Get Back Up on That Horse!

Hats off to Jay Kirk. It was your "...eagerly awaiting your January 2012 post" that has spurred me to grace the halls of blogspot again. Couldn't help but chuckle when I read that. I've fallen into the much-easier "Facebook zone" of pithy one-liners and the occasional posted picture to vent my spleen and/or let friends know what's going on.

So, what has been going on?

Well, since my last post I've relinquished command of the 8th Airlift Squadron and moved my family to my next assignment as a staff officer at HQ US European Command in Stuttgart, Germany. The new job is a big change of pace: Once responsible for over 110 men and women, now I'm responsible for myself and one other civilian co-worker. It's a big, big downshift and has taken some major mental adjustments to deal with the change. To go from something so rewarding and challenging and, at times, frustrating, to a brand new job doing something on which I have no experience. It's been pretty frustrating. Talk of eventual retirement from our US Air Force has moved from the distant, hazy future, to a much closer point in time. That's never happened before. This move has been very challenging. There's only so much unpacking and broken furniture a person can stand. We haven't had it as bad as some, but this move was our 8th in 20 years of military service. Don't know how many more I've got left in me.

I was promoted to Colonel in February of this year and expect to pin it on in March 2012. This was a big career goal for me and I thank God every day for the path He's put me on. The older I get, the more clearly I see His guiding hand in my life. "The steps of the righteous man are ordered by God..."

Went on another cruise this month. My wife and I took our 4 children on an 11-night, 10-day cruise to the Western Med. We checked off many new places we've always wanted to see: Barcelona, Marsailles, Malaga, Madeira, the Canary Islands, and Casablanca/Marakesh, Morocco. What a great trip! We travelled on Costa Cruise lines for the second (and probably last) time. Costa, I'm told, is Italien for "Old Grouchy People." This certainly held true on this cruise. Lots of grouchy, irritable Europeans with out-of-control senses of entitlement, especially about the buffet lines. A casual stroll by the swimming pool post-lunch with the sun shining brightly gave me a great opportunity to give me kids a history lesson about what Jonestown may have looked like after they handed out the koolaid. Don't take their chairs, either!

Has It Been 9 Months?

The Annual "New Year's Day Introspection" entry where I realize it's been 9 months since my last post. My friend Chuck said it best--it is much easier to type out a quick snarky status than to work up a blog post. To get the synapses to fire in sequence for more than 5 minutes at a time is becoming more and more a challenge, I guess

The year that was 2010 was pretty good, all-in-all. My Squadron's moved forward. We had a very successful deployment to Qatar from May to September. I went back for my 20 year Citadel reunion and got to see great friends from High School and my old stomping grounds in Columbia.

The year that will be 2011 holds much promise. I'll find out in February if I made Colonel. That will drive what happens next: Stay here in the Pacific NW another year or off to some other crazy place. I'll relinquish command to my replacement in July. It'll be tough to hand my command over, but the idea of not having to constantly check the Blackberry holds much appeal, I must admit. My oldest boy starts his Senior year of High School. That'll make you feel old, let me tell you. It is exciting listening to him contemplate where he'd like to go to college. He's leaning towards the Naval Academy (my savings account votes for that one), but he's taken a recent interest in Texas A&M (close to our potential retirement locale). My middle son William starts High School this year, entering the 10th grade. The whole world is open to this young man. Benjamin has given up his dream of becoming a Jedi--"No future in it." Clever...clever, though apropos considering it all happened "...a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away." Isabella still wants to be a princess, though she will be 9 going on 16 this year.

So, a good year with hopes of an even better one this year. Happy New Year to all!

What's Goin' On?

I have been sufficiently ridiculed by friends for my serious lack of posting. Back to the salt mine...

I guess I've gotten sucked into that vacuous world known as "Facebook," where you can communicate in little snippets and not really put much thought into what you are writing. Blogging is a little more work, of which I've had plenty of late.

Been busy the past few months getting things in order for our upcoming deployment. It'll be another sunny Summer in Qatar. I went there during the same period of time back in 2006. Let me tell you, there are few places on Earth that have that kind of heat. I swore back then that I would never again complain about the cold. I never missed cold showers so much. I got in my car one day in July and the temperature showed 130 degrees F. Toasty. I'd work at night from time to time and get a chill with the air conditioner running. I got up and checked the temperature--82 degrees. Something is wrong with this picture.

