Chad Johnson's History

DATE:	ACTIVITY:
June 6, 1983	I was born in Upland, California-San Bernardino County. I had light brown hair and blue-grey eyes when I was born, though I later developed dark brown hair and hazel brown eyes. My feeding schedule became 7 ounces every 3 hours and my sleeping schedule became 9:30 p.m. to 6:30 a.m.
June 7, 1983	I had several visitors in the hospital on my second day of life. Grandma-Joni Pirtle, Grandma-Momma Annie, Aunt-Mikalan, and Aunt-Romy all came.
June 15, 1983	I turned my head in the direction of a sound for the first time.
June 21, 1983	I weighed 8 pounds-4 ounces, and I was 21.5 inches tall.
July 10, 1983	I smiled for the first time.
July 14, 1983	I turned over on my own for the first time.
July 15, 1983	I laughed for the first time.
August 1983	I sat up alone for the first time.
August 11, 1983	I got my first polio shot.
September 23, 1983	I got my second polio shot, aka my booster shot. I also got my diptheria shot.
December 5, 1983	I got my whooping cough shot.
January 3, 1984	I said my first (unclear) word - "dada".
January 4, 1984	I crawled for the first time.
January 16, 1984	I splashed with my hands in the bath for the first time.
February 12, 1984	I learned to pat-a-cake for the first time.
April 1984	I stood alone for the first time.
April 13, 1984	I got my first tooth.
June 3, 1984	I held a cup for the first time.
June 15, 1984	I got my hair cut for the first time.
June 29, 1984	I waved bye-bye for the first time.
July 2, 1984	I walked for the first time.
July 23, 1984	I climbed stairs for the first time.
September 14, 1984	I said my first clear word - "bottle".
September 27, 1984	I got my measles and mumps shots on this day.
1986	My mom, dad, and I moved back to Kansas where they were originally from.
1988	I think this is the year that my mother and grandma had me baptized at Indian Heights United Methodist, my true baptism wasn't until 14 years later as seen in 2002.
August 1997-May 1998 (9th Grade)	I sang in the KMEA 9th Grade Clinic Choir. I sang at the UMKC Conservatory of Music (Mid-America Vocal Arts Festival). I sang in DeSoto's Fall Concert, Winter Concert, and Spring Concert. I sang in the "Treble Singers" and "New Sounds" groups at DHS. I sang at Regionals and received a III for my solos: “Cockles and Mussels” and "Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen." I earned a choir letter. I was a member of the Christian Crusaders club at school. I played Sasha-the Russian-in the musical "Fiddler on the Roof." I played Donald in the school play "You Can't Take it With You." - May 8th and 9th I earned the PRIDE award for Personal Responsibility in Daily Effort. I was on the Honor Roll. I received an academic letter.
August 1998-May 1999 (10th Grade)	I got accepted into Madrigals. I sang at the UMKC Conservatory of Music (Mid-America Vocal Arts Festival). I sang in DeSoto's Fall Concert, Holiday Concert, and Spring Concert. I auditioned at KMEA and I made it to District. I sang at Regionals and received a II for my solos: "" and "". I sang at State and received a II as part of the Men’s Chorus. I sang at State and received a I as part of the Wildcat Singers(Madrigal guys), we sang "Viva La Company". I earned a Choir Letter. I was a member of the Christian Crusaders club at school. I played Danny-a waiter and a dancer-in the musical "Hello Dolly." I was initiated into Thespians. I earned the PRIDE award for Personal Responsibility in Daily Effort I was on the Honor Roll. I received an Academic Letter. I joined the Varsity Cross-Country team where I got a PR of 18:25 in the 3.1-mile(5K) and I lettered. I joined the Varsity Track team where I got a PR of 2:16 in the 800, 5:03 in the mile, and 11:30 in the 2-mile.
June 7, 1999-June 12, 1999	I went to Circle-C camp in Edgerton, KS, where I got to room with my friend, Cecil Parker.
August 1999-May 2000 (11th Grade)	In Cross-Country I got a PR of 18:22 in the 3.1-mile(5K) and I lettered. In Track I got a PR of 2:11.9 in the 800, 5:02 in the mile, and 11:13 in the 2-mile. I got a Football STATS Letter. I sang in the Madrigals choir. I sang at the UMKC Conservatory of Music(Mid-America Vocal Arts Festival) and at Science City. I sang in DeSoto's Fall Concert, Holiday Concert, and Spring Concert. I received a 1 at Regionals for my solos "The Little Irish Girl" and "Where 'er You Walk", a 2 at State for my solos, a 1 at State for the Men’s Chorus, and a 1 at State for Madrigal guys? I got a Choir Letter. I was a member of Spanish Club, Club 121, Thespians, Math Club, and Quiz Bowl a.k.a. Scholar's Bowl. I was initiated into the National Honor Society(NHS). I played Tommy Djilas in the musical "The Music Man." I played Joe-the undertaker-in the play "Our Town." I earned the PRIDE award for Personal Responsibility in Daily Effort. I was on the Honor Roll. I received an Academic Letter.
July 16, 2000-July 26, 2000	I participated in NexTech-The National Summit of Young Technology Leaders. It was different than what I expected; I thought we were going to learn computer things like programming and what not, but it turned out to be more for future computer business leaders and innovators. It cost me and my family 2 grand plus plane tickets, and even though I didn't really learn all that much, I had a pretty great time anyway. I also got to meet some pretty cool people too.
August 2000-May 2001 (12th Grade)	In Cross-Country I got a PR of 17:53 in the 3.1-mile(5K) and I lettered. I was the team captain and I got 5th at League (at Tonganoxie) which gave me an All-League title. In track I got PRs of 2:05 in the 800, 4:46 in the mile, and 10:49 in the 2-mile. I sang in the Madrigals choir. I sang at the UMKC Conservatory of Music(Mid-America Vocal Arts Festival) and the Festival of Creativity at Crown Center. I sang in DeSoto's Fall Concert, Holiday Concert, Spring Concert. I received a 2 at Regionals for my solos "Preguntale a las Estrellas" and "?". I got a Choir Letter. I was a member of Thespians (and lettered), and a member of NHS. I played Christopher in the musical "The Leader of the Pack." I had large dancing parts and a solo. I played Ira Watson in the play "I Bet Your Life." I earned the PAWS award. I was on the Honor Roll. I received an Academic Letter.
October 24, 2000	I received the Kansas Honor Scholar Award for being in the top 10% of my class.
May 2001	I received the DHS Outstanding Choral Student Trophy, and the Lt. Governor's Community Star Award for my community service.
May 10, 2001	I received my letter of acceptance to West Point-The United States Military Academy.
June 21, 2001	I met Anna Marie Gallo on my Alaskan Cruise which was fantastic. The food was good, the programs were great, and I'd love to do it again sometime. Also, on the ship (since I turned 18 fifteen days before) I went gambling for the first time. The casino on the ship was cool, I played craps and won some money, but the next night lost some again, lol. We watched a magic show, a ventriloquist, and a musical show.
June 31, 2001	I had my Eagle Scout Ceremony and Mrs. Laura Bishop (my 6th grade teacher) as my guest speaker.
July 1, 2001	I flew to New York with Mom and stayed overnight at one of her friends' houses before leaving the next morning in a taxi with her for the United States Military Academy in West Point, NY.
2 July 2001	My mom and I took a cab to West Point in the morning, but he got lost and didn't know where to go, so I showed up an hour late. I thought I would be toast for sure, but nobody said anything about it. I had Reception Day (R-Day) at West Point. They shaved my head, I picked up a lot of the uniforms, I filled out forms, I learned the very basics of being a plebe, and I had to report to the cadet in the red sash about 8 times, the first time around!
August 2001	I had Acceptance Day at USMA, which included a parade and was at the end of Reorgy(Reorganization) week; it signified I was no longer a "New Cadet" but a full-fledged Cadet-plebe.
11 September 2001	As everyone knows, 9/11 was the day of the Taliban terrorist attacks. I was just entering my math class when I saw the teacher and one or two of my classmates watching the news on TV. I watched the events and at first it didn't really sink in. It reminded me of a movie, but it was incredible to think about once I realized it was real-life. The results here at the academy were a stronger awareness of what our jobs really mean when we get out of here and also tighter security to enter here at the gates.
28 September 2001	I had a Glee Club concert with the Boston College Chorale where the Boston Pops Orchestra played. It was pretty cool, a large event, and since it was after the terrorist attacks, as soon as they announced us the whole audience of thousands stood up. It was patriotic and pretty amazing to see.
27 October 2001	I had a Glee Club concert at Thayer Academy in Braintree, Massachusetts. It was named after the same Thayer that became the "Father of the Academy" here at West Point; he apparently started another school too.
18 November 2001	Anna Gallo (who I met on the Alaskan cruise) and I had been talking ever since we (plebes) got our computers. We had been e-mailing and talking on the phone for hours and hours and realized we had a lot in common. We officially started dating after I asked her out (at 12:15 on the 18th my time-New York, 9:15 on the 17th her time-Oregon) in the morning and she said yes.
27 November 2001	I had a Glee Club concert at the New York City Christmas star raising at Rockefeller Center. It largely commemorated the police and fireman that gave their lives trying to save others on 9/11.
1 December 2001	The Army vs. Navy game: ARMY BEAT NAVY!!! President George W. Bush was there, Norman H. Schwarzkopf gave the Duty, Honor, Country speech from General Douglas MacArthur, the game was broadcasted nationally by CBS and I was on it because the Glee Club sang the Star Spangled Banner.
20 December 2001	I took the TEEs (Term End Exams) on the 15th and 17-20th to finish off the first semester of plebe year. On the 20th I flew back to KS for the Christmas holiday.
28 December 2001	I went to the West Point Ball at the plaza with Meghan, Annie, and Casey.
29 December 2001	I flew to Aloha, Oregon to visit my girlfriend Anna.
30 December 2001	Anna and I went and stayed at Mikalan and Mike's house for the day. We met their cute daughters Olivia and Alexa. Other family that came to visit were: Pete and Robina, Sommer and Charlie, and Frank. Then we got to visit Cherokee at her job in a music store, and Anna and I went out to eat dinner together and then chilled at Cherokee's new apartment. We met her boyfriend Shannahan and her roommate. This was the first time I'd ever smelt pot before. Her roommate was in her room and I smelled something that smelled horrible like stale air, so we stayed away from that and watched Office Space until we headed back over to Mikalan's for the night.
1 January 2002	Anna and I took the MAX to Portland and celebrated New Years in Pioneer Square. We watched the ball drop, danced, and I had the best New Year's of my life up to that point. I got a few hours sleep, then I flew back home that morning.
5 January 2002	I flew back to West Point from DeSoto.
8 January 2002	Military Intercession began, which is basically just military classes as opposed to academic ones. I got a B+ in the class and was only one point away from an A-.
