Seasonal Storms.

We all know that there are seasons: spring, summer, fall and winter.

I’m not sure which one I like the best but there are parts of all of them that I do like…I celebrate them all (dressing appropriately of course). Whether it’s Easter, Christmas, St. Patrick’s Day in Dublin, Halloween or Thanksgiving, I think we all enjoy a certain time of year the best.

I like Thanksgiving and Christmas the most.

Growing up in Plainview, we would spend a lot of time at Granny’s house running around and playing with the cousins, eating Oreos (another blog on that one), eating some great cooking and listening to Granddaddy tell stories only to have her correct him (and she did)! There were always lively conversations, laughs, hugs, fresh rolls and Texas Cream Pie (again, another blog on that delicious mouth-watering dish of sweet yumminess).

At Christmas, we’d spend in Haskell or in Plainview. Either way, we had a great time. Christmas brings out the inner-child in me. I love spending it with family and friends. Whether or not there was snow on the ground didn’t matter…

But, there’s a storm a brewing…

I’ve seen tornadoes and hail storms in Texas and Oklahoma.

I’ve seen lightening up close and personal…high school graduation will always be remembered! I’m actually surprised it didn’t burn the house down! To this day, I still don’t like lightening.

I’m seen typhoons sweep by Japan and South Korea causing me a lot of seasickness.

I’m seen the red-hot magma of a volcano in Sicily…twice. Yet, I still went snow tubing on it. I must say that it was quite fun.

I’ve had the earth shake and rumble beneath my feet in California and in Japan.

I’ve even experienced a tsunami in Indonesia and Hawaii. Well, I was in Indonesia afterwards but I will never forget that experience there at the soccer field in Bande Aceh.

Storms come and go.

We all have storms in our lives. Some have storms on a daily basis. Others do not yet know the storms that are forthcoming or the paths they will take in their lives.

I listened to my cousin Craig preach today since I was unable to make it out to church. That man can preach…he talked about coming as you are and not being distracted in anything you do.

We all have distractions…this storm is a distraction. This season can be a distraction. So much attention is paid to what party to attend, how much candy to buy, what costume to wear, and such. Distractions are just that…distracting. Target and Wal-Mart make it very distracting when they set up for holiday’s months in advance.

One Wal-Mart nearby has Halloween stuff at the front of the store, Thanksgiving next then Christmas stuff in the back where the garden center is…at least they got the order correct but setting things out several months prior is well, distracting.

Family, friends, late pizza deliveries, etc. can all be distracting…

As I sit here in my lofty office space high above the street, I watch the waves roll and crash upon the beach. Each wave distracts from the others…but yet they are just doing what they are meant to do…wave.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 states that there is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven.

Yes, there is a time. There are seasons. There are storms. But that’s life.

Seasons and storms come and go…it’s how you deal with it that matters.

Time

Time is not just a magazine.

It’s what we watch (no pun intended) every day. We are always trying to utilize our time in the best possible way. Some are better at than others…others just procrastinate their time and deal with it later.

Every thing we do is based on time…

How long does it take to get to the base? How long does it take the pizza delivery-guy to get here? When will this Barney episode be over? When does my plane arrive? What time does the mailman come? Side note – growing up in Plainview, the mailman showed up every day at 1pm…honest.

We have three-minute eggs. Instant oats. Microwaveable popcorn – but it actually takes different settings depending on the size of your bag. M&M cookies take 12 minutes to cook at 350 °.  Days have 24 hours…regardless of the day (but we do stretch a few in on Friday’s to make it better). TV commercials are 15 or 30 seconds. A 30-minute TV show is just 22 minutes…it’s 30 when you add 8 minutes of commercials (some are pretty good). A football game is technically just 60 minutes…then you add the replacement referees and you have a 3-hour experience of frustration…but that’s another blog.

I’ve been around 48 years and 6.8 months…that’s just 582.7 months or 2534 weeks or 17,738 days.  That’s just 425, 712 hours or 25, 542,720 minutes or well, my calculator can’t do that high in seconds…it’s a cheap one. I won’t even try to calculate the number of heartbeats but it’s been a bunch since I was born. I think it skipped a few at certain points in my life: When the kids were born, with Jessie driving or on going her first date, Tucker…well, doing Tucker things…anyway, moving on.

I spend most of day looking at my watch in order to see how much time I have until the next meeting on the ship, event, or tour I have to give. My day is dictated by time…and sometimes, by someone else’s time. I work on schedules…and schedules work on time.

I hate being late…I am always 10 minutes early…to everything. I can’t stand it…nor do I like it when people are late. Tell me to be somewhere at a given time, I’ll be there…and I expect people to be there as well. I guess I got that from my Dad…no wonder he had some many watches. Of note, I have at least 12 of them…but I only wear one at a time.

Some things just take time. Relationships. Friendships. Car repairs. Shoe shopping. Teenagers. Wine. Cheese.

In regards to friendships, I probably have more high school friends on Facebook than I actually did in high school...not sure if I’m less of a nerd now than I was back then! You can spend years building a friendship…some friends will last a lifetime. Sadly, I only have a few really close friends. I have a lot of acquaintances or some that I’ve met along the way during my life but just a few really close. Time is best used spending it with your friends or family…you may never get that time back.

Time is a four-letter word...you can love it or hate it.

Time is what you make of it. You decide on whether or not you’ll go out to a movie or stay home and watch a movie. Stay up to watch Jay or David or go to bed.

Choose your time wisely…some people don’t get that luxury.

Own it. Cherish it. Don’t waste it.

Tick tock…time to scoot off.

I'm back...

Jessie took this pic of me upon arrival into Norfolk.

