The Shannon Chronicles

I've Moved...

2007-02-17T17:08:00.000-08:00

Blogger is really getting on my nerves, so I've ditched them. The last straw was making me change to the new blogger...didn't wanna do it but had no choice.

Anyhow, you can find me at:
the NEW Shannon Chronicles

What Kind of Intelligence Do You Have?

2007-02-14T20:47:00.000-08:00

Your Dominant Intelligence is Linguistic Intelligence

You are excellent with words and language. You explain yourself well.
An elegant speaker, you can converse well with anyone on the fly.
You are also good at remembering information and convicing someone of your point of view.
A master of creative phrasing and unique words, you enjoy expanding your vocabulary.

You would make a fantastic poet, journalist, writer, teacher, lawyer, politician, or translator.

What Kind of Intelligence Do You Have?

Damn Snow...

2007-01-21T06:43:00.000-08:00

I'd bet we got over 4 inches of snow yesterday. My car is completely covered...it's so deep, the dogs' bellies are just shy of being in the snow. Gosh I'm sick of snow. And, having to drive in this mess tomorrow morning just scares the shit out of me.

Yes, after four years in Alaska, I can drive in the snow and ice better than most people in this particular state. I just miss my Explorer and am kicking myself in the ass right now for buying this Mustang and not buying either another Explorer or the Jeep. That Mustang has the traction control shit on it, but honestly - it's not much help on ice. That rear end still wants to slide out from under you if you're not real careful and the antilock brakes do a lot of popping.

This snow is so deep compared to last weekend's snow, I really do dread getting out tomorrow morning to take the babies to school. Guess I'll get out there this afternoon and try to at least get most of the snow off the damn thing so I don't have to do it tomorrow morning.

Just damn.

The "Games People Play" Meme...

2007-01-16T14:32:00.000-08:00

Erica over at Erica's Blog tagged me to tell five things that folks may not know about me.

This is going to take some thinkin'. I'm pretty much an open book, so most likely what I come up with, all who know me will know these things too. I'll give it a try though - here goes:

1. I've only seen one celebrity in person and that was Kenny Chesney. We'd just closed on our old house. Before moving in, we were staying at a local hotel the first week. We'd come out to the house and work all day, then we'd get something to eat on the way back to the hotel.

Well, the first six months in our old house was extremely stressful. Everything I thought would be easy was anything but. That first week - well, I was completely overwhelmed. I was terrified that I'd talked husband into a horrible horrible mistake and he made it no secret that he HATED this house which just compounded me feeling completely awful about the entire situation. We were so worn out - and it'd not even been a week we'd owned the place.

One evening, we stopped at the local Burger King and ate. I don't remember us saying a word - we were just in a daze from the complete mess we had facing us in the kitchen. After eating, we got up and tossed the trash and with our two babies, headed to the front door of the restaurant. As we headed out, three or four men were coming in. I didn't really look at any of the men, but said, "I'm sorry, excuse us" to the small man in the doorway. I overheard one of the men say, "Wow, that was odd, huh?" I thought, what was so damn odd about saying excuse me...

Outside, I think it was daughter who said, "Wasn't that Kenny Chesney?" The light bulb went off...DING DING DING DING...that WAS Kenny Chesney - the small guy I'd said excuse me to! We couldn't believe we just walked right past him and in our "old house horror daze" hadn't even realized it until our four year old pointed it out LMBO! Sure enough, out in the parking lot was the huge tour bus that had his name on the side. I wanted to go back to our hotel room and get the camera, but husband said no lol. Said the guy probably enjoyed being ignored and treated like a normal person ha! And, once I thought about it, I knew he was right. I bet out of all the fans he's ever met, he'd probably remember us because we're probably the only fans who acted like he was a nobody as they passed him in a doorway ROTFL! Hey, old house daze will do that to you lol!

2. Growing up, we had a Siamese cat named Ling Ling who was super smart. He was truly a wonderful pet. Mother brought him home when I was six months old and he lived until I was 15 or 16.

One of Mother's many pet peeves was not flushing the toilet after you used it. My brother and I regularly got our asses chewed off for there being pee in the toilet and it not being flushed. I would say that it couldn't be me because there was no toilet paper in the toilet. My brother would say it wasn't him because the toilet seat was down. Regardless, Mother thought she'd cover all her bases and just chew us both out for it.

One weekend, I had a friend spending the night. Mother knocked on my door softly and told us to quietly come out in the hall. We had no clue what was going on, but out we went into the hall. Mother said to hurry and peak in the bathroom, so we did. There, in all his glory, was Ling Ling - sitting on the toilet, peeing.

Yep, we had a cat that would use the toilet. We never did teach him how to flush though lol. All those ass chewings, and it was the cat peeing in the toilet the whole time. She would have never believed it if she hadn't seen it with her own eyes.

3. My husband and I met on a blind date. The only blind date I ever went on. The first time I saw him smile, I just knew he was the person I'd been searching for my whole life. He was also the last person I ever went on a date with :).

4. I was so bored when we moved to AK, I taught myself HTML and started a website. In doing so, I was able to get a job with the company that eventually purchased my website.

5. When I was a kid, the movie The Black Stallion was popular. Several years after the movie, the horse from the movie was at the coliseum in Montgomery, AL. My best friend's parents took us to see the horse and he was absolutely beautiful. Before the show, we were able to see him in his stable. We were pretty surprised to see that he wasn't as big as the movie had made him appear. He was actually on the small side for an Arabian. Our second surprise was the fact that he wasn't all black. Apparently he had a white spot on his forehead and two of his legs had white near the hoof. These spots were a bluish color from being dyed black before each show.

It was an amazing performance. My friend's Dad always told us we could train our horses to do anything if we had enough patience, "You can train a horse to sit down at the supper table and eat supper with you - if you wanted to." After seeing this horse, I believed him. The trainer took his halter off and with whistles and hand signals, this horse did stunt after stunt...and looked absolutely gorgeous the entire time. To this day, I've never seen another horse as beautiful as he was. I used to have pictures I'd taken with a Polaroid camera my Dad had given me. I have no idea where those photos are now though.

As far as tagging anyone - I think most everyone I read has already done this one. If you haven't - give it a try and post a link to it in my comments so I can read your five things!

President Bush's Speech

2007-01-10T18:23:00.000-08:00

I know that by this time tomorrow, the left-wing nuts (both politicians and the media) will be full speed ahead, doing their best to condemn this new plan whether it deserves it or not. Of course, it will have nothing to do with the plan itself or that they have a better plan to ensure victory in Iraq. Their condemnation of the plan will have nothing to do with our national security, our nation's future - or even remotely related to what is in our nation's best interest. Their objections, their ranting and raving will be based on their continuous MAIN objective: political power. Nothing more. Nothing less.

Failure in Iraq is what they based their campaigns on in 2004 and 2006. A good plan - a change in strategy in Iraq that could achieve some real progress - well, while good news for our country (not to mention good news for Iraq and the entire middle east) is bad news for these left-wing fucktards. After all, they have 2008 to think about!! Anything positive to happen, well, that could possibly jeopardize their "Iraq is a complete failure" soapbox. They wouldn't be able to use dead Soldiers and Marines as political grenades against Republican rivals if Iraq started to turn around.

It's pretty sad when these left-wing idiots, our own citizens - not to mention elected officials, have themselves positioned where only our defeat in a war will help boost them politically. What's truly disgusting is that their objections mirror Iran and Syria's. Gosh, it must make them proud to sound LIKE OUR ENEMIES...

And Another...

2007-01-10T15:17:00.000-08:00

Your Life Path Number is 3

Your purpose in life is to express your unique self.

