8 SEP 10 -- It's been a long time...

I know it's been a long while since I've written -- just got some free time to write again, but since this keyboard sticks, it might not be a very long blog.

As far as I can tell, Joel is doing well with his therapy. He's been doing the P90x workout program in his Vestibular therapy and he's been boxing at LA Boxing on his own -- that's motivation! He's investigating future career possibilities. I'm interested to find out what he discovers will suit him best. He's discussed photography, radio, or possibly something in the medical profession.

I'm still in southern Afghanistan. It's still hot, yet not too bad. I PT in the dust-filled air almost every day. We are all worried we'll die of some moon dust disease that won't be discovered until years after the war ends. We'll see about that.

I still love my job as the Engineer Operations Officer. It's great being involved with so many important Engineering missions throughout our area of operations. I also love the people I work with on all levels -- all have different personalities, but all are easy to work with as long as you pay attention to how they receive communication the best.

Outside of work I try my best to hang out with friends who are also stationed on my base. I make lunch dates and PT dates... it's nice to talk to people about something other than work, since we are stuck doing work for at least 12 hours a day, 7 days a week. A lot of those friends are at the end of their deployments, though, and are heading home. I have no doubt they will filled with more people I know from the past, though. Afghanistan is one big reunion.

I would send pictures, but I don't have any on this computer.

Some events that've occurred:
-Capt Sanchez's wife sent him a pinata for his b-day. We waited until 4 July to take a crack at it. It was a blast -- we had a lot of laughs, especially when Lt Vaught hit it so hard that he broke the stick. We used money behind our sunglass lenses to create a blindfold. Also on 4 July, we made fireworks by throwing chem lights in the air (the ones you bend to crack the chemicals open to create a glowing stick). I took some pics -- it actually looks like a little fire cracker.

-I went to Marjeh to watch a road mission. We went in the middle of the night and stood on the road for about 3 hours watching the grader and dump trucks do their thing. It was nice to get out and see more of the country. Marjah actually has a lot of trees, which is MUCH different from where I'm based. On the way, we passed by little villages. It's fun seeing little kids running around in their garb. Some little girls have very fancy dresses, which is seemingly out of place in the dirt-filled surroundings, stained bare feet, and wide-eyed looks. They are very cute when they aren't throwing rocks at our vehicles or trying to steal things off of them.

-I also convoyed to another base to visit one of my units, see a couple projects we've completed on the bast, and visit a couple friends. It is interesting seeing how others are living around the area of operations.

-I continue to sing at church -- what a RELEASE! I truly love it. Right now, the drummer, guitarist, and myself (3 of 3) all work in the same office. We practice once or twice a week before the church service. We all agree it is a great way to get our minds off work.

And in other news, one of my bridesmaids, Lindsay, is getting married! I'm thrilled to be a bridesmaid in her wedding, as well! It will be a blast! Congrats to Steve and Lindsay!

Alright, that's it for now! I'll send pics when I can.

From Darcy, With Love

3 months down! “They” said that this is about the time when people would get annoyed with one another. “They” were right. You hear a little bickering here and there – especially in the living spaces. I’m sure it’ll die down. I’ve discovered that even if it appears as though others are compromising their character, it’s important to focus on maintaining your own character. It gets hard out here when other people have don’t follow by the same internal rules as you are trying to adhere, too, though. We’re all sinners! Alright, that’s boring.

It’s been REALLY hot out here. Not only that, but it’s been very windy – more sandstorms than usual. Good thing Jeff sent me a scuba mask! I’ll take a pic of it in a sandstorm to show you all that it works. I was running today… only about 22 mins in, and the sandstorm started. Unfortunately, I was doing an out-and-back run, so I was 22 mins away from my tent. I ran back like a champ, but it was a bit painful. It’s difficult running with your eyes closed for as long as possible. Good thing I had sunglasses on. Even with those it wasn’t fun! When I got back, my hair was coated in dust – EVERYTHING was coated in dust. Very fun.

