Selective Memory...

What did you have for lunch yesterday? Shit I can't remember either.

One of the biggest issues I have had since I have been in Korea is remembering what other people tell me. Amanda and I talk on the phone at least once a day, but most of the time its several times a day for sometimes hours at a time. However, most of the time I can't remember what it was we talked about. Does that mean I have a bad memory?

I think the answer is no. I think this happens to everyone. It's called selective memory. You remember the things that your mind thinks is important and everything else just goes in one ear and out the other. Now I am not saying that 95% of what my wife says isn't important. I will give you an example of what I mean.

I have been to Disney World 4 times in the last 10 years. Now going to Disney World is a pretty big deal and something that most people would remember for the rest of their lives. But can I remember every detail? No, not at all. I remember going, I remember when I went, and I can remember certain things in detail that I consider to be special moments. I remember them so well in fact it as if it happened yesterday.

My memories are a win/lose situation for me right now. They are what keeps me going everyday, but when they get really intense and I start thinking about them in detail, I get depressed. Two stuck out in my head this week and almost put me in tears a couple of times.

One memory was of my leave trip home...All four of us were on the bed playing around and we were all jumping on each other...laughing and tickling each other. The other was of...well a really great Valentine's day present I got the first year Amanda and I were married...I will just leave it at that.

I guess the morale of the story is...we are always listening, we just might not always hear you, but we never forget the stuff that matters in our hearts. Sometimes it is okay to forget things, just means that you are making room for the real memories.

Until next time...

8 Down...4 to Go!

Yay! With a little bit of luck and a lot of praying I will be home 4 months from today. I am not sure yet exactly when I will get to leave Korea, but if I get approved for the day that I request it will be only four short months from now.

The crappy part of all that is that I am missing a lot in those 4 months. Both Gabriel and Lily have birthdays this month which I will miss. Also, and probably the killer for me, is I am going to miss Lily's first steps. Amanda tells me that she can stand on her own now so it won't be long before she is walking.

I talked to Gabriel on the phone yesterday and he told me he wished I was going to be there for his birthday. It breaks my heart that he misses me this much. Outside of what I have already been doing (praying, keeping myself busy, etc.), all I can do is hope that the time goes by a little faster.

A blog post...from another blog....

My good friend from back in Alabama interviewed me for her blog site. I think it turned out really well so please take a minute to head over there and check it out...

http://blogs.babycenter.com/momformation/2009/03/30/daddy-wears-combat-boots-a-fathers-perspective/

Until next time :)

Moving Day...

So if you remember back to when I first got to Korea I was temporarily placed in a small room in a building by myself until a room in one of the full barracks buildings was available. I was only suppose to be in that room for like a week and it ended up being almost a month, forcing me to move all of my things instead of just what I brought in my suitcases.

Well due to some construction it would appear they are going to completely remodel our current barracks and are forcing the six of us that live in there now to move to a different building on the other side of the base. Stupid I know, but what are you going to do about it. Anyway I had my internet moved over to my new room yesterday (I am the first one moving; last one in, first one out) and I am suppose to move the rest of my crap today.

DON'T YOU KNOW IT IS FREAKIN RAINING OUTSIDE! We haven't seen rain in months, and outside of a light snow a few weeks ago, we have had nothing but sun since December. Isn't that just my luck?

Anyway I just had to vent. I got a full weekend of stuff planned between the move, a few tours tomorrow and hopefully a trip to Seoul, I should be able to keep busy till next week at least.

Until Next Time...

Old Endings and New Beginnings

My last post I said I would be writing when I returned to Korea from my trip home. Well I have been back for over two weeks now and lets just say that things have been pretty crazy around here. If you read the news online at all I am sure you are up to speed, but if not go to http://www.wn.com/ and in the search window at the top type in N. Korea. Read through a few of those articles and you will get a good part of the story.

And that is all I am going to say about that...

My trip home went really well. Coming back to Korea I felt as though my time was spent well. I accomplished all the hunny-do stuff Amanda had waiting for me and then some. I got to spend a ton of time with the kids and as a little surprise I even got to see my mom for a few days. There was a lot of eating out and quiet a lot of money spent, but in the end I have memories that I will remember forever.