You are a creative and artistic person with an interesting view on life.
Witty and outgoing, you enjoy sharing your crazy ideas with anyone who will listen.
A total social butterfly, you're the life of any party.

In love, you inspire and enchant your partner. You are often an object of fantasy and desire.

While you are very talented, you sometimes lack the ambition to put your talents in play.
And while your wit carries you a long way, you occasionally use it to mask your true feelings.
Your natural abilities can bring you all the success in the world ... if you let them

What Is Your Life Path Number?

I wouldn't say I inspire and enchant - and I'm so not a social butterfly OR the life of the party lol.

I do lack ambition though...not that I have any real talents, but these days I just can't find anything that even remotely interests me so I pretty much do nothing - much less anything interesting lol. Definitely need to get out of this slump I'm in and find something to do, that's for sure.

Personality Test...

2007-01-10T14:27:00.000-08:00

Not sure where I ran across this, but thought it was interesting...

You Are An ISTJ

The Duty Fulfiller

You are responsible, reliable, and hardworking - you get the job done.
You prefer productive hobbies, like woodworking or knittings.
Quiet and serious, you are well prepared for whatever life hands you.
Conservative and down-to-earth, you hardly ever do anything crazy.

You would make a great business executive, accountant, or lawyer.

What's Your Personality Type?

The History Channel and VTC

2006-12-21T17:39:00.000-08:00

Yes, only a story from me can connect The History Channel with a VTC. For those who may be wondering what exactly a VTC is, it's short for Video Teleconferencing.

We didn't get to experience this during the last deployment, so I was quite surprised when I received the email offering us the opportunity this time around.

Of course, whenever the Army is involved there are last minute changes and this was no different. When the word was first sent out, they said we'd all be in a room where the commander could give us some updates, then we'd all get five minutes to talk to our loved ones privately. Next, the word came down that they were mistaken. There would be too many people for everyone to get private time, so we'd all be in a room where the commander would give us all updates and we could see our soldier in the group - ask questions about how they are etc. Finally, the day before, word came that only a few people were planning on attending so we all would get approximately five minutes each with our soldier afterall.

I had planned on attending regardless. The babies on the other hand - well, I worried about how they would handle seeing Daddy. I told them it was up to them on whether they went or not. That Daddy and I just wanted them to do whatever they felt was best for them. If they thought seeing Daddy while they talked to him would be too upsetting, they could go to school. If they wanted to go, they could and I'd take them to school once we finished. Son decided he'd rather go and see Daddy. Daughter cried (and she's not one to cry often) and said she wanted to go, but seeing him and not being able to hug him would be so hard. I completely understood because I felt the same way.

The day of the VTC came and after dropping daughter off at school, son and I headed to post. We arrived about the same time as commander's wife and her little ones and we all went into the building together.

After going in to the VTC as a group, we all were given five or so minutes with our soldier. It was pretty interesting and like talking on the phone to him, there was a delay. The picture was wonderful if you were still, but when you move, it blurs pretty bad (assuming it was the same on husband's side). It was worth every second and the only complaint I had was that I wished we'd had more time ;). Honestly though, if we'd all gotten an hour it still wouldn't have seemed like long enough, so in reality, I had no complaints ;). I was just thankful we were able to experience the VTC this time around.

So, how does The History Channel work its way into this story? Well, while we were waiting for our turn to go in for our five minutes, a soldier my husband used to work with came in with her baby. I believe she's now out of the Army and her husband is currently deployed. Behind her was a young man in his mid-twenties I'd guess, with an expensive looking camera on his shoulder videoing her every move.

While he was videoing someone else (I'm not much for having my picture taken, much less being filmed), I quietly asked her what was up with the camera. She explained that The History Channel was doing a program about the job she and other female soldiers did when they were deployed to Ramadi (and they did a damn hard job and did it well). A follow-up of sorts to see how their lives may have changed since they returned home. I told her I had an article still bookmarked on my laptop that was written about them while they were deployed last time. She asked if I could email it to her and I said sure. Before I could find a receipt in my purse to write on and get her email address written down, camera man had made his way over to us. And he was just a'filmin while I dug through my purse and wrote down her email addy.

So, there's the connection and I am hoping that portion will be so insignificant it will be tossed on the editing room floor and forgotten about lol. I'll be horrified if my messy purse and horrible handwriting winds up broadcast to the world LMBO. What a great five seconds of fame that would be ha!

Stirs the Soul...

2006-12-20T19:26:00.000-08:00

I recently found Erica's Blog. Today, I read her post THE BEST HANUKKAH POST EVER (be sure to follow the link she provides and read the story behind this photo and the Menorah).

As I scrolled down and came upon the photo, it immediately stirred so many emotions.

This photo is testament to the fact that a photo can truly be worth a thousand words. I'd never seen this photo before seeing it today, which truly baffles me. It's such a special photo.

I'm not Jewish, so I can only try to imagine the volumes this photo says to those who are and the places it touches deep within their hearts and souls.

As a Christian, this photo stirs my soul and seeing it immediately invoked feelings that I imagine many Americans may have felt during WWII. Fear of the evil that loomed large, but having faith that Good would overcome that evil if we refused to run and hide from it.

The story behind this particular Menorah just adds to its beauty. And I use the word beauty even though the sight of a Swastika makes me feel sick. It's the message of the Menorah in the foreground - small, delicate, beautiful - standing firm against the large, ugly and vile hatred depicted in the background.

Standing proudly, in the light of day refusing to hide or apologize for who you are, for what you believe - well, it parallels to what we face today in some ways in my humble opinion. We have people out there that want us dead just because we believe differently, because we may live differently. I just hope we continue to refuse to hide or apologize. History tells us what will happen if we fail to confront evil.

American Girl

2006-12-19T18:52:00.000-08:00

If you have a daughter or other young lady age six to twelve in your life, you've most likely heard of the American Girl dolls. Personally, I'd not heard of these obnoxiously expensive dolls until this year, when daughter made a new friend at school. Apparently, new friend has two or three of these things. She brought a catalog to school for daughter to bring home and look at. Of course, by the time daughter got home, she was in love.

As it turns out, the books daughter had been reading at school for her reading program were connected to these dad-burned dolls too. I'm telling you, the person who thought this racket up is a genius - and now a billionaire lol.

All these dolls she'd show me in the catalog, she'd also read their books and could tell me all about their families, their lives and their friends. She was so excited to find that all these girls she'd come to know and love while reading about them also had a real doll you could see, touch and dress!

I was excited for her - until I noticed the price tag ha! Whew... Well, husband wanted to know what to get daughter for Christmas and I told him about the dolls. And, of course, he bought her one. When this conversation took place, daughter loved the idea of their "look like me" doll. You can choose the hair color, skin and eye color and get a doll that - well, looks like you lol. Currently she's in a box in the dining room. I need to get it out and wrap it in the next few days. Just something else I've been putting off.

To go along with the books and the dolls, they now also have American Girl Movies. Like I said, a genius thought this up folks lol. Molly, American Girl on the Home Front debuted a few weeks ago and replayed again tonight. I have to say, even though it was a tear-jerker for me personally, I really enjoyed the movie. It's set in 1944 during WWII and it's a wonderful story. However, if you are a military family (especially if your loved one is deployed), don't be surprised if you find yourself wiping tears throughout. I know I did, even during the second time around tonight.

Saturday I believe it was, The Family Channel played the other two movies, Felicity and Samantha. Daughter couldn't wait to see these too. I thought they were really good also, but I guess the Molly movie hit close to home in a way, so I'm partial to that one.

