Rounding the corner

We are fast approaching that part of the deployment when you feel you are getting closer to home.

Yesterday when I was typing, I received an invitation to a surprise birthday party for our commander in chief. It was in the gym of the high school across the street. I head on over since I am looking for something to do. We all sit on the bleacher and she is certainly surprised when she arrives. The Northern Lights dancers are there to perform. I am thrilled to see them again. I have my small camera this time so I videotaped several dances. At the end, they do the invitational dance and I get out on the gym floor and learn an Eskimo dance. There is also video evidence of me doing this.

Some of the travelling folks have made it back. One of the Guard guys is back in the armory. I made some friends those first couple of days and I try to look out for the other Guard since there are so few of us. The weather is warm and I switch to a jacket. No more parka for me. We have a nice time and three of us go to do laundry. At the end of dinner, I get him to walk back with me to the hotel. Susan, one of the nurses, is a musher. She has promised to bring her dogsled team over to the hotel to show and give rides. We get there shortly after 2000 and she is there by 2015. There is a small crowd of us waiting for her as word has gotten around. We stand on the ice of the bay as she goes out a short ways and back. Finally it is my turn. I take pictures of the dogs and get a picture of me in the sled. Then we are off. The ride starts with a jerk as she turns the dogs loose. They are so anxious to run. I have my good camera with me and I shoot a few pictures. I am definitely going to blow up one of those for my clinic room wall. I thank her for doing it and she won't take any money. Folks up here are so happy to share traditions with visitors. If you show an interest, they will be a great host.

I try to go to sleep at a decent time. After all I have to go to work in the morning. Despite my best efforts it is still after midnight before I fall asleep. Thankfully there is a Cardinals game on tv.

This morning we discovered that our shuttle to meals has been discontinued. A little late, we take off walking. Food choices are starting to slim down. Eating is going to get real interesting the last couple of days. Add in the travelling teams returning and there won't be much left besides MREs. Glad I packed beef jerky and almond joy.

Clinic gets started and I get a tap on my shoulder. My ANG colonel is standing behind me. He asks what my afternoon looks like. I never know what the schedule will be since it is all walk in. Could I make time for a blackhawk ride? Yes! Clinic time is plenty busy. It is time to leave before I know it. My captain gets to go too. Makes me happy since I would feel guilty after all the hard work he has put in. We get a ride to the hangar and wait for the chopper to come in. We load up and we are off. We fly low enough for a nice view. There are mountains in the horizon and a large body of frozen water under us. The window is splattered with mud so I snap a ton of pics hoping that they will not all have brown spots. It is beautiful. We are so lucky that the army Guard was performing a training run.

The clinic is busting at the seams when we get back but it was worth it. We work until 1815. I'm sitting in the armory after dinner. The food choices are even thinner. It's been a good day. How can you top the last 24 hours?