Working in the TX Panhandle

We began our 5-week stint in Pampa, TX, on Monday and we are looking forward to several cold weeks in the Texas panhandle. I have accounts in Pampa, Lefors and McLean, and I am anticipating having to do a lot of driving on the snow and ice as that's pretty well the standard in Northern Texas this time of year.

I'm sure you're shocked that I would be at Walmart, but the picture shows the remnants of the last snowstorm in Pampa (last week) and is just now clearing up again. It's sure going to be hard to make it onto Team Radio Shack with this kind of adverse training environment...haha!

YEEHAW! I'm headin' home Friday!

After six weeks of anticipation, my orders finally arrived this weekend and I am leaving Bahrain on Friday bound for home. I will fly most of the day Friday and Saturday before finally arriving in Lubbock just after 6:00pm on the 11th. Although most of the administrative processes have been nothing short of a disaster up to this week, once my orders arrived everything fell into place. I am moving all my household goods on Tuesday, checking out of my flat on Wednesday, and heading to the airport Thursday evening (the plane leaves just after midnight).

I can't wait to see Amber and the kids. I hope that Skype has been effective in reinforcing to Nathan who I am. Even if it hasn't, he'll figure it out quickly. I am planning on staying in Lubbock about a week or ten days prior to driving to San Antonio and getting my LIMDU status rolling. If I don't see everyone on this first trip home, you'll have to forgive me because I really want to spend my time getting reacquainted with my little ones (and Amber too when she's not working herself to the bone in Hobbs)!

Still on the Lookout for LIMDU Orders

I was certain that my orders would be in message traffic by Friday (yesterday) after talking to the LIMDU detailer and my community detailer, but I set myself up for yet another disappointment thanks to the very slow administrative chain of command. If (crossing my fingers right now) my orders are released early next week, I should be able to get everything set up to depart on the April 2 rotator...that is if everything works out correctly! I'd like to think it's the most likely scenario, but I know better than that.

On Friday night six individuals from work rented the top floor of an Irish pub (JJ's) to host a combined birthday party. Two guys from our directorate were included, so I went along. Chris Ferrante (pictured below) is a fellow watch officer, and we have become really good friends during our time in Bahrain. We had just been playing a game of pool prior to this picture. I guess it probably looks funny to see a guy on one leg trying to hobble around a pool table. It definitely affected my ability to play...not that I had much ability to play pool anyway!

Special Departing Gift for My Fine Navy Brethren

It's customary for an officer to give a few deserving individuals a token of appreciation for their "outstanding" support over the course of a tour upon departing a command. In the spirit of this fine Navy tradition, I searched long and hard for a gift that would, from the depths of my soul, accurately describe how touched I have been by the tireless dedication and pursuit of excellence that my Navy brethren have displayed. Although it was a tough decision, you can see in the above photo that I have finally found that perfect gift!

Interfax: Russia May Base Bombers in Cuba

MOSCOW – The Interfax news agency has reported that a Russian Air Force chief says Venezuela's (communist) president has offered an island as a temporary base for strategic Russian bombers. The agency reported that chief of staff of Russia's long range aviation Maj. Gen. Anatoly Zhikharev said Saturday that President Hugo Chavez had offered "a whole island with an aerodrome, which we can use as a temporary base for strategic bombers." The agency quoted Zhikharev as saying, "If there is an corresponding political decision, then the use of the island ... by the Russian Air Force is possible." Interfax reported he said earlier that Cuba could be used to host the long-range planes.

New T-Shirt to Help Make Friends

I found a new t-shirt that will be perfect to wear on campus at Texas Tech during my lunch in the free speech area. That was always my favorite place to go on campus if I needed motivation to go work out or hit the heavy bag at the gym for a while. I am quite certain that none of the dirtbags in the free speech area would object to a celebration of DIVERSITY would they? I mean that is truly what they stand for...ISN'T IT?

Making Preparations to Move

Although I don't have orders to leave the island yet, I began making preparations this past weekend for the imminent move. As soon as BUPERS (Bureau of Personnel) cuts orders authorizing my travel and household goods move I'll be ready! I fully expect to have orders early next week, and then it should (hopefully) take no more than a week to get everything else in order to leave...unfortunately I can't make appointments ahead of time without those orders. Getting my road bike packed into the travel case and all my bike tools/stand disassembled was my biggest chore. I don't really have that much stuff here in Bahrain, so it won't be difficult to pack and move.

