I finally made it home a week and a half ago and have been thoroughly enjoying some time off. I have seen most of my family and friends and have enjoyed simply being in America. Being home feels completely normal to me and I haven’t even thought about Iraq one iota. The transition from soldier life to civilian life has been seamless and I rather prefer it that way, I suppose it can be chalked up to my crafty veteran status since I seem to do this every other year.
The last couple weeks in Iraq at times were pretty lame and I doubt I ever had that much free time. We played cards and watched football biding our time before we boarded the plane out of Iraq. Not all was completely unexciting as we narrowly avoided an ambush on our last mission just days before we left country. We were delayed two days in Kuwait when five different dogs smelled something “fishy” on our plane and I swear the beer in Ireland made us intoxicated at a quicker pace then I ever remembered before. It seemed as if everything was working against our coming home. Kiss my butt terrorists you’ll have to try harder than that.
But now I am back and life is good for the time being. Everything here seems to have taken on a new significance and I appreciate things a lot more. Of course I did this before and the feelings do fade with time so I’ll enjoy the taste of real food and the thrill of making my own decisions while they are still new. I have told countless people that it feels completely normal to be back home and that I am doing fine “really I am, don’t worry about me.” Everyone looks at me with a concerned stare just to make sure I am really telling the truth I guess.
I’m taking it easy for now but I’ll head off to school next year and see if I can finish up my three and a half year degree in my seventh year. “There are lots of people who go to school for seven years Tommy, they’re called doctors.” Once completed I think I just might get myself stuck in school for another three years to learn about those pesky things called laws. Who knows maybe there will be another deployment thrown in there? But who am I kidding, with a House and Senate controlled by the democrats we’ll probably be worrying too much about how to put everyone on welfare and see to it that no one has to pay for health care. I survived bullets and bombs now let’s see if I can survive a country where Nancy Pelosi is third in command.
So for the time being I am trying to figure out what exactly I’ll be doing with my blog. As soon as I find out I’ll let everyone know so rest assured, I know that is probably first and foremost on your minds right about now so I’m just looking out for you. I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. If you have some time take a minute to think about how well we have it in America. I can’t even begin to list them but playing golf in a free society is right near the top.
36 comments:
Thank you for letting us know you are safely home and happy! Great gift this Thanksgiving night!
Thank you for letting us come on the ride with you, through your writings.
Wishing you all the best!
Congratulations Tim. Glad to know that you're back home and already adjusted to civvy street. We all know you've got a great future.
All the best.
Welcome home! Very glad to hear that you are doing well.
It would be nice if you could check in with us from time to time and let us know how you are doing. I've enjoyed your blog.
(I'm with you on Pelosi. Scary stuff.)
A big Welcome Home!
(and yes, every day since your last post, I have been saying to myself "gee, wonder what he's going to do with the blog now?"so thanks for looking out for us on that question:)
It is good to know that you are home and well and enjoying yourself. I don't understand the "concerned looks". I think hugs and squeezes would be the real concern. I do hope you continue to write your blog in some way, although going back to school and getting on with civilian life will make things busy. There are a lot of blogs out there about every day life and people do read them. We sort of become a family of bloggers or blogger friends. Hope you can join us. Once again, it is good to know you are home.
Yippeee!! :) Kept checking for this very news. So glad you're back home & enjoying Thanksgiving with your family.
LOL about your Tommy Boy reference. :) The education you've received (and dished out, btw) far exceeds what you will more than likely learn at school. Whatever you settle upon doing, you'll be a success.
Welcome Home and Thank You!
welcome home... happy thanksgiving!
Thanks for the update Mr. Boggs. Expect you to post a photo of civilian Boggs after your mother and family feeds you up. Unless you play a lot of golf you may be dubbed...tubby tummy Timmie. Watch out for that! And never turn your back on a college professor..you never know what they will throw at you. You are still just one of our great guys to us...however.
A&N
Welcome Home!!!! I never tire of saying that. Thank you so much for sharing your journey with us, and doing it with much insight, color, detail and writing skill. Your future is bright, and I hope you will occasionally let us know where your path leads. Once we meet one of you, we never forget.
So very happy to know you got home in time for Thanksgiving t.f. and that you are enjoying yourself and relaxing a bit.
I've no doubt that you will figure out what to do with your blog, just so long as you keep in touch with all of us!
Tim,
I've been checking your blog almost daily for a couple of weeks now to see if you were back home. Didn't check yesterday but was THRILLED to see your blog entry tonight. I add my "welcome home" as well as my thanks for your service.
