Oh, For the Love of Chedder!!

I guess I'm just not used to the Maine Corps yet. You'd think that I'd have warmed up to it after 2 years. Yes, I hit my 2 year mark on July 20th. Anyhow, this particular manifestation is that I AM NOT GOING TO IRAQ. This is finally official and officially final. The team that was going to leave in mid-August to replace the guys that we (the 5th SSCT) have over there is not going to go. The guys who are already there will be staying for an additional 6 or 7 months. They will be coming home in Feb or March of next year, but after that we (2nd Marine Division) are turning over control of that area to an entirely other command, which means that I will most likely not deploy after that either. While this will make it more feasible for Helen and I to get married in May (pending paternal blessings), the deployment was going to provide a little extra money. We should still be okay, I've run the #s plenty of times and she and I are willing to do whatever it takes to make it work, no matter when we get married. I am really very excited about the prospect of getting married to this wonderful young lady with whom I have fallen madly in love. I mean, I'll get to see her on, like, a daily basis! For more than just a couple of days at a time! Yeah, living 1,300 miles appart has it's drawbacks, but it also doesn't really have any benifits. No wait, lemme think....... yeah, no benifits.

I will also not be coming home in early August as I had planned, but will likely come home with my Dad when he comes up here to Rutherfordton (6 hours away from me) for my Great-Aunt Annie's 100th birthday. I'll take 7 days or so to breathe and pretend that I'm a civilian for a little while.

In other news, Lance Armstrong won his 7th consecutive Tour de France. But really, it's France... can he really brag? It just goes to show that we Americans might not be able to put together a winning Olympic team in our own sport (basketball), but we can sure kick their tail on their home turf! We might be arrogant and cocky, but until any other country finds a form of government that gives them fewer civil wars than us, they can keep saluting with their palms showing! (Helpful hint: there is a rumor that America's military is the only military in the world that salutes with the palm facing in toward the saluter's face instead of towards the person being saluted because we have never lost a battle on our own soil. My research, however, finds that to be inaccurate.)

Anyhow, my shift is almost over. I get to work a night shift tomorrow, which means that I have the day-time to myself! I plan on going to look at a truck that I'm probably not going to buy (but God works miracles) and going to Wachovia to buy a CD (no, a Certificate of Deposit, gosh) that has a $50 minimum, but that I have to add $50 to every month. It earns like 3.4% intrest so I'm excited about it. If I can save $100 into it every month for the next 3 years then I'll have... (carry the 1... 3.1415 times the derivative... plus infinity over 2....) $3,765 when I get out of the Marine Corps. And that doesn't include what I earn and save between now and then. Anyhow, I like this Doing-Something-With-My-Money thing. Well, my replacement is here so I'm going to go home and do something for 2 hours before I go to sleep. More later...