Another day is gone, another day closer to home.  At times the days seem to just drift on by, while others it just drags.  Then there are the days you really have to drive a stake to see any sort of movement at all.  We all feel it, and it's something that has been discussed recently at length.  

The other big topic is the pending government shutdown.  For those of you who don't understand exactly what that means, imagine yourself thousands of miles away from your family and not being able to care for them in any way at all while those in charge of you still receive their ridiculous high paychecks while they go home each night to their families.  In 2003 I was in Iraq while my oldest son was born, and while I hated not being there it was comforting to know that at least the extra pay was helping.  Many soldiers have experienced this scenario, and many who are here now are missing the first months of a child's life.  If you add the stress of no pay coming in, then you are putting a match to a powder keg.  Most soldiers, especially lower enlisted, live paycheck to paycheck and cannot afford to not get paid at any time.  Sure, creditors will have to suck it up and forgo late fees, but grocery stores don't take IOU's.  The promise of receiving back pay for an undisclosed amount of time does little when you aren't with your family, and you cannot do anything to help them in a situation that can become dire rather quickly.  I'm not talking "sky is falling" type stuff, but we are a proud group and do what we do to serve the people of the United States and take care of our family.  No one wants to be isolated and working with no way to provide for their family.  So for the time we are in a waiting period, wondering if next month there will be bills to pay and food to buy with no income to use.

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Another week down, and had a wonderful steak/cigar night.  I am still working my way through the Acid Opulence 3 that I have.  Ordered ten of them before I went on R&R and have been smoking them since I got back.  These have quickly become my favorite cigar and will be a little sad when they are gone, but it will be time to move on to others. The Opulence 3 is the third cigar from the Acid line that I have tried, Kuba Kuba and Liquid being the other two.  I have enjoyed all of them so much that I ordered a separate humidor this month so that after getting back I will be able to keep a few on hand at all times.  The only other cigar I've had since returning was a Gurkha Titan, and after smoking that one I'm looking forward to the Gurkha's waiting for me at home.  While the Titan was not enough to take over the Opulence 3's place, it was a very good cigar.  Strong enough to be worth the time and money, but not so strong as to make me regret lighting up such a large stogie.  I don't think it's possible for Gurkha to make a "normal" size cigar.

This past week I have also been working on filling out forms for my upcoming assignment to Germany.  I am not fond of having to wait so long to make the move back over there, but really looking forward to getting back to Germany.  I am still continuing my studying for the A+ examination, and preparing my classes for later this month on that as well as basic safety in the shop.  The latter being way less interesting.  This coming week, along with working on that, I need to finish my application for the fall semester.  Still no idea what class(es) I will be taking yet, but have to get the ball rolling in that direction.  

That's all for now, so until next time...