Southern State of Mind

Around this time last year I was getting ready to redeploy back home.

While a lot has changed since then, I heard a song today that I hadn't heard since then and I wanted to put some words down.

This time last year was great. My sister and brother-in-law put me up at their place for a few days while I was looking for a new apartment, and my family was coming into Charleston to spend some time together.

Thanksgiving was great too. Ann and Kelvin were wonderfully hospitable and had dinner at their place. And a few days after, I got invited up to Columbia, SC and tailgated the Carolina/Clemson game with my buddy Spencer.

It was the best time I had in a while ...

Somewhere on 26W (just outside of Summerville) I heard Darius Rucker and Shawn Mullins', "Solitude" on the radio.

Then I heard the Gamecock's fight song ...

... I remember it like it was yesterday, too cool!


I don't know if it was the feeling of just being back in the US, the color of the leaves changing on the roadside as I sped along the interstate or the combination of the smell of cigar smoke and an open window, but I felt that things were moving as they should.

I spent that afternoon drinking keg-beer out of a trashcan, freezing because I was severely underdressed, joking with college kids and smoking the occasional Marlboro Red, but I was in good company.

I'm getting ready for the holidays again, but on the other coast this year. Not too much else to report. But as we say back in Charleston ... life is good y'all!

ALCON

ALCON ... a little inside, I know!

Alright, so after roughly 6 months I'm back. Let's recap ...

Shortly after I settled back into my job with MUSC, I was contacted by Hero 2 Hired about a writing position with an advertising company. And after a couple months of negotiating, I accepted the offer and started preparing to move across country ... AGAIN (I think this is my 9th move.)

But packing up was going to have to wait.

My (paid-off) truck's transmission had just crapped out on me ... twice. Not to mention my best friend was enroute to Charleston to do some sightseeing, AND help me make the drive.

And what began as a week-long vacation turned out to be a 72-hour quick visit with family and friends before moving so I could start the new job on time.

Here's a quick rundown of the three-day visit: dinner on the pier at Folly Beach, a downtown ghost tour with Ann and Kelvin, strolling around the CofC campus at 2am, trying to surf 10th Street with an undertow where I almost lost my trunks, dinner with my second fam in Goose Creek and a last-hoorah with Wild Bill, Olga, Ann and Kelvin.

After moving all my stuff into the car, I left a brand new mattress, box spring and computer desk outside my apartment complex with a sign that read, "FREE!!!" After a two-hour delay, because we stopped at Starbucks, we began our drive ...

Day 1: Charleston, SC - Sanford, NC - North Beach, MD
Day 2: North Beach, MD - Elkhart, IN (via Pennsylvania & Ohio) - Scherreville, IN
Day 3: Scherreville, IN - Omaha, NE
Day 4: Omaha, NE - Denver, CO
Day 5: Denver, CO - Salt Lake City, UT
Day 6: Salt Lake City, UT - Reno, NV (Home)

Somewhere outside of Chicago the scenery changed. The lush vegetation that dominated the landscape only days prior now gave way to endless views of farms, rolling hills ... and an awful smell, cowshit!

Somewhere in Nebraska we stopped at a Flying J truckstop and I picked up the newest Kings of Leon album (it was either that or Steppenwolf) ... Pandora doesn't work when there's no WIFI, and the alphabet game is only fun for the first few hours.

Fast forward ...

I'm currently listening to the Foo Fighters and pondering a lot of stuff ... GMAT exams, Officer Training School, AFSC changes ... but most importantly getting married, and starting a life with my best friend. I don't regret leaving the South. And while I miss my family and friends terribly, I know this is just a chapter in a novel. God has blessed me many times over, and I'm so excited to see what lay ahead.

P.S. Thanks to all the family, friends and soon-to-be family that put us up for those nights. We'll see you soon!

An American in Paris ... yeah I went, once!

The year is 1997. The location is Folly Beach, SC.

It's the Tomko reunion, and there's roughly twenty-some Yankees occupying a beach-front property on Folly Island. I forget what day or night of the reunion it is, but it's roughly 2am and everyone is asleep ... except for me. There's an impressive lightning show off the Atlantic Ocean, so I decide to head up to the pier to check it out. I guess dad left the radio on Q104.5 because I remember hearing a familiar voice, but not necessarily knowing the song. The voice was from The Doors' Jim Morrison. And it was a combination of Jim's poem and song, "Stoned Immaculate," and "Texas Radio."

Unfortunately I couldn't find them both together, but take a listen ...

then this ...

I'm not sure why THIS is my first post since May, but I hope you enjoy it none-the-less.

It's been a crazy, exciting and fun 2014 thus far. I'll tell you all about it soon!

The Veteran! The Veteran! The Veteran!

It's Memorial Day ...almost.

 

I feel compelled to write; not about MY time in the service, but about those that have come before me. My family has a rich history of service to this country. Although, I don't think they necessarily intended for future generations to continue it in the way we have, they embodied the very foundation of what makes a military person great ...putting others before themselves. And in doing so, they've inspired quite a few people along the way. 

