It's Been Awhile

Actually, this is a test. I've been away from blogging for so long that I don't know if anyone will actually check to see if I've written anything recently.
So, if you're reading this, thanks for checking in.
I have, over the months, kept thinking that I could catch up on all the things that have been going on. But, now, I think that I best give up that idea. (A little aside: I was thinking just a bit ago as I was eating a hamburger at the Dairy Queen that the "present" is like a river. It's constantly flowing---and rather fast. Today quickly becomes tomorrow and tomorrow is soon history. The present is never the same. It's always changing and soon your "todays" are in the rearview mirror. You've got your foot in the river of time, but as the water flows past your foot, time is flowing by as well.) Deep isnt' it. I don't know, it just struck me today how fast what is my "present" is passing.
As you know, I just returned from a Humanitarian reporting trip to the Dominican Republic. I don't suppose I'll write very much about it today, but it was both an exciting adventure and another penetrating reminder of how immensely blessed we are as Latter-day Saints living here in the United States. The total and stark contrast between what we know as day to day life and what so many others are experiencing is just mind and heart numbing.
The exciting part was the opportunity to travel to the Caribbean, visiting another country, and to be welcomed aboard a US Navel ship with total red carpet treatment. Our first boarding of the ship was by helicopter from shore to ship. Cool. Fun too. The ocean waves were heaving enough that they were having trouble getting people aboard the ship with the small launches so they decided to bring everyone out to the ship with the helicopter. I didn't object.
Once aboard we were ushered right in to a special luncheon that the ship's Commodore had set up for all of the LDS people aboard (14 of them plus Howard and I). The ship has three Captains aboard (usually there is only one). The Captain that ran the ship, the Captain that oversaw the medical activities, and the Commodore who was responsible for the overall mission called "Continuing Promise 2009.
Then we were shown to our berthing area (where we sleep and shower) which was in the very bottom deck of the ship. I had the bottom bunk of a three deep bunk layout. Altogther I think there were about 125 or so of us that were berthing there. The main deck was five floor up, the mess hall was still another floor up. And, there were no elevators for us to use. They were all reserved for the patients. I've never climbed so many stairs a day in my life. I'm still trying to get over the impact it had on me.
The other times we went onshore we were able to take the launches so we got to try both ways of boarding the ship. And getting aboard the launches was something of an adventure too.
Well, I've gone on too much already. I'll have to figure out out to share the "rest of the story" with you a little later; and let's hope that that is not next year.