Today has been pretty tough... still about 4 hours to go... not going to work out for the 2nd straight day, either. I've been pretty sick now for the 3rd straight day with a stomach virus type thing. UGH! Hopefully I can shake it and get back to normal. I've felt fine otherwise. I went to the doctor, and they gave me Pepto Bismol. LOL Crazy asses! I guess there really isn't much else they could do for it honestly. It's really made me quite tired today, however, so I think I will be hitting the sack early yet again tonight. I look forward to sleeping in Saturday morning. Yay!!!! It's ny next late day to come into work. :) It will be a good catch up on my sleep for sure!
So... what do I miss the most right now... well... obviously I miss my wife very much, and I would love to have her here to take care of me while I'm not feeling well. :( I miss my precious baby kitties... Sidney and Crosby (yes... I am a die hard Penguins fan along with being a Steelers fan!) I will be posting pictures of the babies soon, too, by the way. Between my wife and I we have 4 cats actually! LOL Yes... that's right 4 lovely felines! :P The other two cats are Milo, our resident 8 year old senior boy... and Fergus, who is a bit on the pudgy side with a cute black "button" on his nose. :) They are all so cute... and soon they will all be together in one place! That will definitely be interesting, but I think they will do well together. Sidney and Crosby are doing well right now with a very nice family with 2 other cats of their own while I'm gone, and I know it will only help them for later on. :) I miss some of the conveniences of home and the surrounding area. I miss my Friday night wings and beers at Buffalo Wild Wings (B-Dub's for those who know it well!) I also miss being able to just get in my car and drive wherever I want to go whenever I want to go. Here it's mostly transportation the old fashioned way... one foot in front of the other. :) It's good exercise... something I can always use. I miss being able to just call my dad... or play some poker on the computer... a trip to the casino now and then...
So as this last day of September comes to a close... I look forward to seeing Anne Marie on Skype in the morning, chatting with some friends later tonight online, and a very good night's sleep to help me beat this illness I'm fighting this week. Tomorrow begins October... a new month... and almost one full month deployed already. It is truly flying by extremely fast.... until tomorrow.
Peace, Love, and Poker
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Where it all began...
It's been a good while since I've been asked the following question... "What made you join the military?" It's an interesting question that truly has several different answers. When I was in high school I had full intentions of going to school like most people. I was going to be an engineer and graduate of Penn State University someday. I still have a few regrets about not going, honestly. Then again, my life would have taken an all but completely different path. Nobody really knows if it would have better better, worse, or otherwise. That's what choices in life are all about. Once you make a choice you have no other choice but to live with it.
I met my first wife late in my senior year of high school. I'm certain at the time, not knowing any better, she was the main reason I didn't go to school. It was a match made in hell, too. I'm not going to go into the details here, at least not in this post. :) I had been accepted to Penn State, but my parents pretty much convinced me that they couldn't afford to send me there. Knowing what I know now about student loans, financial aid, grants, etc... I know I could have easily gone. Oh well, hindsight is 20/20 so they say. If I had gone down a different path I certainly would not have my 14 year old daughter or have met my now wife, Anne Marie.
My father was in the Air Force well before I was even thought of... in the early 60s. He always talked about what a great life it was and how he had wished he'd stayed in. I often wonder if I'd even be here if he had chosen otherwise. Certainly, he had a little to do with pointing me in this direction as well. I was pretty much sold once I talked to the recruiter... then it was just a matter of time before I would leave for basic training and begin my journey. After all... here I sit... 18 days short of 18 years later... still going strong. It's hard to believe that in just two years from now I will be speaking of retirement! I won't even be 40 yet! That's an amazing thought... and I still have many years to continue in another career! :)
I spent 15 great years in the Financial Management career field before I was forced to retrain into what I do now... currently they call it Air Battle Management. Sounds pretty cool doesn't it? I have really not enjoyed my 3 years in this career field until I started getting ready for this deployment... now it was really changed. Don't get me wrong... my attitude used to be horrible... and that has been improving greatly over time... but my desire and motivation to do anything more than just getting the job done was lacking (aside from going to school that is). Now... I truly see what we do out here... and it's really made me feel like I make a difference every single day as an integral part of my crew! Once I retire I absolutely plan on going back into Accounting/Finance... but until then I'm going to be the best I can be as an Air Surveillance Technician.
