28 December 09

And so is the website! Although, you wouldn't know it based on the lack of updates recently. I am quite embarrassed by this lack of activity that has lasted darn near 4 months. But wait! I have a good reason (excuse?) for this lack of activity that has lasted darn near 4 months! The first thing is, I got married to Gwen way back on 19 September. I'm going to have to post some pictures of the ceremony, it was such a lovely day! However, the week leading up to the service was jam-packed with last minute preparations, visits, rehearsals, dance lessons, and the like that I simply had no time to get it together and post an update.

The week after the wedding, Gwen and I were on our honeymoon in Walt Disney World. That was an amazing experience! There is an incredible amount of stuff to do there, and after 5 days Gwen and I barely scratched the surface. Definitely going to have to make a return trip there someday! Once we got back from Florida, however, we had to spend all night packing Gwen's things for the movers to take to San Diego. With more than a little help from Gwen's parents, we were able to make it just in time! And then, once I got Gwen out to California, the little time I had away from the boat was devoted to getting her settled as best I could before the ship went underway in early October.

That underway was 5 weeks long, lasting until the Monday before Thanksgiving. This was my single longest underway yet, and it was also my busiest. The ship completed many training exercises and had a lot of notable firsts, including shooting her first exercise torpedoes in almost 5 years! However, once we pulled in we had a lot of things to fix on the ship to get her ready to go again, so between that, celebrating Thanksgiving with Gwen, and continuing to work on getting her affairs settled, that week we were in port just flew by. Now, we pulled back in about a week ago after another 3 weeks underway. Gwen and I celebrated Christmas with her Mom and Dad, who were visiting from Virginia. I've also been standing a fair amount of duty, since a majority of the Wardroom is on leave at the moment. However, I have finally gotten enough time to sit down and pound out this update, catching everyone up to speed.

Oh! As a parting shot, I would like to announce that I am now officially part of Facebook, so check out my profile for the latest and greatest about yours truly. I'm thinking I'll make the link a permanent addition to the Home Page, maybe next to the Guest Book link...