Friday, June 19, 2009
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Where to Begin?
I have heavily debated whether to post about my situation and decided it would be best to be up front with everyone. I will first start off with some logistics.
I will be home sometime around July 2 ish. I sew on Staff Sergeant on July 1st and am going to try and leave after the little promotion ceremony they have for me and another service member at the station. I had originally planned on coming back around the 10th but things have changed. I am really looking forward to getting back for the majority of July. My Dad’s birthday is on the 8th and my best friend Kurt is getting married on the 18th. I am the best man in the wedding so it should definitely be a nice weekend. Unfortunately my second cousin Josh is getting married the same day, for which I will not be able to make. That’s now at least 5 family weddings I will have missed since coming into the Air Force. This one though is a scheduling snafu not the victim of my service. Once back in August I will only have about 6 months left in the military. For fun I looked it up and figured out that I have 8 months and 17 days left as of right now. I am trying though to get the Pentagon Channel as my next assignment for which I would have to reenlist for 4 more years. The upside is that that is my dream assignment, it would put me in DC/ MD which is as close as I can get to home within the military, and I will receive a decent bonus for reenlisting. I hope to know whether I am staying in or getting out by the end of the summer. And now onto the subject that many people have inquired about and that has negatively consumed my life for the past 2 weeks, if not longer.
I first off cannot get over how many people care and ask about me. For that I am extremely grateful. I am not sure how many read or check this blog but I think it may be more than I realize. With the advent of facebook, twitter, and other online social sites, it seems your business really isn’t your business anymore. With that being said I have tried to keep this situation to close family and friends. But at this point I know many people are wondering, and its just easier to post the majority of the story for everyone to read, versus having to say it a bunch of times once I am home next month.
Michelle and I are now legally and physically sperated. My intentions are to do something I never wanted to have to do, but feel I have no choice at this point (I despise the word let alone the action, so I refuse to use it, knowing I still have to do it).
Michelle always asked that I keep her privacy when posting, which I did. At this point though it is clear she cares only for herself and her life beyond me. With that being said I feel perfectly comfortable posting this. Basically she claims to have not been happy for a while. She says she wants both of us to move on and be happy. I have good evidence of an age old issue in this world and feel there is little to zero chance for reconciliation. I will never say never but its definitely a very bad situation.
The last 10 days of my life I have felt betrayed, mad, sad, depressed, lonely, and utterly destroyed. I have not been perfect. I have always tried my best. Maybe I could have done more and maybe the situation was never right to being with. At low points your mind can race a million different ways. The bottom line is that Michelle did not handle her unhappiness and ultimate distaste for our marriage as an adult and in a formal and loving way. The worst part is that I have lost my best friend in the mix. I think military life has palyed a role in the demise of our relationship, but I must say she was always there for me in that regard. Now she has a federal, albeit low paying, job that she claims to want to stay here for. I know there is more to it than that. I actually feel she is really putting herself in a bad position, and I love her so much I want to help and tell her but my words fall on deaf ears.
At this point I have to move on for myself and most importantly my mental health. If life were a nice long walk, then someone just ran up and close lined me Hulk Hogan style. Unquestionably the most challenging and emotionally tried I have ever felt.
There are obviously many details, information, and claims from both sides that have brought us to this point. But people like to know so I figured I would try to explain both what’s going on and what I have been going through. I am not looking for pity, or for anyone to choose sides. I just want people to hear it from me and not through the grapevine. I will ask for your prayers though as my days are up and down. The first 10 days were all a long, true, struggle. I am better now knowing I must move on and hopefully and eventually find someone who can love me for me and be willing to work on whatever may lye between.
I hope everyone is doing great wherever they are reading this in the world. At 26 years 9 months old I finally feel like a man. Between the emotions I experienced in Afghanistan for fellow humanity and the personal emotional roller coaster I have been on for a while now, I now know I am an adult and the luxury and comfort that comes with being a kid are long gone.
