NEW YEARS EVE 2014 REPORT

For me, the changing of the seasons, the solstices and the equinoxes and the calendar year is always a time of great introspection . . . S.L.

Last day of December, the tenth month of the old Roman calendar (decem = 10). January derives it's name from the Latin Januarius: of Janus, the Roman god of gates and doorways, the god of the hearth, and of beginnings and ends.

2014 was possibly my most challenging year since I retired from active duty in '08. The consultant's life is not feast or famine, it is feast AND famine and we had our share of both this past year. Big opportunities in front of us for 2015 - I am in the extraordinary position of being able to pick and choose. Like I always look when the situation gets rough, "Other people WISH they had my problems!"

Last year was the first year I ever made resolutions and I will continue that this year. The trick to lists is to keep them short:

#1) More fitness & exercise. I am back at the stage of fitness I was this time last year - fell off the wagon due to extreme work situation - and am at the point to take it to the next level. I will continue to do Battle With The Iron like the Iron Viking From Hell that I am, I will run the dogs more often and I will split firewood with my 10 lb maul at least twice a week.

#2) Get back into competitive shooting. Every man needs a hobby and there is only one guy who ever outshot me with a handgun; that guy went pro and he outshoots everybody. Some of you know who I am talking about. I might have to invest in a Beretta M-9 because that is the handgun that works best for me even though I am a member of the Cult of the 1911.

#3) Read more, write more. I picked up a book and read it from cover to cover for the first time in almost a decade and I loved it. I read deep stuff, mostly non-fiction. I did a lot of writing last year and I have a heavy schedule of writing in front of me. Time to spend less time on the Interwebbie and more time fine-tuning the intellect.

Last thing: there was a lot of concern amongst my friends when we had to cancel Xmas this year at Firebase TigerLily and I owe you all an explanation, but I'll keep it short. Teenage daughter #2 did an outstanding Drama Queen act and we were all very upset here. In a rare moment of introspection I expressed my seasonal depression on social media, and a lot of good friends from my International School days and from the Special Forces expressed concern. My SF friends were making the noises that are usually directed to the guys who are thinking of doing themselves harm. Do not worry - I am not like that. I rarely get depressed and when I do I snap out of it. The way it was explained to me is this: the only time when sideways is authorized is when you're the last American left standing at the base of the flagpole and the Klingons are pouring over the wire. Then you take as many of them with you as you can and save the last round for yourself because we all know what they do with prisoners and it ain't nice.

Gotta get moving because that Iron isn't going to lift itself, there's firewood to be split, dogs to be run, and writing to be writ. Thank you all so much for your support, I love each and every one of you and I am grateful to have you all.

"De Opresso Liber" and สวัสดีปีใหม่ !

STORMBRINGER SENDS