I won't "go there" in your comments section as to my feelings and thoughts about the election and Miz Pelosi for 2 reasons - space and the fact that I'm pretty sure we share common thoughts on those subjects.
So...welcome home. Enjoy the family and friends. Enjoy the holidays. Enjoy the civilian life. I'm doing the same THANKS to guys and gals like you!
WELCOME HOME TIM!!!!
And thank you - for your service!
Andrea in California
Do you pay for your own healthcare?
I pay for my own health insurance, because I'm self-employed. It costs more than $600 per month. It's a good thing I can afford that--lots of people wouldn't be able to.
If you had a stroke and needed rehabilitation, would you pay for it yourself rather than burden the taxpayer? I hope so. Because I believe people's actions should match their rhetoric. Hope you have that much money.
Elizabeth....You are a f****** scumbag as*h***. I am not resorting to foul language....these are the very best words in the English language to describe the likes of you! You and your liberal friends have brought us down....can't you be satisfied. If not, I hope you will be when you have no healthcare and you and your cowardly blind friends are bowing down to Mecca. you cow! You ungratefull piece of crud. You cowardly waste.
Annie & Neatie
Elizabeth...why don't you just spit in the faces of our returning brave men. No, you are too cowardly for that.
Elizabeth, you whore. You are free to spout your evil because of men like Tim, living on little while fighting to keep you free to live to please yourself. You live on the blood of good men and you have the stupidty to make such idiotic, self serving statements. You are below dispicable and have gone too far with your antiamerican propaganda. God would that the likes of you would grow to hate America so much that you would go live in another country more suited to you. But no, because curse America as you do, you are to cowardly to leave it and the security that our brave men provide for you, b****.
As a tax payer I will gladly pay for our vetrans health care. On the other hand, I wouldn't pay 2 cents for Elizabeth's.
Elizabeth, seriously. I hadn't missed you a bit.
The men & women of the US military who serve our nation so honorably earn much less compensation than they could earn performing the same duties in civilian circles. One of the "benefits" of their service (and, seriously, you are SO uninformed if you're jealous of TRICARE) includes health care.
I absolutely despise feeding the trolls, but you know, when you have the unabashed ignorance and complete lack of respect to post your insipid whining on a Welcome Home post, you deserve much worse than being reminded that NO ONE COMES HERE TO READ WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY.
Oh, and P.S. It does not shock me in the LEAST that you are "self-employed."
Now, back to heralding our author's safe return. :)
WELCOME HOME TIM! We love you guys!
Thanks for the update. I wondered if you had made it for Thanksgiving. I hope you do continue to post, because I've come to like you and would love to continue hearing your "take" on things. Like Nancy Pelosi. =b
I like knowing "the rest of the story," so do post at least once in a while. Enjoy your university years, however many there are. Learning is the best use of time. =)
Go Susan!
Welcome home and thank you!
You had to plug that comment about Nancy Pelosi in at the end didn't you! It made me shudder when you framed it that way. Third! Doh!
G
Well Boggsy
Welcome home! Glad youare back safe and in one piece, mentally and physically. Don't forget if you ever hit the great northwest, look up your cuz. Blessings!
Elizabeth, I never thought it possible to truly dislike someone I've never met...let alone some freaking internet troll.
Take your vitriolic BS elsewhere. You must be one he** of a miserable human being.
Welcome home, Sgt.!!!
Thanks to all of you for a job well done (even the lazy ones, 'cause they were there while I sat here). This country is truly blessed to be served by people like you.
Sounds like law school for you in the future. Great. No matter what avenue you pursue, I know you will be a resounding success.
As always, I look forward to any and all future blogs. It truly is a treat to be able to come here and read not only your musings, but the responses as well.
As you well know, you left the desert behind, but not the war. I know you will have much to say about all the crap going on here at home. All I can say is let r' rip!
Hope you're having fun (and re-learning how to talk to chicks)!
P.S. God I hate to do this, but I really can't hold my tongue...
Elizabeth, perhaps you and the rest of the bleeding heart liberals would be interested in ditching your pro ILLEGAL immigrant views in order to help get a national health care fund going for our own citizens. As I am sure you are aware, all the freakin' ILLEGALS in this country cost us millions in healthcare dollars. That's one of the reasons you pay $600 per month. All the costs of the free healthcare the ILLEGALS get are passed on to those of us who are fortunate enough to have it.
