Monday, September 26, 2011

Reflections

When I first read this, I thought, "No way did Bruce write this on his own. Everything is spelled right and it's, y'know...not retarded." But sure enough, the words are his, and they are true. Enjoy a good post from a great friend.

"As I write this, I sit in the Delta Sky Lounge at JFK, bring to charge both my iPhone and my Blackberry as well as adding music to the iPhone and movies to my computer for the 9 hours flight I am about to embark on. Today, my travels will take me to the Czech Republic. Home to the highest consumption of beer per capita in the world, as well as the filming location of the Hostel movies. If you don't hear from me again, I'm sure you can figure out why.

This trip will be a short one, only 4 full days in country, and during those 4 days, I will perform mods to 22 radios, tour the city of Prague, and if all goes according to plan, I will avoid being anally raped by large Central European individuals. This week promises to be an adventure in every sense of the word.

Throughout today, I have found myself a little hesitant to travel such a great distance again. Some of you may know that I spent 14 months of 2010 and early 2011 in the Middle East, and may be asking yourselves why it would be difficult for me to travel again for such a short time. I've tossed that question around inside my head for the better part of the day, and have yet to come up with a solid answer. I think part of the problem is in leaving my family yet again. Although people assume Andrew and I have an awesome job because we get to travel around to exotic locations, most people don't realize the stress that comes along with that. I won't bore you with the details, but suffice it to say that traveling to five states and a foreign country in a span of 4 weeks takes a toll on your body. Add that to the two kids and amazing wife that I have to say goodbye to every time I leave, and this is a job that while having its perks, is not for everyone. Don't get me wrong, I love my job, but it is definitely a chore to keep doing it month in and month out.

On to a lighter fare, and probably the paragraph that will make Andrew not want to post this on his blog, the Yankees are the AL East Champions, and will potentially prevent the Red Sox from moving on into the playoffs. Add that to the fact that the Buffalo Bills had a devastating upset over the New England Patriots and this week has been a pretty good one for New York sports fans. However, seeing as how I'm a Broncos fan, we have yet another reason to hang our heads and hope that somehow, someway, the Broncos can pull their heads out of their collective asses and make something happen this season.

As I sign off and begin my travels, I will be reflecting on this past weekend, and the gathering of my 4 best friends: Heather, Andrew, Dale, and Tony. Without these 4 amazing people in my life, I don't know where I would be, or who I would have become, but I know without a doubt that I am a better person for having them all in my life. I am at my best when I am pushed by these four people to be the man the all believe I can be. Thank you all for the amazing gifts you each bestow on my life every day."

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

The Long and Winding Road

Hey, why not, right? It's been almost a year since I last sat down and scribbled words onto a sheet of paper. Cruising at 32,000 feet, I figure that better ways to pass the next 90 minutes do not exist. My two travel companions sit nine and thirteen rows back, one of them a victim of a misread flight itinerary and an unprecedented demotion, if you will, to the "poor people section" of the aircraft. Fortunately for me, he's my best friend, so his anger was temporary and his jealousy-laden four letter words weren't too stinging.


This is our first trip together, Bruce and I, after nearly 17 months as co-workers. I joked this morning that it'd be an ill-fated adventure after learning that our office cafeteria was out of bacon and I was forced to opt for the sausage breakfast sandwich. My luck turned upon receiving a free upgrade to first class, and after the tumultuous 2010 I experienced with Delta Airlines, you better believe they're redeeming themselves by means of complimentary Bloody Marys.


We are headed to Cartersville, Georgia, the home of nothing but a Hilton Garden Inn and a hundred-foot tower which we will soon make our bitch. Obviously noticing the lack of productivity, proportional to the amount of paper balls being tossed about the office, Harris figured it best to send our supervisor along with us to keep us in check, and not allow an earlier tweet of mine, likening our tower climbing experience to an early-1990s robot boxing game, to occur. Dale sits squarely between Bruce and I on the flight, although from my cushy seat at the front of the plane, I cannot tell if he's watching or not.


Although the trip will be over by Friday, this opportunity is one Bruce and I have been awaiting for a while. He and I have both spent many a month in separate foreign countries, and have finally been allowed to do something together. Opportunities to goof off will be limited, which is probably for the best considering that we would like for Harris to give us these chances in the future (I've requested to be assigned to a 3-week stint in the State of Kuwait which Bruce is currently heading).


The last twelve months have had their share of highs, and for once the lows have been few and far between. I completed my first tour in the Philippines, and for whatever reason, liked it so much I requested another (longer) assignment there. I visited Europe for the first time. I spent a month in the aforementioned Middle Eastern nation of Kuwait. I've more than enjoyed six months and counting with a person as close to perfection as I've ever met. I became an uncle for the first time. Cliff Lee has thrown 6 complete game shutouts this season. I really couldn't ask for more, except maybe for gas prices to dip below $3.something per gallon.


With trips lined up to Vermont and Bogota, Colombia, I look forward to where these planes will take me, and to tell the tales of travel. As for right now, the next stop is Atlanta, where every TV in town will be tuned in to watch the Braves visit Philadelphia tonight. I promise I'll behave.