Keep On Truckin'!

This is me and my new truck at the beach. I love this thing! It's so fun to drive, and I can't wait to take it up in the mountains this winter. It's gonna be hella cool!

Truck & Me Originally uploaded by currtdawg.

Float On

So much going on. I had a great weekend. It was full of karaoke and running and laying at the beach and socializing. Lots of fun and very relaxing. Plus, Don (who's been in the States for three weeks) and Paul (who's been in Hawaii for a week) got back yesterday, so it was great to see them.
Today began my second post-deployment week of work. There are going to be tons of changes in my shop in the coming weeks. We have three guys moving to other bases, one guy separating, and our boss is moving to another shop. This means I now have three EPRs and two decorations to write. But I'm somehow staying really motivated at work, even to the point of enjoying my time there. This may be due to the fact I have lots of work to do, and no choice but to stay motivated. But it's more than that. I'm going to sound like a total richard, but certain things I wouldn't have cared about before are starting to bother me (i.e. people with tongue rings in uniform or out of regulations, etc.). Is all that Air Force crap getting to me, or am I just maturing and starting to accept responsibility more? I turn 30 in two weeks, and I've been thinking about it a lot lately. Is it really a big deal? I used to think 30 was so old. But I don't look 30, and I most certainly don't feel 30. I guess I'm the only person who can really put age limitations on myself. Being limited stinks. To quote Aaliyah, "Age ain't nothing but a number."
I don't really have any major plans this week. I'd like to hang out with Don one night and hear about his trip to the States. Other than that, I think I'm just going to chill out and watch a few movies and stuff. It's nice to get back into a normal routine again. I think I have just enough variety in my life to keep it from getting boring, and just enough predictability in my life to keep it peaceful. It's a nice balance.
Things are looking good for the China vacation this fall. I scheduled my leave at work, and I haven't heard any objections yet. Paul and Trish and I are basically just deciding on which travel agent to go with. I'm trying really hard to save money. I'm used to just frivolously buying whatever I want when I want it, but now I'm thinking twice.
Anyway, I can't think of anything else to talk about. But before I close, I'm going to give you the Album of the Week:
Franz Ferdinand's self-titled debut. I got it right after I got back from the desert, and I'm so addicted to it. They're a Scottish band that produces some of the catchiest danceable rock I've heard in a long time. It's full of kicking tempo shifts, disco-ish drums, fuzzy guitars, and a Brit-pop meets post-punk attitude. Highly recommended.
Okay, I'm gonna get outtee. Take care. No worries. God Bless.

Back in the Zone

As you can see, I'm really into this photo blogging thing. This is a picture of my friends on a little shopping trip to Hachinohe. Kerry is from England and works as an English teacher at some local Japanese schools. Paul and Trish are married, and they are the ones with whom I'm going to China this fall. Jeni-Bomb is amazingly cool and makes me laugh really hard. These are some of the best friends I have here in Japan. I love them so much. So, anyway, in other news, I'm back at work this week, and it's going pretty well. I'm really motivated. I hope it doesn't wear off after a few weeks. The weirdest thing was when I put my BDUs on Monday morning. I lost so much weight in the desert, they looked like I hung drapery on myself. I had to cinch my belt really tight, which caused me to look like a frumpy old man. I'm either going to have to gain some weight back, or buy smaller uniforms. The weather was really nice today, so after work, I came home, threw on some shorts, and headed to the beach. It was so peaceful. I was the only one there. I just stared at the ocean for about an hour. Waves are such a trippy thing. I wonder how they work. I mean, I know it has all kinds of stuff to do with the tides and the shelf and the wind and the moon and stuff, but does that really explain it? I mean, they just keep rolling in and reaching up on the sand, over and over. It never happens the same way twice. It blows me away. Anyway, I've done enough rambling and philosophizing. Take care. No worries. God Bless.

Kerry, Paul, Jeni-Bomb, and Trish Originally uploaded by currtdawg.

The Pet

Since I've been back, this little guy has been hanging around outside my house. I call him "Pete" and have developed quite a liking for him. He's doing a great job at keeping away all the bad bugs. Yay, Pete!

Pete Originally uploaded by currtdawg.

El Scorcho?