I try to run a lot. It helps start my day and keep my energy up. I also do MCMAP (Marine Corps Martial Arts Program) everyday. I came into “Country” with a gray belt (the 2nd in the five-belt program). I now have a green belt. I should test out for brown belt this Saturday, and about 70 hrs of training from then, I will test out on my black belt! This is a great time to get this training in. Soon, it will be mandatory for all Officers to have green belts. I want to get as high as I can before I get back to the states. I’d rather spend the time doing it now, rather than take the time away from my husband/family when I’m at home.

I’m sure you’ve heard of all of the bad “stuff” going on here. I don’t often get to see what you guys are fed via the media. I usually know what happens a very short while after it occurs (i.e. the high-profile Pedro helo incident). It’s definitely difficult to be so close to these horrible situations. You have to learn to not let yourself think too deeply about anything -- and do your best to fulfill your mission.

As for Engineering, I’ve been learning a lot about concrete and vertical construction as of late. I’m doing my day-to-day job, and have a good handle on not only what I need to accomplish every day, but how to talk to my main points of contact (most of all are higher than me in rank). I try to keep things interesting by doing those extra activities (running, MCMAP, and singing with the Worship Team for church).

About singing for the Worship Team, after going to the Sunday night service a couple weeks in a row, I offered my help in regards to singing. The Marines leading worship are talented musicians, primarily, and it was difficult for them to focus on singing. They gladly accepted. I rehearse with them 30 mins, 4 days a week and sing at the Sunday night service. It’s a GREAT way to do one of my favorite hobbies out here while also being able to lead others in worship and praise the Lord, myself. I’m very happy I approached them about it. I wish there was a group at home I could get involved with. I really miss singing.

Alright, I guess that’s it for now – nothing really interesting or important. Oh! I forgot to mention that Toby Keith did a short concert in early May and David Beckham came for a meet-n-greet. I missed the meet-n-greet, but I did get a pic of him walking out of my unit’s compound. Unfortunately, the lady next to him blocked his face. Sad.

Lastly, I want to formally congratulate my wonderful, beautiful friend, Lindsay (one of my bridesmaids) on getting ENGAGED!!! She is a fantastic friend, and I miss her a ton! I can’t wait to celebrate with her and her soon-to-be husband, Steve. Lindsay is a lawyer in Colorado. She sings and is a kick-butt, motivated runner. I’m proud to know her.

Love from Afghanistan!

p.s. This is Ellen....I uploaded this entry for Darcy but can't figure out how to get her pictures here. I'll make a new entry when I figure it out :)

Pictures and a video...

The title of the blog links you to a video...

It'll be on http://www.marines.mil/ and on AFN in the future. Pretty funny. Reminds me of my old days as a reporter. Maybe they'll come around again someday!

Through my NVGs on the range... my hair was NOT within regs. That's what a day of wearing a helmet, walking around in the sun, and enduring sand flying all over the place will do to you.

I got to actually put an IV in someone. It was pretty cool following in the footsteps of Grandma and cousin Yvette!
A little MCMAP rifle manipulation

I found Devin! Actually, he found me. This is the hallway at my work. Not too shabby. Great to see Devin, my fellow Engineer, of course.

We had a great MCMAP session with the CREATOR of MCMAP, himself -- Col Bristol.

Photos!

20 APR 10 -- It Could Be Worse!

The theme of this week is, “It Could Be Worse”.

I always hated that statement, because although it’s true in every situation, it usually doesn’t make you feel any better about what you’re dealing with.

However, I feel very fortunate being where I am right now, because it’s true – it could be a LOT worse!

Case 1: I haven’t seen a bathroom since I got here. Porta-john is the name of the game. Now, although you have to cover the entire perimeter of the seat with toilet paper before you sit down, and although flies encircle your head for the duration of your visit… and although mouth-breathing becomes a habit and necessity, increasing the paranoia that those toxins will crawl into your lungs … and although you have to run out when you hear the potty-sucking truck pull up, it could be a LOT worse!

