Goodbye 2011 and Hello 2012

Another few hours and it will be a brand new year.  Boy,  it is hard to believe that it has been a full year since the last time the ball dropped in Times Square.  But in five hours it will come down again.  2011 was an interesting year and just like every year there was a lot of good and bad throughout.  On the bad side was the very slow growth of the economy, high unemployment, political bickering and congressional grid lock, the earth quake in Japan, etc.  On the good side,  was the demise of Osama and Khadafi and the end of the Iraq War at long last.  For me, it was on balance a pretty good year.  I did lose weight this year...I am 10 pounds lighter than last year, but I have a long way to go to get back in shape.  This year I did some traveling.  Went to Washington a few times, Vegas and San Diego, and then in August I went on first overseas trip (other than when I deployed to Iraq in 2006)  when I went to Greece to be present for the wedding of Eric and Wanda.  That was a great time.  In June, T and I celebrated 5 full years together.  We added another member to the family -- Willow-- a little pooch we adopted from a local rescue organization.  So that means two humans, three dogs and two sugar gliders all sharing the house and several deadbeat mice that aren't official members of the households but eat our food and take up space in the walls of the old house.  Next year will be much different I think.  Today I received my mobilization orders for the next deployment.  I will be leaving Albany in late January and head to Camp Shelby, Mississippi for mobilization training in preparation for another trip to the desert in support of Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan).  I have mixed emotions about this mission.  But I will do what I have to do.  This time next year I should be home or getting ready to come home.  But for now, I am just trying to prepare myself for 2012 the best I can.  Happy New Year to everyone.  See ya next year!