My promotion is this Sunday! I can’t wait for that either! Things are going extremely well as they usually do around here, both at work and outside of work.

I’ve been thinking about what I want to make for the small party I’m having at my house in a few weeks. I’m debating between Pineapple Teriyaki Burgers and BBQ Chicken Pizza, but knowing me, I might make both…

Anyway, to wrap this one up…I hit the 8,000 visit mark! The blog is doing a bit better compared to the slow last few months I had on here, but the numbers are up and it’s great!

I finally bought my plane ticket to get back home next month, so I’ll be heading back to Maine on the 11th of August, returning on the 25th to Minot. It’s a little bit longer of a stay compared to back in February, but at least this time I can plan a few more things to see everyone I didn’t get to see back then. I think this time I’ll be doing a get-together sorta thing at my house to kinda get everyone in one place to see them, haha.

This Summer is turning out to be a pretty good one. The weather is generally good for the most part. It rains a lot at night, but the days stay warm and sunny mostly.

This weekend should be quiet hopefully. I plan on relaxing, maybe going to the gym, and all that good stuff.

I guess no news is good news? Other than the plane tickets, nothing new to report…

I’m not sure if it’ll be this weekend, or closer to the end of the month, but I’ll be purchasing my tickets to get back home in August! The fares are typically cheaper if you buy at least 7 days ahead of time, so I’m kinda scouting out the prices on a weekly basis to find out when the best time is to buy. No need to fear, I’ll be there!

 I dropped all of my uniforms off to put my new stripes on yesterday. They should be ready by the middle of next week…so the lady told me anyway. With my luck she’ll lose them and I’ll have to go to work naked.

 In other not-so-exciting news, I finally charged my camera. I’ve been meaning to do it now for, oh, about 2 months. Oops. People keep saying I need to start doing my video blogs again, but I don’t know. I do need to take a lot more pictures though – I’m slacking on that part of it.

Anyway, this is one of those “filler” posts to say I posted today. I’m really trying to keep up with this blog more…

Have a great night, and Happy early Fourth of July!

That’s the update for now, see you all then!!

The last part of my work week was good. Today was a bit on the dull side just because nothing was really going on around the base. I went down to the mall and stopped into GNC and Barnes and Noble after I got out. I picked up Glenn Beck’s new book, The Overton Window. It’s a thriller based on true national events. I know, seems boring to you probably, but Glenn Beck is the man!

Check out the book here: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/The-Overton-Window/Glenn-Beck/e/9781439184301/?pwb=1

I took a nap this evening…and slept way too long. I’m about to turn on some TV and watch “Three’s Company.” I love that show!

Alright, have a great night and/or morning (whatever it is in your area)!

Tonight I’ve been listening to a program called “interactive Saturday” on KRBE out of Houston. It’s pretty much just a remix show featuring Top 40 hits and some throwbacks, but I love it! I’m a sucker for anything music…for the most part – I’m not talking about friggin’ 1930′s “doo dee doo wop” crap.

I’ve been thinking more and more each day now about my trip back home this Summer! I can’t wait, I just wish I knew if my leave will be alright for the dates I want to go back. Right now I have it in for August 5th – August 17th, but the final word about that being approved should be coming down sometime in the near future…I hope.

I know I hinted towards this quite a bit in my last post, but this past week has brought me back about 3 years. I don’t know how to really even explain what I’m trying to say, so this might sound odd, but I feel like I’ve taken a few years off my life. Maybe it’s because Summer is here, maybe it’s because I just had a Birthday, maybe it’s because of other things I have yet to realize, but my energy level, happiness, and overall personality and attitude have gone back to where they were before I came out here. In some ways it’s good, and in other ways it’s bad, but either way it’s me.

I really hate getting all sappy and stuff in my entries, but hey – blogs are to write about whatever is on your mind at that very moment in life, right? That’s my justification!

I’ve also decided, once and for all, that this blog NEEDS to be updated a hell of a lot more than I currently update it. I’m going back to writing every night. I leave so much out when I wait a week between entries, because I forget most of it!

Alright, now this post was more like it! I’m proud of myself for being me! LOL!

Wednesday, I turned 25. There were times leading up to that day that I thought I would dread it. Everyone says 30 and 40 are the “uh oh” ages, but every day that goes by, I realize more and more that it’s just a number. When I woke up on Wednesday, I was in a wonderful mood. It carried over into today, and I’m sure it won’t go away anytime soon, mostly because In a little over a month I’ll be going back home again to see everyone that I miss more than anything.

Basic Training Graduation

I have my health, great friends, a great career, and I’ve done more in the last couple of years than most people I know will do in the next 50 years. People who know me well, know that I love to brag, and my theory is: It’s ok to brag. Accomplishments should be highlighted, and as long as the bragging doesn’t lead to greed, it’s harmless and should motivate others to strive for what they want in life.

It’s an important day for my blog as well! This post is #501 – so here’s to opening two chapters; my next 25 years, and the next 500 posts documenting it.

I’m so sick of people not keeping up with current events and being completely numb to the world around them. I just don’t understand it. I’m not saying everyone needs to watch it 24/7, or sleep with a newspaper under their pillow at night – but I am saying people need to at least be somewhat aware of what’s going on – enough to understand the basics.

“I don’t like to watch it because I hate seeing all the bad war stuff…in…whatever that country is over there.”

