Today was a good day.  After a couple down days, today was a good pick me up.  I'm training my replacement and he seems to be picking it up so that is good.  He is from Rock Island Arsenal as well, so it is cool that we know the same people and can talk about home.  On top of that I have 8 days left then I am out! I can't wait, I need to get out of here.  I have a bunch of things planned for my return, so it will be great to see the fam and all my friends again.  On top of that, I have a date!  I guess the saying is true, when one door closes, another one opens...  I haven't been on an actual date in a long time.  Before I came over here I was kind of seeing someone, well, she called it "casual dating" but I wasn't really into that sort of thing.  Some women just don't know when they got a good one and they throw away a chance at happiness only to realize later on in life after dating nothing but losers what they had, I feel I can say that because I have had two past semi-relationships come back and tell me they really screwed up when they called it off between us... (Yes, for once in my life I am talking myself up, so just sit back and enjoy :) )  The one I was "casual dating" (lame) is just a friend now, I don't think I could every date her in the future because she was just a strange cat...  I did meet someone over here, and I think if we would have met a month later, or the setting were different and we met back in the states, we would probably still be together, but who knows.  I don't think I will ever know what really happened with that one...

So on I go...I open my email today and one of my friends, (who just happens to be my first kiss growing up) sends me an email and ask how things are going, she has seen me go through a couple rough relationships and has always been there to listen and talk to, well she was definately there for support this last time around and she has also been very supportive of me being over here, by sending cards, letters, and emails, well she sent me this cd with some of her tunes she listens too (even though half of the songs she had on there might have reminded me of two different ladies I have seen in the past...interesting...anyways) and after I listened to the songs and read the titles, I kind of  noticed a theme to all of them...and I thought to myself, "I think that Ali is trying to send me a message..." so in this latest email she asked me if I would like to go out to dinner with her when I got back.  Of course, I said yes, so we will see how it goes, I think it is good to be friends with someone before you date them, but you don't want to be too friendly and go into the "Friend Zone", that just sucks.  I was there in high school with a lot of girls, I was the party star/runner in high school and as much as I would have loved to be the stud that all the ladies wanted to date...it didn't happen.  But oh well, high school was a blast and college was even better!!  I think everyone I have dated in my life has been for a purpose in some way, well almost everyone, there are a couple where if I could do it all over again, I wouldn't and one if I could do it all over again it would be completely different, but we live and learn and I think you take what you learn from each relationship into the next so you either "don't" do something, or you "do" something to keep that relationship going. 

On top of that, I just finished my mile repeats tonight...and the times  you ask???  Well, it is still 109 degrees out, I just worked a 13 hour day, it is dark, and I ran them on our concrete track...but...the splits were: 5:05, 5:02, 5:01, 5:03 and then I just talked myself out of the fifth one...lol.  I took full recovery inbetwen each one, about 8 mins.  I felt pretty good, I just hope I can hang around 5:40 pace for my half, well see what happens.  I have one more 5k over here on the 26th.  Then I am close to being out of this hell hole and racing on grass surfaces once again with my CC Team!  I hope you all are having a great day as well!

Run Happy!

Sherrod Out:)