Mike's Blog

E-Course

2008-07-24T03:56:00.000-07:00

This last week has been fairly slow since it has been mostly classroom work. We had a 12 page Op Order given at 7 p.m. due at 7 a.m. the next morning which sucked, but otherwise nothing too big.

Then there was the Endurance Course yesterday. It is five miles through the 'Quantico highlands' which means the wooded terrain and all the hills that entails. There are some obstacles to go over, some of which include sewage (calling it water is a disrespect to water everywhere). It is all kicked off by running the Obstacle Course. To max it out, guys have to run it under 60 minutes and females have to do it in under 70 minutes. To pass the guys have to finish under 80 minutes and the females 90 minutes.

All of that isn't so bad though. I've ran the E-Course 4 times before yesterday; however, yesterday was the first time with the full load. We had our assault packs full to capacity, our FLC's had the usual items with full canteens, we had to wear our kevlar helmets during certain portions, and of course, we had to carry our rifles.

I ended up running it in 70 minutes flat. This wasn't a 70 minute stroll either. It was 70 minutes of physical and mental torture. The physical is obvious because we weren't used to running with that much weight on our bodies. The mental was the worst part because you end up walking for a large portion of the course. Now I'm not in the greatest shape of my life but I am in good shape and I consider myself mentally tough. When I had to stop and walk I was beating myself up in my head for being weak (much nicer than the thoughts actually going through my head but you get the idea).

I talked with others and, thankfully, this was the norm for the entire company. We had 13 failures out of 41 in the platoon and 90 failures out of 240 in the company. It was a gut check for everyone and highlighted some areas that need attention! I suppose I won't be able to say 'I'm better off resting tonight than getting some PT in,' anymore!

Congrats to Eddie and Kari on their good news of a baby on the way! There will be another congrats posted for someone else once I get the OK to start talking about it. ;) Take care and God bless all!

Mike~

Land Nav

2008-07-18T03:48:00.000-07:00

The MCMAP package is done and now we are starting the Land Navigation package. MCMAP was pretty easy since I'm already a Brown Belt MAI (Martial Arts Instructor). Everyone got their Tan Belts so congrats to them. I'll be coming in on some Saturday's to help get everyone some extra hours. I'm going to start with the two Grey Belts who only need about 6 more hours for their Green Belts. Then I'll be working the Tan Belts up who only need about 14 hours for their Grey Belts. Sounds like fun right?

Land Nav has always been a pain in my butt and I'm not looking forward to these days! I'll be fine though and make it through like I always do. We also have the Endurance Course Initial next Wednesday. I haven't ran in a while and will probably pay the price for it.

The in-laws are coming this weekend as well. It is a regular weekend and there isn't much going on. I'm not sure what they want to do but it better involve going to watch the new Batman movie! :) They are actually releasing it in IMAX as well. Do I dare?

Take care all and God bless.
Mike~

Rifle Range Week

2008-07-06T20:15:00.001-07:00

Range time is over finally! It consisted of me getting up at 0300 every day and being at 'mando chow' each morning by 0415. The days typically got me home around 1900 (7 p.m.) which was just enough time to toss the cammies in the laundry, eat, and go to sleep. I did get expert (5th award) on the rifle and sharpshooter (again) on the pistol. I haven't fired the rifle each year I've been in or the ladder would be a little bit higher of a number. :)

This is right after getting back from the 'movement' back to the BOQ. Keep in mind that I am not the type to sweat very much during physical activity. You should have seen my sun burn before!!

This is the gear we have to wear during the Table 2 and 3 shoots. Table 3 was actually pretty cool because we got to shoot at pop-up targets at unknown distances. Oh yeah, they were moving as well. It didn't count for score which added to the entertainment value. We were able to just get out there and shoot!

This next week is all about the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program (MCMAP). The goal is to get the entire company to Tan Belt before the end of the week. I'm already a Brown Belt Martial Arts Instructor (MAI or just Instructor) so I'll probably just be assisting in the training of the others. The LT's with no belt only have to go through 3 days of training and then a test day and they are going to be given their Tan Belt's. I'm quite upset about that because it is no where near the prerequisite number of hours. When you start doing things like that, you cheapen the program. I guarantee those LT's are going to be the same ones that get to the fleet and expect to be allowed to cut corners for future belts. And you know what? I can't blame them after the initial experiences the will have had with MCMAP.

Oh well, such is life right? :) I hope everyone is doing well and I'll talk to you later! Take care and God bless.

Mike~

Zero Week

2008-06-01T17:21:00.000-07:00

We enter the main phase of Zero Week with Echo Company tomorrow. I'm a Platoon Commander once again so I get the fun of the extra meetings, roster building, and accountability issues. Oh well, such is life right?

The PFT is Thursday and I am hoping to have a decent showing. 285 plus would be a decent showing for those that are interested. I've been running with a buddy pretty consistently so I am interested to see how well I do. Unfortunately I have neglected the pullups a bit.

Mario Kart Wii is awesome, did I mention that? Precious and I have a ball playing it. Of course we all know who comes in first though. ;)

Take care and God bless!

Mike~

Latest and Greatest

2008-05-26T18:37:00.000-07:00

I was thinking about it: these posts could be a lot longer if I would post more often! I'll try to keep this short and sweet.

Zero Week starts Wednesday, again. It will be Echo Company instead of Delta. I'd tell you why I got dropped from Delta but it would probably make you upset and me reminded of my 'upsetness' so I'll skip it. Just know that I was 'screwed by the big green weenie again'. I'll be a Platoon Commander again which still sucks because the first billet holders have those billets for an extra two weeks. Not to mention that those two extra weeks are pretty stressful! I will survive though.

