Day 187

I know I just said we have been getting rain each night but today was flip-flopped. We had a heavy downpour this morning and tonight, the stars and moon were out. Still, more snow on the mountains and a day today that didn't get out of the 60s. I'm lovin' this cool weather.

Today, I stayed pretty busy all day long and did have a chance to slip away and buy another month of internet for 70 bucks. It's nice, though, that they'll credit me back the unused portion when I leave...definitely won't need a whole month! Hmmm...where will I be a month from today? Kansas! No, the 13th of November is not my arrival date. (nice try, though!) I worked through about 6pm tonight then hopped on a shuttle and headed on back. The weather was good tonight so I wanted to get a run in under the moonlight and crisp air. I ended up with 6 miles tonight and it was the fastest in a long time. I dedicated tonight's run to my Navy as we celebrate 236 years today, the sailors who lost their life on the USS Cole, 10 years ago yesterday, and to all of my fellow sailors who are serving afloat, ashore, or in Harm's Way. It's great to be a sailor!

Tonight after having my salad for dinner and a shower, I was watching The Colbert Report and they had a Lieutenant Colonel on who commanded a special forces unit back in 2001 when we entered Afghanistan. He lost two of his elite fighters during that tour. One question that Stephen asked him was what is appropriate for Americans to say to service-members. Most say "Thank you for your service." I've always appreciated that but unlike nearly everything else where someone tells you "Thank you" and you reply with "You're welcome," that just doesn't work for most people wearing the uniform. It just doesn't feel right. As an all-volunteer force, most don't look at themselves as needing thanks, praise or anything. We don't do it for those reasons so when someone thanks us, we appreciate it but many like myself, usually just nod or say "thank you" right back. I, like the lieutenant colonel on the show tonight, believe the real heroes are the ones who gave their lives, were injured, and those still serving over here. So when Stephen asked what people should say, he agreed that "Thanks for your service" is still appropriate but people really shouldn't expect a response. So when you do thank someone, it's OK for them just to smile and shake your hand...rest assured, they do appreciate your thanks.  Anyway...that interview tonight really pulled me in and I thought I'd share a little with you. With that said, it's about time for the weekend! By the time it ends, I'll be hittin' Day 190! To think that 200 is really not that far away is just a tad bit overwhelming.

Goodnight, everyone.