Alt Case 1: I could be required to use the head (bathroom) pictured below every day of my deployment and not just on certain days. Notice the flattened HESCO (usually filled with compacted dirt for force protection or makeshift walls) rigged as a gate with a bungy cord as the hinge. Also, notice the gap between the felt curtain on top and the make-shift gate. This wouldn’t be a problem if the darn toilet seat wasn’t so high. I practically had to jump up onto the hole cut into plywood with a plastic toilet seat sitting on top, because it was so high – just high enough to compromise your privacy, due to that strategically placed gap. Because trucks drive through the “moon dust” right next to the head, the seat and all around it was covered with dust. I took the liberty to wipe it off with dusty TP before taking this picture. Leaving TP in the head is NOT the way to go, as it will be covered in dust within an hour. Luckily, someone left some sanitizing wipes in a dusty bag next to the hole they call a “toilet”.

Now, this is just for potty type Number 1… not Number 2. The procedure for Number 2 is to catch it all in a bag and then throw it into the burn pit (I missed the pic opportunity for this one). How would you like carrying your waste from the location you dropped it into the bag, through the camp, to a pit full of fire and other Number 2 bags? EVERYONE knows what you just did.

Case 2: The floodlight by my tent was out one night. I was walking back from work as I usually do, but with a little more thought. I cut in between the tent next to mine, walking under the ropes that tie the back of the tent to the ground. I cut the corner around the tent close… too close. I forgot about the side ropes linking the top of the tent to the ground until my boot hit one of the stakes. I didn’t realize I was falling until I was face-down to the ground. I happen to be really good on my feet. I trip a lot, but I RARELY fall. In this case, my lack of depth perception changed my luck. The next day, I went into work and asked the Navy LT if he heard anything last night when he was in his tent. He said, “Do you mean when someone completely busted a$$ outside my tent? Was that you?! You almost fell into my head!”

Alt Case 2: I could’ve been wearing my PT gear instead of cammies that protected my knees! Nothing makes you revert back to childhood more than scraping up your knees.

Case 3: After a morning hike around base with a large group of females, I stripped the cammies I was wearing so that I could transfer all of my pens, ammo, notepads, etc into my new cammies. I took off my insignia and placed it on the bench between my and Margie’s bed. I placed them pins up without froggies (the little caps that hold the insignia to your collar). Instead of finishing that task, I then attempted to sit down on the bench so that I could put my boots on. To brace my seat, I placed all my weight on my hand. All 100lbs of me (haha…) pushed the insignia almost flush onto my thumb. Don’t worry – I have a picture.

Alt Case 3: I could’ve sat on a sword.

The pictures won't load on this slow WiFi, but I'll try to get them up soon!

Pics

Pics: Joel and I before I left, me walking to the bus, just arrived in Afghanistan (don't let the pretty sky fool you), the Chow Hall, me with Oliver North. I missed Geraldo Rivera's visit... haha.

JOEL'S BDAY! and Afghanistan :(

Greetings from Afghanistan, everyone...

Let me start with saying HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!! to my wonderful, fantabulous, gorgeous husband. I am so sad I missed it AND the wonderful dinner out that we always have with the fam. Mmmm.... can't wait for that one day... in a year. The pic is of Joel and his bros squished in the back of Ellen's car. :)

I've been here for three weeks, and what a joyous three weeks they have been. I'm lying. It's nowhere close to being joyous. This country is ugly, dusty, and violent. It's ok... I only have to spend a YEAR here! Think of what you were doing last year. Now think of how long ago that seems. A lot of us around here talk about the fact that a year is so long and this place is so boring... and it's only been 3 weeks! I work 7 days a week with an average of 14 hours a day, minus Sunday which is usually 10-12. My work isn't physically gruelling, but mentally taxing. I talk to a lot of people, go to a lot of meetings, write a lot of emails, and constantly try to find more and more ways to get organized.