Anyhoo, looking forward to getting into action again. We'll be flying into the different theaters over there. I'm hoping to be able to catch up with Chris Neeley in Afghanistan. Shouldn't be too hard to coordinate a linkup sometime over the Summer.

We've had some interesting times at work of late. Our Operations Group has had a rash of DUIs with my squadron leading the charge. It's been sporty dealing with the aftermath of each and keeping folks focused on the fact that we're fighting a war and that they have a very important job to do. I'm thinking about writing a book about the experience. It's been challenging to say the least.

Looking forward to stopping in for a cup of coffee at Jamestown Coffee Company one day. Couldn't be more excited for Jay and Caryn as they start off on this very exciting new chapter in their lives. Remember us when you're a gazillionaire, Jay. Remember, I'm you're man when you open up your Charleston branch.

New Year's Resolutions 2010

I guess one could call them resolutions. I prefer the term "goals." Not as much guilt if you don't fulfill them, I suppose. Here are a few of my "goals" for the year 2010

1. Start jogging again, eventually working up to being able to run 10 miles. Not sure the knees can handle this or not, so I reserve the right to adjust fire on this one.
2. Be a little more focus on what's important. The Lord, family, work, in that order. Playstation and watching TV didn't make the top 3 strangely enough. As it should be.
3. Eat less. Nelson Rockefeller once said that the secret to long life was to "push away from the table a little bit hungry." He was a gazillionaire. He has a little bit of credibility, I suppose.
4. Develop a hobby of some sort. I've been tossing this around a bit. What do I enjoy? Gardening, playing Playstation. I've ruled out Playstation...not very productive. I would like to build a greenhouse in the backyard and begin dabbling in gardening. At least you can eat your mistakes.
5. I want to make my own wine this year. Nothing super fancy but a huge step up from my last experiment. I tried to make my own hard cider using Wal-Mart concentrated apple juice and baker's yeast. "Prison wine," I called it. The wife and all who tried it just called it "Nasty." This is a building block goal towards my eventual retirement goal of having a still in the back part of my land. Nothing for sale, mind you; strictly be for gifts and to take the chill out of the bones.
6. Get a dog. This has been a goal for the last 4 years. Believe we're almost there. The wife's resolve is buckling. Just met my in-law's young neighbor who showed us her pet rat. She said it's very sweet and a good pet. Maybe I'll offer that as an alternative to speed along getting the dog.
7. Go camping more. Took the family camping 3 times this past year and enjoyed each time more than the last. My wife has surprised me with her love of the outdoors. Maybe it's the fact that I do all the cooking. I admit that I don't mind. Something about cooking over an open fire and dutch ovens. You could cook a week-old dead possum in a dutch oven and it would taste good. Not that I make a habit of cooking dead possum.

Pausing to Give Thanks

In this Thanksgiving Day season, I'd like to take a moment to reflect on the various things I'm thankful for:

1. Hormones and special genetically enhanced feeds that make today's turkeys so plump and juicy. I do remember the days (thankfully long past) of dry turkey. I say, "Juice 'em up!" This year I had the "Alex Rodriguez" turkey of all turkeys.
2. Sugar, especially after it's consumed by a bevy of small children. The energy produced by these toddlers as they bounce of the walls of the house could power a small city.
3. Pumkin pie. This is second only to Cheezits as the world's most perfect food.
4. Sweet tea from the South. Put as much sugar in Northern tea as you want, it still doesn't compare for some reason. Maybe Southern tea is made more with love. That's what I think.
5. Whoever came up with the idea of putting ham and pineapple together. Probably a Hawaiian. Those folks have it good, don't they? Perfect weather. A tropical paradise. Ham and pineapple.
6. Sitting at the big table. I remember having to sit and the little table when I was a kid. Thank God those days are over. Spilt milk. Peas rolling around. Crying. Wait, that happens at the big table, too. Never mind.
7. The Atlantic Ocean. That way all those Portuguese can't just walk over here. (I admit, I borrowed this one from Steve Martin's classic SNL skit, "Things I'm Thankful for").
8. Family. You know, you can pick your friends, not your family. But God has seen fit to bless me with a wonderful family.
9. Great friends. I've truly enjoyed re-connecting with everyone over the past few years. I look forward to staying in touch.