Many lessons learned here, but definitely not in the fashion or way in which I prefer to learn. Bottom line is that I have to have faith in God that life goes on and everything truly does happen for a reason. So that’s it. One day at a time. A very crappy situation that will only get better with time. I again sincerely thank those with concern and interest in me and my unfortunate situation. I love you all.
Sincerely,
Rob
I will be home sometime around July 2 ish. I sew on Staff Sergeant on July 1st and am going to try and leave after the little promotion ceremony they have for me and another service member at the station. I had originally planned on coming back around the 10th but things have changed. I am really looking forward to getting back for the majority of July. My Dad’s birthday is on the 8th and my best friend Kurt is getting married on the 18th. I am the best man in the wedding so it should definitely be a nice weekend. Unfortunately my second cousin Josh is getting married the same day, for which I will not be able to make. That’s now at least 5 family weddings I will have missed since coming into the Air Force. This one though is a scheduling snafu not the victim of my service. Once back in August I will only have about 6 months left in the military. For fun I looked it up and figured out that I have 8 months and 17 days left as of right now. I am trying though to get the Pentagon Channel as my next assignment for which I would have to reenlist for 4 more years. The upside is that that is my dream assignment, it would put me in DC/ MD which is as close as I can get to home within the military, and I will receive a decent bonus for reenlisting. I hope to know whether I am staying in or getting out by the end of the summer. And now onto the subject that many people have inquired about and that has negatively consumed my life for the past 2 weeks, if not longer.
I first off cannot get over how many people care and ask about me. For that I am extremely grateful. I am not sure how many read or check this blog but I think it may be more than I realize. With the advent of facebook, twitter, and other online social sites, it seems your business really isn’t your business anymore. With that being said I have tried to keep this situation to close family and friends. But at this point I know many people are wondering, and its just easier to post the majority of the story for everyone to read, versus having to say it a bunch of times once I am home next month.
Michelle and I are now legally and physically sperated. My intentions are to do something I never wanted to have to do, but feel I have no choice at this point (I despise the word let alone the action, so I refuse to use it, knowing I still have to do it).
Michelle always asked that I keep her privacy when posting, which I did. At this point though it is clear she cares only for herself and her life beyond me. With that being said I feel perfectly comfortable posting this. Basically she claims to have not been happy for a while. She says she wants both of us to move on and be happy. I have good evidence of an age old issue in this world and feel there is little to zero chance for reconciliation. I will never say never but its definitely a very bad situation.
The last 10 days of my life I have felt betrayed, mad, sad, depressed, lonely, and utterly destroyed. I have not been perfect. I have always tried my best. Maybe I could have done more and maybe the situation was never right to being with. At low points your mind can race a million different ways. The bottom line is that Michelle did not handle her unhappiness and ultimate distaste for our marriage as an adult and in a formal and loving way. The worst part is that I have lost my best friend in the mix. I think military life has palyed a role in the demise of our relationship, but I must say she was always there for me in that regard. Now she has a federal, albeit low paying, job that she claims to want to stay here for. I know there is more to it than that. I actually feel she is really putting herself in a bad position, and I love her so much I want to help and tell her but my words fall on deaf ears.
At this point I have to move on for myself and most importantly my mental health. If life were a nice long walk, then someone just ran up and close lined me Hulk Hogan style. Unquestionably the most challenging and emotionally tried I have ever felt.
There are obviously many details, information, and claims from both sides that have brought us to this point. But people like to know so I figured I would try to explain both what’s going on and what I have been going through. I am not looking for pity, or for anyone to choose sides. I just want people to hear it from me and not through the grapevine. I will ask for your prayers though as my days are up and down. The first 10 days were all a long, true, struggle. I am better now knowing I must move on and hopefully and eventually find someone who can love me for me and be willing to work on whatever may lye between.
I hope everyone is doing great wherever they are reading this in the world. At 26 years 9 months old I finally feel like a man. Between the emotions I experienced in Afghanistan for fellow humanity and the personal emotional roller coaster I have been on for a while now, I now know I am an adult and the luxury and comfort that comes with being a kid are long gone.
