Wake Me When September Ends

August was an interesting month. I got a lot done. Some crazy things, like watching the movie Grand Champion www.grandchampionthemovie.com in which my friend Sher has a brief appearance as an extra. Then Hurricane Katrina hit. I decided to help out by donating to the Red Cross www.redcross.org and shopping at both Salvation Army and St. Vincent DePaul stores. I still haven't heard from my friend Melody in Mississippi. I also began running and working out again to lose weight and get back in shape.

September walked in on me and Chief Justice Rehnquist and Bob Denver walked out. My nephews got a year older. I spent several days watching HBO's Band of Brother's miniseries http://www.hbo.com/band/landing/currahee.html. The spa guy repaired my broken spa and I once again got to soak. I finally paid a few bucks and got the results of a career personality survey www.assessment.com I took two years ago; do I look like a recreation therapist?

Toward the end of the month, I spent a day at Gammon's Gulch www.gammonsgulch.com working as a photo assistant for a professional photographer www.commotionstudios.net shooting photos of two models www.amybarraco.com on an old west film location. I learned a good deal about photographing people and had a fun time.

I attended my old boss's retirement. He was a colonel when I worked for him, but he retired as a two-star general. It was good to see him and a few of the folks I used to work with here at Fort Huachuca huachuca-www.army.mil. It was my first time at the fort since I left here in early 1997.

In early October, I began putting together photos to submit to the Mirage magazine at Cochise College http://www.cochise.cc.az.us/information/students/mirage/index.asp. I also received news that my friend Cher's mother, who had bone cancer, is now cancer free. My back pain is still around, so I took my friend Patti's advice and began sleeping on my back rather than my sides.