Precious got a job! She'll be working at a hospital in Fredricksburg. The pay is terrible in comparison with what she was making in New York City but we expected that. It is still a decent rate when all things are considered. Congrats baby!

We purchased Mario Kart for the Wii and LOVE IT! It's the next great installation in a great series. The battle game is only team which kinda sucks but I am hoping you can unlock a one-on-one mode just like on SNES. We have a Wii Fit pre-ordered already and it should be ready for pickup on Wednesday. I'll post more on that after we play with it.

Does anyone else hate the way the Pistons get away with all that contact??? Rich Hamilton should foul out of every single game yet he rarely gets called for his reach in fouls. He's a great rhythm shooter but I hate the way he gets away with murder on push-offs. Oh well, it's going to be another great series and we'll be treated to a great finals: Lakers vs Celtics. Talk about an orgasm in the making for David Stern. :)

Well, I think that's about it for now. Take care all and God bless!

Mike~

Howdy Folks!

2008-04-17T05:59:00.000-07:00

Hello all! I'm just sitting back at our townhouse in VA enjoying some well earned Leave. It ends Sunday night and then it's back to the grind with the holding company, M Company at The Basic School (TBS).

We went to MN for a few days. It was a really good time but I ended up driving WAY more than I wanted to. Such is life. :) We had a get-together on my father's side of the family. Most of them haven't seen me in a decade or longer. I didn't really know them but that's why we had the little party. I was happy that my biological father could meet my wife finally. We'll see how that goes.

I'm deep into the triathlons again! Virginia has a triathlon circuit with a different triathlon each weekend. SWEET! Of course it'll be interesting to see how I perform after spending a week in the field and then going to run a tri. One of my buddies out here is a tri-geek as well so hopefully I can talk him into doing a few of them with me. I am going to a clinic this Sunday. I'm hoping it will be informative and fill in some dark spots in my tri knowledge. For those that don't know, I have quite a few of those dark spots!

I was going to buy the Trek Equinox 7, a triathlon specific bike, but decided we should probably wait till later to invest $2000 into a new bike. Instead I am paying $150 to give my bike a tune-up. It should carry me through TBS at the least. There's nothing wrong with my current road bike, a Specialized Alles, but it is a road bike and not a tri bike. I'm an expensive date too. :)

The next few days will be finalizing the house and getting everything in the correct place. BTW, our couches finally got here and we love them. Picture microfiber material that looks like leather. Best of both worlds. ^_^

Take care and God bless!

Mike~

Pictures...

2008-03-31T17:42:00.001-07:00

I know the rank insignia is not placed properly on the collars. I was pinned by someone who had no reason to know how the placement went and he misunderstood me when I described it (he was thinking perpendicular instead of parallel). I am still honored he did it! :)

Mike~

Done, Sir, Done!

2008-03-30T18:03:00.000-07:00

OCS is FINALLY over and I have been commissioned as a 2nd Lt. At times through the years, it felt like I would never get here. Through perseverance, faith in God, and a loving and supportive wife, I did. :) Thank you to all those that were able to come show their support. It meant a lot to have you there. For those that couldn't come, don't worry, I appreciate your support through the email and phone. :)

Unfortunately TBS starts on Tuesday so there is next to nothing in the way of down time and the entire time is being spent getting Precious and myself situated into the VA area. I will try and post some pictures tomorrow but no promises!

BTW, I ordered a Dell M1350 tonight. Should be picking it up around the 12th at my mom's place in MN. :) Tomorrow I think we're buying Precious a 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid. She needs a vehicle and we decided if we're going to be paying on a vehicle, it might as well be on something she really likes and will keep for a while. Plus the tax rebates are nice. :)

Take care all and God bless!

Mike~

Alive and Kicking

2008-03-01T15:30:00.000-08:00

Hello all!

I'm still alive (barely though on some days). The weekend liberty helps SO much. It is a time to reset somewhat. We will be starting Week Seven (10 weeks total) on Monday so we're getting into the final stages! A lot of events are happening this next week so I really need to ensure I prepare myself properly. Of course the 300 word (only words four letters and longer count and it has to be exactly 300 words) essay doesn't help with the 'relaxation time' it is part of the process. :)

Precious has been a God-send, as always. I still question how I got so lucky with her. :) We have found a place to stay that we like so we use it each weekend: the Comfort Inn in Stafford. We're going to a place called Kobe to eat tonight with a buddy and his wife.

I hope to see all of you soon at graduation! Take care and God bless.

Mike~

And it begins...

2008-01-19T18:01:00.000-08:00

Mike has left for OCS. He will be out of communication for a few weeks, but will post when he has access to a computer. Please keep him in your prayers.

GO PACKERS!!!!

Mrs. W~

Snooze Button

2008-01-14T06:03:00.000-08:00

Hello neighbor-eenos! Congrats to the Pack on putting a stomping on the Seahawks. Honestly though, with those game conditions, anything can happen. We just happened to get a heroic effort from Grant after a challenging first 2 minutes from him. It really is the feel good story of the weekend. I'd post a link to one of the numerous articles about it but I'm sure you can find it on your own. :P

I'm just trying to rest up now. I am finding it harder and harder to get out there and run though. Jersey City is nothing but city blocks so every 30 seconds I'm waiting at a stop light on my runs. I go to the little park with a makeshift track but you can only run in a circle for so long until you just get bored. As always, I've got plenty more excuses where those came from. :)

I think we might go bowling today. I need to knock the dust off my gear before I head to OCS. And YES, a new bowling ball is on the list of things Mike gets after OCS but before we hit our next duty station. Just for fun, here's the complete list of things I have coming to me:

-New bowling ball

-Bose surround sound

-Plasma/LCD (undecided yet but the prices of the plasma are looking very nice) big screen T.V.