Many lessons learned here, but definitely not in the fashion or way in which I prefer to learn. Bottom line is that I have to have faith in God that life goes on and everything truly does happen for a reason. So that’s it. One day at a time. A very crappy situation that will only get better with time. I again sincerely thank those with concern and interest in me and my unfortunate situation. I love you all.
Sincerely,
Rob
Friday, May 22, 2009
Live newscast from France
Thought you might enjoy seeing me doing an interview during our live newscast from France last week.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
A much needed update.....
So its been almost a month since I posted and I figure its time. I am not going to be lengthy because 1. I do not have the time. 2. There is not a ton to say right now. I’ll start with the good stuff.
I booked a trip To Stockholm Sweden for my 4 day Pass. I won that pass for winning the 2008 Service Member of the Year. I beat out a close friend and coworker for which I still feel bad about. Anyway I am going up there for 4 days and going to see what the Nordic has to offer. I have always wanted to go to Sweden so I am pretty excited to say the least. It’s definitely costing me some scratch though…. O well because who knows the next chance I will have to go to Sweden ya know!
I am happy my Pittsburgh Penguins are hanging in there. Made the Eastern conference finals and have a pesky opponent in the Carolina Hurricanes. We shall see but I like the Pens in 6. My Grama is home from the hospital which is good. I cannot wait to see her and the rest of my family when I come home in mid July. Kurt is getting married and that is something I am definitely looking forward too. My sister has also seemed to finally turn the corner. I hope to see her and talk once I am home again.
Michelle and I traveled to Paris on a day trip and did another great weekend trip when her sister came into town last month up to the Keukenhoff gardens where the world beautiful tulips are. We did not go into the gardens but decided to rent bikes and ride around and see all of the tulips throughout the countryside. I am in love with Holland and could see myself living there someday. Extremely agnostic place, but very peaceful. That seems to be a weird dichotomy but whatever. Last Saturday we did a trip to a nice town along the Mosel river and then when to a Winery for a taste testing and lunch. It was a great day. Now I know I have promised pictures and I will post a ton once I get my masters calss done here in June. That will put me at 15 of 36 credits which is cool. It will also alleviate my time which I can then use to post pictures here.
Professionally I am trying real hard to get the Pentagon Channel. When I say real hard all I mean is that I have let it be known, applied for the position, and am now waiting. Its weird in the military because once you are in, you obviously have a given trade/ job but not necessarily a position. The assignment management system in the Air Force is not to my liking. Specifically for our job its just a numbers game of who ends up where. Its all based on rank, length and location at current duty station, and some trainging requirements/ experience. Anyway I am keeping my fingers crossed and seeing what happens from here. For those counting I got about 9 months left here in Germany. Come March I will hopefully be headed to the Baltimore/ DC area. I will post as soon as I know where I am going next.
So now for the less desirable news. I am not sure who all reads this anymore, and usually do not delve too deep in personal matters. Beyond this Michelle requested years ago, when I started blogging, that I not mention her. Until this point I have honored that request. I am still honoring it but I could not type about us without mentioning her so here it is. 1. The wedding was canceled for a variety of reasons. Michelle felt some pressure for a big event that I do not believe she ever truly wanted to begin with. 2. Things between she and I have not been well do to our differences and also the strains that military life can bring. 3. Logistically, both in organization, and for getting family members there it was becoming hard. So that’s the story on the wedding cancelation. I hope in the future we could have respective parties in western PA and NJ but time will only tell that.
And speaking of time, it seems that’s what Michelle and I may need. I am not using the big D word, nor will I paint a picture of Camelot. I am not quite sure how we got where we are, now am I sure which way it will go. Bottom line is that we are enjoying Europe, our jobs, and activities we plan together. I wish I knew where and with whom I would be a year from now but between being in the military and Michelle and I facing these issues, I have no clue.
