Battle hardened...

This cartoon apparently ruffled many a feather over the last couple of days...it was sent to me by my sergeant with the note “what do you think of this?”…fair enough…

A “Soldier” with his/her legs and arms completely gone, while a “doctor Rumsfeld” casually (and obliviously, callously, un-caringly) charts the damage up to nothing more than being “battle hardened”…

Funny? – not so much – but poignant – yeah, I’ll give it that…

Attached with the email was the letter “from” an outraged Joint Chiefs of Staff signed by all the services’ respective representatives…they’re all apparently pissed…

“Using the likeness of a service member who has lost his arms and legs in war as the central theme of a cartoon is beyond tasteless,” they wrote. “We believe you owe the men and women and their families who so selflessly serve our country the decency to not make light of their tremendous physical sacrifices.”

Outstanding…yet another fine example of MISSING THE POINT…

The cartoon was depicting the helpless VOLUNTEER SOLDIER of today having been maimed by the horrible hazards of our country’s war on terror while the leadership (ie: Doc Rumsfeld) stands by dispassionately…that was the POINT…

Meanwhile – the very leadership that the cartoon was jesting over ignored Doc Rumsfeld and merely saw a ruined Soldier and took offense…

To ME this letter to the Post merely helped reinforce what the cartoon – in essence – was saying…that not only has the leadership not shown that they care – but that they are completely oblivious (or at least refuse to acknowledge) what/how the troops actually feel…

I’m most likely not allowed to say ANY of this, but I was asked by my leadership what my opinion is – so HERE you go…it’s just very frustrating…

In my honest opinion – when a Soldier, Marine, Airman or Navy personnel becomes crippled after proudly serving their country, the leadership (including Doc) are more worried about how they’re going to recruit the next person to replace said cripple rather than what type of life this volunteer combatant will now be forced to live after serving his/her country honorably… but hey –that’s just ME…

SAIPAN...On the other side of the Island was this chill spot where people were taking advantage of yet another beautiful day...

A shot of me and my tan Oakleys...I am rarely without some sort of eyewear when out and about...trying here for the whole artsi-reflection photo-whatever...

This is the sunset after the first day there...as it happens, this was the first really nice sunset that they had, had in quite a while...apparently it had done nothing but rain for a week or two and stopped just the day before I got there...awesome...

This is Day2's evening display...much diffrent than the first, but nontheless beautiful...very, very peaceful times...

This is what is known there as "Bird's Island"...this is also about the time that my current illness was beggining to take a forceful hold on my body... while it is a beautiful place, I swear I don't remember seeing ANY birds...

Caught site of some cows (in the foreground) on the way back to the hotel...luckily my volunteer guide drove a convertible so we were able capture this shot of the cows...just a great shot of cows...and the coastal view isn't bad either HA!

And when it was all said and done - thumbs up indeed...Saipan is the shizzle fo' rizzle...probably the most beautiful place that I've ever been...all the people were great and happy...hell, my freggin' bartender from the hotel ended up taking me all over the island the last day I was there...WHERE would that EVER happen? Just a good, relaxed place...I could definitely see myself disappearing there for a year when I get out of the Army...I highly recommend giving this little island a visit...although, I may be a bit biased seeing as how the Army paid me to go here...I just got the check (direct deposit) from them for the trip...$1200 bucks...awesome...

Cough, cough...cooouuuffffff...

Sorry for the lack of posts or anything people...still sick..coughing right now as I type this...pain...had an alert this morning at aroung 5a.m. which helped - to not make me feel any better - and i've got CQ (24hour duty) this Saturday which no doubt will KILL me...which is very unfortunate...it's like I have to pay back my couple days of trying to smile...as if it wasn't enought that for every moment in Saipan that I felt happy I kept beating myelf up inside because it didn't feel right - feeling happy without HER...every moment of happiness was matched with a moment of (for lack of a better word) pain...it just didn't feel right creating any sort of worth-a-damn-memory without HER by my side...it just didn't seem to mean anything without HER...but I guess I digress...anyway...still sick...thanks Lope...I Love you Angela...stay safe...I'll get to a photo or two when I start to feel better party people...word up!...mahalo!

[Expletive] back...

Yes, I’m back from the island…wow…more to come in the next week or so on all that…but yes – wow…an astonishingly beautiful place…may have to live there for a year or so…like I said though – there will be more to come on that in the coming days… still catching my breathe – both figuratively and now physically too…

As for right NOW…I spent my first day back laid up in the hospital here…yup – the hospital…I feel vaguely reminiscent to the shit-storm that hit me in Iraq, but after two “popped” veins, two IV’s, chest-X-rays and numerous inquisitive looks from the doc I was released with nothing more than the standard Army bullshit…even after recounting my “medical history” of ALWAYS having the same crap and ALWAYS getting worse because the docs never fix the ACTUAL problem until it becomes horrible…but I digress…

I walked outta the hospital looking like an addict with holes up and down my arm, a bottle of “Sore Throat Spray”, Cough Syrup, some throat lozenges and a thing of Acetaminophen…that’s right people – all that to leave an Army hospital with nothing more than the stuff that most people have, or can at least get a hold of, on their own…

The best thing they gave me was a print out explaining what a viral respiratory illness is…I, according to the sheet, have an upper respiratory illness caused by a virus…ALSO, according to my hand-dandy piece of paper, should return “promptly” if any of the following occur: cough with lots of colored mucus, chest pain, shortness of breath, wheezing or difficulty breathing, severe headache; face, neck or ear pain…

Hold the phone – I ALREADY HAVE ALL THAT…that’s why I was there in the first place…ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh…

The thing about this mysterious illness is that I’m positive that I got it from Loper right before I left for my trip to the Island…the bastard showed up to drink a couple brews last weekend and started coughing crap all over the place saying how it was no big deal and that he’d had the cough for so long and this and that…to which I responded by being very (understandably) pissed off that he would bring that shit into my place knowing that I was about to head off to Saipan…dick…anyway…the good part is that it waited to hit full steam until the last day there…the bad part is – well that I’m sick as hell now duh!...thanks Lope…

Can’t wait to get back to Saipan…

Bound for Saipan...

