Germany Day IX

Again, actually had work to do. The router configs for th unit came in but they were fragged. The PM CP FSR and I worked on them for a few hours and were gaining ground when suddenly the exercise was over. Oh well...

Came back to the hotel, had a few free beers and retired to the room where I sit uploading pictures and writing this.

It figures that my last day in Germany we had perfect weather, finally. Blue skies and cool temps. And I had to spend the entire day in a motor pool, working. It is what it is.

New pics at: http://www.jpgmag.com/people/waltsobchek

Psalm 1:1-2

Germany Day VIII

I actually got to do part of my job today. I trained a few of the troops on how to use ISYSCON.

After work I rushed back to the castle here in Heidelberg to get some pics at sunset and night. Wow. The sky was incredible (pics later).

However there are some more pics uploaded from my weekend trip: http://www.jpgmag.com/people/waltsobchek

 John 17:17

Oh, and there is a cool video here: http://wethepeople09171787.blogspot.com/2009/11/steven-goes-to-gitmo.html

Germany Day VII

Still a zombie. Needless to say I didn't make it downtown tonight. Went to bed at 0030 and woke up at 0430... Yippee!

However I have uploaded more pics: http://www.jpgmag.com/people/waltsobchek

Psalm 119:105

Germany Day VI

Not a lot to report today, other than it has rained all day.

Since we don't get out of the exercise until 1700 and sometimes later, it's already dark by the time I get back to the hotel. Can't do a lot of site-seeing in the dark.

That being said, I may head downtown tomorrow night and try and get some night shots of the city, we'll see. Depends on if I get any sleep tonight. Right now, I'm a zombie.

Psalm 119:18

Germany Day V

Drove to Mannheim this morning. Very cool place. I had only been here once before to drop off a prisoner. It was nice to see the city for what is is.

When went to the Jesuit Church and took a lot of pictures.

After that we went to the Mannheim Univerisity. Wow. Very impressive. Following that we stopped at McD's and I ordered a "Royal with Cheese."

We went back to Heidelberg and went to Schloss Heidelberg; very impressive. It was built in the 13th century. Parts of it are worn down but they are currently rebuilding it.

Here are some pics:

The Jesuit Church:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Schloss Heidelberg:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Give me a day or two and you can find more here: http://jpgmag.com/people/waltsobchek

Psalm 119:143

Germany Day IV

"... And yellow and green when it's time to get ill."

Woke up around 1100hrs or so, knocked on Greg's door and we were off. We were off to visit Frankenstein's Castle. Yes, the REAL Frankenstein's Castle.

I only wish we would have been here a week earlier. The castle hosts the biggest Halloween event in Germany. http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/travel/2008321733_webfrankenstein28.html

They were tearing down the remnants of the big party when we got there. I really hate my lack of timing... Dang it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SpMuLLPIFU

Afterwards we drove to Mainz (where the 317th Infantry Regiment crossed the Rhine) and then headed to Wiesbaden. It started to rain on the way back to Heidelberg. And not just a little rain... It was coming down in buckets.

Got back to the hotel, had supper, moved to the Executive Lounge (I'll explain later) had a few and then retired to my room which is where I sit now, typing this blog.

Time for bed...

Here's a picture of Castle Frankenstein, for more go here: http://www.jpgmag.com/people/waltsobchek

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1 Peter 3:18

Germany Day III

Today I got my system up and running. There were a few glitches however, but I prevailed.

After work we returned to the hotel. I am fortunate enough to be on the "Executive Level" here at the Marriott. What that means is I get breakfast and supper for free if I go to the "Executive Lounge." Well, guess what? Exactly.

So, "R" from the company "M" and "G" from the company "S" are there when I arrive. We eat and have a few drinks before "R" retires for the night. "G" and I have a wonderful conversation about varied topics until the subject of Religion comes up.

At that point our conversation becomes something wondrous. You see, "G" is a doubtful Christian. I, on the other hand am/try to be a faithful Christian. The conversation was amicable and thoughtful. I came away from it with a more positive feeling of my place in this world and I hope/feel that he came away with a more positive Christian attitude.

It's too complicated to go over in a blog but I truly believe I may have made a difference.

Of course, I'm twice his size and am more able to deal with 4 glasses of wine and a 6 pack of beer than most but... I digress.

Seriously though, I honestly think I helped him rethink some of his beliefs. If so, then I have performed my duty here in Germany.