Well, hello there...it's been a long time since I've blogged and I can't wait to get back in the swing of things.

I am actually writing this blog from my happy place...Starbucks. Since I don't have my HHG yet, I'm am sipping my caramel cup of yumminess with free wifi...what a bonus?

Being on deployment, yes, the twice-extended world cruise of USS Abraham Lincoln, enabled me to reflect on who I am and the man I want to be. I am not perfect...far from it. I am a divorced, ISTJ-middle-aged man with two great kids who love him unconditionally, with a plethora of friends from all over the world (most of who love cheese, wine and Starbucks as much as I do) and a somewhat dysfunctional family who supports him.

So let me catch you up on a few things.

Thanks to Corey Barker for this photo...first time
I saw the kids in Mayport, FL. What a rush!

I'm back from deployment. I had the most talented group of mass communication specialists working for me...they were all a blessing and always seemed to lift my spirits when I was literally pulling out my hair!

I didn't get to talk to the kids that much...I tried to call them every week but I was able to send them emails to their cellphones to say hi and let them know I love them and miss them...still miss them. Seeing them on the pier in Mayport was probably the happiest day I've had in years...what a blessing they are.

I'm not living in Seattle anymore...but the rain has found me here in Norfolk. It's rained nearly every day since we arrived.




I found a nice condo near the beach in Norfolk, VA. The kids have their own bedroom and plenty of stairs to run up and down on...yes, it's a four-story condo. The 4th floor is going to be my office (once I get my household goods). It has nine windows and you can see the ocean from all of them. So once I get all settled in, my goal is to write more blogs...travel the area and take tons of photos. I so want to go back to Washington, DC and soak up all of the history there again. Loved that place. I will also hit Williamsburg, Yorktown, Monticello, and more...so much to do.

The FOS (friends of Steve) on the ship kept me from going crazy...they are my circle of friends that I actually picked (remember, you can pick your friends not your family).  Between meeting them for lunch or dinner, occasional

drink in port (Bahrain, Dubai, Pattaya and Antalya), emails, prayers, venting sessions and more...they reminded me that I can be me...it's okay to be me. I can laugh, scream, yell, giggle, dance, sing and just be...it's not the quantity of your friends, it's the quality of them. To Steve, Steve, Jason, Shannon, Jen, Noel, Stephanie (X2), Laura, Heather, Tim, SMO, Lauren, Mike, Chaps, and more...thank you from the bottom of my heart.

I'm trying my best to find my way...Norfolk is a big place and I've been lost several times. One day, I left the base in the left-hand turn lane only to find myself in the lane to reenter the base...crazy I know. But, I'm trying...there is really a lot to do...just have to make the time and go see everything.

I will be heading to Plainview and Omaha for a much needed vacation this week...I can't wait to see everyone and spend more time with the kids.

I'll scoot for now...but stay tuned. There will be scooting soon!

My favorite things...that I miss.

To my nine followers, it's been a while...sorry for that. This blog is about my favorite things but first, I'll catch you up...

Since my last blog, I've spent time on the high seas (well, I've crossed the Pacific Ocean, Indian Ocean, North Arabian Sea and the Arabian Gulf. I've crossed the Strait of Malacca and the Strait of Hormuz (several times). I've met Laird Hamilton, Peter Kim (google him), a few reporters, Bowling for Soup, a few ambassadors, and some admirals and generals from a few foreign countries. We have traveled thousands of miles...and we're not done yet.

I'm actually seen a dust storm at sea...trust me, it was messy. I've seen a snow ski slope in a shopping mall (Mall of the Emirates, Dubai, UAE). I've seen Chief be commissioned as officers in the morning then COD off the ship in the afternoon. The best thing I've seen is when the last jet lands safe and sound aboard each night and the flight crew all high 5's each other after flying missions in Afghanistan supporting our troops on the ground for Operation Enduring Freedom.

I actually live in a 7x10 stateroom under the second catapult. I haven't had a decent night sleep since I left Everett which seems like years ago. It's loud...just believe me on that fact.

Most days are groundhog days...I wake, eat, and have 2-4 meetings in before lunch depending on the day of the week. I will occasionally stop at Jittery Abe's around 0930 with my coffee club for a nice cup of caramel yumminess...I eat one meal with the HODS (department heads) and one with my friends. I wrap up the evening making a wonderfully prepared Powerpoint brief for the Admiral (with no animations)! Then I usually head to my rack (32 in x 74 in) around 2230 (10:30 pm for you civilian types) to get a few hours of rest before the next groundhog day begins.

So here's my list of favs that I miss (no particular order):

Spudnuts, Ted's, Braum's, gingerbread men, driving my Jeep, baseball games (live and not on TV), Tim & Pam, Pike's Place in Seattle, playing gin w/Ma, cooking, Crossings Community Church, fishing, vacations, playing my congas, singing with Betsy, drinking Sicilian vino in Sicily, rollercoasters, Peeps, peanut patties, going out to dinner, my boots, golf, sushi, M&M cookies (the dough out of the bowl), OU football games, driving thru West Texas (yes, I don't mind), family get-togethers, my cousins, climbing trees, John Denver, Borders (well any bookstore for that matter), Chick-fil-A, sandals and shorts, steak fingers, catfish, friends in OKC, feeding the ducks (Tuck's fav too) and more...I could go on and on. But it's getting late and I need to do some reading for the week...

What do I miss the most? My kids. They are my pride and joy...I would anything for them. They make being a Dad easy...they are my blessings and I'm grateful that God gave them to me. They love my unconditionally...all of the time. Isn't that the point of love?

I guess what I'm asking is...is this worth it?

Most definitely...it just makes me appreciate what I have more each day.

Off to bed...Scooting continues...