So tonight's my last night in Puerto Rico. Tomorrow I board the Freedom Bird, bound for Denver at last. I'm going with decidedly mixed feelings. We've been here eight years, and man, what a ride it's been. I can't say I love this place, but there's a lot here I'm gonna miss, besides the weather. Most especially I'm going to miss the people I've gotten close to. The folks I've worked with at Roosey, my shipmate and drinking buddy Butch (love ya, no shit, Senior Chief!), and most of all my Seabees. I've invested a lot in the Seabees of Det 14, and they've brought me a long way since 1999. We've gone to war together, and we all came home together. They played a big part in me earning my anchors, and I like to think I had a little to do with a couple of them earning theirs; at least they honored me by letting me pin them on. Fair winds and following seas to you all.
OK, that's about all I'm gonna miss about this place, except the weather. It's about 85 degrees right now; in Denver it's 37, the highest it's been since Christmas, I think. And I'm kinda cold. I guess I'll get acclimatized; I once went (in February) from here to Mississippi to New York to Kuwait to Iraq. Major temp changes at every step, and I lived. I'll miss the ocean, but I haven't been to the beach in months and haven't been diving in over three years.
I'm looking forward to fishing in the rivers and hunting (GUNS, I miss GUNS!!!!), and driving on roads that don't rattle my teeth. And speaking English, though I hear that my (barely passable) Spanish might come in handy around the Mexicano-Americans.
OK, enough rambling, I've got to pack.
It's been a good New Year here. We decided to celebrate the New Year at home, to avoid the prospect of DUI tickets or stupid accidents. I am fuked up as a football bat, but I'ved said Happy New Year to my kids and other folks that count, so I feel like I did my part. I would like to say Happy New Year to our troops out there doing what needs to be done in Iraq and Afghanistan and wherever else our guys stand guard against stupidity. Ya'll know we have your back, and we believe in the job you're doing. Stand fast, guys, we're with you, no matter what you read in the "news".
