Of Thoughtshowers.

That is apparently the new army-speak for "brainstorming" that has been around for ages. I am here in Base Borden, writing furiously on the computer in the Officers' Mess. It has been a three-year hiatus since my last time here and I am reminded of the lessons of the past so quickly forgotten: the sweltering and unforgiving heat, and the distances that invarisbly separate one's accomodations and wherever one has to be. Whether it be dining mess or classroom, it will likely be across on the other side of the base and yo uwill need to find transportation.

It has a been a bit of an interesting time, meeting old friends from previous courses, and learning a great deal of new information that I had thus far been complaining that they should have given us my first time around. I am enjoying it but not relaxing as had been the last time and it is all due to the fact that I am johnny come lately unto a group of people who have been together for 2 weeks previous, and many of them had been on their BCT the previous year and no-where on my course is anyone from my last visit to this base. Nicholas Hilareguy, now Captain, is here on the finance course with Darren Robertson from my unit. He is much the same if a little more serious, which may be the result of now being married and living in his own apartment in St. Hubert. There is also Mrs Jennifer Boswell. I will be dashed if I can remember her maiden name but she was with me in Gagetown in 1999 and has been, with her husband frmo time to him, bumping into me all across this country. From Camp Connaught in 2000, to a cloth model ex in the sherwin armouries in Richmond one year. She is now in Halifax with "Boz". In anycase, it has been warm and I am not quartered in my old space, P-182, which is adjoined to the mess, but in O-116, which is nearer the main gate, by the Rations & Quarters building. I wonder if I will return here to see my friends again. It wuold be nice. I wonder if I will see "her" again. Not likely. After this, we will not all see one another until we do our major qualifying course. How strange it is to see these faces again, when I barely see friends from the nearby service battalions and the local units. Anyway, I trust that things will out in the end and all will be as the Lord intended. And well.