3...2...1..., a hand set keyed, a noise maker blew into, followed by "Attention on this net, happy new years". A small plastic wine glass full of sparkling grape cider, and an impromptu photo of 5 Marines wearing body armor, holding M-16's, with silly plastic hats on their heads complete with a "Restricted Access" sign in the background. That was my new years. Isn't it amazing, that not matter what the spirit of the season, even in the most austere environment shines through? Secret phone calls made to loved ones a world away on a satellite phone for "Official purposes only" But, the true glory of the new year was the sleep, sweet precious sleep, all told 8 full hours, for the first time in months a proper nights sleep. Now it's over, and life as normal, no more letters reminding me of what I'd rather forget. Just business as usual. Just a few more weeks, then back on the ship for the trip home.

For 2007, I want to be able to play more then the intro to "Nothing Else matters" and "wake me up when September ends". Add 200 Pounds to my bench press and subtract 30 pounds from my waist line. Soon I will be at a crossroads, out of the Marines, a civilian. What shall I do? Well to be honest what ever the hell I want. A trip to Kentucky for sure, then maybe to Europe. Then a Job and school in pursuit of an engineering degree. If I'm lucky a new car (Corvette). This time Next year, I will likely be working and going to school, living in an apartment, with my pet snake sitting in front of a computer screen, typing up a blog on SG about how I still haven't made it as a race car driver, and the kickass time I had at some random new year's party. In Life if you aren't moving forward, you're just a passenger watching the world pass you by. I'm 21, young dumb and full of cum ready to wrestle the world. Life is an experience to be lived. Who knows where I will be in a year. But after 5 years of the extraordinary, I'm ready for a little ordinary. At least for a while. I will never be the status quoi, sure I'll have a 9-5, but how many test engineers do you know with a Mohawk, and a body covered in tattoos? I hope to be the only one some day. I am a walking contradiction, a punk rocker/biker dude who wants a normal existence.


Life never ends up as planned, but as long is you never give up it always seems to work out. So often, I don't get what I want and find that what I got instead was just fine. My mom used to tell me if life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Well after a while you get damn tired of lemonade. So the next time life gives you a lemon throw it someone's head whom you don't like. So Goodbye to 2006, and the previous 21 years I have lived. It's time to learn from the past and look to the future. "We are such things as dreams are made"