So that’s its. I promise pictures soon, Love and miss all of you, and can’t wait to spend 4 days in Sweden. O yeah HOME IN JULY Talk to yinz all soon.
I booked a trip To Stockholm Sweden for my 4 day Pass. I won that pass for winning the 2008 Service Member of the Year. I beat out a close friend and coworker for which I still feel bad about. Anyway I am going up there for 4 days and going to see what the Nordic has to offer. I have always wanted to go to Sweden so I am pretty excited to say the least. It’s definitely costing me some scratch though…. O well because who knows the next chance I will have to go to Sweden ya know!
I am happy my Pittsburgh Penguins are hanging in there. Made the Eastern conference finals and have a pesky opponent in the Carolina Hurricanes. We shall see but I like the Pens in 6. My Grama is home from the hospital which is good. I cannot wait to see her and the rest of my family when I come home in mid July. Kurt is getting married and that is something I am definitely looking forward too. My sister has also seemed to finally turn the corner. I hope to see her and talk once I am home again.
Michelle and I traveled to Paris on a day trip and did another great weekend trip when her sister came into town last month up to the Keukenhoff gardens where the world beautiful tulips are. We did not go into the gardens but decided to rent bikes and ride around and see all of the tulips throughout the countryside. I am in love with Holland and could see myself living there someday. Extremely agnostic place, but very peaceful. That seems to be a weird dichotomy but whatever. Last Saturday we did a trip to a nice town along the Mosel river and then when to a Winery for a taste testing and lunch. It was a great day. Now I know I have promised pictures and I will post a ton once I get my masters calss done here in June. That will put me at 15 of 36 credits which is cool. It will also alleviate my time which I can then use to post pictures here.
Professionally I am trying real hard to get the Pentagon Channel. When I say real hard all I mean is that I have let it be known, applied for the position, and am now waiting. Its weird in the military because once you are in, you obviously have a given trade/ job but not necessarily a position. The assignment management system in the Air Force is not to my liking. Specifically for our job its just a numbers game of who ends up where. Its all based on rank, length and location at current duty station, and some trainging requirements/ experience. Anyway I am keeping my fingers crossed and seeing what happens from here. For those counting I got about 9 months left here in Germany. Come March I will hopefully be headed to the Baltimore/ DC area. I will post as soon as I know where I am going next.
So now for the less desirable news. I am not sure who all reads this anymore, and usually do not delve too deep in personal matters. Beyond this Michelle requested years ago, when I started blogging, that I not mention her. Until this point I have honored that request. I am still honoring it but I could not type about us without mentioning her so here it is. 1. The wedding was canceled for a variety of reasons. Michelle felt some pressure for a big event that I do not believe she ever truly wanted to begin with. 2. Things between she and I have not been well do to our differences and also the strains that military life can bring. 3. Logistically, both in organization, and for getting family members there it was becoming hard. So that’s the story on the wedding cancelation. I hope in the future we could have respective parties in western PA and NJ but time will only tell that.
And speaking of time, it seems that’s what Michelle and I may need. I am not using the big D word, nor will I paint a picture of Camelot. I am not quite sure how we got where we are, now am I sure which way it will go. Bottom line is that we are enjoying Europe, our jobs, and activities we plan together. I wish I knew where and with whom I would be a year from now but between being in the military and Michelle and I facing these issues, I have no clue.
So that’s its. I promise pictures soon, Love and miss all of you, and can’t wait to spend 4 days in Sweden. O yeah HOME IN JULY Talk to yinz all soon.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Please hear this woman sing!!!!
I will update some things on myself very soon. I also promise some awesome pictures from home and our recent travels to Paris and Holland. For now though this woman needs your attention and support. God Bless her!
Susan Boyle
Susan Boyle
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Home Leave
The following entry is long and was typed at different times. I will include a ton of pictures next chance I get. Enjoy…..
