The Adventure Continues

It has been a worthwhile time at home and the Bay Area. Some good, some bad, but overall it has been wonderful to be home near all the things I grew up with. Now after a long two-year wait, I finally get to attend Health Services Technician “A” School. I have been working with the Independent Duty Health Services Technician at the Air Station, but it will be nice to finally earn those crows and officially do the work. It has been a very helpful experience to work with HS1 Capra.

Other than work I have kept myself as active as possible considering I blew out my shoulder. Now let me clear the air on that. Remember to include all the words, otherwise the whole truth is not told. I was doing an “Epic Flying Kick Ninja Role,” I know it sounds to awesome to visualize. The landing did not go so well, I ended up sustaining a fifth degree AC Joint separation. Long Story short I had to have surgery to repair my damaged shoulder followed by a four-month recovery process of light duty and physical therapy. Fortunately it was repairable and I am now fully functional once again.

Before that I was very active and having more fun than I have ever had in this area; Trampoline Dodge Ball, Tiki Lounges, Hiking, Running and of course the beautiful city of San Francisco. I have met a wonderful group of people along with someone very special in the process. I have been taking Jeff out regularly, my friends since second grade. He is now in a group home and does not get out much to just have a good time. He is fearless on the dance floor, a regular chick magnet. He definitely has some work when it comes to Go Carts, but that will happen in time. He has come a long way and I hope to do anything I can to help him. This will be a little more difficult with “A” School, but I can still help out a little.





It was nice to be home for the Family Pinecrest Trip. There were 21 people including the guests of the family. Both Amy and Rob enjoyed the trip and did well meeting the family. The dogs loved the water as usual and weather was spectacular. Time moves at a different rate there. Even three days feel like a long relaxing vacation. There is no pressure to do anything, yet so much available. I sailed the Hobie Cat with Amy, Hiked to Cleo’s Bath and saw the wildflowers. I took some nice macro shots that turned out quite nice.




Now I embark on the next stage of my Coast Guard Adventure. It may not be in the wilds of Alaska, but it is a gateway to many more opportunities. The training will be in Petaluma for four months. I have heard that it is fairly intense, I shall have to see when I get there. I look forward to the challenge.

Living Life to the Fullest

The last few months have been a blur. At least it feels like that. I have been busy with work and play taking every opportunity to enjoy life. The work at the Air Station has gone well. I am working in the Medical Office and learning about the rate I will soon be practicing within the Coast Guard. I joined Events and Adventures and developed some incredible friendships though that. Last night I attended the Pop Rock performance at The Red Devil Lounge and I even performed on stage. I played a small part in getting the party going.

Other than losing a family friend, life has been great. It is wonderful to be home with family and just enjoy life. I get to see the dogs everyday and see the family. I don’t know where I will be in the next year, but the time I have at home is priceless. I feel grateful for every moment I have with them.

The group has been a great outlet for me to just go out and not worry about a group. I don’t really have a problem being shy, as most of my peers know, but I prefer to be with friends at social gathering if possible. I may have a little to much fun at times if that is even possible, but I do try to watch out for those around me.

The bottom line is that life incredible. I don’t know what will happen in the next moment, but I can enjoy the moment I am in. If we are willing to take those risks in life, we will have the opportunity to experience life’s most precious moments.

As many of you have seen from the facebook posts of my current activities. For those that have not seen those below are a few of the posted photographs … They may not have much to do with the Coast Guard, but they are part of life’s adventure.

A Memorial to Celebrate Life

Life is going to be what it is, no matter what we do. It will bring us joy, pain, adventures and challenges. The only thing we can do is learn from the experiences that occur in our life. You never know who will teach you that lesson or how it will be taught. The beautiful thing is we have the opportunity to live.

I just had the honor to attend a memorial for a family friend. In his short life of 27 years he managed to touch the lives of all around him. The memories were countless and the turnout of people was incredible. I saw friends I had not seen since high school and although we came together for a tragic event, we came together to celebrate a wonderful life.

It was clear to see that the life’s wealth comes from the friends and family people have. Even in the worst of times, we can be overwhelmed by the outpour of support and love. It was an unfortunate reminder to live life to the fullest and enjoy every moment. You can never know what tomorrow brings, or what you will face.

I cannot convey the sense of reverence for the family and friends I am blessed with. We never know the effect we have on an individual’s life. The smallest action on our part may be the inspiration someone needs. Even when we feel helpless to help, the offer means that someone is not alone in their unfortunate situation. We may not understand their pain, but we can do a little to help.

It may be that we lose the physical part of a friend or family member, but with that we appreciate and remember the memories of them. They will live on in our hearts and we can honor them in how we life our life. In that respect they will live on. In that respect they still have a positive effect on our life.

A Quiet New Years at Home

A quiet new years with the family and the dogs. What more can a guy ask for? The next day was followed by a potluck at a family friends house. In addition I have enjoyed the theatrical wonders of the area. I can honestly say it is a little different than isolated Alaska.

Work is still going well. It has been a lot of work getting medical to were HS1 Capra wants it to be, but the work is finally showing. It is good experience and I am thankful for the opportunity. We are on a normal work routine again and the fog is absolutely incredible. Some may say it is horrible weather because it is not good for flying, but I think it is beautiful weather. Especially as it burns off and reveals the blue sky above.

The potluck went well. It was a good group of people at the Fox Trotter Ranch. I set the record for the ski jump on the Wii. Three hundred and eleven yards, no one else came close. It is probably the only game I was any good at, but I won, so that is all that matters.

Later that week I saw “Wicked” in the city. It was an incredible show. The Staging, the acting it was absolutely stunning. I have not seen many plays in my life, but this was well worth the money. It was a very interesting twist on the “Wizard of Oz,” very well written and asked some very pressing questions about human behavior.

Last but not least I saw the film “Avatar” in Imax 3D. The graphics are incredible, fully rendered in 3D. The story is nothing original or revolutionary, but it is a great film nonetheless. I saw it twice with two groups and will probably see it again with someone else. It is well worth seeing.

But I doubt you came on to hear about a film and a Broadway show. Life is great overall. I am with the family. I am very content. I did see one thing that did not appear in Alaska. Even in the bay area, there are wildlife sightings. A Golden Eagle perched on the stations gate and was kind enough to let me get some photographs. As you can see, it was a very beautiful animal.



No matter where you are, life is full of opportunities and adventure.