PICTURE: Seaport Village two days before I left with both families

My job, overall: When an engineering mission comes up in the area, such as a gap in the road that needs a bridge or a hole in the road from an IED blast that impedes movement, I choose one of the units under me to do it. Sounds so simple! I wish it was. It requires a ton of paperwork and a lot of conversations...

Wow.... what a negative blog. I think a lot of the bad attitude currently comes from the fact that I have a miserable sinus/respiratory cold going on. The mix of that and the overbearing amount of dust makes it so I can't go running. I'm thinking this lack of exercise is bringing me down some, too.

One thing I have to look forward to is my 2-weeks leave. Mine should end up over Thanksgiving if I'm lucky. That will make it so I can see both my and Joel's whole families. The bad part about having it over Thanksgiving is that it is a whole 8 months away. That's longer than most deployments out here. But, the good part is that when I get back here, I'll only have about 4 months to go. That'll seem pretty easy after spending 8 months here.

I haven't been able to talk to Joel TOO much. The update I CAN give you is that he recently spent a week in St Louis, Missouri with Wounded Warriors at a career conference for vets. He said he had a great time. There were a lot of former Marines there who served them dinner and talked with them and gave speeches and all that. He also took a personality test. The test is usually $800, so this was a cool thing to do for free. We both agree it was pretty spot on! I'm not sure what the questions asked, but somehow they knew almost exactly who Joel was. The report actually brought up some things that others can do to help that person deal with difficult situations. Very interesting.

I uploaded a bunch of pics, but I'm not sure if they saved... frustrating. I'll try to blog next week. Hopefully I'll be in a better mood!

Joel medical update & Darcy's last few days!

GOOD NEWS!!! After a LONG process (from Dec - Mar) of completing all of the steps required to get his license, Joel did it! He had numerous tests with Vestibular (I explain Vestibular therapy's function later), Tri-City Medical balance tests and driving test, and the DMV's written and driving test. He was very patient through the process and his patience paid off. We are all so proud of him!

Joel and I met with his doctor at Camp Pendleton for an overall update on his medical progress. I don't feel comfortable leaving the country without an update on how he's doing. I don't want anything to be a surprise while I'm away. Here is the update:

Opthamology (the working of the eye): Joel has great vision, but he still has a blind spot in his right eye. The spot isn't physically blind, but his brain is choosing to not use it (for whatever reason). From what I understand, this can be corrected with therapy. There was not a complete update on this therapy, but hopefully we'll have one soon.

Audiology: Joel has GREAT hearing (much better than mine). In order to determine whether his balance issues came from the inner ear or the brain, they but him quiet, small, dark room strapped in a mechanical chair that spins around and around. He said the speed was so quick that if he was not strapped in, he would "fly out of the chair." He did NOT like this. The claustrophobic feeling it gave him was overwhelming. He said he wanted to stop, but refused to let it defeat him. He slowly became more comfortable with the situation. The results came back, and they think his balance issues are caused by both the brain and the inner ear.

Vestibular (inner workings of the ear - the balance center): Joel has two therapy sessions a week with Vestibular to correct his balance and dizziness. His biggest balance issues come when he is in a hurry or just stands up. His dizziness comes when he leans his head back. Hopefully this intensive therapy will slowly improve these issues.

Speech: When Joel met with the Speech therapist, she didn't see a great need for individual therapy, but suggested group therapy. Joel is not too fond of group therapy, but will try it a few times to see if he can draw any benefits from it.

Concussion Clinic: Joel took the same 4-hr test he took when he arrived to and departed from PTRP. His results were generally the same as they were back in Nov. His main issues are processing speed and receiving verbal instructions. This is so very true. I see it in everyday life! I will talk to this therapist tomorrow about the plan of action to improve not only these things, but also his math ability (which on the test was at about a 5-6 grade level). Also, this therapist will let Joel know when he is ready to tackle a college class or two. He is really looking forward to going to school, but very apprehensive about failing. Luckily, the doc can write a letter allowing Joel more time on tests, additional help, and possibly a person to be his note-taker. I would LOVE to take classes with him and be his note-taker. I wish that could happen.