Our Navy Federal debit cards were compromised somehow the other day, and some fraudulent charges had posted to my checking account...AWESOME TIMING. I went to the Navy Fed branch on base today to get a new card issued since I cancelled our others. They will FedEx one to the branch location here, and I should have it early next week. By the way, I didn't have a Star Wars debit card...that is simply for Cody's benefit! The funny part about the trip to the base to get a new card was that I had to walk all the way on crutches because all my friends were at work and I couldn't get a cab to show up and give me a ride. It's really not that far from my building to the base...probably around 2 miles. A cab finally tried to give me a ride when I was about 1/4 mile from the front gate...if his english was any good he heard something like, "Thanks for nothing, pal!"

The foot is doing well, although it's still pretty uncomfortable when not elevated. I am sleeping in spurts, and probably only sleep all the way through the night two times a week. Once the cast comes off and some of the major initial healing is done, I'm sure that will change for the better! I am getting ready to start putting weight on it and getting all the muscles firing again...can't stand the down time. I went to the gym for the first time since the accident this past Sunday evening. I had to use the nautilus equipment since my balance is off due to not having both legs for stability. I worked upper body for while and then used a rowing machine for about half an hour. It was definitely nice to be back in the gym and working out a little. Unfortunately, it makes me want to dive off the deep end and go back every day. One of the major drawbacks to working out with this cast on is that I can't wash my leg, and it will probably start to stink inside the cast if I continue to work out...OH WELL...too bad for everyone else!

Staple Removal

I got the staples removed from my right ankle on Tuesday, and based on the X-ray the tibia is healing just fine. When the doctor took the cast off there was a significant amount of bruising on the bottom of my foot, which he said was normal based on the injury and surgery. The new cast is made of fiberglass which will prevent any flexion at the ankle and is also much tighter when my foot swells. Sigonella approved my limited duty status and it should be about two weeks until BUPERS finalizes my orders to depart Bahrain for Lackland AFB in San Antonio.

Given that timeline, I probably won’t leave Bahrain until the end of March after checking out and arranging for my stuff to be moved. I hope that BUPERS can expedite the delivery of my limdu orders so I can get out of here sooner rather than later. I am looking forward to being back in the states and beginning rehab to get my leg/foot back to normal.

New JAVELIN Time Trial Frame

I guess you're asking yourself why a guy with a freshly broken ankle is itching to get a new time trial frame for racing...it's a good question...one which I don't have a good answer to, so I won't really try. My standard answer is: I got a really good deal on Ebay!

Whether you think it's stupid or not, PLEASE DON'T TELL AMBER or I will be in a great deal of trouble. Just kidding...but seriously...don't tell her!

It's a 2007 Javelin Barolo in a size 51. I only purchased the frameset which includes the frame, fork, headset and seatpost. It's only been built up, but never really ridden. Since UPS destroyed the Specialized Tarmac I sold recently (remains to be seen whether UPS is actually going to pay for destroying the bike frame), I will use the build kit from that frame to finish out this speedy time trial machine in preparation for my second full Ironman race sometime in 2010...race still to be determined based on the progress of my ankle and how fat I get from not working out for a while (I blame the Dairy Queen Blizzard by the way).

Levi Wins a Third Consecutive Tour of California

Levi Leipheimer won his third consecutive Amgen Tour of California this past Saturday, February 21. "I've been trying to articulate the feelings I've got on taking this race three times," Leipheimer said. "To win it once was huge, to win it twice I was a little bit lucky, but this is the sweetest victory of the three. I told Lance the other day that I don't know how he won seven Tours in a row. You can't get second place because that's losing." Although born in Butte, Montana, he is a long-time resident of Santa Rosa, CA, which makes winning the TOC that much more special for him.

Levi is wouthout a doubt one of the greatest American cyclists that has ever ridden. He has achieved a tremendous amount of success on the bike both in Europe and domestically while being a member of several different teams: Astana (currently), Discovery Channel, Gerolsteiner, team Rabobank, U.S. Postal Service (with Lance), and with the domestic team Saturn.