Happy Thanksgiving to all.

Random October Thoughts

Seems I'm doing this about once a month now. Here's this month's installment...

Arlene's sister with her two twin daughters and mother (with niece) are in town visiting. That makes 11 in the house. Not quite the 18 we had back in June, but it's a respectable showing.

Big Readiness Inspection begins this weekend. We get to deploy to be evaluated on how we go to war. The fact we are actually at war right now doesn't count.

Work is going well. Things have settled down a bit from the hectic days of August. I think folks are still feeling things out with the new boss and the entirely new squadron leadership team.

Kids are doing well. Nathan is playing water polo. My favorite sports t-shirt quote: "Water polo...if it was easy they'd call it football." He's played football and wrestling and says this sport is the toughest and most physically demanding by far. I'll take his word for it. Just watching him play it makes me tired.

Benjamin and William are playing soccer. Isabella is back to doing ballet. All are doing piano. Goodness, kids make things busy.

Sports. Hmmm. Like the Phillies/Yankees in the World Series. Probably the most evenly matched teams who'll provide the best game. Like Florida to go all the way in the BCS championship game. Continue to root against the Patriots and for the Steelers. Hockey...nope.

That's about it for this month.

It's Been a While

I guess like all new things one discovers, their newness and luster diminish. Such has been the case with the blog. As some of my friends have noted, Facebook seems to take the majority of their time. I do find it much easier and quicker to merely check what the latest word is on Facebook rather than trying to think of something witty or insightful to say in a blog. I've managed to type 6 lines here without really saying anything.

August was a trying month for me and my new command. What makes commanding a squadron so great is also what makes it such a challenge--the people. People do great things and accomplish wonderful feats. People also make very poor decisions that impact all those around them. Unfortunately, those are the folks who take up 80% of my time.

Long hours and heaps more stress. I've asked myself a few times what I've gotten myself in to. But then I'm reminded this is a Calling for me--God has set me on this path and I continue to faithfully follow. I certainly couldn't continue without His strength and wisdom He daily imparts.

The Dog Next Door

My neighbors have a beautiful black lab which, through the wonders of the modern day doggie door, has free and unfettered access to their backyard. This dog also has an abnormally large pair of lungs. How do I know this? Because it barks nonstop. What is it barking at? The wind. Birds. The grass. The silence. Random voices I'm sure it's hearing in its head. It's driving me nuts. Any suggestions on dealing with this? I've contemplated shooting it with my pellet gun. I've got a sniper position picked out in my upstairs bedroom window. Hot water tossed over the back fence--I'm sure that would only serve to whip it up into an inconsolable frenzy. Tainted meat? Hmmmm...

Flying With the Dolittle Raiders

I had the opportunity last week to fly two gentlemen around the Seattle area on an orientation flight. Normally these flights are uneventful. These orientation flights serve a dual purpose: They are training sorties for us and also give us the opportunity to demonstrate the capabilities of the C-17 and what's involved with being an airlift aircrew member. This particular flight was a little different, however.

These two gentlemen took part in the famous WWII Dolittle Raid that bombed Tokyo in April of 1942. They launched a fully fueled B-25 off the rolling deck of the aircraft carrier Hornet to an uncertain fate. The gentleman in the tan coat is Lt Col (retired) Cole and was Jimmy Dolittle's copilot that day. The gentleman in the red sweater is Maj (retired) Griffin, the navigator on the 9th aircraft that launched that day.

Several things stood out in my mind that day as I talked with them both during the flight and afterwards:

1. The raiders had to launch early--a Japanese fishing boat had spotted the convoy. They'd run the numbers and realized that they wouldn't have the fuel to make it to China. They knew they were going to have to set it down in the ocean--they went anyway. That's courage.

2. As we flew up the San Juan straight that day, Lt Col Cole leaned over and said, "A buddy of mine bombed and sank a Japanese sub right along here back in '42." I didn't realize the war had gotten that close on the West Coast.

3. Maj Griffin talked about what happened after they got back to the States after the raid. They did a war bond drive for a month or two then he was shipped off to North Africa to support ongoing operations there. He and his aircraft were shot down by the Germans and he spent the remainder of the war in Stalag Luft III. You'd think they'd be set up in the lap of luxury after a mission like that. They didn't miss a beat and all went off to fight the war elsewhere.

