Plans Change

I wouldn't say that I changed my plans, per say. I would say that they were changed for me. The Army decided that February 2009 was too long, so now I am off to the Basic Officer Course on June 8th of this year. Quite a change. Now there isn't enough time! I have about a month to do something. I don't yet know what that something is, but it will be epic. Maybe. Or maybe I'll just kick around Nampa and watch the NBA playoffs. Who really knows? Because I sure don't.

Huge discovery #2: I found out what my permanent duty station is going to be! Drum roll please...(no pun intended)...It's Fort Drum, New York. Fort Drum is in the northern part of New York and is located between Syracuse and Ottawa, near the Canadian border. It is situated near the thriving metropolis of Watertown, NY. Watertown is right on lake Ontario. Sweet. I have never actually been to the northeast, so this will be a good chance for me to see what all the fuss is about. People keep telling me there will be a lot of snow. I say "bring it on". That's all for today. Expect a big Mexico post very soon.

Sacrifice

Sacrifice...it's what makes life worth living.

It makes you healthier...in time.
It makes you happier...in time.
It hurts.

It makes you love deeper...in time.
It makes you smile broader...in time.
It hurts.

It makes you feel better...in time
It makes others better off...in time.
It hurts.

It has to...or it isn't sacrifice.

- Inspired by true events that took place today.

Waiting...

So I just learned some interesting news. It turns out that I won't be going to BOLC II until February of 2009. What this basically means is that after I graduate, I will have nothing to do for 9 months. No job, no place to live, no school to go to, and most of all, no military commitments. I'm not going to enroll in a grad school for one semester and then stop. That would not be beneficial. Plus, when I actually do commission into the Army (next February), I will have the GI Bill at my disposal, which means that I can go to grad school for free. So paying for grad school makes no sense. So what should I do with myself for 9 months? Maybe I will become like Chris McCandless and just travel around for a while. Maybe I will go work on a fishing boat up in Alaska or fight some fires. Maybe I will get a work visa and just go to another country and work for a while. Who really knows? Because I sure don't.

Lent is here

Lent is here. Everybody knows what that means. It's time for Catholics and non-Catholics across the world to give up those unnecessary habits in favor of spending more time praying, reading the Bible, and meditating on the things of God. It is a remembrance of the 40 days that Christ spent in the desert in prayer and fasting, all the while being tempted by the Devil.

What does this mean to me? Well, I thought about giving up cookies or pizza. But seriously, cookies and pizza? Am I going to spend the time that I would have spent eating cookies and pizza meditating on God? Probably not. So what shall I do? Nothing? That is always a viable option. Maybe I'll go to a Catholic church and see what that is all about. Maybe I will go out to the wilderness and just soak in all that jazz. I know: I'll give up the internet. Except for school-related work. And maybe to update my blog and check in on my fantasy team. I've got it: 30 minutes of non school-related internet usage per day. I'll do it.

I'll do it. But I can't do it for the sake of doing it. That won't work. I should do this to better myself. No, not even that. I should do it as a sacrifice to Christ, who sacrificed everything for me. I will have to fill my life with spiritual things then, I guess. I will pray and read the Bible in this time. And I will write Christian music. Not explicitly Christian music, either. No FFH garbage. Not just that. I will try to be a kinder and more sincere person. Good stuff. This is a big undertaking. Anyone else in?