My grades came back and I passed my English midterm!!!
The actual grade doesn't matter so much as the fact that I passed. I was somewhat sure I would, but you never know. The reason I was worried is that it composed 40 percent of my grade for this class and only consisted of one question. To further my anxiety, the question they asked related only vaguely to what we've studied in the class so I had to guess at what they were looking for in an answer.

In an unrelated topic, have any of you read The Great Gatsby? If so, do you think that he did or did not personify rugged individualism, or that he tried at it and failed?

Had an interesting day yesterday, one of the bases I work at held an Easter Egg hunt for residents of the town it's located in. The day was pretty nice, so a lot of people turned out for it, we'll have another one today that is strictly for the families living on base. I have to say I am a bit puzzled as to why they didn't host them together as it would have been a great opportunity for some intercultural relations. In the end, I suppose it came down to a limited space available for the event or something else along those lines.

It was a long day for me. About halfway through it, something tragic happened. It occurred in a town a bit north of my home town and all I could think of was that I knew a person who worked there and probably knew a lot more who were going to be affected by it.
I live in Japan and so am not as plugged into the community as I once was, never the less my heart and prayers go out to the whole area as this will undoubtedly have a powerful affect on everyone on Northern Minnesota. If you pray, please remember these people.

-Ace

Well, I've officially posted my truck for sale.
Things are looking pretty promising too, already a couple of people who know me have noticed the signs on the car and asked about it.
I'm only asking 1200 for it, but that's because it's registration is running out toward the middle of this year and it costs around 300 bucks to renew.

Lots of homework lately and haven't really been able to do too much online. I have a major exam behind me now, and all I have left is a month or so of my online classes and I'm freeeeeeee! Until I register for more classes that is.

At any rate life is good.
Ace

I'm working at a base tonight that is supposedly haunted. I say supposedly because I don't think it is, but everyone else swears they know someone who's seen a ghost. I've got to admit that a lot of odd things happen here and more than a few people have reported seeing headless bodies in thier rear-view mirrors. Still, I can't help but feel skeptical.

To make a short story long, I was double dog dared to go out to this back gate and walk through the haunted wooded area (about 3/4 of a mile) in the dark on my own. They wanted me to sing the words "Here Ghostie Ghostie Ghostie, All you Ghosties can suck my !@#!!" as well, but to be honest I would have felt more than a littl e foolish doing that.

So, I guess if I never post again you'll know that there really are Ghosts in Japan, and that I'm probably dead, but I'm sure that it'll all work out for the best.

  If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or clanging cymbal.
  If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all the mysteries and all the knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to move mountains, but do not have love I am nothing.
  And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love it profits me nothing.

    -Paul


  Paul is talking here about so much more than physical love. He's talking about adding the compassionate, unconditional forgiveness type of love as a motivating factor to actions in our daily lives.

  I know it all sounds altruistic and boyscoutish, and I'm not saying I've done a whole lot of this myself, what I am saying is that maybe I should be.

I was working tonight when YN1 (my departments yeoman) came through the gate and I bent her ear for a second. As it turns out, when I'm scheduled to leave Japan for good and when they want to fly me out are two different dates. Rather than scheduling me to fly out later than my rotation date, which is what they want me to do, I asked her if there was any reason I couldn't fly out earlier.
To make a short story long, she asked me to pick a date and said she'd make it happen! I know I shouldn't count on anything until I have the travel papers in my hot little hands but still I can't help but smile.

Yet again, the Man With The Plan's got my back.