I also started going to school a couple years ago... and currently maintain a 4.0 GPA at Boise State University majoring in Accounting with a minor in Finance. I still have a long way to go to finish my BA degree, but I've been working steadily at knocking courses out one by one. Given the chance I plan on raising my course load to 2 classes per semester instead of one.
So... even though there may be days I second guess some choices I've made... in the end I'd say I've made some pretty good ones so far. :)
Peace, Love, and Poker
I met my first wife late in my senior year of high school. I'm certain at the time, not knowing any better, she was the main reason I didn't go to school. It was a match made in hell, too. I'm not going to go into the details here, at least not in this post. :) I had been accepted to Penn State, but my parents pretty much convinced me that they couldn't afford to send me there. Knowing what I know now about student loans, financial aid, grants, etc... I know I could have easily gone. Oh well, hindsight is 20/20 so they say. If I had gone down a different path I certainly would not have my 14 year old daughter or have met my now wife, Anne Marie.
My father was in the Air Force well before I was even thought of... in the early 60s. He always talked about what a great life it was and how he had wished he'd stayed in. I often wonder if I'd even be here if he had chosen otherwise. Certainly, he had a little to do with pointing me in this direction as well. I was pretty much sold once I talked to the recruiter... then it was just a matter of time before I would leave for basic training and begin my journey. After all... here I sit... 18 days short of 18 years later... still going strong. It's hard to believe that in just two years from now I will be speaking of retirement! I won't even be 40 yet! That's an amazing thought... and I still have many years to continue in another career! :)
I spent 15 great years in the Financial Management career field before I was forced to retrain into what I do now... currently they call it Air Battle Management. Sounds pretty cool doesn't it? I have really not enjoyed my 3 years in this career field until I started getting ready for this deployment... now it was really changed. Don't get me wrong... my attitude used to be horrible... and that has been improving greatly over time... but my desire and motivation to do anything more than just getting the job done was lacking (aside from going to school that is). Now... I truly see what we do out here... and it's really made me feel like I make a difference every single day as an integral part of my crew! Once I retire I absolutely plan on going back into Accounting/Finance... but until then I'm going to be the best I can be as an Air Surveillance Technician.
I also started going to school a couple years ago... and currently maintain a 4.0 GPA at Boise State University majoring in Accounting with a minor in Finance. I still have a long way to go to finish my BA degree, but I've been working steadily at knocking courses out one by one. Given the chance I plan on raising my course load to 2 classes per semester instead of one.
So... even though there may be days I second guess some choices I've made... in the end I'd say I've made some pretty good ones so far. :)
Peace, Love, and Poker
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Getting into the groove...
It's been 3 weeks almost here in the sandy Iraqi desert... and I am finally into a "groove" of sorts. I'm talking about a workout groove that is! I spent 50 minutes on the treadmill yesterday, and it felt GREAT! It was the 9th day out of 11 that I've worked out, and I don't plan on stopping anytime soon. The numbers on the scale were less than impressive, though. I think I've gained a few pounds in the last month or so... I wasn't getting many workouts in during my deployment preparation. I was packing up my apartment and putting everything in storage. I was spending some very precious time with my wife. I was also trying to make sure that I didn't leave things behind that I wanted to have here... albeit unsuccessfully as I've come to find. I had a CD with all of our "non-professional" wedding pictures on it that one of our friends of the family had taken, and I can't find it. I am so upset that I forgot it... I'm guessing it's in my extra bag in my car in the storage unit. That's the only place I can think of it being. I will go through all of my bags once more... just to be sure, though.
