Party Like It’s 1776!

Well not literally, Casie and I celebrated our independence from Great Britain with food, friends, lawn games, and of course Starbucks. Katie has already beaten me to the punch with a blog summary of our afternoon, here. Casie’s Apple Crisp was delicious!

Yesterday felt like a Saturday and Sunday wrapped into one. It was nice to spend the day at home. Casie and I have been out of town the last three weekends and will be out again this upcoming weekend. Tuesday night we went to the movies and helped Transformers earn $27.5 million dollars at the box office! It was a great action flick (even Casie thought so). I wanted to go out to the toy store afterwards, but it was too late. [somewhere Casie's breathes a sigh of relief]

Chocolate Army

I'm an avid collector of Superman comics, action figures, posters, books, and statues. Being deployed for just under seven months I am beginning to go through some major action figure withdrawal.

Lately I've been looking for something to focus my collecting energies on. The answer, chocolate bunnies. The chow hall had them for Easter and the few days that followed. I took two bunnies at each meal (sometimes three). I have no desire to eat the bunnies, just collect them.

What's the fun in having a collection if you can't share it with others?

Without further ado, my "limited edition" chocolate army!

*Las Vegas sign sold separately.

For My Peeps

The above picture is a submission to a contest that was held by the Washington Post to create a diorama using Peeps. You can read the story here.

Cool eh? But why didn't someone make a Superman one?

2007!

Happy New Year! 2006 didn't end, nor did 2007 begin, with a bang. That is a good thing in Iraq. No mortars or gun fire, I am thankful for that. It has actually been quiet following Saddam Hussein's execution Saturday morning. I have no doubt that your prayers for me are being answered.

There was a New Year's Eve party, but I did not attend because I had work today. An officer's job is never done. I did grab a complimentary Non-Alcoholic Sparkling Grape Juice bottle from the chow hall during dinner (everything is complimentary, by the way). I had no intention of staying up till midnight, but I thought I would "drink to the new year" at 0800, Casie's midnight back home. I forgot about it and missed that midnight too. Oh Well.

So a new year is upon us, full of possibilities. In 2007 I have lots to look forward to; my deployment will end this spring, Detroit Pistons and Red Wing playoff runs, a summer filled with Tiger baseball, the App-lak wedding (Applin/Wolak wedding) and a PCS this fall! 2007 will bring exciting and unfamiliar territory, but Casie and I will be doing it together. By year's end we will be newlyweds starting our lives together in a new location.

I can't wait to see what 2007 will bring. This time last year, a deployment to Iraq was the farthest thing from my mind. That's what makes life exciting. May 2007 bring you good health, friends, and prosperity.

2007 arrived while I slept, but what did you do? Post a comment.

Losing A Whole Year

Missing major holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years feels like losing a whole year. These occasions are momentous events and signal, to me, the end of the year. With no holiday memories with the family, this year doesn't feel like it should be over. New Year's Eve won't be the same without Casie. I will help myself close 2006 with a look back. Have fun clicking the hyperlinks!

The year that was 2006:
- 05 Feb Superbowl XL takes place in Detroit, MI (Steelers v. Seahawks)
- 15 Apr I went to the first of four Tiger games this MLB season (1, 2, 3, 4)
- 07 May I ran my second Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon (26.2 mi) in 4:43:48
- 02 Jun Detroit Pistons lose in the Eastern Conference Finals to the eventual NBA Champions, Miami Heat
- 25-30 Casie's Family reunion in Cedarville, MI
- 28 Jun Superman Returns to theaters
- Casie's sister Becky moves in for the summer
- 17 Jul I am notified I am heading to Iraq
- 20 Jul Casie and I go to Kentucky with Katie and Becky ;-)
- 05 Aug to 04 Sep I attend Combat Skills Training (CST) at Camp Shelby, MS
- 18-22 Sep TDY to Washington DC
- 23 Sep last day in the United States
- 26 Sep arrive in Al Udeid, Qatar
- 04 Oct arrive in Baghdad, Iraq
- 10 Oct arrive in Mosul, Iraq
- 12 Oct first mortar experience
- 14 Oct Detroit Tigers win AL pennant and head to their first World Series in 22 yrs versus the St. Louis Cardinals
- 18 Nov I start this blog
- 23 Nov I escort MGen Holland around FOB Diamondback/Marez in Mosul
- 25 Dec I was named Time Magazine's "Person of the Year"
- 27 Dec I take the rank of Captain in the United States Air Force
- 28 Dec it snows in Iraq

What will you remember from 2006? Leave a comment.

