Sunday Quote

"Even when the armaments of war ring out in deathly serenade and darkness and hatred reign in the hearts of some, there stands immovable, reassuring, comforting, and with great outreaching love the quiet figure of the Son of God, the Redeemer of the world."

- Pres. Gordon B. Hinckley, Ensign, May 2003

Memorial Day 2009

I will be busy tomorrow with work and won't be off until very early the next morning so I thought I would take a minute or two to write a little something before I go to church tonight.

I thought about posting a poem. Nothing seems to fit this year. I thought about writing about previous Memorial Days but maybe some other time. I think that I've posted pictures and youtube videos before.

Nothing this year seems appropriate enough to honor those for whom the day is meant.

Coincidence? I think not!

I have hsd the anthrax shot (4 of the series of 6). I also like to fly fish. Any relation? Let's explore.....


Lefty Kreh is a famous fly fishing icon. He's written many articles, tied many flies and spent way more time on the river than I have.

Here is part of an interview with Lefty in the April 2009 issue of Field and Stream. He tells Jay Cassell:

AFTER WORLD WAR II, I STARTED FLY CASTING WHEN I GOT BACK FROM EUROPE. [Lefty fought in the Battle of the Bulge in 1945.] Back then, I got a job at the Biological Warfare Center, where we grew and concentrated the bacteria that the scientists worked on. I was one of three people who got anthrax - on my hand and arm. My full name is Bernard Victor Kreh, and there is now a BVK strain of anthrax. I was doing shift work, and I'd hunt or fish between shifts. I started to get a reputation as a hotshot bass fisherman.

So is it any wonder that the two are related? I just thought that was interesting.

That is all.

Ahhh, Now I Remember

It's finally in the 100's here. Everyday this week is supposed to be hotter and we'll probably hit 110 by Saturday. I had to go in for a bit yesterday afternoon because a unit on base needed some maps by this morning and I didn't really find out about it until Saturday after dinner. So rather than stay late I decided to go into the office for a bit on Sunday afternoon.

I got to the office and I thought I would start by going to the water point and hauling in some bottled water. After all, water that has been sitting in our office at 78 degrees is better than drinking water that has been outside in 100 degree weather. I got a dolly so I could haul in four packages of water and began my quest.

The water point isn't far from the work area and they must have just recently dropped off the pallets of water. I thought that maybe if I hauled in a lot of water we wouldn't have to do it for a while. I also figured that if I was drinking about 4 bottles a day that the rest of the office and I would finish the water off in no time. So I decided to haul in a whole pallet of water. By myself.

Sometime during my task I stood there and took time to feel the warmth of the day. When I started it was only about 98. I reflected back on the 2 years that I spent living in Arizona and realized that I had missed the heat. Not the humid muggy heat of back home but the dry heat of the American Southwest.

I remember not sweating when outside working because the sweat evaporates so quickly. I rememer walking into an air conditioned room and immediately sweat begins to pour. I remember nice days in February and year round mountain biking.

I think of our kids, who during the winter remain couped up inside. I think of how my hiking boots and fly rod go unused. I think of saguaro cacti in bloom and wonder......

just maybe.....

would it ever work?

Food in Room = Bad Idea

There are 72 different rooms where we live on base. Not everyone has a roommate but most. The problem is that it seems people want to leave trash laying about and food out in their rooms. That is a bad idea. Since we are a Brigade Headquarters, we have alot of leaders and few lower enlisted. This of course means we should know better. But, I guess not. Why is this a problem. Let's see:

• Food crumbs bring mice.
• Mice bring fleas and diseases.
• Mice also attract snakes. Think about Cobras and other snakes.

An order has been put out to clean the place up. I guess that will solve the problem. I have a completely different solution.

Put in a request for a Mongoose. (Think Rikki tikki Tavi) Now where is that supply sergeant so I can put in a request.

By the way, what is the plural of Mongoose?

• Mongoose?
• Mongooses?
• Mongeese?
• Mongoosi?
• several Mongoose?

(just being funny there, for a moment)

It's been awhile but I'm back!

OK, I never really left but I did have to switch to a different group for the internet. The first one I went with was just getting way expensive. So to recap here are a few thoughts:

• We have one of our soldiers in our section back in the states on vacation. Part of what he does is put together slides to brief the Base Commander. The briefing is in the morning time so he gets there pretty earlier. Any guesses as to who took over for him after he left? Yup, that's right. Me!
• I had a chance to go on a couple of convoys. The first one was to Al Asad which is about 2 hours Northwest of where I am. The second one was to Victory Base Complex (known as VBC) just barely outside of Baghdad and the third one was to Joint Base Balad (JBB).
• I was sick last week. I mean really sick. It started Monday night about 30-45 minutes after dinner and didn't really end until about 36 hours later. I went to see the Doctor because I was extremely dehydrated and had lost 5 lbs in less then a day but he didn't offer me an IV or anything. He said it was most likely viral but gave me some antibiotics just incase since we are in a foreign country. I'm pretty sure it came from the chow hall.
• I signed on the dotted line again. 3 more years of this.
• There has been alot that I wanted to post about but I seem to have forgotten. Now that I am feeling a little better maybe I can get back to posting more regularly.