I'm definitely not trying to "sell" anyone on these dolls. I think they are criminally overpriced, but the books and movies are worth the time. They offer a positive message for young girls and are also entertaining. If you're looking for a few good books for a seven to nine year old (depending on their reading level) girl, these would be something I would suggest. Unfortunately for daughter, they've moved up her reading level, so she's no longer able to read the books for her reading program at school. The movies I think would be good for any age over probably seven. Even at my age, I enjoyed them. Son wasn't so crazy about watching them ha!, but he's a boy and prefers movies that aren't so girly according to him ;).

Have you seen any of the movies or have a girl that enjoys the books? If so, I'd be interesting in hearing your opinion of them too!

My Police Dog

2006-12-17T21:08:00.000-08:00

Back in January, I wrote about Our New Baby, Dakota. In May, I finally put some photos up of him.

Last week, I was taking some photos of the babies to email husband. Dakota wasn't sure what the evil camera was up to, but apparently he was sure it must be up to no good. He was determined to make it clear that it was to stay away from him and his little people heh heh. He stood off to the side while I took a pic of the babies and unleashed his police dog bark. We couldn't help but laugh at his reaction to the camera. What a goof :).

Husband wanted a picture of Dakota too, so he could see how much our puppy has grown since he left. As you can imagine, turning the camera on him went over about as well as I'd imagine a ham sam'ich would go over at CAIR meeting.

He listens well and would sit when I told him to, he just wouldn't stop protesting long enough for me to get a decent picture of his pretty face. If you've ever seen the movie K-9 with Jim Belushi and how Jerry Lee, the German Shepherd, would grumble and groan, then you have an idea of what my pup was doing. He also does this when he's being scolded for something. Honestly, he talks back more than my children ever have - and he always tries to get the last word in.

Anywho, once I'd stopped taking pics of the babies, he put his police dog bark away. When I turned the camera on him, he started his grumbling that includes a type of bark/howl that is hard to describe in words and do it any justice. Here is a picture of him in mid growl/howl though ROTFL, protesting to high heaven about having his picture taken. He's so abused and mistreated lol...

Sorry for the Absence

2006-12-15T16:26:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year again. The time of year when one of the babies brings home a cough/cold and it tries to stick around the entire winter. Son is on an antibiotic, and his cough is sounding better.

Yesterday, daughter came home not feeling so well. This afternoon, she looked like she felt really bad when I picked her up from school, and she said she felt awful. I checked her temperature and it was 101.3. *sigh* Guess she's now going to come down with whatever it is that little guy has been sick with. Poor babies.

So, that's about all we've been doing - fighting colds, coughs and fevers :(. I'll start posting more regularly though.

I want to send a thank you out to Larry at the The Faren Report for thinking of us. He sent an email to see if we were doing ok. I sure do appreciate you taking the time to check in on us...it really means a lot to me. Thank you.

Thanksgiving 2006

2006-11-24T21:09:00.000-08:00

I have to say, this Thanksgiving was much better than Thanksgiving 2004. In 2004, the babies and I spent the holiday alone. It was one of the most depressing days of my entire life. Of course, I cooked just like I would if husband had been home, but it was really hard for the three of us to find the silver lining that day. The bright spot was after we'd eaten. I turned on the news and found out that President Bush had flown into Iraq and eaten with the troops. Of course, everyone on the left immediately attacked him for it, saying it was a publicity stunt, even taking issue over a turkey he held. For me though, it truly lifted my spirits. Our President leaving his family and spending the holiday with our troops spoke volumes. Regardless of whether you support Bush's policies or not, there is no doubt in my mind that he deeply cares about those in our Armed Forces. In 2004, he not only lifted the spirits of those he visited, but the families left behind and for that, I'll forever be grateful.

This Thanksgiving, I really wanted to go home. I wanted to spend Thanksgiving with my family back home. I wanted to sleep that really hard, deep sleep. The kind of sleep you get when you're not the only adult in the house and need to keep an eye and ear out for odd noises or little ones who might need you in the middle of the night. I wanted to cook a big meal with another adult - to talk and laugh while cooking all day. I wanted my babies to be showered with attention and affection, I wanted to see them get spoiled some...I wanted to see everyone eat so much that the only aftermath acceptable was to find a comfortable spot and snore for a bit. Most of all, I just didn't want the babies and I to be alone again.

None of that was possible though. Mother was wrapped around the axle about some things having to do with step-father starting at the beginning of November. Now, step-father is a good man, he really is. Sometimes that is his biggest downfall, he's too good. However, he's extremely unorganized. Often, he's not dependable. For instance, he'll say he's going to run to his office and pick up a file and be back in half an hour. Three hours later he'll show up - having also stopped by the dollar store or somewhere else on a whim and have three bags of stuff and none of it was needed. Nothing done maliciously of course, it's just his unorganized, spur of the moment way. He's been the same way for the 25 years or so I've known him. You either accept him for who he is or you wear yourself out being disappointed, pissed off, disgusted etc. Guess which avenue my Mother takes? Yep, 25 years of bitching, being mad as hell, saying she's had enough and so on. I've heard this same crap since I was ten/eleven years old. And of course, the holidays are upon us and the shit has to hit the fan again.

As much as I wanted to go home, there was just no way I was going to make that two day drive and be put straight in the middle of her latest drama. She was doing a good enough job of trying to put me in the middle with me four states away. I grew up in the middle of this mess and as an adult, my ability to handle bullshit and drama is about zero. Life's too short. I decided being alone was better than putting the babies and I on Dysfunctional Family Crazy Train lol, and staying home would be less stressful than going. Lonely? Yes. Stressful? No. And to me, lonely is better and will win out each and every time.

Since the babies and I were going to stay home and I was going to cook a big meal, I asked our next door neighbor if he and his wife would like to come eat with us. He said he'd talk to his wife and let me know. He wasn't sure what their plans were. Last Sunday, she stopped by and said her daughter would be in town for Thanksgiving and we were more than welcome to come eat with them. We agreed on who would cook what and planned for us to come over around noon on Thanksgiving.

I made daughter's favorite, deviled eggs and I also made a green bean casserole. Our neighbor made ham and a few other things. We all ate enough to feed a small Army. It was great food and great company. It sure beat the heck out of the babies and I eating here alone, that's for sure. They are always so sweet to our children and we're so fortunate to have such wonderful neighbors.

So, although it wasn't as special and wonderful a day as it would have been if husband had been home, it was a good day compared to 2004. I was truly thankful to be able to spend the day with them and I know our babies were too.

New Template

2006-11-22T14:51:00.000-08:00

WHAT a nightmare. I started out with a three column template - which is what I really wanted. I'd found several blogrolls I wanted to join, and wanted a column on the left to display those separate from my favorite links.

Sunday I spent the entire day working on the three column template. Now, the code was ugly behind the scenes, but I don't know CSS very well and this template was done completely in CSS. About the time CSS was really changing the face of web design is about the time I stopped working. I'm about two years behind and apparently CSS has come a long way since then.

Anyhow, the code was ugly, but I thought it was my ignorance. After spending all of Sunday and Sunday night working on it, then part of Monday - by Monday night I was ready to test it in blogger preview. What a disaster...I learned a very valuable lesson...test early in blogger preview before devoting days to it.

Monday night I trashed the three column template and found a two column that I could use with the logo I'd originally made for the three column template. The original template that I'm using now can be found at Free Blogger Templates. The template I chose is Autumn Rain. As you can see, I changed quite a bit around, but kept the general layout. The code behind the scenes is pretty clean and easy to understand. The only problem I had when I put it in preview on blogger was the text on my right sidebar was smaller once it was published than it had been in the preview. Not sure why that is - but figure it might have something to do with blogger's bar at the top of the page....only thing I could think of that is different between the preview and the final product once published. Anyhow, there are some nice looking templates on Free Blogger Templates and I'd highly recommend them.

