Day 81

Ahhh...I finally got a hold of Dorothy this morning. She barely held on long enough until I could get to a phone Stateside and I'm pretty sure I woke her up when I called, but it was worth it. I'm usually not much of a list-maker but I made one this time. In the end, I think I had 12 things I wanted to talk about. So as soon as I walked in the door this morning...about 11pm on the east coast and 7:30am for me, we got on the phone together for about a 1/2 hour. Highlight of my day, for sure, and if you have some addictions, you might say I got my "fix." Always can use more Dorothy! :-)

The day was pretty much uneventful along with non-English-speaking electrical contractors doing work all around me, getting outlets installed where we needed them, running conduit, etc. They pointed, I tried to figure out what they needed...and so it went. Much of the day around that was spent communicating via e-mail with military units and conference calls. I did get a good bit of time listening to my most recent iTunes download...Passion 2011. Wow! What a great album!!! There were a few bonuses on there, too, including 1hr with Louie Giglio. The more I listen to that album, the more I love it. As the day wound down, I tuned in online to the local radio station back in Kansas that interviewed Dorothy and I about my deployment before I left. Today, they played part 3 of 3 again...where we talked about family, our girls, and our support network. That was great to hear that again. Quickly after that, though? I bolted. I'm done hanging around just because. Work is done = I'm leaving. Plus, I wasn't feeling too good. I finally went and had lunch today and was starving again so dinner was a must tonight.

I also got another free "Cup of Joe" for Green Beans Coffee shop. When they come in, I get them via e-mail. Once I follow the link, I see who sent it and often, a short message. I can choose to respond or not and I always do. Today, the giver (Stephanie) obviously bought a few based on her message. It was a pretty cool message so I thought I'd share it tonight:

Dear Friends - I write to you from my office in these last few days before our nation's birthday celebrations begin. I wanted to take a few moments from overseeing the waxing and polishing of the fire trucks for the upcoming parades to send you a small bit of gratitude for the conditions, environment, and battle that you are enduring for us. I know it is only a small cup of coffee, but I hope it brings a little peace to your heart, and lightens the load you bear for a moment. I want you to know that we do care about you, and pray for you daily. YOU...are not forgotten. May you come safely home to your family and friends... and remember, "Brave hearts do not back down." -Sophocles ........ "THESE are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman." - Thomas Paine......... “Terrorism against our nation will not stand.” - George W. Bush .............Take care, stay safe, and may God bless you and keep you. Gig'Em ---Stephanie [& my furry kid/lab Shadow]

Pretty cool, eh? I think so. I'm one of about 100,000 service-members deployed to this country and I'm sure I'm not the only person registered to get free coffees. I bet I don't go more than two or three days without another free one. That means to me that there are a LOT of people selflessly giving this gift. Many surely go unanswered, too. I'm just very thankful for this. To me, it's only $2.00 spent on their end but has far more value than that to me. That's a pretty raw version of patriotism that I love and support for troops serving a half-world away. You can anonymously give, too, via the link on the right. (look for the logo/banner on the right side) I won't get it, but someone will.

Well, that's about it, folks. It was another day checked off but not a whole lot else. That's not a bad thing, ya know.

Goodnight, everyone.