The Old Man Speaks...

Here is a random entry of random thoughts that I may or may not get to post in a timely manner. It is Wednesday morning, 08 Oct 2008, 0515 in the morning, Ulan Ude, Russia time (Greenwich +9 hrs).

Does this make our blog worldly?

To give you an idea of what this job can do to you physically and psychologically, allow me to share a taste of the time line of this Mission for you. This trip started Friday morning (03 Oct) and will end Sunday afternoon (12 Oct). In those 10 days I will have traveled around the world, though all 25 time zones (yes, there are 25, if you don’t know why, Google it). Anyway, just to give you an idea of what is happening to our circadian rhythms, since Ulan Ude (next to Lake Baikal) is 13 hours ahead (later) than my home, if normal sleeping hours for Monday night in Ulan Ude were 11pm to 6am, that would be going to bed at 10am and getting up at 5pm Washington, D.C. time. My body absolutely refuses to adjust that fast. So… I am missing my family terribly. I have gotten used to being away, but at the same time will never, could never, get used to leaving. Such is the life a Sailor.

I love the Navy, but sometimes the Navy is a demanding master.

As has been mentioned, I was called to be Second Counselor in the Quantico Ward Bishopric. The timing is rather complicated…, being called just days before leaving for this trip. There was/is MUCH to be done, and I am not there to do any of it. I hope this does not become just one more thing for me to fail at. I’d like to think that the Lord would not set me up for failure, but I know He sets us up regularly to “grow”. If a tree grows properly it will be strong, yet flexible; if it does not, it will fall or snap during the first storm, at the slightest adversity.

…I really don’t want to end up as driftwood.

I continue to be SO proud of my children. They both have extremely full schedules, in and out of the schoolhouse, and are thus far keeping on top of their lives quite well. I know that it seems to them that all they ever do is go to school, do homework and attend Church activities, but they are taking it all in stride and keeping a good attitude. I just wish I were around more to support them and encourage them and wrap my arms around them. As Kieran is fond of reminding me…

“If life were easy, it wouldn’t be hard”

Angelina seems to have most things at home well in hand…as she usually does. Operating in single parent mode is hard enough without having to switch it on and off a dozen times a year. She is amazing. I love her and appreciate her in countless ways (which is not to say she isn’t a pain in the derrière on a regular basis, as well…but that is another post…although I must admit publicly that I am probably more of pain to her than she is to me…probably). Unfortunately, that is going to be it for this rambling…perhaps I will be able to write more at some point… More later….