15 February 2002	I was in a Glee Club concert at Eisenhower Hall with the USMA Band; Annie and Papa came to see me, and then I took pass that weekend to stay with them at a nice bed and breakfast. It was a great, relaxing weekend and I got to see the Vanderbilt mansion and the Roosevelt homes.
8 March 2002	I had a Glee Club Trip Section to NYC where we sang at the Marshall Foundation Dinner which awarded (Senior) President Bush the Marshall award. I got to shake his hand and speak with him for a short time.
15 March 2002	I had a Glee Club Trip Section where we sang at Carnegie Hall in NY. It was a very fine place, great reputation, and it was pretty enormous overall. Needless to say, it was filled completely.
24-26 May 2002	I took my last TEE (Chemistry) on Friday the 24th, and then I took pass to Maryland with a few guys from E-3: Christopher Izenour, Eric Anderson, Einar Wulfsberg, and Randall Jackson. We stayed at Wulfsberg's house for two nights which were my first real parties (obviously not counting high school cast parties). Of course I personally didn't drink or smoke, but it was pretty fun, and different.
1 June 2002	I flew home for the summer and had 20 days of break.
6 June 2002	This was my 19th birthday.
13 June 2002	I flew out to see Anna and surprised her by coming a day earlier than she expected me.
20 June 2002	I flew back to West Point, because Camp Buckner started the next day.
19 August 2002	First day of academics during my yuk year, my plebe's name was Daniel Kim.
11 September 2002	This was the one year anniversary of the terrorist attacks, and we (the West Point Glee Club) got to sing on "Ground Zero" the excavation where the world trade centers used to be. Also, President Bush and Colin Powell were there to speak with some of the families of the victims.
12 September 2002	I finally got promoted to Corporal by my TAC's consent. I got to put a bar on all of my uniforms in place of all of the US brass.
22 September 2002	I broke up with Anna; however, we are still good friends.
26 October 2002	I finished the first five hours of my thirty that I got because of the ballroom dancing e-mail incident (Stephanie Brouse). Also from the battalion board I got a month of room restriction, a month's loss of privileges, and a month's deduction of rank to PFC.
3 November 2002	I got baptized (in the freezing cold Hudson River) into the Kingdom of God at 21:45. My new life started!
16 November 2002	I finally finished my month of loss of rank, privileges, and room restriction.
27 November 2002	I took a plane at 1900 and headed home for the first time since the beginning of summer leave in June. I had a good time over Thanksgiving; I ate at Grandma's, then Dad's, then Annie's, then Papa and Cleo's. On the 28th, my brother Casey and I ran the Sprint 5K. He beat me by about 4 people because I started cramping on the last mile and we finished with just over 20 minutes. Not too bad for me never really running anymore.
15 December 2002	We (the Glee Club) sang at the New York Public Library (the one off the movie Ghostbusters). We sang Christmas carols and in between we went downstairs where there was a live band. A plebe and I danced with a large group of Jewish people to some Jewish music; they said we did well and picked it up fast (it was fun)! Then the next time I went down there, I danced with a woman named Nancy (she's about 28 or 29 but looks much younger) and we had a great time. Nancy loved to sing and dance also so after I finished singing we swapped phone numbers and for my 2-hour break we hooked up and went to a coffee shop and talked. I met her family which was cool and we hope to go out again some time because she lives in Queens, NY.
16 December 2002	We had a disciple's gift exchange that night for Christmas. I got Donnie Mahan a nice ring box to store his class ring. Michael "Rashad" Dames got me the newest Eminem CD (The Eminem show). I also picked up some WP golf balls for Ken Yambing.
20 December 2002	I had my Calculus II TEE on the 14th, Philosophy on the 16th, Physics on the 17th, Econ on the 18th, and Advanced Spanish on the 20th.
21 December 2002	I woke up and left West Point for home on an Air Tran flight from La Guardia.
22 December 2002-5 January 2003	My Christmas vacation was awesome and definitely needed! I loved being home and I saw almost all of the new movies that came out: "Catch me if you can", "Drumline", "Analyze That", "Lord of the Rings-Two Towers", "Two Weeks Notice", "Star Trek: Nemesis", and "Hot Chick." I got to spend a day with Cecil which was cool since I hadn't seen him since January, and he stayed the night. The first Sunday I went to church with my mom; it seemed pretty crazy. Then the next Sunday I took her and Casey to the house church we had that day; it was pretty cool. I spent New Years with the KC disciples and it was casino night, so I got to play craps for about 3 hours and talk to people :) I went out on my first disciple date with Rebecca, a marine guy, and his date where we ate at First Watch and then played video games.
5 January 2003	Well, sadly, I had to leave home and fly back to West Point. Then I started setting up my new room and moving all my stuff.
11 January 2003	I had my second disciple date, this time with Nicolette from nearby in NY. She goes to my church and we decided to hook up. Our plans didn't work out exactly the way we thought they would, but we made up for it and had a great time. I got to meet her brother, we picked up a brother of the church named Charles, and us three played video games at Dave and Busters, and then she and I ate there.
18 January 2003	My third date was with a sister from West Virginia (Victoria Lynch), because Tosha hooked us up. Tosha called me and said something like, "Chad, I've got this great sister in West Virginia, I really think you'd like her. Do you want her phone number?" I was starting to settle into the dating in the Kingdom, so I eagerly agreed. I called Victoria up and we set up plans to meet in the city. I took the Metro-North train with Ken and a friend of his and they left us at the movie theater we went to. I wanted to see National Security with Martin Lawrence in it, but she and her two friends LeeLee and Cathy wanted to see Chicago. So, being the gentlemen, I agreed to it and I really enjoyed the movie except for the first ten minutes of it which were pretty risque. Then we went out for some pizza; I had a pretty good time.
15-22 March 2003	I went home for spring break since the Glee Club's trip to Japan was postponed until next year due to the fact that the war was coming soon. I had a great time though; I relaxed and chilled with a lot of my family and saw a few new movies. I visited Mom & Casey, Annie & Papa, Dad & Kelly, Grandma & Shannon, and Papa & Cleo. It seemed like a long break, but never long enough ;)
12 April 2003	I had a great time; Tosha Floyd, Ken Yambing, and I went to Nicky and Donnie Mahan's wedding shower. Then we went out to eat at Chili's at the Palisades mall and later that night Emma and I went to the dance at church termed "Copa Cabana Night." We had a good time doing mamba and salsa dancing, because I enjoy dancing and she's a good dancer.
13 May 2003	I'm not sure where I went bowling, but I got scores of 154, 133, 154, and 202. I played 2 games on 2 lanes apiece by myself.
6 June 2003	This was my 20th birthday.
19 June 2003-11 July 2003	I traveled to Fort Benning, Georgia for Airborne school. It was 3 weeks of training culminating in 5 jumps in the last week. Four were during the day, and the fifth was in the, almost pitch black, dark. The first week was "ground week," the second was "tower week," and the third was "jump week." I saw a ton of movies at their one movie theater, ate a lot of Subway sandwiches, and played War Craft III and checked my mail on the computer...there was nothing else to do really. I had a pretty good time overall, it was challenging, but not TOO tough. I got my jump wings pinned on on the 11th then headed straight out to Fort Sill, OK.
21 June 2003	On one of the first of my many trips to the movies at Airborne school, I got my picture taken in one of those small picture booths that takes it electronically and then has a famous artist (Leonardo DaVinici) "sketch it." At least, it's sketched according to their style, I guess.
11 July 2003-8 August 2003	I traveled to Fort Sill, Oklahoma for DCLT (Drill Cadet Leadership Training). Basically, I observed what the XO did in the basic training, Field Artillery unit. The XO was 1st LT Alecia Johnson; she seemed pretty nice in general and took her job seriously. I didn't like the BC nearly as much (BC-Battery Commander is the equivalent to a CO-Commanding Officer), he seemed to have a very negative attitude towards West Pointers. I had limited contact with the privates and a little bit more with the drill sergeants. Parts of it were a great experience, but a lot of it was not fun at all. Especially the last week, Ran Du and I had to do a lot of paperwork to get the privates graduated and out of there. However, we got to stay in a nice hotel; we had our own rooms with a bathroom, microwave, mini fridge, and TV. It was great compared to Airborne school's condemned barracks we had to stay in.
29 August 2003-1 September 2003	Wow, what can I say? This was the best weekend I can remember, it was non-stop excitement and fun. Remember that sister Victoria that I took out earlier this year in January? Well, we went on our second date over the weekend. :D On Friday I came in on the train, and she was there at Grand Central with two other brothers to meet me. We walked and talked and all went out to eat at an Indian restaurant, I had beef curry (non-spicy) and she had chicken with 12 different exotic spices. It wasn't too bad, but hers was the best meal. The other two bros were Jimmy and Rich. They were both pretty cool, but Jimmy was awesome. He let me stay at his house over the weekend (free of charge of course, what a bro). So, we got to spend some good time together. We all parted ways after we dropped Victoria off at her school. I met Jimmy's roommate Seran, I guess that's how you spell it, he was a singer and wrote his own music. The next morning Victoria, Jimmy, his girlfriend Elise, and I ate at Victoria's school cafeteria; I loved the breakfast food of course :) Then we parted ways, Jimmy and Elise went off to see a movie and Victoria and I went to Roger's Theater and saw a Broadway musical. I bought the tickets on Thursday on ticketmaster.com, but she didn't know what we were seeing until we got there. She loved the surprise! We saw Movin' Out which was rated number one for the 2003 year (it's new) and all the music was Bill Joel's. It was amazing and there weren't even any words, you could tell everything that was going on through the dancing and the music. Simply incredible, and Victoria loved it as well. I got us some great seats in the orchestra section that were in the middle too instead of on the sides...it worked out perfectly :) Then we met back up with Jimmy and Elise for dinner at a Thai restaurant (I'd never had Indian or Thai food, so it was a good experience). The next day we all went to church then out to eat at a diner. Some of the brothers dropped Victoria and me off at the mall where we got her two Counting Crows CDs. We had a small meal and good desserts then shopped around a bit. Finally it was time to go so we dropped her off and then the bros and I had a men's group that night which lasted nearly two hours but was VERY encouraging and fired me up for God. All together there were Gio, Nick, Jimmy, Rich, Steve, Mario, and I. We ended the night with a game of Risk which lasted about 7 hours (I was only in for about 2 of those, lol). Sadly, Monday came, the last day in Staten Island. Mario dropped me off at Victoria's school and we walked to a nice little restaurant which had no people in it, and they made us breakfast food even though they were only supposed to serve it on Sunday :) I have to mention at this point that on the way it started to rain and had been earlier, so as we were walking along, a big bus passed by and sprayed Victoria and I with a large amount of water from a puddle in the street (I got it worse because I was a "human shield" lol)...it was like a classic movie. I was stunned, but as soon as Victoria burst out laughing, I couldn't help but laugh too. We did a lot of that this weekend, I loved it, my favorite emotion! The plans that we had made didn't work out from there so we made new ones; we went to the city and walked and talked and eventually ate at a cafe for lunch. Then we had to walk/jog to the train station so I could make the train back, but we got to sing along the way which was awesome! She has a great voice and leads the worship songs in her church as well, so it was a lot of fun...especially when we tried singing while jogging with no breath ;) I made it to Grand Central in the nick of time and Jimmy was there waiting for us so he could take her back. Needless to say, I was sad to depart from such great friends, but I KNEW I would be coming back...someday. Best weekend I can remember! :)
14 September 2003	I went with the Glee Club to sing at the New Jersey State Theater in New Brunswick; it was the Stars & Stripes Forever Concert. It went really well, but it was even more special to me because Jimmy, Elise, and Victoria got to come watch me. It was the first performance where someone I knew got to come watch me sing since my grandparents came to the plebe year concert on post.
