So there are so many useless things to do here in Kuwait. This place is a just a money pit where commanders can prove how much more combat ready their units are to each other. This whole place is just a repeat of the last two years of training, stuffed into two weeks. It is like cramming before an exam; good idea in concept, but if you aren't ready by now we can only wish you luck. I volunteered for the 'advanced' medic training but just like I figured, you can't get too advanced in just four hours time.
I try to avoid the leaders here because they seem to spend most of their time stressing each other out. I have maintained my humor thus far and have even found time to keep working on my college courses. I think that I will get to 'unwind' in a way once I get to Iraq because it will be my home for a year. I am sick of living out of a bag on a tiny cot. I am ready for a footlocker and a tiny bed.
I appreciate the support that you all give, you are very responsive. It is nice to hear from you Sam.
If any of you want to send anything to me, you will have to wait until I get to Iraq and can collect mail. I'd prefer to get photos over anything else, they are easy and cheap to mail and they mean the most to me. So everybody please send me some pictures or even maybe some home movies on CD/DVD if you want to go crazy.
I am going to reunite with my camera in about two weeks time hopefully. At that point you can bet that I am going to start posting the best damn photos you could hope for(and some that I take too, haha).
Later peeps
-Bert
63 Years of Memories....
63 Years of Memories....
that's what I have now. The photo below shows the chair on the point which for so many years was my father's favorite after-supper place to contemplate and cast for walleye. As much as I feel guilty about what's happened, I know he would understand and even say there's nothing to forgive. He lived life fully and moved on many times. I'm the one with the unique experience of being attached to a beautiful place for my whole life. And despite all my best efforts, yesterday the 'cabin' was sold. I signed the papers and, truth be told, a weight was lifted. A new life lies ahead without the obligations, but with all of the wonderful memories. My unrelentingly positive attitude says this is truly how it is, but my heart is still sad.
There are some things in life for which the balance between the obligation and the joy of ownership often cannot be sustained forever. It became clear that I was no longer up to the task of taking care of the place quite a while back. However, knowing what needs to be done and doing it are often far apart. Finally, no choice was left. It had to be sold.
Now it's gone. No more worrying about how long the grass or how deep the snow is up there. No more sublimely pleasurable early morning cups of coffee sitting on the dock when the color of the lake is like pale blue glass and the air is completely still. No more endless repairs, high taxes, and utility bills. No more late nights around the fire pit with friends and family - warm from both fire and friendship. No more frozen pipes or emergency calls to the furnace guys. No more saunas and midnight skinny dipping that make you feel like you'll live forever while your connection with nature is confirmed by the gazillion stars of the milky way and the loons calling out in the dark. No more concerns with low well water levels or water so hard and full of iron the clothes turn yellow and your newly washed hair feels like brillo. No more finding the way home by boat in the dark after a long day on the lake feeling like this is the only place you really, really belong. No more praying that the boathouse will make it another year without collapsing. And ultimately, no more making new memories with friends, family and loved ones. No new memories, that is, at Half Bay, Lake Vermilion, Tower, MN. New life... here we come!
How do you thank a place for memories?
2 comments:
Maintaining humor. That's a good thing! It would be really easy if you had access to all the political hoopla. It just gets funnier everyday. I hope you get to log onto some of the Comedy Channel humorists for some laughs. Tuesday is fast approaching - THANK GOODNESS!
Anyway, enough about the news - endlessly, repetitively, humorously, and indecisively smug.
Glad you're able to do some homework. Do many others there have laptops? Or maybe your laptop is packed with your camera and you're using a community computer.
Hope the food, at least, is good. Anyway, by now you're probably already in Iraq, since I didn't get to writing this very promptly after your post.
Please post your mailing address here so people can send you photos if they can.
It's a gorgeous Sunday afternoon here in sunny sans-leaves Minnesota. Got all the doors and windows open to let a little outdoors in.
I know you're not fond of talking about the weather, but it is a link to how you are. When you say it is hot where you are, then I have empathy for what you are feeling (hot) which in turn makes me feel closer to you. Just like I hope you can see me sitting at the kitchen table with the back door wide open right now - thinking about you.
Miss you, Bert. Stay safe.
hugs, Mom
Here's Bert's address:
Bert Anderson
B Company, 2-10th AVN
CoB Speicher, IRAQ
APO, AE 09393
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