Upbeat and Feeling Fine

A buddy of mine pointed out that this blog got a mention at the Command Toc. The Command Toc site is basically ground zero for folks trying to find out information about IRR call ups, so I was happy that I've been noticed--should help out folks trying to learn more about what the Irr/Fort Jackson/CA/Fort Bragg scene looks like in mid 2007

I should also mention, there's a 5 part article running on MSNBC this week about some dudes who went through this process two years ago. It follows them all the way, Fort Jackson to Iraq and back again. A very interesting read. But as conditions and circumstances have changed a ton since then, it's worth having an updated snapshot available to anyone about to go through the IRR/Jackson/Bragg process.

Back to Command TOC--it started out as a great site to get information about putting together delay/exemption requests for those of us called up from the IRR. It still definitely serves that purpose--albeit with a large slant towards folks with medical situations, something that never applied to me--but recently, the Command TOC has (in my opinion) devolved slightly the way internet message boards do --people sniping at other people, making the same inflammatory posts over and over, etc. There are a handful of bitter, angry folks over there, and I of course can't blame them for feeling that way. And the site itself is still where it's at if you want to join a forum that's looking at the IRR, muster, etc.

What was interesting about my mention on that site was that I was described as being very upbeat and positive about this whole process. I was flattered that, despite my (hopefully humorous) accounts of some of the absurdity that my Army friends and I have encountered, angry, bitter people do not perceive me to be either angry or bitter. And yeah, I've kept a sense of humor about this whole process...but I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't at all bitter. If I didn't have a bone or two in my body--nothing big, like a metatarsal or two--that wasn't a little bitter about everything. I'm just not broken up about it, that's all.

So to my friends over at Command Toc--thanks for noticing, and keep on fighting the good fight.

Missouri, Home of Freedom

This weekend I made a deal with the devil to swing a 4-day pass so that I could fly out and meet Lauren, and help her drive cross country from Colorado to Connecticut. We're spending tonight at a hotel in historic, beautiful Effingham, Illinois.

Along the way, we grabbed some lunch at Hardees. The pictured note was posted on the wall, in a collage of children's articles on freedom.

This was our favorite. This little girl likes lots of people. She even likes a Mexican.

God Bless Freedom.