Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Mood Music for All Hallow's Eve

Here's a little background music, if you need to get in the mood for tonight:




Hedwig's Theme, from Harry Potter (of course)

And:



Night on Bald Mountain, from Fantasia

Monster Mash? Forget it, folks, I love you more than that!

As a Matter of Fact...

You Are a Witch (or Warlock)

You are deviously brilliant and a perfect manipulator.
You somehow always end up getting what you want - without anyone knowing you're working behind the scenes.
Crafty and cunning, you can work your way out of any jam.
And it's easy for you to get people to do what you want, whether you're working for good or evil.

Your greatest power: Mind control

Your greatest weakness: Making people your puppets

You play well with: Ghosts


And I got the outfit to prove it! Surprisingly, none of my drivers noticed.

H/T to Tammi, who got it from a bunch of others.

Tuesday, October 30, 2007

The Long Way Home

James Doty was lost, in every sense of the word.

He had been separated from the other soldiers for hours, maybe even days. Doty was no longer sure of time. The events of the battle had left him confused and disoriented. It was as if a mist had descended not only in the valley, but in his mind as well.

It had started when insurgents had started creeping back in the area, terrorizing men, women and children with their brutality, and the Governor of the province had pleaded for protection. Doty and 2500 other soldiers had been based 25 miles away. A reconnaissance party of two battalions, some 275 men, were to head north and assess the activity in the area. Two majors, Bailey and Stillman, were anxious for some combat experience and led the soldiers into the valley.

They set up camp near a small grove of trees by a creek. Somehow, one of the soldiers had managed to stash whiskey in his gear, and by supper time, several soldiers were drunk. Doty recalled his disgust with them, which was immediately replaced by alarm when three insurgents were captured by the guards. One of the drunken soldiers shot one of the captives. Apparently, another squad of insurgents had been watching from the hills, and they raced away. Several soldiers, without orders or commander, followed them and succeeded in overtaking and killing two of them. By that time, the insurgents had reached their own base and the entire band ran forward to pursue the outnumbered soldiers.

God, it had been a slaughter. Doty sat on the ground, head in his hands at the thought of it. Those hot-headed assholes who had taken off on their own never even stopped, just screamed that hundreds were following them. Doty never knew how many of them there were. In the end, most of the soldiers dashed south, led by that bastard Stillman, leaving the twelve of them to defend themselves. And of the twelve, only he remained. Doty shook his head in an effort to clear his thoughts. Through the mist, he could still see them. Ellis, whose intestines were wrapped around his neck. CPT Adams, his genitals stuffed in his mouth; horrifying enough, but his head was a good 20 feet from his body. Draper screaming in the dark until Doty heard his last gurgling, gasping breath. Walters, Milton, Parkins, Kreeps, Mendinhall, Childs, Farris and Munson, all of them with hands and feet missing, eyes gouged out, hearts torn out, the ground red and slick with their blood.

Yet it wasn’t.

The mist lifted a bit, and where Doty had seen his fellow soldiers only a moment ago, now was green hillside. It was as though he were seeing their reflection in a glass, there but not there.

Oh God, Doty thought, I have lost my mind. How could someone have come to bury them without his seeing them? He had been hidden nearby the whole time. Doty looked around, and again, it was as if two different scenes were overlapped, competing with his attention. Was he seeing open prairie, or was he seeing houses and people? I’m crazy, he thought, I’m crazy and I’m lost and dear God, please just let me wake up from this nightmare and go home.

And so Doty walked, and walked, not knowing if it was tall grass or some hard unknown surface beneath his boots. Always keeping in sight of the hill where his friends were killed, he would call out for his fellow soldiers who must surely be looking for him by now. He would think that he could see a familiar face in the passing shadows that invaded his sight more and more, but no one would stop, no one could hear him.
Doty felt suspended between two worlds-the one he knew and this shadow world where seasons changed, the prairie was replaced by homes and businesses, shades of people he could almost, but not quite touch. Once he tried knocking on a door, sure that this time someone would see him, help him. But in the end, there was no help for Doty. He returned to his vigil on the hill, waiting to be found and convinced that he had gone quite mad.

And then…she came.

There to the west, cutting through the mist of his world like a beacon, stood a house. A home filled with candlelight, the smells of cinnamon and apples. He approached the house, and there on the porch sat a woman curled in a chair, an afghan around her shoulders, book in her lap, coffee by her side. And he knew, without a doubt, that this was where he should be. No woman should be out here on her own, unprotected, when an attack might come at any time. Doty went through the door and sat down beside her.

