Catching Up on the Return
Okay, here's the summary: Delayed getting out of the base which must not (still) be named. Lost some sleep, but caught up a little on that from TB to Germany. Thankfully the aircrew was able to cut off two stops on the journey, so we flew straight from Germany to Baltimore. Because of the delay I no longer was able to stay overnight in Baltimore, and lost my initial connecting commercial flights. Thankfully the government buys "infinitely changeable" tickets, so I just moved to a later flight, and flew Baltimore to Chicago to Oklahoma, where I was met by a friend and deposited at home late in the evening.
Since then I've been reintegrated[1], been to a staff meeting to catch up, been to Washington D.C. for an endorser's conference[2] and farewell event[3], Columbus, OH, for a wonderful visit with family and friends[4], and am now back in Oklahoma. Where I've attended another staff meeting and been briefed by the AF assignments chaplain[5]
We are now, apparently, staring down the barrel of a HUGE MEGA WINTER STORM RUN FOR YOUR LIVES type weather system. I don't know yet if all the doom, gloom, and panic on the part of the local TV stations is justified, we shall see. Better post this before the power goes out and I'm reduced to sending smoke signals and huddling under blankets for warmth...
I've got the next few days off and jump back into the thick of things. Weather permitting I'll go donate blood again tomorrow. Weather not permitting I'll sit around the house a lot, and maybe catch up on my fitness. Even if the treadmill can't work due to a power outage, I can still chase the cat around and do push/sit ups. 
Oh, and I just filed my 2009 State and Federal Tax returns. Gosh, that feels good. I rather like being a "normal" employee again, with one W2.[6] Sweet!
Speaking of the treadmill... Yep, it is calling my name!
UPDATE: Yep, there's a layer of ice on almost everything metal and some non-metal items above ground level. The bird feeders, for example. There's some evidence of some ice on the ground in places, such as the paving tiles around my trash cans. And the precipitation is going "tick/hiss" as it hits things.
---- Briefings. [<--]
- Including a wonderful afternoon and evening at the National Cathedral. [<--]
- Our endorser is retiring this year. [<--]
- Including a day trip to Wright-Patterson AFB to see the museum and visit another friend. [<--]
- Good stuff, glad I was back in time! [<--]
- I'm no longer filing as clergy, and only had one job in 2009, the Air Force. [<--]
Probably Worth Blogging…
...that I'm sitting at my desk at home in Oklahoma. 
This won't be the end of "Adventures in SW Asia," as I'll try to do some recapping and include the reintegration process under that heading. But still, in many ways, chapter closed!
Intermission
For the next two days I'm sort of living on intermission mode... I finished training my replacement yesterday (Friday), today is my normal off day, and tomorrow I have no duties until such a time as I check my bag(s) and report for a flight[1] I did a couple of loads of laundry at the new self-help laundry facility this morning, and have packed all that up.
I've loaded up my carry-on backpack[2] and the new rolling duffle I bought. The latter is bursting at the seams and I don't even want to speculate at how much it weighs. There are a few things that I'd like to have gotten in there, but at this point, it's full. One of the items I couldn't fit was a small backpack, so I just decided I'd fill it up, too, and make it a second "checked" item. Since I'm flying on orders weight and checked baggage aren't as big a deal as they are flying commercial for pleasure these days, so that will wrap things up nicely.
I'm helping some folks get things to the post office later, then meeting someone else for farewells, and going to a play tonight on base. Tomorrow I'll get up, clean the room that I've been borrowing, turn in the linens... And wait. I'd like to get a good sleep in there someplace, but at that stage won't have a room or bed any longer. I might just find a recliner in the transient chaplain room and try to crash there for a nap, but maybe staying up for a really long time would help me sleep on the plane. Who knows.
Pray for good weather from the east coast all the way to Oklahoma over the next few days, safe travel, and for the luggage to follow me around faithfully. If I have time when we stop in Baltimore I'll drop another posting here, and a one-liner on Facebook.
On the Road Again…
Well, I finally have news about the potential end to "Adventures in Southwest Asia"[1] If nothing changes, I might be blogging from the office at home in about nine (9) days. Not quite as soon as I'd hoped considering I have a conference in D.C. coming up as well, and I was thinking it would be nice to have a full week in-between getting home and leaving again, but home is home, so I'll take it!
More as developments occur. Prayers are welcome for safe and uneventful[2] travel.
---Hello There!
Hello there, world! Yes, I'm still here. Yes, doing fine. Survived Christmas Eve and Day, and Lessons and Carols on Sunday. Preparing this week for a lot of "lasts." Last sermon, last staff meeting, last this and that. And hopefully a second: Second take-off from the base's runway, this one headed west. That's about a week out, though I don't have a date and can't post that date even when I have it. So instead speculate on an arrival around the 10th. Or so...
New Year rolls around here in about 7 hours and 20 minutes. In less than an hour I hope to be asleep, though, since tomorrow may be 2010, but it is also... You guessed it: Friday.
Happy New Year!