Dateline: Crystal Gateway Marriott, Arlington, VA

The speaker at lunch today for the workshop was Vice Admiral John G. Cotton whom I have heard via VTC several times. He was much better live, not that he’s bad via VTC. I found him to be very frank, forthcoming, entertaining, and motivating. Of course the things he said went over well with the audience he had; it might have received a different response elsewhere but who cares. He was great.

I also got to talk to my mentor a little while. Living in different parts of the country makes it a little difficult but we keep in touch via email.

Unfortunately I learned some disturbing news. The Commander Line selection board meets on 15 March, not 30 March, as I had thought. Of course I could have checked but it was one things that I knew I knew so why check what you know, right? Well, check what you know you know if it is really important. The only problem is that I need a new photograph for the record and I’m missing a Fitness Report. I had checked on things so it isn’t like I was completely unprepared, I just thought I had more time to prepare than I now have.

My biggest problem is a missing fitness report from my last commanding officer. When he detached I sent the report but, because of his deployment schedule and the connectivity problems we had, it never was received. I checked on it but he had detached. I explored several options but finally was told I have to track him down.