I am very pleased with work here thus far. The days fly by for the most part, and I am feeling like a part of something greater than just doing a "day job". I can't give out details of the mission we do here, but I can say that it's very rewarding making sure the skies and the ground in Iraq are safe... both for our guys and the ones here we will be leaving behind once we leave this country. It makes so many other things in life that we either complain about or take for granted seem so insignificant. I couldn't imagine living outside the confines of the base as the local population has to do. I'm quite certain they wonder if today is going to be their last day on earth. It's something that we as Americans tend to rarely think about until we're directly face to face with it. That's the life so many have to lead in this part of the world... not just in Iraq but in a large part of the middle east with the exception of a few of the more modern built up nations. I just think it's sad.
So I would ask you today... not only keep the troops in mind as you go about your day... but say a little prayer for the ordinary citizens of the war torn nations around the world in the hope that one day they can live a normal life without having that fear in the backs of their minds every day. Take care of yourselves and each other always as well! :)
Peace, Love, and Poker
I am very pleased with work here thus far. The days fly by for the most part, and I am feeling like a part of something greater than just doing a "day job". I can't give out details of the mission we do here, but I can say that it's very rewarding making sure the skies and the ground in Iraq are safe... both for our guys and the ones here we will be leaving behind once we leave this country. It makes so many other things in life that we either complain about or take for granted seem so insignificant. I couldn't imagine living outside the confines of the base as the local population has to do. I'm quite certain they wonder if today is going to be their last day on earth. It's something that we as Americans tend to rarely think about until we're directly face to face with it. That's the life so many have to lead in this part of the world... not just in Iraq but in a large part of the middle east with the exception of a few of the more modern built up nations. I just think it's sad.
So I would ask you today... not only keep the troops in mind as you go about your day... but say a little prayer for the ordinary citizens of the war torn nations around the world in the hope that one day they can live a normal life without having that fear in the backs of their minds every day. Take care of yourselves and each other always as well! :)
Peace, Love, and Poker
Monday, September 27, 2010
Random stuff...
Up to this point... all of my posts have had somewhat of a theme to them... but I thought I'd try something different today. It's nice to just spew out random thoughts from time to time. You never know where they will lead. So here goes...
Last night the Pittsburgh Steelers put a serious beating on the Buccaneers beating them 38-13. In turn... it destroyed my Fantasy Football defense, who got me all of 3 points (Yes... I had the Bucs). I'm pleased with the result of the game, either way. The Steelers are now 3-0... with the #1 QB suspended... #2 and #3 QBs injured... playing with the #4 QB!!!! How good is this team??? Next week it will begin to show when they go up against the Baltimore Ravens.
I am going to work out this afternoon at the gym in my housing compound here for the first time. Up to this point all of my workouts have been done on our crappy equipment here on the work site in our fitness tent. I'm actually pretty excited about it. Tomorrow morning I may even try out an outdoor run if the weather isn't too God awfully hot (It is still topping 100 degrees every day). We'll see how it goes... either way I know it will be a good workout. :) All the walking around the base daily isn't a bad thing in that department, either. :)
After working non-stop for 3 weeks straight the fatigue starts to set in. I'm getting about 6-7 hours of sleep a night... so I'm not exhausted yet, but the lack of a day off does start to wear on you after a certain amount of time. There are now 2 days a week we get to come in at 10 instead of 6:45, though... and that really is a nice little break. I'm enjoying doing the job we came here to do every day, and I am doing my part of it very well. For that I'm proud of myself and content. :)
Hopefully I don't run out of things to blog about while I'm deployed! LOL It's getting a little tougher to write each day, and I'm only on day 5!!! Certainly my creative side will find me soon... I'm sure of it! And a few pictures won't hurt, either... after all a picture does paint a thousand words... and sometimes help you write a thousand more. :)
Peace, Love, and Poker
Last night the Pittsburgh Steelers put a serious beating on the Buccaneers beating them 38-13. In turn... it destroyed my Fantasy Football defense, who got me all of 3 points (Yes... I had the Bucs). I'm pleased with the result of the game, either way. The Steelers are now 3-0... with the #1 QB suspended... #2 and #3 QBs injured... playing with the #4 QB!!!! How good is this team??? Next week it will begin to show when they go up against the Baltimore Ravens.
