Time flies

It’s hard to believe, but yesterday was already my birthday. Fun stuff. Actually, it was a pretty good day. It started off with a video call on the webcam to Deeanna and the kids. They had made a cake for me, and sang happy birthday. Dasha was very concerned about how I was going to eat it- was I coming home for a day, or were they sending it to me? Then, yesterday afternoon several guys “surprised” me with cake and a pot of homemade borshch. It was delicious (although when one of the cooks randomly wished me a happy birthday, I knew something was up). October has been a good month thus far. I’ve been out on a few more patrols, which have been productive, although they’ve been short, and we’ve always returned to the COP to sleep. I’ve also gotten several items of mail. I got a package from Heather, from the mayor and city of Eagle Mountain, along with several letters from the kids, including Tommy’s Christmas wish is (wishes). As far as the team goes, the two replacements are both gone, and I am now with Scott and SSG D, which is good. It’s just better being with teammates. Mr. Baird is on leave right now, which is good for him. He is a great team leader, and he works hard to make things as efficient and logical as possible, which isn’t always easy where the Army is involved. He should get back in a couple weeks, but then SSG D goes on leave, so I don’t know that we’ll ever have our full team together. Crazy. Actually, Team Bronco the only time we were all together was a couple of nights in Orgune back in September. I never had thought of that. That could well turn out to be the only time that the four of us are together. We’ve really had quite the transient team, when you start to think about it.
One thing I have been doing is Christmas shopping. Hopefully the kids like what I’ve gotten. Tommy sent me an email yesterday informing me that if Santa doesn’t bring him a set of drums then I have to buy him one. He’s quite obsessed with them. Actually, I think I only have one more thing to get for Justin, and then finish up Deeanna’s shopping, and I’ll be mostly done. Deeanna will have to get some of the fillers together, but it should be a good Christmas, especially if Santa comes through, which he always does. I did buy myself a pair of astronomical binoculars. The stars are so bright here at night, that I decided it would be worth it. And they’ll be nice for camping trips and looking at the stars back home.
The engineers have continued working on improving Zerok, and they have also been building a new road, which is good. Yesterday one of them did us a favor and installed a new light fixture for us. Ours was falling apart, and we had to tape the light tubes in, to keep them from falling out. Exciting.
Well, with November around the corner, I’ll try and write again soon. Now that I’m on facebook, I haven't updated my blog as much. But I really think these last few months will fly by, with the holidays and then are replacements arriving and handing over the equipment and, more importantly, the job.