Well peeps...I'm off to the airport in a few minutes to catch the first thing smokin' to the Island of Saipan...forecast is calling for highs in the 80's and lows in the upper 70's...a welcome change from the cold that is Seoul...the beauty of it all is that they're paying me to do this...ha! awesome...well - that's all for now...

Note to self...

Just so it's down and in writing...

The door is open folks...If the Steelers can find a way to get passed the Colts they may very well find their way in to a Super Bowl Championship...they match up VERY well with the Broncos and while I don't think that they will beat the Colts - I have to say that IF...wow that's an IF...if they beat the Colts the Super Bowl can be their's for the taking...Like I said - I don't think they'll beat Indy, BUT if they do I feel confident that Big Ben will be making someone A LOT of money in Vegas come Super Bowl Time...just so it's down, and in the record... blah...!

FRIDAY THE...

Fridays are Wonder-FULL…

Especially when it’s the 13th…this one though I didn’t’ realize until late in the afternoon…when it all started to make sense…

For some reason this morning it was raining…not snowing…hmmmmmm…0530 - sure enough it was raining…PT was “cancelled” for my guys….bong…

An extra two hours of sleep later – I’m on my way to the office…there’s a cab…sweet – gotta ride…basketball is on TV (on my computer screen) – wonderful – pistons spurs and then the Kobe’s vs. the LeBrons…sweet…

But then d-r-a-m-a…

And suddenly I’m volunteering to go on this trip because one of the Soldiers can’t…there’s no possible way they paperwork can be done in time though…

Or is there…

Yes…yes there is…

A four-day weekend this weekend for Martin Luther King and then my first day “back” I’ll be in the middle of the Pacific on a little island called Saipan…

The things I do for my country folks! HA!...awesome…

OK it’s a little more than 24 hours removed from the jubilation, the greatness, the triumph – THE game that will undoubtedly go down as one of – if not THE – greatest championship game EVER…certainly one of the greatest athletic performances by a single human in the history of organized sports…and I’m STILL catching my breath…

It’s moments like these (and the apparent unending corruption that is finally being uncovered in Congress) that makes me wish that the late great Dr. Hunter S. Thompson was still here with us on this earth…selah…

I just finished spending some of the best two bucks I’ve spent in quite a while on the 24 minute video compilation of the Rose Bowl brought to us by the good people at Apple and Itunes…I now HAVE the game…forever and ever…I can now take it anywhere and shit on a USC fan – or any non-Texas fan in the world…I can bring this video to Anywhere in Texas and it will bring INSTANT joy...it is simply a wonderful thing…

The elation that I felt when Vince somehow ran it in with 18 seconds left could only have been made better if I had EVERY SINGLE person that matters in my life here with me to experience it with…I don’t think I could have survived that though (spontaneous combustion and all) and I will continue to be happy with the fact that I was able to see it at all…it’s not often that something labeled “The Greatest EVER” not only involves “your” team, but also ends with “your” team coming out on TOP…I can’t stop smiling…

Here’s an email from a buddy to further demonstrate the magnitude of this:

One for the ages! When I awoke this morning I sat straight up in bed and told myself it was just a dream. I scrambled for the TV in search of the hung-over truth as to what actually happened. It was then that I realized that THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS was indeed the 2005-2006 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS. What a feeling - I have waited all of my life for this moment…National Champs, that seems to make the hang over and the pounding in my head seem meaning less. The feeling that I felt last night and how I feel right now will probably be matched in the same mile stones of my life: first born, first kiss, first beer, and my First experience of watching the TEXAS LONGHORNS win the game I have waited for forever. It was everything I had ever hoped for and then some. One of the things in my life that I wanted to see was this! I have a few more things on the to-do list but this was a big one. Now if I can only find that cat that crapped in mouth I am going to kill it.

Now when I shared this email with another buddy of mine he scoffed, basically saying that “it’s not THAT serious” and the whole – “it’s just a game” and this and that…

I can agree with that mindset to a certain extent, but I am obviously biased…there are things in all of our lives that we will look back on and either smile with fondness or attempt to erase in contempt…the happy times, the “I can’t believe that just happened” times, the “I just felt a missing piece connected inside of me” times…(Boston Red Sox Times here people)…those can - in an instant - change an entire person’s being…a pure smile for ANY reason is a beautiful thing on ANYONE, and happiness breeds confidence and confidence breeds success (right? Somethin’ like that)…I’m not saying the homeless will now become millionaires or anything but for at least the next week/month (perhaps longer) or so Longhorns fans are indifferent to anything negative…WE are happy…we feel unstoppable and sure…and that IS a good thing…for Texas anyway…but I digress…
If nothing else, I’m sitting in my room here in Korea all by my lonesome at 12:30 or so in the afternoon watching the Longhorns that I’ve rooted for, for as long as I can remember, play against what EVERYONE was touting as THE BEST team EVER…I’m wearing my beautiful-burnt-orange-Vince-Young jersey and throw on my burnt-orange-Longhorns cap (the same one I wore when they won the Baseball Championship back in April or so), basically curled up in a little ball with my knees in my chest on a chair backed up against the wall staring at my tiny little TV...hoping…doing math and all the various point calculations in my head (if they score, and a two pointer, or if they get a field goal and kick an onsides kick, or…)…

