Due to circumstances beyond my control I find myself poking my head out of the hole for the first time in nearly six months. As I look around I find that the days have gotten shorter and the air quite a bit crisper and waaaaay off in the distance (using some of those famed long range sensors) a jolly old fat man in a red suit with white trim is putting his sled team through their paces while elves load up what must be a portable hole for his upcoming trip.
At the time of this writing I also find myself with 30 days left in my current position. Some would ask why, those that know me KNOW why. To sum up the last, nearly, 21 years in detail would take pages that you REALLY don’t want to read. Suffice it to say that I’ve pretty much done and/or seen about everything in the command food chain from new recruit, tasked with cleaning the floors and the toilets, all the way up through every level and function to the position of Fleet Admiral himself. It has been a wonderful, if annoying at times, ride.
At the start of the New Year I will be relieved of my command responsibilities and return to the ranks of the general membership. To those that will take over upon my departure I wish you only the best of luck. To those that read this I leave with no regrets. And if you by chance stumble across a hole with a sign that says “Retired Brigadier D.” on one side and “Gone Bowling” on the other you’ll have found my new digs – knock a couple of times and I’ll invite you in for a root beer or two (even in retirement I can’t drink).
Lest I forget HAPPY HOLIDAYS to one and all.
DD