-We just bought the PS3. Blu-Ray is awesome (even if it was Harry Potter)!

-New Sirius player

-New Sirius docking station

-New road bike (I'm thinking about getting a triathlon specific bike)

-New tri gear

-New laptop

I'm sure there are some others I'm forgetting but the above are all agreed upon purchases we just haven't made either due to the deployment or we're waiting till we get a house, or whatever. Oh yeah, we're expected to buy a house in there somewhere too and we get pressure all the time to have babies. But those aren't expensive right? ;)

Take care and God bless!

Mike~

Go Packers!!!

2008-01-12T13:32:00.000-08:00

Kick Seattle's butt!!

Preparing

2008-01-10T14:26:00.000-08:00

Hello all! Once again it's been a while since my last post. In my defense I only had my laptop and it won't let me in Blogger (I even had my best friend's wife check it out and she's an IT guru). In any event, we lived out of the on base hotel for two weeks and had a rental car that whole time. Needless to say it was an expensive two plus weeks. But I am finally fully checked out and we are in NJ now. I'll be here until I head down to VA for OCS.

We broke down and bought the PS3. We knew we were going to get it but I was going to postpone the purchase until after OCS. I decided that the price isn't going to come down in two months so why not enjoy it for a while. We had an HD TV in our room so I got to experience some of what it can do. Pretty nice I must say. $500 nice? Well, you can't take it with you to the grave and our investments are going along nicely so why not? :)

I ran a PFT a couple days ago. I surprised myself with a 291. It's the exact same score I had before I left (another odd surprise). I have gained a few pounds living out of the hotel for two weeks that I need to drop. It's tough to get going with Precious around because all I feel like doing is snuggling on the sofa/bed. MUST FOCUS! :) I'll be alright though.

We bought a Magellan 4040 navigation system and it works like a charm. Of course there are certain short cuts we knew from having intimate knowledge of the area that the GPS didn't know about but all in all it is more than worth the money we spent on it. The in-laws are already thinking about getting one after having only seen it in action once.

Speaking of good investments, Precious and I are considering Lasik eye surgery. My biggest worry has always been about night vision going bad. Now that it has been around for a few years, I have talked to some people about it. The general consensus is that you have halo's at night for about 9-12 months. After that there is nothing. One guy even called it the best money he has ever spent on himself. Definitely something I'll seriously consider after TBS.

I hope everyone is doing well out there! I have the same cell phone number so drop me a line if you want. Take care and God bless.

Mike~

OCS Here I Come!

2007-12-19T20:50:00.001-08:00

So it looks like someone made a mistake at ON/E and I got selected for the Enlisted Commissioning Program. :) All thanks first go to my Lord and savior Jesus Christ through which all things all possible!

Thank you to my wife, my family, my friends, and my co-workers who've helped me to be successful up to this point in my career. We're still moving forward though! And yes, this means if you planned to be in NC for my homecoming you should start looking for tickets right now because I'll be there soon.

Take care and God bless!

Mike~

Mike Does Fran

2007-12-19T20:48:00.000-08:00

I tried to post a demo video of the workout but it didn't work. It was a demo of the Crossfit workout 'Fran' that I did this morning. Obviously the people in the video are MACHINES and knock this workout out in less than 3 minutes. It took me 11:25. Of course I am just starting and have never done 'thrusters' before.

Here is the breakdown of the workout:

3 rounds for time of:
Thrusters and Pullups
Rounds are 21 - 15 - 9 on the reps.

Talk about fatigue! These workouts push you in a ways you're not used to. The thrusters were done with a weight of 95lbs. Sounds light but just give it a try and let me know what you think. :) Tomorrow is 'The Badger!'

Take care and God bless!

Mike~

CrossFit Workout 'Angie'

2007-12-12T09:44:00.001-08:00

So I did my first CrossFit (www.crossfit.com) workout. The title is 'Angie':

For Time:
100 Pullups
100 Pushups
100 Situps
100 Squats (air squats)

The idea is to knock it out as fast as possible. No skipping around, you knock out the 100 pullups and then move on to the next exercise, so on and so forth. It took me 34:50 to finish. Now, this involves a lot of extra factors. The first and foremost is that these exercises are more extreme than you think so you have to take it easy at first or you can get this crazy problem and die. There are a number of different places that warn you about it on the website in the beginner sections.

SO, my excuse for the crappy time is that I was taking it easy. :) How convenient right?

Take care and God bless.
Mike~

500 Mile Club

2007-12-06T20:19:00.000-08:00

So another two month gap in posts... What can I say? I'm a lazy bum. This is a photo I took for the 500 Mile Club. I actually eclipsed 500 miles a little over a month ago but just never went in for the photo.

They started a 'Superman Club' at the gym. You do a combination of bench press, squat, and deadlift one rep max (1RM). You add your 1RM's together to find out which category your picture goes under. I just hope I don't hurt myself!!!

Precious got hired at a hospital in NYC making excellent money. Do I have a problem with her making twice as much as me? HECK NO! :) I'm very proud of her for her accomplishments and view this job as a blessing from God.

Speaking of which, Josh just got a new job as well. I haven't heard much about it yet but I hope it's going well for you!

As long as I'm mentioning new career paths, congrats to Dax for graduating OCS! You got the run around with the package but it all worked out for the best brother. :) Hopefully I'll be seeing you in VA soon.

