Every few days some of us get together and play basketball in the gym. Now you get the "I love this game" title. We enjoy getting some exercise and competing. For the most part the games are friendly and everyone has a good time. Well, I guess I am not as young as I used to be and this last time I played was Thursday this week. I use the term "last" because I am out for a while as I sprained my ankle pretty badly. There I was going up for the rebound (I did get it by the way) and came down on someone's foot which caused my foot to roll completely on its side. You can guess what happened, all my body weight hit on that foot and twisted my ankle in unnatural ways. The pain was severe, but I managed to get off the court and someone called the medical people. They took me on a short ride to the medical facility where my ankle was X-rayed and found I had no break. That was the good news. The bad news was it was a pretty bad sprain and my ankle swelled up and is bruised all around. I am out of basketball for a while and I also can't convoy so I am staying here on Camp Phoenix recovering and working from my office. I spent the first day of recovery in my room and fortunately my good friend John Z came to my rescue and got me meals while I rested and iced my ankle. The next day I was able to get around with crutches and go the short distance to my office. Getting injured really is a pain in the ankle. I am taking care of myself and I should be able to get around with a limp in a few days. Interestingly, the basketball court causes more of the injuries around this place than the Taliban, that is a good thing. Do they give purple hearts for basketball injuries?
So this gave me an opportunity to sit in front of my computer and catch up with e-mails and task many people with all kinds of interesting things I could think up. I was also able to do some planning for our operations and take care of some unfinished business. There is always something going on around the warehouses and serving the ANA, whether it is filling orders or tracking down shipments or working up ways to improve operations. It keeps us all busy.
This week I received a great surprise. WD-40 Company sent me 4 huge packages of stuff.
The boxes weighed almost 50 pounds a piece so our mail clerk was none too happy with me. They loaded me up with magazines, snacks, baby wipes (they are for cleaning your hands because there is not a lot of running water at the warehouses), cards, puzzle books, soaps, shampoos, chapstick, WD-40 Smart Straw post it notes, and some stuff for kids like pencils and lollipops. 
The greatest thing in the packages were notes written by the employees saying how they respected what I was doing and missed me, oh yes and Happy Birthday. It was my birthday (May 3rd just in case you want to put that in your calendar for next year, where of course I plan to celebrate it at home). It was really a great surprise and I thank all my WD-40 family. (Editor's Note - We also received a box at home, toys and candy for the kids and a Starbuck's gift card for me! Thank you WD-40!)
I also received a package from Rebecca with a some requested items. Although there are stores here, there are things that are truly hard to get.
She has actually sent me four packages; all things that have made my life a bit better. I now have a web cam so I can do video calls with Rebecca and the kids and also my 2 brothers and their wives. My sister is not very tech savy, so she has yet to join the webcam revolution. I believe she still has a rotary phone, she likes to think it is artsy. I remember trying to use it once, it took forever to dial the number and I made several mistakes. Rebecca also sent me a Tempur-pedic mattress cover and pillow to match, it is just like home now. She also sent a couple of 2 GB memory sticks, it is hard to believe they are storing so much in a little stick. I also received a balance board and stability ball so I can do a little workout in my room when I am up to it. I am pretty well set up now, and basically have everything I need.
Back on the homefront, Rebecca and the kids are doing pretty well. They keep busy with school, Rebecca's work, church functions, and they recently went to a Pirate show and then to Knott's Berry Farm.
They seem to be having a lot of fun without me. I also forgot to mention in my last update that Thomas received his First Communion, I wish I could have been there for that. He looked very handsome in his suit. 
Fortunately family friends, Annie, (Editor's Note - I added Annie because really, Clare and Kristin will agree she did all of the work) Clare, and Kristin were there to help with the celebration afterwards. There always has to be a party. Madigan is doing well and has begun to speak in "tongues" it is interesting to hear her on the video call, its almost as if she is saying something. She is quite a character. I miss them all and can't wait till Christmas when I take my leave and see them again.
Until next time, this is "hop along" Wade saying watch where you step.
Peace to you all,
Pat
So this gave me an opportunity to sit in front of my computer and catch up with e-mails and task many people with all kinds of interesting things I could think up. I was also able to do some planning for our operations and take care of some unfinished business. There is always something going on around the warehouses and serving the ANA, whether it is filling orders or tracking down shipments or working up ways to improve operations. It keeps us all busy.
This week I received a great surprise. WD-40 Company sent me 4 huge packages of stuff.
The boxes weighed almost 50 pounds a piece so our mail clerk was none too happy with me. They loaded me up with magazines, snacks, baby wipes (they are for cleaning your hands because there is not a lot of running water at the warehouses), cards, puzzle books, soaps, shampoos, chapstick, WD-40 Smart Straw post it notes, and some stuff for kids like pencils and lollipops. The greatest thing in the packages were notes written by the employees saying how they respected what I was doing and missed me, oh yes and Happy Birthday. It was my birthday (May 3rd just in case you want to put that in your calendar for next year, where of course I plan to celebrate it at home). It was really a great surprise and I thank all my WD-40 family. (Editor's Note - We also received a box at home, toys and candy for the kids and a Starbuck's gift card for me! Thank you WD-40!)I also received a package from Rebecca with a some requested items. Although there are stores here, there are things that are truly hard to get.
She has actually sent me four packages; all things that have made my life a bit better. I now have a web cam so I can do video calls with Rebecca and the kids and also my 2 brothers and their wives. My sister is not very tech savy, so she has yet to join the webcam revolution. I believe she still has a rotary phone, she likes to think it is artsy. I remember trying to use it once, it took forever to dial the number and I made several mistakes. Rebecca also sent me a Tempur-pedic mattress cover and pillow to match, it is just like home now. She also sent a couple of 2 GB memory sticks, it is hard to believe they are storing so much in a little stick. I also received a balance board and stability ball so I can do a little workout in my room when I am up to it. I am pretty well set up now, and basically have everything I need.Back on the homefront, Rebecca and the kids are doing pretty well. They keep busy with school, Rebecca's work, church functions, and they recently went to a Pirate show and then to Knott's Berry Farm.
They seem to be having a lot of fun without me. I also forgot to mention in my last update that Thomas received his First Communion, I wish I could have been there for that. He looked very handsome in his suit. Fortunately family friends, Annie, (Editor's Note - I added Annie because really, Clare and Kristin will agree she did all of the work) Clare, and Kristin were there to help with the celebration afterwards. There always has to be a party. Madigan is doing well and has begun to speak in "tongues" it is interesting to hear her on the video call, its almost as if she is saying something. She is quite a character. I miss them all and can't wait till Christmas when I take my leave and see them again.Until next time, this is "hop along" Wade saying watch where you step.
Peace to you all,
Pat
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