Mental Health: Joel doesn't have anything haunting him from his past, but he does have the normal stress, pressure to do well, anxiety, etc. For you and me, the effect they have on our cognitive functioning is not noticeable. For Joel, these things GREATLY effect his brain. Because of this, as much as he doesn't like the stigma of going to the Psychologist, he will learn coping procedures. This should have positive long-term effects! I haven't been 30, but I'm assuming it's more stressful than being 25. :)

The Ominous Filter: Remember when Joel's doc at Palo Alto attempted to remove the filter from his intra vena cava? He found that it was slightly tilted, and therefore, fused to the wall of the vein. He was afraid that if he removed it, it would puncture the vein, having fatal results. Well, the staff at Bethesda wants the filter out, so Joel will go down to Balboa for an assessment. The doctors there will decide whether they recommend it be removed, if they want to do the surgery, or if they want to send Joel to Bethesda for the surgery.

Vision Therapy (the workings of the eye - tracking objects, range of movement, etc): I'm very disappointed with this! When Joel left Palo Alto, his vision therapist was adamant that he continue therapy. Camp Pendleton was fully aware of this, but nothing has happened. I brought it up in about Jan, and again, NOTHING happened. Now I brought it up to his doctor who will talk to the same person who has failed to do anything in the past about it. We'll see if anything happens. You can guarantee I'll be following up on that, even when I'm gone.

Weight Gain: Joel has been working out about 4x a week and has been eating generally well, but he's consistently gained weight since he arrived at PTRP. He is exploring reasons at this point. Today he has a blood draw, testing his Thyroid. If that doesn't turn up as the problem, he has the opportunity to go on a diet plan that has proven to restart a metabolism that has been slowed by certain chemical elevations in the body. His buddy went from 230 to 175 on the program. Joel is about 225 and should be around 175, so we're hoping it'll do the same for him. In addition to this, he plans on beginning a 90-day workout program through Wounded Warrior Battalion that should definitely get his muscles back into shape. We'll keep you updated.

BRAIN!!!!: Joel still has and will always have Hydrocephalus. Once the fluid pockets are expanded, they don't go down. However, they want to ensure they don't get bigger, because if they do, it means there might be an obstruction somewhere. So far, there is no change in the size of his fluid pockets (that is NOT the technical term). The left one is still bigger than the right. The left side also has the same size of dead tissue in the frontal lobe area. Another sad thing to see was a bruise on the right side of his brain on the top near the back. This is consistent with previous MRIs. The bad news came when we looked at the lining of his brain. It is the area outside of the brain, but inside of the skull. On the MRI it should look like a black line surrounding the brain. It's normal on the right side, but it's slightly gray on the left side. This is Subdural Accumulation. Because this is a negative change in the state of the brain, Joel will have it monitored at Balboa for months to ensure it doesn't get worse.

Joel was in this meeting with me. As soon as we left, he said, "OK, tell me what we talked about." It's those moments that make me realize how slow his processing speed is and how poor his short-term memory is. Family members have a HUGE part in their loved one's recovery, as they see them in everyday situations when they are not being tested.

As for me, I'll be leaving in a few days. I'll be gone for a year. I'm very sad about leaving Joel, but I'll do good work this year and return safely to him. I'll also maintain as close a grasp on his medical updates as possible, which probably means emailing doctors and therapists every once in a while. :) For my last weekend here, both my family and Joel's family are coming down. We'll probably hang out in San Deezy (aka San Diego).

Lastly, Joel wanted me to ensure you all knew that he recently asked company personnel, "Would I be able to pursue government-funded dance opportunities?" He was told, "Yes," and responded, "Good, because that's my plan: to dance my way to freedom." Seriously. This happened.

I'll write as soon as possible.

HARCH!!! (Joel made me put that.)

