Another Year, and an inspirational Speach

Another year, and still more changes.

I know, I’m not very good at keeping this blog updated, but I could not see the point in having a long running commentary about my life. No thanks. But even still, I have a blog, might as well use it a bit.

My views on military life has not changed, in fact I am finding I like it more and more. Like any path in life, there are bits I dislike, but like all others I get over it and move on.

I was actually looking back at some of my previous posts…It was horrifying to see so many grammar errors and…how different my attitude was back then. The amount of complaints and similar bits in my Vacation postings was horrifying, and then my physical condition…well that left much to be desired. Thankfully Military sorted out the physical…mostly. As for my writing…well I get better at that as time goes on and I learn.

From my last post I will state I did finally leave Tech School and am now doing my actual job. There are bits I dislike, but like stated earlier that is the same no matter where you go. But for the most part I do greatly love what I do. Even on the days where it seems I don’t, I do. It’s a weird thing, but it works for me for the most part.

I have more than just my actual job to do. Even as a military they expect you to advance within your job, it takes work and while I have advanced in some areas there are others I am still working on. But once that is done, I will have some room to breathe and concentrate a bit more on some of my personal goals.

That is another thing I am liking, the military wants you to set and achieve personal goals. They see it as the best way for you to advance, for as you excel in your personal life, you will be able to bring what you have back to the force and improve all. And also so that when you leave, you are more set up and ready to go.

Now some of my goals aren’t so academic in that regard.

One, technically two and currently the most expensive, is to fix up my vehicles. Yes that S is meant to be there, I own two vehicles. One kept dying on me thanks to bad electronic jobs; the other has a broken piece (it is still drive able, I just need to mind how I drive) that I got when I became fed up with the electric problems. Though recently the one with the electric problems…while we figured out the source I decided to go and give it some body damage and make it slightly more worrisome to drive until fixed (and that is NOT cheap). So that needs done…

The other is slightly better and a bit longer term, I am aiming to build a really good desktop computer. It’s going to be awhile, but I have no problem with that, I planned on that from the beginning.

I have several more goals laying around, some are more academic others not so much. But it is life and I am working on it all.

Though given world events…I sometimes wonder if I’ll get to achieve some of those goals.

*Warning: Inspirational Styled Speech ahead. You have been warned*

A lot has happened in the last year, and even more is coming. There is a lot I don’t keep track of, what I do is through the news that I see at work (my home TV doesn’t like me at all), through family, or through Facebook (and then I go and research after that just to figure it out sometimes). But what I do see…we are having problems.

The rather bad Iran Deal (the idea is good but the implementation was bad). The shootings throughout the country. The growing strength of hostiles the world over. The growing unrest here at home.

It’s bad. And there are many, many times when I wonder how long is it going to be when I have to be afraid to exit this base? When I have to take worry if I’ll even be on this base tomorrow. When I really have to dive into my training just to get through the day.

There are many days, when instead of joking with friends, I worry about this and think, “What is coming? And when is it going to get here?”

Some say that is my job, and to a degree that might be true. But I am still a person that wants to see the best in the world when I know it is filled with horrors. I don’t want to have to think about who I know that might be here one second and gone the next even though I just saw them a few minutes ago and now their dead because of someone else’s decisions.

Others will say that is the world we all face. If so…you don’t know the military.

To be a member of an armed force, to be a member of the public services, that means that every day we got out and have a target painted squarely at our backs.

Look at the last few months, weeks even. Policemen, servicemen, shot for wearing a uniform, a target (And there are protest that have encouraged this). Recruiting stations and a guard base in Tennessee, attacked. All because they were servicemen who chose to service so that others may live peaceful lives. We wear the Target, so that you have the opportunity to not see the horror.

And when the public sees the horror…they only see a small portion, sometimes the most horrifying and least common…and things get worse. From such a small snapshot, a snapshot that doesn’t always show the whole picture, the world darkens just a little more

I live in a dark world, a darker world that most even realize, and I fear, almost feel, it getting darker. But I will cling to the light I have left with all I have and I WILL fight for it! For though I have a target on my back, I am a member of the United States Military, and this target will not go silently into the night, I will fight with all I have to keep that light. For if I have light within me, no matter how small, no matter how fragile, I can share with it others so that they too may come out of the darkness and see the beauty in this world and in its people.

Some say that we are moving forwards as a country.

But how can we when we strike those who strive to protect us?