I will say that I didn't get to spend as much time alone with Amanda as I would have liked (and no I don't mean in a perverted way). We have an issue with getting Lily to sleep at night and her staying asleep, at least till we are ready for bed. This meant that most nights after Gabriel went to bed were spent on the couch watching TV and entertaining Lily till she was ready to go back to sleep.

I love my kids with all my heart but I have always been a strong believer that a marrage comes first. After all once your kids are old and gone, if you haven't got a strong marrage than you just have a roommate....

...Anyway so Amanda and I are looking into that. We found a book online that we have just ordered and hopefully that will help. We had this same problem with Gabriel and it seemed the first 2+ years of his life was spent with Amanda and I not having much of a relationship at all. It wasn't that we didn't want it...there just wasn't anytime for it.

But at the end of the trip I left with a tear in my eye and a smile on my face. I had special moments with each of them alone and together that will stay with me everyday for the next 5 months. After that I pray that I never have to leave them again. I am tired of the tears, the sleepless nights, and the look on their face as I leave.

I miss them all, and I can't wait till I go home...for good.

Until next time...

The big day...

Well tomorrow is the big day. Once my plane takes off at 11:05 am local time I will be spending 23 and 1/2 hours in airplanes and airports patiently awaiting the site of my beautiful wife and wonderful children waiting for me at the end of the terminal.

I have actually had dreams about this moment...

I think really the only downside to this whole trip is that it is only for 3 weeks and then I have to return to Korea to finish out my last 5 months. Everyone I have spoke to says coming back will be harder than when I first left. Since I haven't had to experience it yet I am not sure about that. I mean its only 5 months instead of 6. I know everyone here and I know the job so getting back into the swing of things should not be that hard. We will just have to see.

I will most likely not be writing in the blog at all while I am home so make sure you check back in three weeks to see how the trip went. For the few of you out there that are still reading, I will hopefully see you all real soon.

Until next time...

So close, yet so far away...

WOW it really has been a long time. I didn't realize it has been almost two months since I last wrote something on here. What does that mean? Nothing really, just that I don't want to really bore you with stories of my hours and hours worth of watching seasons of TV shows I have missed and countless head shots on Call of Duty.

Korea has come to be a great learning experience for me. The first few months I learned how much I could miss my family and how much of a pussy I could be when it comes to sleeping next to the enemy (you know what I mean). Eventually that evolved into learning how to pass hours of time with only an internet connection and a large imagination.

I don't really get scared or nervous when I come up to work anymore. I still research the happenings in North/South Korean news but even the scary stuff doesn't seem to bother me anymore. Not really too sure what changed but I guess I just realized that if something was going to happen it would have already and if something does happen there really isn't anything I am going to be able to do about it.

I still have my lonely moments from time to time but they are fewer and further between then they used to be. Most of the time when that happens I either find someone around my barracks to bullshit with to take my mind off of it or I go outside and walk till I am cold enough to where I am thinking about getting warm more than being lonely.

A lot of it might also have to do with the fact that I am now only 6 days away to going home on my mid-tour. Yes, that's right, just a few more days and I will be back to my family and the life I left just 6 months ago. It does suck that it will only be for 3 weeks and then I have to return to the second place I have ever called Hell (I called Qatar Hell once, but little did I know there are much worse places than that).

But all I can do is enjoy the time I do have with my family and friends, count my blessings that I made it home in one piece, and start the countdown until my Hell is finally over and I can go back to the paradise that I miss so much...Home.

Until next time...

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow...

It has been snowing here for about 4 hours straight. At first it didn't stick, but after time the ground has covered in about an inch of white blanket. I never really realized how much I have missed snow all these years until today. It really makes me miss my kids too, since I know that would have a great time outside.

I started my countdown today to my mid-tour. As long as everything goes according to plan I will be home for a little over three weeks in just 59 days. Doesn't seem that far away when I put it into days and not months. Thanksgiving and my Anniversary has come and gone, now all I have to get thru is Christmas and New Years and I will start to feel a little better.