27 September 2003	Finally, the end of the month. Wow, it went really quickly, but the days seem to drag on forever sometimes. The end of the month...one month closer to graduation, and of course I get my cadet pay. An interesting thing that cadet pay is; privates in the "real" army (as it's sometimes referred to) make about 3 times as much money as we do. We get access to more of it each year, though it's constant pay overall all four years. Still, I have less money than I did when I was a plebe (well...I guess not considering savings). This summer was expensive, eating out, going to movies, playing on the computers at the internet cafe at Airborne school; that all adds up really quickly. Man, I can't wait for that cow loan, it'll be nice and hopefully I'll be able to grab a car...probably some kind of Nissan make. My grandpa Eddie (known to me as PaPa-pronounced Paw Paw) has had Lou Gehrig's disease (technical term is ALS) for a few years now. I don't know how much longer he has to live. He cannot move his body any longer, and when I talked to him a few days ago he could barely talk. My mom said he'll probably not be able to talk in probably 2-3 months...it's sad. It's also sad that I never really had the chance (nor took the opportunity through calling) to get close to him until these last few years. He was always a "work-a-holic" and lived over in MO so I saw him maybe once or twice a year for the holidays. Seeing his life change these past few years has been amazing and encouraging to me. He started to read the Bible every day, go to church every week, and really give his life over to God. Speaking of family, my mom just had back surgery two weeks ago and is still trying to recover from that, but I know she's in a lot of pain. Wow, we lost bad today in football Army's Black Knights vs. South Florida; they beat us 28-0...zip, zilch, nada, cero, zero. We've accumulated a record of 0-4 this season, no wins and this was our fourth loss. I hope we can bring it up in time for our annual WAR against Navy!!!
11 October 2003	Just before 6:30 p.m., on the Staten Island ferry heading to the city, with Jimmy Zito, Elise Curtain, Rich Fortin, Victoria Madaris Lynch, and I on board, I asked Victoria to be my girlfriend! Actually, first I read her some poetry I had written for her, then I sang her Billy Joel's song "She's Got a Way About Her" one because she liked it a lot and two because it explained how I felt. Then, our bro Rich handed me the dozen yellow roses I had him pick up and I gave them to her, THEN I asked her out. She had the biggest smile possible on her face and she said she would go out with me; it was fantastic!!! The whole weekend, I smiled so much my face started to hurt, but it was worth it. Everyone knew my plans except for Victoria, so she was surprised, and pleased of course. We went out to dinner after that at Osaka-a Japanese restaurant-where Julie, Rashad, Gio, and Steve met us. The next morning we got to go to her church together as a couple, and we both were song leaders as well. We had a great time the whole weekend from the 10th through the 13th. I missed her from the moment I broke from her embrace and stepped onto the train that Monday; I unfortunately had to head back to West Point. Though I was a saddened, it didn't keep me from smiling while telling of what an awesome weekend we had.
31 October 2003-2 November 2003	This was another GREAT weekend; Victoria and her friends Lee Lee and Cathy came up to West Point for the first time. We all had a blast. Friday night I picked them up at the train station in one of Major Spain's vehicles. He teaches my PL300 class, and when I mentioned my girlfriend and two of her friends needed a place to stay over the weekend, he opened up his house to the three of them and gave me the keys to one of his vehicles for the weekend. It was great, we couldn't have wanted or asked for more. He and his family seemed to live a Christian lifestyle from what we saw; what a blessing! They also had the cutest little boys. Anyway, after I picked them up from the train station we went out to eat at Hacienda's, the local Mexican restaurant. They have good food (all four of us liked it) and the mariachi band came over and I asked them to play a love song for Victoria and I. It was very romantic, she loved it! After we left, I chilled with them at the Spain's house for a while, but then I had to return to the barracks because I was taking OPPs, not pass. Saturday we went out for breakfast at a local cafe after we picked up my friend Bobbie McGlaughlin. She's a walking miracle; God saved her just this past month from the meningitis that was attacking her. Her family and the doctors didn't expect her to live, and the docs had no clue how she was healed. They thought it was impossible, but I know she was saved through the power of prayer to the Lord. So, the five of us ate and then Bobbie and I showed them around some of the West Point campus. They all thought it was beautiful, and I started enjoying it again too when I saw the beautiful, fall leaves. That afternoon at 2 we walked over to Eisenhower Hall to watch Les Miserables (after Bobbie left). The musical was fantastic, the second winner that Victoria and I have seen together. We chilled at the Spain's house the rest of the night: eating, talking, and watching Disney movies. Again, I left for the barracks and they all slept there. I drove to pick them up early Sunday morning, and Victoria and I took Lee Lee and Cathy to the train station; Lee Lee had to get to work. Victoria and I ate at a diner for breakfast and I took her back to the Spain's to get ready. We ended up watching her favorite Disney movie, Sleeping Beauty, then headed off for church. I arranged it so that she would be able to join us in leading the church singing; she did a great job and the others invited her to come sing anytime. Finally...it was time to say good-bye :( I drove her to the train station and she gave me a gift for my 1-year spiritual birthday (I was baptized 3 November 2002). It was the mini version of Rick Warren's "The Purpose Driven Life" and also a new journal for me to write in since my Einstein one from Cecil is almost filled up. Finally, we hugged and parted ways. I took off on the lonely road back to West Point after filling up the gas tank for Major Spain.
3 November 2003	Wow, today was my spiritual birthday; it's been a whole year since I was baptized in the Hudson River!!! A year from the day I proclaimed that "Jesus is Lord." It's gone so fast, yet still so slow. I feel like I've come a long way, yet still have a long way to go. I feel like I've learned so much, yet still have so much to learn. I feel like I've gained more love, yet still have so much more to give and receive. It's crazy and yet makes perfect sense in a world which God created for us. One year down, and I pray a lifetime more to go on the road to seeing my Father, my Creator, my friend.
11 November 2003	Victoria and I had our first month together!
21 November 2003	Yawn! I'm sitting here in my CS384 class (computers) listening to the teacher drone on about hashing tables with chaining in the ADA 95 programming language...yeah, not fun. But, my day is going pretty well, a lot of that is due to the fact that I get to see my love, Victoria, in less than 20 hours, yay!!! She's coming back up to West Point for her second trip :) Unfortunately it's only for part of Saturday and up to Sunday afternoon...but it will definitely be worth it just to see her. It's been three whole weeks since I've seen her! The longer I spend with Victoria...the more I miss her. It's just one more way I can see that my love is growing for her. :-D
5-7 December 2003	I left with the Glee Club that Friday for Pennsylvania because we sang the next day at the Army/Navy game. We stayed overnight in a hotel where we got to relax in a hot tub and eat at Applebee's, it was relaxing inside the hotel while the weather outside was freezing. Saturday we marched onto the field with our companies (after standing around in formation for a few hours), and then watched the game. We sang as part of the half-time show, of course it was prerecorded, so it went well. The game was a disaster, it was the second year in a row we were handed to Navy on a silver platter. We went 0-10 this season; it's supposedly some type of record, albeit not a good one. I just hope next year we beat them like we did my plebe year. I got Victoria and Rich tickets to the game, so they came up to, it was great! I hung out with them for the game, and afterwards we all went over to Staten Island and hung out. We went to church the next morning, and I came back to The Point that afternoon.
11 December 2003	Victoria and I had our second month together!
19-31 December 2003	I finished my last TEE (EM384) on the 19th and took off on the bus for the airport. I was home for the holidays, it was great. I got my digital camera from Mom over Thanksgiving, so I already knew that gift. I got an mp3 player from Dad which is the only other thing I asked for. Christmas Eve and morning I spent at Dad's house, Christmas afternoon to evening we went over to Annie's and I stayed the night two nights in a row. "Aunt Judy" came up from Texas and we all played Hearts and Spades and they started teaching me to play Bridge. It was a great time, all of the holidays were. Things were going well and they were about to go better because I got on a plane on the 31st and flew to West Virginia.
31 December 2003-5 January 2004	Wow! What can I say? I had an awesome time at Victoria's house, spending time with her and meeting her family. Her brothers were really nice; they seem to have taken a liking to me. That, and we all love playing video games, so that was cool too. You would have to be there to see how much fun we had, and you'd have to be me to know how great my heart felt. Spending time with Victoria, there's just nothing like it. It doesn't matter what we are doing...watching movies, eating pasta, studying the Word, it's just always more fun being around her. We even talked her parents into letting us go to our church on Sunday, though it was like pulling teeth. Still, it's a start, and I look forward to going again, sometime. We even brought Tosha's mom out to church with us and went out to lunch. I finally got to meet Tosha's little nephew, he was a cutie :) Then, when Victoria and I left for the airport early Monday morning, we brought Tosha's mom with us too. It was tough saying goodbye...Sunday evening Victoria had cried over my leaving. She said she was so encouraged by my visit there; it was powerful. I was happy, and I was glad I had made a difference. Gosh, I love her so much!!! I can't make any definitely plans for returning, since I don't know what my summer will look like, but I do know that I'd like to head out to West Virginia again, one of these days :)
