Why can't we get a preview of our life before we live it. That's the question I will be asking God as soon as I cross the pearly gates. If I had known that I would love research and learning new things and be begging to go to class, I would've taken advantage and not screwed around so much. Then again, if I had known how much more fun being a Christian was compared to partying and carousing, I would've done that much sooner too. How is it that non- Christians live each day without having faith or knowing what tomorrow brings? Oh- that's right. They think that nothing will happen to them.

There is a story about a bad guy who, by his own home made weapon that blasted him instead of his intended victims. (Yay!). 2 hours later the good guys recovered him to find this poor sucker laying and bleeding. So they scooped him up and ran to their hospital to provide the needed care. They worked exceptionally hard giving him first aid enroute. At the hospital, he died within 20 minutes. The man had been left in the elements for far too long. Nice buddy's..they had left him behind. Sound familar? Bet he never thought his life would end this way.

So today's lesson was massive bleeding and chest wounds. It was a fascinating lecture with hands on "how to do this and that" for all. My partner and I go to the continuing education classes every day for an hour and I actually asked to please be allowed to attend. I have since found out that we have more experience that the whole class combined, but it's still a great source of new information on the old stuff we knew. A mind is a terrible thing to waste...and I done plenty of wasting in my time.

But the time is now to live life to the fullest. It's funny how the soldiers think about their survival. Some don't come back from their missions and they realize that it could be them at every turn. We think about the people back home and believe that their little dramas are piddlely next to what is experienced here and we can't wait to get back to that. So as I preview the life before me, I find that even in a war zone I can learn and grow and experience life to the fullest! I will enjoy each day that the good Lord gave me! Can I get an Amen!

Spreadsheets or slow torture for the chatterbox

Today, another treat day on the Excel spreadsheet, only this time I had all of the fun. I found out that I was being moved to another base to cover for my buddy. They only send the highest of trustworthy people to cover this base, because the regular medic is well loved by his people. And the last time he was gone, "SOMEONE" went in and destroyed his hand made, lovingly sanded and highly varnished furniture. Plus, "whoever" was not favored by the people. Since I know a lot of the people there...and it is my buddy, I get to go- Yippee! So, back to paperwork...or rather learning a new trick for me.

I hate spreadsheets! Whoever invented this had to be someone who did not like anyone. It's a truely boring task and there is no way you can talk to anyone or even listen to music because any distraction screws the whole thing up. I learned this first hand as I was inputing data, (I get to talk like a nerd while I'm doing stupid people tricks that I was not made to do). I thought that since all the dates fell in line that I could go up and down and make the next column in a month's date or 6 months, filling the whole row. Short cuts! That's what I'm talking about! Well, my partner and trainer extraordinairre checked my work. All of a sudden he says stop! (Like I have chocolate on my face and hands). He says slowly and exact (like I am holding a grenade with the pin out), to save the spreadsheet and step away. I said, "what????" (a little whiny). He says all the people have their numbers all mixed up and the rows are mixed up...I don't know. It should have worked. So, what he is talking about...I don't know. He fixed the problem and is going to try me again at this- OK? The man is a saint...