Additionally, PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY (something I know people like you are ardently opposed to) plays a huge roll in healthcare costs. Maybe if all the trans-fatty loving, artery-clooging food lovers who never get off their damn couch had a little more accountability, we actually could combat the real healthcare crises in this country.
And if ANYONE deserves to speak freely of his or her opionion WITHOUT juvenile responses from whiners like yourself, it is a man like Tim who has worn this country's uniform and has certainly EARNED his "free" healthcare.
God Bless America and those who truly appreciate what it means to be an American.
Tanksis...Once again you said it good! Perhaps Elizabeth would be interested in the story of maliki Richie (not sure of spelling) 52 year old liberal who doused himself with gasoline and torched himself on a highway off ramp to apologize for Americsa to the middle east for how horrible we have been to them....(a good trend perhaps.) Also, living in Arizona, we see all the old, once eradicated diseases here, reappearing due to illegals bringing them back into out country. Nobody mentions this but we have spoken to doctors who know what a problem this is...as well as sicknesses we are getting from imported fruits and other food stuff from Mexico. We are also very aware of Islamic terrorists being smuggled across the Arizona border, trained in South America. Could even show you the routes if you like. We've actually watched them crossing through the mountains on the border..No second hand info here. So Tim, Tanksis is 100% correct when she says that you have left the war zone in the middle east...only to return home to the war zone of the USA. Our enemies are many and wear different suits...We look forward to your observations on this war front. Whatever you decide to do, welcome home. We need you here as well as we needed you in Iraq.
Bonjour Boggy,
Glad to hear you have made it unscathed back to the United States.
Now you have to face the old challenge to keep alive and kicking in civilian surroundings.
One more thing: I was looking at Elizabeth's comment and have to admit I don't really understand what she implaying. Is it about free health care for you coming back from Iraq?
But those entries coming after it! Annie and Neatie, b, etc. There seems to be whitehot hatred. Quite disturbing.
Best wishes
Georg
Georg,
If you look at Eiizabeth's comments from past posts you will understand the commenters feelings toward her.
Georg,
Maybe I can sum up our strong dislike for Elizabeth this way...
It's what she represents. She represents the ignorance that led up to 9/11, the ignorance that is anti-any-kind-of-war now or ever, even when it means self-preservation as a nation. She represents the ignorance that is content to hide behind the "America is a bad, bad child" mantra, while enjoying all the good things that come with being a citizen of that "bad, bad child", without offering herself up to make the sacrifices required to help make "peace" with those who would otherwise seek to do us harm. She represents an idealogy that, quite frankly, terrifies most of us. Why? Because people like her just don't get it. Neither did Bill Clinton. And that leaves those of us who do get it to try to fend off the enemies, mainly for the good of our country, but at the same time, defending the likes of people like her so they can continue to be ignorant and contribute to the problem.
I don't mean to speak for all, but I am relatively confident that most who feel the way I do would agree with my assessment.
Hope that helps:-)
Late to the Party (been away with no computer), but Welcome Home, Tim, and many thanks! I just love being able to say that. Glad all is going well for you. Will keep checking here to see what you have to say about your health care :)
I'd love to take Elizabeth on, but I don't think tanksis left much to worry about. Good on you, Gal!
Thank you Tanksis. You expressed the way we feel very well.
Well said tanksis.
Your rightwing nutjobs just let ol Elizabeth have it didn't ya? Feel better now? What did she say that set you nutjobs off? That she has to pay $600 a month for healthcare? That shouldn't be something to attack someone for. Your ridiculous attacks make you seem small and petty..which you are btw.
I have a daughter in Afganistan. I am no bleeding heart liberal, but I do think Healthcare is out of sight and the insurance companies are still making nice profits..so you blame the illegals? Get a friggin grip. Your kneejerk reactions to anything you perceive as a threat is laughable..grow the hell up. And yeah..you have to deal with a democratically controlled congress..Isn't that grand? Suck it up and deal.
Hey Tim!!!!Welcome home, buddy!!
Have a Merry Christmas! You actually get to enjoy it this year along with the rest of us. Take care....and you are one great guy.
In the words of the Great Billy Joel...A bottle of white..a bottle of red..perhaps a bottle of Roseee instead...Meet you any time you want in our Italian Restaurant... and it's on me friend. Thanks Boggs for protecting the rest of us so we have freedom of speech, can get an education, get a good job, earn a decent living and learn to be grateful.
Tom Canterbury
WELCOME HOME!!!!!!
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