Everybody's Changing

Quite the weekend. While I was just expecting a lot of drawn out training events, loss of sleep, and poor eating habits, I find myself in one of "those" weekends. One you'll always remember. One that makes you want to go get hammered drunk, then excuse yourself by blaming everything you're going through. I don't want to talk about it too much, but I'll give you the basic rundown.

A man I trust, respect, and love as much as my father suffered a heartattack and passsed away early Friday morning. This man had mentored me for the two years I spent as a missionary in Taiwan and we were pretty close. The news of his death caught me a little off guard as I received a text message that afternoon, I was just sort of stunned - sort of numb. I still feel a bit removed from the situation even as a memorial service is being held off in another part of the country. His death brought to my mind a quote that I really love by Gen. George S. Patton:

"It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died,

rather we should thank God that such men lived."

And thats how I feel, even though I'll sure miss him. All I can really do is try and live the things he taught me, in tribute to the great life that he lived.

The other event that made this weekend into what it is was losing one of my bestfriends. No, she didn't die - but I told her I didn't want her to call or text me anymore. Our relationship was one of those that hovered between friend and something more for more than a couple years (or at least in my head it did) We finally decided to give it a shot about a month ago, and I was really excited for our future together. Today, however, that dream finally came to an end. With a build-up of seven or so years my hopes were pretty high even after having had to eat my hopes two or three times. I knew this time that it would have to be different, I couldn't keep chasing the same girl my whole life, and I had decided from that day a month ago that if she had second thoughts, then I would have to walk away no matter how hard it was. So when she told me today that she had to take a step back and keep dating around it killed me to tell her that I didn't want to hear from her again, I had to move on with my life.

Whether or not I like it, life goes on. And no matter how much it hurts, you've got to be fine with it. 5:00 wake up tomorrow for more training. I'll see ya there.

T minus 5

Done with class for the day, big assignments for the week, and I'm sitting five days away from the plane. This weekend is going to be kind of a drag though, what with a major training event called Commandant's Challenge going on... because theres no way to adequate describe this to someone who doesn't have an intimate (or very close platonic) relationship with USAFA, i'll just say that starting Saturday morning and ending Tuesday at noon I will be following the schedule of mandatory events around base doing such exhilarating tasks as room inspections, physical fitness test (including a bonus 5k run), gas mask parties, orienteering courses, and (my personal favorite) getting graded on how well we march. PARTY!
But to look on the bright side of things -I'm addicted to Netflix!! From what I hear, the two years I spent in Taiwan produced a lot of good movies here in America, and that excites me. Turns out I like movies a lot more than I thought - like, I LIKE like them. Heres the short list of my current fav's:

• "In America" Young Irish family moves to NYC, then their daughters proceed to tear your heart out because they're just that cute! Almost cried in this one (and i NEVER cry)



• "The Tiger in the Snow" an Italian movie about a guy who reminds me a lot of myself chasing around the woman he loves. He's a poet too, so the movie has lots of epic quotes

I did say short list so... yeah.

Thanksgiving Break plans? Short list number two:

• Catch up on the lost sleep from this weekend



• Watch "In America" with a certain lady friend



• Go to Grandpa's cabin up Logan Canyon and partake of the holiday festivities/feast



• Hang with my boy Shane



• Try and bond with our new dog

Daisy, our new blonde lab, and I are still strangers... I mean, maybe its because I've seen her a total of about 15 days, but there is definately room to improve. And it could just be the whole 'puppy' stage, but all she ever does is jump up on my and then pee a little bit... can you blame me for not being that close?

This post was long and random and rambly, but some days life is just like that.

15 minutes of fame... no big deal.

I'll start by assuming everyone knows what ESPN Gameday is. (if you don't, there is no shame in googling it) They chose to broadcast from the Academy this weekend cause we were playing Army, and it was like a Veteran's Day thing. Anyways - I had spent like three days brainstorming sign ideas. I went through a bunch of different ideas, mostly inside jokes with the Academy ("I hate sports, I love computers" etc) On Friday, walking back to my room after lunch -- lightbulb! We made our signs that night, and it took forever using those dang sharpies, but totally worth it. My alarm didn't go off at 5:40 like I planned... but I rolled over and jumped when I saw the clock at 6:06, giving me just enough time to get ready and be out there by 6:20.

We got a spot kinda on the side, which ended up being perfect, and we were on the barrier, also crucial. The crowd loved the sign, and starting right after the first time it was up on the screen (a huge close up as the camera man walked down the aisle) cheerleaders and various peeps started coming over saying "Who's got the "this is mandatory" sign?" To be honest, I was worried they wanted to take it from me at first, but they just wanted pictures. Then a Chief Master Sergeant walks up and asks whose sign it is. I held it up and he couldn't love it more! haha. He loved it because all the troops out there watching would see it and be like "No Sh!t, haha" It was a good thing he loved it so much, because after a little while the cheerleading coach showed up. She was not a fan. "Are you serious?! Especially coming from Section 8, I can't believe you would give this image" We told her the Chief loved it, and that it was a joke ("very funny" keane added) She knew she couldn't argue with the Chief, so she sulked off. We assured her that it wasn't taking away at all from the cheerleaders (the dudes would lift them up so their faces were right there behind Corso and Kirk effectively blocking my sign) A couple cadets gave me some crap too "that sign is so F-ing nerdy" or "Yeah, I kept trying to cover your sign up cause it was so retarded" I think the controversy of it made it that much better.

The comments on the sign that I like the most were ones coming from people who didn't attend, but heard about it from other people. Or comments from relatives of cadets in the military that saw the sign on TV while watching with their buddies and loved it. Our squad commander just poked his head in my room and said "you're the talk of the wing".

What can we learn from this?

• Since I can't resist mentioning it to people, it has apparently gone to my head a little bit - a fact that bothers me a little bit.
• Military members have good senses of humor - and good inside jokes
• You can't please everyone. Bummer
• People liked this sign way more than my other sign which said "中國也很愛李Corso" (China loves Lee Corso too!) Go figure.

There's no place like home.

Well, spent the weekend in Kansas. Awesome, right? haha. I was actually quite surprised by how much I LOVED it there! The Chorale took a lil trip to Kansas to sing two performances in Dodge City and stayed with some families in the area. Three good tenor friends and I stayed at the Fry family's home -- I love these people. Gary and Debbie were such great hosts and it felt like my home away from home. We even got to meet the grandkids! (crazy cute) haha. Debbie cried at our performance, and one of the granddaughters liked us so much she got her family to come see our second performance at the church the next day - she wanted to say goodbye!! Cute Cute Cute. I'm gonna miss their faces, slash, I don't know when/if I'll see them again...

I dunno, I guess sometimes you find things you weren't looking for in places you wouldn't think to find anything.

I should write sometime about saying goodbye in general, and how I just hate saying goodbye. I had to do that in Taiwan so much (I lived in nine different areas) Its not easy... loving then leaving like that. But life goes on I guess.