Then with a little more than six minutes left the Trojans are up by 12 and the math is still screaming through my head…a quick pass to Thomas and then a few plays later Vince is somehow in the endzone – I’m at a loss…I’m shaking…I don’t know what to do…I don’t understand why they would be allowed to come THIS close only to fall short…I try not to get excited…USC ball…3:20 to play…and they easily move in to Texas’ part of the field – it’s over…but wait – it’s somehow 4th and one and a half, but WE haven’t stopped White ALL NIGHT – NOT ONCE – as soon as it said fourth down I said to myself “you’ve got to go for it to close the game”…and it’s true that play would have sealed it – you don’t NEED Reggie…White had pounded the crap outta Texas all night…so I curled up tighter into my little ball of me…hoping…

THEY STOPPED HIM – THEY FREGGIN’ STOPPED HIM…breathe, breathe – still gotta score…I can’t believe they stopped him…breathe…face mask – first down…another first down and outta bounds – BREATHE, BREATHE…1st down, nothing’, 2nd down, nothing, 3rd down, nothing, wholly crap this is IT…26 seconds, 4th and 5 from the 8…at this point I have now squeezed myself in to such a tight ball that I can no longer be seen by the human eye…

A few seconds later and I just remember him standing in a crowd looking confused and for the first time EVER, being humbled, and well – whatever other emotion describes what he possibly could have been feeling at that moment – watch the tape folks…he’s bewildered…it’s like as soon as he crossed the goal line this sudden moment of clarity came over him and all at once he realized what had just happened…it was beautiful…meanwhile I’m screaming and jumping around my room like a crazy person who just got there first hit of speed since turning clean…

3 minutes to play and they were D-U-N – done…3 minutes later THEY were National Champions…

I went jacketless today in sub 25 degree temps with my Longhorns’ sweatshirt on and the hat - oh the looks I got… I either got the “freggin' bandwagoner look” - Even got a comment from a Staff Sgt. about "bet you didn’t wear that before yesterday" and then even got a Hook'em Horns sign from a distance followed by a yelp…I got the sense that nearly “everyone” wanted to say SOMETHING…it was grrrrrreat…haters…ahhhhh...

They’re playing the “Eye’s of Texas” on Leno right now…and uh…Oh yeah, by the way, I’ve got this video to show you real quick…HA!

Hook’Em Horns!

Best Game Ever?!...

It's gotta be up there. Simply amazing. Anyway, I said that I would do a running diary, but that not only took a backseat to enjoying the game during about midway through the third quarter - turns out BILL SIMMONS WAS DOING HIS OWN DIARY for the game which includes such gems as:

8:37 -- Keith Jackson on Vince Young: "As an old defensive coach once said, 'He ain't got no handles,' but he led the country in passing this year."
(Um, does anyone on this plane speak jive? What just happened there?)

AND...

9:04 -- Reggie Bush just makes me happy. I think I have a man-crush on him.

AND...

9:48 -- Just thought of something: Where do you think O.J. Simpson is watching this game? Something tells me he doesn't have the Marcus Allen/Ronnie Lott sideline pass. And yes, it's always fun bringing up O.J. Simpson to USC people -- almost as fun as meeting a rich person from Brentwood, playing dumb when they say where they live, then excitedly saying, "Hey, wasn't that where O.J. lived?" One of the underrated perks of living in Southern California. I'm telling you.

AND...

11:07 -- All right, this wasn't just the highlight of the game, it might have been the highlight of my life. Here's an actual transcript of Keith Jackson reading an "Emily's Reasons Why Not" promo (10 minutes after I wished for it):
"Don't miss the season's premiere of 'Emily's Reasons Why Not.' [Mumbling to someone off-camera.] 'Emily's Reasons' ... I don't know. [Back to the promo.] Starring Heather ... Graham. A new comedy about love, laughter and life, premiering at Monday, 9 central, followed by an all-new 'Jake' ... [prolonged pause] ... in Progress,' starring John Stah-mos."
(Note: That was 10 times funnier if you imagine Stamos flipping out in his living room, screaming, "It's STAY-mos, you old fart! STAY-mos!" before flipping over his 40-inch Sony Wega, breaking a coffee table and finally being consoled by Dave Coulier and his publicist, Lewis Kay.)

AND...

12:21 -- Young runs for the 2-point conversion. I now have him ranked above every NFL QB except for Tom Brady, Peyton Manning and Carson Palmer. Good golly. We also had this exchange right after the conversion:
-- Jackson: "Only 19 seconds to play ... clock didn't move on that play."-- Fouts: "That's an extra point, it's probably not going to ... "

AND...

So what did we learn? Three things ...
1. Not only is Vince Young the best player in college football, his Rose Bowl performance following the Heisman Trophy ceremony ranked at least an 8.3 on the Vengeance Scale. It's nice to see an athlete back up his own words, isn't it?
2. If your season potentially rides on one first down, and you have a Heisman Trophy winning running back on your team ... well, you might want to have him on the field. It's a little unorthodox, I know. But it's probably a good idea.
3. Pete Carroll will always be Pete Carroll.

11 hours and counting...

phew...you could cut the tension with - well some sort of cutting utensil…I brought a jersey, a hat, a t-shirt, and even a cooze to the office today to adorn the walls around my work area…fuck ‘em – that’s what I say anyway…one guy had the NERVE to ask “hey, what’s up with all the Texas stuff?” – I then proceeded to pee on his shoes…it’s time folks – that’s all I had to say to anyone that came into the area today…OH YEAH…it’s time…for good or ill - it’s time…the day is upon us…it’s been building for months – nay – a year – since Vince and his homies were last in Pasadena…ahhh fond memories indeed…we shall see though…either way I’m excited…AND – either way you’re getting a running diary a’la’finch, outta this thing…a completely focused, play-by-play, snap-by-snap, great play-by-great play finch version for your reading pleasure…alright – maybe just the last part, but hell it’s free folks…word up…HOOK ‘EM HORNS!

