Home Sweet Home, really this time!

Finally home! Time to relax.....not! We have a lot of things to do now, unpack the bags and the box I sent home from Kuwait, a ton of laundry, setting up the new wireless printer (which isn't happening as well as I thought it would!), oil changes for the cars, taking Shayna's car to a repair shop (she was hit by another driver the day before leaving for Wisconsin), etc. etc. etc. We are really happy to be home, although we were really happy to have the opportunity to see all, and I mean all, of our family and friends! It was exhausting for Shayna. On the way back across America I asked her what was the first thing she was going to do when we got home and she said she wanted to lock herself in the room to get away from me for about an hour, and then laughed. I guess I can be annoying sometimes, well probably a majority of times! haha. We are doing great, and no she didn't lock herself in the room.

The first picture is of Mike, Suzanne, Herb and Shayna. We went over to Mike's for a couple of drinks and some good food, it was really nice seeing them again. Mike and I played soccer together from the 4th grade on through high school. Herb and I have been friends going on 20+ years, still close.

The second picture is of me getting my tattoo. It looks like it hurt a lot, but it really didn't I was hamming it up for the photo! I told a lot of you I was going to do it, and it's done. It's an American flag in green and black (the colors of our IR flag on the uniform) and it says, "Home of the Free because of the Brave". It is dedicated to all of the US and Coalition fighters that have lost their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan. That fact hit closer to home this past week when one of my cousins friends lost their life in Kandahar. My thoughts are with his family, I'm really sorry that it happened.

The third picture is of Mohinder our Bengal cat. I cleared out a huge area for him in the Explorer, complete with a blanket and two pillows from home. He couldn't care less about all the room, the first two days he spent with his head jammed in the floor board near Shayna's feet! The third and fourth travel day he came around and started to explore the Explorer more and even tried to help drive, not a good thing while driving through a snow storm in Colorado!

The fourth and last picture is of my dad (Bob), mom (Teresa) and their neighbors, Bill and Monica (yes that's their real names and no there were no cigars present!). We went to a Northern Kentucky University basketball game and watched it from a private viewing box from my dad's company. It was fantastic.

I'm glad all of the trips are over and I'm almost looking forward to going back to work. I can't believe I said that! We have a great group at the hospital at NAS Lemoore, should be a good last two years in the Navy. Take care and I'll update again in a week or two.

Dave