Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween! This is a great holiday. You get to put your hands in gooey pumpkins and generally just fool around. In the above picture 4 out of the 5 of us are wearing our pregnancy costumes. Can you guess who is really pregnant? Coming from the right -- not me, not Ronnie, NOT Ronnie's Katy, NOT Liz, yup - you guessed it - my Katie. She is 7+ months pregnant. I will be a grandpa before New Years. We are all very excited.

In other pics, you see me with my new pumpkin carving tool, Waldo and Wenda, and Katy's jack-o-lantern (she won our contest).

Hope you had a great Halloween!

The End

22 + years ago I made a call to a recruiter about a navy program I had heard about. How different would my life have been if I had not? I guess I'll never know. I am absolutely from the bottom of my soul glad that I did go down this path. The benefits and opportunities were amazing. But they don't, in any way compare, to the way my life has changed because of the people I met. I believe we are molded by a compilation of the influences made by the people in our lives. I have the US Navy to thank for these servicemen and servicewomen being a part of my life: Dennis R, Joel T, Frank M, Marguerite R, John B, Ken W, Doug A, Jon B, Paul S, Calvin C, Liz W, John F, Mike C, Tom R, Angie U (may have met her without the recruiter...since we were married before the call, but she was an excellent servicemember colleague), The NRC Duluth Chief's Mess, John H, Maggie Y, Donna H, Larry T, Pat T, Cheryl K, Dave R, Shannon R, Donnie G, Matt H, Bob O, Larry K, Ladonna V, and most importantly - Mike, Ida, and Barry my three greatest friends in the Navy. This is a small and incomplete list. The names mean nothing to anyone reading this, but are a huge part of who I am.

I leave today with no regrets. None for joining, none for staying, and none for leaving. I am closing a chapter in my life and starting a new one.

TBL: The most important thing we get from our professions isn't the money, its not the pride, its the opportunity to be shaped by good people.

One Last Shave

I guess it is in my nature. If somebody tells me to do something, that in and of itself, is enough of a reason for me to NOT want to do it. Ask me to do something, no problem. Tell me to do it, go fly a kite. (Hmmm... I wonder where my daughter gets this trait). By being in the military it is REQUIRED that you be shaved in uniform. In fact, the military REQUIRES lots of things. It is a surprise I ever joined an institution that requires compliance. Well, I did and I got through it. But now it is over. This morning I was "forced" to shave for the last time...a nice feeling.

Fighting through the Apathy

Have you ever been in the last few weeks or last few days of a job? It is kind of hard. Not the emotions of leaving those are different. Rather what I am talking about is the stuff that used to matter and really doesn't any more. I'm sitting here today getting all of my ducks in a row and the other folks are dealing with the normal navy beauracracy. It's hard not to say out loud "I don't give a shit about that paper work or that requirement" or blah blah blah. But I'm not saying it. I 'm doing what is asked of me, getting my work done, and spending my spare moments reflecting on a great 22 year experience.

TBL: Fight through the apathy and don't do anything stupid that might burn some bridges.

The Best Meal I had in my Navy Career

In August of 1995 I spent 10 days in Guam working at the naval shipyard on my engineering duty qualification. First of all, let me tell you Guam in August is freaking hot!! Secondly, the power distribution system in Guam is bad. So every night when people get home from work and the air conditioning demand is at its highest, different parts of the island experience black outs. Most nights I would go to the Denny's in my hotel which had its own generator and eat. On Friday night I decided to go to the Navy Officer's Club for dinner. When I arrived, the power was off, but candles lit the way around back. The dinner fare was mongolian barbeque. Inside the club, under candlelight, was the buffet of uncooked meat and vegetables. I loaded my plate and brought outdoors to the chef who cooked it over charcoal with only the light of the coals.

Seating was outside and only a small candle lit each table. I was on the edge of a mountain in Guam looking out over the ocean at a moon that reflected off of the water and on to the city below. The meal was excellent, the ambiance was unparalleled.

TBL - Just a reflection on a snapshot from a career.

P.S. The weather in San Diego is fabulous. Sunny and 75.

The Last Journey

I don't expect that most people who read this blog think about retirement much. I sure don't, just today I realized that I am in my 17th year of community college teaching and If I retire at 60, I have 17 more. So I guess I'm half way. That is still a long time off.

However, today I have embarked on what will be my last journey in the Navy Reserve. I'm flying to San Diego for a 4 day weekend with my navy unit. The purpose being to turn over the reins and finish up a little paperwork. As of November 30th I will be transferred out of the active reserve, in other words, I'm retiring.

I've been in the military for almost 22 years. I've seen the world and I've had a lifetime of "life's lessons" compacted into 5 years of active duty and one weekend per month/ 2 weeks in the summer for the last 17. It has been a blast and I wouldn't trade a minute of it.

I'm leaving on my own accord. I could stick around for another 6 years before they kick me out. But the time is right. My family is ready. I have my son at home for a few more years and a grandson just two months out on the horizon. Plus a wife who is ready to reclaim her husband. I've missed more than half of our 24 anniversaries.

Nonetheless, it is a bit strange to say the word retirement. To pack my bags for one last trip...

Taking a Moment to Enjoy the Season

Yesterday, Mike Johnson, the ICC Provost, and I left work at 3:00 PM to go kayaking on a remote lake in northern Minnesota. One of the best aspects of our part of the world is the four destinct seasons. Unfortunately, we often take them for granted and just go on with our busy lives. Over the past few years I have tried to take an afternoon each season to spend with a friend in the quiet outdoors. Yesterday was perfect. The weather was cool and dry. We went to a lake up highway 38 and paddled the shoreline for two hours. We saw many deer, visited about each others' lives and soaked in the autumn season. After sunset we loaded up our kayaks and stopped off for a burger and a beer. All in all a great afternoon/evening.

TBL: Don't let life pass you by. Schedule, weeks in advance if you have to, an afternoon in the great outdoors.