Half way through, both leave and deployment

That is not exactly true, I am halfway through Leave, and really just about half way through my deployment time in Afghanistan, but I have been away from home since late February, so well over half by time away from home standards.

It is almost surreal to come home and find things mostly the same way they were when I left. It is like I was away on a month long training for business the way it feels. However that is because I everyone here is still here, doing pretty much what they were doing when I left. I love that, it means that that is what I should find when I get home.

I don't miss Afghanistan at all. I know people who love being deployed, who relish in the adventure. I enjoy the adventure, but would trade it in a second for home. As much as I know that we are doing a good thing in Afghanistan, creating a time buffer for the Afghans to figure out how they are going to govern themselves, and create an infrastructure that allows democracy to florish, I still wonder how much progress is being made while we are there. I know any one persons contribution is not the point, that the sum whole is greater that the sum of the parts, but I am still basically left with blind faith and hope that we are indeed doing a good thing.

Christmas was great with my family, and while I am not sure how I got so lucky, I am sure happy that I was home. Everyone I have seen here has been great, I am truly a lucky guy to have so many people who care about me here.

I just went to a basketball game and our team won the game, that was nice, I have learned to enjoy watching high high school ball, and while I won't get enough games under my belt this year, I have next year to look forward to.

Prior to leaving I have to repair/replace a water bib that cracked and flooded the front yard with water again. Let me say the design by FEBCO may be great in some places in the world, but it truly sucks here, 2nd year in a row that I know of that it broke with minimal freezing in the area. Yes I have insulated it, yes it is a crappy design, and yes this summer I will be replacing it, I just don't have the time or knowledge right now to be mr. plumber handyman.

Also necessary to get my kids car fixed so he can stop driving my truck. Pretty annoying, unavoidable, and of course required.

Hmmmmm My Birthday is coming up soon, people all over the world or at least in all the bars in Oregon will be celebrating with me, as I have decided to hold my birthday on the 31st again this year.

Okay, that is really all that is going on right now, so I am through sharing.

Have a Happy New Year, be safe, sanity is a judgment call anyway, so attempt to avoid doing things that get you visited by guys with guns, or people with bandaids.

Keith