Well I am stuck here at Newark International on a 4 hour delay for my flight back to Baltimore and figure its as good a time as any to knock out my leave blog post. I remind you that this will be posted once I get internet connectivity tomorrow back in my room at Ft. Meade because I am not paying for internet here. I already paid $9 for a 20oz Sam Adams BEFORE I found out I was delayed, so the pillaging has ended with the delay and beer. I have to be at work tomorrow at 6AM and will not land until about 1:20 AM so I am really going to be tired to say the least. I digress and recap the wonderful time I have had here in the States.
**** After being told the flight was canceled at 11PM I booked a rental car and got back to Ft. Meade at about 3 AM and was at work by 6AM. I graduated my class on Tuesday and then found out today that I did not make OTS. I will post separately about that in a few days. Back to my time at home.****
My trip included PA, NJ, VA, MD, OH, DE, and DC. 5 professional sports games (and I was 5 for 5 as the teams I rooted for won each game I attended!) and tons of family and visits with friends. Overall a great time had by all.
I landed on Friday the 13th of February. It was less than 24 after that Continental commuter plane crashed near Buffalo. I met a friend at the airport, after squaring my Mom and Dad away about my being safe and sound in Baltimore. My friend ended up having to take me down to the Train station because they canceled my flight. Initially I thought it was because my plane was the one that crashed but I talked to a friend who knows planes and is an ATC guy and he told me they were two totally different planes. Anyway I take the train to New Brunswick and actually get back to Michelle’s house earlier than if I had flown to NJ. I spent the weekend with them and also had a nice night in Hoboken with my good friend Siggy. I also got Michelle’s Dad quite inebriated at the Devils game on Sunday. It was a good time for both of us.
Monday morning I was bound for home: western PA! I had not been home in 17 months and was sincerely overdue for the trip. I stopped and saw my Dad first where I caught the rest of the Penguins game on TV. It was great to see him. I then headed to my Grams house, where upon my arrival, I see a huge sign in their front yard, welcoming me home. It misspelled USAF and had me as a SSgt, which I will be soon, but it was the through that counted. Thing is I do not like publicity for my service. I mean let’s be honest: I am a broadcaster and have the power of my station’s website and YouTube to get enough publicity. If I ever run for politics and people want to put signs with my name in their front yard, then and only then will I want it and sincerely appreciate it without regret. None the less, it was awesome to walk in and see my grandparents that day. My Mom and sister and Emma came later and it was awesome just hanging with them. Looking back now I feel like the 6 weeks I have been in the States is a blur.
One thing I want to talk about real quick is how people age. After having been in the military I realize that I come from people who have good genes and age slowly. Both of my parents are in pretty good dang shape for their age as are many other family members of mine. But I will say, without saying any names, that many people I saw while home just looked A LOT older. Maybe it’s because I am not home that often, maybe its because I remember them from when I was little, or maybe it’s just because they really did age that much. It was startling to me but never did I let it be known. It was something I dealt with internally and just had to accept for better or worse. That’s life… people get older…people grow up….people CHANGE.
That week I got wood from the Amish with my Dad, saw my cousin Sarah and her three little boys along with my Aunt Lynny. I could not get over how cute her little boys are. The last time I was home she only had two so I was seeing my second cousin for the first time. I also saw my Dad’s parents. I spent some time at my Mom’s boyfriends new house before going to my first Pens game with a long time friend, Ryan, from when we lived in the North Hills. I also had a great day with my cousin Chase who is a killer musician. Chase is much younger than me so we did not see allot of each other growing up but I still care very much for him. I introduced him to Cat Stevens and Blues Travelers so he could broaden his musical horizon. I will try to post one of his songs on here soon as well. But overall a great week.
One of the things I was looking forward to celebrating was my niece Emma’s 4th birthday. We of course did that on the first Saturday I was home. It was a nice day. I saw my friend Mike and got a surprise visit from his Mom. Mike’s brother Ryan is a Captain in the Army and was just on his way home from Iraq. It will be real nice once I finally catch up to Ryan. Anyway Kurt brought his fiancée Jen down as well. We went bowling with Mr and Mrs. Auchter later that night. I ended having a good bowling night before we were cut short by about 6 inches of heavy snow. The next day I went to church in Mckees Rocks and saw a bunch of my family and brother and sisters of the church. The weekend ended with dinner at my Dads and then the Academy awards with my Gram and Bob.
