Its a world of laughter, a world of tears...

It has been awhile; I realize that and when you’re made to wait you expect something big or good in return. I don’t know if this is going to cut it in that regard; think of this more as a quick little something. I have actually just finished my longest post to date, but it needed to be sent out to the legal division to be OK’ed. Yes the blog has gotten that big; not only do I have a legal office, I also have an office of motivational affairs which basically consists of people sending nasty messages complaining about a lack of action. I’m actually thinking about opening a merchandising office and selling T shirts, they could say

I read
Chapter 7

Then again maybe it should be something more. I wonder if Brian Fry is reading this, he’s been my go to guy for T shirt designs. Maybe we should have a T shirt design contest with the winner receiving a free T shirt and a hearty acknowledgement here on the blog. Post a comment below if it’s just words, if you come up with some big design, email it to me. Joey yours needs to have some sort of NASA reference in it. Maybe something like

NASA only takes me so high
CHAPTER 7
takes it from there

(Yes I do have a friend who works for NASA; I think he’s the guy who decides what music gets pumped into the space shuttle. If you have some ideas let me know I’ll see if I can pull some strings)

Okay we should probably get to today’s story or else this thing could turn into another 5 page monstrosity. The events concerned happened yesterday so everything is fresh in my head.

It was a busy day at Osan Air Base, it was homecoming day for Osan High School as well as AIR POWER day and the first time the base was open to the public since 9/11. I drove the car in early to beat the crowd, parked over by school figuring the other side of base would be crawling with people and then walked over to the fitness center to get fit. Afterwards I was hungry and decided to go on over and get something for lunch. I was feeling full of pep after my workout and was seated at a both just past the hostess; as seats go this was a pretty good one. Almost immediately upon being seated I notice the woman at the next booth staring me down hard, I mean really hard, uncomfortably hard. I figured she must know I just got done working out and gave her a silent hi along with a hand in the air, no movement wave. During this I realized she looked very familiar in a very-familiar-but-I-don’t-know-who-you-are sort of way. I figured it will soon end and begin looking at the menu. Suddenly not only is she staring at me but her daughter, who’s back was to me, has now turned around and is staring at me too.

Another possible T shirt slogan, this one goes back to my Oakland roots

Sorry Miss Jackson
I read Chapter 7

Caught by surprise I pretend not to notice and blankly stare at my menu while trying figure out who this person is. Maybe she’s a parent and the girl is a student at the school? No that can’t be, the girl is maybe 10, she’s not in middle school yet. Think damn it, think! Oh no, I hear something,
“Is your name Kevin?” Holy shit she knows my name.
“Yes, yes it is.”
“How do I know you?”
Alright Peterson, time to throw out your best line; oh shit what is my best line? Oh yeah I remember.
“Well, I have lived on 4 continents”

(For full disclosure that last part never happened, we’ll pick it back up at “How do I know you?”)

Suddenly it all comes back to me in a brilliant flash, much like on a soap opera when some old character that has been gone for 10 years returns because they’ve found out the hard way they’re not really a good actor and a soap opera will have to do.

“You were in the Army, in Germany”, I say remembering her; we were both in the same unit.
“Yes, blah, blah, blahhh blah blahhhh…” After “yes” I kind of stopped listening; I was kind of in shock.

This T shirt slogan is inspired by a T shirt we made in the Peace Corps (this one is less sarcastic)

CHAPTER 7
Frankly, it never disappoints


It’s been 17 years and we’re on a completely different continent, but I end up sitting in the next booth to someone I was in the Army with; small world. (Holy shit again, every time I go into Chili’s something big happens. Why aren’t I eating there more often?)

I’m invited over to her table and we turn the wheels back and start throwing around names we haven’t heard in decades.

Sgt Dumford, she tells me he’s dead; he was a chain smoking no-filter-having fiend who everyone liked, but smoking will do you in. I give her Harney, and Crane and Clyne and Groves, Montoya and Pack. She gives me Ray, and Sadler and some others I’ve already forgotten. She also tells me Capt. Wilcox is now Colonel Wilcox which is something of a relief to me because I really thought we may have ruined his career with some of the stupid shit we did. I honestly figured they had sent him to Alaska to guard some radar site against the reindeer. This always weighed on my mind heavily (OK I’m exaggerating) because I was his driver when he first came to 10th Chem. and he was nice to me. Ahhh I remember many a naps were taken in that old pre-Humvee Chevy Blazer. He would go to some meeting and I would drop the seat back and go to sleep. Of course all this was happening while my friends were out doing something dumb in front of people who had to pretend it was important.

The story gets even better because she ended up marrying a guy who was also in 10th Chem. at the time, Chris Brown who happened to be at the Homecoming football game watching their son play. After we ate we walked over and I got to bring back memories with him who is now a helicopter pilot, a long way from being the mechanic I knew him as in our 10th Chem. days.

And this is yet another example of my being there at the very beginning. A few years back Joey and I went down to Big Sur, California to see our Peace Corps friend Scott get married. He married a girl named Heather who was also in our group in New Guinea. Despite the fact some lame-o friends of Scott tried to run us out of the wedding, Joey and I took comfort in the fact we were there at the beginning unlike these so called friends who came along when the going was good.

And how about Joey and Neelima? Shit, they wouldn’t even know each other if it wasn’t for me; something for which I’ve never received the credit I’m due. When we all lived in Concord it went like this, Neelima’s room, Kevin’s room, Joey’s room. When I left and that buffer was gone, a force took over only I was strong enough to keep at bay.

Matt and Lori? I guess I was sort of around at the beginning. I’ll admit I didn’t have much to do with that one. Now if Matt had married Jackie or what ever the hell that girl’s name was whom Matt took to the Glen Velez concert, then I could truly say I was there at the beginning.

My brother Dan and Debbie? No I wasn’t there for that one, but I was there when Dan showed up with her at my grandma’s house. It was my Mom’s birthday party and Dan was about 2 hours late. My grandma was pissed and just laid into Debbie, OUCH. Debbie probably still needs a little ice to with that burn.

All this is another great reason for me not to get married; I’m so good at making it happen for others and if I were married when would I have time to keep that going?

Alright this is a wrap. This may be the first post that was completed in one sitting. Whew, I don’t know what this means but even my short postings are taking 3 pages. All of you better be appreciating this.

Check back real soon, the next major story will be posted on Tuesday.

Don’t forget about our T shirt contest, I’m telling you this is a million dollar idea. It’s gold I tell you, gold!

Favorite Chapter?
Why Chapter 7
Of Course