Zombie Killer

Zombie KIllerz...

2011-12-26T13:55:00.001-08:00

Separate. It is unfortunately that time, as our little group is going on it's separate ways. A common occurrence in our life, but one I am looking towards ending. Just a few more years and I can finally put roots down and stay in one place a little longer.Had to put in that quick little note just to say that I love you guys, and will miss you as we move to the next phase of life.

Speaking of Zombies, make sure you go to The Zombie Club. It is a wonderful site for all Zombie fans, and one that I have been following on Facebook for a while. Now I am starting to roam around the full site and loving it.

Been a long time since I have done anything here, so just going to sum up the past few months. I have been back home for 6 months now, and fully integrated back into the real world. The sandbox has a habit of making us see things in a surreal light. I am still smoking cigars on a semi-regular basis (sometimes more than weekly and sometimes less). There are some really good ones out there, and I am still trying as many brands as I can find.

Christmas has just come and gone, and I hope that everyone has had a wonderful holiday. I feel bad for those who are away from home this time of year, and pray that you will all find your way back safely.

Just a few quick thoughts, but will be sure to post more soon. I usually post my ramblings on twitter, more nothingness; but if you choose to follow @MacIain then do so.

And Then...

2011-05-07T17:57:00.001-07:00

Been a little while since I've posted here, but work and net outages have not allowed me to be here for most of the time. Finally have some time to just type for a few minutes at least.

I've noticed a trend on Reddit lately that definitely hits home with me. People have posted more and more about people on their friendslist that have no idea how to spell anything. It's one thing to play with words and use different spellings, use numbers in place of certain letters, or swap z's for s's. It is quite another thing to honestly not know how to spell simple words (ie spelling celebration as selebration), or to not understand the proper use of there, their, they're. I notice this a lot, and it is one thing that really grates my nerves; what the hell is happening to our education system? With all the progress the net has provided us with, it has also seemingly destroyed the need for spelling. If only these people would remember that google and dictionary.com are very useful tools.

One a different note, our Chaplain wanted me to lead a prayer at the last prayer breakfast in order to include someone with a "different" religion at the event. So Chris had to explain exactly what my religion was to her for about the hundredth time in the past 10 months. At least this time he didn't have to explain that 1) I cannot move objects without touching them 2) There is no such thing as simple mind control and 3) lightsabers still do not exist. This unit has made it truly interesting, especially when they are done bitching at me long enough to grasp that it is not a joke. Fear of an IG complaint (not threatened or mentioned on my part mind you) usually has them apologizing for the rest of the day.

The fun officially began today, but I'm sure it will only become a greater annoyance over the next couple of weeks. It's always funny to see how frazzled people get when they feel that they need to make a good impression on people they don't know. Unfortunately it is the rest of us that will suffer for their egos. Oh well, all things change eventually.

2011-04-06T14:17:00.000-07:00

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.

10001110101

2011-04-01T13:20:00.000-07:00

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...

Hope I'm On The List Of People That You Hate...

2011-03-25T12:43:00.000-07:00

Another week is behind us, more steaks and hamburgers were eaten, and a few more cigars smoked. It was a raving success except for the rain which dampened our spirits for a little bit tonight, and so the event wasn't quite as jubilant as usual, It was still good, and something I think most of us appreciate.

So, let's wrap the week up. Our mornings are usually spent "Redditing", and leads us to such wonderful gems as the importance of finding an apocalypse partner, the watcher, dirty business, Link's murderous rage, and how we all feel about the prequel.. This is usually something we do over the day, but a great way to start the day.

I have of course spent a good bit of time doing some soul searching, and there were casualties along the way. I decided to scrub my friends list on Facebook and cleaned out anyone who is not family or that I met in the Army. I got tired of a lot of the useless postings from people I don't ever talk to and haven't had anything to do with since high school. So far I haven't gotten any "why did you?" messages, so I have to assume that no one has even noticed. Which is exactly why they got dropped in the first place. Not that any of the people on my list really have anything meaningful in their posts (time to time we all have something meaningful to say, but that's not really the purpose of facebook), but I know them at this time in my life and we have way more in common than anyone from high school.

I have also started getting more into art lately. I've always enjoyed art, but I find myself looking for paintings and drawings online; and have put the Xbox away and pulled out the sketch pad again. I really need to get back into spending a little time everyday sketching a little so that I can be decent enough to help the boys. I know they both enjoy arts and crafts and would love to sit and draw with them.

That's it right now. I am yet another week closer to being home, so I shall see you all soon. Oh, and less than a week until Opening Day!!!

Look Around It's All So Clear...

2011-03-20T15:19:00.000-07:00

So here we are at the beginning of a new week. The "How I Met Your Mother" marathon is over, weekly reports will have to be done, paperwork has to be submitted, time to resume A+ and Java, I might touch on some XHTML this week, and I have to turn in some stuff so that I can continue school in the fall. Odd how life just becomes routines and deadlines after a while. I pretty much mark my week by Wednesdays and Fridays now, and the days in between just start to flow together. Today has been really fun, and I had a nice change just sitting around joking and playing guitar with Chris and Sean. Now I'm putting off cleaning and organizing a little before heading to chow and then wrapping up a little work.