I know why I was left behind, he told her. I am here to watch over you. A small breeze ruffled the hair on her forehead. She looked up and smiled, then went back to her book.



Sometimes the best ghost stories are the ones you can base on history. The story of the Battle of Stillman’s Run can be found here as told by the Hon. John A. Atwood in 1904.

Monday, October 29, 2007

Oh Great

You Are Changing Leaves

Pretty, but soon dead.


This wasn't exactly the result I was expecting/

Found over at Shadowscope's.

Witches Galore

It's getting closer to our annual Halloween party at Jackass Acres. I was really worried that this year wouldn't be as fun since old Sarge runs Bingo at the VF*n*W on Wednesdays, but he has cancelled it due to the *holiday*. It's cutting it pretty close to the wire for costumes for him, so I am improvising. See, the Granddaughter and I are going as witches. Well hell! I have 2 black capes, 2 black dresses....there are wigs around here somewhere...

We will be big Witch, Little Witch and Transexual Witch, I guess. OS says he's up for anything.

As a side note, we worked the steak fry Saturday night at the Post. Everyone had dressed up for Halloween, and I noticed one of the bartenders who rarely wears make-up was in full clown paint:

RM: Huh. She's even got false eyelashes on. Almost 50, and I've never worn them!
OS: You haven't???
RM: No......have you?
OS: You didn't think since meeting you, those are the only times I've dressed up as a woman, did you?
RM: *blink*
OS: It was a long time ago.

Get Some!

See how this happens! You figure out how to put something on the sidebar and all of a sudden stuff pops up all over.

Mrs. G of Mudville emailed me to be a part of Valour-IT's Air Force team this year. I am proudly displaying my WIDGET on the sidebar.

If you don't know about Valour-IT, it supplies laptops with voice-activated software for wounded soldiers. Chuck was the inspiration for this project.

Valour-IT is a project of Soldiers Angels, which is an IRS-designated 501(c)(3) non-profit charity. Thus donations to the project are tax deductible, and eligible for employer matching funds if applicable.

I am planning on having something special for auction- check in often for details.

Friday, October 26, 2007

Hey Look!

Over there! On the right!! I did that all myself. --------------------->

Like it?

Thursday, October 25, 2007

For AWTM



This lady does more in one day than I can even think about doing in a week.

Now if she'd just republish that recipe for jack-o-lantern dip....

The Pumpkin

I picked up my granddaughter after work yesterday for Wednesday Night At Grandma's. In case you can't see what is in her hand, it is a pumpkin. She painted it herself. It fits in her hand. It's HER pumpkin. She kisses it.

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Repeat those phrases 30 times and you'll know how my evening went.

**just kidding, she really did repeat herself God knows how many times, but it was funny**

Kill Me Now

You know it's going to be a shitty day when, aside from the 55 trucks you have hired that need your immediate attention, and the 200 trucks that you didn't hire but still need your immediate attention, that the boss asks you to make a spreadsheet for a new customer.

That started buying product in MARCH.

A daily breakdown of products sold.

Crap.

Wednesday, October 24, 2007

The Next Big Thing

My employment situation is tenuous at best at the moment. I've had to give alot of thought about what comes next in my life, what changes to make, how to face a future that has many unknowns right now.

Then the underwire in my bra broke, and I had an epiphany. Two, actually, but one that was of a creative nature. The other was just PAINFUL.

See, with our weather getting cooler, I've been moving the warmer clothes to a more prominent spot. Turtlenecks are a staple for me and like loose clothing, I have the (totally mistaken) idea that they hide my ample attributes. And it hit me-

What about a reinforced turtleneck? Just like I have underwire for my gravity-surrendering boobs, why not a shirt with a stiffer collar to restore my neck to its Audrey Hepburn-esque proportions? Surely there are millions of mature women like myself that would endure a little discomfort to trade in their turkey wattle for a jawline again.

I'm eagerly waiting some financial backing for this. Any minute now....

Monday, October 22, 2007

For Your Musical Enjoyment

I was cruising around YouTube this afternoon and found this video by Iced Earth. I had forgotten I had bought Glorious Burden a few years ago, a completely uncharacteristic choice in music for me, but I really liked it.