If you're looking for a new template, here are some sites with free templates. These are sites I ran across during my search that I bookmarked because I thought they had a good selection, they had a template I was considering or the templates they had were unique compared to most designs I'd ran across. Hope you enjoy!

Free Blogger Templates

Noipo.org's Blogger Templates

Gecko and Fly Blogger Templates (Classic)

New Template Search...

2006-11-17T18:35:00.000-08:00

For two days I've been searching for a new template. My goodness, I didn't think it was going to be so hard to find one I liked.

I have found some great sites that offer free templates though. As soon as I get my blog updated with a new template, I'll post links to all the free template sites that I now have bookmarked.

Confession Time:

2006-11-16T06:20:00.000-08:00

Hello.

My name is Shannon and when I was an early teen, I, too, succumbed to the pressure of using spray paint in a less than law abiding way.

Here is my story.

When I was fifteen, I already had my muscle car sitting in the driveway. I had the keys too. I was allowed to crank it up and let it run for twenty or thirty minutes every week. NOT drive it mind you, just crank it up...

Note to parents: No matter how responsible your child is, NEVER leave keys to a car (especially a car they LOVE) with a teenager before they get their license. The pressure, the pull - it's just too great for impressionable minds heh heh.

Mother worked full time, so when she wasn't home, that car would just beg me to get in it and not just sit there, but DRIVE. EMBRACE THE FREEDOM it would scream...

We lived on a VERY steep hill....practically straight up. Mother had backed the car up the drive and put it at the very top. Her reasoning was, the daughter was only 15 and there was NO WAY she could back the car up that driveway and get it in the exact same position. If the car moved, she'd know. If the yard was used to turn around, it'd leave tire marks, she'd know. The only way to get it in that position was to back it up that monster of a driveway.

She didn't count on two things. One, that daughter was conniving when it came to being in the car. She planned. She marked where the back tires sat with chalk to make sure the tires were put back into the exact same place. Two, daughter was a natural driver and could back that car up Everest if necessary. The car was taken out on several joy rides with the Mother none the wiser. That is, until one day an APB was put out on the car. The car that should not have moved having been backed up a driveway that no teen could replicate.

Confession time:

That day, a friend of mine and I got a wild hair and thought it would be fun to get in my car with a can of black spray paint. We'd drive across town and spray paint our initials on two stop signs near a friend's house. At no time during the drive did my friend or I have a moment of clarity and change our minds. Never mind that it was NOON and broad daylight. Never mind that I had already purchased a personalized tag for my old muscle car that only had THREE letters (my initials) and EASY to write down lol. Never mind that I was only 15, only had a permit and wasn't suppose to be driving without a licensed adult in the car. Nope, we thought this was going to be so funny...we laughed all the way there and all the way back to my house after the deed was done. We laughed until my Mother drove up unexpectedly - several hours before she was to get off work. My mother NEVER called in sick, she never left early from work. EVER. I knew when I heard her car pulling up the drive that my life, as I had known it, was O-VER.

Seems that someone witnessed our painting escapade and called the police. The police in turn put out a bulletin to all patrolmen to be on the lookout for a black Trans-Am, with such and such license plate, registered in my Mother's name...yes, Mother's name was broadcast all over town where every policeman and hick with a scanner could hear.

Our mechanic and family friend knew the car, the tag and, of course, Mother. He had heard the radio call over his scanner in his shop and called Mother at work to tell her the police were looking for her car. I can still imagine my Mother's head exploding as she heard the news...(shudder)

To make matters worse, my step-father was the city prosecutor at the time. Of course I had no idea what this was or what it meant at the time. However, I soon found out (thanks to my screaming, ranting Mother) that my little escapade was a HUGE embarrassment for my Mother who had to go to shoulder rubbing dinners and such with the WHOLE TOWN knowing her daughter vandalized CITY PROPERTY!!!!!

I didn't realize at the time that since my step-father was city prosecutor and friends with the police chief, that he just made a phone call and took care of it. Although Mother wanted me and my buddy to have to sit in a cell for a few hours, step-father's even tempered, calm demeanor said that wasn't necessary. He'd assured the police chief that we'd clean up the stop signs and have it done before we were to be in his office the following morning. The police chief would then take the floor and scare the royal crap out of us...

That evening, my friend's Mom took us to Wal-Mart where we bought several bottles of fingernail polish remover, two plastic scrub brushes and a bucket. She then took us back to the scene of the crime, where we had to take turns standing on each other's shoulders to reach the signs and be able to put enough elbow grease behind the brush to get our painted initials off the signs. One sign was really tall - and on a slope. I can firmly attest to the fact it was much easier to paint the sign than it was to clean it off. My friend and I never thought when we were learning to "climb" in cheerleading to build pyramids that it'd come in handy one day and help get our rears out of trouble lol. Being able to stand on shoulders came in handy that night - let me tell you.

The next morning we were in the Chief's office, apologizing for what we'd done and promising we would NEVER do anything like that again. He said he was keeping our names and if at any point between that day and our 18th birthdays, our names crossed his desk again, not only would we be in trouble for whatever we'd done, he'd also make sure that we were prosecuted for destruction of city property too. And, just to assure that I NEVER EVER thought of doing anything stupid again, he said if I got in trouble again before I turned sixteen, he'd personally see to it that I was not allowed to get my license when I did turn sixteen and instead, have to wait until I was 18. THAT. RIGHT. THERE. was enough to scare me straight...I was living, breathing, eating and sleeping Trans-Am and dreaming of finally getting to drive. I was counting down the months, days and hours until I could get my license. Not be able to get my license until 18??! Oh, life would end for me if that were to happen. END I tell you!

We were escorted out of his office while step-father stayed behind with the door closed. I can only imagine the laughs they had - and probably had a bet on how long into the meeting it would be until the Chief could make us cry heh heh. Next time I call home, I'll have to ask step-father what was discussed behind that closed door lol. After all these years, I'd really like to know.

Needless to say, I NEVER EVER got into any kind of trouble again.

And, it's probably the main reason why my heart broke when I saw those two scared young'uns on my porch fighting tears and trying to do anything possible to fix their lapse in judgment. I could empathize. I'd been right where they are some 20 (or so) years ago. My experience was enough to scare me straight and leave no questions as to the fact I was just not cut out for a life of crime lol. Hopefully their experience will be very similar.

Spray Painting Bandits: Update

2006-11-15T18:36:00.000-08:00

Instead of rewriting everything, I'm going to copy and paste two emails I sent out last night to husband and cc'd to my Dad and my Father-in-Law. The emails are about the latest and greatest regarding the spray painting bandits.

Email One: Vandalized Fence

The police officer called this evening. He said that one of the boys had confessed to a teacher. It turns out that this teacher had been a victim of the spray painting bandits also. He asked me what I wanted to do. I told him I didn't really want them to end up in juvenile hall and he said they didn't have a juvenile facility here in our small town. That usually, once they get in front of the judge, they get a curfew (oh big punishment ha!) and ordered to pay restitution, but in his experience, the victims rarely see a dime. This morning, we'd already discussed my view - when they got caught, they should have to go back and help the owners of the property they vandalized fix it.

The police officer said he'd already talked to a few other property owners and they just wanted an apology on their front porch. I told him that'd be fine with me, but I'd also expect them to pick up a paint brush and help me fix my fence. He said that sounded like a great idea to him. I told him I thought it would be good for them to not only have to face the people that they decided to vandalize by apologizing, but also spend some time getting to know their "victims" while they helped repair what they'd messed up.

