Deployment Dialog -Day 2

Ok, first things first. The reason I don’t update more often is because I have a habit of thinking out every entry and then it’s too overwhelming to actually put down on the proverbial paper. So I’m going to just type and will probably end up rambling a bit but what ever.
So I’m “deployed”. Thus far I’ve made it as far as Norfolk. Hopefully I’ll leave tomorrow and make it there Sat.

Wed’s flights were good. The one out of Shreveport was short and crammed. Out of Dallas I got bumped, to first class. I felt bad for those not up there with me but for the first time in my career I felt a little…deserving?...of the “Thank you for your service” from the little old ladies as they walked by. That was until my seatmate sat down. An Air Force Reserve Lt Col who had be deployed four times to places like Baghdad and Kandahar since 9/11 and when I told her that I was going to Qatar she replied with, “Oh yeah that’s nice. We always wanted to stop there and get a massage on our way out of Iraq”…I wanted to say, ”Thank you for your service”.  Of course all of this was discussed over our garden salads with feta cheese and Greek olives topped with jumbo shrimp, our baked peta chips with humus, a couple of glasses of chardonnay and a warm cranberry nut cookie for dessert.  Thank you American Tax Payers.

I’m coming up with a list of things that I want to do while deployed in order to make the most of it and to help pass the time. So far,

1) I want to write in my blogs more about my time there and other things going on.
2) I want to get on a worship team playing drums
3) I want to be engrossed in my work and give a lot more effort than I have been back home. At least here, I hope, I’ll feel like I’m contributing something.
4) I want to get down to about 165 lbs. That’s ~35 lbs to lose. Depending on my schedule when I get there I’m going to try to go to the gym twice a day, once before shift and once after.

The list is still in progress but I’m hoping that I’ll stay busy enough to make the time fly by and 6 months will be over in no time.