Been a while - again.....

I noticed by looking at Dee's "My Blog List" that it has been 7 MONTHS since I last updated this blog. Maria and I have been busy at work. Maria at her job at the Child Development Center and me going out/back onboard mighty USS BLUE RIDGE! Maria and I have an update to our Full-Timing date - 1 September 2017. That will be 30 years and 27 days active duty U.S. Naval service for me. It also represents my FULL-RETIREMENT from active duty. So the checklist has started for our must-do's: (1) Buy the Fifth Wheel: Thor Redwood 36RE (http://www.suttonrv.com/2013-redwood-residential-vehicles-redwood-36re-new-fifth-wheel-or-i596776). (2) Buy the Truck: Silverado 3500HD LTZ, DRW, 4X4 (http://www.vernonautogroup.com/web/new/Chevrolet-Silverado-3500HD-DRW-2013-Vernon-Texas/1210842/?condition_id=10425). (3) Get rid of all our STUFF! One good thing about not going FT until 2017 is we will have plenty of time to get rid of all our "stuff" and live in our RV for 4-years prior to FTing. Maria and I are glad we decided to sell our house prior to moving to Japan - wise decision on many levels. We still have so much stuff that one would only keep if they had a stix/brix and we need to go through all that, but, we are 100% dedicated to have everything all in one-sock and prepared to throw off the bowlines and get underway in 2017! Next assignment: I'm waiting on my Detailer (Placement Officer) to complete my orders for my next assignment; once that is done, I will put the truck and fifth wheel on order. That may take a few more months before it's completed. Safe travels!

Rest Easy......I've Got the Watch!

I said good bye to Maria early this morning and the USS BLUE RIDGE set sail on yet another Patrol of the U.S. SEVENTH Fleet Area of Responsibility (AOR). We will hit some very cool foreign ports and a few I haven't been to.

I won't be home for many weeks and both of us are growing tired of the separation - but Service to Country and the Needs of the Navy are what it's about right now. Well...until my retirement NEXT APRIL! 361 DAYS LEFT!

Maria will stay busy by working, volunteering in the military community and her EXTREME couponing habit! YES --- she saves us HUNDREDS of dollars a month. I'm at awe how she does it. She has her method and it's amazing!

So my friends and family.....Rest Easy, I've Got the Watch tonight.

Back in the Blogging Game!!!

Back! I've talked with some of you in emails, Facebook or chat; so everyone knows the plan. Fulltime RV next April and change our course on "service to country" by Fulltime Volunteering within the National Park Service, Corps of Engineers, State and County Parks and maybe Bureau of Land Management and Fish and Wildlife Agency.

I've served 25 years as an Active Duty Sailor and Maria has served as a spouse (the ABSOLUTE HARDEST job in the Navy!!) and served as a Early Childhood Development Teacher for military children for the last 17 years!

We have served to protect this great country and now we want to serve in a different way. Another adventure to conquer!!

We are very excited about this and hope you all will enjoy following our mission to serve and travels.

For all those FULLTIMERS on the road now.....save us some tar!

364 days left!!