11 January 2004	Victoria and I had our third month together!
11 February 2004	Victoria and I had our fourth month together!
12-16 February 2004	This was President's Day weekend, but more importantly, Valentine's Day weekend. I got to see Victoria for the second longest consecutive time ever. I left for West Virginia right after my last class Thursday (they gave us a 4-day weekend, no class Friday or Monday). I met Rich and Victoria at Grand Central...after some confusion on where to meet, lol. The three of us hit the city and ate at an Indian restaurant, it was good! :) Then we parted ways and Rich and I stayed at Jimmy's place. We stayed up until 3 or 4 in the morning making homemade chocolates, chocolate-covered pretzels, and chocolate-covered strawberries for the girls. We finally conked out for the night. Rich and I got up a few hours later and took the buses, me to Wagner, and him to his house. I went up to Victoria's room and grabbed her. We took off for breakfast in their cafeteria, then I got to go to her classes with her. She had a test in World Music, then took massive notes through the whole organic chemistry class. Next, it was off to the media center where we "worked" for a few hours (sat around a desk and talked). There was only one job for us to do. Then, we relaxed for a bit and hooked up with Jimmy and Elise to go to the NJ disciple's Valentines Day party. It was a nice dinner and a dance at a pretty classy hotel. It was a good chance for us to all dress up, and Victoria looked gorgeous, as usual, in her red dress. The next day we slept in a bit then Jimmy and I took off for Elise's place, and while Victoria kept Elise out and about, we decorated the house with the other girls. Saturday was to be the night Jimmy proposed to Elise!!! We made sure everything looked really nice, we set up tables for the after-dinner/party. Once everything was in place, Jimmy and I took off for Wagner where we hung up some Christmas lights all around the gazebo on campus. The significance was that he had done the same thing when he asked Elise to go out with him, so it was a special place for them. Once everything was set up, we went to Victoria's room, and Victoria and I waited by the gazebo while Jimmy took Elise out on a "scavenger hunt." He and I had a preset signal that when he called my cell phone with his cell, I was to plug the lights into the outlet. Victoria and I were waiting and talking; when we got the call we plugged in the lights and headed out the door to see the special evening. I had my video camera with me to catch it on film. We got to the gazebo just as she was reacting to him asking her out, it was so much fun! They were both so happy, as were Victoria and I just to be there with them, sharing in their special moment. After awhile, we took off for Elise's (which had been filled with other disciples for the party) and we all had a feast prepared by Rich. We gave out the rest of the homemade chocolates (I had given mine to Victoria already) and I gave Victoria the gifts I had gotten her for Valentine's Day. I got her a West Point parka with my graduating year on it, I knew she had liked it from the last time she was up here. I also got her a kind of plaque that I got to personalize online that had a love poem on it. She seemed to like both of my gifts, and I also got her an awesome card that really spoke about the love I had for her. Sunday we had a great time at church; we had it at Roger's house and it was filled to the brim with people. Then we stayed for the music ministry and we learned some new songs from each other. Then, Victoria had to go practice her French horn for the musical, so Adam and I hung out. We walked around a bit then stayed in his room and talked; it was a good conversation. Victoria and I hadn't had much alone time yet, and I knew she was seeking it. So, I took her out to dinner, just the two of us and then we watched my DVD "A Walk to Remember," it's a great movie. The best part was just having her lean her head on me and running my hands through her hair :) I had to leave the next day, and I was pressed for time so Victoria rode the ferry with me but then I left her there and ran to the subway station so I could get to Grand Central on time to catch my train. I made it with a few minutes to spare. Up to this point, I think this was the hardest weekend we had experienced together. We were both pretty emotional at the time and she was picking at me at dinner on Sunday night; it didn't get the best response from me, and soon we were at odds with each other. Things felt weird even up to the point I left Staten Island on Monday, but I thought we had gotten over them. It became apparent that we hadn't until we both got some advice from other disciples later that week. We realized that we hadn't been turning to God first in our relationship, so we both had the heart to change that and things started going well again. As a whole, this weekend was fantastic, a lot of fun. I wouldn't have wanted to spend it with anyone else but my love, Victoria!
11 March 2004	Victoria and I had our fifth month together!
26-28 March 2004	What a weekend, what can I say? It's amazing to look back on my Valentine's Day entry just a month ago and see how Victoria's heart and mine, have changed. Labor Day weekend and the weekend I asked Victoria out were our two best weekends up to this point, but this one ranks in the top. We got closer this weekend than we've ever been, and now we both feel if we keep God in the center of our lives, He will allow us our hearts desire of getting married! :) A bold statement, I know, but being with her and connecting with her this weekend has left me feeling very sure and not worried about the details of the future. This was another weekend where Victoria and I had smiles so big it hurt our mouths. The sad part was the end; we hadn't seen each other in four weeks until this weekend, but then it was time for her to go. It was depressing, and she actually cried really hard towards the end, but we eventually got through it. Anyway, time for the details. Victoria came in on Friday after her class got out and we went to Grant Hall for dinner, then went to the McGlaughlin's home, on post, (where they let her stay for the weekend when she comes up) and we watched Sleepless in Seattle. It's a classic love story, we both enjoyed it of course. Saturday breakfast was again in Grant Hall (I definitely need a car!) again; then I had to form up with my company and march up to Michie stadium. Victoria met me up there, it was for the Army/Navy lacrosse game; neither of us had seen a lacrosse game before, so it was a first for the both of us. It was pretty enjoyable, it was cool having my girlfriend there to introduce to people (lol, she got a lot of looks, but back off she's mine!) ;) So, we enjoyed that, then we went back to the McGlaughlin's and talked for a while before we hopped in the car with Ken and went to the Palisades Mall. It was Victoria's first time there, so she was overwhelmed (4 levels of shopping + a girl = what do you expect?) :P Actually, I remember being amazed the first time I saw it; she "strongly indicated" she wants to come back again. We went with Ken to meet Don and Sissy there. We all ate at Macaroni Grill, then went to the movie theater; it was the new movie with Tom Hanks in it, but Victoria and I thought it was just awful. Every other word was a cuss word, they kept using the Lord's name in vain, and there were just some indecent scenes. I knew she didn't really like it either, so she and I left in the middle of it and went to Barnes and Nobles where we sat and talked and took pictures; oh, and of course she had a coffee ;) We chilled at the McGlaughlin's for a bit when we got back, then I had to come back to the barracks-I was on OPPs. Sunday Victoria and I hung out with Mr. and Mrs. Walulik (Stephanie's parents, and good friends of mine). They took us to Chili's for brunch and then came with us to church. It's the second time Victoria's made it to our church, because her parents don't like her going back to Staten Island in the dark. But, she made the sacrifice for God and we both enjoyed the service. Unfortunately, we had to leave in the middle of the sermon with the Waluliks to get her to the train station on time. As I said before, it was sad then because she had to go, but we looked forward to seeing each other in a few weeks.
1 April 2004	Lucky for us, God blessed us with an earlier opportunity to see each other. I had a glee club concert this day for the NIT finals. The basketball game was between Michigan and Rutgers, and the location was in Madison Square Gardens. I didn't even think about her coming, but when I mentioned our concert she thought she might be able to come see me for a bit. She was going to come after school got out and see me for about an hour before I had to sing for the game and then leave, but I managed to convince her (wasn't too hard, lol) to stay for the whole game so I could really get some time with her. Things were a little hectic, but I bought her a ticket and eventually found her when she came. I sang the National Anthem with Glee Club at the opening and then sat with her for the whole game, it was great to see her again, so soon!!! It did feel like a long four days between when I had seen her that past weekend. But, we enjoyed being at the game...because we were with each other. It was like time could stand still; we talked and hugged, and I didn't really see very many of the points scored, ha ha. But, it was fantastic! I even got to meet Bill Murray, and I had him sign my Ace of Spades from the deck of cards I had in my backpack.
11 April 2004	Victoria and I had our sixth month together!!
1-2 May 2004	Me and a few of the guys from my company, B-2, went to Philadelphia to run in the 25th anniversary of the Blue Cross Broad Street Run. We got there Saturday evening and signed in at the expo; then we went out to the city to eat and look around. Sunday morning the 10-mile race began. Our top guy was actually my plebe, Mark Adams, who came in with a chip time of 1 hour, 6 minutes, and 35 seconds. Mark and I were pretty competitive, me being his squad leader and all, so he was happy with his 53 second win over me, lol. :) We all had a great time. The order our group came in was Mark Adams, me, Edward "Andy" Ferriter, Paul Flanigen, Charles Seitz, William MacKenzie, and Sam Walker. So my stats were, overall place: 431, chip time: 1:07:28, average pace: 6:48.1, gender place: 379. There were a total of 10,684 runners; 4,466 were female and 6,218 were male. So my 431st place out of 10,684 runners makes me in the top 4.03% in the race, and my 379th gender place out of 6,218 guys makes me in the top 6.10% out of the males.
11 May 2004	Victoria and I had our seventh month together. This was the toughest time we had as a couple up to this point. She was going through her finals and my TEEs were the next week, so we didn't have a lot of time to talk and really connect with each other. She became distant and unattached; in fact, on this morning she first told me she was considering taking a break from me and going out with other guys or breaking up all together.
16 May 2004	Victoria and I got to a chance to talk last night (which went into this morning), so I think we really got a chance to connect tonight. Saturday she finished getting all of her stuff in her room packed up from Wagner to take home to West Virginia for the summer. She had also been helping orchestrate Jimmy's bridal shower and did a fantastic job with that as well on Saturday! The party was from 2-4, then her dad and brother picked her up and they hung out with her cousins in the Bronx. When they wake up today, they are going to drive back to West Virginia. Victoria and I have had a chance to talk to some of our brothers and sisters in the Lord, and they have all been doing a great job of encouraging us with the situation we are going through with our relationship. Victoria's talks of leaving me because of our futures and missing me were scaring me and depressing me pretty badly. I talked to a bunch of brothers, Elise, and even my friend Lucy from back home about it; they all tried to encourage me and to remind me that God has the ultimate plan for our lives. Over the past four days I've gone back and forth in accepting that; NOT that I don't believe it, but that it's been hard to deal with because I love Victoria SO much and don't want to lose her. But, God encouraged me in many ways and had a few people remind me of His plan, so it was really starting to sink in. Still, yesterday was the day I was most depressed about the situation; I couldn't stop thinking about her and what we were going through, but I needed to study for TEEs. So, I went to the library and brought my study material with me and God helped me focus and put it all out of my mind; it was great. Early morning on the 15th, we prayed to God for both of us to get more clarity on His will in our lives and with each other, and when we talked last night/this morning; she had gotten some good advice from a sister about God working things out in His time, whenever that might be. So, we talked about what the situation was looking like; I should not have brought up marriage with her in January. It was distracting us from the light-heartedness of the relationship we started out with, and it caused her to struggle more with temptation which caused me to struggle with it more as well. So, I apologized for that and she forgave me, and she apologized for hurting me but I was definitely thankful that she was open and honest with me about how she was feeling, even though it hurt me. I know that's probably one of the toughest things to be open and honest about when you know it hurts the other person, so thank you, sweetie :) So, we decided to devolve our relationship to the earlier stages where things weren't so complicated, so we can both focus on our schoolwork and, of course, God. God still hasn't made clear all the details of this summer and how things will work out between us, but I know that as long as we trust in Him and try to follow His will, all will be well :-D
26 May 2004	We had a 0555 formation this morning for breakfast, but just as we got into the mess hall the fire alarm went off. It was the first time since I've been here that the fire alarm has gone off in there. Then we went back to our rooms and changed, we had to form up for drill at 0720. We drilled until roughly 1030, it was a lot of drill. After that we were pretty much free for the rest of the day. Optional lunch was good, they served meatball subs and congo bar in the mess hall. Cows were allowed OPPs this week, so I called up Ken to see what he was doing. He invited me to come with him, his family, and his roommate to eat dinner, so we left post at 1800. I'm definitely looking forward to getting to spend a little bit of time with him before he leaves West Point...I have no clue when I'll next see him, HOPEFULLY for my graduation, next year.