4. Those of you familiar with the movie "The Great Escape" may be familiar with Stalag Luft III. That was the actual camp where the Great Escape took place. Maj Griffin actually helped spread the dirt from the tunnels, though no Americans actually escaped that night. I asked him if the Steve McQueen character was based on him. He had a nice laugh about that and said, "No, but I sure spent a lot of time in the cooler like his character did."

One of the most rewarding things I've done in the Air Force. God Bless the men and women who fought for us all in WWII and all the past and present wars.

"Roadhouse" Revisited

A quick followup from my last post. Came home from work the other evening to find my father-in-law watching "Roadhouse." This is, I hear, the crown jewel in Patrick Swayze's acting crown. I myself prefer "Red Dawn," but I digress.

I chose to keep an open mind and watch a little bit while eating supper. I wanted to be a good host. Grabbing the remote and saying, "I can't believe you're watching this trash" would mean I was a bad host.

As I settled in and allowed myself to become transported into the world of cinematic excellence, I really sat back and listened to the dialogue. Now, when I saw this movie I was about 20--dialogue is not why I went to see this movie. Mostly the girls in it, I think. Dialogue...oh, yes. Fortunately there's very little of it. The one quote that stood out and inspired this follow-on post happened after the big fight in the bar (doesn't narrow it down much, does it?) when Dalton gets cut on his side and has to go to the hospital. Talking with the doctor, she offers him pain killer which he, bravely, refuses.

"Pain don't hurt."

Brought tears to my eyes. Also brought my supper up.

That, my friends, is the line that got this movie added to the AMC channel archives. No doubt about it. This movie belongs on Spike TV, not AMC. Am I wrong?

American Movie Classic? Really?

Trying to escape all of the political furor yesterday, I came home from a busy day to an empty house; the wife and family down helping a sister move in to a rental in Monterrey, CA. I fixed myself some dinner and sat down for a night of guy TV. Flipping through the channels I approach the usually fruitful AMC channel. But this night, to my great chagrin, was "Road House" with Patrick Swayze. "Road House?" Are you kidding me? Is this a classic movie? That's probably an insult to the word and it certainly cheapens the word that's used for such movies as "Raiders of the Lost Ark," "Casablanca," "Patton," and "The Sting."

Gift Wrapped Office

Returned to work on Tuesday from a weekend of camping. I walked up to the door of my office which, strangely was closed and the door handle covered in aluminum foil. I opened the door, flipped on the light, and was immediately bathed in reflected light from all over the room. As my eyes slowly came back into focus I saw this...

Someone came in and wrapped everything in aluminum foil. Each and every book. Things in my desk. Coffee cups. Pens and paper in the drawers. Pictures on the wall. The carpet on the floor.

I couldn't help but laugh. To the crew that pulled this off, a salute to you! Very impressive.

Now I know what the inside of a Jiffy Pop popcorn pan looks like.

Back From Michigan

Been another long pause since the last post. Just the standard "hustle and bustle" of life. Just got back from a huge, flyaway mobility exercise to a training base in Michigan. Somehow something this large managed to "sneak up on me," meaning I was so busy and didn't give it two thoughts right up to the point when I realized I was leaving for a week the next day. So a week ago today I hopped on a plane, flew four hours away and landed in "Japan" to begin the war. Our base was attacked by missiles, fanatic enemy special forces, aircraft, chemicals, high explosives--it really was a lot of fun! Well, maybe not the parts where we were in chemical suits for hours on end, but all of the excitement and watching good people do great things to get the mission done makes it all worth it.

I ended up in charge of the whole wing for a brief period of time when the command center was "bombed." That was pretty exciting. I joked with my group that I was going to take this opportunity to "shake things up a bit" in the wing. New Sheriff in town, if you will. I joked that we were going to set up a "fun run" in chemical suits and a picnic for the wing. Lightened the mood a bit and everyone had a nice chuckle (as much as you can with a mask on).

All-in-all, it was a good week. Long hours, lots of MREs, bad coffee, rain, sweat, stinky feet, bad food at the chowhall...what more can you ask for?

A Night of Smooth Jazz

My apologies. I must join many of my friends and, too, pass along my apologies for not posting more often. I've been bitten by the Facebook bug and, much to my wife's chagrin, can't stay away from it. I'm drawn to it like the inevitable head turn as you pass an accident on the side of the road. Like a moth to a flame. You get the picture.