The police officer said one of the boys has not confessed, but he's sure he will since he'd spent the night with the kid that has confessed the night all this went on. And, they are sure the properties are all linked since every home was spray painted with the same colors - red and black. He said he was off tomorrow and Thursday, but Friday he'd get to work on tying up any loose ends to get the boogers out to the properties. He'd not talked to the parents yet, but would be. He was leaving an email for the assistant chief who was working tomorrow, so he would know where they stand on the investigation and what the "victims" preferred to do with the two turds.

I told him I'd planned to paint my fence tomorrow because of the vulgar language, but I'd hold off a few days to see if these two would end up helping clean up their mess. He said he'd give me a call on Friday and let me know what was going on...

All in all, I'm really impressed with our police. They got here so quick AND they were really fast giving me an update on what was going on with the investigation. It's not like this was a HUGE crime spree or anything lol, but they are still spending time on it and treating it seriously. I've never heard of any police department being this quick and keeping the people informed so well. Just another thing I'm really impressed with in our small town....

I sent that email about 7 pm. By 8pm, there had been some major developments lol. Around 9:30 pm, I sent the following email.

Email Two: Update II

Ok, here's the latest in the fence saga ha! Are you ready?

The babies stayed up late tonight because (name edited) daughter was working on her multiplication tables and I was helping her by quizzing her. Then (name edited) son had a book he wanted me to read and it was 8 before I knew what happened.

I got the babies to bed and sat down to read this political article online...I'd been waiting all evening to read it and darn if the minute I sat down with my coffee, Dakota, the German Shepherd, didn't go nuts at the front door. He likes to lay in front of the door and watch the folks across the street come home in the evenings. I'd heard the car doors and assumed it was them. When he went crazy though and I saw the hair on his back standing up, I knew something was up. Two seconds later, the doorbell was ringing. I usually don't answer the door after dark - especially after 8 at night, but I thought it might be the police or something...

So, I get the dogs out and open the door and step out on the porch. I have two young men on my porch that look to be 12-13ish, two Moms on the porch and two Dads standing down on the front walk next to the steps. Mom 1 says, "Are you Shannon?"

I confirm that I am and she says these two young men have something to tell me. I said OK -

Young man 1 says, "Ma'am, we're the ones who spray painted your fence. We just wanted to come by and tell you how very sorry we are and we want to paint and fix your fence for you."

Young man 2 stood silently. I thought at first he looked really mad - like, "How DARE I have to apologize to this hick..."

So, I tell them I really appreciate them coming by and I would love for them to help me fix the fence. Mom 2 says, "It sure is nice to meet you, I'm just sorry we had to meet under these circumstances."

I looked at these two pitiful young boys...I now see that Young Man 2 doesn't have anger on his face, he's trying to find every ounce of strength so as not to cry on this stranger's front porch. Big ol' tears are welling up in his eyes. I know, I'm a softy, but it broke my heart. So they had a lapse in judgment and painted our fence...it's not like they busted the windows out of my car or spray painted the house, the garage or my car...

I told the Mom that God works in mysterious ways - and maybe this is just how he decided to lend a hand at us all meeting. All the adults laughed - the boys were so scared they didn't move nor did they make a sound.

I told them the fence needed painting anyway, that my husband was going to paint it, but we just ran out of time this summer and never got around to it. Mom 1 or Dad 1 (can't remember) said the boys would be glad to paint my entire fence for me. I told them noooo, that wouldn't be necessary. I looked at these two young guys and said, I'll tell you what...if, come this summer, you two want to make some extra spending money, come see me and I'll pay you to paint my fence. How does that sound? Both shook there heads and didn't say a word. I mentioned that I'd had a spray painting mishap as a kid...and ended up in the police chief's office and since my step-dad had been city prosecutor, had embarrassed my family on top of it. These two just looked so pitiful, it broke my heart. I told them I know it feels awful right now, but I promise in twenty years you'll all laugh about it. Ya'll just come by and help me fix it - it's not the crime of the century...we'll fix it, don't worry.

The Moms asked what time on Saturday would be good for them to come by. I asked if 10:00 was ok...Dad 1 said they needed to be working earlier than that. Mom 1 said, "Well, we don't want to make her get up early on a Saturday." I told them I was usually up by 6 anyway, so it was whatever time they wanted to come by. Eight a.m. was decided on. The two boys said again that they were really sorry and I again told them not to worry, we'll fix it on Saturday...it's ok. I told the Moms and Dads I'd have a pot of coffee ready for them and they laughed and said thanks, they'll need it.

And with that, they left.

With parents today, I have to say these parents truly impressed the hell out of me. A lot of parents would have told the police to PROVE their boys did it - or would have agreed to apologize maybe, but not have THEIR children painting! Oh the horror. Not these folks, their spray painting bandits were going to get to work early on Saturday and fix everything they vandalized. And from the looks on their faces, life at home wasn't going to be ANY fun either. I think they are doing a good thing. And if the looks on their faces are any indication, I'd bet this will be the last time either of these young men have a run in with the law ;).

I'm really pleased with the way all this turned out and thrilled that I'll have some help fixing the fence this weekend :). So there's the updates...I'll get some photos of the fence - before and afters - and email them out this weekend.

So there you have it.

I'm so impressed with our police department and the officers who look out for us. My hat's off to the parents of the spray painting bandits for not only making these young men take responsibility for their actions, but also making them take steps to try to repair what they vandalized. These parents are handling this just like I would have and from what I see from society, there just aren't too many of us raising our children these days - much less teaching them how to be responsible, productive citizens. These two young fellas have no idea how lucky they truly are to have such great parents. I am sure their lives aren't great right now, but they'll look back on this one day and be thankful their parents cared enough to teach them a good lesson on taking responsibility for one's own actions.

And yep, I totally turned into a sap when these two young guys were apologizing. I just couldn't help but feel for them. They are at that awkward age where they aren't little kids anymore where they could cry and release some stress no matter who is looking. Yet, they aren't teenagers with hormones and attitude kicking in to keep the tears at bay either. It just broke my heart looking into the eyes of these two scared young men. Yes, they were wrong and YES I was upset about my fence...but if you could have seen them... Well, I just couldn't help but to tell them it was ok - we'd fix the fence and all would be fine. Oh yeah, I'm a real hard-ass lol. If this had been 17 or 18 year old seniors - I probably would have let them paint my entire fence. These two young'uns though...what can I say? I caved lol. That's ok though...hopefully this small bump in their road today will help them dodge big potholes later on. After meeting them and their parents, I have a feeling that will be the case and I really can't ask for anything more.

What a Morning Part II

2006-11-14T06:44:00.000-08:00

And yes, of COURSE it involves the police.

Only this time, I wasn't speeding and I called them to my house....

I was coming home from taking the babies to school. As I got close to my house, I noticed this red stuff on my fence. At first I thought it was yarn or something hanging on it and as I got closer, my heart sank. It wasn't yarn...it was red spray paint - and black spray paint.

It says and I quote, "SUCK IT" some spray painted lines and "FUCK."

I didn't know whether to be angry or cry...or both.

See, that fence means a lot to me. When husband first deployed to Iraq in 2004, I needed something to do. Husband and a buddy had promised to build me a fence, but ended up deploying to Iraq instead. With dogs, I really needed a fence. So, before he left, I got online and found some fence plans. I read up on how to set posts and the best way to attach rails and pickets. I looked at the yard and decided where the fence needed to go and contacted the city to see if I needed a permit. Husband had said there was NO WAY I could build a fence myself. No way I could dig the post holes etc. Well, tell me I can't and guess what? I will.