28 May 2004	Today was cool because everyone came in early for graduation tomorrow. Stacey and Tosha flew up here, so we all got to hang out. It was great seeing everyone together again.
29 May 2004	Kenneth Yambing and Rashad Dames, my two brothers and close friends, graduated from West Point today! It was awesome!! Everyone came up to see them, and we had a graduation/going away party for them at Don and Sissy's house.
30 May 2004	I left on a plane from Albany, NY to go home to Kansas until July 3rd.
6 June 2004	I had my 21st birthday; I'm finally considered a full-fledged adult in terms of the law (not that I'm going to start drinking anyway)! I went with Dad, Kelly, Casey, Casey R., and Grandma Johnson to the Woodlands Race Tracks for the dog racing. It was Grandma's first time, and she was the only one that actually came out ahead (she picked the dog's by their names, lol). Then, Casey Blake and I met Annie, Papa, and Mom for dinner at Straud's restaurant.
10 June 2004	I left on a plane from Kansas City to D.C. on my way to West Virginia, but because my flight was delayed, I had to stay over night in that airport for almost 12 hours.
11 June 2004	I finished my flight from D.C. to Charleston, West Virginia. Victoria picked me up at the airport on her lunch break and we ate at Wendy's. She had a chicken salad, and I had a bacon cheeseburger. Then, she took me over to the hospital where her mom worked so she could get back to her job. I took a nap in the hospital and her mom drove me to their house. Victoria and I had our eighth month together, and this was also her 20th birthday. Her mom fixed a great dinner and a cake for us all. Victoria opened her gifts and cards; I meant to get her favorite kind of flowers, yellow daffodils. I accidentally got the wrong kind of flower though; I got her "June's Bloom-Asiatic Lilies" which looked really good, so she liked them anyway.
12 June 2004	Victoria and I went white water rafting down the New River together; it was all morning till the afternoon, and we had a blast. Then, we got to hang out with her grandparents and have yet another fantastic meal!
13 June 2004	Victoria and I went to church together at the Hurricane Church of Christ (mainline). It was actually a really good service, and we enjoyed singing the music together as well.
14 June 2004	Victoria had to go to work because it was a weekday, so Allie and I slept in and then played some piano, guitar, and Playstation 2. I made sure he was taking all of his meds, because he wasn't feeling so well since he'd just had his tonsils removed the week before. When Victoria got home, we went out with her old friends from show choir in high school, and we ate at TGIF Fridays. Then, she and I went with one of her friends to see the movie "Stepford Wives."
15 June 2004	Victoria had to go to work again, so I got to sleep in for the second day in a row. Allie and I chilled together again, and we learned to play some of "Stairway to Heaven" on the guitar together. We also played a lot of the FIFA soccer game on his Playstation 2; we had fun together again. When Victoria got home, she and I played Mario for Super Nintendo until it was time for another fantastic dinner prepared by her mother. Then, we went to a mall in Charleston where she picked up some make-up and she helped me pick out some shorts from Gap I liked. Then we stopped by the gas station where Julia Floyd (Tosha's mom) worked, to say hi. Then, we dropped by Ashley's house for a minute or two (another WV disciple). We finally headed back to Victoria's house, and at 22:42 she officially broke up with me. It was kinda mutual, because I knew it was what was best for her. She has a great future as a pediatrician ahead of her, and she has to focus on her schoolwork for the next two years and as she takes her MCATs. Then, she has to focus as she goes through medical school and then on through residency. She said she really didn't have time for a serious relationship and she couldn't deal with all the stress that goes into it. So...we broke up 8 months, 4 days, 4 hours, and about 17 minutes after she first said "I will" to going out with me. (From my journal) I think I'm finally convinced that this breakup is inevitable in coming. Victoria stopped kissing me on the lips two nights ago, so we're back to the cheek. She said she didn't think it was a good idea anymore, and I'm sure it has as much to do with trying to break away from me as trying to stay pure. I think my mind and body started to break away from her as well, yesterday. I felt numb at times and was very introspective with thoughts and not talking, Victoria said. I think that's what is happening to me; maybe God is trying to help prepare me for what must happen. Yet, amidst the numbness is also some pain; I know that with love as deep as mine for Victoria comes the possibility of being hurt and having your heart broken. I took that chance and loved her anyway, and now I'm paying for it. But, don't get me wrong; some say it is better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all, and in this case, I agree with that. My relationship with Victoria has been such an incredible and wonderful journey of love and growth, that it has definitely been something I would not take back. I know that God knows all the possibilities for my future, but I only see a few: 1. Go out with Victoria until the end of this school year and then break up, 2. Keep going out with Victoria and work out our futures because we love each other that much, or 3. Break up with Victoria this summer and hope and pray God brings her back into my life later and I resume my courtship with her, all the while trying to be the best friend and brother I can be to her while probably being depressed every time I see her or seeing something that reminds me of us and how great we were together. I know, I know, it looks gloomy and the true result will probably most resemble option 3. 11:40-Well, I got up this morning about 10:30, so I got about 8 hours of sleep. That's one thing I love about summer breaks, catching up on the year of sleep I miss at West Point. I ate some Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal, like I have every day here. :) Then, I called Victoria. Last night, when I finished this entry, I put my journal in front of Victoria's room for her to read this morning before going to work, so she could see what's been going through my mind these past few days. So, when I called her, about half an hour ago, she said, "It's hard." I said, "What's hard?" She said, "It's hard knowing what I need to do when I know it's not mutual and how much it hurts you." So, I guess this is it; the final few hours of our dating relationship are passing right in front of me as I sit around her house and wait for her to get back from work around 17:00. This evening we're going to try to meet Julia (Tosha's mom) at the mall and then see one of Victoria's friends at work. I guess after that will be our talk where she will break up with me, because tomorrow at 06:15, I head back home to Kansas. While we were on the phone, she also told me she thinks she's going to back out of her trip to Kansas now. She said we'll talk about it, but she doesn't see how it will be beneficial to her anymore. The more I think about it, the better that sounds; she even offered to pay me back for the plane ticket cancellation. I might take her up on that; she said doesn't want to waste any more of my money. I definitely have spent well over a thousand dollars on our relationship these past 8 months and 4 days, but it was worth every penny, and I'd spend it all again if I could keep going out with her. But, it's no use, there's nothing I can do at this point. She said the problem isn't me; it's her, so I really can't affect her decision. No amount of love could, she said; Victoria said she has to change some things in herself, by herself. She can't do that in a relationship, she said. Well, I'm sick of writing about this for now, so I think I'm just going to get some more sleep and wait for Victoria to get home.
16 June 2004	(From my journal) Well, what can I say? Let the pain and the healing begin; the pain certainly has. I hope the healing process is really quick, because I sure feel like butt. Last night at 22:42, Victoria and I officially broke up. We've been talking about it for the past seven weeks or so, since her finals, so I think that made it a little easier last night...kind of. The last two days, either God or my defense mechanism (probably both) has helped me sort of numb myself so I wouldn't feel so much pain. But, the love I had for Victoria, excuse me, have, for Victoria is so true and deep that even though I feel a little bit numb, I'm still feeling pain. I feel like I just want to hit my heart and beat all the pain out of it like an injury you hit to feel more short-term pain but feels better afterwards. I don't know how long this is going to last...maybe a few days, maybe a week, maybe a month, but hopefully not that long or longer. I really don't know what to expect though, because I really did give my heart to Victoria, and now I have ownership of it back, but it still longs to be with Victoria. When Mom divorced Todd my senior year of high school and told me, I thought it sucked, because I kinda loved him as a step-dad. However, that's about all I felt for that one day, that it kinda sucked. The next day, I don't even think it crossed my mind. When I broke up with Christy Boyce and later Rachel Dillard, I didn't love either one of them, so I really didn't feel much of anything, mostly just numb. When I broke up with Anna Gallo, I loved her to some extent with worldly love, and it took me a day or two to get over that, but I knew it needed to happen. Mostly, I just felt bad that she was hurting and I was the cause of it. It sucked as I went through our old stuff, but I threw away a lot of it and stopped looking at our pictures together, so I was fine. When Papa (Eddie Handlen) died, I was sad from the night before his funeral--when I was writing a speech for him--to the end of the day of his funeral. I cried when I read my speech, and that was it. I was fine by the next day, because I felt he was truly in a better place. So, that's most of the recent stuff that's happened that most people consider tragedies or really sad, and for some reason I always seem to recover extremely quickly from those types of things. For awhile, Satan tricked me into believing maybe that was because I really couldn't love someone, but it was simply another one of his lies. I think God just engineered me that way to cope with pain really well; now I just hope it isn't because I'm destined to go through a lot of heartache. I was hurting earlier last night/this morning from the breakup, but it's left since I started writing this all down in my journal. I think writing down these emotions is a good way God has provided for me to safely release these feelings instead of bottling everything up like I used to when I was younger. I think this helps keep me from doing that. Anyway, the pain has subsided and I'm tired, so I'm going to bed. It's 01:20 now and Mr. Lynch and I have to leave here at 04:30 for me to get to the airport at 05:15 for my 06:15 flight back home, so I need some rest. It's 05:25 now, and I'm hanging out in the Charleston, WV airport waiting for my flight. Luckily, both of my flights are on time so far *knock on wood. So, hopefully I won't have any delays this time. Mr. Lynch woke me up, and I gathered my stuff together, hugged Victoria good-bye (I won't get to see her for 2 months), and we jumped in the car. What do I feel right now? Kinda blah, not really much of anything, just tired. I'm not really thinking about Victoria too much, so I don't feel too bad. I saw a cute girl here in the airport, but the only beautiful face I want to see is Victoria's. Ok, so I'm thinking about her somewhat, but not too much. It's 06:03 now, and I just got on the plane; actually, I was the first one to board. We're about to head off to the Washington Dulles Airport any minute now. I'm gonna take a nap on this flight; g'night. It's 07:54 now, and I'm waiting in the D.C. airport for my flight to MCI; it leaves in about 40 minutes. I'm still doing well; I only felt a slight cringe and knot in my stomach for a minute when I was checking my messages, because I had three messages marked for deletion because of their age. They were all old messages from Victoria, so I saved them again. I guess at some point in time I'll go through and listen to all the messages one last time then delete them :( I think I'm going to put all of our stuff together in a shoebox: pictures, programs, everything we did together. If I'm lucky, I'll get to pull it all out again someday in the future if we decide to resume our courtship, like one of the guys did in the book I just read-Josh McDowell's, "Boy Meets Girl." I'm going to nap until my plane comes. Its 09:10 now, the plane was late because of the weather, but I just boarded the plane, so I should be good. I'll arrive in Kansas around 11:00, lol, I'll probably sleep when I get back too. ;) My flight out of West Virginia was at 06:15, so I hugged Victoria good-bye and her dad and I left the house at 05:35. My flight to D.C. took off on time with no problems, but my flight from there to KC was 30 minutes late. I still got into MCI Airport at 11:00 where Dad picked me up. Mom, Casey, and I went to Dickenson Westglen 18 and saw the movie "Saved" which was a horrible waste of time; it wasn't even all that funny. Then, we went to the Zimmerman Barn to practice our dance for Annie's upcoming surprise retirement party. Then, we ate dinner together at Jose Peppers and Casey and I came back to Dad's house. Casey, Casey R. and I played Super Smash Brothers on our Game Cube, as usual. After that, I called Elise Curtain and Rich Fortin to just talk with some disciples about what happened and see how they were doing. I've had a day to heal since my split with Victoria, so I'm doing a little better now. When I think about the good times Victoria and I had together, I get this knot in my stomach and a mixture of pain and numbness, but I'm doing pretty well as long as I don't think about her...that's the tricky part. The only good thing is that I know God will get me through this and this must be a part of His ultimate plan...somehow. Victoria and I broke up on friendly terms and with the belief that if it was in God's plan for us to ultimately be together, we would be open to that possibility sometime in the future. I don't want to give my hopes up, but if God doesn't take this smorgasbord of love for Victoria out of my heart and put someone even better in my life, I really hope that it is His will for us to continue our courtship.