On a side note, has anyone ever looked at the Cross Fit videos? They are demo videos of a gym chain out in California. They are NUTS. They focus on Olympic lifts (i.e. power cleans, snatches, push press, etc) but they put them in circuits which they do numerous times without stopping. They go for a goal time and pit people against each other. They believe they get more out of you through competition than they do through the drill instructor mentality (come on you wimp, you can't even do 40 pullups?!?!).

I'll try to post more often, I promise! Take care and God bless.

Mike~

Qatar Trip

2007-10-13T10:24:00.001-07:00

I'm back from my 96 in Qatar. What a good time! The rest and relaxation experienced there was well needed and much enjoyed. :) Back to the grind now for another few months.

Take care and God bless!

Mike~

SSgt Select

2007-10-13T09:44:00.001-07:00

Hello all! The Staff Sergeant board has released it's results and I have been selected. :) My number is 2164. To make a long story short, it means I'll be promoted sometime in April or May. Now I just have to wait for the ECP board in December...

Take care and God bless!
Mike~

Safe Travels Lt T

2007-09-25T10:52:00.000-07:00

I wish a safe journey to Lt T who is traveling back to the states. The other photo is a portion of our MMA group that gave him a 'send off'. That send off consisted of the four of us rotating in on him for groundfighting over the course of an hour. :)

I don't want to hear anything about how my shorts look either! I know how they look but they are too expensive to not use. They are much more durable than normal shorts due to the nature of groundfighting. Oh well, I'm not out there for a fashion contest. As long as my wife like's the way I look in them I'm OK with it.

Take care and God bless!

Mike~

Congrats Baby!!

2007-09-16T12:18:00.000-07:00

Precious passed her NCLEX test and is now a Registered Nurse. Congrats my love!

Moving Right Along

2007-08-24T08:14:00.001-07:00

So the deployment is continuing. I finished up my Grey Belt Course I was teaching. Everyone passed and had a good time so I consider it a success. Many of them desire to continue on with their Green Belt and that is another sign of success.

I haven't been running much. I just haven't felt like it. I'm still lifting weights and doing MMA though. I'm getting better on the ground and with my standup. I'm still hurting people though and that is not a good thing because it shows a lack of control.

I've been playing Final Fantasy I on my PSP (thanks mom!). Talk about a classic... 'They sure don't make'em like they used to!' :) This one has all new graffics, a magic points system (instead of only being able to cast each spell once, which was a DRAG!), and a bunch of new dungeons. Very well done if you ask me. I also have Final Fantasy II (Japanese number II) which I've never played before. Should be fun!

Next week I'm going to start up cardio on the days I'm not lifting weights or doing MMA. Then the following week I'll start doing cardio on the days I'm not lifting weights. I still can't wait to get back and hit the bike and pool though.

I hope everyone is doing well. I miss you all and God bless you!
Mike~

Flooded

2007-08-13T07:51:00.000-07:00

I know it's been a while since I posted last but hey, I've been busy! We have numerous people going on Leave and I'm teaching a Grey Belt Course in MCMAP at night so it puts me at about 15-16 hours each day for work.

SOOOO.... Precious is staying with her family while I'm deployed and she was finishing up school. She stays in the basement. It's all hers down there and not a bad setup to tell the truth of it. It has two side rooms we use for storage along with a decent sized main room (think studio apartment with two big closets).

Well, this basement has a shower in it. And yes, it regurgitated everything that was in the city block's sewer into the basement. We're talking past ankle deep sewage filling up the basement.

Precious leaves the electronics on the floor so the Nintendo Wii is jacked, the stereo, the DVD camera, among other things. Now in the storage rooms, my boxes are on the bottom because no one needs access to them. Yes that's right, my whole wardrobe is gone. Soaked with sewage. This includes a couple thousand dollars in military uniforms.

We also lost my comic book collection, numerous books, pictures, and other momentos. The sofa cushions were soaked as well. Did I mention the game systems got wet?

There is a ton of other things lost but the most important thing is intact: Precious. Thankfully she isn't hurt in the whole ordeal and in hindsight, she is lucky in that situation. We are insured so we are going to get paid for everything but she has had to deal with this situation by herself and I think she is doing a wonderful job. :) I just wish I was there to help her.

Around 600 pictures had to be taken and now she has to look up prices of each item. Thanks for doing such a great job baby. *halik*

God bless!
Mike~

I wouldn't call it quitting...

2007-07-28T09:20:00.001-07:00

I am no longer training for the marathon in October. Was is too hard? No, the opposite actually. Was it too often? No, I'll still run almost every day. What was it then? BORING! That's what. A) no running partner B) not allowed to have on headphones while I run outside C) the base is only 6 miles around. Do you know how boring the same desert scenery is when you run 11 miles? Can you imagine how bad it would be at 20? And this is the same scenery I run every single day and I'm just talking about training. There's still the 26.2 mile race to do. Thanks, but I'll save the 4 plus laps around the base for another time.

I'll just run one when I get back. That way I can find a training partner (wish Josh would just grow a pair and tell Carly they are moving), wear my headphones if I want, and run in a different location every single time if I so desire.

So I'm going back to lifting real weights (no more light weight high reps) and high intensity cardio (between 3-6 miles). I like the way I feel when I'm doing that workout anyways. Coincidently I like the way I look better as well. :)

God Bless all!
Mike~

You know you've been in Iraq too long when...

2007-07-23T09:54:00.000-07:00

...the temperature is 85 degrees in the early morning and you comment on how cool it feels. Yah, I know. Dude, really, I know...