I am going to work out this afternoon at the gym in my housing compound here for the first time. Up to this point all of my workouts have been done on our crappy equipment here on the work site in our fitness tent. I'm actually pretty excited about it. Tomorrow morning I may even try out an outdoor run if the weather isn't too God awfully hot (It is still topping 100 degrees every day). We'll see how it goes... either way I know it will be a good workout. :) All the walking around the base daily isn't a bad thing in that department, either. :)
After working non-stop for 3 weeks straight the fatigue starts to set in. I'm getting about 6-7 hours of sleep a night... so I'm not exhausted yet, but the lack of a day off does start to wear on you after a certain amount of time. There are now 2 days a week we get to come in at 10 instead of 6:45, though... and that really is a nice little break. I'm enjoying doing the job we came here to do every day, and I am doing my part of it very well. For that I'm proud of myself and content. :)
Hopefully I don't run out of things to blog about while I'm deployed! LOL It's getting a little tougher to write each day, and I'm only on day 5!!! Certainly my creative side will find me soon... I'm sure of it! And a few pictures won't hurt, either... after all a picture does paint a thousand words... and sometimes help you write a thousand more. :)
Peace, Love, and Poker
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Much of the same...
As another week begins here in Iraq I think about how every day feels very much the same. I ponder what I can do while I'm here to make it a little different or "shake things up" a bit. There are no days off... so that makes it difficult. I want to take a couple classes while I'm here for sure, but I have yet to find the motivation to physically seek them out or research which schools will best suit my Boise State degree program. I guess it's tough when you spend the majority of your life at work or asleep here. There really is a small window of "free time" not spent doing one of those two things along with eating and working out. About 3 hours to be exact... and sometimes that only results in a 6 hour night of sleep. Do I even have the energy or the will to mess with school right now? I'm not really sure. Perhaps as things continue to normalize here that will change, but for now I don't feel that desire or passion for it that I do when I'm home in Idaho.
I'm still dealing with the same issue from yesterday's post, too. I don't know where that's going to go right now. I would hope that something so stupid doesn't continue to snowball in our relationship. I'd like to think we're stronger than that. So... I suppose I should just be a recluse and have no contact with anyone other than my spouse while I'm here. That's what I gather from the whole thing. Of course, I refuse to do that... which means that I am then hiding it... which is even worse. I don't want to feel like I have to hide things... especially friendships... regardless of whether they are online or otherwise. I would not expect her to not have friends... regardless of gender. I just hope that through our daily talks we can get past it and back to where we were a couple days ago.
I am going to motivate myself to get some pictures on here from my laptop... soon. I also want to have my roommate take a few new ones of me with my camera for a number of reasons. I like to have up to date pics on my pages... and for my wife and friends to see as well. I hope to include a little bit of the desert environment in them, too! It's not every day you see sand and rocks everywhere. The downfall is... it's almost October and it hit a blazing 115 here yesterday! That is unfathomable to me! It was just so ridiculously hot. I keep waiting for it to drop, and the heat continues to push on day after day.
I tried my hand at the treadmill yesterday for the first time in years. Historically any time spent on the treadmill has made me dizzy. Yesterday was no different, but I managed. I think maybe if I can get my body used to it I may be able to beat that dizziness thing! I walked for 40 minutes on it... at an 8.0 incline for the first 35 minutes prior to cooling down. Not a bad workout at all. I intend to try it again this afternoon. I might even add a little running in there today... without the incline, though. :) If I can do that... I can really push my workouts up in intensity.
So here I sit in the usual spot before taking my seat for my 4 hour shift on scope... pondering what the remainder of the day holds... that might be slightly different than the last. At the moment I have no idea... but I know it won't happen on accident. If I want it to be different... I need to be the one to make that happen. Nobody else can do that for me. And so I shall do my best to ensure that happens!
