Well, the government shutdown has come to a screeching halt two days after its implementation.  But not before some damage was done.

In my little corner of the Army alone I had to cancel long planned professional development seminars scheduled at Yongsan and Humphreys this week.  60+ participants were disappointed, but damn, the instructors who flew in from DC on Saturday had to get back on a plane Monday morning (no travel expenses allowed during shutdown) and go home really suffered.  By the time they landed, the furlough was over.  Government at it’s best ladies and gentlemen.

I’m especially disappointed because I didn’t get the chance to try out any of these pickup lines…

There is no question that the Democrats blinked.  Their lame efforts to blame the shutdown on Trump weren’t fooling anyone but the most ignorant of partisans.

It’s all about the math.

Ah well, enough of politics.  I need to prepare an AAR (after action report) sharing the lessons learned with the CG.  I’ll be better prepared come the next go-round in February.

In other news, I’ve got a slew of medical stuff on the horizon.  Went to the on-base medical clinic today to get new prescriptions for my COPD drugs.  Had a nice female Korean doctor who had actually treated me way back in 2008.  She didn’t remember me (other than from my medical records on her computer) so I told her “yeah, back in 2008 you said I only had 10 years left to live!  Oh hell, it’s 2018!”  I guess my “humor” went over her head, but the young soldier nurse chuckled.  Anyway, she wants me to get a CT scan to check out some lung nodules.  I’ll have to go up to Seoul for that, which gives me a good excuse to visit the big city.

Thursday I go to Good Morning hospital to see my prostate doctor.  The pee is flowing better these days, so that’s a good thing.  Need those prescriptions renewed too.

And then on Friday I’m doing the complete physical regimen at GMH, including the dreaded colonoscopy and endoscopy.  Hope they knock me out for both.  But I want to have a clean bill of health (or at least be aware of any potential problems) before I make the big move to the Philippines.  So, another step down that road.

And finally, a friend posted this on Facebook and it really resonated:

Commenter Kevin had quoted a Gibran poem I really liked a few days ago. And this quote, well, damn. It is so fucking true it hurts. Love. Can’t live with it, can’t live without it.

Hope springs eternal nonetheless….