10 minutes later I needed to add this:

After I wrote this I wanted to be sure and add the fact that I am literally HORRIFIED that the 'Horns will show up for the game in thier grotesque black jerseys with orange numbers…these are the SAME horrendous looking things that the basketball ‘horns showed up in to take a big dump on the game against DUKE a month or so ago…I know that the football jersey equivalent exists, but I’m holding out hope that the Longhorns show up in their beautiful WHITE ON WHITE uniforms (that suit them so well by the way)…I will say this – if they show up in black, I’m simply going to go back to bed or work for that matter, because if they pull that nonsense they will surely lose by 30 or more…mark the words of the Finch…that being said – if they respect tradition AND my eyes I stand by my earlier 35-24 prediction…we shall see…

and 20 minutes later I spewed this out:

I’ve read damn near everything currently out there from either the folks at Sports Illustrated o the good people at ESPN about the Rose Bowl matchup…USC is the “best” offense EVER…Watch out for the ‘Horns O’Line ‘cause they’re quick and they hit…Reggie Bush is the second coming…the running backs at Texas are hungry…LenDale White is the “X” factor…the Texas D is too fast (yeah I said that twice – they’re quick!)…but for me, at this point, one thing is the “IT”…

Well two things actually…

Vince Young is the Truth folks…that and Mr. Leinhart is college football’s Tom Brady…

There’s so much practice leading up to this game, so much scheming, so much planning so much preparation for the opposition…the fact remains though, that these two guys CAN’T be prepared for…they either ARE or they AREN’T…and hell, even if they aren’t ON they’re still hard to stop…

Vince tends to try and pull a Mike Vick and try and force a run/scramble…Matt can tend to try and keep looking for the BIG play and end up holding the ball too long and wasting downs…Vince has a habit of not tucking the ball when running into/through traffic and putting it on the ground…while Matt happens to at some times look like a wounded duck lost in a collapsed pocket…

HOWEVER,

Vince has a knack for seeing SOMETHING open deep in the secondary…and Matt has this keen sense to somehow briefly look like Brett Favre on a scramble before toppling to the ground…then again Vince is quick to pull a Houdini and have a group of defenders confused as he saunters in for six…while Matt – well Matt has this tendency to just be a great pocket QB…

Do Not be mistaken though…regardless of all the planning and all the scheming and all the preparation for both of the teams’ OTHER weapons – these two – Vince and Matt - will decide the outcome of this year’s Rose Bowl…whether it be in the Leadership category or the Performance category one of these two collegiate athletes will raise the championship trophy Wednesday night…and their teams’ will no doubt know who to credit for the victory.

Well I wish I had something new and compelling to say about the upcoming “Game to End All Games” and even the New Year for that matter, but I really don’t…

As for the New Year – I hope everyone had a safe and happy holiday celebration…I was safe, but happy – not so much…

I was aroused from my post next to my toilet at around 2a.m.-ish by my NCO bidding me a happy New Year…I apparently had eaten some rather disagreeable food the night before and was relegated to either sitting on or standing over the toilet for much of the evening Saturday…a fitting end to a rather crappy 2005 if I do say so myself…that being said – the food – and 2005 – are now out of my system…so here’s to a joyous and magnificent 2006!

As for the Game…well I think I’ve pretty much covered it…I just had the urge to play around with good ‘ol Photoshop and came out with the above image…whatever…I’m excited…burnt orange is pretty much all I’m wearing right now…tomorrow will be the only day I have to work this week because I’ve put in a pass for Thursday and Friday so I can enjoy the game, which comes on about 10a.m. out here, and then have a reasonable time to “recover” either from the pissed-off-edness or revelry that will surely follow this year’s Rose Bowl…

Other than that, I’ve got some exciting things in the works, but I will not dare jinx them by blabbering on quite yet…let’s just say that it will ideally involve many hours of flying followed by MANY hours of happiness…that’s all you’ll get out of me at this point…

So here’s to 2006…many moments, hours, days – hell an entire year of happiness…and let’s not forget HOOK ‘EM HORNS! Oh Yeah!

The Magazine...

well here it is...this finally hit the stands last Friday - which is great timing with everyone on the entire peninsula ON LEAVE somewhere else...whatever, I'm just happy that the damn thing is finally done...and now on to the NEXT issue...whenever the hell that might be - I just love the organization of things here...it's simply amazing that ANYTHING gets done...anyway - enjoy the latest issue of the ROK Steady (Winter 2005) – of which I will only take credit for all of the layout and design and anything that you like about the thing…any errors you may find were obviously someone else’s department and anything you don’t like – well – whatever, it’s free so there…

Omnes lagani pistrinae gelate male sapient…

All frozen pizzas taste lousy…

So we had tacos fool!...and they were stupendous…Merry Christmas to all and to all…

A Taco…and so it was written…

Slept in ‘til around 11 and pulled myself from the bed in search of sustenance and solace…I found the former quickly in the form of a healthy bowl of Cinnamon Toast Crunch followed up by a monster of a ham, turkey and cheese sandwich – with ALL the fixin’s this year…yummie…

I then found the latter around three in the afternoon when I called my buddy/NCO to find out what the deal was with the Christmas Tacos he had spoken so highly of a few days prior…and after a stop at the store for a bottle of “BeefEater Gin” (he asked for Gin so I got him Gin…and who could resist something so brazenly named BeefEater – it’s from London – which makes sense I guess) and a six-pack for me…and me and my cab were on our way in to Iteawon...

