If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, "thank you," that would suffice. - Meister Eckhart
I am grateful for my husband.
I am grateful for my wife.
I am grateful for my family.
I am grateful for my friends
I am grateful for my garden.
I am grateful for film.
I am grateful for my home.
I am grateful for Holga Cameras.
I am grateful for color.
I am grateful for the past 3 years, 11 months and 29 days.
I am grateful for Brian coming home most nights (as opposed to sleeping in Iraq.)
I am grateful for being at the end of my time in the military.
I am grateful for coffee on quite mornings.
I am grateful for the stories my fellow soldiers have shared.
I am grateful for my spiritual family- our church.
I am grateful for good light.
I am grateful for a rewarding job, which lets me do what is most important.
I am grateful for 84,000+ sq/mi of Utah and all there is to do and see within them.
I am grateful for pedicures.
I am grateful for Beer.
I am grateful for a hopeful future.
I am grateful for good sharp knives.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Sunday, November 23, 2008
The end of my active duty...
The other day I was awarded an Army Commendation Medal, for my active duty service over the past four years. It was a nice way to end my time with a great group of Soldiers. I don't have too may awards like this, so it's nice to get one every now and again, especially when it was awarded by the two men that were responsible for awarding it to me.
The medal:
Mirinda was there and was able to pin it on me, she later said she felt like Princess Lea at the end of the very first Star Wars movie where she pinned on the medals on Luke Skywalker and Han Solo.
It's customary for service members that are retiring to be awarded either a Meritorious Service Medal or a Legion of Merit. I don't know for sure that I will get one of these awards, but I have it on pretty good authority that some kind of award or medal is coming my way soon as part of my pending retirement/graduation from the military.
The medal:
Mirinda was there and was able to pin it on me, she later said she felt like Princess Lea at the end of the very first Star Wars movie where she pinned on the medals on Luke Skywalker and Han Solo.
It's customary for service members that are retiring to be awarded either a Meritorious Service Medal or a Legion of Merit. I don't know for sure that I will get one of these awards, but I have it on pretty good authority that some kind of award or medal is coming my way soon as part of my pending retirement/graduation from the military.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Is it spring yet?
The first seed catalog came today! Neon purple cauliflower, heirloom corn, bush pickling cuc’s, paprika, Dozens of pumpkins, black heirloom radishes, hundreds of tomatoes (do I want to try tomatoes from seed this year?)
Perhaps I need more boxes?
Perhaps I need more boxes?
Friday, November 14, 2008
Brian becomes a vet
This week Brian will be traveling to Colorado Springs to transiton from an active duty soldier to a vet. He will continue as a member of the Utah National Guard untill February 14th. I am so proud of him! Here is his letter to his fellow soldiers:
My Dear Friends/Fellow Soldiers,
I just wanted to let you know that my time with the UTARNG is coming to an end.
Earlier this year I received my 20 year letter, and my ETS will be in February, so I will not be continuing my service with the UTARNG or any other component of the United States military for that matter. I have done my time, and enjoyed everything I have gotten from it, but I am ready to move on. I know full well what my decision means, but it is my decision and I make it without regrets.
I can't begin to tell you how much of a pleasure it has been serving our great country with you. My memories of the UTARNG will be filled with many laughs, good times, hard work and probably even a tear or two as well. I am very thankful for all that I have gotten from the UTARNG, I have learned a lot about myself and gained perspectives on things that I probably wouldn't have realized had it not been for my service to our great country.
If I have never said Thank You, for your friendship, your ear when I needed someone to talk to, your advice on anything I may have come to you about, or anything else along those lines, let me do so now.
Thank You.
I'd also like to thank you for being in the military, I know that our country is in good hands when I see the caliber of people who are serving now and the citizens that they will be as veterans.
I am not sure if I will continue to have an AKO email address come February, but if you like you can email me through my website, www.mtbbrian.com , click on the contact page and you'll see my email address there. If you've never taken a look at my site, please take a moment to look at my photography.
My orders with CBHCO end the first of January, from there I plan to drill in January and February assuming the dates work with my REFRAD and ETS dates. As far as full time work goes, I am looking for new work and have had a few interviews. My primary plan will be to transition from CBHCO to a new job. My alternate plan is to return to Draper, until 14 February or until I find a new job, whichever comes first.
For those of you that are currently in or headed to Iraq or Afghanistan, God bless you and your Soldiers on a safe and speedy return, my thoughts and prayers are with you and your families as well.
I hope that if we see one another on the street or where ever we may be that you stop and say hi, you know I certainly will if I see you.
Hoo Ahh!?
;-)
Brian
My Dear Friends/Fellow Soldiers,
I just wanted to let you know that my time with the UTARNG is coming to an end.
Earlier this year I received my 20 year letter, and my ETS will be in February, so I will not be continuing my service with the UTARNG or any other component of the United States military for that matter. I have done my time, and enjoyed everything I have gotten from it, but I am ready to move on. I know full well what my decision means, but it is my decision and I make it without regrets.
I can't begin to tell you how much of a pleasure it has been serving our great country with you. My memories of the UTARNG will be filled with many laughs, good times, hard work and probably even a tear or two as well. I am very thankful for all that I have gotten from the UTARNG, I have learned a lot about myself and gained perspectives on things that I probably wouldn't have realized had it not been for my service to our great country.
If I have never said Thank You, for your friendship, your ear when I needed someone to talk to, your advice on anything I may have come to you about, or anything else along those lines, let me do so now.
Thank You.
I'd also like to thank you for being in the military, I know that our country is in good hands when I see the caliber of people who are serving now and the citizens that they will be as veterans.
