So it begins…

The phrase is a familiar one. Theoden, King of Rohan grumbled these words just before the Battle of Helm’s Deep. We have all seen them writ across the bottom of a meme bemoaning the drudgery of oncoming excess of christmas spirit…or whatever holiday that is overloaded with cheer is coming up on the calendar. This being my first post, I felt it a fitting title. What will follow will be a collection of experiences and other things that stick out as potentially worth sharing. While not as exciting as a battle with a massive army of Orcs, it should prove interesting at the very least.

For a long time I have considered doing this and refrained simply because, well, I really didn’t think anyone would read it. Who cares about me and my thoughts, ideas, opinions, and whatever else I may publish? Well, if you are reading this, welcome to a likely non-existent club of readers who care about someone they likely don’t know. If a future me is reading this back to myself, welcome back to the beginning, I hope this has been worth it.

A bit about me, simply because that’s how these things generally start. I am a veteran of the United STates Army. I served five years on active duty as a Cavalry Scout (MOS 19D). During that time I went through two tours in Iraq, one up north in Mosul and the northern expanse of the country where all this ISIS shit kicked off, and one down south on a tiny outpost near the thin line that splits one desert into two countries known as Iraq and Iran. I ETS’d from active duty in August 2010 and almost immediately went through a divorce from my wife of 6 years. Things got interesting for a while. I did the school thing a bit with the GI Bill, worked a few different jobs in the oilfield, served some time in the hell known as retail, got remarried to an amazing woman, had a kid…and now I’m here.

I have a great many interests, as is made apparent by my multitude of Pinterest boards which can be browsed here. I like to create worlds in my mind. I’ve attempted committing some of them to paper for others to enjoy, but I get really bad writer’s block, so those are slow to progress. I quit smoking the day my son was born, so when I get cravings I use my Vape mods. I’ve dabbled in the intricacies of “advanced vaping” and all that, but honestly, a good setup that I don’t have to rebuild or re-wick and all I have to do is fill up with juice and charge the batteries for is my preferred method. I am not a competitive vape person. I’m not a “cloud chaser”. I just do it because I don’t want to go back to a bad habit. I will smoke cigars. I love a good cigar and a glass of fine scotch. I’m not without my refinements, most of which were learned from observing the officers I served under while I was in the military. I love cars. Most of my car boards are jumbled ideas for dream projects, but I do have a couple in there that are legitimate projects. The 1979 Cobra Mustang, for example, is an upcoming project which will likely be featured on this blog.

This is the way I will chronicle my experiences as the Earth continues to revolve around the Sun. From adventures in fatherhood to fun and games playing with my many projects, this will be my long-form outlet. Tonight, however I need to get some sleep. It’s late, I’m supposed to be tired, and I have a long day ahead of me tomorrow.