Mike~

Ang Init!

2007-07-20T08:06:00.000-07:00

It's hot over here! The temps keep rising and I keep sweating more. I found I was using the truck to go do all my errands I used to walk to do. Hey, the A/C works really nice in that POS pickup truck. I haven't been losing any weight since I've been back due to a combination of increased carb eating (because of my marathon training) and using the truck to go everywhere instead of walking. Soooo, I am correcting one of them. :)

Winky Wright and Bernard Hopkins fight Saturday night. Should be a good fight as both of them are EXCELLENT boxers. By that I mean they both have tremendous skills, great technique, and their offense and defense are both solid. Unfortunately for Winky, B-Hop has all the physical advantages in this fight despite being over 40. It'll be a chess match that B-Hop will eventually win by grinding Winky out. B-Hop by close UD.

BTW, here is what Sunday dinner looks like every week:

Mike~

Not Selected

2007-07-13T09:05:00.000-07:00

Well, the results for the Meritorious Commissiong Program came out and I was not selected. I always tell myself to hope for the best but prepare for the worst. That said, I still had my hopes a little higher this time than other times because I can look back on specific things I should have done differently with my other packages. This one was pretty darn good all things considered. There's always the next board though. :)

God bless and take care.
Mike~

Bubble Guts

2007-07-12T08:25:00.000-07:00

If you don't know what bubble guts are, feel happy! It's not very pleasant. Suffice it to say that I have it and it sucks. Of course that won't excuse me from my run today, it just means I probably won't be running as hard as I would have! It's going to be a 5 mile quality run, or Lactate Threshold (LT) run for you savvy runners.

Happy Birthday to Josh! I wish I was there to celebrate it with you. We wouldn't even have to get drunk, we could just hang out. Of course we probably would end up drunk and shooting baskets at some bar but hey, those are good memories. :)

I hope everyone has enjoyed the big blockbuster movies so far. The copies we have on the shared drive are terrible! I'm waiting to watch them until they get better copies or I can just catch them when I get back. I'm a fairly big movie goer so some people know the pain I'm in since I can't watch them in the theater.

Take care everyone and God Bless!
Mike~

350 Miles

2007-07-07T10:07:00.000-07:00

Hello faithful viewers! I have eclipsed the 350 mile mark with my running. Doing the marathon training, I will be up to 40+ miles on some weeks so the 750 mark should be obtainable even if I leave in September. I could actually forecast right now but what's the fun in that? :)

I learned a lesson on this morning's long, slow run. Don't chew gum on a morning run with an empty stomach. I've been messed up all day from it!! I can't put my finger on the why or the how, but I'm sure of the what.

Props to Venus Williams for winning Wimbledon. I'm more surprised by her poor play in the last year than her winning there. I mean, come on, she's a Williams, right? By the same token, everyone needs to bow down to Roger Federer. He is clearly the Michael Jordan of tennis. Despite the fact that Nadal is his papi (check the head to head, he owns him, clay, grass, steel, it doesn't matter) he is still one of the most dominant forces in sports.

Green tea rocks. I've been drinking the heck out of it here in Iraq. Even when faced with the sweats it brings on, it is very enjoyable. My wife makes sure I have a nice rotation of new teas to try so it doesn't get boring. I'm still trying to work through the Stash Premium 80 Bag Variety Pack! There are some VERY interesting teas in there. Stash and Tazo are my favorite brands in case anyone is keeping track.

Alright, enough of my meandering thoughts. God Bless you all and stay safe. :)
Mike~

Nothing new

2007-07-04T08:59:00.000-07:00

I might have mentioned, but things have really slowed down over here. It's kind of disgusting! Before, I was busy from the start of the day till the end and the days and weeks went by quickly. Now that it is slow, the days really drag. I might start finding new things to do. We'll see...

The marathon training is coming along just fine. I started to add 'quality' and 'tempo' runs. Quality means interval training, or run hard, run slow, run hard, run slow. Tempo means running at a fast pace the whole time. For marathon training you train yourself to run very slowly and conserve energy. The tempo run is to help speed up what you consider slow.

I started the weightlifting program I was on over again. I took too much time off and the beginning is all light weight, high reps which is what I need. It doesn't put on a lot of muscle though. I'm still trying to reconcile the idea of training for an Ironman Triathlon in 2009 with not lifting heavy weights.

-Good luck to Josh on your tri coming up!
-Welcome back Dax!
-God Bless the Kinn family during their difficult time!
Mike~

Top of the Rock

2007-06-25T09:19:00.000-07:00

This is a picture of me looking out onto Central Park from the top of Rockefeller Building. We also went to the top of the Empire State Building but I don't have a picture of that handy. :P

Running is going well. The miles get longer each week but the longest run this week is still only 6 miles. Run, Mike, Run!
Mike~

Slower, slower, slower...

2007-06-22T07:33:00.000-07:00

This week seemed really slow! With certain people gone, there is less work coming in to be pushed down to me. I suppose I shouldn't complain about that though!

I am still deciding on whether or not to put my running workouts on here or not. I'm told it will help to keep me on my workout plan. If the family and friends don't see the day's workout, they bother me with emails asking WTF. I'm not to the point where I plan on skipping any days though, so we'll see.

Has anyone ever watched the series Lost? Good stuff! It's got me hooked even more than 24 (sorry Dax!). I'm hoping to catch up at one point and start watching them when they come on their scheduled day. As far as recent memory will recall, only 24 and Dexter (on Showtime) have gotten me to do that.