I was sitting here earlier thinking about how freaked out I get about coming up to work and I started to wonder if I was really scared, or if I was just so bored and lonely that I was screwing myself up. I mean its not like I have a whole lot to do around here except think about my life and the things that go on in it.

I guess it really doesn't matter. I will never know what it is, cause even after 4 months I still get that same aweful feeling in my gut when I go to sleep. Its just one of the many crappy things I have to deal with. 59 days...59 days!

Until next time...

Temp Job Change...

I guess I actually have something to talk about this week. The only other Air Force person here on base is going on leave for a week and a half and I get to fill in for her while she is gone. Is that a good thing or a bad thing? Well I guess there is both good and bad involved in it. The good news is I don't have to work up at the DMZ till the first of December. I also get holidays and weekends off which means that I have Thanksgiving off next week. Not really sure how good of news that is, I mean its not like I get to do something special except feel sorry for myself that I can't be with my family.

The bad news is that this other job is not easy at all. It is very high speed and high profile. My other job is definitely high profile as well, but it is also very simple and very basic, just very important. This job is a bit less important, but takes much more concentration and is much more stressful as a whole. I am probably just creeping myself out though. I am sure I will be fine.

Yesterday I started adding a very serious weight lifting routine into my workout. I am very pleased with my weight loss progress and my running that I really was starting to feel like I was missing something. I really hope that I can stick with it and really improve my overall fitness and appearance. It will not be easy (the colder it gets outside the harder it is to find any motivation to leave my warm room to go out into the blistering cold) but it is really important.

Not really a whole lot else going on. I think I covered everything...Workout, Job, Holidays...yeah I think that is about it. I hope all of you are doing well, and I hope to see you all real soon.

I love you and miss you!
Until next time...

Same Shit, Different Day...

I am quickly approaching my 3 month mark here in Korea and I think it is time I sat down and really expressed how I am feeling. I know that my blog is becoming more about my feelings than actually what is going on over here but I really feel they are the same. So what is different now than 3 months ago when I first got here...?

Not much. Anyone who has told me that it gets easier is either a really good liar or they do not really have the same kind of love and passion for their family the way I do for mine. To say that I get home sick is an overstatement. I think a lot about my mother, father, and sister just as much as my wife and kids. I spend so much time away from my family in New York that sometimes I forget what they look like, but I never forget how much I love them and miss them.

My kids are growing up so fast that I feel almost like they are strangers to me. Gabriel is learning so much in school that talking to him on the phone gets easier and easier as his speach gets better. The only problem is that most days he doesn't even want to talk to me anymore. I know its not personal, he really isn't a phone person (he is 4 after all) but from time to time it still gets to me. Lily is growning up quicker than Gabriel did when I was deployed. She is rolling over now and trying to sit up...soon I imagine she will be crawling and walking all over the place.

I am trying, I really am. I know it seems like all I do is complain, but I am really not trying to. This is my out. This is where I get things off my chest. I swear I don't talk like this all the time. There are some things that have gotten better. I finally made a friend, who I hang out with often. I also have a long time friend from New York coming to Korea in February that I intend on spending a lot of time with. I stopped playing pointless online computer games and am dedicating a lot of free time to learning how to play the guitar and focus my life around fitness, health, and music.

But no matter what I do, the fear is still there and I can't shake it. The night before I go up to work is always the worst, I have no idea why. I try not to read the news on North Korea yet I still find myself doing it at least once a week. Some times the news is good news, like last week when North Korea destroyed their nuclear cooling tower. Some times the news is scary, like this week when North Korea threatened to burn South Korea to the ground. I know news is just news but it is hard not to take it all in when you are in the heart of it.

So I hope I haven't completely depressed you, that wasn't my intention, but I feel a little better getting all that out. I promise to try and keep the blog posts a little less depressing and emotional from now on, but be warned I might not be able to keep that promise, unless I can find another outlet. I love you all!

Until Next Time...

A New Beginning...

Wow, it has been a lot longer since I have written in here than I thought, almost a month. I am sorry for that, but I have been doing my best to keep myself busy. I will try and write more but it gets harder and harder to write when most days I don't even have much to say, at least not to the public.

