Well, it's time for the year end blog. You know, the reflection one. So here it is. 2008 in the rearview mirror.
Things I learned in 2008: 140 is really HOT! Sand sucks! The breaststroke, freestyle, backstroke, and the sidestroke. 21 miles of swimming is not that easy to do. Women suck! Good friends can come out of the strangest places. Best friends can be people you don't know for that long. A SSG does not live in the barracks at Fort Hood. 12 months seems to be a lot shorter than it used to be (I do have a theory on that.) There's nothing like walking out of customs to kids running to give you a hug yelling DADDY! Home is where you make and what you make it. Beer is a great invention. I can be secure without a gun leaning next to me, and without asking permission of 3 different officers on the same form. A 3 bedroom duplex is a nice place to have to call home, especially when you live alone. You can actually put a vehicle in a one car garage. Sometimes what you see as a low point can be blessing. Divorce sucks, but sometimes is worth it. The internet is a great friend and an evil invention. Attitude is everything. A smile can do wonders when attitude is not right. Some friends ain't worth the effort (read not really friends.) Some friends online are more trouble and stress IRL than they are worth. Some friends online are really your best friend IRL. (thanks for everything this year Babz!) The place you have been avoiding for 8 years may not be that bad. Being closer to home does not mean you make it more often, it just means that if the stars align properly and the bank account stays positive you have the potential. Just because you can have your guns with you does not mean you can afford to shoot them. Getting the tires rotated does a lot for the ride of my truck. Just because she says she doesn't mind if you do it, doesn't mean she won't give you hell later. (thanks to the ESUTB). If the ESUTB calls, the day just got worse. Leaving for another woman does not make it easier, it actually makes it a littler harder. Communicators suck at communicating. 35 is COLD. Seeing the kids means a lot, even if we just watch a movie together. Seeing my kids open Christmas Presents does a lot for me. Getting a hug from my kids makes the flight worth it. (Even the really long one from the Mideast back to the states.) Unplugging the computer and turning the phone off can do wonders for one's outlook on the world. The internet is a great place to kill time. The internet sucks. The internet rocks.
I've grown a lot, especially since May. There is more. More I have learned, but some of that is kind of personal.
FYI, ESUTB is Ex Spousal Unit To Be.
