Hot and Sunny in Atlanta

I spent this week in Atlanta, Georgia taking a military course at the airport Hilton.  Joining me for the class were the unit administrators and first sergeant of my company, as the instruction involves group work.  Specifically, we’re operating as a “command team” to discuss the challenges of company command and strategize action plans.  I don’t want to bore you with the details.  I’ll find out this Sunday whether I’ll be the new company commander, so this course is good preparation.  It’s forcing me to think through various issues and tap into my team’s knowledge.  More valuable than the actual class work is the opportunity this week to hang with these people socially.  As an officer, I could easily remain aloof, especially given my melancholy nature; but I resolved to cultivate relationships with my team over lunch and dinner.  Yes, fortunately I resisted the impulse to retire to my hotel room after class and read a book.  We went to a Braves game last night at Turner Field.  We left at the top of the ninth inning, when the Braves were winning 3-0, only to find out the next morning that the Washington Nationals turned things around by taking it to eleven innings for a 7-3 victory!  Tonight I went out with a gaggle of senior NCOs for monster-sized burgers and beer at the famous Vortex Bar & Grill in Midtown Atlanta.  Well, I had a Coke, since I never acquired the taste for beer.  As usual, I asked the waiter, “Do you have Coke or Pepsi?”  He answered, “Coke!  It’s Atlanta.”  Oops.  My bad.  The Coca-Cola Company has its global headquarters in Atlanta.  “You ain’t from around here, are you boy!”  No, I’m not, but I’m loving the visit.