Merry Christmas!

A Soldier’s Silent Night

Since it is the holiday season I wanted to share with you a holiday poem I heard on the radio in Detroit last year around this time.

Written by former Marine Corporal James M. Schmidt, in 1986 when stationed in Washington D.C., it was pounded out on a typewriter while awaiting the commanding officer's Christmas holiday decoration inspection. It was originally title "Merry Christmas, My Friend", and was an instant success that reportedly brought tears to the eyes of the barracks Commander who ordered it distributed to everyone he knew.

The poem was recorded as a tribute by Father Ted Berndt, a former Marine and World War II Purple Heart recipient.

It has an even stronger meaning for me this year, being in Iraq during the holidays. Enjoy!

A Soldier's Silent Night
(right click to save mp3)

'Twas The Night Before Christmas,
He Lived All Alone,
In A One Bedroom House
Made Of Plaster And Stone.

I Had Come Down The Chimney
With Presents To Give,
To See Just Who
In This Dwelling Did Live.

I Looked All Around
A Strange Sight To See,
No Tinsel, No Presents,
Not Even A Tree.

No Stocking From The Mantle,
Just Boots Filled With Sand,
On The Wall Hung Pictures
Of Far Distant Lands.

With Medals And Badges,
Awards Of Every Kind,
A Sobering Thought Came Alive In My Mind

This House Was Different,
It Was Dark, It Was Dreary,
I Have Found The Home Of A Soldier,
I Can See That Most Clearly.

The Soldier Lay Sleeping,
Silent, Alone
Curled Up On The Floor
In This One Bedroom Home.

His Face Was So Gentle,
The Room In Such Disorder,
Not At All How I Pictured
A United States Soldier.

Was This The Hero
Of Whom I'd Just Read?
Curled Up On A Poncho,
The Floor For A Bed?

Then I Realized The Other Families
That I Saw This Night,
Owned Their Lives To Soldiers
Who Were Willing To Fight.

From The Morning Round The World,
The Children Would Play,
Grownups Would Celebrate
A Bright Christmas Day.

But They All Enjoyed Freedom
Each Month Of The Year,
Because Of Soldiers,
Like The One Lying Here.

But I Couldn't Help But Wonder
How Many Lay Alone,
On A Cold Christmas Eve
In Lands Far From Home.

The Very Thought
Brought A Tear To My Eye,
I Dropped To My Knees
And Started To Cry.

The Soldier Awakened
I Heard His Rough Voice,
"Santa Don't Cry,
This Life Is My Choice;

I Fight For Freedom,
I Don't Ask For More,
My Life Is My God,
My Country, My Corps."

The Soldier Rolled Over
And Drifted To Sleep,
But I Couldn't Control It,
And I Continued To Weep.

I Kept Watch For Hours,
So Silent And Still
As Both Of Us Shivered
From The Cold Night's Chill.

I Didn't Want To Leave Him
On That Cold, Dark, Night,
This Guardian Of Honor
So Willing To Fight.

Then The Soldier Rolled Over,
In A Voice Soft And Pure,
He Whispered, "Carry On Santa,
It's Christmas Day, All Is Secure."

One Look At My Watch,
I Knew He Was Right.
"Merry Christmas My Friend,
May God Bless You This Night."

An Iraqi Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is here and in case some of you were wondering, I'll be having Turkey for dinner too. That is about the only thing that makes today different from any other day here in Iraq. I will still wake up at 6:30 AM to walk in the 35-40 degree temps to the shower, still work a 13 hour day, and I will read for about an hour before I go to bed. But tonight there will be a turkey dinner without family or football (football games do not begin until 8:00 PM).

Being over here still gives me things to be thankful for. I am most thankful for:

- Casie for being my best friend
- My Mom and Dad for always being there for me
- Great friends
- The Detroit Tigers 2006 Season
- Everyone who writes to me during this deployment
- Care packages
- Superman's return to theaters
- Casie recording 'Lost' on DVD and sending it to me in Iraq
- Casie doing my Best Buy shopping while I'm away
- Being in the Middle East in the winter instead of the 130 degree summer.
- Not having a Freddy Kruger face (see previous blog entry)
- A place to sleep and work comfortably (some of my buddies barely have that!)
- No mortars...recently
- And of course, my health, as well as Casie's and my family's

I could be here all day typing. Thank you all.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Tune in tomorrow for the reason I've been so busy this week!