Wild Hat Night

Every six months at the VF*n*W, we have a Draw Down fundraiser to help with building expenses and whatever else comes up. It has been a tremendous help getting the Post back on its feet after some bad management. This time, we tried a theme party to get everyone enthused and seems to have been quite a hit. It was Wild Hat Night.

The bartenders got into it, too. The one on the left needs no explanation; the one on the right is covered with quarters, as in “call someone who cares”.
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We decided to give prizes out. Clapping Monkey Hat came in third:
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This one looks pretty, but from the picture you may not see what is special about it. The gal who made it is a cake decorator, and it is made from frosting. She got second place.
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Our winner was the off-duty bartender of seat belt cooler fame who had beer cans, Jagerbombs and gambling tickets all over her hat:
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I had my personal favorite. Old Sarge put deer antlers on top of an old helmet liner. (He wouldn’t let me paint “Me So Horny” on it) I don’t know why that was so funny, but there it is:
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I have suggested a pajama party for our next Draw Down. Surprisingly, no one seemed too crazy about the idea.

Beef- It's What's for Dinner!

Behold! Our new freezer and contents!

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Damn, it is a GREAT feeling to have the pantry stocked to overflowing and some tasty cow in the freezer!

Friday, October 19, 2007

Sometimes, Even Ice Cream Won't Help

For five nights in a row, I have been at the VF*n*W for one thing or another. Last night, I decided Old Sarge and I were going to have a decent meal finally, and I would catch up on some house work. As I was getting supper started and putting away groceries, the phone rang. OS got it; he speaks very loudly on the phone, so I knew right away Son #2 was calling. I’m continuing on in the kitchen, picking up a bag with ice cream in it. I’m hoping to get big smiles out of the husband, since he has the world’s biggest sweet tooth, so I walked into the living room to show him his goodies. He’s still talking, but definitely not smiling. I leaned over to see what he was scribbling down.

XXX Trans
XXX Quartermaster
Afghanistan?
Nov. 15th

Our eyes met for a second, and I walked back in the kitchen to put the ice cream away. When I closed the freezer door, it let out a long mournful sigh as the door sealed.

Exactly right, I thought. I rested my head against the door.

Breathe.

Nothing is set in stone at the moment. Son #2 still isn’t sure even where they are going, but his CO has told them all to make their phone calls and get ready. #2 and Young Sgt could be leaving within days of each other if this turns out to be the case. But hey, it’s the Army.

When Old Sarge got off the phone, he came into the kitchen. We looked at each other as if, what now?

All I could think to do was to hold out my arms, and he did the same.

Uh-Oh

Mandatory meeting after work tonight.

This can't be good.

UPDATE:

And...we just all had a huge ass Mexican lunch. And will be trapped together in a conference room in three short hours.

Thursday, October 18, 2007

Much Ado About Nothing

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WHAT storm????

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Fasten your seatbelts, it's going to be a bumpy night!

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHICAGO IL 1121 AM CDT WED OCT 17 WED OCT 17 2007/ ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS LIKELY THURSDAY AFTERNOON... AN INTENSIFYING STORM SYSTEM CURRENTLY IN THE PLAINS WILL SURGE NORTHEAST INTO THE MID AND UPPER MISSISSIPPI RIVER VALLEY THURSDAY. STRENGTHENING WINDS WILL DRAW MOISTURE FROM THE GULF AND HELP DESTABILIZE THE AREA TONIGHT. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD START DEVELOPING TONIGHT AS THE FIRST WAVE ROTATES THROUGH THE AREA AS A WARM FRONT. THESE FIRST STORMS ARE NOT LIKELY TO BE SEVERE CONSIDERING THE TIME OF DAY AND WEAKER AVAILABLE ENERGY. BEHIND THIS FIRST WAVE...STORMS SHOULD SUBSIDE TO SHOWERS IN THE MORNING HOURS TOMORROW. THE SECOND WAVE HOWEVER WILL ARRIVE WITH THE COLD FRONT DRIVING EAST ACROSS THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER SEVERAL HOURS AFTER SUNUP. IF SKIES BREAK OPEN IN THE MID TO LATE MORNING HOURS...SOLAR HEATING WILL ADD ENERGY TO AN ALREADY VIGOROUS LOOKING SYSTEM. THESE STORMS WILL ARRIVE IN THE EARLY AFTERNOON INTO NORTH CENTRAL ILLINOIS AND FINALLY CLEAR NORTHEAST ILLINOIS AND NORTHWEST INDIANA IN THE EARLY TO MID EVENING. STRONG DOWNBURSTS TO 70 MPH ARE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. LARGE DAMAGING HAIL ARE ALSO PROBABLE. IF NOT THREATENING ENOUGH...A FEW TORNADOES ARE ALSO POSSIBLE. RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES IN NORTHERN ILLINOIS AND NORTHWEST INDIANA SHOULD BEGIN PREPARING NOW FOR THIS SIGNIFICANT BOUT OF SEVERE WEATHER. GATHER VALUABLES AND YOUR WEATHER RADIO (WTF is THAT all about??)AND KEEP TUNED TO TV AND RADIO TO KEEP ABREAST OF THIS DEVELOPING SEVERE STORM THREAT.

