I've Got (Almost) Nothing Today

View of the eastern sky as the sun sets...

...from the front door!

I was in a hurry when I bought this -- all I saw was "mixed nuts".

There's like 8 almonds, 3 cashews, a pecan and half a brazil nut in there.

Deployment Day. I Look Like the Unabomber.

This morning, Chris (and, therefore, I) had to be at Base at 6:00a. It was cold out! And the sunrise was really pretty. You'll have to take my word for it -- my camera was still sleeping.

After Chris went to the armory to be issued his weapons and then staged his gear to be loaded onto a truck, we waited until around 10:00a, when the buses arrived -- not to drive the Marines to Afghanistan, but to an airstrip (flying is faster). 

Some of Chris's gear. Each Marine was issued weapons this morning, including this rifle (an M16, I think?), a pistol and a knife. They also got night vision goggles, and probably some other things that I don't know about.

It was sort of difficult seeing the wives, children, girlfriends, mothers, fathers, siblings and friends of all of these men having to say goodbye. And it was not the easiest thing for me to say goodbye either. I understand that I don't understand what it is like to be part of a military family. But it really does appear to take a lot of strength.

The wife of one Marine I was talking to said, "Whenever the buses come, my stomach just drops". But then she also said that, when the deployment is over and the buses come back, she does this:

This is obviously not her (we weren't at the beach). It's just that I didn't take a picture of her doing it and I want you to understand.

What follows is a series of attempts to take a good photograph of me and Chris:

I was confused at first, too. But (clearly) he's doing "The Twist" back there.

Yay.

Today's Theme Appears To Be "Walls"

I was bored waiting for Chris to get his hair cut. 

He is deploying to Afghanistan tomorrow (February 27th -- which is probably today for most of you reading this).

Omigosh a cow! And a man sleeping on scaffolding! And a really big note! 

No, it's just a mural. Twentynine Palms is called "An Oasis of Murals", I recently learned.

Even those tan-colored "parts" of the building (that look like they're jutting out and casting shadows) are just painted. 

Pretty cool, huh?

They Mean Here When They Say "The Mouth of Hell"

They say Joshua trees only grow in two places: the gates of heaven and the mouth of hell. 

I just think they (the trees) are funny looking. An especially tall specimen.

Oh my glob, what the stuff?! Gifts from home! Thanks, James!! <3

This "Gold Medal Award" winning beer isn't very good.

Really pretty sunset clouds.

Lazy Sunday

Do you think you'd get a ticket for parking next to it?

Snowy mountaintop.

When you come visit, we will definitely eat at the Crossroads Cafe. It's in Joshua Tree.
This wasn't the best breakfast I've had here, but it was good -- eggs with homemade corned beef hash.

Beginnings of a Desert Garden? And a Crappy Picture of the Moon.

I planted rosemary today. Fingers crossed!

My attempt at photographing the moon through a scope. Sorry -- I will try harder next time.

Beauty, Birds, Base and . . . . . . Bavocados?

"Each thing in its way, when true to its own character, is equally beautiful." - Edward Abbey, Desert Solitaire 

[If you want to read the book (you should!) -- it's at home in my room somewhere -- you (whoever you are) may borrow it]

A bird's nest in the tree in the backyard! 

I noticed this while sitting in the backyard reading Death by Black Hole by my hero, American astrophysicist, Neil deGrasse Tyson [Read this book, too!]. Edward Abbey (quoted above) claims that he would rather talk to birds than to aliens. 

Birds are cool, but I think I'm with Neil on this one. Sorry, Ed.

All those buildings in the far distance are part of the Marine Corps Base here (that's where Chris works). There were lots of explosion sounds coming from there today.

What what what!?!? Fifty cents?! I know my dad doesn't believe it.

View From the Backyard and Some Coffee Talk...

"I envy people who can just look at a sunset. I wonder how you can shoot it. There is nothing more grotesque to me than a vacation."

- Dustin Hoffman (who has apparently not made the acquaintance of his own ego)

Also, just as an aside, drinking out of things that are angular is sort of difficult.

I Think I May Have Brought Some Weather With Me

 Today is a very cloudy, cold and windy day.

 It is apparently very rare for it to look like this here. It even rained last night!

It's really cold! I built a fire and it is helping. I'm definitely going to be investing in more firewood!

My birthday beer (one of two -- thanks, Dad!). I took the bottles home because they were so cool.

Leaving on a Jet Plane

The only photo I took in New York. It’s a Charles Fazzino airplane statue. 

I’m not normally a fan of his stuff, but this was pretty cool.

My flight was delayed two hours due to “weather” in San Francisco (it was raining…big surprise). I am not the most seasoned of travelers, but I don't think people often use the words “luckily”, “flight” and “delayed” in the same sentence (unless they are also using the word "not" in front of "delayed"). Luckily, my flight to Palm Springs was also delayed. And so, after running around San Francisco Airport for a half hour thanks to the misdirection* of three out of four airline/airport employees, I made my flight.

*Example:

Me: “Can you tell me where Alaska Airlines is?”
Old Lady at Information Desk: “I think it’s that way. But I’m not sure -- I just started my shift.” [As if the airlines change their locations at the airport daily] ”Jim, do you know where Alaska Airlines is?”
Jim: [silence]
Old Lady: “Go over there, I think.” [Alaska Airlines was not over there]

My Bon Voyage Party at JFK (thanks for sending the pictures, Mom!): 

L to R: Mom, me | Pam, Me, James