Peace, Love, and Poker. :)
I'm still dealing with the same issue from yesterday's post, too. I don't know where that's going to go right now. I would hope that something so stupid doesn't continue to snowball in our relationship. I'd like to think we're stronger than that. So... I suppose I should just be a recluse and have no contact with anyone other than my spouse while I'm here. That's what I gather from the whole thing. Of course, I refuse to do that... which means that I am then hiding it... which is even worse. I don't want to feel like I have to hide things... especially friendships... regardless of whether they are online or otherwise. I would not expect her to not have friends... regardless of gender. I just hope that through our daily talks we can get past it and back to where we were a couple days ago.
I am going to motivate myself to get some pictures on here from my laptop... soon. I also want to have my roommate take a few new ones of me with my camera for a number of reasons. I like to have up to date pics on my pages... and for my wife and friends to see as well. I hope to include a little bit of the desert environment in them, too! It's not every day you see sand and rocks everywhere. The downfall is... it's almost October and it hit a blazing 115 here yesterday! That is unfathomable to me! It was just so ridiculously hot. I keep waiting for it to drop, and the heat continues to push on day after day.
I tried my hand at the treadmill yesterday for the first time in years. Historically any time spent on the treadmill has made me dizzy. Yesterday was no different, but I managed. I think maybe if I can get my body used to it I may be able to beat that dizziness thing! I walked for 40 minutes on it... at an 8.0 incline for the first 35 minutes prior to cooling down. Not a bad workout at all. I intend to try it again this afternoon. I might even add a little running in there today... without the incline, though. :) If I can do that... I can really push my workouts up in intensity.
So here I sit in the usual spot before taking my seat for my 4 hour shift on scope... pondering what the remainder of the day holds... that might be slightly different than the last. At the moment I have no idea... but I know it won't happen on accident. If I want it to be different... I need to be the one to make that happen. Nobody else can do that for me. And so I shall do my best to ensure that happens!
Peace, Love, and Poker. :)
Saturday, September 25, 2010
What do you do???
My thoughts today are in a different place... What do you do when you are being accused of something you didn't do that was completely innocent? It's a tough spot to be in. It even makes you start to wonder if it really was innocent in the first place. So there's a girl... you like to chat with her... but there's nothing going on other than friendly banter. She posts on your Facebook page rather than messaging you privately. Of course, it's innocent, so neither of you really ever thought it might cause an issue to arise. Now the wife is beyond pissed... disgusted even. The girl is only 19... sounds like some sort of fantasy thing to her.
How do you diffuse the situation??? Telling the complete truth hasn't worked. You are thousands of miles apart... so there's really no easy means of communication in the meantime except for the time you have before or after your 12+ hour workday. Does one just stop being oneself in order to appease here, or is there some kind of middle point of compromise in the situation? I am a social person... and that includes both out and about and online. It's just who I am. I tried explaining that also to no avail. I'm also quite certain her friends will take her side as they usually do.
So... on this Saturday morning... I'm feeling upset and stressed and trying to manage it somehow. Hopefully this whole thing will go away soon, and we can get back to smiling, talking, laughing, and enjoying the small amounts of time we have to spend together through our webcams. This time is not the time to be arguing and fighting... I hate it. :(
Peace, love, and poker
How do you diffuse the situation??? Telling the complete truth hasn't worked. You are thousands of miles apart... so there's really no easy means of communication in the meantime except for the time you have before or after your 12+ hour workday. Does one just stop being oneself in order to appease here, or is there some kind of middle point of compromise in the situation? I am a social person... and that includes both out and about and online. It's just who I am. I tried explaining that also to no avail. I'm also quite certain her friends will take her side as they usually do.
So... on this Saturday morning... I'm feeling upset and stressed and trying to manage it somehow. Hopefully this whole thing will go away soon, and we can get back to smiling, talking, laughing, and enjoying the small amounts of time we have to spend together through our webcams. This time is not the time to be arguing and fighting... I hate it. :(
Peace, love, and poker
Friday, September 24, 2010
Is it really Friday???
