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I got instructions from people at Ft.Leavenworth that I am to fly out of Austin next Monday, thus began my 30 day TDY, I hope everything works out and I can turn in some quality work for them.

What had happened in South Asia has been, is, and will continue to be sad and devastating. Those of us who were not affected have truly been very, very lucky. Having been in a war zone and living through a lifetime of tragedies, be it having been affected by it, or know someone who had perished, just once again reminds me of how quickly life can be snuffed out. You would think that I am that much closer to living everyday like it was my last, but I'm not there yet. I still sleep away about a third of my life, have a very small circle of friends, thus a small circle of influence (all my good friends live far from me.), and I can't recall the last time that I had volunteered myself (except tossing tee-shirts at "Ride for the Roses".) to any meaningful causes

The girlfriend asked me if, in about 10 years or so, Iraq had become this shining democracy of the Middle East, and obtained a kick-ass economy, would I feel like that I had contributed to it? I think I would somewhat, and not very much. I would feel more so for some of the Iraqis who had translated for us and helped us out, they believed, sometimes more than we did, and paid their lives for that belief. I think that I am lucky to have been a witness, and also lucky that I got to see a different part of the world that I might otherwise not have gotten to see, under "normal" circumstances.

The dog is munching his dinner away, I'll have to become a bad parent once again. I don't like leaving the girlfriend and the pets behind, but I am hoping that one of these days, I won't need to just to earn a buck or two.