Well, I head back to work tomorrow. It's been a pleasant two weeks off, but I have to admit, laying around all day is getting kind of old. It will be nice to get back into a normal routine again. Speaking of work, I'm doing my best to be extremely nice to SMSgt Adams. Since he arrived in Misawa and took over facility management, he has kinda been my arch nemesis. It all began when he decided I would totally redesign a minor maintenance program that has worked since the dawn of time (or at least the dawn of Tora Zone). Then my boots hadn't been shined good enough. Then my hair was too long. Then my hair was still too long. Then there was the issue of how I chose to wear (or not to wear) my hat. So, over the course of time, we developed an understanding that we just wouldn't talk to each other unless completely necessary, and I was cool with this for a while. But now I'm thinking that maybe he's such a bitter, unhappy man in his own life that he feels the need to distribute his gloom to those around him in the work place. So I have decided that it is my duty to bring a little happiness into his life. As of two weeks ago, I have decided I will not fail to miss an opportunity to smile, wave, and/or exchange pleasantries with Fernando Adams. By swallowing our pride and mustering some courage, even our most unlovable enemies can be shown a little love. Some of you may be thinking, "You're just doing this to suck up," but you'd be wrong. If Adams continues to make my time at work difficult, so be it. As my friend Jim once said, "Fuck results! Love isn't about results." That's all I have to say about that.
So, in other news, I have a new truck. Yep, I got rid of my blue Mazda sedan that has been so faithful to me for the past 4 years. My friend Ann was PCSing and desperate to sell her Pajero. The Mazda was starting to act up and the JCI was due in October, where as the Pajero isn't due until April of '06. It's 2-door, gray, has 4-wheel-drive, a ski rack on top, and I know Ann has taken excellent care of it. But the biggest factor is that I want something I can take up in the mountains for snowboarding this winter.
As you can see from my last post, I've found out how to post pictures on my blog. I'll be increasing the frequency of this in the future. Along with the pictures, I'll be randomly including things that tickle my fancy, such as "Link of the Day," or "Album of the Week." I hope you all enjoy my inputs. Also, if there are any questions you have for me or anything you'd like to see posted here, feel free to add a comment or e-mail me directly at currtdawg@mac.com. I look forward to your questions, comments, and critiques.
So, I'm gonna get back to laying around and enjoying my last day of freedom. I was hoping it would be sunny today so I could go lay on the beach, but no such luck. Take care. No worries. God Bless.

There's no other way to put it...

I'm a BAD MOTHER FUCKER!!!

Bad Mo Fo Originally uploaded by currtdawg.

Not Much To Do and Too Busy To Do It

I've been back for about 10 days now, and I feel pretty good, I guess. I've been my usual social butterfly self and I've done my fair share of laying on my couch...all the things I hoped to accomplish upon my return. I've succeeded in running about 3 miles each day, just so I don't get too lazy. Still, something's missing, and I don't know what it is. I've been listening to all my new CDs (i.e. the new Beastie Boys - old school greatness; the new PJ Harvey - spectacular; Franz Ferdinand - groovy; Modest Mouse - pleasantly unique), catching up on movies (i.e. Kill Bill, Vol 2. - completely different from Vol. 1, but still amazing; Spider Man 2 - deeper than the original; City of God - heart wrenching; Amores Perros - intense), and sporting all my new duds. I think it's deep social interaction. Don has gone to the States for some conferences, so I only got to chill out with him once before he left. I've hung out with Paul and Trish a few times, but I don't think I'll ever be on the same level as them due to their couplehood. I enjoy talking to Jeff and Mike and Jimmy, but I guess I just haven't invested enough in our friendships to earn some real closeness. There are a few things about Brad that are starting to bother me. Nothing major. I just feel he doesn't really have any faith in people. It's kind of sad. I wonder how things will go if he goes to Fuji with us. Oh, yeah, Fuji. I missed last year, so I'm extra excited about this year. There's going to be tons of free time, and I love Tokyo. I can't wait.
In other news, I'm going to buy Ann Williams's truck. My car is getting pretty old and decrepit, and I'm really wanting something I can take up to the mountains this winter for snowboarding purposes. It will be nice to have something different to drive around.
Anyway, my vacation time is quickly slipping away, and even though I haven't really done much, I feel like I've been really busy. I guess I'm just going to try and enjoy my last week of freedom. Take care. No worries. God Bless.

Free At Last!

Woo-hoo! I'm back in Misawa, and it feels so good to be home. After spending 16 hours on a plane, we arrived in Misawa Saturday afternoon to a very warm greeting. Seeing everyone again was even better than I anticipated. Some things you just don't appreciate until you're away from them (i.e. my house, the odd fishy smell of Japan, green-ness). After we left Iraq, we spend a day and a half at Al Udeid, which I haven't seen since we left last year, and boy, has that place changed. The new living area looks more like a resort than a military base. We got to chill out at the Plaza (the central social area) and drink beers. There was even a band there that night on a USO tour. They played the type of music I normally don't like (angry-white-boy-nu-metal-rap-rock), but every so often they threw in a Weezer or Rage song, and that made everything better.
Anyway, now I'm back and I have two weeks off. I don't really have any plans yet. Unpacking and getting my house back in order will probably take a couple days. Maybe I'll hang out at the beach, or go camping, or maybe head down to Tokyo. Whatever I do, I need to wallow in my laziness as much as possible because before I know it, my two weeks will be over, and I'll wonder where the time went. So I guess I'm going to get busy doing nothing. Take care. No worries. God Bless.