The next week I bobbed around and saw some old high school friends, went hiking in the woods with my uncle Joe one day, and then had a very interesting thing happen. I was supposed to go to my Uncle Josh’s that Wednesday but he called and said he had to help my Uncle josh with his septic tank. I ended up asking if they needed my Dad’s help but my Uncle Joe said no. (I remind everyone that my Dad and Uncle Joe have not talked in 2 years over some petty land dispute and a few choice words thereafter. To make it worse they live 10 minutes apart) So I decide to go over and see what’s up. I get there and see they are all the way to the wall with the snake machine. Long story short is that it was getting late and my Uncle Joe had no choice but to go to DEFCON 4 and call in my Dad. 30 minutes later my Dad shows up with his machine and another 80 or so feet of cable. 1 hour, 3 brothers, 1 son / nephew, and 130 feet of cable later the shit finally broke through and cleared the pipe to the septic tank. My Uncle Joe and Dad never missed a beat leading to the moral of the story: Sometimes when the shit hits the fan it can solve other shit! Now I do not expect them to be calling each other every day or anything, but the point is that life is too short for petty differences and sometimes the sense of humor of life can make that point (in this case a stuffed septic tank did the trick).
Later in the week I met with an old college professor of mine from Penn State Beaver. It was so fitting because we went out to eat and talk. Towards the end of dinner I had to use the rest room and when I came back he told me he had my answer concerning which direction I should take for my career: He said let God decide. Now you have to know this is an extremely educated and liberal man who considers himself an agnostic at best right now. For him to say that was unreal. God sincerely does use the people you expect last sometimes to tell you what is right. As I stated today I found out that I was not selected for Air Force Officer Training School. I am so cool with it though because I really believe the Pentagon Channel is the next step for me. That may not come through either but we shall see.
That Friday I spent some time with my cousins as well. It was good to see them. We watched a Pens game and played some Play station 3. On Saturday I just hung out with my Mom, Gram, and Emma again. That Sunday was awesome because got to attend church at Fredonia where I saw my Uncle Paul again. My Dad went with me which was great too because I know he needs to start attending regularly. After that we went to my Uncle Harry and Aunt Ethel’s and saw all of my other Joswiak side of the family. A totally great weekend.
Monday came fast and started my last week at home before heading to Ft. Meade / DC. I really made sure to hang out with my Gram and Bob as much as possible. Wednesday Kurt and I went to a Cleveland Cavaliers game where we watched Lebron James beat the Milwaukee Bucks. Friday I head to Arlington Virginia to spend the night with my buddy Steve. We hit up Georgetown and I also got to see the new WWII memorial and Air Force Memorial (where I dropped my camera). Saturday I went up to Baltimore and had a great day with all of my friends in Federal Hill. Sunday I met up with some friends from the Pentagon Channel and Steve and watched the Pens beat the Caps in OT. After that it was to Ft. Meade for 3 weeks of training.
I did have weekends off where I went to PSU the first weekend, hung out with all of my PSU roommates in Federal Hill again. All I have to say is try / spend the money for a meal at Fogo de Chao the next chance you get. Brazilian steak house is amazing. The last weekend I went to NJ and had to drive back as mentioned.
6 great weeks in the good ole USA. For now I am going to enjoy time with Michelle, Ali, and all of our friends in Europe. Her sister is coming soon, she is going to Mallorca, and we are going to Paris soon so it should be a great spring. I just want to thank all of my wonderful family and friends for a great time. I love you all very much.