He is credited with numerous wins including now being a 3x winner of the Amgen Tour of California, winning the 2006 Dauphiné Libéré, stage wins and overall podium places at the Tour de France and Vuelta de España, and was a bronze medalist in the individual time trial at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. In addition to winning countless races, and perhaps more importantly, Levi Leipheimer is a really good guy...modest, caring, drug-free, and a fierce competitor.

Stimulus/Porkulus Plan

HOW DOES THIS THING WORK?

It's going to cost America dearly to give the "average worker" an extra $13 per week...only to have Obama's Transportation Secretary chomping at the bit to take that and more back in a mileage tax (which has luckily died for now...we'll see what the future holds).

I like to remind everyone that Robin Hood did not steal from the rich and give to the poor...he took back from the government what it had been STEALING from its constituents for far too long. Maybe it's time for Robin Hood to pay Little John a visit and get the people's money back.

Restraint: The Economic Plan That Will Save America

The inspiration for this blog entry comes from an article written by Chuck Norris in the 25 FEB 09 issue of The Conservative Chronicle entitled "Our Congress' clueless credit system."

"There are only two things that are going to get us out of this particular financial mess, and only Americans (not "only government") can implement those solutions. Both come down to one word: RESTRAINT. We must restrain our government and we must restrain ourselves. Feeding the money monster will not reduce its size...it will perpetuate the problem. We must tame the money monster. We must return it to its cage. We must return to a time when we put a bridle on the spending of government and of our households. We've got to simplify our lives. We've got to learn to be happier with less. We've got to get out of debt."

-Chuck Norris

As I look to depart from military service and pursue another career path, people continually warn me how bad the economy is and how dangerous it is for me to leave government service in the midst of such economic turmoil. It is pretty disappointing to me when men and women who are wearing the "cloth of the nation" remain on active duty not out of pride or service to their country, but rather because they are too cowardly to stand on their own two feet and have no confidence in their ability to contribute to society without the reassurance of Uncle Sam's outstretched hand placing dollars in their pockets.

Where have all the people gone who would take offense at having some sniveling, pompous, liberal piece of bureaucratic trash giving them a handout, thus implying they didn't have the strength or intestinal fortitude to stand on their own two feet? Have Americans in general became so soft and unable to care for themselves that they rely solely on big government to find a way out? I think we are headed that way, but it's not too late to reverse that trend.

· PRACTICE ECONOMIC RESTRAINT
· STRETCH YOUR MIND
· BUILD A STRONG BODY (I THINK A TIME IS COMING WHEN YOU'LL NEED IT TO SURVIVE)

Probably coming to Texas to rehab my foot

The Navy medical clinic submitted my paperwork for a lim-du (limited duty) board yesterday, and if the board's decision is to put me in lim-du status then I will receive a set of orders that will cancel my duty in Bahrain and place me at Lackland AFB in San Antonio for rehabilitation. I chose Lackland, but I could have gone to any major military medical facility that had the capability to conduct orthopedic rehabilitation. I should find out the results of the board late next week and could be out of Bahrain in the next few weeks.

Getting out of the flat for a few hours...

Rich came and picked me up so I could get out of my flat for a few hours. Although I have been busy studying and sleeping, it has been pretty boring thus far. I can only imagine how bored I will be prior to this whole ordeal finally being over (some 4-5 months from now). I am studying to get both my personal trainer's certification and GRE knocked out. I have plenty to do, but I tend to build up a lot of nervous energy when I can't move around like I am accustomed to and exercise when I desire. So, it was sure nice to get out of the house for a few hours. **Notice the new HALLIBURTON t-shirt I won on ebay!**

There was a huge traffic jam just down the street from my building, and come to find out it was because an armored truck had broken down right in the middle of one of the busiest streets in Juffair...or was this just a new approach to stealing an armored truck?

I am sure the KFC delivery guy didn't appreciate me taking his picture as we passed, but so what! Almost every eating establishment, including fast food joints such as McDonald's and KFC, has delivery guys that zip in and out of traffic all day and all night on motorcycles like the one above. In case you were wondering Dairy Queen has one as well, although I have been hesitant to order a Blizzard for delivery because it might not arrive in a timely fashion and already have melted...I may try it at least once before I leave though!

We drove down to the south end of the island and back, passing the University of Bahrain as we went. Maybe I'll have my GRE scores reported here as well as Texas Tech after I take the exam...do you think they'll accept the GI Bill? I wonder if I'll have to grow a mustache and gain forty pounds prior to commencement?