When the Smoke Clears

The cell phone rings. The number is a certain exchange indicating a call from Iraq going through a particular stateside base. Could only be one person:
RSM: Hey, buddy!
Butterbar: Whuddup, bro?!!
RSM: Not much man, just getting some things together around here.
Butterbar: Pa-Rade REST!
RSM: … already? F*!# you.
Butterbar: waitin’ for it…
RSM: …
Butterbar: waitin’ for [...]

Tonight’s story was supposed to be more fun tales from the field. Unfortunately I don’t have it in me. The regular job is draining and I am losing motivation, but I have to get back to the big table where all the papers are strewn about and continue to work into the night. The air [...]

…and I have plenty of my own to do, but a good friend, and an extremely good man, asked me to look over something of his. One of my favorite Majors is going through Command and General Staff College right now. He had a situational report paper due and asked me to read through it [...]

Alright, as each day passes there’s a little more aggravation, but it’s how we deal with life’s upsets that determine the quality of the person.
However, I ran into a person, a Nurse Practitioner who was asking some of my advice on supplies for a new clinic they are opening. I say, go for the [...]

Alright, yes, it is a quiet Thanksgiving here in the cabin, and I have been cooking up a storm. I have drop-ins and strandeds coming by for food, but mostly it’s a relaxed place. It’s not the perfect place for Thanksgiving because without TV, there is no football. Mom wanted me to drive down, but [...]

And no, not Valentine’s day.
Most likely if you are reading this you are part of my group of friends out there who have known me for years and are checking in on occasion, or you are some of the great people I have met through this blog and a few others. I take it [...]

Waterdrops are striking the roof of the cabin randomly tonight, with the occasional violent acorn landing and rolling down the steel surface. The last several days have been blankets of rain. I’ve not been here enough recently. I’ve been chasing social butterflies elsewhere when the real color of the days can be found in my [...]

- Two glowing eyes darting up and down in the pitch black woods: a deer. Two eyes moving side to side in the woods: probably a bear.
- When someone starts yelling, you can try to listen for the underlying message behind the voice, or shut them the f- out if they can’t figure out how [...]

It’s a new day, and I woke up this morning… COLD! Love that. I can add more blankets, and there is something appropriate about being in a little log cabin bundled under blankets listening to the animals start their day out in the woods, preparing to go to bed for a long winter sleep.
The [...]

I’m a random present-giver. I despise the feeling of obligatory Christmas presents and generally avoid giving them. When I find something that reminds me of a friend that I think they will like AND that will not necessarily add to a clutter collection, I snag it. For example, no Las Vegas shot glasses for friends [...]

Another challenging week at work. I feel some things are falling behind so I’ll end up working part of the weekend.
On the bright side I was able to have another video chat with ButterBar from an undisclosed big truck in Iraq, and set it up so he could speak privately with one of his [...]

Something in the state feels strange. There is a gathering, a coming together. The “Southeast Writers’ Conference” is about to commence. I can sense a bunch of writers getting ready to meet for several days of workshops and seminars along with lively discussion groups on the craft of manufacturing prose. Oh some might say it’s [...]

The Good Major/EODGuy (from the hike) is settled into Korea, his wife and daughter having arrived last week, finally. Thanks to the beauty of the Internet and the quality of Apple Laptops with their built-in videoconferencing, we get to talk face to face regularly, 13 hours apart (or 11 hours ago tomorrow). It helped as [...]