Day 199

Wow...it's Day 200 Eve! TWO HUNDRED DAYS...a very, very long journey that is not yet over. Tonight, I remain in Oz. This morning, I slept in and stayed away from just about everything as my duties here in this country have concluded. I cleaned my room, packed a little bit more and watched some TV. As lunch approached, I walked on over near where I get my hair cut and the internet folks are located who've been taking 70 bucks from me every month since May. They have a pretty good deal that when you're about to leave, they'll pro-rate your month and give you cold, hard cash back for the unused month. So, I told them when to cut it off and grabbed my cash then had some lunch just a few steps away....loaded baked potato today...oh so good. I'll miss having lunch here.      NOT!!! Anyway, I grabbed the base shuttle (in reality, it was a nasty, dirty 'ol bus) and made my way back to the Navy's office on the other side of base for the 3:30pm meeting. 3:30 because at 3pm, they update flight schedules for the next 12-24 hours. To fill the time before 3:30pm, I hung out at the Pat Tillman USO and just relaxed on a sofa, watching a movie. At 3:30pm, the 7 of us mustered, got our updated travel brief then were cut loose once again and back on the shuttle I went. Back on the other side in my room, packing and cleaning was wrapped up and a few calls back to Kansas. Beyond that...not much else. Oh yea...I've been smiling a LOT today. The time is drawing very near!

Given that Day 200 is just about here...clearly a landmark, I think it's time for some "happy thoughts"...like what I'm looking forward to. Let's see...  The obvious...Dorothy, Tin Man, and Scarecrow. No doubt. I am looking forward to growing many more friendships that have become more apparent during this journey and letting others go. I've seen the good, bad, and the ugly...a deployment to Afghanistan will do that. It's like the glass has been made clear and fogginess wiped away when it comes to relationships. I am truly blessed to have many good friends! I look forward to mud, stream crossings, and standing on a trail and hearing nothing but some rustling leaves and my breathing... God's creation...totally immersed in it for miles and miles. I look forward to walking through the yard in my bare feet, even if it is cold outside. I took it for granted before but won't again. In that yard, I look forward to seeing Old Glory and the Navy Jack flying every morning as I leave and as I return home every evening. I look forward to dates with my two little girls. Salad and breadsticks with Scarecrow and whatever Tin Man is in the mood for...of course, both want to head to the trails, too. :-)  I look forward to driving my car over 25 kilometers per hour and having a sound system in it that works. I look forward to returning to my home church and having men's breakfast once a month where we consume far more calories than should be allowed. I look forward to returning to my job as a civil servant where I will serve the poor and disabled, face to face. I look forward to falling asleep on the couch with Dorothy as we fool ourselves into thinking we can stay awake through the current episode of "House." I look forward to waking up at 3:30am, brewing my espresso, hitting the road at 4:30am for a run over the country roads with Mr. Moon and among the sleeping horses and cornfields. I look forward to the 2011-version of Wi-Fi instead of internet at the speed it was well over 10 years ago.  I look forward....to setting foot on United States soil. Free soil. The Land of the Free and Home of the Brave...because of those who wore, wear, and will wear in the future, the cloth of their nation. I will never forget Day 121 as over 40 caskets were loaded aboard two C-17s and my arm ached and wobbled as I held the longest salute of my life as every last one passed only a few feet in front of me. I was forever changed that evening and will think of it every day for the rest of my life as I wake up to Old Glory blowing in the wind outside my home. Lastly, I look forward to holding Dorothy's hand and pulling her in close. We will celebrate 19 years of marriage soon after my return and I can't imagine anyone else to share my life's journey with. "I love you, Babe! See you SOON!"

Goodnight, everyone.