He left and I gave myself a week to cry and toss myself one helluva pity party. After that, I drove down to the local lumber store with my plans in hand. The gentleman who owned the store took pity on me and helped me figure up how much lumber I needed. I bought enough to do the back stretch first (which now has wordy durds painted on it). I didn't want to waste money if it did turn out I couldn't put in a fence. Well, I took my time and before I knew it, I was sending husband photos of the posts, then the rails, then the pickets once they were up...

I was so proud to be able to show him that fence...I put so much hard work into it and ignored a WHOLE LOT of pain while I did it just because I refused to quit. I'd drop daughter off at school in the morning and not even go into the house when we got back home. Instead, little guy and I were out in the backyard at 8 in the morning working on that fence. I'd stop to feed babies and would work until it was too cold in the evening to keep going. I was trying to get that fence up before the really cold weather arrived and it was a race against time. I did it though...and had a beautiful, custom built picket fence. There's not another one in town that even remotely resembles my fence.

So, the fact that I BUILT that fence and the fact that someone's snot nosed BRAT felt the need to spray paint four letter words on it just JERKS my chain. That's ok though...this weekend I'll be watching for them. They haven't been caught according to the police. However, rumor says these were sixth or seventh graders.

I have to hand it to our local police department. I called right after 8 this morning to see if I could get a policeman to come take a report. I figured it'd be late this morning or early afternoon before anyone stopped by. So, I called my Dad and was telling him about it when the doorbell rang. They were here in less than ten minutes, no lie. Really impressed me.

Anyhow, we walk around the house and start down the sidewalk. I tell him I noticed it this morning after I dropped my babies off at school, so I guess it happened last night sometime. He said, "Actually, it happened over the weekend. When I came on shift Monday morning at 6, the officer who had worked the night shift drove me around town showing me all the places that had been vandalized and your fence was one of 'em."

I was stunned. I guess my mind was a million miles away yesterday...I drove by the fence TWICE and neither I, nor my babies, noticed the spray paint. The policeman said he'd assumed a report had been made and I told him that I'd not spoken with anyone about it because I just noticed it.

So, the report has been filed. I guess tomorrow, instead of going and getting my hair cut, I'll be out painting our fence. Damn.

No Surprise....

2006-11-10T07:13:00.000-08:00

I've been seeing the accent quiz all over the blogosphere this week. I knew what mine would say if it was accurate...

And of course it was accurate heh heh:

What American accent do you have? Your Result: The South That's a Southern accent you've got there. You may love it, you may hate it, you may swear you don't have it, but whatever the case, we can hear it.
The Northeast
Philadelphia
The Midland
The Inland North
The West
Boston
North Central
What American accent do you have? Take More Quizzes

I readily admit that I have a thick southern accent when husband is gone. Yes, moreso than when he's home. Why? Well, because I talk to my parents a heck of a lot more when husband is gone and in doing so, my southern accent gets - well, worse lol, for lack of a better term.

Whether I'm at Wal-Mart or on post, I get the same question over and over, "WHERE are you from?"

My standard reply usually gets a laugh: "Well, I was born in Georgia and raised in Alabama, so I guess you could say I'm double southern."

One of these days, I'm going to say, "I'm from New Jersey. Why?" and see what kind of reaction I get LMAO!

Thank you Mr. Postman...

2006-11-06T09:47:00.000-08:00

Two weeks ago, I wrote about my run in with the law. I'd mentioned that as one policeman turned around to come get me, there was another one sitting at the bottom of the bridge. I thought surely, they didn't think I was gonna run. It was really odd for two of 'em to be in the same place in our small town.

I had some running around to do this morning and when I got home I was going to do some chores before sitting down to check my email. While taking out the trash and picking up some branches in the yard, our postman walked up. He's such a nice gentleman - retired Army, brother in the Army who does secret squirrel stuff, always asks about my husband etc. I was glad to see him since the last six months or so we've had a new postman. I haven't had the chance to ask how his family is doing and find out if his brother finally retired as planned or decided to stay in.

I wave and say good morning and the first thing he asks is, "Did you get a ticket the other morning?"

I laughed and said, "Oh gosh, did you see me get pulled over half a block from my house? How embarrassing!"

He says no, he'd been in the other police car sitting at the bottom of the bridge. The policeman is a friend of his and they were talking about hunting. He said that when I passed them, he mentioned to his friend that we were real nice folks. Mr. Policeman said, "Oh, you know them?"

Our postman said yeah, we live on such and such street. He told him we are an Army family and my husband is currently deployed to Iraq again.

Mr. Policeman said, "So they're nice people?"

He told him we were great people, hard working and just super nice...

Mr. Policeman then radioed the Mr. Policeman behind me - and asked him to cut me loose.

I told our postman I sure did appreciate it and the long morning that had led up to my lead foot through town. He's always so nice to husband and I, and super sweet to our babies. He talks to them and gives them candy during the summer when we're outside. He had a good laugh about poor little guy doing all he could to try to hold it until we got home.

As it turns out, it wasn't luck that I didn't get a ticket. It was because our postman was talking hunting and said some really nice things about our family. Who would have thunk it? I figured the policeman must be a Dad and might have found himself in a similar predicament - or I looked so rough after no sleep he felt sorry for me ha!

So, I thanked Mr. T., our postman, and told him how much I appreciated it. That I was being extra careful not to speed since my mid-life crisis car does anything but blend in ;). He agreed that it wasn't a subdued car ha!, and told me about his 69 Mustang, Mach 1 that he'd owned years and years ago.

As always, it was a pleasure to talk to him.

It truly is too damn cold during the winters and too damn hot during the summers here, but nicer folks in a nicer town you just won't find anywhere else in America. I'm so fortunate to live in such a great place - especially when husband is still active duty, we're so far from family and the babies and I spend so much time alone. Where you live and the folks who live there can and often do make a big difference in how well you handle long separations. We're so lucky to have found such a good place to live and raise our family...

Halloween...

2006-10-31T14:29:00.000-08:00

Oh yeah, I'm looking forward to this. It's freezing here and the cold just makes my normal health issues even worse for some reason. Not to mention, little guy doesn't need to be out in this either, but I just don't have the heart to keep them home. It's so much easier when husband is home and he can walk them for miles and I can give out candy here at the house.

Just add it to my list of gripes of the day I guess lol. I need to write out bills and for some reason that whole deal jerks my chain. I HATE writing out bills and balancing out the checkbook. Well, I balanced the checkbook this afternoon, but writing out the bills I'm procrastinating on. Guess I'll do it tonight once we get back. You know, I could understand hating this twice a month ritual if we were struggling like we did when we first married. However, we're not rich, but we're not hurtin' and never even close to not meeting our obligations. I just hate doing it.

HATE doing it.

So, I'm in a bad mood. I'm about to go freeze my rear off for two hours, then come home and write bills out. Yeah...such fun.

I'll be taking a break for a week or so. I'll be back next week though. Hope everyone has a good week.

What do I think?

2006-10-31T13:59:00.000-08:00

White House, Kerry exchange accusations.

And at a hastily arranged news conference in Seattle, Kerry said: "I apologize to no one for my criticism of the president and of his broken policy."

Kerry said the comment in question was "a botched joke about the president and the president's people, not about the troops ... and they know that's what I was talking about."

Here's Kerry's statement just in case you missed it:

The war of words, tough even for this hard-fought campaign season, came after Kerry told a group of California students on Monday that those unable to navigate the country's education system "get stuck in Iraq."

What is my reaction?
My husband and hundreds of thousands of other soldiers, marines, airmen and sailors joined because THEY WANTED TO SERVE THEIR COUNTRY. I know YOU, Mr. Kerry, joined so you could follow in JFK's footsteps and hopefully "win the White House" one day. However this is just the latest in a very long line of insults towards our military from you - you piece of shit.

