Back to life…back to reality…

By weekend, for two successive weekends last month, I was a cancer-fighting super hero named “Mr. December”. I wear pink, have many disguises, and walk for the greater good. I am a personable character, who was never lacking the chance to talk to people, about boobs, about cancer, about walking, about life…

Now that the clock has turned to December, who am I now? Well, in my real life, I’m not Mr. December. At home, I’m Dad to Justyce, Colbi Lyn and Devin and the future husband of Mary…at work, I’m Chief Information Systems Technician Himebaugh (or, simply referred to as “Chief” or “ITC”)-see pic on right. I toil away in front of a computer all day at work, collecting and analyzing data, trying to improve the effectiveness and reliability of Manpower, Personnel, Training and Education programs for the Navy. I’d like to say it is a fulfilling job, but after 2+ years and very little headway, I can’t say that. As a Navy Chief, I should be a leader and mentor to Sailors, young and old, and yet where I work, I’m still the lowest ranking person.

The writing of “we’re so proud of you dad” and the like is off of the windows of my car (although it was on for longer than it should have been, some 3 weeks after the end of the Walks…) There are no more fundraising pleas (yet). There’s no hyper-blogging of my status and whereabouts on Twitter or Facebook, as I used to update those things 10+ times a day, and now I update them once every couple days it seems. I no longer have either pink hair or pink fingernails (the Navy would not like that!). There’s no training several times a week (although, in a couple weeks, I will begin a Boot Camp program that I won for 4 free weeks). There’s also no pass on me spending money, previously under the guise of buying things I needed for the walk, from my now-fiancee.

And, there’s no longer a break in my Class Schedule-I start back up on January 5th, trying to finish the last three classes I need before I graduate with my Master’s Degree in Information Systems.

However, things are of course not as bleak as they may seem. I have a wonderful fiancee,and we’re trying to plan our wedding, although that is a bit difficult right now due to the fact that I am up for orders in the Navy. I have submitted 4 job applications, all ships out here in San Diego, in hopes that I get selected for one of them; sooner, rather than later. We hope to have our wedding in Michigan in August of next year, but until we know when and where the Navy is sending me (and consequently, the underway schedule of whatever ship I go to), then we can’t make any concrete plans.

Of course, I am also partaking in preparations for next year’s Komen 3-Day for the Cure Events I’m taking part in, Michigan and Chicago-if I’m allowed to based on where the Navy sends me. I have a couple hundred dollars in “starter” donations for each event (the money I made from appearing in the 60 Mile Men Calendar. I also have a great plan to hopefully raise most of the money through fundraising, business donations, and some family members instead of hounding my Facebook friends constantly for funds. I can’t give away all of my secrets yet…

I am also in the process of starting my own non-profit organization company for fundraising, which I will discuss in further detail later. I already have a logo, a website and I am working on a Mission Statement. Once I get everything online, I’ll post a blurb on here about it.

It’s amazing that life is so different outside of the 4-5 months that I’m involved in training and then the walks. It’s almost ordinary even.