Time Marches On

In yet another installment of “how fast can time go?” I’ll note that I’m surprised that we’re already a week into the new year. I’m nervously anticipating definitive news one way or the other on my potential return home. The guys “in front of me” in line are starting their own process of heading homeward, and at this point it’s just keeping my fingers crossed that nothing goes wrong in the next couple of weeks.

Of all the things to be concerned about, of course, I guess worrying about being extended isn’t on the chart with some of the other things many people deal with out here. I especially feel for the troops who may or may not be participating in this surge that the President may or may not order. Whatever path lies ahead in Iraq, I hope it leads toward accomplishment of the mission.

Finally, my cousin informs me I’m still in it in another Bowl Game football pool I joined with him… it all hinges on the championship game. Go Buckeyes!

Bowled Over

As the College Bowl Season draws to a close, I'm surprised how long I lasted in the pool I referred to in an earlier post, Bowl Game Game. Tonight's victory by Cincinnati knocks me out of the running. It was fun while it lasted!

Actually, I had put together a spreadsheet and listed several factors helping me decide who to pick (geek that I am) and one of the factors was the ranking in the AP Poll. Unfortunately, I made a small mistake when entering the rank for #3 Michigan, and put it in the column for Western Michigan, the underdog in today's International Bowl. Otherwise I would have picked the winner! Drat! Of course, on the bright side, if I had correctly ranked the real Michigan, I would have lost the Rose Bowl pick instead of accidentally winning with USC.

The other big bowl game on today was the Army's All American bowl. Looked like a big recruiting ad! Still, it was fun to watch.

I'm disappointed the Denver Broncos aren't in the postseason, but fortunately my 2nd choice team, the San Diego Chargers, are poised to go all the way to the Super Bowl. They have a bye this week, but it's never to early to say Go Bolts!

It was a dark and stormy night

Leave it to me to comment a few days ago about sunny weather. I woke up this morning to cool rain, which morphed over the course of the day to a cold, biting wind in the late afternoon. Very chilly. Still nothing near those Colorado blizzards, but glad I have the comfort of my trailer and a working heater.

Big news back home as my son got his first pair of glasses. Turns out he’s quite a bit farsighted, and finally the squinting and letter confusion prompted a vision test. Amazing that they have the technology to figure out how the lens is shaped.

Work is the usual pre-weekend crunch, and I’m looking forward to a small break.

A great use for sonar

I've been musing for a while trying to come up with an appropriate submarine-related term about ultrasounds. A periscope in the womb, perhaps? Or maybe "returned ping, target acquired!" Whatever the analogy, I marvel at the technology that allows us to peek at a child only six weeks after conception.

There he or she is, the latest submariner in my family. Already swimming around surrounded by water, getting used to the environment. And not scheduled to "surface" until August!

Sunny Days

The days march on, and the last couple have been relatively warm. I’m wondering if the really cold weather of the last two weeks was just a taste of winter, or all of it if this warming trend continues. I guess the coming month will determine that theory one way or the other.

Work is the usual. A few long meetings. A few little brush fires to put out. A lot more administrative paperwork (electronic paperwork, if there’s such a thing) to do. But moving on day to day. I’m trying not to count the days too many times each day, but it seems to be something I do everytime I walk back to my trailer from work and knock another day off the list. At least the sunshine matches my improving mood.

In the groove

One of my colleagues was remarking to me at lunch today how much more efficiently we’re doing business now than several months ago. It’s true that we’ve figured out a lot more about our jobs and made things run a bit more smoothly. In some cases, that gives us some more time off. In other cases, it gives us the ability to do more work. I tend to try to prefer the former when I can, but I don’t complain when I get something to fill my time.

One thing that does help time go by is maintaining a routine. That’s a good thing when you have a lot of time in front of you, but as I’m seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, I still haven’t started altering my routine and doing anything to prepare to leave. I’d like to think it’s because I like keeping my routine, but more accurately I’m just a procrastinator. Something tells me that once the time arrives to start packing my bags, I won’t have any trouble getting it all done in very short order.

Firsts and Lasts

The new year has arrived, not so much with a bang as with a whimper. Other than the occasional “Happy New Year” comments exchanged here and there, it was much like any other day here.

While it’s the first day of a new year, it’s also a time that I can start counting lasts. Like the easy one: 2007 is the last year that I’ll be in Iraq. With a bit more caution, I can hope that January is the last full month I’ll spend here. And as I admire the moon getting bigger every night, I’m looking forward to seeing it full on Wednesday and counting it as my last full moon in Iraq. Indeed, I am starting to get excited about counting down the days. I’m trying to temper that with the knowledge that my return date is “subject to change without notice.” Everyone keep your fingers crossed!