, I went snowboarding at Hakkoda, and, despite a few icy patches, it was good stuff. It was the first time I'd been in over a month, and I was a little concerned my ankle would bother me, but I had no problems at all. Sunday, I worked on my house a little more. I'm pretty much done with all the major cleaning and moving stuff around and such. Now, I'll just go over everything with the vacuum cleaner before I take off.
This week is going to be way slow. I'll take care of some out-processing and stare at the walls and stuff. Matt and Danielle are getting married on Wednesday, so I'll definitely go to that. The National Prayer Luncheon is Thursday, and Chaplain Oberheid is speaking, and that is always good to hear. Anyway, I'm babbling on and on, so I'm gonna pretend to work or something. Take care. No worries. God Bless.

Things are going well...a little too well, maybe. All the drama and pain that I had been going through for the past few months is pretty much over, and now I just seem to be happily floating along. But in the back of my mind, I feel cautious, like something could happen at any time. I guess, in a way, I kind of miss that pain. (Does that make me a drama queen?) It occupied so much of my time and thoughts for so long, and now that it's not there, I have little else about which to think.
I found out yesterday that my departure date has been pushed back a week, so now, instead of the 19th, we're leaving on the 26th. I don't really care either way. I mean, I want to go, and get out of Misawa, and just start working. However, it will be nice to hang out here for another week, too. There will be a few of my friends PCSing while I'm gone, and any extra time I get to spend with them is appreciated. Also, the group deploying will be getting split up as we're going through the States, and we still don't know if we'll be staying over in Baltimore or Atlanta. I'm hoping for two things: 1) that I don't get separated from Brad, and 2) that I go through Baltimore. Brad and I have plans to see lots of movies while we're in the States, and both Dan and Ben live close to Baltimore. I don't really know anyone in Atlanta. But, regardless of where I go and who I'm with, I'm sure I'll be able to make my own fun during those few days in the States.
Anyway, work is really slow this week. I've been taking care of a few minor out-processing needs. I don't expect it to pick up before we leave. I'm just gonna go with the flow. Take care. No worries. God Bless.

I'm trying to get my house clean. My house is always clean, in a way, but this time it's more than just keeping it neat and vacuuming and stuff. This time, I'm going through all the crap in my back bedroom and dusting behind bookshelves and getting rid of everything that has no real purpose. Jeff is going to house sit for me while I'm deployed, and I'd hate for him to move in and discover giant dust bunnies hiding behind my bed. That's pretty much what I did all weekend. Well, besides the CE Ball on Friday, and Bible study (read: wallyball) on Saturday and Church / HH on Sunday. The weekend was both relaxing and productive. Only 11 more days till I deploy. I should probably start packing pretty soon.
Anyway, this week is probably going to be pretty dull at work. There's not much work for me to do, just a few outprocessing appointments and some training. I'll write more later this week. Take care. No worries. God Bless.

Last night, I went to the CE Ball, which is like a miniature, stupider version of the Air Force Ball for only CE people. I felt like I was kind of guilted into going, and I really didn't want to be there. But you know what? It wasn't really that bad. Of course, I had to get a couple drinks in me before I got into the swing of things. But the best part was really afterward. I ran into a friend I haven't talked to in about 4 months. We hung out and caught up and had a really nice talk. Then I went home and changed and went back to the E-Club and saw more friends. It was just a really nice, fun, social time. Anyway, I could keep trying to describe it and dwell on it, but I'm just going to accept it. Take care. No worries. God Bless.

I'm not going to the airport today. I've already said my good-byes, and it's given me some closure, and I'm hoping that it will be one of those "out of sight / out of mind" type things. My time in the desert is going to be a time of healing.
So I went to Tokyo over the weekend with Jean-Marie, Trish, and Paul, and it was a blast. We did lots of walking and shopping and eating (at cool American restaurants like T.G.I. Friday's and Red Lobster) and drank quite a few frappucinos. We went to Tokyo Disney, which was really fun. I'm just really starting to appreciate Tokyo.
Anyway, I can't really thing of anything else to write, so instead of just babbling on and on, I'm going to stop. Take care. No worries. God Bless.