19 June 2004	(From my journal) I made it back to Kansas safely; the flight from D.C. was about 30 minutes late. Dad picked me up, and we went back to his house. I told him what happened in West Virginia, that I was single again. I've told everyone in my family, so they wanted to know if Victoria was still coming to Kansas. She and I decided it would be best if she didn't come. I told her she could pay me half of the plane ticket, if she wanted, but since she finally got a job that paid her decent money, she insisted on paying me back for the whole thing. (She never did end up paying me back).
30 June 2004	(Most of this is from my journal) Much has happened so far in my summer break. I guess I should update my emotional status with Victoria...I think for the most part I'm over it...used to it. I don't feel a huge pain in my heart, and I don't think about her all the time or even every day. What do I feel? It depends on the situation or frame of mind I'm in. I think it is a mistake, and I know I'm missing out on growing with an intelligent and kind sister that I love and miss at times. I know Victoria has the potential to be a fantastic wife and mother; I hate knowing I'm missing the opportunity to watch her grow as a Christian woman and into these roles. Our communication since our break up has consisted of three, relatively short, conversations. Since she's taking it harder than I am (even though she's the one that pushed for the split) I told her just to call me when she's comfortable. So, 3 short talks in 15 days...it doesn't sound like good friends to me, so I called and left her a message last night. So, hopefully she'll return my call. Ok, now that I'm missing her, I'm going to change the subject. Movies: I've seen a lot of them this summer. Actually, I've probably seen most of the new ones: Harry Potter 3 (twice), Shrek 2 (twice), Saved, Day After Tomorrow, The Chronicles of Riddick, Raising Helent, The Stepford Wives (with Victoria in WV), Terminal, Dodgeball, Mean Girls, and Troy. This summer break has been fantastic in some ways, and sad/bad in others. I've had a lot of time to relax and chill. Obviously, I've seen a ton of movies, I've gone bowling twice (once with the KC's and once with Lucy Rumsey), I've eaten out quite a bit, I've lifted weights twice with Casey R. at the Lenexa Health Club, I've ran with Casey at summer Cross-Country training and became friends with a few of his friends, Casey-Chris Peterson-and I competed in a 5K road race where Casey got second in his age division-Chris got third-and I got third in my age division-so we swept up the medals, Casey and I did the Relay For Life, I took a trip to West Virginia for the second time but my girlfriend dumped me, Victoria and I had a blast white water rafting down the New River and I got to say hi to Tosha's Mom-Julia, I had my 21st birthday without any alcohol-Dad took me to the Woodlands dog tracks-Annie took me to Straud's, Lucy and I placed some TV bets at the Woodlands a few days before that, I helped Mom set up a garage sale but she only sold three things, Casey and I helped Mom set up a surprise retirement party for Annie, Annie-Mom-Casey-and I sang a song at Indian Heights United Methodist Church, Mom surprised me by coming to my KC Church of Christ service on Father's Day morning and I went to one of hers that evening. So, for just over a month of break, I've still kept pretty busy, as usual. ;) Also, today, I got the title to my car from Mom; I got my old car back from Casey, my 1993 Nissan Altima. I took it to MAACO again to get it repainted (hopefully better this time), and I'm driving it up to NY. Actually, I'm road tripping on the way up there. On Friday, I leave for TN where Tosha and I will get to hang out for the Fourth of July weekend. We're going to stop by her mom's house in Charleston, WV and then go up to Virginia Beach to stay with Phil and Leslie. Then, Tosha has to fly back to TN, and I'll continue my trip up to NY alone from there. I'm heading back to West Point to be a platoon leader for Beast 2.
9 July 2004	Today I finished making sure my platoon had all of their TA-50 and LCE equipment ready for this weekend. We have something similar to the Com's challenge out at Buckner where we'll compete against other companies in different events. We don't know the specifics but some of the stuff will involve land nav, some shooting, some water obstacle course stuff, and more. Right now my Beast 2 Platoon consists of me, my PSG, and my four squad leaders. We are 3rd Platoon of G-Company for this second detail of Beast. In two Sundays we will finally get our new cadets (incoming freshman); we'll have about 38 of them. So, I'm in charge of roughly 43 people this summer; I think I'm going to really enjoy this job. We'll see how it develops over these next 5 weeks.
10 August 2004	This was the morning I got back from the 15-mile road march from Warrior's Forge. I felt good overall, but the pain started kicking in in the last 2 miles from the ski slope back to West Point; it was mostly my shoulders that were hurting. We got back and I started getting my room set up, but I had to go to lunch and didn't even have time to shower. I eventually got to shower and then went to dinner. I had a meeting with Major Berry to discuss how I did as a PL for Beast 2; he gave me a C for a grade, but he said I did a good job. He told me I just need to be a little more confident in my leadership skills and jump in feet first, so that's still an area I need to work on, even from plebe year. I had a great time as a PL overall for Beast 2; I found out some of my strenths and weaknesses, but it was a great learning experience and fun as well. I'm in the headquarters/1st section of 4th platoon for this academic year. My section leader is Noah Pyle, my PL is Mike Bennon, and Tyler Stegman is the XO. Cecil Wolberton is the CO and he made me trunkroom officer (even though I was trunkroom sergeant last year). I'm pretty sure it's because he still doesn't like me and hasn't since yuk year, though he says I did "such a great job last year" that he wanted me to do it again.
16 August 2004	The first day of school, yay...not. From the 10th till yesterday was Re-Orgy week, so I had to get my room set up, grab my books, and do all the other fun tasks that are required before school starts. I was originally going to have the room to myself again, but on the 12th I got my roomate, Joe Tobin; he's an exchange cadet from Canada (the first year they've come here). He seems to be a really nice guy, though he does have an affinity for drinking.
1 September 2004	Yet another day of class, and I missed mid-week service because of our company auction. The upside was that after the auction, I went down to the uniform show at Ike Hall with Second Regiment to get fitted for uniforms and decide how many I would get for when I graduate and become a 2nd Lieutenant.
3 September 2004	Phew, third week of class down; it's actually going relatively quickly. Soon, the first month will be gone. We already have less than 9 months until graduation as it is. I got through Applied Statistics-MA376, Interactions Between Humans and Computers-PL475, and Decision Analysis-SE385. Then, I pretty muched racked out the whole afternoon until it was time for my 2 Friday hours. I was in a hurt box when I came down because I had forgotten my red sash and didn't remember how to put the white saber holder on. Thankfully, my classmates fixed my uniform and I didn't get cut any hours (though I did have to change my shirt and I needed to shine my hat brass). After hours got out, I ate quickly and then called a few friends to see if anyone wanted to hang out at the Palisades Mall. I eventually got ahold of Genik, so I went and picked her up and we saw a 9:20 showing of Anacondas: The Hunt. It was the sequel to the first movie: Anaconda. We actually just passed Steve Kinard and his wife as we were going in and they were going out. I got Genik and I a Super Combo-Large Drink and Large Popcorn and we went in. The movie turned out to be pretty decent, I laughed through the whole thing, it was wicked funny :) Then, I dropped her off and went back to the Palisades for some dance machine action in Dave and Busters. I think I'm getting better at it, and I saw a group of people doing it too who seem to be there quite often. We all had fun.
4 September 2004	I'm about to go finish my last 3 hours of my 5 (2 I did yesterday) which I got for parking in Clinton lot during my Beast detail; I guess they said I was trying to impersonate and officer or some nonsense. But, I shouldn't have parked their anyway, so now I'm paying for it. Oh well, as soon as I get done, I'm taking off for Stewart Airport in Newburgh to fly down to Fort Worth Texas to see Nancy Perkins and Jeff Preston's wedding :-D It sounds like a ton of people will be there Phil and Leslie, Don and Sissy, Mike and Melissa, Tosha, and Dawn Padgett, a whole bunch. Rashad couldn't make it because he's going home to North Carolina to see Julie Perez, his girlfriend. After Rashad graduated, he went to Fort Monmouth, New Jersey to help the prep school kids with basketball. I can't remember what the job position is called, some kind of assistant, but he seems to enjoy it a lot, and at least we don't have to worry about him going to Iraq for awhile. Ken, on the other hand, is in Alabama going through flight school, and if memory serves me, I think he's just been doing his actual first week of flying. Today I'm leaving on Delta Airlines from Stewart Airport at 17:45 and eventually getting to Dallas/Fort Worth International at 22:03 tonight.
