lol this won't be another post like the last one. Well, it's been a bit since I posted, so I figured I'd drop another line to let you guys know that I'm still alive and kicking. Well, alot of people have been breaking their laptops lately so i've been pretty busy out troubleshooting and keeping everyone's connection up. You'd be amazed the problems I see. "it won't turn on!" (it's not plugged in) "I can't recieve emails!" (they have it in 'offline mode') "what's my login name?" (it's your first.last name?!! how can you forget your name?!!) AHHHHHH.

Well, I found out that i'm noyt being put in for any recognition on this deployment.. lol no big surprise there. I guess i don't really care, since i'm about a year and 3 months from getting out and never looking back. I find the marine corp has one view point on the measure of a marine. A hard charging devil-dog who wants to destroy the enemy, physically fit enough to fight the dragon in the commercial (btw.. that's why I joined.. but apparently they only bring the dragon out for commercials.. how lame), and is ready to follow his leaders to the moon without deviation... It also helps you to fit in at your own level if you want to be the impersonal father of the entire next generation, can drink your weight in alcohol, and can lie about the previous two activities without any level of believability. In case you are trying to see where I do and don't fit in those requirements.. I'll go ahead and draw an analogy for you.

The marine corps wants to see a strong unified front.. like.. a formation of starfish. Starfish come in all different sizes, and unlike the tv wants you to believe, they sometimes have 6 arms, and sometimes have 4, but the majority have 5. Some are fat and others are skinny, some have large spikes and others have small, they vary in shades of color and in behavior. If you put all those starfish in a gigantic formation.. a big box with equal amounts in all rows and different but equal amounts in all columns.. the point is to look down all the 'starfish' and not really find anything that sticks out to much. The 6 armed starfish would stick 2 arms together and try and make it appear to be just one big, thick arm.. while the lighter shades of colored starfish would hold their breath to become a brighter color. The skiny ones would puff up to appear larger and the larger ones would do ANYTHING to make themselves look smaller.. No one starfish will do anything to draw attention to themselves.. and they will do anything in their power to try and fit in more. In side that formation of starfish... I am a sand dollar. Despite all efforts, There is nothing that I can do to try and fit in.. and though I can be JUST as useful as every other starfish there.. no starfish will ever admit to needing a sand dollar.. even though the sand dollar may have proven to be far more useful than 90% of all the starfish around. Thus is my plight in life.. for another year. Lol.. but someday i'll be free :-)

Um.. I'm taking a Psychology class that I am doing well in, and have only a month left until the final and I can get more credits towards graduation. I'm praying that I'll get my associates in the year that I have left, but alot of that is dependant on the decision that will be made soon. The large troop flux that the President promised to send to Iraq, might end up keeping me here another 7 months, back to back. I guess I wouldn't mind that much except I really had hoped to see the girl that makes my heart go pitter-patter.. when I got home. Well.. everything has it's day, and He promised to make all things new.. so I'll just pray for now, that I am able to go home.. pray with me on that one okay?

Um.. hey I signed up to run a marathon (26 miles) in a few days from now.. Mom says I can't do it because I haven't trained for it, but we'll see. I'm drinking alot of water, and looking forward to the bragging rights when I get back. Pray for me on that one too :-). If I finish I get to have a t-shirt to prove it:-). um.. I weighed in on the 10th at 221, So according to the scale I've lost 21 lbs since I got here. I think their scale is alittle off, but I'm definately gung ho about getting another 10 lbs off so I won't have to worry about anyone trying to stop me from picking up Sergeant. I rate a score now, and am not really even close to having it. I'll probably pick it up about 6 months from now, and will have a good 7 months to yell at people and tell stories about it on here.

So.. I guess I'll close with the comment that I have the best brother on the face of the planet, and his wife is definately the coolest sister-in-law ever. And I'm not just saying that because they are the only ones who read this blog ;-). I wonder if he remember going up on top of the mountain with Dad and flying kites.. good times :-)

I love you guys.. and I'll talk to you in a few days.. after I'm a marathon runner!