Seriously? It’s statements like this one that really piss me off. It’s real life and you’re just going to have to get over it, unless of course, you do something to change it. What do I mean? Obviously, I’ve said many times in the past that I’m a big supporter of the current war, and that hasn’t changed. I also understand other people may not be. So, change it! Turn on the news, watch some footage of combat in Iraq and Afghanistan, and use it to your advantage to change whatever it is you think needs to be changed! Get out and lobby for things you believe in! If you turn on the TV and see that troops aren’t being given the right equipment – lobby for better equipment! If you turn on the TV and see that troops are dying left and right, which they are, then write your Senator, Congress, or shit – even the White House, and be heard!

“I don’t bother to write because nothing ever gets changed anyway…”

Bullshit. The White House READS most all letters that are sent to them – and sometimes they even respond. Now, of course, if only one or two letters trickle in about a particular subject, it probably won’t be acted upon. However, when hundreds or thousands of letters start to trickle in regarding one subject, yes, they do consider what is being criticized. And, even if your topic isn’t changed, so what? At least you were heard, and sometimes that’s all that matters…

Anyway, on a brighter note – this is the 500th post on Your Captain Speaks! 500 posts since December 14, 2007 – and still going strong!

Funny Dogs?

108 people have typed “funny dogs” into search engines and found my website in the listings…

Don’t worry, I don’t plan on stooping quite that low anytime soon. I’ll stick to being overly opinionated…

…for now.

I also landed a position writing professionally for a company called “Demand Studios.” The company purchases articles their employees write, then they go through the editing process, then are sold out to magazines, the media, and other organizations that are willing to purchase them and publish them. Each article is given a dollar value that I make when Demand Studios passes it through the editing department. I love it so far, but I’ve only just now finished my first article. They hired me as a Nutrition and Wellness writer, which is perfect with my new certification and all of that.

Things are going extremely well. I’m looking into going back to Maine sometime around August 5-17, but don’t hold your breath for it yet. It might end up being pushed back a month or so, but it’s not a big deal if it is.

I don’t even know where to begin – so much has happened over the last couple of weeks! Jessica and I are doing well! We went tonight to see “The Losers” which was playing here on base. I didn’t know what to expect because I hadn’t heard too much about it going in to it, but it turned out to be a pretty good movie overall. I think she enjoyed it as well, which is all that matters, haha!

Work has been mad crazy lately, which is refreshing actually. We’ve been preparing for an upcoming inspection, and just overall the base has been busier over the last few weeks because of several different things going on. I won’t bore you with the details, but my time here is winding down…probably another year or so and I’ll be on my way out and heading somewhere else. In February I’ll be eligible to re-enlist, which right now I think I want to do. My mind changes so much when it comes to staying in the service or not, but there really is no better alternative at the moment. With the economy and the job outlook – it doesn’t look good in the civilian world…

I always tell my friends, “I can’t wait to go to my high school reunion and see what everyone else has done with their lives!” It’s true though; out of the 220 or so of us who graduated, I’m sure 5-10 have gone to jail, 50-100 are unemployed, most have kids they can’t support (with the exception of a few who can – don’t get me wrong there!), and a select few may actually have good, solid, steady CAREERS (not just jobs).  And by a steady career, I don’t mean a 20-year position at Burger King – I mean careers like; law, medical, etc. But, as everything usually goes, we’ll see what happens…

On a bright(er) note…my car insurance goes down later this month! I’m turning 25 on the June 23rd…and of course, me being an old dust bucket now, my car insurance is going down by about $78 over a six-month period. I guess it’s a good thing, but damn, can’t the getting older thing stop?!?!

Maybe it’s because of the technological boom of the 21st century, maybe it’s just because people no longer have anything worthwhile to accomplish with their families – but I’m willing to bet the first choice is more accurate.

If you aren’t a senior member of your workplace, get used to not seeing your family on a regular basis. Only senior ranking employees are afforded this luxury these days.

The weather is supposed to be absolutely beautiful for the next 7-10 days! Mid-high 70′s for the most part, not much rain or anything else is in the forecast, so I’m looking forward to a weekend of nice weather as well! Saturday, I’m supposed to be going to a BBQ with one of my friends who I’ve been hanging out with more lately. After 8 months of trying, it’s about time I got to hang out with her, lol. Anyway, that should be a great time – and then on Sunday I probably won’t have much going on. I do need to stop in for a haircut at some point.

I just finished watching the third episode of “Happy Town” on Hulu. I think it might be close to being cancelled, but we’ll see. I know it’s being put on hold for two weeks because of bad ratings, and they might bring it back in June to finish out the storyline. I hope it does well, but all good things come to and end I suppose…

All is quiet other than that. I hope everyone has a terrific weekend! I will!

It’s still hard for me to accept the fact that not everyone is from the great State of Maine. I mean, we have Lobster! A couple of weeks ago, I was hard pressed to find anyone who had heard of Chicken Salad – you know, the tuna looking stuff…only it’s chicken…? Well, I didn’t even know chicken salad was a regional sort of thing, and what did I discover? All of the stores sell it around here, and STILL no one up around here knows what it is! Ugh, what is this country coming to?

Anyway, I finished a letter to all of my store friends back home. I’ll be sending it out today, so look for it around the beginning of next week or so, assuming you still work at the store and can be there to read it on the bulletin board.

Time to get ready for work. Hasta!