Moin moin!

One of the best things about being here in Georgia for the
winter is the weather is just like being in Germany.  The
major difference, of course, is the lack of beer, any beer.
Regardless of that, it's generally been very cool, not too
bad warm, damp, foggy, kind of rainy, and generally cloudy.
All in all, a very pleasant Berlin winter day.  Speaking
of which, there's something about that, that once it's in
one's soul, never really leaves.  This is the weather I
really like. Many of you who know me know I like to ski
from time to time, don't mind snow (aside from removing it
from my driveway by hand), and find a white winter to be
very pleasant.  All that said, north German winter is
something I never really lose. Part of it is never having
to freeze my butt clean off.  Part of it, I imagine, is
association with good memories.  I met some good friends
and had some great times with them during north German
winters.  I proposed to Kim during a Berlin winter.
Good memories.

When we arrived here, the Army wasted no time in giving us
all a smallpox vaccination.  One of the side effects
(temporary)is fatigue and fever, which is what I've been
blessed with. Needless to say, sleeping isn't a problem
right now.  Thanks to that, choosing to not let dumb stuff
bother me is.  So, please pray for patience for me.  I'm
ready to basically shoot a couple of the other officers who
work with me and have 11 more months to put up with them.

Jeff, you'll appreciate this: starting tonight, I'm weaving
yoga into my evening routine.  Granted, the floor is a
little dirty (no, please don't send me a yoga mat.  I can
get away with doing yoga, but not on a mat that's some
fru-fru color), but wearing something like 40 or so pounds
really strains the lower back.  Yes, we have the new IOTV,
which fits a whole lot better, and that helps.  Still and
all, I really need to go through the routine every day
until the back stops hurting.  Little by little is the way
to make it all work.  What'd I'd really like - this one's
for Jeff - is one or two poses that help to build shoulder
muscles.  Beginner and intermediate stuff, of course.

Mom, did I tell you the SmartCafe is a great item?  Well,
it is, thank you.  I even like the Jack's Blend coffee. 
Only challenge: the coffee bag is paper.  I will probably
have to transfer it to something more substantial sooner
or later.  A one liter Nalgene bottle comes to mind,
simply because it's crushproof, watertight and fits into
the category of "cool guy gear".  I love my Nalgene bottle,
which is currently used for extra pens, rechargers, phone
cords (ear buds, etc) and other such miscellaneous items
that tend to get lost in a backpack.  So later tonight,
I'll probably crack my way through the local firewall and
hit REI for another one. That and I just want to order
something.  Heck, I haven't spent money on anything since
I left Indy, so I'd like to do a little spending.

Chapel is in an hour.  Somehow they got a priest who was
willing to come out here and say Mass, which makes me happy. 
Also, the chaplain had a ton of St Barbara medals and some
Miraculous Medals, so I stuck Mary in the wallet and Barb
in my pocket.  Spiritually, we're taken care of pretty well.

Time to get my head into the game.  Enjoy!