It's a...

I did something out of the ordinary yesterday- I left work even though there was no one to relieve me. That's not quite as bad as an air traffic controller stepping away from the console, but damn near.

But there really are some things in life that are more important than making nig rocks into little rocks. Getting a peek at my new grandbaby is one.

In all my pregnancies, I had only one sonogram, because Miss Conduct was a pretty good sized baby. My how things have changed! The Eldest Son's girlfriend has had some problems due to placenta previa. Thankfully, that is looking MUCH better. The technician doing the ultrasound was kind enough to let both us grandmas in to watch, and it was just fascinating to me to see that little head, those little fingers, hear the heartbeat. Even at 20 weeks, and only 9 oz., there is a child there.

Oh, and Baby Blob has a name now.

I shall call her granddaughter!

Tuesday, October 16, 2007

Question

I'm hoping someone could explain the make-up of a Special Troops Battalion to me.

The Wheels on the Whatever

I love living in the Midwest, I truly do. You just can't beat the scenery, the colors, the rivers, the wildlife and the small towns.

However...

It NEVER fails that I will be at least 10 miles from the nearest bathroom on my way home, and get behind one of these:

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Curse you, motorized implement of husbandry!

Monday, October 15, 2007

Heh!

I don't usually do celebrity gossip but this was too good to pass up: "Paris Vows to Leave a Mark on the World".

Ahem.

There is a HUGE difference between leaving your mark on the world or just leaving a stain. Maybe someone should 'splain that to her.

Young SGT is 26!

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That handsome young man on the right turns 26 today.

Of course, those are all some fine looking kids.

Saturday, October 13, 2007

Sole Survivor Policy

I've been getting some comments about brothers serving in a combat zone at the same time, and will try to address that with the limited knowledge I have.

From Wikipedia:

The Sole Survivor Policy describes a set of regulations in the US military that are designed to protect members of a family from the draft or combat duty if they have already lost family members in military service. This does not protect children without siblings—only those who have already had an immediate family member killed in the line of duty. It furthermore does not apply strictly to the sole surviving son, but to all surviving sons. The need for regulations first caught public attention after the Sullivan brothers were all killed when the USS Juneau (CL-52) was sunk during World War II. Since then, each branch of the military has made its own policies with regard to separating immediate family members.

So, yes, the boys can all be there at the same time. They are not in the same units, and add into the mix that Son #2 and #4 are my stepsons, while Young SGT is "my" son. I don't think that matters, but there it is.

VFW Magazine has had several stories like this one about family members serving together.

And there are always the tragic ones, like the story of Michelle Witmer, of the Wisconsin National Guard. Michelle, her twin sister Charity and older sister Rachel were all in Iraq. Michelle was killed in an ambush. Her sisters had the option of returning to their units after her death, or requesting to be reassigned to non-combat units. If I remember correctly, they opted to be reassigned.

One of the biggest traps we fall into is the idea of "fair". If I thought too long about the fairness of three kids overseas, I would make myself crazy. Is it "fair" that they joined the Army and have to go to war? Folks, these are MEN who joined AFTER 9/11. There were no illusions. Is it "fair" that a certain portion of the world's population has just gone bat-shit crazy and wants to kill or subjugate the rest of us? Fair ain't got nothin' to do with it.

It's just hard, sometimes. And I vent. It's said that God doesn't give you more than you can bear, and He apparently has a very high opinion of my burden limit.

Friday, October 12, 2007

Birthday Boy

I am not much of a weekend blogger, so if you have a chance please stop by Young SGT's place and wish him a happy birthday. He will be 26 on Monday!

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Party's Over

I am overwhelmed! Thank you all for the very kind thoughts; I appreciate it more than you know.

And, now that I've had my meltdown, the pity party is over (for the moment!) and I have an announcement.

