The Old Man Speaks...

My first real Sunday in the Bishopric - - Today I sat on the Stand as a full member of the Quantico Bishopric. It was Fast and Testimony Meeting since last week was General Conference. I found out that my Sunday mornings are supposed to start at 0600 each week, not 0700 as I thought (and the time I arrived at the Chapel this morning). The members already treat me like I have been in the position for ages...either they trust the position or they trust the man (maybe a little bit of both?). I accepted gray envelopes, did Recommend interviews, assisted in a setting apart...all as if I had the slightest clue what I was doing! My first full day back after my trip - - I returned from my 'round the world in 8 days whirlwind yesterday. Doing all 25 time zones in 8 days is not, I repeat NOT something I am itching to do again any time soon. I moved 4 hours to the west last Friday; I moved another 6 hours (7 time zones) further west on Sunday morning, and a further 2 Monday afternoon. Wednesday moved us another 2 in the same direction and Friday moved us another 6. And finally, yesterday (Saturday) we returned home, 4 additional time zones westward. I have absolutely NO idea where my body THINKS it is right now. - The time warp wasn't the only thing tiring about this trip. When we landed at Novosibirsk on Wednesday, the Maintainers discovered a bent part in the starboard flap mechanism, downing the plane. A LOT of phone calls and coordination later, we were still unsure how long it would be before a replacement part could be delivered and installed; we feared it could have been 3-4 days before the part, which was sitting in Offutt, NE, would make it out to the middle of Siberia. Fortunately "the system" kicked into high gear and the part was hand-delivered Friday morning at 0500 and we were fixed and off the ground by 1100. My twenty-first Anniversary - - It is hard to believe that yesterday marked 21 years since Angelina and I ran off to a small, out of the way chapel on the shores of Lake Tahoe to get married. Who would have thunk that we would have lasted this long?! And of course that means MORE than 21 years in the Navy. Ten duty stations and major schools, two children and a few pets later and here we are. I am not always sure where "here" is...but that IS, in any case, where I am. Okay, that is all for now... More later....