Dear Cody, 07/21/2011

Hello son. Three weeks in a row that the letter streak continues. Things are rolling right along in the hot sticky sauna of Houston. Not that I have much to bitch about compared to what you are experiencing with hot sticky summer weather in Biloxi.

Your mom and I headed up to Round Rock after work last Friday to spend some time with Aunt Chris, Carly, Christopher and Cameron before they left for Sing at the butt crack of dawn on Sunday. They are all doing well. They decided to do the 5 Peaks Challenge at Enchanted Rock on Thursday. As you well know that is one of your Deepa’s favorite torture work outs. Even Cam made it the whole way. I don’t recall how long this one took but I am sure Deepa has already written to share the details.

He just about killed Christopher on Friday with the 8.3 mile weights walk. Christopher was comatose on the sofa in the living room for most of the day Saturday and complaining about how sore he was. Having been through the Deepa pre BMT fitness regimen I know that you understand how Christopher was feeling. There is a new show that I saw the previews for on TV last night. I do not recall the name of it but the premise of the show is matching very fit senior citizens against coach potatoes in their teens and early 20’s in work out challenges. Your mom and I both commented when we saw the preview that your Deepa should be on that show.

Everyone enjoyed getting to talk to your on Saturday evening and we all were excited about your news of Goodfellow AFB as your next training station. That is only about a ~2.5hrs drive from Round Rock. Of course Deema says that your mom and I will have to meet you at their house instead of having you drive all the way to Katy. I think she has ulterior motives of getting a bunch of people to her house on a regular basis. Your mom of course told Deema “we will just have to see about that. You can come down to Katy when Cody gets leave and hang out at our house”. I think the Mom Vs. Deema battle is on over where will Cody go when he gets a free weekend. You get to decide which of the Rags ladies you want to piss off. Your Deepa and I are taking the courageous position and staying completely out of this one or at least maintaining a very low profile.

I did some research on Goodfellow after you told us that San Angelo is where you go next. Goodfellow is the location of the joint services (USAF, Army, Navy, Marines) Cryptography and Intelligence training. Apparently they also do some advanced fire fighter training there also. I spoke to a college of mine at work who is retired from the Navy. He did a recruiting duty station late in his Navy career and indicated that the selection for training at Goodfellow begins very early in the recruiting cycle once the ASVAB scores are available. He indicated that there is a very specific and desirable distribution of scores across the sections of the ASVAB that they are looking for as far as candidates for Goodfellow are concerned. His comment was that people who go to Goodfellow are “the Navy Seals of the Cyber Systems military community only they are much more secret than the Seals are. They publicize the Seals, they do not publicize what they do at Goodfellow or who goes there.” So, apparently Goodfellow is a very big deal. My colleague also said that few people get selected for Goodfellow and that it is very easy to get de-selected. His guidance was that I tell you to be very proud of getting that assignment but to stay focused because it is very easy to loose the opportunity.

I am proud of you son. You have always done extremely well in qualifying for great opportunities. Please stay focused and follow this one through to completion. Of course your mom cried when I told her what my colleague had said about Goodfellow. She is extremely proud of you. Keep up the good work.

I took your mom to see HP7-P2 at Alamo Draft House on Tuesday night. It was pretty good. Mom says that it follows the book fairly closely. She also commented that she wished you were there and that this was the first of the HP movies that you were not there to enjoy it with her. You should go see it if you get the opportunity then call you mom to get your HP gab on. She would enjoy that very much. As for me and HP …. Bah Humbug.

In a little more than a week we will all celebrate our 17th anniversary as a family. How does that make you feel? Your mom and I have been married 17 years. I have to say that it does not feel like it has been that long. It was not long ago that you and I were chasing ducks around the golf course at the apartment that you and your mom were living in when your mom and I met and started dating. On my office wall I have a picture of me holding you over my head while sitting in a chair at that apartment. You are sitting in my hands with your back against the wall just chillin and as happy as a clam. After about 20mins of that my arms would get tired and I would put you down. You would immediately run back to me and point up. You were not talking yet but you got your message across. We used to do that for hours. I will never forget a few months after that when you ran up to me and said “Up Daddy!”. Other than some limited toddler babble that was one of the first things I remember you saying clearly. Your mom has often told me that the reason why she and I married was that “you fell in love with my kid.” Though that is not entirely true, it is also not entirely inaccurate either. I got the full meal instant family deal. An incredible woman to live my life with and an amazing little man to raise. I am very proud of you and honored to be your dad. Love ya kid-oh. But, I will not hold you over my head no matter how persistent you are at pointing up or yelling “Up Daddy!” so don’t even ask. Got it?

They just opened a Popeye’s across from Wal-Mart on 99.. We went there for dinner last night. We did not know it but yesterday was their opening day. It was pretty good. They are getting some more options near the house as far as restaurants are concerned. They opened a new sports grill near La Finka and are about to open that place they have been working on for ever up in Fulsheer. I believe I told you in an earlier letter that they opened a Chuy’s up near I-10 and Fry road. When you get home for a visit we will have a bunch more options for feasting where others clean up the mess. I am all for others cleaning up the mess.

Your mom has really been enjoying driving your car. You better arrange to come get it before she wears it out. She just rolled 9K miles yesterday on your odometer. We have to get her Taureg in the shop to get the transmission fixed. 5th gear is shifting very hard and flushing it did not help. There goes a small fortune. Nothing on a German car is cheap when it comes to repairs. But, you mom loves her car and will not let me buy her a new one ……. yet. I will probably weasel a car deal for her but it will take a couple of more years I think.

Qatar is on hold. The client that they want to place me with until we begin implementing and mobilizing for the new contract is balking at me joining their team. I am “over qualified”. They are looking for more of a field engineer and less of a Sr. manager. I have done the field work but it has been many years. So, it may not be until early 2012 before Qatar works out if it does in fact work out. Regardless things are going well here for my career and your mom’s so we are not too worried about things either way.

I have to get back to work so I will sign off. Call your mom.

Love Dad,