We have gained 10 new sons. Which ain't bad considering I can't even remember when the last time we fooled around was.

TMI, I know.

At any rate, Young SGT has some Joes that are about to find out what a wonderful mother he has. But- it has been awhile since we've had a boy deployed and I am sure that the kind of care packages we sent almost two years ago may not be what soldiers need now. Despite Young SGT's assurance that deer sticks and oatmeal cookies will see him through, it WILL get boring.

So I would like to send an appeal out to currently deployed or recently returned soldiers and ask:

WHAT DO YOU NEED???

Oh and Tammi? You are the Best.Friend.Ever!

Amazing!

Iron a blouse and put on mascara in the morning and everyone thinks you look nice.

Maybe I should try this more often.

UPDATE:

Just call me Minnie Pearl. A driver just pointed out that I have a price tag on my shirt. Sheesh, being a birthday gift, I would ahve thought my sister would have taken care of that.

Thursday, October 11, 2007

And The Hits Just Keep On Coming....

Oh dear God.

There are days I just want to crawl under the covers and not get out.

Phone call:
Son #2, who JUST re-enlisted and is stationed at Ft. Bragg and supposedly would not deploy for a year?

Yeah, orders for January.

I am going to have three boys in Iraq at the same time by the first of the year.

Excuse me, I have been craving a good bawlfest all week and damn it, I am indulging myself.

Ghost Stories

I got to thinking, it's almost time for me to write another crappy Halloween story. You know you love them! Who can forget the tale of when Raging Mom met T1G in The Cemetery Chronicles? Or the ghosts that haunt Kennedy Hill or Devil's Backbone?

Classic all.

So just to tease T1G a little, I'll throw out a name he should recognize to see what my thoughts are for this year.

James Meissen

Bwahahaha!

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Blue

For your listening enjoyment and for my ever-expanding depression:



Plus, Jeff Bridges without a shirt is NEVER a bad thing.

Tuesday, October 09, 2007

Un-Urban Legend

I just walked out of my office to my truck, IN FULL DAYLIGHT!

Contrary to Bedrock mythology, I did not spontaneously burst into flame.

That is all.

Monday, October 08, 2007

Question of the Day

When is a couple *done*?

When friends remark, "Oh, you always used to see them everywhere together, now you never do."?
Or, "'I'm tired' seems a pretty pat excuse."?
When even simple affection stops?
Or how about when one's perceived bad behavior inflames the other's perceived laziness?
When the kids seem to be the only thing holding them together, but threatens to push them apart?

When would YOU tell this couple to stick a fork in it?

Thank you

...for all the birthday wishes! It is really and truly appreciated.

Friday, October 05, 2007

October 7, 2001

What were YOU doing then?

The Original Old Sarge and I were in my backyard watching the Harvest Parade, drinking beer and waiting for my Old Sarge and some others to get back. I had run into the house for something when I caught a sound bite from the TV, that we were bombing Afghanistan. I brought a radio outside and the two of us sat by the fire, listening to the reports.

By the way, the Original Old Sarge was a cigar-chomping mean SOB of a Marine. He is still around, but his wife has taken away his beer and cigars due to failing health. I saw him a few weeks ago; he is thinner and frail. We had heard that his (alleged)Alzheimers was bad, but I didn't see any change. When my brother walked up to him he yelled "Well, Jesus Christ!" OOS just grinned and said, "My thoughts exactly!"

Procrastination, Thy Name Is...

Raging Mom, for sure.

Yesterday, I bought birthday gifts. My sister's was July 28th, and my sister-in-law's was August 4th.

My brother called this morning. The cows are on their way to the um, well, you know.

If you recall, my freezer went out last month. I have tasty beef coming in two weeks. A NORMAL person would have called the insurance company by now to file a claim on all that loss.

Sigh. Yeah, I'm on it. But unfortunately, I doubt I'll have anything settled BEFORE I have to buy that new freezer.

If I wasn't so damn broke, I would hire a personal assistant just to keep my shit straight.

Thursday, October 04, 2007

I'm Almost Three and I Know EVERYTHING!

My granddaughter is determined to make my life interesting and surprizing.

We have family dinner every Wednesday night. Lately, I have been picking her up at her mom's after work and we have some very enlightening conversations. For starters, I have no appreciation of her vocals talents, apparently.

Mini-Me: (singing Twinkle Twinkle)....how I wonder what you are.
RM: (clapping) Oh good!
MM: Gramma! I'm not DONE!!!

