It looks like my last voice entry was on the 18th of January. So let’s see, today is the 25th of February… it’s now about 1.25 months after my last posting. What has happened since then…

I’ve been promoted. Last time I was a green rope, which was the lowest rank of airman leader. Out of three ranks, I’m now number 2, the yellow rope. That’s supposedly a big accomplishment, but I don’t feel like anything has changed for me. I still treat people the way they deserve to be treated, with respect (I hope) unless I personally feel they deserve otherwise.

But that’s pretty minor stuff, really. It’s like instead of the class treasurer rank of office I held last month, now I’m something like a vice president, if we can compare the rope system to high school politics. I’m just getting involved this time around and paying back the slack time that I got in college. What’s more important than this stuff, I feel, is the fact that I got the first of two classes finally out of the way: Electronic Principles. It was alot of crap that I had to “learn”, which most of it I already covered in school during the process of getting my BS in comp sci & engineering. I ended the course with a pretty high average, about a 97.3 or 98 percent average, depending on if my teacher during my last test gave me a question that got marked wrong but I contested. Either way I’d have to say I deserve what I got. On one hand I didn’t study for any of the tests I took for this class, and that’s why I don’t have 100% because once again I slacked off. But on the other hand I did study for the tests when I first learned this stuff, so one could say I already paid my dues years ago and that’s why I don’t have a lower score than 97.3%. So either way, things worked out like they were supposed to, as they always do.

I’ve been doing alot of praying lately for guidance by the Lord. I need to start reading the bible on my dorm room floor… I seek the wisdom buried in the pages of the Holy Bible. I need to work on maintaining my connection to the Lord indefinitely… Oh, did I mention, I’m taking catholic confirmation classes now, here on base. I’m pretty proud of myself, pretty happy that God gave me the willpower to not just talk the talk this time, but actually walk the walk of becoming a true catholic, among other things regarding doing as I say. I started a few weeks ago, probably around the middle of January, and I have to admin I’ve been learning alot in class. The Lord is pretty awesome, and the fact that he’s always talking to me and showing me things was a pretty awesome epiphany.

I miss my family and friends. I don’t get to talk to my family as often as I’d like, because I don’t carry my cell phone while on duty, nor do I carry it everywhere I go when I’m off duty. Also when I’m off duty I’m usually inside buildings using the computer, such as I am now, and my phone gets little to no reception within the confines of the dormitory. But regardless, I do miss them, and within the past few days and weeks I’ve begun missing home and the places I used to live as a civilian. I miss Santa Monica the most. Living with Rondi and next to the beach was perhaps not the most glorious part of my life to this point, nor was it the point I was most proud of, but as far as having absolute freedom and doing what I wanted to do, that was it. It was like God had given me a flat salt plain for me to drive my brand spankin’ new souped-up Mercedes Benz around in, as fast as I wanted to and as far as I wanted to go, and I could do with the car and the plain whatever I pleased, just like in those sports car commercials. But God knew I’d figure it out… you can only do so much stunt driving on a salt plain before you get bored of stunt driving on salt plains and want to move on to bigger and better things, like stunt driving on a winding road, or perhaps something totally different like writing poetry or eating cheese. Anyway, before I get off track I just wanted to emphasize that I miss my family and friends, and that if anyone wanted to send me a letter that they can leave mail at my mailbox address, which is:

A1C Olaes Thomas J
140 Phantom St., Box #13463
Keesler AFB, MS 39534

I miss you guys, and I wish I could hear about what’s going on in your lives, the ups and downs, ins and outs of the old home, my old home.

I’ve been considering getting a digital camera within recent days. I’m afraid that if I don’t start snapping pictures now, by the time I finish up my military career and my grandchildren ask me what it was like in the Air Force at some point in the future, I won’t have anything to say to them because I will have already forgotten all that had happened to me in my youth.

Man, so much I want to say, but I can’t form the words to say everything that’s going on in my mind. I’ve been praying alot lately to God to keep me humble and remind me every day to stay humble and meek. I need to develop my confidence, so said my MTLs, and I feel that I would agree with them on that issue.

Well, Lord help me, I just want people to get along and not fight with each other. I just want people to followw the rules, no matter how stupid that might seem.

Now I’m tired, so good night.

-TJ