My time here has started slow down some, and with the holidays around the corner I have a great fear of going into a depressive state again like when I first got here. Halloween is next week and while it may not be a major holiday to most people, it has always been a big deal in our family. Amanda and I always decorate the house as spooky as possible and Gabriel is always so cute and has so much fun getting candy. Last year was the best because I actually handed out candy for the first time while Amanda took Gabriel around to the houses to get candy of his own.

Today is the clearest day we have had since I have been here. There is no fog coming off the mountains and with the trees changing a nice fall color it really is very beautiful here. There is a nice cool breeze during the day and it is very cold in the mornings. The geese are headed south for the winter and for the first time in years I am finally looking at 4 seasons. I can't wait for the snow next month and I hope I get enjoy it.

Amanda sent me our digital camcorder a few weeks ago so I am planning on starting a video diary of my time here. The chances of being able to email them out are small considering the file size, but it will be nice to show folks when I get home. For now most of you will just have to settle for pictures. I have not taken any yet but I will, I just have to get off my lazy but and do it.

I had a nice little adventure a couple days ago. I decided since I have made all these life style changes with my diet and going back to school (Lost 22lbs. so far by the way), I was going to do one more thing I have always wanted to do but never I guess "got around to it". I decided I was going to learn how to play the guitar. So my friend Smith and I went to Insadong, a small town within the city of Seoul. There we found a HUGE music story that was store upon of people selling musical instruments and things like that. With a lot of luck and help from this very nice Korean man, I found my new baby. I will post pictures of her as well as my playing experience in my next post.

Anyway there really isn't much else to say right now. I miss all of you very much and I hope everyone out there is doing well. I love you and I will write more soon.

Until next time...

Gabriel is dressing up HULK this year! So cute!

Topic of the Day...

Okay, I had a thought about the blog. I know many friends and family are out there reading (but not making comments - shame on you) but honestly I am running out of things to talk about. I enjoy giving weekly status reports about what has been going on, but people want more...And I like to give the people what they want. So that is EXACTLY what I am going to do. Starting with this post, I want people to post comments (or send me emails) about topics they want me to talk about. Ask questions, learn about Korea, learn about me...anything you want. So after this entry, post a comment about what you want, and so on and so forth. To start things off I will answer a question that was asked not to long ago, to give you an idea of what I am looking for.

TOPIC OF THE DAY!

Question: "Louie, what is the food like in Korea?"

Well this is a hard question to answer on paper, so I am going to break it down into two Categories: Things I like but are hard to get! and Things I never ate, but now I do!. I am not going to get into things I don't eat anymore simply because you all know I am on a diet and I can't eat more than half the stuff I used to so I am leaving that out. So here is your answer (or at least the best way I can put it).

Things I like but are hard to get!

#5) Side Dishes - Seriously in Korea, they don't believe in Mashed Potatoes, Mac and Cheese, Corn, or French Fries. When you go to Korean restaurants all you get is meat, veggies, and this weird noodle stuff that tastes like death on a plate (no offense to those who enjoy eating poop).

#4) Chicken Strips - Everyone who knows me knows the HUGE love I had for the Chicken Strips at Jim and Nicks! I miss them so much, mmmmmmm...Oh yeah, but seriously every restaurant in the states, even Mexican places, have chicken strips for those that don't like cultural food. Here you either eat it or go hungry.

#3) A Knife - Yes I know this isn't food but it is pretty important when it comes to food. You go out and they give you this huge slab of meat that you cook yourself in front of you. But them how the heck do I cut it? Well this is when the "waitress" comes over, picks up the meat with tongues, pulls out a pair of scissors from her apron and CUTS IT!

#2) Condiments - You will not find salt, pepper, or ketchup in Korean, at least not a restaurant. Why I don't know. I think everything I have mentioned so far is why every Korean I have seen is skinny and the US has the largest over group of over weight people in the world. Huh...

#1) PIZZA - OMG I think I am dying without it. There is no pizza here. There is a Anthony's pizza in Seoul on base, but every time I have gone (probably 10-12 times in less than two months) they are either closed or out of pizza and not making more. First thing I do (food wise) when I get home is order Papa Johns!