How can we when we chose to only look at what we hear and see from the small snapshot and not truly look at the full picture to understand what is REALLY going on?

How can we be moving forward when all we are doing is looking behind us and living in the past?

How can we? When we really should be looking at those around use, and work with them to heads towards the future, to tomorrow!

It’s a dark world out there, and I’m just one light fighting with all my might to hold back the darkness. I know there are others, but we all shine in different colors and different shades, and many do not shine together. We few strive to hold back the darkness together when we find each other.

Much like the old saying goes "United we stand, divided we fall.” So to do our lights, by ourselves we will hold as long as we can, but we will eventually be stuffed out.

Be it from giving up the fight, from falling from grace, from misguided paths, from losing the will to continue on, or to taking that last load and being stuffed out completely.

I stand with the few lights I can find, and we’ll strive to keep back the darkness, but we are few. I know there are more out there, and if enough came forward we would shine like a star in that darkness. Casting light into the far reaches of the world, showing a beautiful image. And though we may fade, like a star, the death of one star gives rise to many more, so while we fade the younger generations will shine where and when we cannot.

I hope more will join us, you need not be a service member to be a light. Merely a positive voice, inspiring others to do what is right, not from a small snapshot, but from the whole picture. A picture gained from looking for all the facts and not taking everything at face value. By being a good person, one who cares and supports for those around them as best they can.

I fight this darkness by protecting you, but you are my fuel source. You are the reason I keep shinning in this darkness. I cannot do this alone, so please don’t make me. Shine with me, and help us show those around us that they darkness they see, that surrounds them, is fleeting. Partake in them some of your light, the light I hope I have shared with you, so that we may all stop living in the past, and starting moving towards tomorrow. A beautiful tomorrow lit up by the light a star.

*Inspirational Styled Speech done*

Now, with the inspirational portion of my mind complete. I look forward to the future, while enjoying today. I have done a few things here and there to stay busy, and I have been working towards my goals more and more. I will TRY to do better at updating these. Heck it might make get my head back into the many stories I’ve fallen out of typing lately, I do hope.

But until I post again, I wish you all happy reading, and a good life. Shine on.

Day 24 Sunday 7/14 Final day

Last day…amazingly I am amazed it is last day. Twenty four days…that is how long we have been away from home and driving around this country. It has been…an interesting Vacation like it always is. And my first completed try to do a blog all the way through it. I’ve screwed up in my typings from place to place, but I’ve tried my best. I admit I missed a lot of spelling and grammar errors as we went, but I truly tried my best to do it right first time, but I am human like the rest of you, I make mistakes. But now, without further ado, the last day of vacation

Waking up for the last time, normal all around. We were able to get on the road very close to nine, allowing us to get on the road before it go TOO insanely hot for the old RV. I sort of feel nostalgic as we cross this final stretch. We’ve gone down this road many times back and forth to Las Vegas. But fright now I know…I will not be doing this again for a long time. And yet we have done it so many times that I have grown used to it. Funny how that works.

A good bit before noon we arrived at the California border, and once over it meant we were finally in our home state. And even closer to our actual home.

Just a few minutes before Noon we had to pull off the freeway for some gas, and afterwards it was time for lunch. Me, mom and sister went to a nearby fast food place and got something. And then we were off again.

It was quickly we seemed to get back into the city. It felt nice to see similar freeways. Even if it is LA, it’s still nice to see it.

We were off the Freeway around 2:30, which meant we were even closer to getting home. It really is an interesting feeling; sometimes I can’t decide if I like to be home or if I don’t. But before we were able to get home we stopped at the nearby Costco for a refill in gas. And once through that line we were off on the last leg of our trip. And in a few minutes, we were back home! But that doesn’t mean we are done.

We got a lot of things to do around here, manly in the fact that we have to get the RV into the area as well as get things situated in several places. I know so much fun, but on a different note, the trip went good, which means we are good in that area.

It took a long time to finish up the RV, but eventually we got it done. It was nice to finally finish, but it was a pain in the rear to work as it was. The heat was a giant pain, but hey we eventually we got it done. And spent the rest of our evening relaxing and settling other things. And thus we finished our 2013 Vacation.

It has been a fun time, of sorts. But I have liked the fact that I was able to do this whole thing. I hope those that read like it as well. It has been a blast and I hope I can do this again, but hey time will tell on that.