After all, it wasn't ESP who sent me over here...

1 Peter 2:15-16

 

Germany Day II

Woke up and drove to Mannheim. Needless to say the directions I downloaded from the internet were no where NEAR where I was suppose to be. So, I figured since Coleman Barracks is also an Army Airfield that it might be near the Flughaven (airport). Wrong! About that time my contact called and asked where I was to which my answer was, "I have no friggin' idea." SO he tells me to punch in an address into my Nav system and lo and behold 35 minutes later I was on post.

I forgot what it was like to be doing 110mph and get passed by angry Germans who zip by you like you're doing 70mph backwards. Tomorrow I'm taking my Mercedes up to 130mph. Weeeeeee...

I arrived at the motor pool (all German motor pools smell the same and it's been 15 years since I smelled one) only to find, not a lot going on. Soldiers were scurrying hither and yon but there wasn't a lot of work getting done. I asked when we could break out my system and was told, "After lunch." Ok.

Went to lunch. Do you have any idea how hard it is to eat anything in this country that doesn't contain pork?!? So, I ordered a Chicken Cordon Bleu Sandwich. I was just about to bite into it when I suddenly asked myself, "Hey, isn't there ham inside this?" So, I cut it open and there before my eyes was a tiny slice of ham. Once the ham was excised from said sandwich, I happily ate the rest along with my Pommes Frites.

Returning to the motor pool we found that no a lot had changed since we left. Within an hour or so, the Garrison Commander ordered everyone to go home for Fall Cleanup. Someone's priorities are sorely misplaced. So, it appears as though I'll get to work tomorrow morning... Maybe.

Two words to describe this unit; Clue. Less.

Colossians 1:9

 

Germany Day I

Left DFW around 1445hrs (Sierra) and arrived around 0630hrs (Alpha). Did I sleep? Uh, no.

Watched two movies on the trip over; GI Joe and Harry Potter VI.

GI Joe: It wasn't horrible but, it wasn't good either. Dennis Quaid seemed to be trying TOO hard. The rest of the cast was so-so. Too much focus was on Duke and not enough on Snake-Eyes and as we (Joe readers) all know, Snake-Eyes IS GI Joe. I also was trying to figure out why Duke, who is a First Sergeant, was a Captain. Not only a Captain, but a Captain wearing a Major's gold leaf!! They seriously altered Snake-Eyes' origin... and not for the better. Lame, very lame.

Harry Potter VI: It was good. I like the fact that the bad guys are moving into the real world. It was only a matter of time before us Muggles would be affected by a magical war of good vs evil. It's also interesting to watch the romance between Hermioni and Ron as well as the one between Harry and Ginny. I'm looking forward to seeing the next movie(s). And yes Tab, I know I need to read them.

Got to the hotel and went to sleep. No, check that... Tried to sleep. I'm exhausted and for whatever reason, cannot sleep except in and out for about 7 hours. Finally said, "Screw it" and got up. I had a steak downstairs and then drove around a bit before deciding that driving around in the dark in an unfamiliar city wasn't such a good idea. Came back walked around a bit and took a few night photos.

Now here I sit; bored out of my skull because I forgot to bring any movies to watch and the only thing in English on tv here in the hotel is CNN... Blechh.

1 John 2:15-16

Yeah, yeah... it's been a while.

Well I finally uploaded a few pics from my Wisconsin and Colorado trips. Go here: http://www.jpgmag.com/people/waltsobchek

Luke 10:33

Wisconsin Death Trip Day III

Lake Michigan is freakin' big. How big? Check this out; I superimposed the lake into Texas.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

See what I mean? BIG! It's like looking into the Gulf of Mexico.

I also went to the Miller Brewing Company; cool tour.

At some point I'll update the main page with pics from here as well as Colorado.

Micah 6:8

Wisconsin Death Trip Day II

Woke up and went to work. These poor folks are jacked up like a soup-sandwich. I certainly hope they get their act together before deployment.

Went here after work today. The pic below is the inside of the chapel.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

John 8:36

 

Wisconsin Death Trip

Ok... I realize that most of you will not get the title. Call Michael and ask him to explain it to you.

I'm in Wisconsin. I flew in to Milwaukee this morning, caught a Brewers game this afternoon and drove all the way across the state to LaCrosse (yes, like the game).

