I joined the army “to see the world,” and I guess you could say I have.  I’ve experienced travel at both ends of the spectrum of exclusivity.  I’ve flown first class, stayed in five-star hotels and luxury castles, eaten at very exclusive restaurants, and have been pampered by the personal staff of a rajah of India.  I’ve also been packed into a cattle car, flown on top of cargo in a freezing airplane, and eaten unmentionable comestibles in unspeakable places.  I’ve ridden on camel, elephant and horseback, flown in goat class, and trekked in the high Himalayas.

Living in Europe, the Middle East and Asia, and traveling the world over, I’ve had so many varied experiences that when I tell a story about some distant event that happened, oh a few years back, I am often surprised by the looks on my friends’ faces.  “Wow! Really?  You should write that down!”  Wow.  Really?  You think so?

Okay, okay.  I’ll write it down…a little at a time.   That is what I intend to do in this category.   I’ll try to recall some of the more memorable events from my wandering and meandering.  Perhaps I’ll even post a few pictures.   Right now, I’m just trying to get the categories up and running.

So, do I start at the beginning, or wander aimlessly through memorable travels til I get caught up?  Hard to say.   I could talk about the sixteen hours of jeep travel on the Karakoram highway, several thousand feet over the rushing Indus River…or maybe tell airline horror stories.  Whatever I decide, I’ll post the first real travel entry tomorrow.

My Lady and I are fortunate enough to have friends who own horses and who were kind enough to allow us to take our annual Christmas pictures at their farm.  This one of the two of us is one of my favorites…

So I’m finishing my basement.  That is to say, it was never really started until I got to it.  Bare concrete, a few studs in place, and the roughed-in plumbing.  We want to increase the size of our livable space by putting in a few things, like walls and electricity, and oh, plumbing.

I had almost completed all the walls myself (that is why they call it do it yourself) when I decided to get a professional in to look at the work so that the plumbing would be sure to do important things like connect to the sinks and toilets.  Sadly, I learned that one wall was three inches too close to the spot where the toilet would have to be.   Happily, I learned it before I wired it or put in ductwork.

With hammer in hand and a look of pure disgust on my face, I spent an hour taking down the wall that I had just recently put up.   In future I must remember thirteen inches from the center of the drainpipe to the back wall.  Who knew?

Setting up blogs apparently.   I finally decided I wanted to go off and start a Blog of my own, get a little writing practice, put a few meandering thoughts into print.  So I went online and found a free (not-to-be-named) host and spent a few hours using their free software.   I was happy enough with my pitiful attempt at setting up a Blog…until I told my friend the Rocket Scientist.

Now some people, when you say, “I set up a blog last night!” will say, “a what?”  Others will look you in the eye and say, “where on earth will you find the time for that?”  But my friend the Rocket Scientist (no really, he is) and his lovely wife decided that I needed a “Better Blog” using “Better Software.”  So, voila!  He spent much of his afternoon, building me a Blog site (this one in case you haven’t figured it out), so that I could put my thoughts into writing.  Now I suppose, I better get to it, and make myself worthy of his time and effort.  More misadventures Your Grace!!