Well I am stuck here at Newark International on a 4 hour delay for my flight back to Baltimore and figure its as good a time as any to knock out my leave blog post. I remind you that this will be posted once I get internet connectivity tomorrow back in my room at Ft. Meade because I am not paying for internet here. I already paid $9 for a 20oz Sam Adams BEFORE I found out I was delayed, so the pillaging has ended with the delay and beer. I have to be at work tomorrow at 6AM and will not land until about 1:20 AM so I am really going to be tired to say the least. I digress and recap the wonderful time I have had here in the States.
**** After being told the flight was canceled at 11PM I booked a rental car and got back to Ft. Meade at about 3 AM and was at work by 6AM. I graduated my class on Tuesday and then found out today that I did not make OTS. I will post separately about that in a few days. Back to my time at home.****
My trip included PA, NJ, VA, MD, OH, DE, and DC. 5 professional sports games (and I was 5 for 5 as the teams I rooted for won each game I attended!) and tons of family and visits with friends. Overall a great time had by all.
I landed on Friday the 13th of February. It was less than 24 after that Continental commuter plane crashed near Buffalo. I met a friend at the airport, after squaring my Mom and Dad away about my being safe and sound in Baltimore. My friend ended up having to take me down to the Train station because they canceled my flight. Initially I thought it was because my plane was the one that crashed but I talked to a friend who knows planes and is an ATC guy and he told me they were two totally different planes. Anyway I take the train to New Brunswick and actually get back to Michelle’s house earlier than if I had flown to NJ. I spent the weekend with them and also had a nice night in Hoboken with my good friend Siggy. I also got Michelle’s Dad quite inebriated at the Devils game on Sunday. It was a good time for both of us.
Monday morning I was bound for home: western PA! I had not been home in 17 months and was sincerely overdue for the trip. I stopped and saw my Dad first where I caught the rest of the Penguins game on TV. It was great to see him. I then headed to my Grams house, where upon my arrival, I see a huge sign in their front yard, welcoming me home. It misspelled USAF and had me as a SSgt, which I will be soon, but it was the through that counted. Thing is I do not like publicity for my service. I mean let’s be honest: I am a broadcaster and have the power of my station’s website and YouTube to get enough publicity. If I ever run for politics and people want to put signs with my name in their front yard, then and only then will I want it and sincerely appreciate it without regret. None the less, it was awesome to walk in and see my grandparents that day. My Mom and sister and Emma came later and it was awesome just hanging with them. Looking back now I feel like the 6 weeks I have been in the States is a blur.
One thing I want to talk about real quick is how people age. After having been in the military I realize that I come from people who have good genes and age slowly. Both of my parents are in pretty good dang shape for their age as are many other family members of mine. But I will say, without saying any names, that many people I saw while home just looked A LOT older. Maybe it’s because I am not home that often, maybe its because I remember them from when I was little, or maybe it’s just because they really did age that much. It was startling to me but never did I let it be known. It was something I dealt with internally and just had to accept for better or worse. That’s life… people get older…people grow up….people CHANGE.
That week I got wood from the Amish with my Dad, saw my cousin Sarah and her three little boys along with my Aunt Lynny. I could not get over how cute her little boys are. The last time I was home she only had two so I was seeing my second cousin for the first time. I also saw my Dad’s parents. I spent some time at my Mom’s boyfriends new house before going to my first Pens game with a long time friend, Ryan, from when we lived in the North Hills. I also had a great day with my cousin Chase who is a killer musician. Chase is much younger than me so we did not see allot of each other growing up but I still care very much for him. I introduced him to Cat Stevens and Blues Travelers so he could broaden his musical horizon. I will try to post one of his songs on here soon as well. But overall a great week.
One of the things I was looking forward to celebrating was my niece Emma’s 4th birthday. We of course did that on the first Saturday I was home. It was a nice day. I saw my friend Mike and got a surprise visit from his Mom. Mike’s brother Ryan is a Captain in the Army and was just on his way home from Iraq. It will be real nice once I finally catch up to Ryan. Anyway Kurt brought his fiancée Jen down as well. We went bowling with Mr and Mrs. Auchter later that night. I ended having a good bowling night before we were cut short by about 6 inches of heavy snow. The next day I went to church in Mckees Rocks and saw a bunch of my family and brother and sisters of the church. The weekend ended with dinner at my Dads and then the Academy awards with my Gram and Bob.