Ok, so I finally got around to doing some organizing; but had to finish the last 2 episodes of "How I Met Your Mother". Beyond the show we've had several conversations around the shop and with various people from the BN. All in all here are a few thoughts on everything from the week:

1) Your past is exactly what makes you who you are in the present. That means your actions and decisions today will determine who you are 10 years from now.

2) I have no desire to live the way I did 10 years ago, nor be who I was 10 years ago. However, I will not apologize for who I was, who I am, or who I will be. None of us stays the same, but at some level we never change either.

3) It is time for all of us to get back home and spend time getting back to our own lives.

4) Correct humidification is extremely important for cigars.

5) Above all else you should enjoy the little things in life; they are what you will miss the most.

6) If Ted Mosby becomes Bob Saget in the future, then Bob Saget becomes Morgan Freeman who in turn becomes Sean Connery.

7) We have another 2 year wait before we find out who the mother is, season 7 needs to be less serious and funnier (understand the storyline, but still), and it's time to suit up!
8) Ready for the weekends; Saturdays will be Legen (wait for it because everything is always better when there is at least some sort of suspense that is given to it, whether that suspense is real or just forced upon you by some guy ramblin' on) Dary...Legendary!

If I'm hangin' on to your charade; I guess I'm way beyond the pain...

2011-03-17T14:04:00.000-07:00

Another day down, and almost through another week. The great marathon has continued, though not moving as fast as it has been. Stupid work getting in the way of it all. I just finished working out, so I decided to take some time to relax and listen to some Tori Amos. Of all the concerts I've attended, and there are a good many, she is still the best I've ever seen. Funny that I've never really hung out with very many people who understand or appreciate her music, but I always find myself putting her music on with regularity.

I did start looking at doing some more schoolwork once I have reliable internet again, and began looking at schools. Figured I'd spend the next few weeks looking at the possibility of at least an Associate's from the College Of Charleston or Clemson. I keep jumping around and getting a class here and there, but figure it's time to sit down and finish this. I grew up in Charleston, so of course I have a love of that college; and I am a Clemson fan (family graduated from Clemson), so I'm really wanting a degree from one of those two. I looked a few years ago, but neither had much of a distance learning program. It's kind of hard to travel thousands of miles while working to get a degree, and the more I'm away from these places; the more they mean to me. Just the way I am seeing things right now.

Today is Saint Patrick's day, but for me it's more New Year's than New Year's. I make the same resolution every year, which is to not make a resolution. That way it is broken instantly, and I don't have to worry about trying to keep up some sort of painful attempt at becoming someone I'm not; perhaps someone I don't want to be in the first place. This past week I've really just sort of been looking at things I want to finish, so I have resolved to take them on seriously. I don't want to change who I am, just want to finish some projects that I have started. One of them will be done next month, then I will build a small computer, next is to start back at school, and mixed in with all that is to get back into a shape that isn't round. I am currently working on the last one, and so far have dropped close to 30 lbs. I intend to continue on that path and enjoy life while still keeping that weight off.

So that's Saint Patrick's day. Not a very insightful or exciting recap of the day, but at least I wore green.

Stuck in Bakersfield...

2011-03-16T12:39:00.000-07:00

Another day of work and watching "How I Met Your Mother", and yet another day of just thinking about odd things. TV is usually background noise for me, with a few shows here and there that really will grab my attention. I prefer books or videogames as a great way to pass the time. Here we spend a lot of time watching movies and tv shows to get through the hours. This made me start thinking about our love of tv and movies; why do we spend so much time devoted to these stories? Then it occurred to me that in every show, every story there is an ended. The characters are eventually given closure to the events in their "lives". Even when there is an open ending, we are given some type of closure to that chapter. Real life doesn't work that way, and we are not always given an opportunity for closure. Life is a series of "what ifs", and you really have to decide if you want to rely on those. A simple choice in your life always leads to something different, a cause and effect for everyone involved in any given situation. I wasted many years looking back and trying to figure out the "what ifs" in my life, and finally decided not to worry about what was. There's no specific destiny or fate for us on this crazy trip, just simply a series of options laid out before us. The choices we make are there for a reason; we just don't always know the purpose. If you are stuck in the endless reboot of "what ifs", just think about all of the ghosts in your past and then ask yourself if you really want to know what happened to them. All that is really important is that you are satisfied with where you are, and if not it is time to decide what to do to make it right. You can't change what was, not even what is, but you can always change what will be.