VACATION! Feb 2010

Joel and I just got back from a GREAT vacation. The down-point is that I was on my pre-deployment leave! I'll be leaving for Afghanistan within the next month. Here's the scoop on the vacation:

We flew to Fort Lauderdale, FL and hopped on the Holland America Cruiseline for a 7-day cruise in the Caribbean. We had a blast power snorkling in Turks and Caicos, zip lining through the San Juan rainforest, and speeding around the Dutch/French St Maarten island on two-man motor boats. We also had the chance to walk and drive around each of the islands to get a feel for the life there. The stops were fairly short (5-10 hours), but we definitely made the most of our time. Unfortunately, we weren't able to stop in Half Moon Cay, Bahamas, because the weather made the port dangerous. We were supposed to parasail, horseback ride in the ocean, and snorkle and pet the sting rays there, but ... next time. :)

TURKS AND CAICOS:

PUERTO RICO:
ST MAARTEN:

On the boat, we spent a lot of time relaxing! We read on the deck, had a black and white photoshoot, spent $5 at the Casino, hung out in the Sports Bar, sang-along in the Piano Bar, and of course, ate a LOT of food!

When we arrived back in Fort Lauderdale, we took an immediate flight to New York City. We spent a couple days there in the snow! We walked a lot in our faux snow gear including running shoes, $3 gloves, and sweatshirts. We visited stores including Colony Music, Hershey's and MnMs. We also did some site-seeing at the Empire State Building and Ground Zero.

NEW YORK:

Lastly, we flew to southern Oregon to visit my dad's brother, his wife, son and two daughters. Although it was a short stay, we had a great time walking the dogs, shooting my uncle's guns on his own little range, gathering the eggs from the chicken coop, and playing games.

OREGON:

When we returned to southern California, we visited both of our families. I was able to see my best friend from Kindergarten's second baby! I also went to the baby shower of another on of my great friends, Ashley. I worked out with Kelly, had lunch with Rosanne, and got to see my grandmother. I tried to get eveyone in before I leave for a year!

Joel got to spend time with his dad, but I came home early and stole him away so that I could spend as much time with him as I can before I leave.

Joel is doing better, but still has a lot of memory deficiencies. I'll prompt him to do something (ie respond to mail), but he forgets to follow through on things. One thing he is really good at is putting his appointments in his calendar. He also tries very hard to make me happy, which suits me just fine! He's my dream, for sure, and I'm so very proud to call him my husband! However, I'm VERY nervous to leave him. The DMV is very slow in processing his medical paperwork, which makes us nervous that he won't get the license before I leave. If he doesn't, he will need to get a ride to and from work from his unit. However, he will have to walk to the store or bum a ride off a friend when needed. We are praying he'll get the license within the next few weeks. When I leave, he's planning on starting a 90-day training program through Wounded Warrior Battalion, getting more into cycling through WWB, and starting his Bachelor's Degree with one General Education class. I can't wait to hear about his progress!

I'll do my best to continue the blog at least a little while I'm overseas. I plan on updating you on Joel's progress, as well as my own.

Into the Groove -- NOV to JAN

I know it's been forever! I wanted to give another update.

Joel left the Palo Alto, CA Veteran's Affairs Hosptial in November. I left Camp Lejeune, NC at the same time. He and I had the wondeful opportunity of spending about 20 days together with nothing special to do. It was wonderful!

We both checked into our units in early December. He went through a long process of checking in and out of his unit and into Camp Pendleton's Wounded Warrior Battalion (WWB). When I checked in to my unit, I found out I'd be deploying within the next few months.

Once Joel was officially picked-up by WWB, he began infrequent hospital appointments. I'm highly disappointed with the lack of therapy appointments he has per week. At the most, he has one a day... and a lot of time they are simply assessments, not actual therapy. I'll do my best before I leave to improve the situation. In order to improve in all aspects (speech, balance, processing speed, etc), he needs to go through as many therapies as possible.