5 December 2004	Well, overall the wedding was great, and the weekend was a lot of fun. I got to hang out with Tosha, which was, of course, cool. I got into the airport Saturday evening around 22:00, but Tosha wasn't able to pick me up for over an hour. Then, on the way from the airport back to the hotel where she was staying she got lost. We were lost for hours, but it gave us a good amount of time to chill and talk. By the time we got there I was ready to pass out, which I did. The wedding was fun; it was the first wedding I've been to since my dad got married to Kelly when I was like 11 or 12. I was a little nervous that I would do something stupid, but Tosha assured me I wouldn't. Everything was going great; the meal was pretty good too. The dancing was a blast, Tosha and I danced a bit and we did some group dancing. The stupid thing I was worried about doing; yeah, it happened. Nancy and Jeff threw the boquet and the garter, and this really beautiful blonde caught the boquet. Guess who caught the garter? Guess who didn't know what happens after a person catches the garter? Yeah, that was me on both counts; I went onto the dance floor with all the guys and my competitive nature led me to go for whatever was thrown so I could "win." It was thrown way over our heads, but I made a diving slide for it and got it. Lol, that part was fun; I was so excited. However, that was until they announced what it is that the guy with the garter and the girl with the boquet do; the guy puts the garter on the leg of that girl. I honestly didn't know how high a garter was supposed to go; I thought it went all the way up the leg. At first when they made that announcement I just blushed and got really nervous; I couldn't believe this was happening. But, I wanted to be a good sport and didn't really think about it. She sat in a chair and I started to pull the garter up her leg...when I got to a bit above her knee I paused because I was nervous, but the crowd was cheering, so I kept going up and up. Well, like I said I thought the garter was supposed to go all the way up the leg, and I got it all the way up the leg. The guys were going crazy and cheering and laughing; she had a shocked look on her face for about a second and then smiled. I felt cool for "getting the job done." I didn't really think much else besides that and that she was beautiful. I wasn't feeling her leg or anything; I was just putting the garter up it and I obviously didn't look at anything. Anyway, Tosha, Sissy, and Mike talked to me about it later in the day. Tosha couldn't believe it, and she said Sissy was almost horrified and said, "I've never seen anything like that before." I don't think that was said in a good way. Luckily, Tosha talked to me first and let me know what was wrong and when I started actually thinking about it, it sank in and it was obvious what I did wrong and it had a bad image on me as a disciple. Sissy asked me if anyone had talked to me, so I told her Tosha did, which was good so Sissy didn't say much other than that. Mike Block talked to me about it for a minute about it, but he was mostly just ribbing me and giving me a hard time about it. After that she and I got a dance, just the two of us and we started talking. Then, on the next song her friends came over and started asking questions, and I could tell the blonde girl in the red dress liked me and her and her friends invited me to come hang with them after the wedding. But, they were just going to the bars to get drunk. It crossed my mind to go with them and just not drink, but I knew it would be best not to and after talking to Mike, I just didn't go. Mike and I had a great conversation about Bible Talk and Iraq and being a Christian for like an hour; it was the longest conversation we'd ever had. And, it was great to see Phil and Leslie again, and even Dawn Padgett was there, which was cool.
1 October 2004	Well, it's 12:04 a.m. which means it's past "lights out." Lights out is a new policy this year that says all cadets are supposed to be in bed with all of their lights out at midnight. It works well for morning people, but not so good for night people, like me. Especially when I still have homework to do or I'm talking to someone on IM or e-mail. Obviously, a lot has happened in the past month. I got my six week grades, but they didn't look so good. I got a D in my Systems Engineering class; I bombed the first WPR...ouch. I just ran out of time at the end for the last 2 or 3 problems; they were blank :( I also got a C- in my military history class, because I didn't do so hot on my Battle of Saratoga paper. Still, I'm pretty confident that I will be able to bring both of those grades up. I have just really been slacking on doing homework...I don't know if it's senioritis or just laziness or a combination of both. Most everything else is in the C range, but as long as I graduate and get out of this place, I'll be happy. Things have been very weird for me this past month and a half of school in the area of girls. I don't even really know how to begin, so I'll just jump in. Obviously, Victoria broke up with me June 15th, so now it's been well over 3 months since we split. I eventually found myself starting to like girls again, and I feel at times like I'm "in the hunt" for the right one. It's a weird thing to explain, and I thought they said it was women that felt the biological clock ticking. For some reason, every year I feel older and older and I have a hard time seeing things working out with meeting someone while I'm in the Army, especially if I'm deployed. At first, I thought I'd like to be with a civillian, but now I'm not so sure. There are a lot of benefits to a girlfriend or wife being in the military; especially in the area of understanding what's going on in your life and what you are dealing with. Anyway, back to the point, I found myself liking Sarah Jones again, but I didn't really think that would work out; I finally e-mailed her about what I was feeling and she said that she didn't think it would work either because of our differences in theologies (AOG vs. ICOC). I figured that would be the end of that, so now we're still just good friends. Then there was another girl who came along, Kate. She's in one of my computer classes, and we're actually project partners. I think she started to like me and I became attracted to part of her personality through our talks. She's a huge outdoors fan and loves to hike, and climb, and skate, and backpack, and camp; all these great things!!! But, we talked about things and neither of us thought it would work out. She's a Lutheran and, like Sarah, we believe completely different things about baptism and didn't feel we'd be compatible in that area. Some might say it's a shame for a relationship not to work out based on religion, but for Christians, we know that it is such an important thing to have in common. Also, it's better for it to not get started than to get attached and for it to become a constant source of disagreements and then end. Now, the tricky part is this: though I know that to be true, I still find myself wondering if things could still work out with a person. And, would I really want it to? It's interesting that my grandmother is a United Methodist and my step-grandfather is a Jew, yet they've managed to be together how many years now? A ton. Still, to go to church every Sunday and not have that person with you...it would just be a shame. Maybe even worse would be that person coming with you to church but never really internalizing it and becoming a Christian themselves. Which brings me to the third and final person I've been dealing with. I became friends with this girl through some of our common interests. There are some things about her that just seem mysterious, because she doesn't like to talk about herself much. But, I feel like we've managed to make a connection, whatever that means, and she is slowly starting to open up to me. We always seem to have a good time when we hang out, though those times seem to be relatively few and far between. The problem is...well, one of the two problems. The other one I won't even mention because I don't exactly agree with it. One of the problems is that she is a Catholic, and on top of that she is an "I go to church on Sunday, so I'm good" kind of person. (Which is understandable because I've heard from people who used to be Catholic that it's a pretty common theme within the Catholic church). So, one would think that it would be an easy "of course not" because of what it says in the Bible in 2 Corinthians 6:14-15, but it hasn't been. There have been times when I just couldn't get her out of my head, and I had to ask God to take it away from me. Luckily for me, she doesn't seem like she is very situationally aware at times, or at least in certain areas. Kinda reminds me of Tosha. No matter how many clues or hints I drop or other indirect ways of telling her; she still seems to have no clue. I can't seem to get it through to her, and even if I am and she knows, she hasn't said anything back. I'm in the dark as to how she feels, so I told her on IM one night that whenever she was ready to come out of hiding about that and about her life, she should. The "ball is in her court" so, we'll just have to wait and see what happens...
2 October 2004	Well, today's home football game again Texas Christian University was the second most spirited and one of the saddest games I've seen for the Black Knights, all in one. Coach Bobby Ross is really turning our team around (lol, as he should be with the amount of money West Point is paying him). But, that's the price of hiring a legend! Things were going so well; by the end of the first half Army was up over TCU 17-0. It was a shut out up to that point. TCU came back strong in the third quarter with 2 touch downs and the score was 17-14, but by the second half of the game our speed advantage seemed to have given way to tiredness and their players started crushing us by sheer body mass. The difference in size of their players and ours was just...(fill in the blank). It was crazy, it was sad, it was impossible, there was just such a huge difference, I think it helped them muscle their way through us the last two quarters and the final score was 17-21 TCU. During the game, Lindsey McNamara stood by me so she could ask me questions about how football works. Lol, I at least knew enough to answer her questions, though I'm not the most well-versed in football stuff. I'm not the typical male sitting in front of my tv watching sports all the time, and I don't read Sports Illustrated, and I don't know the latest information on any sport's teams seasons or the players. She asked me what I was doing after the game, and I was thinking about hitting the mall anyway, so we hit the Palisades Mall. We ate some chinese food and then watched Bernie Mac's "Mr. 3000." It was as funny as I thought it would be, and it had a happy ending too. :-D Then, I hit the dance machine for one round and then we came back to the Point. It was a good time.
21 October 2004	A mistake.
28 October 2004	Well, I finally did it; I had my first alcoholic drinks since my grandma gave me a sip of wine in Spain when I was 13 (which was nasty by the way). I didn't drink at all back on June 6th, my 21st birthday, as I wrote on my post for that day. Today, my roomate and a few people from the company (and a few from other companies) took me to the Officer's Club where Joe bought me my first drink, a screwdriver; it's made from mostly orange juice and some vodka. But, it wasn't really all that good, didn't taste much like orange juice. :( I sipped it for a little bit and it kinda burned my tongue a bit, not like it was hot...but just a tad spicy. I told Joe I just couldn't drink it anymore after a bit; it was too gross. So, Wade Smith let me try his drink; it was called a sour memosa? Something like that. It was a lot better; it tasted kinda like sour apple jolly ranchers and I could actually drink it. So, I think it was Eric who bought me one of those. It was better, but I still had to drink it pretty slow because it was sour. These drinks came in little, clear, plastic cups with ice in them. I finished that one; it made my tongue and my throat a little warm. Joe bought me my second one of those, and I got through it all too. When I walked over to the next room to see Todd Bryant dressed up as a nun (Haloween costume) I felt good except I felt like something was a little weird...like I walked through a little cloud for a split second. I took a few steps back and walked forward again, but the feeling was gone...it was like I felt something in the air, a shadow, but it was gone. We eventually got up to leave, and we headed over to the Firstie Club. I guess it's a big thing to have a few harder drinks at the O-Club, and then people have beer at the firstie club. We made our way down there and Eric bought me a sour apple Smirnoff, but I didn't have much of that because it was way too sour! I tried a small sip of beer foam, but it was gross and kinda watery; I knew I wouldn't like it. I just took some small sips of my sour apple drink, but I decided it was time to go. So, I went down, did the whole social thing, drank a few drinks, and left. I wasn't going to get drunk, because drunkeness is a sin, but I wanted to show people that I didn't hate people who drank, and that I didn't think drinking was some forbidden thing: just that getting drunk was wrong. I feel like it was almost a test in a way, so many people don't have that kind of experience when they first drink. But, I didn't get drunk, and I wasn't even tempted to. Most of the drinks weren't all that good anyway, and I don't even plan on drinking again until who knows when. I actually ran back up to the barracks from the firstie club and hit all the stairs fine, so for someone who's never drank before, I must have a normal toleration level. It was also just a good time hanging out with some people in the company I've never hung out with before.
3 November 2005	Wow, another spiritual birthday; it's hard to believe. This one felt like it went a lot slower than last year's. It's a crazy time to be having a spiritual birthday after the mistakes I've made. Also, none of the NY disciples remembered it was my spiritual birthday.
January 9-11, 2005	I officially began moving into Newman Hall at my new school (BC), and I registered for classes.
January 12, 2005	I had my very first classes at BC.
February 4, 2005	At 10:35 p.m. I officialy asked Stephanie Waterman if she would go out with me and she said yes.
March 4, 2005	Stephanie and I had our first month together.
March 18-29, 2005	I got to spend Spring Break with Stephanie's family in Center Point, Iowa. It was a lot of fun! They were all really nice. Her brother (Stephen) and I played video games, so we got along well. Steph's dad, Stephen, Stephanie, and I got to go clay pigeon shooting for her birthday (which is on March 25th). It was my first time; it was a blast!
April 4, 2005	Stephanie and I had our second month together.