...a Jedi craves not these things

2011-03-15T13:02:00.000-07:00

Sunday I decided that it would be a good idea to start a "How I Met Your Mother" marathon. Not a true marathon, in the fact that I have to work and so I have to interrupt it constantly; but not watching anything else until I get through all of the episodes available (through episode 18 of season 6). I am in season 3 now, and remembering why I love this show so much. It also has made me think a good bit about things as well. Mostly it has made me laugh and brought up thoughts of buying a suit, but it has also made me think about all the different groups of friends that I have had through the years. I thought about all the people I hung out with in middle school and high school (some of whom I still talk to), the group that I spent endless hours with in the years between high school and the Army, the insane Romeos that I partied with, bandmates and roommates/tentmates in Germany, the small group in 33 school, and my current shop. I've thought about the ones that were there through a lot of the insanity of growing up and how as much as we changed, we all seemed to stay the same. I thought about how many people just simply disappeared due to moves or just simply differences. I smile when I think about the crazy things we did just simply to pass the time, and seem to daze whenever the thought of what caused that person to fade away comes up. Then I thought about something much more important; I thought about the one person who has been there through more of it than anyone. I thought about what is going on now and how I put a lot of things as an excuse to do what I wanted to do. How I spent time discussing a possible upcoming move and placing what I wanted as priority. It's always funny how you do things and say things because of your subconscious. I want to stay in Georgia for several reasons, most of them selfish, but my wife wants to go back to Germany. When the moment of truth came, and the magic question was asked; I simply answered Germany. No options other than that, no desired assignment outside of that country; beer and bratwurst or broken tv. I said all that to say this; through all the good and bad times for as much of that time as I care to remember one person has been there. One person who stood by me when I did and said incredibly stupid things, someone who was and is my dearest friend and as such has always pretended to be happy or interested in whatever I had to say regardless of how she really felt; and for that and so much more I count myself blessed beyond anything I could expect or deserve. Most people will tell you to never date your friends; I will tell you to marry your best friend. It is a decision that you will never regret.

Those Who Do Not Learn History...

2011-03-12T19:57:00.000-08:00

I thought about writing of my day wandering around Ramadi, however, it really is very uninteresting (this camp is only so big and devoid of interesting sights); and my mind is actually fixed on other things. The topic that has been discussed at length in the shop since the superbowl has been the possible (and now occurring) NFL lockout. I am a far bigger Baseball fan than a professional football fan, so the loss of an NFL season would not bother me at all. I do enjoy NFL games, but they just aren't as big a deal in my house as Baseball is. I remember the 1994 strike very well, and am constantly reminded by my dad of the grudge he still holds because of it. I actually had hope for a little while that the NFL players and owners would somehow remember the backlash from the fans following the 1994 strike. It seems, however, that they are simply looking at the NHL and how it has recovered following it's lost season, but the NHL had to completely revamp its league, rules, and how it operates overall. My hope that people with more talent and money than most would also have a memory was lost this week when the NFLPA decided their course of action. They made it clear that this is entirely about money and greed, and at a time when most people are just trying to keep a roof over their heads; millionaires wanting $20 million instead of $18 million because they are afraid that they won't be able to retire is ridiculous. I don't claim to know every gripe the players have, nor do I care. I am looking at this from the point of view that many of us make due with what we have, that right now most of the people I talk to are thousands of miles away from their loved ones, and that people who have everything want more. You are entertainers plain and simple, and if you do not provide the product then people will seek entertainment elsewhere. The league won't simply die because of this strike, but depending on the length of the lockout you may find more empty seats than can support those outlandish paychecks when you decide to go out and do your "job".

Raise Your Glass...

2011-03-11T12:57:00.000-08:00

Another Friday, another steak, and another cigar. We try to end each week on a little of a high note around here, so we usually get together to grill up some steaks, share some jokes, and smoke a cigar. Nothing too unique or special about it until you consider that we are doing this in Ramadi, Iraq. I am definitely ready to do this when we are able to sit on the porch and enjoy our after dinner cigars with a beer, Admiral Mike Mullen (Arnold Palmer w/ vodka), or Jack and Coke. It is usually a good time had by all (even sans beverage), just sucks knowing at the end of it that there is another 7 days until we do it again.

This was of course the interesting part of the day, however, there were also things to be done on the interwebs. I was introduced to TheFutureShock.com and had to check in on the hitler punching . I still don't fully understand your blog Booky, but good to know you haven't changed through it all. If you have never read The Future Shock; I highly recommend it. As you read this amazing story, think of how you would react; would you have done the same thing? I can honestly say I wouldn't, but would have loved to have seen it unfold. These are the people who need to be in Hollywood writing amazing and imaginative shows and movies to entertain the rest of us.

Days until Opening Day 2011: 19 GO SOX!!!

10 types of people...

2011-03-11T12:05:00.000-08:00

I guess that I should start this with a little introduction and explanation just in case someone I don't know stumbles across this while looking for something interesting. This blog isn't all about zombies and how to kill them or any survival tactics in the event of a zombie apocalypse, though I'm sure it will contain instances. The title is simply acknowledgement to one of the greatest group of individuals who I have had the pleasure of being acquainted with. The 33 reference will be understood by those who need to understand it, so I won't go into that. All anyone needs to know about me, if they don't know already, will be in my profile. I intend to use this blog just so simply make note of anything I find interesting on any given day, complain about stupidity I have to deal with, talk about a good cigar, or just ramble about nothing. That's all there is to it, so enjoy...