Losing a friend...

Hate to see him leave, my friend Mike is headed to Kabul to complete his year long tour. It was difficult to say good-bye to my late night walking buddy, my confidant, and my card playing buddy. How exciting is this though? His last night here Mike WON in POKER! I haven't even done that (closest was third place for me). Was just thinking, he won't even get to play in the Tournament of Champions the first Saturday of the next month with me. Last night, I placed second in Spades with my partner Bryan. Mike, I wish you best as you count the pennies and nickels being spent on this effort of "enduring freedom" from the capitol city. Keep up your workout routine, and I will see you as you come through on your way home on R&R.

3rd place and holdin'

One of the good things about living here are the Recreation Centers that offer fun free programs to help the time go by. So, on nights you can't sleep, my case, or if you work a weird shift, no matter the time of day they always have games to play and tournaments to be won; movies to watch; and computers you can use to connect with friends and family back home. Today, I could have fell asleep at 2pm, but was working. And tonight I couldn't sleep at all, so a game of Texas Hold'em Poker was shouting out for me to play. Since I had been away for weeks, I was welcomed back to the playing tables with lots of friendly smiles and hugs, and welcome back wishes; which was very nice for them to notice I had been missing. Unfortunately for them, I got a lot of good hands, I really don't think it was the cards as much as the position I was sitting for the bidding, I am really learning this game, it is funny. My friend Bryan was very tired too, and got out early; and Mike didn't show up at all, he probably was at the gym or working late again! I made it all the way to the final table, and down to the final three. I really didn't get good cards at this final table and was more than happy with losing to the beautiful girl soldier and the cute male soldier who were both delighted to have made it that far, and were so deserving of the win. The male soldier came to the table with the least amount of chips and he ended up winning, just goes to show you that anything can happen in Hold'em Poker. I'd like to now thank Laurie for taking me to the casinos in the skankiest places in Port Orchard and Bremerton years ago to play Free Texas Hold'em Poker tournaments during those boring winter months back home. I must have learned something. Pretty funny really. Tonight I won third place, and last night I won third place in (one hour play) Black Jack tournament. Too much fun!!

Home and back...

I can't believe it has been over a month since I blogged. I understand your frustrations in my posts and my simply not writing at all. My apologies to my followers.

As you can probably imagine, as time passed and I was scurrying to get my plans for R&R time wrapped up, I was remiss in keeping you all up to date.

I left the base for R&R on 28th of July, and made the long trek home. We got to fly threw Ireland, which was cool, but it was dark and I didn't see much of it. Didn't even get to have my passport stamped. We did get to purchase Duty Free items from a small shop, or have an English Tea in the "bar". They even have a shower in the women's restroom at that airport, pretty cool! The flight was long, long, long. We of course had our mandatory layover in Kuwait; and funny our waiting time way exceeded our flight time for the last leg to the states. My stopover in Dallas was short, since I was able to get on an earlier than scheduled flight out, more time at home!! Yippee.

I am happy to report, I made it home in time for my party. 79 people attended, my brother came with his daughter from Hawaii, and friends and family came from all over the state to see how I am doing, and hear all of wonderful stories. I barely had time to tell any stories with all the hugging and eating, and birthday celebrations~we had a blast all the way to s'mores by the campfire.

Skip whisked me and Scout off to NAS Whidbey Island to go crabbing and camping. We had pretty good luck, but the weather wasn't that cooperative. We jumped in and out of rain gear as we jumped in and out of the inflatable pontoon crab catching boat! We dined with family and friends, and stayed in the marvelous Cliffside Resort along the oceanfront on the military base. We walked and even tracked the hoot of owls in the trees in the dark, and successfully found two huge "Harry Potter" owls fly off into the darkness. We took the scooters but weather didn't permit our riding them. It was a wonderful relaxing time, funny too because the jets kept flying over as low as they do in Bagram.

The rest of my visit consisted of racing around meeting up with friends for lunches, and dinners with family! I was able to have some valuable sun time, and visit with my neighbors, play tennis, and go to my favorite restaurants.

It took me three days to remember to open the fridge. Skip had to remind me he had a present for me in there. So on day three, I finally opened the fridge and found some yummy long missed WA state cherries; in a very clean fridge!! I don't think I cooked a single meal while I was home, Skip BBQ'd and we ate out most of the time. We got to see some fabulous home remodels from Home (that is a town) and Gig Harbor to Capitol Hill. Skip has been very busy!