He told me to meet him at the McDonalds…easy enough…until I got out of the cab…“wanna by some of this”…“you need suit”…“blah blah buy this blah blah”…apparently EVERYTHING is still open on Christmas Day here in Korea…it’s all good though…I’m cheery and out and about and what not…“what’s up suit-guy” I inquired…and just as he started in on his spiel I realized that I was right in front of a rather large shoe store…I saw various Nike swooshes in all sorts of colors and immediately forgot that suit-guy even existed…

Briefly in awe – moments later I was removed from the paradise by my buddy – and then confronted by the suit-guy I had so rudely blown off minutes earlier…I took his card…I’m supposed to call him James next time I’m around there…neat…

So we’re not at homeboy’s crib for 10 minutes when the power goes out…“fuck” I say – it’s my Christmas touch of Death again…sorry dude…I should go…BUT…

Hong Kong Phooey was on the job and within twenty minutes or so everything was back on - beef cookin’, lights on music rockin’ – yeah…

Now I guess this is where I would be talking about all the other folks there and how it was a raging party and all that – naw…the other people that were supposed to show pulled a Finch and just stayed in…oh well…me and homey ate up a bunch of tacos, drank some beer and just shot the shit (talked about life and nonsense) while some Marvin Gaye played and Smokey Robinson was busy seconding that emotion…very chill…

and then we decided to head over to another guy’s apartment on the other side of Seoul…

Venturing outside for the first time in a couple hours, it was noticeably colder since I had arrived…ignoring that, we walked in search of the elusive trustworthy-cab…and we were on our way…

This guy is apparently a pimp in disguise – to EVERYONE – but himself…which is fun (for everyone else) to say the least…He always wants to wear suits and when we showed up he was actually attempting to pull off the Hugh Heffner look - sans the Bunnies of course…which, ya know, I’ll give him an E for effort…lots of cool stuff in the crib though, and a very chill place on the 12th floor of this building overlooking the river – VERY CHILL...

Not having had a beer in nearly 45 minutes he quickly poured me a glass of “Cass” (laugh it up Ian, Tim, Tom – haha - bitches) which I would shortly learn was the first, last and ONLY beer on the premises…

We laughed it up and even popped in an old Jerry Lewis movie (The Nutty Professor) …this is when dude started fast forwarding and explaining how much of a Pimp he thought ‘ol Jerry was as the suave professor…lines like when she tells him “you’re impossible” and he quickly replies with “ well hurry up and grab you some impossible baby – you’ll love it” – awesome…and suddenly his whole existence was becoming clear…stupendous…so fun! – you can’t buy this kind of entertainment!...

Anyway…after discussing what I recall as plans B through G for New Year’s Eve we again were off…

A quick stop by the U.N. Club – which is nothing like what the name might suggest…then a snagging of some “chicken on a stick” – which may or may not have been actual chicken…but was scrumptious nonetheless…and then a stop by somewhere that turned out to be somewhere else…and then I proclaimed that my night was through and once again we set out to find a reliable cab…done and done…

A fairly nice evening all around I must say…not nearly as much drunkin’ debauchery as I had expected – which was nice – and a lot of good conversations and some surprisingly good music…so I say to everyone!…Tacos for ALLLLL!

Honestly though, a nice quote that I stumbled across this evening pretty evenly sums up everything right now…

Omnia mutantur nos et mutamur in illis – All things change, and we change with them…

Merry Christmas everybody – hope all is well with You and Yours…muuahh!

Christmas Past...

Alright…so here we go… Christmas Past…at least the Army ones anyway…here’s a quick re-cap for some of you…

Left for the basic training and Fort Knox in August of ’99 shortly after both turning 18 and graduating high school…went on to school at Fort Meade, Md. to learn how to be a “military journalist” before heading off for my first duty station which was none other than lovely Fort Bliss, Tx. all the way down in El Paso (yes, that’s sarcasm)…left there on my way to Wiesbaden, Germany in 2001…left Germany for Kuwait (my third trip no less) in late February/ early March of ’03…hit Iraq in May (a couple days before Mom’s birthday)…got back to Germany in February ’04…became retarded around June right before I reenlisted for three years under the premise that I would be going to stay at Fort Knox for a while…showed up here in Seoul in August of ’05 – so much for Fort Knox...

So heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeere we go…

Christmas ’99 – This is a time early on in a young military career that should send off all kinds of flares and warning signals telling you that things are not always as they seem...after recently getting out of basic training, I’m up at Fort Meade in Md. only about 2 and a half hours from home, which was nice…anyway – come Christmas-time the Drill Sgt’s start enforcing upon everyone that YOU WILL GO HOME YOU BASTARDS…and that if you didn’t – they would do things to you that would make hell seem like a Baskin Robins Shop on a warm Sunday afternoon…oh we left folks…and why wouldn’t we – hell we were told we “had to” AND we’d get to go home and away from these crazy bastards for a while…little did we know that it would be a LONG TIME before we would be able to take leave again…taking that much leave, you see, put us all “in the hole” as they say, and we technically “owed” leave days to the Army because of our “forced” vacation…anyway that’s another story for another time…tricky tricky those drill sgt’s…

Well, I can’t remember how I got home – my father no doubt picked me up and brought me south to my mom’s house in the neighborhood…I probably don’t remember much of any of this because of the shock that was occurring throughout my system at seeing things “outside” of what had been my environment for the last five months…anyway, got home kinda late…happiness abounded and all was wonderful…things quieted down and I went off into the night in search of the homies…

Got home very late, or very early – depending on your point of view…and proceeded to pass out…knock, knock, knock…knocK, knOCK, KNOCK…

And suddenly something is a happening…my mom – in the darkness of my room – was asking me if I would go with her somewhere…what…will you ride with me she asks…and I’m thinking I’m either in a dream or she is…so I kinda say loudly WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT…will you ride with me to go pick up your bother…pick him up? WHAT are you TALKING ABOUT?...

