Delayed Gratification

I hadn't shared this with you yet, but I was supposed to go home this Saturday. It looked like things had slowed down enough that my boss here could handle things on his own, so he and the main office had told me I would be returning home on the 21st. I began to get into that frame of mind I always inhabit when I'm close to going home; excited to see my wife, family and friends, looking forward to relaxing some after the long hours and full weeks that are usually part and parcel of deployments, and anticipating a bit more free time to write.

Cindy complains that, from the moment I am called to prepare to go out on an assignment, my mind leaves home before my body. She is absolutely right, but the reverse is true as well. Once I know a "demobilization" date, my mind is back home before my body.

So, thinking I was going home this Saturday I braved the cold and rain this past Sunday morning to go out to The Kentucky Horse Park to take photos of horses because I thought it would be my last chance to do so and it just seemed almost sacrilegious to leave Kentucky without taking photographs of some of the marvelous equine creatures that this state is known for across the globe. As miserable as the weather was, when I was done I felt good because I had been able to do it on what I thought was my last day off while here in the Bluegrass State. I took about 500 shots and have not had time to go through them and pull the best to post on Flickr, but as soon as I do I'll post the link. Here's one I really liked.



Anyway, I did that Sunday morning for several hours and then Sunday afternoon and Monday when I got off work I began packing what I could in the suitcase and preparing a box of things to mail home. My mind was in the "I'm flying home Saturday" mode.

Tuesday morning my boss said, "Let me ask you something" and I knew before he went any further what the "something" would be, just not for how long. Anyway, he asked if I would be able to remain an additional week.

Of course being a decisive, decision-making man I replied, "Let me see if my wife will kill me or not."

She swore she wouldn't, so I'm here until March 28th. It actually works out better on a lot of different fronts, one of which is that now I will get to do a Photowalk early this Sunday morning in downtown Lexington and the weather forecast is beautiful. I have a tradition of taking an early Sunday morning Photowalk of cities in the area where I am deployed. It's a good time because of the early morning light and generally the downtown streets are empty since it's early on a Sunday morning. My schedule since arriving here has been such that this past Sunday was my last chance and I opted for the horse photos. Now I get to do the downtown Photowalk, so that gladdens my creative heart, even if it slightly saddens my loving heart.

My homecoming gratification has been delayed, but that will make it all the more sweeter.

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