Superbowl

0150 - "bleep bleep, bleep bleep" goes my alarm.  "Why am I getting up at 2 in the morning to go watch a football game in a big tent with a bunch of people?"  Some American traditions lose their glamor when transported to the other side of the world.  I'm here to tell you that the Superbowl is not one of those. 

To be completely honest, it wasn't just the draw of a potentially good football game televised on a big screen tv in a big tent with me and my 150 "closest friends."  I must admit that I wanted to get my ration of something as American as the Superbowl - Budweiser.  No, this won't be a free ad for the classic American Lager, but I did feel like pitching an ad as I sat there sipping the only two beers authorized in a year long deployment. 

With thoughts of a splash of the forbidden fruit, I forced myself out of my warm bed into the cold night to link up with my buddies who were also disrupting their sleep schedule for such an opportunity as this.  We walked over together, arrived at the site and received our ration.  Looking around the room, there were not as many folks as we had anticipated and the event was much less animated than we had anticipated.  We sat down near the front and settled in for the game.  Many folks left soon after finishing their drinks and another wave left at half time.  The outcome was pretty exciting, if not a little unexpected.  The victor was uncertain all the way through most of the 4th quarter.  I was especially impressed with the Saints onside kick attempt and recovery to start the second half.  It definitely shifted the momentum of the game. 

According to General Order #1 of this theater of operations, US service members are not allowed to consume alcohol (among other things) at any time while operating here.  It makes for a more orderly environment (as you can imagine) and supposedly respects the cultures of the countries in which we are operating.  However, during this one time of year, namely the culmination of the National Football League, we were given a chance to taste a little of what we've been missing. 

I'm happy to say that my friends and I enjoyed the game and the drinks and no one misbehaved, at least at our location.  I'm sure somewhere someone did something inappropriate, but for me, it was a chance to feel a little bit more like home, getting a little bit of something that we normally don't have here. 

In the end, I was disappointed that Peyton made such a key mistake that cost the Colts the game, but I have to give the Saints some credit for a game well played.  It was the most competitive Superbowl that I've seen in a few years and a memorable experience. 

As for my job, I've already turned over my old position to a new Lieutenant.  He is pretty green at the moment, but I think he'll learn quickly.  I'm in the process of transitioning to my new job, working alongside the outgoing commander.  We start our inventories of the company property this week. 

I just finished a book recently called "A Million Miles in a Thousand Years," by Donald Miller.  The opening lines of the book really grabbed me - "If you watched a movie about a guy who wanted a Volvo and worked for years to get it, you wouldn't cry at the end when he drove off the lot, testing the windshield wipers.  you wouldn't tell your friends you saw a beautiful movie or go home an put a record on to think about the story you'd seen.  The truth is, you wouldn't remember that movie a week later, except you'd feel robbed and want your money back.  Nobody cries at the end of a movie about a guy who wants a Volvo.   But we spend years actually living those stories, and expect our lives to feel meaningful.  The truth is, if what we choose to do with our lives won't make a story meaningful, it won't make a life meaningful either..." 

I chuckled at those lines at first because I realized that one of the things I've been thinking about since being here is what sort of car I want to get when I return home.  The sad part is that I realized I was guilty of living out a "bmw" or a "mustang" story and then expecting my life to feel meaningful.  Getting a nice new car won't give me any of the meaning I'm looking for, I'm afraid.  Having finished the book, I can tell you that he doesn't give you any quick fixes or easy answers for living a good story (and I would be skeptical if he did), but he does describe the overarching nature of a good story - a character who wants something and overcomes conflict to get it.  I recommend the book to anyone who's ever enjoyed books or movies with good stories like Braveheart or Lord of the Rings. 

I want to say thanks to all the folks who've sent packages and letters.  It's great to know that people appreciate what we're doing and haven't forgotten about us.  Things are pretty slow over here for the most part and it's hard to see results of what this rotation is accomplishing.  At this point, we're just trying to wrap things up and not lose what previous rotations have achieved.  I appreciate all your thoughts, prayers, and other means of support.  Until next time...