So everyone who reads my blog on a regular basis probably thinks that I'm some sort of really dark, depressed person seriously in need of some Prozac, but nothing could be further from the truth. The title of this blog is "Glimpse Into A (Usually) Optimistic Mind," and that's what it is....usually. It's just that the only time I really feel the need to write is when I'm in a dark mood. Getting my feelings out is kind of helpful, and knowing that everyone who reads this knows what I'm going through somehow makes me feel a little better.
Overall, things are pretty good. I'm healthy. I have a loving family. I have great friends. I'm happy at work. I'm getting ready to go to the desert again, which, though some may consider a bad thing, I'm looking forward to. It will be a nice change of scenery.
However, there's this one stupid area that's causing me so much pain. I thought things were going to be cool, but I guess they aren't. And I can't do anything about it. I hate feeling so out of control. The first time I went through this, it was just the severe feelings of hurt. But this time, it's hurt with an extra dose of anger.
Anyway, I'm getting ready to go out to dinner with some friends, which is a good thing. I feel the need to just be around some people tonight. I'm off work the rest of the week, and heading down to Tokyo on Thursday with Paul, Trish, and Jean-Marie. We're just going to shop and hang out and go to Tokyo Disney, which should be a very interesting experience in itself. Okay, so I'm gonna go now. Take care. No worries. God Bless.

So, in this extremely long week of 12-hour days, playing FreeCell (which, I believe, is about as addictive as heroin), and daydreaming of Ibiza, I've had quite a lot of time to surf CNN.com, FoxNews.com, and other various sites regarding current events. The most frequent issue addressed has been that of same-sex marriages. It seems the Mayor of San Francisco has grown a pair and made the call to allow same-sex marriages because banning it would defy state laws prohibiting discrimination. And I say, "Kudos to you, Mr. Mayor!" I think that the whole "civil unions" deal was definitely a step in the right direction, but it kind of reminds me of the whole "separate but equal" thing we had in the 60's, and we see how that turned out. Meanwhile, Mr. Bush has decided to chime in and say that he is "troubled" by what's going on in San Francisco. Tragic. He doesn't really seem too troubled by the thousands of innocent lives he's sentenced to death in the Iraqi desert. Oh, and let's not forget the governor of California. Mr. Schwarzenegger (don't worry, I checked the spelling) says the state will reject any marriage certificates sent by San Francisco because they fail to meet legal standards. So a guy who spends his off-time playing grab-ass, working out 6 hours a day, and driving a Hummer is going to point fingers at others' sexual issues? Go ahead, Arnold. Nobody's really taking you seriously in the first place. It amuses me how people get so upset about this issue because they say gay marriage doesn't truly represent the sanctity of the institution of marriage. Let's forget the 2002 statistics revealing that 40% of "real" marriages end in divorce (which, granted, is down from 48% in 1992). And don't even make me bring up Elizabeth Taylor or, God forbid, Britney Spears. I think these same-sex couples have a much better chance of staying married than the average straight couple, just because of how hard they have fought for this right. It's not something they're going to rush into or be cavalier about. And what impact is it really going to have on society anyway. If anything, it will make this country even more of a melting pot. I mean, I've always kind of admired Elton John and k.d. lang anyway. But, I digress. And so, in conclusion, let me just say that it will be a grand day on this earth when people can just live and let live.

Yep, still in the exercise. It's been really slow, and my week has consisted of sitting in my office and staring at the walls. We found out this morning, though, that we will be processing this afternoon, so hopefully, things are winding down. Anyway, I'm feeling pretty good today. Yeah, there's still this underlying void or darkness or something, but it's slowly going away. And I'm feeling optimistic. I'm going to Tokyo next week. A few weeks after that, I'll be in the desert. Abby leaves today, which is a total bummer. But I have to admit, I'm a little jealous because she's getting to go to Seattle. Maybe I can go visit her, and she can take me to Kurt Cobain's grave. Um, okay, I'm really drawing a blank now on what to write, so I guess I'm just going to watch a movie or something. Take care. No worries. God Bless.