Had a great evening with my good friend Jay on Thursday night. Met up at the Kirk casa, said "Hi" to Caryn and Harper, and hit the road for dinner and the Joshua Redman trio Jazz show. I've never attended a Jazz concert, though I've heard it plenty on the radio (I also find myself drawn more and more to public radio/classical music stations the older I get).

The concert was quite the experience and I had a great time. I had the lamb curry over rice. A plate of warm Hummus and pita bread started things off. All very classy and, mixed with the great company I had, proved a winning combination for a great evening.

As we were walking out that night, I remarked to Jay that "Between this concert and the Brittany Spears concert ongoing at the Tacoma Dome, I think we made the right choice."

Lost About "Lost"

My wife and I love the show "Lost" on ABC. We started watching it from the beginning and were almost immediately hooked. It's new and different. A character-driven story that doesn't seem to rely on the "sure fire" formula for today's TV success. It seems shows today are either tough cop shows, some version of a CSI, a reality show, or about lawyers. "Lost" stands out in stark contrast.

This season has been a bit slow, though. Granted, the storyline creates a challenge (timetravel is tough to do right), and it's tough to live up to last season. I'm having a hard time getting in the groove. Last Wednesday's episode linked most of the group together again. Hopefully they'll settle into their rhythm and get things going again. Otherwise, I'll have to tune into "CSI: Fresno" or something.

The Jell-O Challenge

Back from the latest 10-day trip East. We flew most of the time with another crew from another squadron and were, for the most part, put through the wringer. One of the crew members passed along a funny story from his deployed days last year I'd like to pass along to you.

When you're deployed for 4 months and you begin to settle into a rhythm, the human brain (at least the guy brain) begins to look for new things to occupy it. This is where some people get in trouble. Some folks channel this desire for stimulation in creative ways. This fella and his friends were at the chow hall one day and got to discussing crazy diets and nutrition. Someone was eating jell-o and took a look at the nutrition content. Now, this was the sugar free jell-o, the snackpacks of 10 calories each.
"Hey, I wonder if you could survive on these for a day?"
This innocent question spawned more creative debate. "How many of them would one need to eat for 2000 calories (average required for your standard man)?" "Would you need to mix it up with multiple flavors?" "What would a diet like that do to you?"

Unfortunately, the last question there was not asked, or at least not thought all the way through. This gentlemen, sufficiently challenged by his peers, set out on the "Jell-O Challenge" the next day. Each snackpack of Jell-O contains 10 calories--200 for a 2000 calorie diet. He only did it for one day and passed along some thoughts on this diet you should consider if my description of it has interested you in the slightest:

- 200 snackpacks in a day weighs in at just over 40 pounds of Jell-O. He was able to eat about 70 snackpacks. That's over 14 pounds. Respectable.
- At some point, the body says, "Oh great, more Jell-O. I'm still working on the last batch, so let's just let this batch right on through." Zero digestion. I believe he said you could almost put it in a bowl and right back in the refrigerator, though I don't know why you would want to.
- You'll want to stay away from the green Jell-O. See above observation for why.
- It's a strange feeling to be full yet not mentally satisfied with what you've eaten. It's like eating Chinese food and then being hungry again in an hour, but taken to a whole new level.

Ironically, after eating 14 pounds of Jell-O in one day, he still lost 3 pounds. "That gives you an idea about how my day went."

Dads Can Be So Cruel

So about 4 months ago I took my two youngest out for a little time with Dad. "Time with Dad," or as my wife calls it, "Goof off time," is like a box of chocolates...you never know what you're going to get. We stopped by the grocery store and picked up a loaf of bread and headed down the street to the decorative ponds just outside our neighborhood. These ponds are home to scores of ducks and geese. These ducks and geese appear to be permanently "on the dole," living the life of Riley while being constantly fed bread by saps like me. Nature's "Stimulus Package" I suppose. But I digress...

