So I turned 63 March 19th. As birthdays go it was rather benign.

I thought back on my birthday in 2003. I was in CFLLC-Rear at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait when the war kicked off.

Every damn time I tried to take a bite of ice cream the air filled with the warning

"Lightning Lightning Lightning A ballistic missile launch has been detected a ballistic missile launch has been detected.."

After about the third time I tried to savor my ice cream and have that interrupted by a full up jump into MOPP Gear, gas mask and all I said the hell with it.

Over time there I came to regard the War as "The First Four of the NCAA March Madness Playoffs" where the number one seed is pitted against Number 16. Only it was the Collegiate Division One Number One against a High School Division Sixteen.

It was a sad thing to watch from the omniscient eye view I had.

I did not see a merciful God's hand in any of it.

And my fucking ice cream kept melting.