Hope everyone is safe and doing well! God bless.
Mike~

Back in the Sandbox

2007-06-18T09:49:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm back in Iraq. I'd say I'm glad to be back but we all know I'd be lying.

In any event, the Marine Corps has a very popular marathon they run every year. Of course, being deployed, many Marines that normally run the marathon don't get an opportunity to. This makes those Marines sad~!

Soooo, the Marine Corps is going to run a marathon over here in Iraq. Those that participate are going to run the same day as the normal marathon is being run in the rear. Everyone is going to get together at the beginning and do a video message to the people running the official Marine Corps Marathon.

Being that we are 8 hours ahead of the location in the states, they will get to see the video before they run. The times run in Iraq will even be recorded as part of the tally in the rear. Participants in Iraq will also get all the same memorabilia such as t-shirts, caps, etc.

Oh BTW, I'm going to run it. :) Wish me luck!
Mike~

R&R

2007-05-27T18:12:00.000-07:00

Hello All!

I'm home for a couple weeks for Rest and Relaxation Leave. I'm in Jersey City with my wife (love ya sweety) and my mom is finally going to meet her parents. Should be an 'interesting' time I suppose.

Precious bought a Nintendo Wii for us all to play with and let me tell you, it's pretty fun. More fun than I thought it would be. Of course it's equal parts annoying when the sensor doesn't read the laser properly and whatever you're trying to do doesn't equate to whats happening on-screen.

There are a ton of movies out right now that we're looking forward to seeing, the least of which we already saw: Shrek 3. Pretty funny but you know it can't keep up with Spiderman 3 and Pirates 3 (hmm, 3-3-3, isn't that odd?). In any event, I'll be in a buttery popcorn induced coma before the week is out, I'm sure.

Stay safe all and God Bless!
Mike~

250 Mile Club

2007-05-12T20:57:00.000-07:00

Told you I was close. :) Next tier, 500!

Mike~

2007-05-10T08:30:00.000-07:00

Hi all! I got a little certificate for running. For those that can zoom in and focus, it's for 190 miles although I'm already up to 246 1/2 miles as of today. I'm still planning on over 750 for my time here but we'll see.

Good luck to Josh on your Tri coming up! Yoooou can do iiiiiit! (come on, it's Waterboy people)

Mike~

Whiffle Ball

2007-04-18T10:22:00.000-07:00

I know it might not have been obvious in the other picture, but we were playing whiffle ball and I'm on first base. Here's me calling the homerun.

Mike~

P.S. It wasn't a homerun. :P

Surprise!

2007-04-12T10:10:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone, it looks like the new IT guys didn't block off Blogger so I might be able to get some posts in here and there.

Not much is new. I'm about to finish up my class and start a new one. That means four more to go for the Bachelor's Degree.

I'm working on getting my Brown Belt in Marine Corps Martial Arts Program (MCMAP). I go 2 hours during lunch on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. As an instructor, sometimes I end up teaching instead of working on moving up. It's all part of the deal though.

Work is the same. Still working long hours but there's not a whole lot else to do. I still can't wait till I get back though!

The connection is still terrible but I'm going to work on posting some here and putting some pictures up. I hope everyone is doing well and I keep you all in my prayers. :)
Mike~

Happy Birthday!!!

2007-04-09T16:15:00.000-07:00

To our nephew Benjamin. Love you :)
Uncle Mike and Auntie Precious~

Peace...

2007-03-22T08:30:00.000-07:00

Update...

2007-03-13T18:38:00.000-07:00

Here is just a brief update of what is happening with Mike:

1. He is starting a new class today. He only has 5 more classes including the one that he is in before he finishes his degree.

2. He is currently instructing some fellow marines in MCMAP which is the (marine corps martial arts program).

3. Mike is also trying to fit in his recreational activities like video games and reading books, but i think that it will be even more difficult until he is done with the classes.

4. We recently celebrated our 4th wedding anniversary. I can't believe how fast time flies. It only feels like we got hitched yesterday. I know that a lot of people may say this, but I feel very lucky to have found the man of my dreams. Each and every day, my love for him grows stronger. This time period is difficult, but I can't wait until he and I can celebrate our next anniversary together in person.

Until We Roll Again....

M & P

I think this covers it for now...Take care, be safe, and God Bless to everyone.

Mrs. W~

Happy Birthday!!!

2007-03-05T18:45:00.000-08:00

To our niece Maiya. Love you :)
Mike and Precious~

When timepieces are against you...

2007-02-28T17:29:00.000-08:00

Mike is on "cruise control" as he likes to put it. He has pretty much gotten used to the schedule. He recently told me a story that had happened to him and I'll try to do my best to retell it.

Mike woke up to read his alarm clock as 5 am in the morning. He knew something was amiss because as he looked outside there was a lot of light. When he finally got a hold of the right time, it turned out to be 6:45 am. He had to rush in order to make sure that he got to his office on time. The watch that he wears also gave him problems. It turned out that his watch runs on solar power. Because he is mostly indoors and his sleeves are down when he's outside, it never gets a chance to power up. Seems like all his timepieces did not want to cooperate with him.

He's still trying to work on the clock, but hopefully it resolves itself. With regards to his watch, he just has to be more conscious of revealing it to the sun.

That is about it for now...Hope everyone is doing well.

Mrs. W~

Man in Uniform...

2007-02-24T19:18:00.000-08:00

Here is a picture of Mike in his gear...

Doing Well...

2007-02-17T08:37:00.000-08:00

First off, this post is coming from Precious (Mike's wife). He wants everyone to know that he is in Fallujah and doing well. The blog website has been blocked from work. He tried to get on a computer at the internet cafe, but it wasn't worth the time. He waited 30 minutes to use the computer and spent the next 30 minutes trying to view websites without any luck.