So, Mr. Kerry...your statement was directed AT those very people preserving our freedom....not at the White House. And as such, I have two words for you. Fuck YOU.

There. I'm done.

Edited to Add: I apologize for the language but Kerry (and Fonda) make my blood boil...

A Good Cry...

2006-10-31T07:16:00.000-08:00

Guess we all need one once in a while. This was my morning I guess.

I was watching something on the military channel about Germany's special forces taking out some dirtbag terrorists in the late 70s before taking the babies to school. When I got back, I fixed my coffee, turned on the computer and sat down in front of the TV.

A show I usually avoid was now on the military channel. It's something about homecomings. Well, before I could turn it, I was already interested in the story. The first one was about an injured soldier going back to FT Hood to welcome his best friend home. A friend who also saved his life in Iraq. His leg was amputated but his friend saved him. These two guys seeing each other for the first time since he was injured...well,

Insert copious amounts of tears here.

The next story was about a NG soldier whose wife was deployed. What a great young man...he ran a daycare in his home and was like the Dad of the block for all the children with deployed parents. He was possibly being called up and she wasn't home yet. It all works out and she comes home...all three of their children burst into tears at the anticipation of seeing Mommy. Reminded me of daughter doing so good until we were waiting for husband...then she just lost it and sobbed. And I mean put her face in her hands and sobbed. I'd never seen her cry like that and haven't since. Assume I will next year when husband finally comes home...

More tears.

So, to change pace, I turned the channel to some murder case on A&E. I then run by Grouchy Old Cripple to read some good politickin'. Instead, he has this post Poster Girl. If you've not seen this video of an Australian singer...it's worth it.

Even more tears.

DAMN. Enough already lol.

I know. I'll go do laundry. Surely I can't find anything to cry about folding a ton of clothes LMAO.

Making Changes

2006-10-29T13:32:00.000-08:00

The first time husband deployed I was a new Mom. Daughter was seven months old when we said good-bye to her Daddy in a hangar at Fort Eustis (or Fort Useless as it was commonly referred to by those who worked there).

That first night alone, I just couldn't make myself go get in our bed. It was part emotional and part paranoia. The emotional part was getting in the bed by myself and not having him there to tell to quit snoring. The paranoid part was the fact I was alone with a new baby, I'd sold my gun before we'd moved to Virginia and I was 12 long hours from any family. So, I slept on the couch each night. That way, if someone tried to break in, I was more likely to hear them from there than I would from upstairs. There were two doors to the outside in our townhouse - one in the living room and one in the dining room at the back. The couch was pretty much right in the middle of the place. Figured I had a better chance sleeping lightly on the couch than going to bed and getting in that deep sleep.

And that set the standard for every separation thereafter. Each time husband left, I abandoned our bed and slept on the couch. Less for paranoia reasons and more for the simple fact, I missed him. Facing our bed alone was just too much drama for me. Husband and I have a habit of being tired as hell, going to bed and then getting into these long conversations which turn into one of us making the other laugh. We end up laughing so hard there are tears...and it's always been one of my favorite things about our relationship. So, instead of getting all worked up about him not being home, it's just always been easier to lay on the couch than face going up to our room and trying to go to sleep.

This time around, I have gone to bed some of the time. Especially on nights when I've not felt well or my stupid belly was hurting more than usual. These last few weeks, I've been on the couch though.

I got to thinking about our bedroom and the way we have it set up. I'm thinking of moving our bed to the opposite wall - having it come out of a corner. With an old house, they just weren't made with King and Queen size beds in mind of course. The windows keep the bed from going on all but one wall. We bought a Queen size bed since our King wouldn't fit in there without being up against a wall. The Queen barely fits. While the babies get baths tonight, I'm hoping to measure and see if the headboard will fit in the corner. If so, tomorrow I may try my hand at moving that monstrosity of a bed that we have. Not only will it make navigating our bedroom easier where we won't have to go all the way around the bed to get to the closet, it also might make it easier for me to actually go to bed.

Guess I won't know until I give it a try...

What a Morning...

2006-10-28T17:18:00.002-07:00

Actually my Friday night never ended. It just went straight into Saturday with less than two hours of sleep.

Starting yesterday, little guy got his yearly barking cough. I had the doc prescribed cough medicine and runny nose medicine. Tried that - nada. Went to the store and bought Triaminic Night Time Cold and Cough. Tried that - nada. Vicks Vapor Rub - nada. Inhaler - nada. My poor baby coughed all NIGHT long. At 1 am, I gave him more Triaminic. At 2:30 I finally got on the couch. At 4, I hear this wheezing noise in between coughs. I jump up off the couch (well, the best my broke ass can jump anyway) and my poor baby is sitting in his Daddy's recliner - sick as a dog.

It's too soon for any more medicine. So, by 5 I'm in the shower and by 6 am, we're on the road to post so I can get him seen at the Urgent Care Clinic. The Doc said his X-ray was a bit cloudy, but he thinks it's a virus. They gave him a breathing treatment and he seemed so much better after that. They sent us home with another inhaler and instructions on when to be seen again if he's not better in a week.

It was almost 10 when we got back into town and stopped at BK to get them something for breakfast. We get through the drive through when little guy says he has to go tinkle NOW. I ask him if he can wait just four more minutes and he says yes. Well, the closer we get to home, the more he can't wait. I speed up and coming over the bridge I see a policeman. I hit my breaks, but I know it's too late. He saw me - and unfortunately, although I do love my car, it just doesn't blend in.

As I start across the bridge, I see him turning around, so I slow down even more. I get over the hill on the bridge and another policeman is sitting at the foot of the bridge. Now, maybe it was just a coincidence, but in our small town - I've never seen anything like that before. Surely they didn't think I was going to run??!

I get across the bridge and down the road a bit. The policeman is behind me and now he hits his lights. I'm half a block from the left turn to my house, so I turn on my blinker to let him know I see him and I'll be turning left to pull over. Even though my house is on the other end of the block, I don't want to keep going and him think I'm not going to stop, so I go ahead and pull over. He's getting out of his car and I get out of mine and explain I have a little guy who is about to tinkle his pants and that's why I was in such a hurry. He asks if I live right there on the corner and I say, "Yes, sir." I'd just hoped he would follow me the half a block to our house so I could open the door and little guy could run in to the bathroom while I get my license, registration and insurance.

He asks if I know why he pulled me over and I say, "Yes, sir." I explained that we'd left for the ER at the Army base at 6 this morning and was just getting back home. That little guy didn't tell me he needed to go until we'd gotten through BK (Burger King) and although he said he could hold it, the closer we got the less he could hold it. He said to just go ahead and go get him in the house before he messed up my backseat.

The bad thing is, I'm SO tired and I was in such a hurry for little guy, I don't know if I said THANK YOU to him :(. I was truly in the wrong for speeding and he was too nice to let me off the hook like that. I really hope I said thank you.

Poor little guy, after the morning he had - and then having to hold it while Mommy got pulled over...how terrible. Once the policeman cut me loose, I got back in the car, got us in front of our house and got him out. Daughter just sat in the car lol. He had to go so bad, he had to run to the door holding everything in place :(. I got the door open and him inside, then went back out to get daughter, breakfast, medicine and son's dog stuffed animal he took with him.

Gosh what a morning.

I emailed husband and told him about our adventures this morning. I also told him if I didn't start keeping my foot out of this car, I'm going to have to get rid of it and go back to driving a Honda Civic with a 4 cylinder. Apparently I had more sense at 16 years old driving a muscle car with a 400 big block, 6.6 liter V8 than I have in my 30s driving a 300 horsepower, 4.6 liter V8. Go freaking FIGURE.