…from the Police Station, she said softly…as she turned to go get him…

Christmas ’00 – I’m at Fort Bliss in the middle of El Paso, or North Jaurez (mexico) as I call it…I’m fairly certain that everyone went home to family and I stayed back at Bliss…it was my choice…I had pushed for, and been given, the opportunity to redesign the post newspaper which hadn’t been done in quite some time as I recall…so I spent the non-holiday days working with our civilian publisher and layout designer extraordinaire Val…and with our powers combined - we managed to create a very clean, airy, flowing design which I think everyone was pleased with when it debuted headlining (and scooping everyone else) the new Army slogan – ‘An Army of One’…ahhh good times…anyway – for Christmas I remember getting a sweet drawing of a drunkin’ Santa searching for his deer (and I’m certain something else with it) from Aaron and Dawn – ‘The Thackers’ – which I actually still have and laugh at from time to time…and on Christmas day I think it was around 65 or 70 degrees and I went out and played a little basketball against myself – I won! Ha!...

Christmas ’01 – I got to Germany right around the middle of December…BAD MOVE…I’m 19 in a new country – blah, blah – and so my NCO picks me up at the airport gets me to the unit…I “meet the first sgt.” and get a room…I’m a “senior specialist” so I’m upstairs with my own room – sweeeeet!...then pooof…everyone’s gone…everyone went home back to the states – including my NCO…

So I’m new in Germany, by myself in a room, in a practically empty building, AND my heat is out…not sweeeet…BUT, I call my homeboy – my old roommate from Fort Meade who happens to be married and living with his wife down in Heidelberg…he comes and gets me and I’m gonna spend the holidays with him and his peeps down there…a day and a half later – a day before Christmas – we’re sitting in the barracks room of some dude on leave that he knew – my buddy’s wife had kicked him out…awesome…so on Christmas we enjoyed ham sandwiches and mustard (‘cause we forgot to get mayonnaise) and drank a couple 40oz. Beers while playing NCAA Football on Playstation2...

Christmas ’02 – I went to a club in Germany (yes a club was open on Christmas Eve…and yes I of all non-clubbin’ people went to it) and we stayed out ‘til it closed… and my buddy got laid with my friend’s friend… and I let a girl (my friend) from Wuerzburg that wanted to get with ME sleep in my bed while I took the couch like a “gentleman” because I was oblivious to the fact that she was smitten with the Finch…I’m so lame…

Christmas ’03 – This was the day that I was supposed to get medi-vac’d out of Iraq and back to the Hospital in Germany…I was apparently dying which honestly sucked as I recall…I showed up at the hospital almost a week prior (thanks to the lovely Angela) after being sick for a couple days…at this point I couldn’t get up and I was very scared which was a shockingly new symptom…I got to the hospital around 9 or 10 p.m. and had a blood pressure of something in the neighborhood of 30 over 70…not quite sure what that means but from the way the doctors and what not reacted, I think I had just about had it…spent the next several days on an IV, high fever, constant blood tests, chills, medicine time, high fever, a little sleep, chills (they called this cyclic fevers which also, apparently, is a bad thing – I could honestly look at the clock and KNOW when the bastard 103 fever was gonna hit two or three times a day…very scary stuff folks…WahOOO!) the worst part was – besides the fact that NO ONE knew what was wrong with me – that I didn’t want anyone to call my mom ‘cause I didn’t want to freak her out…which worked out because one day my fever missed it’s appointment and I began to get my strength back (much thanks to the lovely Angela) and low and behold they released me on Christmas Day…I still sucked for about a week or so but at least I wasn’t still dying in the hospital…

And if you haven’t read the blog from yesterday – go ahead and get your fill of Christmas ’04…

And for the record – I’d like to say that this is in no way an attempt for sympathy or a way for me to whine and bitch about whatever…I’ve been thinking about the last couple Christmas’s for a week or two now and I just felt like reminiscing a bit…that and I needed to write...that and I wanted some sympathy… and to whine a little bit…shut up…

The Finch that lost Christmas…

Yup – it’s official…I’ve lost Christmas…I thought I had gotten it back last year for good, even with a few crazy and unexplainable what-the-hell-just-happened moments…the Happiness, the Love, the Beauty that the holiday can, and should, Be…

When the Thought IS what really matters, because the Thought is to try and put the purest of pure smiles on your loved-one’s face(s)…that moment when the paper is torn apart and the gift you gleaned to find – the perfect gift – is revealed and your heart is filled with the joy of your loved one…their happiness fills you with a warmth that can only occur right then and there at that place and at that specific moment in time…

It’s funny ‘cause while I’m writing this gibberish I’m thinking about what my family went through back when Christmas was still Santa and his Elves for me and my convict of a brother (gotta give you shit bro)…how they must have nearly shanked their own eyes out trying to figure out what to get, or how to get it, or how to make THIS YEAR special…simply because they Cared about seeing that Moment – that pure happiness – and feeling that Warmth that comes with it…whoa - that was weird…

I remember one year my Uncle Gene (Forrest as he is now commonly known as) and my Aunt Diana (still Diana!) came down to Richmond…this was back before they had their now High School-aged children (jeeze – that’s weird)…it was so fun – I mean this was MY uncle – STILL IS DAMMIT! HA! – and I loved whenever he was around, so this being Christmas time, was even better…both he and Diana treated us like we were their own ‘cause well - like I said – they didn’t have THEIR OWN yet…I remember one year (it may be part of the same, I can’t remember) they got us a Nintendo (which had just come out and we didn’t know what the hell it was) not JUST the Nintendo though, the whole deal people, the PowerPad, the gun, some games – put it this way – even WITH my Xbox360 I STILL find time to play the original Mario Bros. every now and then…but while me and my brother were mystified by the technology I swear I recall Gene and Diana repeatedly snagging the controllers and “showing us how to do it” and havin’ a blast…anyway I digress…

…This one year they came down and the last present was these strange puzzle pieces that they had no doubt painstakingly created which, when put together, was a map of clues to our last present…I remember being so damn impressed with the fact that these people were able to create a couple homemade puzzles…anyway, I think my clues led me outside to the front porch to a new bike – which seemed kinda lame (the front porch aspect) when we deciphered my brother’s puzzle…