My departure was sad and I was sure I hadn't seen everyone, or done everything I had planned to do. But still the time had to end, and onto the plane I had to go. So, at 3am Monday, I headed back to my base, and yes it took way too long! You can not imagine what one goes through to get back, it sucks the R&R right out of you.
As I sit at my desk, and read Kathryn's blog to catch up on her "soap opera" life, I realized we just missed each other, she was two days behind me. I did catch up with two other Camp Atterbury students during my adventurous return. I think I lost another three pounds too on the final flight alone.
On the way back, I went through Atlanta, and Ireland again, this time in the daytime, so I got to see the green green green of Ireland I have heard so much about.
Thank you all who spent time playing with me, and to those who came from near and far for my "homecoming". I truly did not want to leave, especially the 90 degree weather we finally got upon my departure. Go figure, the next day the temperature dropped 20 - 30 degrees or so I was told. Enjoy the rest of your summer, it is about 100 degrees here, and I won't even go outside, silly huh?

Spades tournament...

I did it, I am finally a winner! We are fortunate that during our time off there are Recreation Centers available for soldiers and civilians to wind down. Everyone works different shifts so the Recreation Centers stay open 24/7. Bryan and I won the spades tournament the other night! We outplayed some really good players - who play as teams all the time. We "set" the last team three times, which means we won. We didn't even know we won! So for the week, we are champions, that is until we play next week, that is if we get a chance to! And before we won in spades, I won in BINGO, "postage stamp" game! I guess it was my lucky night. Mike and Gary missed it all, they were taking care of family stuff, and working late. I am glad I don't have family to worry about while I am here. I am thankful that my dad is recovering, and Skip and Scout are safe and sound.

O69....

No, I am not playing BINGO, I am watching the days click off of the BP "O"il spill in the Gulf. Today is day 69! Sounds like a lot of people are counting around here. Us 'till we leave or go on R&R, and those in the Gulf until the oil stops spilling into their livelihoods. Businesses are closing, people are out of work, others are cleaning beaches and birds, none of this is being missed by those over here in the field. Yes, we are well aware of the crisis and the sadness those southern states are being hit with and once again the hurricanes are also beginning to swirl in their waters! "O"h no!

1-0, 59-59, and #1 is OUT

What a day of news. Of course the USA winning in soccer with a score of 1-0 over Algeria was great, but the time wasted watching for that one goal to be scored was nothing compared to the time Isner and Mahut spent on the courts at Wimbledon. Can you believe the records broken here in one set? The score clock couldn't keep up, even the sun couldn't shine long enough for these two athletes to complete this competition, and it was already the second day! Today, day three, they will take the court with a score in the fifth set of 59-59 - USA vs. France! One set alone running for over 7 hours is unheard of. This is equivalent to a baseball game going 50 innings or a basketball game with 15 overtimes, those bench seats would get very uncomfortable. "This is the greatest advertisement of our sport" said John McEnroe. Right on the heels of the USA soccer team, not being credited for a goal because a referee made an incorrect call that "brought soccer to the front page in America". "We often don't get the respect we deserve in tennis for the athletic demands it places on players but this should push that respect way up" McEnroe states. 23rd seated John Isner of Tampa, Florida, who I met in Indian Wells, CA tennis tournament two years ago, was a handsome, hungry for tennis University of Georgia graduate who stayed in school instead of going pro too early, with his 6' 9" stature was wobbly-legged but withstood the fight holding serve time and time again and serving up 98 aces until the game was called due to lack of sunlight.
If you haven't watched tennis before, make sure you catch the finish of this fifth set to see who really can recover after such a record breaking feat.
Oh, and #1 man in the Afghanistan War, General McChrystal, is OUT, in case you were under a rock somewhere!

Kathryn is published...

http://letterstohomefromafarawaygirl.wordpress.com/
Here is Kathryn's blog.
http://www.fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100621/GJNEWS_01/706219969
Here is Kathryn's column.

I have told you all about my friend, Kathryn, who was in my training class at Camp Atterbury. I have asked you all to take a look at her blog and if you haven't yet shame on you. Click on this link, because her hometown news has picked her up as a columnist because they have enjoyed her blog so much.
If you get a chance to check out her blog start from the beginning, which is the bottom remember; although she is long winded, she always has a great lesson, or truth to be told or learned.
So here I sit tonight admiring her writing, her detail and her tenacity to get her hometown to follow her adventure overseas.