Things I never ate, but now I do!

#5) Hot Wings - I love chicken wings, I always have. But never really been into anything hot. Well the DFAC (chow hall, dining facility) here on base makes the greatest chicken wings I have ever had, and guess what they are HOT AS HELL. It takes at LEAST 5 or six full glasses of water to get through 8 wings, but I love them!

#4) Fruit - No I don't mean apples and bananas, everyone eats those. I mean oranges, mangos, grapes, melons, pineapple, kiwi, and pears. I love them all. They are great for my diet and I can pretty much eat as much as I want.

#3) Lean Cuisine - Oh Swedish Meatballs, how I love thee, let me count the ways...I LOVE THEM! Very healthy, great for my diet, and cheap! What else can you ask for from a guy who has no way of cooking anything that doesn't fit in a microwave!

#2) Water - Okay its not a food, but lets face it...I never drank enough water. Diet Coke was my life. Oh Diet Coke...How I love thee...sorry. But seriously I have gone 27 days without a soda, and aside from the occasional cup of coffee/tea, and the milk from my slim-fast...I only drink water!

#1) Onions - Yes that's right, Mr. I hate Veggies is here to say, that onions are amazing! Well the way the Koreans prepare them anyway. I will have to see when I go home if I still feel the same way. But they just fill a saucer dish with Soy Sauce, chop up the raw onion and soak it in the dish and serve it to you that way! My life is complete again.

So there you have it! I hope you like the idea for the blog and begin to participate in it. I think it is a fun way to keep things moving and keep you guys interested. WE CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING!

Until Next Time...

Two in one day...too cute not to post!

Okay, back real quick just to say something I don't want to forget to write about later. I was just running on the treadmill down stairs in my office. Watching the news of course, a Navy article came on about the return of one of the ships that was out at sea. They showed a short clip of all the families waiting on the shore line for the sailors to get off the ship. They showed this little boy (about Gabriel's age) holding a sign that said "Move it, or Loose it! I am hugging my daddy first!". How awesome is that! It was so cute that I wanted to laugh real loud but wanted to cry at the same time. Anyway I thought it was worth sharing.

Check out my blog post from earlier below if you haven't already!

Until Next Time...

Long Time, No See...

Just as a warning this blog post will probably be relatively long, since I have not written in several days and I actually have a lot to talk about. I apologize to my "fans" that is has been this long but I have been fairly busy while at work and not really thought much about it while I wasn't. So here is a weeks worth of blogs crammed into one :)

Chop Sticks! Thats right, I am going to start by talking about chop sticks. Now most people know what they are and see them all the time at Chinese and Japanese restaurants but not very many people use them; except maybe for parents who are trying to entertain their kids. Well in Korea, and I imagine every Asian country, it is all they use. When you go to a restaurant off post you will find a spoon for your soup, and a set of stainless steel chop sticks. They are much thinner than wooden chop sticks, and much harder to use (most chop sticks are for Americans). Well I love them! So much in fact I use them with all my meals, even frozen dinners. I took a set from my kitchen in my office and I am just obsessed. I plan on buying a few sets before I leave so I can continue the fun even after I leave.

Squirrel and Ants! The United States insect and animal is Ants and Squirrel! Not really, but they should be. They are every where you go, no matter which state (at least the ones I have been to). Growing up and seeing these creatures makes you not appreciate them at all. In fact I think most people hate Squirrel and ants, for that very reason. But as soon as someone sees a Chipmunk or a Butterfly its like, "huh look hunny, its a pretty butterfly". Well in Korea, its the COMPLETE opposite. There are chipmunks everywhere, and butterflies in more shapes, sizes, and colors than I have seen since the last time I went to the zoo or museum. Not really much else to say about that, just thought it was a funny twist on normal life for us Americans.

Podcasts! Holy Crow are these cool or what? I have heard of them before, and Amanda has mentioned them a few times, but I always dismissed it because honestly why would I want to listen to someone talk about random things, when I could be listening to music? Well I sure as hell do now. For me it was 4 hours worth of Warhammer Online news and comedy and a little 45 minute series of podcasts called The Guild (if you haven't seen it, you NEED to...its free). What better way to blow free time at the cost of nothing to hear people talk about your favorite topics?