Typed July 14, 2013

Day 23 Saturday 7/13

Well we are nearing the end, only a few more days…where did the time go? And speaking of time, wake up was normal and all that stuff, but sadly we left late, by an hour. I know not normal for us but we all started moving a tad late and we had a large amount of things to do for some reason. But hey, It doesn’t matter there isn’t really much planned for today, we just want to take it easy as we head off to our next spot.

Eventually we reached the state border, I don’t rightfully remember which one we went into but I am will to say it was Nevada. Which meant we also crossed a time zone and thus gained another hour. A little thing about time changes, you mind understands them, but your body doesn’t…and thus causes a good amount of trouble when you are traveling. And on that note of traveling…the Nevada desert gets old after a while, sure there are a good amount of hills and the small mountains, but come on it’s all dirt and the small bush. So as you can tell…I was getting fed up with just looking at the same old same old after a while.

And around lunch, local time, the course of our vacation hits. We have a tire problem on the RV. One of the rear passenger tires decided it was to be a pain. So we had to pull out at the next exit and replace the thing. And as luck is luck, Nevada heat is at our backs….and extremely hot tires at our fingertips. It was so not a fun experience, but then again it never is. But it was nice to be done with it and for us to continue on with our trip.

But as our luck had it, we didn’t have to go that far before we got off the freeway anyways, this time for a gas stop. It really was sad that we couldn’t haven at least gotten to the gas station, but apparently our luck had decided to flee us.

Well I should say our plan was to fill up, but apparently we dad decided against it given it would have been too difficult to get into it, so instead we went to a different gas station, a “nearby” Costco. And like always, once filled up we were off.

Around 1:30 we got to our stop for the day, and no I did not miss putting in Lunch because we hadn’t had it at this point yet….which meant I was HUNGRY! Well that was eventually settled, and then mom and dad went off to fix a tire while me, sister and nana stayed back and settled into our slowly cooling RV while it was boiling hot outside….why is Las Vegas always hot? Like over a hundred whenever we come here?

Well anyways it was decided we would brave the heat so we could go get dinner, thankfully we just had to walk to the nearby casino and walk through it to get to where we wanted to eat. And then when done with that…I had to move quickly back to the RV to drop some leftovers off then haul my butt back into the building, for we had decided to watch a movie.

The movie being the newest Star Trek, was I really quiet liked. And because of it, I am sitting here thinking about everything I write and how it would sound with Scotty’s accent. Damn that movie, even it was good.

Tomorrow….oh tomorrow…that is when we should begin our final trek home. The last several hours until we are back in California, the mountains, real mountains, and the grand city I have grown up in and still don’t know what is where. But hey, it’s LA as long as you know what the building looks like and the general direction, you’re normally good…normally.

Keep your fingers crossed and knocking on that wood, we may be near the end, but this is when it all comes together. We don’t need another tire going! And if it does…please make it in cooler weather, I hate the heat out here…Next post, Home…

Typed July 13, 2013

Day 22 Friday 7/12

The plan was to take up early today…that plan failed. Only me and sister woke up earlier, her before me. But then she went back to sleep after failing to try and wake everyone else up. I woke up not long after she was out again. But once I was up I…was up. Spent my morning relaxing while waiting for the family to wake up.

And I have to say…it took them a good long while. Yet when we they did they were hoping to it and getting ready for the day. By that I mean back water into the Van and anything else we normally did in the morning.

Once in the Van it was into the nearby National Park again, Zion. Once at the visitor center we hoped out of the Van and into the shuttle they had and got a ride all the way to the top of the canyon here. Where we went on a walk. I refuse to say Hike because it wasn’t even a quarter of a mile, we went a bit in to a spot where we could interact with a river, stayed there for half an hour then came back to the shuttles.

We hitched another ride on a different shuttle to another spot where we went on something that can be considered a hike…a very small hike, not even half a mile round trip, but it was a heck of incline. Then it was again at the shuttle, and got off again at another stop that was at a lodge and where we got our dinner. And then when dinner was done, yet another shuttle ride to a museum did things then yet ANOTHER shuttle ride back to the visitor center where it was back to the Van.

And then when at the Van we drove back to the RV, picked up the dogs then went for a nice long drive. And during this drive we eventually got rained on, and I took a small nap.