You remember those Bigfoot things for kids…the battery powered things shaped like a monster truck that little kids could drive around and stuff…well yeah that was his present…the thing was, is we looked at that damn puzzle for awhile – I mean I found mine pretty quick ‘cause I mean – it’s on the freggin front porch duh!...but we’re workin’ it and we work our way into the bathroom of all places and me and my brother are baffled at this point (yes, I’m helping dammit, what are older brothers for – that and I was genuinely curious)…low and behold there was a Bigfoot in the bathtub…I don’t remember who pulled the curtain back but sure as shit – there it was…I think he actually peed himself – either from sheer excitement or happiness, but bowel control was certainly a concern (hell the kid used to run to piss every time the Pink Panther cartoon came on because he got so excited – it was like clockwork)…

But THAT is Christmas in my mind…I cannot begin to imagine the warmth that my parents and my aunt and uncle felt at those moments…yes, it’s also about religion and celebrating Christ, but more so I like to think of it as an opportunity to press reset on the year and for a day, a week, a month – whatever – for everyone to be happy and move past all the nonsense…a chance to stop working to put smiles on our own faces, but to try and make sure that the people we care about KNOW that we care and how important they are to us…which religiously speaking – if you’re in to that sort of thing – is all done IN celebration of the Baby Jesus…so there…I’m losing track here though…

Anyway, last year I ran out and bought a fake – but lovely – full size tree and a bunch of ornaments and a star for the top and lights and - well yeah, I bought a tree…my lady was coming to town – my fiancé at the time and I wanted it to be Christmas…I shopped…I ordered stuff…I asked people for advice on good gifts or other Christmassy ideas…bought some diamonds for her (ooooohh yeah! Momma ain’t raise no fool) wrapped a bunch of stuff – she sent me wrapped presents in the mail so I had them under my tree in my one-bedroom crib back at Fort Knox…hell – my 42 inch plasma screen (roughly the size of a fireplace) sat on a stand basically on the floor and I picked up this DVD of a fireplace which I thought – while corny – was a lovely touch…

Then it even snowed – this was gonna be perfect…but then it kept snowing and snowing and snowing and snowing and the morning I went to pick her up at the airport I had to get two guys in the parking lot to help push me out…

She was jet-lagged when I got to her but was amazed the whole way back to Knox by the snowiness…then the tree…and then we stayed up late Christmas Eve and opened our presents at 12:01 a.m. Christmas morning…basking in the glow of my “fireplace”…

I finally – after four years of sucky December 25’s spent alone and away from home – had Christmas back…and we were planning to get married, and all Christmas’s future looked to be wonderful and glorious…the Warmth people – I once again had the Warmth…

But alas…that was 362 days ago…and things change…and Warmth cools over time…

I’m now, as you know, in South Korea…and, as you don’t (didn’t know) there will be no marriage…and I am once again relegated to spending another so-called Christmas in the Army… alone and somewhere FAR, FAR away from family…far, far away from any semblance of Warmth…

Wow, this really took off in a whole different direction than I had originally intended…
This time of year always brings about an opportunity – for good or ill – for reflection…so that’s where I’m at right now…I’ve been thinking about posting a nice Christmas Past post about my Christmas’s since leaving home and doing the whole Soldier thing…if for no other reason than in hopes of keeping some poor bastard who accidentally reads my post from putting himself through the same beating…

More so though – just want to write some stuff…keep my brain busy…that and after I post the Christmas Past thing I can then post a Christmas Present thing…which apparently will include tacos and alcohol…so stay tuned – and Merry Christmas!...

While I may be described as a slut becuase of this review, I stand behind my opinion of this game...fun does not begin to describe the overall allure of this game...so here's what I wrote for Amazon.com:

I'm not a "gamer" folks and hopefully will never claim to be, but this game, in my book anyway, has to go down as simply one of the best that I've ever played.
The story is pure (true to the subject) and when showing it to a history buff Major of mine in the U.S. Army he was amazed at the ability to almost relive some of the most brutal and amazing battles that have ever takin place. From a young Russian sharpshooter to a tank-commander to a british line-man to a U.S. Infantry Cpl., this game and its' story takes you through the War.
The graphics are exceptional and I'm saying this even though being stationed in Korea I am unable to play on my high def plasma screen. I honestly can't wait to see this thing on that coupled with my surround sound speakers. It's actually the ONLY game that I would recommend so far (I own Ridge Racer6, Madden 2006 and NBA Live 2006) that I would say warrants the 60 dollar price tag.
The online play may be a bit suspect right now (but keep in mind that only like 100 other people in the world own the system right now) but that's bound to be fixed in the near future. I CAN say that one of my measures of ANY game at this point (keep in mind, that I'm NOT a "gamer") is that if I actually am able to "beat" a game that I should feel somewhat disappointed.
With that in mind, I can assure you that if/when you complete everything in this game you will wish that the story would JUST KEEP GOING... If you're looking for a fun shooter, with some real-life attributes, mixed with a lot of "WoW moments" - this is the game you're looking for.

...I'm such a whore...

The blending of days that became Tuewensday...

5:30am - Tuesday morning: dark, COLD, alarm is going off -uhhhhg - snooze button...

6:04am - oh crap - GOTTA GO!...layers are placed over my body and I'm off for glorious physical training which of course is preceeded by 15 to 25 minutes of standing around outside in the sub 20 degree weather waiting...for what we never quite figure out...

7:40am - walking EVERYWHERE sucks...still cold outside...slipped on ice - ice sucks TOO!...back from PT phew...time to start the day...

9am - at work...yippie! time to rile up the troops!...or not...

work, work - bullshit a bit - a little more work...

