The last couple of days has been all about driving, yes, mostly driving on the always-in-construction I35. "Why," you ask yourself, "do you subject yourself to such tumult and misery?"
Because, dear friends, a Guardsman had to be collected from Fort Hood, brought back to the Compound for an evening's R&R, and then taken to Ma LSP's in Dallas for a final installment before being driven to Terminal A at DFW for a flight back to Blighty. And someone else was going to Florida for some reason and had to be dropped off too. Two separate trips to the airport because timing. Net result?
Lots of driving on roads I typically avoid. How much better if we had a hi-speed train link to DFW instead of a grisly highway(s), but we don't. Apparently that's beyond us, at least for now, but it wasn't all bad, not by any means. The Guardsmen got a kick out of Hood and thoroughly enjoyed Texas, so much more free than nanny state UK.
I asked him as we sped to the airport in the rig, "Do they still hit you in Basic and have they lowered fitness standards so chicks can get in?" He laughed, "They do and when the MOD tells us not to we just say **** you and keep doing it. Paras the same." We shared Basic war stories, always enjoyable, and it seems not too much has changed.
Where will this young man go in the Guards? I don't know, but could see Warrant, which ain't shabby. Whatev, he had big fun visiting the kid at Hood and seeing Texas. It'll be hard for him to readjust to Aldershot, Catterick and all of that.
In the meanwhile, young Sgt. LSP had a lot of fun with a fellow warrior from across the pond. Great result, bith want to get kinetic, Kyrie... And now? Back home in the sylvan groves of bucolic North Central Texas, which is no bad place to be.
Drive Safe,
LSP