That's the question I ask myself as I sit here in this dusty room in the Iraqi desert. Does it even matter that it's Friday? Over here there are no weekends as we know them. We work every day... 12 hours a day with the occasional 9 hour day. Those are the best! Back home we look forward to the weekends so much that we tend to enjoy the weekDAYS that much less. What I've found in my short time here (I'm only finishing up my 3rd week) is that Mondays don't really suck anymore. Friday is just another day... no different than Monday or Saturday even.
It really makes one think... how have I spent my time off in the past? How many of those days have I wasted just sitting around doing nothing? How many of them have a truly enjoyed doing something I wanted to do? At best I'd say 25% of the time I'm actually actively pursuing that "something" part of it. The other 75% I'm on autopilot doing the same things over and over again. Is either way bad? good? Who's to say? I think it's ok to have a routine, but it takes a lot more of an effort to break that routine than it does to just stay in it. You don't really even realize that you're doing it until you no longer have that free time. What would you do different? Take a trip somewhere for the day? Go for a bike ride? Stay home and lay on the couch? All of those are perfectly fine to do at one time or another indeed! Or... would I pick up the phone and call my daughter? Would I take my wife to float the river instead of complaining about not wanting to do it to the point that she doesn't want to anymore? There are a lot of things we do that we would still do if we had it to do over... but what would you add in that you DIDN'T do?
Every day is an opportunity... even here in Iraq. What have I done since I've been here so far? Well... I started this blog for one! I've already made a new friend or two here. I've taken a liking to the job I've hated for the last 3 years and gotten pretty damn good at it, too! I still haven't learned to like the heat, though. LOL There's just something draining about walking for even 10 minutes when it's 105-110 outside with the sun beating down on you and dust in the air. If that's the worst thing that happens here... then that's not so bad now is it? There is so much time to be productive here... what will I come up with next? Only tomorrow and beyond hold those answers.... but for now... I'm enjoying myself today... TGIF everyone!
Peace, Love, and Poker
It really makes one think... how have I spent my time off in the past? How many of those days have I wasted just sitting around doing nothing? How many of them have a truly enjoyed doing something I wanted to do? At best I'd say 25% of the time I'm actually actively pursuing that "something" part of it. The other 75% I'm on autopilot doing the same things over and over again. Is either way bad? good? Who's to say? I think it's ok to have a routine, but it takes a lot more of an effort to break that routine than it does to just stay in it. You don't really even realize that you're doing it until you no longer have that free time. What would you do different? Take a trip somewhere for the day? Go for a bike ride? Stay home and lay on the couch? All of those are perfectly fine to do at one time or another indeed! Or... would I pick up the phone and call my daughter? Would I take my wife to float the river instead of complaining about not wanting to do it to the point that she doesn't want to anymore? There are a lot of things we do that we would still do if we had it to do over... but what would you add in that you DIDN'T do?
Every day is an opportunity... even here in Iraq. What have I done since I've been here so far? Well... I started this blog for one! I've already made a new friend or two here. I've taken a liking to the job I've hated for the last 3 years and gotten pretty damn good at it, too! I still haven't learned to like the heat, though. LOL There's just something draining about walking for even 10 minutes when it's 105-110 outside with the sun beating down on you and dust in the air. If that's the worst thing that happens here... then that's not so bad now is it? There is so much time to be productive here... what will I come up with next? Only tomorrow and beyond hold those answers.... but for now... I'm enjoying myself today... TGIF everyone!
Peace, Love, and Poker
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Me!
Greetings... one of my little known passions has always been writing. What better way to start than by blogging? So here I sit for the first time (on an actual bloggers' site at least) typing one! So, I should probably start out by giving you a little background about myself.
My name is James (I go by Jim typically). I'm just a couple months short of my 38th birthday. Yikes... so close to 40!!! How scary is that? I'm on active duty in the Air Force (almost for 18 years now) and currently deployed to Iraq for a 6 month tour. I was recently married to the love of my life, Anne Marie, this past June, with whom I've been in a long distance relationship with for the better part of 3 years now. We've still yet to live under the same roof. We've managed to stay connected quite well, however, via phone, text, email, and most recently, Skype.
