Life is pretty good right now, although there are still ups and downs. Becoming a civilian again seems to be a bit of a lengthy process, and with fitful starts and stops.

I used to spend a lot of time daydreaming, and now I've managed to cut that down some. Living in the present has been hard, anxious times come and go, hostility comes and goes. I try to not get too lost in my thoughts-some of this is my own personality and some of this is the recovery post-Iraq.

I've been a lot happier lately though, in living and getting reacquainted with the DC area. Sometimes life seemed to lack meaning, or at least seemed so trivial, but now that has pretty much past.

I am very thankful for my friends that are veterans and who understand what I am going through (or at least pretend to understand!). I wonder how long it will take to feel normal again, and maybe it will be awhile. Some of the things I enjoyed in my old life are coming back and I don't often sleep 16 hours a day, like I used to; though a few times I've gone to bed at 6 pm only to wake up at 7 am. A little known secret to sleeping is to use a night light-I guess I'm not that tough, but I can admit that using a night light is much better than the sheer fright experienced after a bout of nightmares. I didn't purchase a hand gun yet, though I wanted to in order to help me sleep better.

I often write through a less-than-rosy colored lens, and I am a self-admitted melancholia, but I want to assure you that I've been happy as a clam, even through the bouts of unbridled rage. Honestly, though, I know life is pretty grand and that includes the high price of gas and the fact I didn't win the Powerball.

I still have some pictures I want to post sometime.