Today was the big day and it began at 1:00 am.  My dog Chili woke me up to let me know he needed to go outside, but little did I know it was with the intent of chasing a skunk.  At 1:30 am, I was in driveway removing the stench from Chili with a combination of hydrogen peroxide, baking soda, Dawn dish soap and the garden hose.  Chili was placed on quarantine in the garage.  By 2:15 am I took a shower. Since I needed to be up at 4:00 am, I just dosed off in a chair.

I arrived at the Stand Down site on time, but certainly somewhat bleary eyed.  I was assigned to the ECHO tent along with three other people who were also first timers.

ECHO TEAM

Our Tent Leader, Dave

Dave was able to stop taking drugs when he attended the Stand Down in 2010 and now is no longer homeless.  These veterans are referred to as "Stand Down Babies".  

The most emotional part of the day was when many "Stand Down Babies" went up on stage to be recognized for their years of sobriety.  Each veteran standing on the stage thanked Stand Down, because this event was the catalyst for them in stop drinking alcohol and/or taking drugs.  Each one was a inspiration to all of those participants who had not yet started and those who had just taken their first step to sobriety.