From the Archives .....

For my first post I thought I'd start with a couple of the 600+ photos I took on a two-week trip to Germany and Italy last year, shortly after I came home from Iraq. I returned to work right after we got back from this trip and I've been busy ever since, so I never did anything with these. I'll post a few from time to time to fill in the gaps between upcoming trips!


This is me on the balcony of my old "home away from home" at the Hotel Rose in Heidelberg. When my Guard unit was deployed there in 97-98 this is where we all stayed, and on our 2005 trip Mark and I were able to stay in the same room I lived in during my deployment! The family that owns this place literally adopted us as their own, and many members of my old unit still keep in touch and visit again whenever they can.


This is just one of a hilarious series of Mark next to the incredibly small cars they drive in Europe. You have to click to enlarge the photo to read what this one says, but it basically translates into "Rent A Man, Inc." If I ever decided to take a job in Germany I'm sure he could get himself into this franchise because he's a handy guy ... he'd just need a little bigger vehicle!