I'm going to write on the blog for Mike. There might be some rare occasions where he will be able to post himself. This way, everyone who checks this site will know how he's doing and give you guys an idea of what's been going on with him.

If anyone would like to send something to Mike and needs his address, feel free to contact his mom, Mike, or myself. If you're having a hard time deciding what to send, please make a donation to the USO in his name. They were really helpful on his journey and transition period to his destination.

He hopes that everyone is doing well and to keep in touch.

Mrs. W~

Shocking News From The Frontlines!

2007-02-03T08:03:00.000-08:00

I'm a horrible story teller so I'll get straight to the point. We all thought it was hil-ARIOUS that one of the female Sgt's had to go so bad while we were being transferred on the buses that she ended up peeing in a zip lock baggy. When we finally stopped and got to use the bathroom, there she was, standing in the midst of everyone waiting in line with her zip lock baggy full of pee because she wanted to dump it in the port-a-jon instead of in the trash. I desperately wanted to take a picture and post it up but I figured it wouldn't be a good way to start the next year being around her. **And then I figured out I left my USB cable for my camera. Babe!! Mail it to me please!
Mike~

Paradigm Shift #1

2007-02-03T07:55:00.000-08:00

OK everyone! We made it to Kuwait safely. We're on a different base then I thought we would be on. It's a walk to everywhere but it has a lot of amenities. There is a McDonald's, Internet Cafe (as evidenced by this post), phone center, USO, 24 hour gym, etc. Lots of things to keep you comfortable. Of course, after I paid $7 for a 'rechargeable member card with one hour worth of Internet access' I went to the building next door where the Internet is free. The only catch is you can't go on MySpace.com. It's the newest hook-up website and since I'm married I don't use it.

The chow hall is pretty nice; however, it's a mile walk to it. That's not so bad but when you add in a wind that doesn't drop below 10 mph and goes much higher on average, couple that with sand everywhere, and you have a crappy one mile walk. Of course no one has ever accused me of missing a meal so I do it three times a day. :)

Despite all of the dirt and sand everywhere, the Kuwaiti people are surprisingly VERY clean. We are required to wash our hands before entering the chowhall (shocking to some), we have to brush our shoes off before using the gym, we can't wear boots into certain building, and they themselves appear to be very clean. I was under the impression it's impossible to stay clean with all the sand blowing around. I guess now I'll have to make a better effort of keeping my own odor to a minimum!
Mike~

Last Post in America

2007-01-29T11:49:00.000-08:00

OK, so Thursday is the day and I'm ready to go. I have spent the last few days with my family here at sunny Camp Lejeune. The family leave Tuesday for Minnesota; the wife will stay till I leave on Thursday and then head back to Jersey. I found out I'll be riding two new 'birds' that I have been able to avoid: a C-130 and a helicopter (type to be determined by availability). Anyone who knows me knows I don't like heights and both of those aerial deathtraps are not acrophobic-friendly (yes I know I probably just made that word up).

I will post as soon as possible when I get in country. I already have the mailing address so contact my wife, my mom, or myself for it! Take care everyone!
Mike~

Happy Birthday!!!

2007-01-23T05:19:00.000-08:00

To my niece Sienna. Love you sweety. :)
Mike~

Date of Departure

2007-01-23T05:07:00.000-08:00

Semper Gumby! Our departure date is in a constant state of flux. I know that it is somewhere in a certain week, but exactly where changes upon who you ask. Today a date was given from competent authority; however, that doesn't count for much because things change due to logistics every day. I enjoy my MOS due to this fact.

Logistics are vital to the warfighting machine. "The Soldiers Load and The Mobility of a Nation" is the book I'm reading right now. It speaks directly to the importance of logistics. That is why I haven't fallen asleep every time I pick it up; I'm not fond of military-based books but I understand their importance to my development. It's only coincidence that the book is on the Commandant's Reading List and the fact that I read it will go on my Fitness Report. ;)

I brought some of my gear to Shirley's to get nametapes put on them before I left for leave. Upon giving my instructions, they had me take the main pack and flak jacket apart. 'We have to have you strip it down. Sorry it's just the policy.' No problem, I just want the %&*$ nametapes on there and I want to go on Leave. Now that I have everything back there's a problem. I don't remember how to put the main pack back together. Some play time tonight should figure it out but it's still a pain. What happened to back in the day when all you needed was an Alice Pack, a flak jacket, a kevlar, and a rifle?
Mike~

Back to the Grind

2007-01-17T07:17:00.000-08:00

My Block Leave is complete and I'm at work. I must be 15-20 lbs heavier but I'm afraid to step on the scale and find out. I'll wait till I've exercised for the next week to see the damage. I am moved out of the house and into the my buddy's house where I will stay for the next week. Thank you very much by the way. I have 405 emails (yes, it's actually 405) to pick through now. Hopefully it won't take the rest of the day!
Mike~

Cruise Control

2007-01-04T09:01:00.000-08:00

Until the 16th, I'm sitting around and playing video games. I'll make an effort or two to run here and there but mostly it's all relaxing till my Block Leave is up.

How does someone think they are going to get away with recording Saddam's execution on their phone??? Look at what this idiot caused.

The fallout from this isn't as significant as the hundreds of deaths that already happen each month; however, it is just another set back that Iraq and America do not need.