Okay so I guess it was not as long as I thought it was going to be. I tried to sum up a lot of that and I had plans to make a Warhammer vs. Warcraft blog post, but I am going to save that for another day. I need to go work out here in about 15 minutes and I still have a few peices of work to wrap up. So,

Until next time...

Another 3 down...

I finally get off of work in a couple of hours. This rotation wasn't as bad as previous ones. I managed to stay very busy with all the tours that came through and some busy work I decided to do just so no one else would have to. I slept fairly well every night, taking my mother-in-laws advice by praying everynight...which seemed to help a lot. I didn't get to talk to my family as much. My phone card didn't have a lot of minutes on it and I was just to busy. So I am looking forward to the break so I can get caught up with my talk time.

I didn't get to read much of my book this time though, which I am bummed out about. For those of you who don't know I am currently reading Eclipse, the third book in the Twilight series. I was not looking forward to reading it, in fact I didn't plan on reading it at all. But my wife loves the series so much I decided to read to, if nothing else, add another conversation point to the dinner table. To my surprise the story is amazing. It's a lot like Romeo and Juliet, but instead of being from rival families, the female is a human girl and the boy is a vampire. I know it sounds crazy but it is really good.

What can I say, I am a hopeless romantic I guess. I love stories like this one...but don't confuse that with loving chick flicks! I can't stand those. Most of them have the same stories...boy meets girl, girl falls in love, boy screws up, girls heart is broken, boy does something cheesy to make up for his screw up, girl loves boy again. I just descirbed more than half of the romantic comedies out there today. Romeo and Juliet, The Notebook, For love of the game, The Story of Us...these movies had an amazing romance story that just melts my heart. Like I said, hopeless romantic.

I am going down to Seoul today finally, I haven't been able to go in over two weeks. I am hopefully going to pass my driving test today so I can finally get my license and not be held back by depending on rides everywhere. I am also going to try and take my math placement exam for college so I can start school in a couple of weeks. I hate math so I figure I might as well knock that out first. Then I can hit up the PX and the Commisary and be good to go for at least a couple of weeks.

My relief should be here soon so I am going to log out of here. Until next time...

Is the end coming...

...of the blog I mean. My first few posts seem to get a lot of responses. I know I don't write in it but a few times a week but is anyone still reading? I know my mom and my mother-in-law read it often but is anyone else out there?

Speaking of my mom, I want to let everyone know how awesome she has been. If it wasn't for her I definitly could not be on a diet and stick to it the way that I have. She has helped my plan my menu, my workout schedule and find the motivation to get where I need to be. I miss her a lot, it seems like I haven't seen her in so long.

My father and my sister have been awesome too. My sister calls me all the time, asking how I am doing and keeping me up to date on the latest news from back home. I definitly have seen them in a long time. In fact I can't even remember the last time I saw them. I guess it was a year ago, around Thanksgiving last year when my family came to visit. My mother came to visit in May, right after Lily was born but my dad had to work and my sister had school.

Hopefully I will get to see them when I come home in May. It is too expensive for all of us to go to New York in addition to the expensive plane tickets I have to buy just to come home in the first place. So we are thinking of meeting somewhere in the middle. We did this before, a few years ago when Amanda was pregnant with Gabriel. We had a lot of fun and I imagine this will be the same.

The time I do get to come home is going to go by so fast. With a weekend trip planned and probably a party or two for us and our friends, as well as doing things with the kids and going a few dates with Amanda. Its going to be so crazy busy that the month will come and go so fast that I won't even know what hit me. And leaving to come back here will be harder the second time than it was the first. But I will have less than 5 months left once I get back and then it is on to Germany for three years.

I think when we get back from Germany, on our ten year wedding anniversary, Amanda and I are going to renew our wedding vows. We didn't really have a wedding in the first place because we didn't have the money and plus we got married on a weeks notice. So this would be much more special for us, we can have my family there which would mean a lot to me, and our children can be with us too. Who knows maybe we can have a little second honey moon too. That would be nice.