I also have a 14 year old daughter, Tiffany, who lives with her mother in Iowa. She is such a great teenager, too! I don't think you'll find many as well behaved as her. (Maybe I'm a little partial here) :) She is already about as tall as her mother... I think she's going to get close to the 6' mark before she graduates high school.
I was born and raised in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, just outside of Pittsburgh. I am naturally a die hard Steelers and Penguins fan. Sorry Pirates, but you just suck! After 18 straight losing seasons you're just way too hard to watch... then again so is any baseball game in my opinion. I have been to 46 of our great United States. Yes, that only leaves 4 to go! I still have yet to visit Alaska, Hawaii, California, or Montana. I would like to conquer the last 4 prior to turning 40, but if I don't it's alright, too. I am not much on time tables when it comes to life events.
I currently reside in Boise, Idaho (save being in Iraq at the moment). I never would have dreamed I would live in Idaho, and I probably would have been lucky just to see Idaho had I not been in the military. It's a fantastic place to live, and I would recommend a visit to anyone! You might just decide to stay for good! If you like sunshine and dry heat in the summer it's the place to be for sure. :)
I just like to enjoy life... and there are so many ways to do that. I have a passion for running, and I like to do a lot of it, just not when the weather's too hot. I love a good beer... and I like to try all of the seasonal choices from various local and regional breweries. Poker and slots are definitely at the top of my list of entertaining things to do. I am always up for a trip to the casino! Of course, you really can't beat a good movie or just a relaxing evening at home, either. Like I said... there are many ways to enjoy life!
In fact as I write this... It's time for me to go work out. It's great to be a part of blogspot, and I will look forward to blogging with you all some more later!
Peace, love, and poker always!
My name is James (I go by Jim typically). I'm just a couple months short of my 38th birthday. Yikes... so close to 40!!! How scary is that? I'm on active duty in the Air Force (almost for 18 years now) and currently deployed to Iraq for a 6 month tour. I was recently married to the love of my life, Anne Marie, this past June, with whom I've been in a long distance relationship with for the better part of 3 years now. We've still yet to live under the same roof. We've managed to stay connected quite well, however, via phone, text, email, and most recently, Skype.
I also have a 14 year old daughter, Tiffany, who lives with her mother in Iowa. She is such a great teenager, too! I don't think you'll find many as well behaved as her. (Maybe I'm a little partial here) :) She is already about as tall as her mother... I think she's going to get close to the 6' mark before she graduates high school.
I was born and raised in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, just outside of Pittsburgh. I am naturally a die hard Steelers and Penguins fan. Sorry Pirates, but you just suck! After 18 straight losing seasons you're just way too hard to watch... then again so is any baseball game in my opinion. I have been to 46 of our great United States. Yes, that only leaves 4 to go! I still have yet to visit Alaska, Hawaii, California, or Montana. I would like to conquer the last 4 prior to turning 40, but if I don't it's alright, too. I am not much on time tables when it comes to life events.
I currently reside in Boise, Idaho (save being in Iraq at the moment). I never would have dreamed I would live in Idaho, and I probably would have been lucky just to see Idaho had I not been in the military. It's a fantastic place to live, and I would recommend a visit to anyone! You might just decide to stay for good! If you like sunshine and dry heat in the summer it's the place to be for sure. :)
I just like to enjoy life... and there are so many ways to do that. I have a passion for running, and I like to do a lot of it, just not when the weather's too hot. I love a good beer... and I like to try all of the seasonal choices from various local and regional breweries. Poker and slots are definitely at the top of my list of entertaining things to do. I am always up for a trip to the casino! Of course, you really can't beat a good movie or just a relaxing evening at home, either. Like I said... there are many ways to enjoy life!
In fact as I write this... It's time for me to go work out. It's great to be a part of blogspot, and I will look forward to blogging with you all some more later!
Peace, love, and poker always!
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