A few random thoughts:

No Hilary, Pelosi's success does not mean you will gain the Oval Office in 2008.
Nick Saban is a coward. Did you think you were going to go into the worst team in the NFL and turn them into champions in two years??
Injuries in sports make predictions very tough. Look at the Heat. Even their coach is injured. But how will they do if everyone gets healthy around the playoffs like they did last year?
My mom is quitting smoking. Go Mom!!
The 'OC' got canceled. Thank God! More time to devote to '24'.
2007 is expected to be a record year for warmth. Did you know that the previous 5 records are all in the 2000's?

Mike~

Part Two

2006-12-31T20:16:00.000-08:00

I leave tomorrow morning for part two of my Block Leave. I'll be with the wife's family for the next 16 days. My stay here was bittersweet. It was wonderful spending the holidays with my family but I know that the reason for the extended stay was not the holidays; rather, an upcoming deployment. Oh well, I enjoyed my time thoroughly.

I got to see Rob and his fiance Niki. I wish them both the best with their upcoming baby! I also got to revisit an old vice: Bucket of Boat Trash from Bubba Gump Shrimp Restaurant. *sigh*

1267.23 miles is the damage starting tomorrow. I'll stay up with the family, have a glass of Chianti since I can't stand champagne, and try to get at least 8 hours of sleep. Happy New Year to everyone. Peace!
Mike~

Fatty

2006-12-28T18:20:00.000-08:00

I would feel sorry about not posting enough, but I don't think I have a fan base like Akinoluna's that will email me telling me to post more until I am actually deployed.

I am getting fat on Leave. There's no other way to put it. I don't exercise and I eat like a pig. I suppose I should enjoy myself while I can but not exercising is killing me. Did I mention it's really cold in Minnesota though? Makes for difficulties running outside when you factor in the sleet (icey rain) that was coming down today as well.

I found out tonight that I am homeless when I go back to work. My roommate got screwed by the career jammer and now he is getting out and joining the Army. All before I get back. Luckily, I planned for this possibility. My things will be moved to a buddy at work and I will stay there for the 2 weeks I will be there in January. Still sucks not to have a place to go back to and to have all yours things moved without you there. Semper Gumby right?

I hope everyone is having a great holiday season. Remember the reason for the season though!
Mike~

What are the odds??

2006-12-22T20:31:00.000-08:00

I'm finally here! 1464 miles later no less. The wife and I drove out from base to my parents house; I'll recap the times and legs later. We decided to stay at a hotel on the way to catch some sleep. The Packer's Viking's game was on last night. There was no way I was going to miss that grudge match so I tuned in on my Sirius radio and listened to the Pack try to put a stamp on the Vikes.

When the game was over, it was about 11 p.m. I took the next exit and pulled into the first hotel. The last time I had driven this route was back in 2005 when I went to Camp Johnson for the Enlisted Supply Intermediate Course (ESIC). As chance would have it, this was the exact same hotel I had stopped at coming the opposite way when I drove down for the ESIC. What are the odds of the game getting done at exactly that point on the trip for me to pull into the same hotel??? Luckily, no demons tried to snatch me and no adventure ensued. I went to sleep complaining of my Smallpox vaccine site itching and the wife flipped through channels on the t.v. At least it was a real bed!
Mike~

We should have gotten him

2006-12-20T11:01:00.000-08:00

I know I told myself I wasn't going to use this to talk about sports but Allen Iverson going to the Nuggets deserves some kind of comment. How many marquee players are going to be moved without the T-Wolves grabbing one of them? This is another reason why we shouldn't trade Garnett. Look at the 76'ers now. They have nothing. We aren't going to get what we think KG is worth in any trade in this league.

I drive out tomorrow at noon for the first part of my Block Leave. The trip is approximately 20 hours or at least it was back in 2001-2002. I am realizing that I'm short on storage space at my current storage location. That means calling on Mom and Dad to leave a few odds and ends with them.

On a sad note, my aunt died two nights ago. She was a major part of my younger years but due to some conflict in the family I hadn't seen her for years except for once this year. I'm not the emotional type so please save the condolences. If you know the family, send them to my Mom. I don't cry at funerals, sad movies, or in extreme pain. It's just something I don't do. I am not sold on whether or not it's a strength or a weakness. No matter what, it lessens the effect of events such as this. R.I.P. Aunt Joni.
Mike~

Alright already...

2006-12-19T05:03:00.000-08:00

With two days left before my Block Leave starts, one would think I'd have all my preparations complete. When it's obvious this one guy doesn't know me very well. I have once again procrastinated to the extreme and have to jump through hurdles to make sure everything is taken care of in the 13 days I will be here in January before I head out on deployment. Here is the short list of things I need to do:

Order nametapes for the cammies I received from CTEP and my gear.
Figure out how many nametapes I need for all my gear.
Go to the CIF to exchange the old gear for the new gear (don't ask).
Get the nametapes sown on properly.
Take a promotion picture (becomes exponentially more difficult with each passing day I spend with my wife since I don't exercise and I eat like a pig while she is here).

On the bright side, Tuesday night is bowling night! It's the last night of the league and I need to come up big to cement myself as a power in the league. I wonder if that reads as good as it sounds in my head? Bowling is a habit I picked up from my Dad and got pushed along by Rob. I scheduled a little bowling date with my parents, the wife, and me while I'm back home visiting for the holidays. Should be a good time even if it is on their playing field!

Did I mention that no one is at work? Block Leave can be a wonderful thing. Well, the Marine Times is calling my name. Time to find out what the new field days in the barracks are going to be like.

Mike~

Under Construction!!!

2006-11-13T11:56:00.001-08:00

I am building the blog right now so bear with me! :)
Mike~