Anyhoo, we hopped out with our bread in hand and thus began the feeding frenzy. Frenzy was right. Those ducks and geese must have had a slow bread day up to that point. They were on us before we knew what was happening. My daughter began growing uneasy at this point which, of course, is my cue as a father to do something mildly cruel to her but immensely funny to me. I waited until she was preoccupied with one geese (who, by the way, are pretty mean) when I dropped a particularly appetizing bread chunk right behind her. A large geese took the bait and moved in. Just as the geese grabbed for the bread I told my daughter to look behind her. She didn't like that one bit. Next thing I know I'm wearing my daughter as a hat. I told her the same thing my Dad used to tell me, "Geese don't have teeth...they won't hurt you." It's hard to believe that when those things have your finger two knuckles deep down their throat.

I thought it was pretty funny and I thought she did too after sufficient time had passed to dull the fear she'd felt that day. I talked with her about it today. She still doesn't think it's funny. In fact, she said, "I mean, what kind of father would do that?"

"One who loves you very much, girl. " I told her one day she'd laugh.

"Not likely."

"Well...your kids will if you ever tell them about it."

My son chimed in at this point. "Yeah," he said, "I'll make sure your kids know all about it!"

Kids are so much fun.

More Snow

We had a stretch of about 4 days last week of highs in the upper 50s and sunny skies. I think one day even touched 60. For here that's Spring weather (shoot, sometimes that's Summer weather!). Woke up this morning to a fair dusting of snow on the ground. My wife and I have decided that we both belong where it's warm. No offense, Todd my friend, but wearing a sweater in June is not my idea of Heaven. I like to break a goodly sweat in November, get a suntan in March, and wear shorts at Christmas. That's just me.

I've found myself pondering retirement from the Air Force as, sadly, the majority of my career now is behind me rather than in front of me. I've been blessed to have seen a large portion of this great land and have a new project to think about--where to retire? South Carolina tugs at the heartstrings...I guess a piece of me will always call it home. Probably won't be Columbia, though. Coach Yawn used to call Columbia "the armpit of South Carolina--no ocean like Charleston and no cool weather like Spartanburg." That was when he wasn't paddling folks with his boat oar. Texas is really nice, especially around San Antonio. Hot is the word there, though. Good Mexican food, George Strait, cowboy hats as accepted fashion accents, and pickups. Florida is warm but a bit crowded. Virginia? North Carolina? What about the deep South? Alabama?

Anyone else thinking that far ahead? Am I showing my age?

10 Things I Learned This Week

I had the pleasure (?) of participating in a mobility exercise this past week which consisted of trying to operate aircraft in a fictitious location while getting attacked in various and sundry ways. It was educational for me in many ways, ways I'd like to share with you right now:

1. You can drink coffee all day. I figure Rick knows this already, but it was news to me.

2. MREs, which stands for "Meals Ready to Eat," have come a long, long way. I had a Veggie Burger in tomato sauce on Thursday that was not half bad. I'm not real sure what vegetable is square, brown, and tastes like a hamburger, though.

3. Coffee left cooking at the bottom of the pot will keep you extra awake when you drink it.

4. When it's cold outside and you go pee in a porta john, the steam that comes up is pee, too.

5. Wearing chemical protection suits for 3 hours is no, I repeat no, fun.

6. You get used to body odor after 3 days and become blissfully unaware. Others, however, still remain painfully aware.

7. No one should have to get up at 4 a.m...ever.

8. It's possible to be so tired that you can't get to sleep, though it may have something to do with drinking coffee at 5 o'clock in the afternoon.

9. 9-year-old boys think these mobility exercises are the coolest thing in the world. My youngest boy asked me if I got to carry a weapon. I told him that the next time I was going to requisition a grenade launcher and carry it like Arnold did in Terminator 2.

10. A burger king Angry Whopper has got it all over a Veggie Burger (and with only 800 more calories!).

Shootin' Hoops

My youngest had his first basketball game at the Y today. To my great enjoyment, he scored the first 3 baskets for his team and finished with 10 of his team's 18 points. He was an animal, running up and down the floor, dominating on both offense and defense. Of course, I cheered louder than anyone and sat back with no small measure of fatherly pride. Good genes. He isn't inflicted with a case of the "slows" like his dad, though. NBA, here we come...

Been crazy-busy at work getting ready for a big mobility exercise next week. Had to come in at 0345 this morning (on a Saturday!) to process through the mobility line. This consists of various checks of your equipment and gear...lots to "hurry up and wait." Chuck, you probably remember those days, right? Being 40 now, I needed a 2 hour nap this afternoon to get me back in fightin' trim. I get to sleep in tomorrow morning. It's the small things one looks forward to.