News and some random trash talking

First, I want to thank myself. I am sincerely grateful that I came up with the idea to publically broadcast the brotherly infighting that occurs in my family. I’d also like to thank my brother for setting this up.

Enough of that.

I am currently home in Colorado Springs. I have had the opportunity to spend the past 5 days with my mother and her sister Becky. They have helped me get my house in order in a way only mothers can. When my father initially helped me move into this house we did the things that guys typically do. The house honestly needed a woman’s touch to bring it out of bachelor pad realm and turn my place into a home. Who new bathroom rugs and curtains were that important?

I went to work on Tuesday for the first time and found out that the rear detachment has no use for me. Basically my responsibility until November consists of recovery and that is all. I’m not entirely sure how I feel about that. Sure, 4 months of paid vacation sounds nice, but more than likely I’m going to be bored out of my mind. We shall see what happens.

Right now, everything is up in the air and all I want is a timeline, a schedule, anything that I can put on a calendar and feel like I have a purpose. I’ve lived the past 6 years with a schedule and not having one if driving me crazy.

Thanks for all the support I had while in the Quad Cities. I didn’t get to spend as much time with everyone that I wanted, however the time I had was well spent and I learned a few things.
Here they are in bullet format:

-My cousin Lee does not know the difference between a snag and a 20 inch walleye and despite spending countless hours on the river, Lee and Brian have collectively spent 4 hours fishing. What an amazing tragedy.

-The only movie in history that my brother and I felt the same about was the new Superman.

-Going to Wrigley field and sitting in the bleachers is a great afternoon regardless if the Cubs are 21 games under .500.

-My mom and I only fight when I do something stupid and she calls me on it. Naturally, I have to argue with her rather than admit that I’m wrong.

-Finally, the Rockies are beauitful, but I’d rather watch the river any day of the week.

So Phil, I posted my first blog. Let the war begin.

Not Pictured

I’ve used one picture for all of my online purposes for the past five years. Though it may look it, I’m not trying to deceive anybody. I agree that up until about a month ago that picture would have been quite duplicitous, what with the freshman fifteen (thirty) that caught up with me after I graduated from college. Even if we ignore the exaggerated chin count, there’s quite a bit in that photo I don’t recognize in my mirror’s current return. The infamous “spike” has been retired for at least two years in favor of a shorn skull and my current mop. My facial hair changes more often than Paris Hilton’s boyfriend. And just about the only thing that has not changed since that photo was taken is my aversion to looking directly into a camera lens. Still, I’d love to be able to throw up a new photo for my legions of adoring fans to ogle, but unfortunately, in the past several years I have become the embodiment of that dreadful caption: Not Pictured.

There don’t seem to be any pictures of me anywhere. I snuck into a few at Thanksgiving, but since that was approximately 30 pounds ago I’m not about to throw them up just because they’re the most recent photos I can find. I’ve somehow been able to swindle a handful of beautiful girls into joining my friend list, and there’s no way I want them thinking I still look like that. Unfortunately, unless I start making creative use of the timer on my digital camera, God knows when a more timely representation of me will find its way onto my profile.

Sadly, I realized just how few photos of me there are when I attended my cousin’s funeral. My cousin, Levi, was just a shade older than me when he died earlier this summer. Before the services, on a monitor in the back of the room, there was a slideshow spinning through photos of Levi’s life. I couldn’t help but wonder what my own slideshow would look like if I were to be hit by a bus today. They’d have a dearth of images to work with up till about 18, and then, suddenly, the eight most essential years of my life would flash by in a breath. When you consider that as I get older I have fewer nice things to say about the man I used to be, I would be rather perturbed if my funeral in any way suggested that my teens were the best years of my life.

I don’t mind being the guy behind the camera. This past Christmas I was able to give my family pictures of Andrew from the day before he left for Iraq, and it was one of the most rewarding gifts I’ve ever been able to give my family. Still, when I spend so much time looking for those perfect moments of family and friends to capture for prosperitys sake, it’d be nice to see myself, once in a while, within the frame rather than below it — in a caption.

Photo Taken By

Still, I guess it’s better than Not Pictured.

Home

The past month has been a whirlwind. I cannot distinguish days let alone weeks.

Right now I’m sitting in my parents house in Rock Island, Illinois. I managed to make it to Cordova for the family party and both of my Cubs games. I’ve gambled a bit, done my tv/news interviews, fished, and even made it to the bars a couple four or five times.

As another week home begins, I have been reflecting on all that I have gone through, but I’m still not ready to talk about everything. I have yet to come to terms with being home while my soldiers are fighting. I don’t think I ever will.

At least the random guests and phone calls are dying down and life is getting back to normal.

My leg has made no noticable progress to this point. Still numb, still no ankle movement, still pain, but now it’s also frustrating.

I’m not known for patience and the wait is killing me. I knew recovery would be in months to years but saying that didn’t mean I understood it. This is a long haul and it’s already driving me up the wall.

I cannot express enough gratitude to the people that supported me and my family during this time. I honestly think my parents got the worse end of the deal from all their worrying.(At least I had the pain killers)But the family, friend, and local support was remarkable.

For now things are back to normal. Cubs stink, I’m in Rock Island, and I still can’t hit a jackpot on the boat.

I love all of you

If you’re bored, I’m around, my schedule is amazingly clear for the next three weeks.