Well, Until Next Time...

I've been tagged...

"I'll be back so soon you won't have time to miss me.
Look after my heart ------------- I've left it with you"
~ Edward Cullen (Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer)

Today marks exactly one month since I left my family at the airport and headed for Korea. It seems like it was just yesterday, doesn't it? I guess that means that time is moving a lot faster than I gave it credit for. Anyway I was tagged by our friend Dianna over @ http://possumgrape.typepad.com/my_weblog/ to write in todays blog:

Six things about me that you may or may not know ~

1. I sleep with a stuffed animal everynight. That's right people, and I am not afraid to say it. It is something I have been doing my whole life and I can't seem to break the habit. I actually forgot it when I came to work on my first rotation and the nights were hell those three days. I thought when Amanda and I got married I would be able to break the habit but Amanda can't sleep if I am suggled up with her so I still have my stuffed animal. (BTW the stuffed animal is Mickey Mouse)

2. Back in high school my best friend Tony and I had made plans that after college/air force we would hook back up and open our own hotel/restaurant. Tony was going to run the hotel and I was going to run the restaurant. We both had jobs at the time, he was working the front desk at a Best Western and I was a waiter/chef/host at a family restaurant down the street. I never had any intentions on staying in the military longer than 4 years.

3. For 12 years of school, I never missed a single day. I had PERFECT attendance every year and I was given certifactes of attendance for every semester which I still have. I never skipped school, I was never out sick, and the only days I did miss were two days back in pre-school when I had the chicken poxs and that doesn't count. I did skip lunch period once and went to burger king but I was pretty stupid to return with a burger king crown on my head and was given a day of in school suspension.

4. I got picked on a lot in school. Mostly about my height. It wasn't really until I joined the wrestling team my freshman year that I started getting respected. My wrestling career however was cut short when I popped my knee during the Lockport High School Annual Wrestling tournament. Back then I was 4 foot 10 inches and weighed 88 pounds. I had to eat ALOT the night before a match to meet the 90 pound weight limit for my division. Once I got hurt I stopped wrestling, but I kept eating, hence the reason for the diet.

5. The single greatest day of my life was the day my son Gabriel was born. Not that Lily's birth wasn't wonderful or the day that I got married, they were both very special to me as well. But the day Gabriel was born was the day that I knew that nothing else in my life matter anymore except for my family. I was with Amanda from start to finish, all 24+ hours of it, and when he finally decided to come, I cried...for a long time.

6. Amanda, Gabriel, and Lily are my best friends. Most people say that about their spouses and kids but actually have other people their best friends. I have a few guys I consider to be the best guy friends that I have, Tony, Ryan, and Josh...I don't tell them everything. I don't talk to them about the meaning of life, fears, or love. I don't cry in front of them, or have long deep meaningful conversations with them. They are the guys (although I used to do that with Tony before I met Amanda). But my wife and my kids are a different story. I share everything with them and every secret. I love them all with all my heart and I am counting the days until I can be with them again.

Until next time...

And Now...On with the Show!

Well here I am back on my third work rotation. I would have posted yesterday but I was actually pretty busy for the most part. A Two-Star Air Force General came thru for a tour and since I am the only Air Force person here, my boss wanted me to be the one who took pictures. I basically went on a mini version of the tour I went on Friday, only this time I had a camera. So that means you are in luck, cause I have some pictures to go with my explanation. And now...On with the Show!

Our first stop on the tour after a 3 hour bus ride and two very boring hour long briefings was lunch at the NNSC. The NNSC is a camp just off of the JSA and home of the Neutral Nations which are the Swiss and the Swedish military. The lunch was very good, and very fancy. We were SERVED shrimp cocktail over salad, grilled dear meat in a creamy butter sauce, and a fruit salad for dessert. It was the best meal I have had here, and probably the best meal I am going to have until I go home. After lunch it was back on the bus and onto Conference Row. Conference Row is the road we call that runs next to the MDL (Military Demarcation Line), and this is where the real tour started. The guide explained the purpose for the guards, and the usage of the three blue building in the middle of the JSA.