We're in the middle of a base exercise, but we're not really doing anything. We've just been told to stand-by, so everyone is pretty much goofing off and playing cards and what-not. My weekend was kinda good and kinda not so good. I had fun and stuff. Eating dinner with friends. Drinking beers with the guys. Going to the movies. Laying on my couch. But the mood still remains. Emotionally, I'm a wreck. I've never felt so un-loved in all my life. And it's totally stupid for me to feel that way. Everyone is always telling me and showing me how much they love me. Everyone except the one person I want to say it. And that's why I feel like shit. But, you know, even if nobody told me, I still have no reason to feel this way. I need to feel worthy of God's love. I need to realize the extent of Christ's love and what He went through for me. Who gives a rat's ass how much people love me? Well, I guess I do. Anyway, if the exercise keeps going like it is, I'm sure I'll write more later on this week. Take care. No worries. God Bless.

Whoa. I hadn't realized how long it's been since I last wrote. I went to Sapporo last weekend for the big Snow Festival, which was pretty amazing. Work this week has been really busy, but good. We have another three day weekend because of President's Day, but the extent of my activities will involve laying on my couch and watching movies, most likely. I'd really like to go snowboarding, but the ankle is still sore, and I don't want to take any chances.
For some reason, I'm still down, and I don't really know why. I have short periods of happiness, but overall, I have this general mood of muddiness. I still think I put too much faith in other people, and let them determine how happy I am. If someone doesn't call me back, it's automatically my fault. Apparently, I'm not good enough to get a phone call. And it's a downward spiral from there. Then that compounds upon the fact I always want what I can't have. If anybody ever has a crush on me, all they have to do is play "hard-to-get," and I'm theirs.
We have a base exercise starting on Tuesday that's supposed to last a week, but I'm not too worried about it. It will probably be really slow, and I'm just going to go with the flow. After that, Paul, Trish, Jean-Marie, and I will be going down to Tokyo for a 4-day vacation. I think it will be really fun. Hopefully by then, my ankle will be better, and I can get in some snowboarding before I take off for the desert.
Anyway, that's gonna be all for me today. Take care. No worries. God Bless.

Going, going, going. It's been a busy weekend. It actually started on Thursday. I went down to Tokyo with my friend Kerry to see Belle & Sebastian. It was a great show. We stayed overnight with her sis, Simone. Then shopped all day Friday. I came back Friday night, and totally crashed out. On Saturday, I went snowboarding with Jay, which was pretty cool. I've missed the past two weekends because of my ankle, and it was nice to hit the slopes again. That is, until we were going through some trees, and I caught my edge and jacked up my ankle again. I managed to board the rest of the day, but I went really easy. I'm supposed to go again tomorrow, but I'm not sure if I'm gonna make it. On one hand, I hate missing potential snowboarding days. On the other hand, it might be nice to have a day to relax before I go back to work. Oh yeah, we have tomorrow off for the Super Bowl, which I have no intention of watching.
I really fell in love with Tokyo. Just being around so many people kind of gives me a buzz. It's fun to get around and watch all the people. There's so much to do and so much to see. I kind of made a decision. I'm probably going to stay in the Air Force. I mean, there's a lot of stuff I really don't like about it, but it's what gives me the greatest opportunity for travel, which I've found I love more than anything. I'll always have a certain place in my heart for the States, but the world is too big to grow roots in one country and in one culture.
Anyway, there's tons more I'd like to write about, but I'm really hungry. I'm only working Tuesday and Wednesday this week. I'm taking more leave this weekend to go up to Sapporo for the Ice Festival, which should be totally amazing. Okay, I'm gonna cook. Take care. No worries. God Bless.