Saint Patrick's Day

Greetings loyal readers! It is time for my monthly entry and my monthly promise to post more frequently. This post may be old news to some of you, depending on who's receiving what emails from me.

We've been getting settled in here in the Gulf and learning what we need to learn in order to take over this mission from the unit we are replacing. The conditions are austere, but in the big scheme of things, this is pretty good living for a deployment.

    My "driveway" during a morning sandstorm.


There's plenty to do for us to stay busy here - everything from fitness to martial arts to college classes. Today, I started one of three online college courses I'm taking this month. If all goes according to plan, I will finish my degree by the end of the summer. I've been trying to alternate my mornings with either running or spinning and then do something else in the afternoon or evening. I've been able to squeeze in a few P90X sessions (which, quite frankly kicked my ass) and a couple jujitsu classes (which also kicked my ass...does anyone else see a pattern here?).

Tomorrow morning is the MWR (Morale, Welfare, and Recreation) Saint Patrick's Day 5K Run, or as we call it here: a chance to get a free t-shirt! What can I say? Our options are kind of limited. Thanks to the evil that is General Order Number One - the DoD's prohibition against alcohol in combat zones - my options are pretty much limited to running the 5-K in the morning and maybe knocking back a few O'Doul's after work.

Lest any of you get the mistaken impression that I am spending my days running 5-Ks and doing schoolwork, that isn't the case. The fact is that the Army frowns on Soldiers discussing mission details on blogs. Remember the expression, "I'd tell you, but I'd have to kill you."? Well, this is "I'd tell you, but I'd have to go to prison."

Thank you again to everyone for their support.

PJO