Yet another Random Scene (in the life of Geoff)
At any one time, I’ll have a cup of coffee in my hands (sometimes tea or a Coke) and either I’m hanging out with somebody one-on-one or by myself reading. Either way, I’m usually pretty wired with caffeine. *%^&@#$!!!

Speed!
On Sunday, while at Alan's birthday party, I mentioned to him that if I ever get a motorcycle it would be no bigger than a 600cc engine (I think I favor a Japanese crotch rocket. I've decided that I'm not a Harley-Davidson kind of guy). He just looked at me and said, "Yeah right." He mentioned that once the speed demon in you kicks in, you'll want a 1000cc bike later on! Hmmmm...this worries me a little. If I go the motorcycle path, I too might be tempted to try and push the envelope of both man and machine. I'd hate to be a crater on 280!

On a related note, I'm gonna put down aviation as my top branch now. I've been reading a lot of tutorials on mechanics and instruments of a helicopter. I SO get this stuff. See, I've been interested in aerospace stuff ever since I was a kid. Go figure. I just wished I had a higher AFAST score. Rats.

Spark Plugs and Bonding
Had a good father-son bonding experience with my dad today. We changed the oil, the oil filter, the air filter, and checked the spark plugs. For those of you who are aspiring fathers, I suggest this!

Another Random Scene in the Life of Geoff
I stay up somewhat late working on the computer at times. To rest my eyes, I lie down for a while. The only problem is that I fall asleep waking up to the sound of my alarm clock in the process! It's not very good closure for the day.

Training with the Best
Yesterday, I got back from a 5-day Field Training Exercise (FTX) with my Reserve unit. That had to be one of the best training outings we've ever had. Needless to say, we shot an egregious amount of ammunition with a good variety of small arms. I scored my qualification just a point above my average (34/40) on my issued service weapon. On top of that, we got a lot of Humvee training, Land Nav, and water survival with some outdoor classes on first-aid, heat casualty prevention, and night vision.

The greatest part of it was the camaraderie. This is priceless. This is especially true for some of our guys who came back from Iraq. During the down times, we would hear a lot of their stories. Good times.

On a more personal note, a fellow who rode in my Humvee made a comment when we got back that I was alright for an officer candidate. He mentioned that when some soldiers cross over into the officer side of the house, some just stop identifying with with everybody else. He told me that I was very different and that I was a receptive person. What a great compliment!

Memories that Span a Generation
Last Friday, I went with Judy and another fellow ROTC cadet, Andy, to visit a retired Army officer at a retirement home in Saratoga. I would honestly have to say that the experience in meeting the man was monumental for me. I hung on nearly every word he had to say.

COL Buckley (ret), graduated from West Point with the class of 1923. For a man that old, I would honestly have to say, his mind was superbly sharp. He seemed to recall many moments in his life with such vivid detail. Anything from baseball scores from decades ago to his experiences in WWII to his experiences as a university professor, he would tell his tales like a great man of his stature would. Even more, he seemed to keep up with current events with the same fervency. During the 1950's, he was the Professor of Military Science at none other than SCU. But if there was anything that he was first and foremost in being, was a righteous man, a husband, and a father.

In regards to his late wife who passed on only a few years ago, the Colonel had been married to her for over 70 years. He must have adored her to a great extent. In his own words, he basically said that even 70 years was still too short a time to be married her. The mention of her made him a bit forelorn.

He had much to say to us about the profession of arms, of life itself, of marriage, children, and the conduct of right and wrong. His wisdom was enormous. To boot, I even liked his outdated expressions.

Upon leaving the retirement home, Judy made mention that for each elderly person that passes away, an entire generation passes along with them. I think she's right. Wisdom is all too precious to just leave be.

Making the Most of this Summer
I had an epiphany just now. I need to make the VERY most of this summer. For one, I'm taking a 3-week intensive humanities class right now. For another, I'm going to LDAC this summer and I hope to do well. On a related note, I'm going to try to secure either an airborne or air assault slot immediately after.

The urgency to make the most of it is also compounded by the notion that I was guaranteed an internship doing my graphic design stuff(and I turned it down). On top of that, there have been quite a few people that I've been meaning to visit that I wont get to because of my crazy summer schedule!

I hope to do good this summer... Do pray for me.

Arrrggghhh!!!
There are things in life that you shouldn't rush. Take cutting your own hair, for instance...

Being There
Being there for somebody is worth a lot. As small as it may be to someone else, its monumental to another. As for myself, I'll keep on doing what I do...

Lack of Fire
I crashed a summer school class and I got in. woo hoo!

It's an intensive 3-week class on Religion in America. I've only finished 2 days and I've got to say, there's already a ton of reading I have to do.

This bodes not too well for me because I'm quite sick of school right now. For a class where I need to be intensely focused, I feel extremely...tired?

Shower with Boots??!!
Yes, its true. I showered with my brand new combat boots. Now, before you write me off as a nut-job, allow me to explain...

It's a well known practice (in military circles that is) to shower in hot water with brand new boots on to break-in the leather. So far, I'd say that I've gotten about 3 weeks of serious, everyday wear done in just this one shower session.

While showering, I tried marching place, calf-stretches, ankle rotations, and anything else I could think of to stretch the leather so that I could get a full range of motion with my feet. I have to admit though, I almost slipped when doing the calf stretches!

Now why would I go this far to break in some boots? Well, I've seen the strongest of men wince in pain because of some boots that were ill-fit or not yet broken in. In fact, I've attempted at walking some moderate distances with some new boots. It hurts a lot. I hope not to endure that again.

Dapper??
A friend at church mentioned that that I looked rather "dapper". Dapper? As in like Dapper Dan pomade of O Brother, Where Art Thou? fame?

He explained that I just simply look very proper. Hmmmm...I guess that's a first for me. I'd say its a good thing.

I was surprised. For a wordsworth like myself, I had no idea what this word meant.

MBA over-rated??
Interesting article I found in Fortune magazine about the diminishing worth of an MBA in this day and age. Very interesting indeed.

I think I undestand now why a co-worker of mine never esteemed his MBA from Yale too highly. In fact, it was interesting how he told me that his undergrad was much more of a challenge. Curious...

Wired
Funny what coffee can do to you. I met with Tony for dinner last night at the Cheesecake Factory. Afterwards, I must have had about 4 cups of coffee or so. Although I had no trouble falling asleep, I woke up this morning with my heart still running in high gear. At best, it was a long, light sleep. *%^&@#$%!!!!

Old Kindred
Lately, I've been meeting up with people I haven't spent time with in a while. That's pretty much my plan for the rest of the week. Meet with folks one-on-one. To me, its sacred. It really is.

Haven't talked to Chung in a long time. Met him for lunch today. Elementary school, middle, high, Davis...I'd say we've been through a lot. As usual, we talk about serious things. I hope he and Maria work out. Sounds to me like they have a working relationship (even though it isn't all that easy). Because of him, I may actually end up going to our high school reunion. More on that at a later time.

Had coffee with Nelson today. When we both used to work in Cupertino, we would meet for lunch at least once a week. More often than not, I would get an earful of his laconic, deadpan humor as we ate. He would often suggest foolish stunts for me to do for fame (or infamy). Good times.

Funny what you miss these days.