As predicted, I have found that with the move to C'ville and the start of class there isn't nearly as much to write about, and thus I have missed a day. The last two days have been eventful in their own right, but at the same time, there is still not a whole lot to report.

Starting with Sunday... It was another very hot day. Lt. Rosen and myself started with a brisk (but not "all out") two-mile run around our new track. We finished the workout with a pyramid of push-ups working down from 20. It felt good to get out there and break another sweat, but it had been a while since doing anything other then running, so I was definitely a little sore this morning.

After our workout, Lt. Rosen and I tried to organize a tubbing expedition down the James River, but when we couldn't organize a sufficient group, we opted instead for a day at the closest lake. A superior officer who happened to be on campus suggested that we go to Walnut Creek County Park, and being good junior officers, that is exactly what we did. What we found was a great, small, lake with a little beach that wasn't too crowded. We spent a good two hours there, getting some sun on our normally ACU-covered bodies, and it felt good. Afterwards, we drove back into town and stopped by Little Johns again for an amazing sandwhich. I should note, that C'ville and the area around it is so stunningly beautiful this time of year. Being from Southern California, which is always a varying shade of brown or grey, seeing so much green and literally be enveloped by it as you drive down the random winding road, is magical.

After lunch I actually did some school work, reading through the first couple lessons that we have for tomorrow (Tuesday) and I called it an early night.

Today (Monday) was technically the first day of class, but it really was a day of finalizing in-processing and making sure everyone was on the same page for tomorrow which is when classes really start. We were greeted again by the faculty, and we were given a number of pieces of advice that I think are particularly potent.

The first was that we need to get to know; (1) our Craft, (2) our Clients, AND (3) People in general. It should come as no surprise that these are talents we should all work to cultivate. After all, we are leaders in our fields and in the Army in general, we represent not only the Army as a whole, but indiividual soldiers as well, and we will often act as representatives of the Army to the rest of the world. To do this affectively, we must know all three groups, and be able to communicate and connect with them on more then just the superficial or professional level, if we want to be successful.

The second is pretty self explanatory, and that is be a teammate. This is a recurring theme, and as I get to know my classmates more and more, it is becoming obvious that this is a crucial factor to ones success.

The third is the cultivation of character, in this case, it means to do what is right in the face of adversity and do it with the pride and fortitude necessary to see that it is completed. This is important because people will see you doing the right thing, even if you don't think anyone is watching, and your credibility, respect, and integrity are at stake should you not follow this basic tenant.

Lastly, keep a good attitude, it is contagious. You don't have to look far to see this in action. It is present everywhere, from PT, where a little extra support can motivate people to over come the pain and persevere, to the classroom, where the simple expression of pride or love for the Army whether it be from a superior officer or the Cadre leads each of us to feel the same pride. It is a beautiful thing, and a necessity to success.

After this greeting the class was split into four sections and we continued our inprocessing. Once that was finished we had two lectures one from the representative for Westlaw and the other from Lexis. It wasn't anything new, if you've gone to school in the last decade, but a review nevertheless.

After that was finished, we had a social where we got to meet our advisors. This was fantastic to finally meet our teachers and get to shoot the "you know what" for an hour or two over a couple beers. It served the dual purpose of scoping out the competition for our various athletic competitions that will occur in the coming weeks. Being one (if not the) largest lieutenants in the class, I was introduced to my opponent. This individual stands a good 6'8'' and in a ex-football star from some small college in the midwest. Being only 6'2'' one might think I'm at a disadvantage, but don't count me out.

After the social, a couple of us explored a great South African restaurant near the Down Town Mall, and now its off to bed, 0550 in the morning!!!