is it just me, or is something going around??? i havent had a cold in years, especially in the Marine Corps. so why now? ive got the stuffy nose, sore throat, coughing and the whole nine. this sudafed crap isnt really working. i cant even go running anymore now because my chest hurts like a beotch.

well, as you all know ive already reenlisted for 4 more years of service. of course, my wife and sat down and discussed the issue in depthly, and agreed that i should go for it. lately the question has been though, will i do a full twenty and retire? and most likely, it looks that way. not because i feel like i dont have a choice, morely because i love the Corps. for those of you who i know are wondering...theres my answer. i know i have alot of friends out there wondering when im getting out and stuff...but i just wanted to address this here and now.  just letting you know, especially to the fam i grew up with, you know who you are.

sorry for the long period of disappearance. since leave ended and work started, ive been really busy. for those of you who still bother to check on the site, i apologize. but all is well with me. i know that youve been awaiting the baby pictures for a long time, sooo.....guess what? i have a myspace account, and i ve uploaded pictures of my daughter on that site. its www.myspace.com/cougar0311.

aside from that, its the same old stuff. living life and taking it day by day.

well, here i am again. i glad to finally be home. its been really hectic the past 2 weeks or so since ive been back. its ironic, because exactly the day after i came home, my wife went into labor. it was a pretty quick labor period, and on september 6th, at 3:30 pm, she gave birth to a beautiful [and hungry] baby girl. so guess what guys...im a daddy!!! yeah, its a great feeling, and i cant put a finger on how it feels to be a dad. its just...pride, a sense of accomplishment, and an embrace of a new and exciting responsibility. of course, being a young father isnt all that its expected to be. its hard and exhausting work. but luckily, i have a great and very supportive wife who is a much better mother than i am a dad.

its just good to be home again. and even while i still go to work everyday and put on my uniform, i feel like its a new beginning. and i thank God for everything. i live in a nice, 2 story town house in a quiet suburb, and pay bills, go to work, and spend time with my wife. you know what that is? its something you can never have when youre on the run because youre about to deploy again. its called normalcy, and my daughter and wife are worth any sacrifice i make as a Marine. ill miss being a grunt, but i love my family.

well, im currently @ Camp Virginia, Kuwait. just 48 hours until im outta here! im just glad im out of the biggest shithole in Iraq, Ar Ramadi. ironically, some part of me told me that i wasnt going to make it through this deployment, and something might happen. right now i just thank God, and my wife for helping me make it through. this, i can say, was probably the most dangerous and intense out of all the other tours ive done. im glad im not going to be going back out there for the next couple of years.

now...one more obstacle: customs inspection. what do you freakin mean i cant bring a tube of toothpaste??? yeah ok, theyre letting me bring along a personal K-Bar knife on the flight, yet no toothpaste.

Quote: "I can't cut a mans balls off with a pair of clippers now can I?" ~ John Mason [Sean Connery], The Rock