 

Unfortunately, I don't remember my dad's dad, Grandpa John. I was just a kid when he passed away, but I was fortunate enough to grow up with some amazing stories about him. Not only did he serve at the Battle of the Bulge. But, one of my favorite stories about him was when he acted as a Polish interpreter shortly after the concentration camps were liberated. He was a first-generation American, his parents immigrated from Poland in the 1900s. I can only imagine what life was like for him.

Oh, fun fact by-the-way! ...Candlebox frontman Kevin Martins own father served at the Battle of the Bulge too; just makes me wonder if they ever ran into each other ...he was from Chicago!

 

A certain Vietnam-era Marine, who shall remain confidential is another person I'm especially reminded of, and proud of during this time of year. When I was still in Catholic grade-school, before I flunked out ...lol, this Marine wrote me a letter telling me about his experience in combat and who his hero was, Corporal Joe Thomas Hunt:

"...Corporal Joe and I went to unload ammunition off helicopters on Jan. 27th [1968] about 2:00pm. The North Vietnamese fired many rockets at us. We didn't hear them going through the air, because of the engines on the helicopters. Corporal Joe stood between me and the explosion. He died instantly. He saved my life. He's my hero." 

Last year I got to visit the Vietnam Memorial and finally paid my respects to Corporal Hunt.

 

There are so many other veterans that I would love to write about. And they represent just about every branch of the Armed Forces. From James Cornell in 1917 with the Allied Expeditionary Force, to recent operations (my own father;) my family still continues to serve. 

It is truly a privilege to be a part of this brotherhood. I'm so glad I wasn't ready for college after high school and decided to enlist myself! 

The intention of this post isn't to romanticize war, because war is horrible! It is simply a reminder that all the blessings we have today wouldn't be possible without the men and women who gave their lives.

Stop just thanking veterans and do something worthwhile!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Please Call Home

So much to write about and it's only the second week in May!

Self-disclosure is a son-of-a-bitch; especially when the recipient is clueless!

Oh well, what started out as a really miserable drill-weekend turned into something really positive (for the most part). 

I got a promotion! I remember in 2009 when I officially joined the NCO tier, there was this different atmosphere during the ceremony compared to this one. I'm not quite sure how to explain it. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan were in full swing then, and it was as if there were no signs of slowing down.

The transformation from the Airman to NCO tier is really a privilege. But, I liked this most recent promotion a lot more. We've slowed down since then, and it's been a tough transition, but I'm beginning to see all the potential out there and I'm really excited! I can honestly say I haven't thought that way in years.

I've been listening to a lot of blues lately. I think it has something to do with this being my last summer in the South.  I'm definitely going to miss that. There's something about a guitar picker sitting' under Spanish Moss hanging from an Oak tree that's older than America itself, singing about something from the soul. I'm so grateful I got to experience this!

Not too long ago, I spent a Sunday afternoon at Folly with the family. We spent the afternoon drinking cold beer and watching the Chicago Blackhawks beat St. Louis in 80-degree heat with full humidity... not sure if I'll miss that though! After lunch we went to the pier to do some fishing. I lost two lines due to my own negligence, but I did catch a fish using Finger Mullet that day. 

It's going to be a great summer! I need to grab some dinner and a beer, see ya!

Untitled ...not the Pearl Jam song!

Today some good friends of mine came back home from their deployments, it got me inspired to put some thoughts down.

One ASVAB book down, one more to go and 400 more flashcards to study before I take the test again ...in a couple weeks that is. And, most likely re-class into another, "career?!"

Excitement is definitely an understatement though. As I'm writing, I can't help but think of the past several years I've spent in Charleston.

I'll miss it, but it ain't what it used to be ...that's for damn sure!

People came and went ...so did the greatest radio station of all time, 96 Wave! I weep for the young men and women in the Lowcountry subjected to "shlock-rock" offered through the current stations.

Soon, I'll load up my truck with all that I've accumulated over my thirty years of existence and move to a place I've only visited for a week. But, there is no fear. Fear can't compete when the Lord puts people into your life that you just don't want to be without.

Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined something like this, but it's here and I can't wait!

Faithful

What a UTA! What a week! What a weekend!...it's been cra-cra so let's get busy!

An extremely productive drill weekend is behind me and another one is shortly approaching! Nothing is official yet, but I'm hoping to go from Reserve to Guard very soon! I was able to get a lot accomplished in the way of paperwork and have been doing my own homework about jobs, school and the what-not!

It's not just a job, it's an adventure ...oh wait, wrong branch. Dad taught me better than that!

During drill I had a mandatory VA briefing. While I initially wanted to puke at the thought of yet another mandatory briefing, I left quite motivated and inspired. It turns out I have plenty of benefits I have rightly deserved and will be taking full advantage of ...I think I see a Master's degree in my future ...and a re-class into another AFSC!

I'm writing this while listening to Pearl Jam's, "Yield." Pretty sure I'm listening to it cause Bill and I were watching, "PJ20" after writing music all day yesterday.

By the way, we're recording a new album soon ...stay tuned! It's so much more advanced than Three Strike Loser, can't wait! No idea about band names or song titles, but we still rock so we're gonna put it on tape before I head out!

Today was awesome. I had an awesome guitar lesson, studied A LOT, hit the gym, went to mass and got to work on my golf swing ...SNL is about to come on so I gotta go!

"...Go West young man!"