I was pointing out all the fall decorations around town that have been put out for Autumn on Parade while we were driving to the house. When we got home, she noticed my one scarecrow on the front porch and informed me that I needed to go to the Pumpkin Store.

(And when it's not going to be almost 90 frikkin' degrees around here, I will.)

She definitely has a problem with authority, too. (No idea where that came from) I made her go inside for not minding me. The Eldest Son's Girlfriend commented that doing the exact opposite of what she's been told has been a real problem lately. Since they have a baby on the way, she wondered when it would stop.


I told her I would have to get back with her on that.

I Wonder

AWTM post that today would have been her mother's birthday. Damn, She was too young!

But, I wonder if it is better to have the closeness and the good memories rather than have a mother that barely acknowledges you in public. And have people notice.

All We Need

Some years ago, I had a conversation with a friend of mine, a World War II veteran, in which he described his decision to put the cow-milking business on hiatus to enlist in the Marine Corps. He would leave town on the train to Chicago and not come home for over three years.

Can you imagine that? Better yet, can you imagine being his mother, never once getting to even speak to him in three years? Three years, waiting day to day for casualty lists to be published, for the awful sight of two uniformed men on your porch, never knowing where your child is or if he is alive, or whole.

The headlines wouldn’t have helped.

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And yet, people endured this. Even when MacArthur abandoned the Philippines, the failure of Operation Market Garden, the horrible casualties in the Ardennes and Iwo Jima, even when it was not clear at all that we were winning this war, one thing had to be clear: that we could not afford to lose it, either.

I think perhaps the folks living in that time had qualities that we as Americans no longer possess. Actually, there’s a hell of a lot that they knew that we may have forgotten: loyalty, frugality, morality, the value of family; this list could go on and on. But tops on my list right now is PATIENCE. The ability to see the Big Picture, to read between the lines, the assurance that America CAN NOT be defeated overseas unless she is first defeated at home.

We have met the enemy, and he is us.

For the life of me, I can’t understand how losing a war is a good thing. We are not the same Americans of sixty years ago. Our wants and desires need to be satisfied immediately. Speaking personally, it has happened many times that my hands have itched for a computer to look up a piece of information, or I have bought on credit something that my parents would have saved for. Instant gratification and the lack of a crystal ball seem to plague us.

It affects so many when applied to the Long War. We haven’t won, so we must be losing, right? The situations in Iraq and Afghanistan are still filled with violence, so we can’t win! Those people are too abused, too dysfunctional to EVER be a civilized nation! We can’t look in that crystal ball we long for and see that in five, ten years, maybe our lifetimes, that THIS was worth the effort, the lives, the money, to try to rid this world of one of the greatest threats to ever face mankind.

Issue me my fatwa right now- ISLAMOFASCISM.

So I try, and ask everyone else to also, be PATIENT. My grandparents sent sons to war, to keep our world safe. Inarguably, their sacrifice DID make the world better, although at the time, the final outcome was far from obvious. If you need a little inspiration to help you keep the faith, I can only offer this:

Son #2, even though he has been to Iraq, had his bell rung a few times while over there, and then got out of the Army, well…He went back. He might not deploy for awhile, but surely will at some point and He. Went. Back.

Son #4 has already re-enlisted, and will be going back to Iraq sometime between now and next spring.

Young SGT, who was hurt so badly this spring, will be leaving soon. He can walk with his body armor, but can’t run. He could get out of going if he so chooses, but he does not. He’s going with his Joes and that’s all there is to it.

I don’t know why they do it. Whether for friends or for Country, it doesn’t matter to me. They go, and I like to think they know that they are a part of something bigger than themselves. Something Important. If they can do this, I can be patient. Be patient, and keep trying to convince others that we must not be defeating ourselves here at home.

Wednesday, October 03, 2007

Backfire

Nice job, Democrats. I haven't listened to Rush Limbaugh for a long time. Not that I don't agree with alot that he says, but he can be irritating. But, one thing that I am absolutely certain of: he DOES support our armed forces.

And now? Listening online at work.

H/T to Pat Dollard, and may I add, if you aren't checking HIM out several times a day, you are missing out on some damn fine reporting!

Tuesday, October 02, 2007

Again Good-bye

We seem to have alot of these in this family.

Son #2 left last night for Ft. Bragg.

Godspeed, sweetie, and don't spend my Bingo winnings all in one place!