April 12, 2005	The long story short, I left West Point in December and came back home to Kansas. I got to chill at home for December and half of January until school started. I looked at about 10 schools to finish my senior year at, and I finally chose a small, quiet school where I didn't know anybody there. The most interesting part about the school is that it's a Catholic school. It's the last place I thought I would have gone to, but God is a joker sometimes, and I felt this was the right place for me to go. It wasn't too tough transitioning back to civillian life. I just had to make sure I didn't drop any h-bombs (hooah's), but that wasn't a problem. I've found that for the first time in over 3 years, I'm enjoying going to school. I'm finally back on a track team. There's no way I could make the team at West Point because it was so competitive, but here I'm doing pretty well. I already got a school record in the 1500 meter run at the North West track meet with a time of 4:23:00.
April 19, 2005	I had an interview at 7:45 this morning with Sprint on 95th and Metcalf. It was a follow-up interview to the one we had at the COSMC-KC interview day. I think it went pretty well, so I hope to hear back from them.
April 26, 2005	Life is pretty busy; there's only one more week of school and then finals. I have four or five homework assignments this week, but overall it's not too bad. This Saturday we have our last track meet before Conference. It's going to be at UMKC-The University of Missouri in Kansas City. This semester has gone so fast, and it's been a lot of fun at the same time. Things are going really well with Stephanie. She is an amazing girl; we have so much in common, it's uncanny. I definitely love her a ton!
May 4, 2005	Stephanie and I had our third month together.
May 14, 2005	Well, today is graduation day; well, kinda. I walk today at BC, but I actually graduate in December. Since they don't have a ceremony for December grads, I decided to walk this May. It's 5:54 a.m. now because I'm cleaning up my room so I can leave soon after graduation. I'm not sure of my exact plans for the summer, other than the fact that I have to get a job. I might stay at Mom's, Annie's, Dad's, or a late development-with Stephanie's family. If I can't get a job in Kansas City, I might have the opportunity to find a job in Iowa and stay with Stephanie's family again. We'll see what happens. I think her family is pretty cool, I had a great time staying over there for Spring Break. :)
June 4, 2005	Stephanie and I had our fourth month together.
June 6, 2005	This was my 22nd birthday.
July 4, 2005	Stephanie and I had our fifth month together.
August 4, 2005	Stephanie and I had our sixth month together.
September 4, 2005	Stephanie and I had our seventh month together.
October 4, 2005	Stephanie and I had our eighth month together.
November 4, 2005	Stephanie and I had our ninth month together.
December 4, 2005	Stephanie and I had our tenth month together.
December 30, 2005	DAY 1 - I left with the Benedictine College Chamber Singers and the University of St. Mary Chamber Singers on a plane to Milan, Italy through Peter's Way Tours Inc. Annie helped me pay for this choir trip as my graduation gift; we got to spend 10 days in Italy and sang for the Pope twice!
December 31, 2005	DAY 2 - The itinerary for the day: "Upon your arrival at Milan Malpensa Airport, your Peter's Way Tour Director, Silvia Ferrair, will meet you and assist you through customs. Your luggage will be transferred to a comfortable touring bus and soon you will be on your way to the lovely town of Padua. Visit the Basilica of St. Anthony, with its famous Chapel of the Relics and contains the actual tongue and lower jawbone of the Saint. The Basilica, also contains a mixture of Gothic, Romanesque, and Byzantine architecture, and houses a huge collection of art treasures. Independent lunch. Then you will continue on to Mestre, a suburb of Venice. Check-in at hotel in Mestre. Late evening you will be transferred to Venice. This lovely and famous Lagoon-City on the Adriatic Coast is like a giant maze with its tiny alleys and hidden piazzas linked by narrow footbridges over many large and small canals. Enjoy the New Year acivities in Venice (to be advised). Dinner and overnight at Hotel Alexander."
January 1, 2006	DAY 3 - The itinerary for the day: "After a continental breakfast, we start our walking tour at Venice's hub of activity, Piazza San Marco, which is lined with galleries, luxury shows and charming cafe's. As you will see, dominating the Square is the magnificent Basilica San Marco where the mixture of styles - Byzantine, Romanesque and Gothic - and ornate decoration reflect Venice's history. Marvel at the shimmering mosaics encrusted on its interior walls, the precious sculptures and rare marbles. Admire the Campanile, its simple lines are a sharp contrast to the sumptous decor of the church and Clock Tower where famous Moors have been striking the hours for over 500 years. Continue to the Bridge of Sighs which connects to the Doges' Palace and the Piombi Prisons. The bridge is so named because of the sad laments of the prisoners as they were led across it to certain torture and possible death. Independent lunch and leisure time. Don't miss out on the optional gondola trip, gliding along the picturesque canals with a local troubadour to serenade you. This evening, you will be transferred to St. Mark's Cathedral for the 6:45 p.m. Feast Day Mass at which the Chamber Singers will sing for the Mass. Dinner and overnight at Hotel Alexander."
January 2, 2006	DAY 4 - The itinerary for the day: "After a continental breakfast, you will leave Mestre and continue to Ravenna. Ravenna means mosaics, specifically the wonderful Byzantine mosaics in the 6th-century Church of San Vitale. Enjoy informal singing at the Church of San Vitale in Ravenna. Independent lunch. Time will be given to browse around in Ravenna. Then you will drive though the gentle Tuscan hills that have for centuries inspired saints, artists and admireres of the beauty of the Renaissance city of Florence. Befre you check-in at your hotle, a visit will be made to the 13th century Franciscan Church of the Holy Cross which holds the tombs of the gretest of Florentine men. Check in at your hotel in Florence. This evening you will be transferred to the Duomo for 6:00 p.m. scheduled evening Mass as sung by the Benedictine College and University of St. Mary Chamber Singers. Dinner and overnight at Hotel Mediterraneo."
January 3, 2006	DAY 5 - The itinerary for the day: "After a continental breakfast, your local guide will be ready to take you to the Accademica which holds the superb "David" by Michelangelo. Continue to the beautiful Piazza Del Duomo and the delicately pattterned green, white and pink Cathedral of Santa Maria Del Fiore, crowned with its magnificent Dome by Brunelleschi; Giotto's Bell Tower; and the Romanesque Baptistry of St. John, with the exquisite bronze doors by Ghiberti which Michelangelo called the Gates of Paradise. Independent lunch. This afternon, you will leave Florence for the "Eternal City." History evolving over 2,500 years wil be made visible for you by the Roman ruins, 15th-century churches, 17th-century palcaces and 20th-century monuments. Check in at hotel. Dinner and overnight at Hotel Nova Domus."
January 4, 2006	Stephanie and I had our eleventh month together. DAY 6 - The itinerary for the day: "Continental breakfast at your hotel. You will then be transported into the heart of Christendom for an audience with our Holy Father, Benedict XVI. The Benedictine College and University of St. Mary Chamber Singers will sing a selection for him when announced during the English language portion. This will be an experience that you will never forget! Independent lunch. This afternoon, you will continue your day with a visit to the Church of St. Peter in Chains to see the original chains in which St. Peter was brought captive to Rome and the statue of Moses, one of Michelangelo's greatest masterpieces. Then you will continue on to the ancient Roman Forum. See the Arch of Titus and the Arch of Constantine. Proceed to the Coliseum for a fascinating explanation of its history. Continue on to the grandios white marble monument of King Victor Emmanuel II, often called the "Wedidng Cake." See the Trojan Column and the Market (the ancient Roman equivalent of a department store). Dinner and overnight at Hotel Nove Domus."
January 5, 2006	DAY 7 - The itinerary for the day: "After a continental breakfast, board your comfortable motorcoach for an exursion to Assisi, one of the high points of any travel experience. After a two-hour ride you will see Assisi on a mountain top. The narrow lanes, the Shrines of Saint Francis and the overwhleming art dedicated to its young friar - a rich young man who turned to God after an illness and established an order that has grown stronger over the centuries. Visit the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli which is a great basilica built in 1569 crowned by the magnificent dome designed by Alessi. It encloses the shrine of the "Porziuncula" or the Little Portion Chapel around which the first Franciscan community was centered, the place where Clare received the habit from Francis, and the Capella Del Transito which marks the spot where the Saint died. You will see the statue of Saint Francis in the courtyard, where thornless roses bloom. Continuing, you will visit the Basilica of St. Clare, the first and most important heroine of the Franciscan movement. View her remains and see the Miraculous Crucifix. Stop for lunch on your own and do some shopping. This afternoon we celebrate 3:00 p.m. Mass at the Basilica of Saint Francis sung by the Benedictine College and University of St. Mary Chamber Singers. Then you will visit the Basilica of St. Francis where the body of the Saint is buried. Here you will marvel at the world-famous Giotto Frescoes depicting scenes from the life of St. Francis. Dinner will be served at a local restaurant in Assisi. Return to Rome in your comfortable motorcoach for overnight at Hotel Nova Domus."
January 8, 2006	Stephanie and I broke up.
January 30, 2006	This was my first day working for the Federal Reserve Bank in downtown Kansas City, MO.
June 6, 2006	This was my 23rd birthday.
June 7, 2006	After work, I drove over to the Hyatt Regency Hotel downtown to go meet Victoria. I hadn't seen her in a long time, and she was in Kansas City for a Hope Worldwide Misson Trip training session to talk about abstinence throughout the United States. We talked for a good while and caught up, then we went to go eat dinner with several other disciples from the Kansas City Church of Christ. It wasn't as ackward as I thought it was going to be, and we ended up having a great evening!
October 1, 2006	This was the day I asked (Mandy) Lamanda Louann Lemmon to be my girlfriend!
November 1, 2006	Mandy and I had our first month together!
December 1, 2006	Mandy and I had our second month together!
January 1, 2007	Mandy and I had our third month together! Also, starting in 2007, we started going to the Kansas City Church of Christ rather than the Lawrence Church of Christ because of location and eventually for raising our kids in it.
January 29, 2007	This was my first day working for Cerner Corporation in North Kansas City, MO.
February 1, 2007	Mandy and I had our fourth month together!
February 17, 2007	I asked Mandy to be my wife, and she said yes!
March 1, 2007	Mandy and I had our fifth month together!
April 1, 2007	Mandy and I had our sixth month together! She came back from her work trip to Las Vegas, Nevada and we went out to dinner with Dad, Kelly, Casey, Casey's friend, Casey R., and his girlfriend Katie at Cinzetti's. Then, Mandy and I drove to a park and relaxed for several hours; pure bliss!
April 4, 2007	I was in my third week of System Engineer Jumpstart classes at Cerner, which went pretty well. Some of the days were long, but overall it was very educational. After I got off work, I picked up some (blue) iris and (yellow) tulip flowers for Mandy to surprise her; I also had a coupon for Long Branch Steakhouse that I was going to take her to for dinner. However, when I told her we were going out she wanted to change clothes, and by the time we got there, there wasn't enough time to eat before Bible Talk. We ended up going to the McDonald's across the street (a very romantic meal). :-) Then we went to Bible Talk, and afterwards Mandy studied the Bible with Cathy and Annette, and I talked to Charlie and the two Jeff's.