New Year's Eve!

Wow.  December 31st already. Just like everyone else on the planet, I am surprised at how quickly this last year has gone by.  On January 1, 2009 I never would have guessed that I would be sitting in Baghdad, Iraq on December 31st, 2009.  Life is full of surprises, isn't it?

Looking back on the last year, I realize that many of my dreams and goals have been fulfilled.  I have a deep and happy, loving relationship with my husband and son, my parents and brothers and sisters are all healthy and happy, my friends continue to be my friends; supporting me with unspeakable acts of kindness on a daily basis.  How lucky am I?

Actually, I'm one of those people who believes (drum roll for a Vince Lombardi quote) that "luck is the residue of design."  I'm not happy because I am lucky, rather I truly believe that I am happy because I choose to be happy.  It's a choice. 

So, despite my whining and bitching about porta-potties, mud and being far from home and family....I am still quite happy.  New friends, new experiences and the calendar moving closer and closer to my redeployment date certainly help.

On to my goals for 2010: in no particular order

1.  Come home safely

2.  Run a trail 50k by Fall

3.  Do 30,000 situps and 15,000 pushups for the year

4.  Play golf at St. Andrews

I'm sure I'll think of others, this is just what I came up with off the top of my head.

Tonight was certainly one of the more interesting nights of my life.  Our little group grabbed a few minutes to eat and decided to go check out a different chow hall than we have been going to for the last several months.  Not too far from where we normally eat, but on a different side of the base.  We really enjoy each others company and had a great conversation about life and love and where we all want to be next year...great conversation until the IDFs (indirect fire/rockets) started rolling in.  Before we new it, we were on lockdown at the chow hall and the sirens were going off.  Apparently, several rounds hit the base, with 2 of them extremely close to the building we were in.  I felt the earth shake, but I never felt as though I was in any danger.

How's that for a way to ring in the New Year?  So, 10 years ago I was at a Jimmy Buffett concert in Los Angeles celebrating the new millennium, this year I celebrate with a rocket attack.  I have a knack for memorable New Year's Eves, don't I?

So...Happy New Year to everyone out there.  Thanks for reading my blog for the last few months, I hope I can continue to entertain you.