The demobilization ceremony April 22 was lovely and intimate because it related only to Alpha Battery and Golf Company of 2/218th Field Artillery. The ceremony was in Forest Grove, Ore., also the location of the battalion's headquarters. Gov. Ted Kulongoski spoke, and though he might have provided empty promises, he brought a tear to my eye. I do believe he supports the troops, but some things are out of his control. Patricia played family coordinator, greeting attendees, and later got to sit int he VIP section. Adam's aunt Joyce Ann also attended. (For more photos of the ceremony, see my Flickr page.)

For the past couple of weeks, Adam has been setting up his apartment. He got a place in Clackamas, Ore., near Target, Petco and the mall -- perfect for me! He bought a giant TV, a leather couch set and a king-size bed -- maybe he will no longer sleep diagonally, though I'm not banking on it. I find it ironic that before he left, I lived in Clackamas and he in Milwaukie, Ore., and now we're switched.
That about sums it up. He won't be returning to work until mid-June, probably after our Las Vegas trip. He will be gone about three weeks during the summer for a military class. Everything is slowly becoming normal again.
Correction: I lied. He won't return to work until August because he has a military class in July that lasts three weeks, so it seems pointless to return to work for two weeks, then leave again for nearly a month.