I've been getting too much sun this week. I feel a bit beat down, but I'm convinced that I'm looking more tone up top from carrying around the 40lb ruck (much less rucking for me the past few days; we decided to let the student leadership actually lead, which requires us to back off a bit). I'm not starving myself, but I am intaking less calories than I'm using... although it's hard to tell for sure since I had Burger King for lunch (self-imposed 1/2 hour lunch break; the students had 2 ...

4 mile run around a local campsite. Breakfast was an egg and an egg substitute, tall glass of milk with a scoop of protein powder. We met up with the troops at the classroom and ran down some First Aid techniques. Buddy carries were demonstrated and executed and, by the time I got back from a thing, they were running walk-throughs of react to direct fire (near/far ambush). Up next was search/seizure skills and we broke for lunch. Man, the chow hall still sucks. I had insisted on n...

0500 PT, the gym. (Breakfast is two turkey sandwiches on wheat.) The students don't have a first formation until more than two hours later. We meet them later than that, review yesterday's information, and then tell them to move to a training site. SSG J asks me if he can bum a ride out there, and I inform him I planned on walking with the students. Not to be outdone, he grabs his gear and walks with me. (He was outdone, IMO, because my ruck weighed about 35lb more than his.) We corr...

The academic (technical competence) portion of the course is over, and I get to try my hand instructing something I've done far too little of: field craft (tactical competence). I was nearly giddy this afternoon as I put on my flak vest and load bearing equipment, and strapped my kevlar helmet onto my head. I'm reading ahead, as my practical knowledge (such as it was) has atrophied from long disuse. I realized that my copy of Field Manual 7-8 (Infantry Squad and Platoon) is over a decade...

1. A package I sent two weeks ago, without delivery confirmation or insurance, has not yet arrived at the other end of the transaction. This was for an online trade of collectible items. The least this will cost me to correct is shipping his half of the trade back; the most it could cost is me paying price guide prices for the items (d'oh!). Yes, I am majorly responsible for not getting DC on the package... but it still wasn't delivered, so there is shared responsibility. 2. Three Net...

Last month, my sister placed an order with Amazon.com. This order was shipped through the United States Postal Service. However, I did not receive this package successfully. I was required to go on a business trip at around the time the package was to be delivered. That Friday, I received a notice that the package had been attempted to be delivered ("First delivery attempt") and the slip said that I could pick the package up after 10 am the following day. By 10 am the following day, I ...

If posting a dozen articles that are only two lines followed by a link to an external site is acceptable... And the poster has a score three times mine... Maybe that's what I should start doing. Then I can also feel better that I'm "blogging" again, right? Link

Question: "Hey, do any of you other geeks have a chocolate chip cookie recipe?" Answer: "Dude, just use the one off the back of the package of chocolate chips." So: 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 1 tsp baking soda 1 tsp salt 1 cup (2 sticks) butter 3/4 cup granulated sugar 3/4 cup brown sugar 1 tsp vanilla extract 2 large eggs 2 cups chocolate chips 1 cup chopped nuts (pecans in this case) These things have virtually NO nutritional value... I was actually looking to make the...

Moderate drinking (1-2 drinks a day) can reduce your risk of heart disease by increasing HDL cholesterol, reducing the formation of artery-clogging blood clots, and quelling the inflamation that can contribute to heart disease. Those who consume one drink every day are 54% less likely to be obese than nondrinkers. The same study showed that those who drank two drinks a day (or less than one, but a few per week) also have a lower obesity rate than nondrinkers. Harvard researchers found ...

I'm going to see the Wolves play Saturday morning. I'm not sure who they're facing, but I feel confident that they've got a good shot at winning. The coaches are local Air Force volunteers, it seems to be an officer and an NCO assistant. This is probably why their colors are blue shorts and grey t-shirts... They won last weekend 1-0 although the game's duration was shortened due to a scheduling conflict. But I'm going to get to see my boy play again. Can't wait to see his soccer-kic...

Missing: Wallace & Grommit Curse of the Wererabbit , Bruce Almighty , and a paperback copy of Cannery Row . I came home Friday to find the opened (and empty) Amazon package inside my apartment on top of two identical phone books. Another package (containing the issue of Secret Society of Super-Villains that has my birth month on the cover) was not disturbed. I'd rather the Amazon package be missing in its entirety; as it was the wrapping paper with the "Happy Belated Birthday" notes...

Returned from a business trip. Minor issues when I arrived: My place doesn't stink (thankfully) but the air was very stale. I still need to clean, but nothing seems to be living in here. I have an issue with the post office and/or Amazon. My sister sent some presents for me and my boys, but the package was inside the apartment, opened and looted. The USPS has it listed as "notice left" not "package delivered", so I'm not sure what sort of claim I can make or with whom. I need to sp...

Avast!

Just wanted to highlight this online comic of the 9/11 Report. I think it's very well done and, although I'm a day late, well worth looking at in the light of the anniversary of the attacks.