I hate to say this, but that nap was the only think I really liked about that whole thing. I mean we brought a good amount of water with us, I was ready to go on a nice long hike, or several hikes for that matter. I’m not talking half mile round trip, I’m talking mile maybe two round trip, oh sure I would have complained about that too. But Come on! I was expecting that, not these insanely long and uncomfortable shuttle rides. After a bit I was actually WANTING a long hike, And instead I got a long drive ride where I got cramp in the back seat because of the mutts….oh what a fun day….now if only I can find a way to do sarcasm right…

Well now that my rant for this post is done, hopefully, I can go on. Eventually our drive was finished because dad didn’t want to deal with the after effects of the rain, so we went back to the RV. And when there we dealt with a few thinks, figured on where to go for dinner and then it was off to dinner. It as a good dinner I have to admit, but that’s a different matter.

Anyways we eventually finished and then back at the RV we again got ourselves a nice relaxing evening…oh who am I kidding? This is the may family there is no such thing as Nice and relaxing, maybe one but usually not the other. So fine, we “chilled out” as one can say and spent what is our normal evening.

Tomorrow is a travel day, a short one is the plan. We should get to Las Vegas and then find a park for the rest of day. We don’t want to travel all the way home thanks to how long that would be, but Las Vegas is a good point to stop for it is closer to home and a much more manageable time. And personally I think it would at least a tad easier to travel during the Nevada desert during that time too. But we will find out. And We really need the knocking on wood, for we are almost home!

Typed July 12, 2013

Day 21 Thursday 7/11

Normal wake up for me, but it didn’t seem that way for the rest of the family. It took us past our normal time before we finally left for the day, with sister being a grouch the whole time.

Before we left the town we were in though, we had to pull over to fill up the gas take on the RV, it never hurts you know. But it delayed us little as we were soon on the road and to our next destination.

A good bit before lunch rolled around we pulled into the National Park we plan on staying at, and as luck would have it, there is literally no internet around. And then at some point we have to get through a tunnel, but since we are in an RV we had to get a special permit and then wait before we could even go through it…so boring. Eventually we got to go through the tunnel…man was it LONG. But amazingly not long after we got some good signal for our phones.

As twelve started to roll around we arrived at the RV park we hoped to stay at. We got a spot, but first we had to unload the Van. And as luck would have it…it started to sprinkle on us, we ignored that mostly. When done with the Van we took the RV to the spot we had and started setting it up…in ever increasing rain. So me and dad got nice and wet while we were getting the RV all situated, fun.

Well when we were done with that we did a few other things then it was into the Van for a lot of driving…and I do mean a lot. A few stops and eventually a mile+ hike. So all in all a long and boring afternoon. But we eventually had our dinner than came back to the RV to relax out the rest of the evening.

Tomorrow is more driving and exploring this national park…yea so much fun…HELP!

Typed July 11, 2013

Day 20 Wednesday 7/10

Surprisingly wake up was a bit late today. Not by much but enough to notice, but it wasn’t that much of a problem. The simple thing is that after waking up it was getting ready for a LONG day of driving in the van.

And I am not kidding, we spent darn near the whole morning and afternoon driving around in that van of ours. Our few stops for were photos and later lunch, and one other thing I’ll talk about later.

On one of the stops though I did have some fun. My mom sort of goaded me into climbing a small rock face and try to get to a little ledge. I didn’t decent, was able to stand next to the ledge, but not get in ledge, I just couldn’t get a good hand grip or foothold, good thing to because getting down was WAY harder than getting back up. But it was still a fun thing to do, I even rediscovered how good your palms can be when climbing up and down a difficult item.

But sadly that was the only fun thing we did, for driving was boring, extremely so and eventually…we got a flat. That is right, the first flat of our trip was in the Van. A tad abnormal because normally the flat is on the RV and we got tires ready for that, but nope the Van decided to go and get a little tiny whole that I could cover with my thumb in a place that can’t actually be repaired. So needless to say we had to pull over and put on the temporary for a bit, until we got to town and then dropped into the local car shop and got two new tires, for the tires on that Van really needed them.

Personally I hate changing tires, it is usually hot, and the tires extremely uncomfortable move. But I admit there is little that can be done about. But right now, I just feel like complaining, sorry.

Well anyways when the Van was done with its repairs we dropped by the RV did a few things then went to dinner, had dinner of course then came back and settled into a normal evening.

Tomorrow is a travel day, a quick one to my understanding. I don’t know how much I can actually say about that when it comes, but then again, I’ve found out things can be longer than I thought before.

And by the way Chris, No we did not see fireworks that day, we did see them before we left Oklahoma  though.

Typed July 10, 2013