All ROK Soldiers stand at a ready stance of Tae Kwon Do, or what we call ROK Ready. The stance as well as the sunglasses are meant to intimidate the North Korean Soldiers.

After leaving conference row we move on to Check Point 3, which is an outlook onto the bridge of no return as well as into North Korea. Here are a few pictures I took from the outlook.

A North Korean Guard standing on a Watch Tower out in the distance.

The mountains in Korea are beautiful. It makes me sad to know that something as beautiful as this place is also considered the most dangerous place in the world.

After leaving the check point we continued on to the location of the 1970's Axe Murders and the Bridge of No Return. If you do not know the story behind the Axe Murders I suggest you read up on it. You can find more information on it here...http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Axe_Murder_Incident.

This statue now stands where the tree once stood that was the cause of the Axe Murders. The circle base represents the size of the tree trunk, to give us an idea of exactly how large the tree was. For more information please see link above.

The round grassy area shown here in front of the bridge of no return is where the actually fight broke out and ultimately where the Axe Murders took place.

The next two photos really don't require captioning. The first is a picture of a sign marking the MDL, and is meant to give you a good idea of exactly how close I was able to get to it. The second is a look down onto the Bridge of No Return which I was actually able to go onto yesterday. If you do not know the history of the Bridge of No Return here is some information...http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bridge_of_No_Return.

For the rest of the tour we were not allowed to take pictures. We visited Freedom Village, The Third Tunnel, Observation Post: Dora (OP Dora), and the Western Transportation Corridor (TC West).

After TC West, that concluded our Tour of the DMZ. There are A LOT of other little facts and tidbits that I know and didn't mention but if I covered the WHOLE history of just this little area it would take forever. Somethings will have to be left for stories when I get back. After all if I tell you everything n0w I won't have any stories when I get back.

Until next time...

Tour of the DMZ

I know that I haven't written in a few days and honestly it is because not much has been going on. It is pretty boring here on my days off with not much to report. I spend most of my mornings and early afternoon talking to Amanda and the kids and the rest of the day I either watch movies or play video games until it is time to work out.

My diet is going well. I have lost 6 pounds this week and I am beginning to adjust to the eating habits and workout routine pretty nicely. I have a long way to go still, but with the continued support from my friends and family I think I will have no problems at all reaching my goal.

In other news, today was the single greatest day in my military career, and also one of the most depressing days I have had in Korea. I know that seems odd but it's true. Today I took a full guided tour of the North/South Korean DMZ. From 0600-1700 I was on the go visiting everything there was to see, and learning about the US' true reason for being here.

Why was it sad? Cause all I thought about all day long was Amanda, and how much she would have LOVED to be on that tour. Amanda has always talked about how she wants to travel and see the world, and boy I'll tell you what I saw today was probably the coolest, most interesting "sight seeing" spot in world (IMO). I know I talk about her a lot but I don't think anyone, not even her, can understand how much she means to me. All you girls out there should envy that woman because I don't think anyone in this life could love anyone as much as I love her.

Unfortunately I did not have a camera so I could not take ANY pictures at all. However tomorrow when I go up to work, I will make a blog entry and tell you about the tour in detail and give you web-links to sites that have pictures and information about each spot (for those who are interested in what I do, why I do it, or just want to know the history.

Until next time...

Officially...

Today there are a lot of things that are official for me. First and foremost, I am officially a SSgt in the United States Air Force today. I won't be wearing the uniform until Saturday (cause I am off till then) but I have everything all ready to go.

Second I am officially moved into my permanent room, my phone and internet is hooked up, and I should be receiving my household goods in a couple of hours. That means that you can call, write, and email me whenever you want. For those of you that do not have my number, just call Amanda and she can give it to you.

Last but not least today is the first day of my year long diet to loose about 50 pounds. Yes I know that seems like a lot but I need this so much. Not just for my job but for my wife and kids. My weight has started to (in my eyes) effect my marriage, my activity with my children, and my health. So wish me luck and I will do my best to keep everyone in the loop about how it is going.

That is all for today. Until next time...