The next week I bobbed around and saw some old high school friends, went hiking in the woods with my uncle Joe one day, and then had a very interesting thing happen. I was supposed to go to my Uncle Josh’s that Wednesday but he called and said he had to help my Uncle josh with his septic tank. I ended up asking if they needed my Dad’s help but my Uncle Joe said no. (I remind everyone that my Dad and Uncle Joe have not talked in 2 years over some petty land dispute and a few choice words thereafter. To make it worse they live 10 minutes apart) So I decide to go over and see what’s up. I get there and see they are all the way to the wall with the snake machine. Long story short is that it was getting late and my Uncle Joe had no choice but to go to DEFCON 4 and call in my Dad. 30 minutes later my Dad shows up with his machine and another 80 or so feet of cable. 1 hour, 3 brothers, 1 son / nephew, and 130 feet of cable later the shit finally broke through and cleared the pipe to the septic tank. My Uncle Joe and Dad never missed a beat leading to the moral of the story: Sometimes when the shit hits the fan it can solve other shit! Now I do not expect them to be calling each other every day or anything, but the point is that life is too short for petty differences and sometimes the sense of humor of life can make that point (in this case a stuffed septic tank did the trick).
Later in the week I met with an old college professor of mine from Penn State Beaver. It was so fitting because we went out to eat and talk. Towards the end of dinner I had to use the rest room and when I came back he told me he had my answer concerning which direction I should take for my career: He said let God decide. Now you have to know this is an extremely educated and liberal man who considers himself an agnostic at best right now. For him to say that was unreal. God sincerely does use the people you expect last sometimes to tell you what is right. As I stated today I found out that I was not selected for Air Force Officer Training School. I am so cool with it though because I really believe the Pentagon Channel is the next step for me. That may not come through either but we shall see.
That Friday I spent some time with my cousins as well. It was good to see them. We watched a Pens game and played some Play station 3. On Saturday I just hung out with my Mom, Gram, and Emma again. That Sunday was awesome because got to attend church at Fredonia where I saw my Uncle Paul again. My Dad went with me which was great too because I know he needs to start attending regularly. After that we went to my Uncle Harry and Aunt Ethel’s and saw all of my other Joswiak side of the family. A totally great weekend.
Monday came fast and started my last week at home before heading to Ft. Meade / DC. I really made sure to hang out with my Gram and Bob as much as possible. Wednesday Kurt and I went to a Cleveland Cavaliers game where we watched Lebron James beat the Milwaukee Bucks. Friday I head to Arlington Virginia to spend the night with my buddy Steve. We hit up Georgetown and I also got to see the new WWII memorial and Air Force Memorial (where I dropped my camera). Saturday I went up to Baltimore and had a great day with all of my friends in Federal Hill. Sunday I met up with some friends from the Pentagon Channel and Steve and watched the Pens beat the Caps in OT. After that it was to Ft. Meade for 3 weeks of training.
I did have weekends off where I went to PSU the first weekend, hung out with all of my PSU roommates in Federal Hill again. All I have to say is try / spend the money for a meal at Fogo de Chao the next chance you get. Brazilian steak house is amazing. The last weekend I went to NJ and had to drive back as mentioned.
6 great weeks in the good ole USA. For now I am going to enjoy time with Michelle, Ali, and all of our friends in Europe. Her sister is coming soon, she is going to Mallorca, and we are going to Paris soon so it should be a great spring. I just want to thank all of my wonderful family and friends for a great time. I love you all very much.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Ft. Meade
Well I have been in the States for almost a month now and I have to say I have had an absolutely great time. I started training today and already have homework. Look for a lengthy post, in the next few days, about my travels while on leave the last 3 weeks.
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