When he's not at appointments, he is working out, reading, or playing on his iPhone. WWB has what sounds like a great athletics program. It seems as though there is a chance for the guys to do whatever they like: swimming, archery, seated volleyball, seated basketball, running, etc. I'm hoping he gets a chance to jump into one or two of those activities soon. He's especially interested in swimming and cycling (right now he rides on a three-wheeled cycle or stationary bike -- still has to graduate to the bicycle). Actually, on our off time, Joel and I like to take cycling classes together. It's fun!

We had a great Christmas break. We were able to spend it with both his and my families. We also took a flight to Colorado to enjoy the snowy roads, fantastic food, authentic breweries, and even an Avalanche hockey game!

January's been crazy with work, but in mid-February, Joel and I will take a 7-day cruise to the Caribbean, followed by 4 days in New York and 2 days in Oregon with my wonderful Uncle Norman, Auntie Carol, and cousins Heather and Holli. My family used to spend a lot of time with them. As we've gotten older, we haven't had the time to make the get-togethers happen as often. It'll be nice to visit.

Joel is still working on jumping through all the hoops he needs to get his driver's license. We're hoping it'll all be figured out within the next month and a half. If it's not, he'll be able to get rides to and from work by friends and/or his unit's logistics element. There's NO WAY he will be moving into the barracks. I refuse to let him lose his independence because he's injured and I'm deployed. I'm working on teaching him easy meals to cook.

Alright, I'll do my best to write another update after our fantastic vacation (doubling as the honeymoon we never had 3.5 years ago). :) Can't wait.

And... he's OUT! WEEHEE!

I know it's been a long time! I'm sorry about that. In the meantime, I graduated from Engineer school, drove across country, finally met up with Joel in SoCal, moved in to our new apartment, and have been running non-stop every since shopping, unpacking, and running errands.

Joel finished PTRP strong. He showed how much he's grown in strength by running 3 times a week, bicycling, and improving on every cognitive area! He took a similar 4-hour test to the one he took when he arrived at the program. He improved greatly in every subject (math, vocab, reading comprehension, executive skills, processing speed, etc.) He wrote an article for the hospital newsletter, but it didn't get in for three reasons: (1) It mentioned names, and (2) He was, as usual, very sarcastic and goofy.

He graduated on 13 Nov 09 (and shaved for me!). The day before, they had a luncheon in his honor! So sweet. Although he doesn't necessarily miss all of his therapy classes, he does miss the friends he made, including James and Shane. I know James and his AMAZING wife, Cherie, paid special attention to take Joel out to dinner and make dinner for him so that he wasn't stuck at in the PTRP living quarters all of the time. He REALLY appreciated getting out, and I really appreciated them taking care of him for me. Cherie made sure to keep me updated.





















His dad drove him from PTRP to home. After a few days of visiting with his friends and family, Doug, Joel and I spent a full day (with the help of two Right Way mover men) loading, unloading, and unpacking boxes from storage and new furniture. We had a scare when the 4-sectional couch didn't look as if it would fit, but we figured a way! Joel and I spent the whole next week unpacking; setting up internet, Directv, door replacement, and door painting appointments. We also made several trips to Best Buy to get those things we forgot about each time before.




















Another way we filled our time was by running! I mentioned to Joel that I was planning on signing up for a Turkey Trot race in the Topanga State Park on Thanksgiving. He immediately offered to do it with me. What?! A race?! You want to do a race?! It surprised me, but I immediately signed us up together. I took him to Topanga to ensure he felt comfortable navigating the rocky, sandy terrain. He did a great job. We'll be all ready for the race on Thursday!




















He will report to Wounded Warrior Battalion Dec 4. The recommended treatment by his PTRP staff includes Driver Therapy (Yes please! The sooner he gets his license, the better!), Vocational Rehab to get him closer to career or volunteer opportunities, and PT 2-3 times a week (I'll encourage him to ask for more, since he is VERY capable of doing PT 3-5 times a week.) I hope his transition is smooth and he feels comfortable at WWB. If I deploy before he gets his license, that will be a problem, since he'll then have to move into the barracks. What then? We'll have to move all of our nice, new furniture into storage! NO!

I'll let you know how the race goes!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING, EVERYONE!