I am not sure if I will continue to have an AKO email address come February, but if you like you can email me through my website, www.mtbbrian.com , click on the contact page and you'll see my email address there. If you've never taken a look at my site, please take a moment to look at my photography.
My orders with CBHCO end the first of January, from there I plan to drill in January and February assuming the dates work with my REFRAD and ETS dates. As far as full time work goes, I am looking for new work and have had a few interviews. My primary plan will be to transition from CBHCO to a new job. My alternate plan is to return to Draper, until 14 February or until I find a new job, whichever comes first.
For those of you that are currently in or headed to Iraq or Afghanistan, God bless you and your Soldiers on a safe and speedy return, my thoughts and prayers are with you and your families as well.
I hope that if we see one another on the street or where ever we may be that you stop and say hi, you know I certainly will if I see you.
Hoo Ahh!?
;-)
Brian
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Make sure you vote....
No matter what you do today, 4 November 2008, make sure you vote.
No matter how you vote, make sure you vote.
No matter the party or the person you vote for, make sure you vote.
No matter if you vote is a yes or a no, make sure you vote.
The election in 2008 is extremely important and historical, make sure you vote.
So get out there and make sure you vote...
If that's not good enough of a reason to vote, remember:
Voting is Cool.
Voting is Smart.
Voting is Sexy!
Voting is Hip.
Voting is Glamorous.
Voting will help you feel good!
Sunday, November 2, 2008
The last....
Each day since 15 February of this year has been the last February 15th, the last 2 November that I would be in the military, and the other day, besides being the last whatever day it was, I took my last APFT, or Army Physical Fitness Test.
I didn't successfully complete it by Army standards, but as far as I am concerned I did, simply because I did it when I didn't have to in the first place. Because I am as close to retiring as I am and all that from the military I guess I didn't have to, but I felt like I had to do it, for myself and to support my fellow Soldiers. It was the first PT test I didn't pass since I have been mobilized, and because I am where I am at in the military I didn't work at the PT test as hard I need to in order to successfully pass it by the Army's Standards, which I am OK with that and I think that my fellow Soldiers are OK with it too.
The AFPT consists of three events which are meant to test your strength and endurance. Each event has a minimum standard in which you are scored, the minimum standard point value for each event is 60 points, while the maximum point value is 100 points. It's scored according to your age and gender.
The first event is the "push up", which is basically to see how many push ups you can do in two minutes. I did 36, which exceeds standards. The next event is the "sit up", which is done just like the push up event, but you are doing sit ups, I did 50, which exceeds Army standards a fair amount. The last event, is the one that has always troubled me, and that's the "2 mile run", it's the one that I have always need the most work on prior to the test, and it's the one that I didn't do so well on the other day, by Army standards that is...
Anyway...
I am proud of my service, to our great country, by next February 14 I will have been in the military for almost 21 years. I have meet and worked with a lot of great people during those 21 years. I think I am proudest of the past four years though, during my mobilization, it's been the most challenging and the most rewarding in many ways.
It's just that I am ready to move on from the military, and am looking forward to the last February 14th that i I will be in the military.
A few last things, before I end this post.
I'd like to thank Mirinda, for being a most excellent Army wife, even though we haven't been together through my entire military experience, ending it with her has made these past few years even better and sometimes bearable.
I'd also like to thank METALLICA for the free tickets to tomorrow night's show, the band gave several tickets to service members the other day. I saw them for the first time early in my military experience, so it's a nice way to go out!
METALLICA ROCKS!!!!!!
And Mirinda RULES!!!!!!!!!!!
Brian
I didn't successfully complete it by Army standards, but as far as I am concerned I did, simply because I did it when I didn't have to in the first place. Because I am as close to retiring as I am and all that from the military I guess I didn't have to, but I felt like I had to do it, for myself and to support my fellow Soldiers. It was the first PT test I didn't pass since I have been mobilized, and because I am where I am at in the military I didn't work at the PT test as hard I need to in order to successfully pass it by the Army's Standards, which I am OK with that and I think that my fellow Soldiers are OK with it too.
The AFPT consists of three events which are meant to test your strength and endurance. Each event has a minimum standard in which you are scored, the minimum standard point value for each event is 60 points, while the maximum point value is 100 points. It's scored according to your age and gender.
The first event is the "push up", which is basically to see how many push ups you can do in two minutes. I did 36, which exceeds standards. The next event is the "sit up", which is done just like the push up event, but you are doing sit ups, I did 50, which exceeds Army standards a fair amount. The last event, is the one that has always troubled me, and that's the "2 mile run", it's the one that I have always need the most work on prior to the test, and it's the one that I didn't do so well on the other day, by Army standards that is...
Anyway...
I am proud of my service, to our great country, by next February 14 I will have been in the military for almost 21 years. I have meet and worked with a lot of great people during those 21 years. I think I am proudest of the past four years though, during my mobilization, it's been the most challenging and the most rewarding in many ways.
It's just that I am ready to move on from the military, and am looking forward to the last February 14th that i I will be in the military.
A few last things, before I end this post.
I'd like to thank Mirinda, for being a most excellent Army wife, even though we haven't been together through my entire military experience, ending it with her has made these past few years even better and sometimes bearable.
I'd also like to thank METALLICA for the free tickets to tomorrow night's show, the band gave several tickets to service members the other day. I saw them for the first time early in my military experience, so it's a nice way to go out!
METALLICA ROCKS!!!!!!
And Mirinda RULES!!!!!!!!!!!
Brian
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