Only Slightly Late

Yes I know I’m late with some of the Happy Birthdays out there, so here goes:

Within the last few days:

Happy 90 to my Grandma Nez – Who can still stomp me in any board-game of your choice
Happy 28 to my little Brother David – Who can still stomp me in any video-game of your choice
Happy 21-ish to Jen Sharp Woods – Who can out blog me any day of the week and twice on any day of your choice

And as I am somewhere between one and three hundred sixty four days late with everyone else’s Birthday: Happy belated Birthday to you!

Yes I mailed a present to ‘you’, but like every other package that leaves this place, it has been intercepted in Pakistan and will be resold for marginal profit via ebay under the heading ‘number one #1 bestest – guaranteed not to be DOA!!’ or something to that effect.

This birthday stuff is kind of depressing. Yesterday Rheagan told me that Lucas asked her when I was coming home. She said that I was still at work and would still be there for a little while longer. As this was relayed, it occurred to me that my deployment will span long enough for me two of my son’s birthdays in a row. And I will probably miss two of my daughter’s birthdays as well, as I will in all likelihood not leave Jalalabad until April. Then I will take the multi-country multi-stop trip back across big pond #1. Then I have to go back to Ft Bragg to turn in all of this dusty Army gear. Then I have to go across big pond #2. Then I check out of Yokota AB. And then I have to go back across big pond #2 to get to the States where I will take as much Leave Time as I can possibly get away with and cram lots and lots of missed happy birthdays as possible into that same time. ….which will be followed by another trip across big pond #1. I’m worn out just for writing about it.