4pm - time to go to work AGAIN...report for CQ...and this is the start of my DUTY from 4pm til 9 in the freggin morning...there is nothing happy about this...yes people, after rousing me from my pleasant slumber at what I like to refer to as the ass-crack of dawn and then completing a FULL regular duty day - it's time to go to work AGAIN...

6pm - eat some food - awesome...

9pm - walk around all the buldings in my area of operations...usually makes for about a 25 minute roundtrip...gotta make sure all the soldiers didn't burn the barracks down or anything...i love it!...nope - not burned down...all is quiet - everyone is going to bed early for fear of an early morning work call - word on the street is that we're supposed to get the call around 3am for everyone to report ready to be hooah and what not...either way - still got 12 more hours to go...

10pm - nothing
11pm - nothing
12pm - nothing
1am - uh oh...sleepy...here comes the pain...
2am - eyes hurt...wanna go to bed - not allowed...i love this...
3am - oops - think i was out for a bit...nothing going on - waste of time...
4am - no phone call to alert the troops...huh...brain hurts now...legs gettin wobbly...
5am - nothing
6am - people...go away - just want to go home...tired...cranky...uhhhhhg...
8am - call for a cab to get me in an hour and take me to my crib...to far to walk - to cold to walk - to tired to walk...walking sucks...
9am - released (yes, that's what they call it - how fitting huh?!)...
9:05am - no cab...very tired now...

9:07am - still no cab...getting mad...

9:10am - no cab - screw this...gotta suck it up and walk...

9:20am - halfway to the house and the phone rings - "you call fo' cab?" - i hate you...click...

9:25am - "home" what a great day(s)!

Holly CrapShiet!...

Well judging from my recent posts, or lack there of, you’ve all probably gathered that I did get my Xbox360…and I’m certain that a collective sigh of relief (or a collective something at least) has been let out now…

They called me at about 8:45 in the a.m. as I was (dropping the kids off at the pool) before heading off to work…my phone was in my pocket and on vibrate which always makes me freak out “oh shit I’m vibrating” every time anyone calls…I didn’t recognize the number, but hesitantly (I was dropping “the kids” off after all) answered it…and before he got half a sentence out I realized what was happening and quickly informed him that I would be there in “7 minutes”…which ended up being false because I left in such a hurry (yes I at least took the time to wipe-jeeeze) that about 100 feet from the entrance to receiving my prize I realized that I had left my ID and wallet back at the crib…needless to say (so I’ll say it) I only run THAT hard for a PT test…

The timing worked out though, and I arrived about three and a half minutes before THE GROUP of 20 or so other ME’s in search of the same objective…one bastard tried to cut in front of me and I almost had to remove his penis…this thankfully, was unnecessary and I rolled out with my new toy! Yippie!...I was so happy with myself I nearly peed all over me as I happily walked (half ran) to work)…hell it was all I could do not to show everyone I passed on the way my new prize…and yes…I am now a dork – don’t you judge me!...

Anyway…this is why posts have been nonexistent for the last week or so…sorry (not really though – I’m having a blast with this thing)….I woulda posted earlier that I got it, but I was hoping on having a really nice (funny) picture to put together for the I GOT IT post…it will happen though, but without the same impact…whateva…

I just kept getting sidetracked with trying to finalize a 44-page magazine that I am now the editor of – which may not seem like a lot unless you think about the fact that I’m not only deciding what goes in to the damn thing, but I’m also charged with laying everything out in a creative design, organizing it all so it works together, copy-editing every story, coming up with styles for certain aspects (bylines, photo credits, etc.) and then having to put it all together all while learning completely new software – well then you’d understand that my brain is FRIED…

There’s that, and my Soldiers are keeping me busy…I’m an NCO now after all – a noncommissioned officer for those of you not in the “know” – which means that part of my daily duties in the Army is to be a – in a word – leader…we even have a creed, which while it can seem corny, actually helps me sometimes remember why I’m still in this thing and why I wanted to be promoted and have this responsibility –

“No one is more professional than I. I am a Noncommissioned Officer, a leader of Soldiers.” And it goes on to reinforce that we, as NCO’s are what keep the Army rolling (the backbone).

Basically, I’m supposed to not only KNOW the standard, but enforce the standard, and at all times BE the example – and that’s MY standard…those of you who know me in the military might find this crazy and almost like I’m tryin’ to b.s. my own people, but honestly I don’t think any of you would see me the same if you saw me here…I wake up early – I’m on time or early for everything (even first formation!) and even though there are other NCO’s senior to me in my office I at least attempt to set the standard for the Soldiers around me on a daily basis…it’s good shit – the neat thing is that I have not forgotten all the shit that I went through (or put my NCO’s through) for me to get to this point and that comes through with a lot of the guys that I have out here…

Many new/young/junior NCOs fall in to the trap of turning into assholes or at least completely different people when they get promoted, which in turn causes their Soldiers to see that, and thus lose ALL respect for them as leaders… anyway I’m rambling…and I was an asshole before so it’s no big deal!

ANYWAY - This week I recommended one of my Soldiers for nonjudicial punishment under the Uniform Code of Military Justice (fun stuff, I have three, which is still a record in my last unit!) because he just wouldn’t fix HIMSELF…late, late, late, late, late, and no excuses…the kid kept accepting that HE was WRONG, but just refused to fix it…and thus I was left with no other recourse…I feel like such a bastard, but deep down I KNOW that he deserves it and more so - I KNOW that HE knows that he deserves it…it’s just weird for me and that’s the main reason why I got off on this tangent here…I was always on the OTHER side (his side) of this process and it’s awkward…fact of the matter is that I emailed my old NCO from Germany just to say thanks and APOLOGIZE for everything – all the stress and EXTRA nonsense I caused her…wow…does this mean that I’m growing up? –

Screw that – I’m going to play my Xbox360! HA! Take that!