East Wisconsin looks like East Texas. West Wisconsin looks like Bavaria. So, no pictures; because if you are reading this blog then a) you've been to one or both places or b) you've already seen pictures of both or c) both a and b.

That being said, I do have pictures of the game:

Miller Park- The haze isn't pollution. The parking lot was about 1/2 full two hours before the game and the tailgate parties were in full bloom. The haze is smoke from a few thousand tailgate grills.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hank Aaron.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Batting Practice.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DeRosa gets a hit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Albert Pujols.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Jeff Suppan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

http://wethepeople09171787.blogspot.com/

Deuteronomy 6:4-5

Make it rain...

New Laws Go Into Effect September 1st...
http://wethepeople09171787.blogspot.com/2009/08/for-my-fellow-texans.html

A Day at the Gun Range

We spent the afternoon at Weber's Gun Range today. My wife has officially impressed me; she can shoot... Well (I'll take credit as coach-extraordinaire). Once she's legal to pack it, bad guys better watch out. If she shoots like she did today when she goes to get her CHL, she'll shoot a perfect score. My XD-9 is freakin' awesome (and so is she).

 Ephesians 5:19-20

A Day at the Gun Range

We spent the afternoon at Weber's Gun Range today. My wife has officially impressed me; she can shoot... Well (I'll take credit as coach-extraordinaire). Once she's legal to pack it, bad guys better watch out. If she shoots like she did today when she goes to get her CHL, she'll shoot a perfect score. My XD-9 is freakin' awesome (and so is she).

 Ephesians 5:19-20

Golf Tournament Today

John, Mitch, Andrew and I shot a 62 at Stonetree today. We came in first and scored $50 each. Sweet! Plus, John (the man is a freak of nature) got longest drive (roughly 370yds +/-) and closest to the pin.

Luke 18:17 

This guy could be my brother...

http://wethepeople09171787.blogspot.com/

 

Mark 13:5-6 

USS Jason Dunham
Navy Christens New Guided Missile Destroyer Jason Dunham
Story Number: NNS090729-04
Release Date: 7/29/2009 5:36:00 AM

From Department of Defense
WASHINGTON (NNS) -- The Navy will christen the newest Arleigh Burke class guided-missile destroyer, Jason Dunham, Aug. 1, 2009, during a 10 a.m. EDT ceremony at Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine.

Designated DDG 109, the new destroyer honors Cpl. Jason L. Dunham, the first Marine awarded the Medal of Honor for Operation Iraqi Freedom. Dunham was born in Scio, N.Y., Nov. 10, 1981, sharing the same birthday as the U.S. Marine Corps.

On April 14, 2004, Dunham's squad was conducting a reconnaissance mission in Karabilah, Iraq, when his battalion commander's convoy was ambushed. When Dunham's squad approached to provide fire support, an Iraqi insurgent leapt out of a vehicle and attacked Dunham. As Dunham wrestled the insurgent to the ground, he noticed that the enemy fighter had a grenade in his hand and immediately alerted his fellow Marines. When the enemy dropped the live grenade, Dunham took off his Kevlar helmet, covered the grenade, and threw himself on top to smother the blast. In an ultimate selfless act of courage, in which he was mortally wounded, he saved the lives of two fellow Marines.

Retired Gen. Michael W. Hagee, former commandant of the U. S. Marine Corps, will deliver the ceremony's principal address. Debra Dunham will serve as sponsor of the ship named for her late son. In accordance with Navy tradition, she will break a bottle of champagne across the ship's bow and christen the ship.

Jason Dunham, the 59th Arleigh Burke class destroyer, will be able to conduct a variety of operations, from peacetime presence and crisis management to sea control and power projection. Jason Dunham will be capable of fighting air, surface and subsurface battles simultaneously and contains a myriad of offensive and defensive weapons designed to support maritime warfare in keeping with "A Cooperative Strategy for 21st Century Seapower," the new maritime strategy that postures the sea services to apply maritime power to protect U.S. vital interests in an increasingly interconnected and uncertain world.

Cmdr. M. Scott Sciretta, born in South Amboy, N.J., is the prospective commanding officer of the ship and will lead the crew of 276 officers and enlisted personnel. The 9,200-ton Jason Dunham is being built by Bath Iron Works, a General Dynamics company. The ship is 509 feet in length, has a waterline beam of 59 feet, and a navigational draft of 31 feet. Four gas turbine engines will power the ship to speeds in excess of 30 knots.