Time Change

2006-10-27T19:18:00.000-07:00

Whelp, it's that time of year again for many states. The lucky few who don't have to fall back don't have to worry about it. For the rest of us, tomorrow night we'll be moving our clocks back an hour.

I dread it getting dark so early....

Which One Are You?

2006-10-24T15:11:00.000-07:00

Sidenote: This is an entry I wrote on September 10th. I never got around to finishing it and eventually forgot about it. I ran across it today and decided to put a few finishing touches on it and publish.

I've started to write about bullies and my experience with bullies several times and never could seem to get my thoughts expressed effectively. This evening, I came across this post, Which One Are You, over at When your only tool is a hammer.

I started writing a comment and it turned into such a book, I decided it would probably be better to write here and link to Hammer's blog instead of taking up so much room.

Run on over and read Which One Are You. Then, let us know...which one are you? As for me? Even as an adult, I have a short fuse when it comes to bullies. I've never been able to stand by and watch a bully pick on someone.

Anywho, here's my story...

I've always been small. One entire year, as Mother tells it, I didn't grow in height or weight at all. The doctor was worried I might end up being not just small, but a little person. I'm now 5'2" and heading into middle age, but growing up I was ALWAYS one of the smallest children.

Of course when my parents divorced when I was in 3rd grade and we moved to another state and I started a new school - I knew I'd be a target of bullies. I also knew that all I had to do was kick the crap out of a bully or two to put an end to that. The thing that the other children didn't know was what a HORRID home life I had once my parents divorced and my brother no longer had someone to rein in his abundant attitude. My brother was four years older than I and truly hated me with a passion. Mother worked full time, so after school, I was at the mercy of MY bully for several hours until Mother got home from work.

So, although I was often the smallest in my class, almost EVERY day I routinely fought - and I mean knock down, drag out fought a guy four years older than I. When it came to school and the class bully(ies), I was not the least bit scared...there was no ass kicking they could give me that would even remotely compare to what my brother could dole out heh heh.

Another convenient thing was the simple fact that although my brother routinely kicked the crap out of me, I learned how to fight better than any girl - and most guys. I had LOTS of practice unfortunately.

Growing up, Mother made it clear that if we started a fight at school, we'd be sorry when we got home. However, if we didn't defend ourselves, we'd be equally as sorry. As long as we were defending ourselves, she'd back us 100% at school. And true to her word, the several times I did get in trouble for cleaning someone's clock at school, Mother would be at the school and ask a few simple questions: Did Shannon start it? Did she hit first? No to both? Did you expect her to just stand there and let a bigger girl beat on her?

I was very unhappy at home and avoided being there as much as possible. In fifth grade, I met my best friend. She lived up the road from us, so I practically lived at her house on the weekends and during summer vacation. Her parents were (and still are) wonderful people and happily married. No one at her house was mad all the time, yelling, bitching or slamming doors. It was the family I wished I had - and the kind of family I wanted to have when I grew up. I'm so thankful to have been a part of their family for so many years. And now that I have my own family, I'm proud to say our family is a mirror of theirs and not the family I share blood with.

My friend and I were a year apart in age, but due to her birthday being in October, we were two years apart in school. We were pretty much complete opposites. She was shy. Me? Not so much ha! I was more of a tomboy and she was a girly girl. During the summer, I'd walk home alone at 9 at night in the dark. On the rare occasion she was at my house, I'd have to walk her home and then walk back home alone. She was a scaredy cat for sure and I wasn't. The two of us being opposites was probably why we were able to remain close until our high school years. By that time, I was working full time and going to school. She didn't have to work and had lots of time to do nothing or whatever she wanted. I'm not proud of it, but it irritated me at the time and I was a bit jealous. She'd talk of how bored she was and I wished I had time to sleep, much less be bored. Eventually we just drifted apart. We still email occasionally and I make it a point to stop by and see her when I'm in town...but it has been quite a long time since we've been really close friends.

At school, she was often a target of bullies. Our high school ran from grade 8th through 12th. When she came to high school, it just seemed the bullying escalated for her. Having been bullied by my older brother from the time I was eight, I had a certain hatred for anyone who bullied. I knew what a bully was...a bully was someone who was really a chicken shit. They had no morals, no empathy and certainly no backbone. A bully targets someone they are SURE they can intimidate. Since most bullies have used their intimidation factor to scare those smaller or mentally weaker than they are, they have rarely been in a real fight. They target those who will back down, so all they have to do is talk big and pick - maybe push the bullied if there are enough onlookers and play the part of big shot...but they certainly don't target someone who won't back down. They know someone who won't back down will mean they have to back up their big talk. Most bullies are all bark...if they target someone who takes no shit, then they'll get their ass handed to them and be outed as a weak assed big mouth. Lots of hot air and not much else.

My friend just couldn't grasp this all bark, no bite concept though. Bullies scared her to death and of course the bullies knew it. However, they also knew we were friends and my anger management problem was no secret in our small school. These two particular bullies decided they'd catch my friend in the bathroom one morning. I guess they figured they could push her around in there and none be the wiser. Someone heard what was going on though and came and got me out of homeroom. I headed over to the building where this was happening. I got to the door and could hear these two big shots, "Where's your bodyguard now? Huh? I think we should just stick your head in the toilet and see if shit floats..." and so forth. I pushed open the door and there's my friend backed into a corner with big crocodile tears running down her face with these two assholes blocking her exit. The look on their faces when they turned around and saw me was priceless. Here I am, this short girl who didn't weigh a buck o-five soaking wet, and these two big mean tough girls looked like they were about to shit their pants. I tossed a few threats their way and walked my friend on to her class. I figured that was the end of it.

Nah, these two buddies seemed to grow a pair whenever I wasn't around but a crowd of onlookers were. A few weeks later, they caught her at the movies. I was on my way to meet some friends and had stopped by to check up on her. I guess the two decided if they could shut me up, that'd solve their obstacle of being THE big shots. My anger problem was much bigger during the teen years than it had been in the pre-teen years. I did good at keeping it in check for the most part, but the minute someone put their hands on me aggressively, all bets were off. To this day, I cannot take someone putting their hands on me. 0 to pissed off beyond sanity in seconds for sure.

Long story short, bully two decided to hang up her bullying shoes when she saw bully one get the shit kicked out of her. Bully one had two broke fingers (still not sure exactly how that happened) and two lightly blackened eyes from her nose being broken. There's no doubt in this day and age, I would have been arrested. Back then, I guess when a bully got what was coming to them...

You notice the blonde kid with perfect teeth that looks like they stepped right off of a Honey Combs cereal box is pestering and tormenting the fat kid, or the girl with braces. The gang of followers and wanna be cereal box kids start to join in the name calling or just point and laugh.

Did you sit in silence? Were you the kid being tormented? Did you stand up and defend the target of the abuse? What was the teacher doing? Maybe you even joined in the hazing out of fear not being liked or popular.

Needless to say I NEVER bullied. I could never sit by and watch someone being bullied either. It just wasn't in me. I knew what I went through EVERY day at home, I was damn sure no one around me was going to have to go through that if I had anything to say about it. And, even now I can't sit back and watch a bully without saying something. While husband was deployed from 2003 to 2004, I met a nice lady. Her daughter went to the same school as our daughter and not only was she an Army wife, her husband was deployed too. After school, we'd often stand outside on nice days and talk while our children played for a few minutes. One day, an older girl had a bag she was swirling over the head of a smaller girl. I'm watching the younger girl plead for the older girl to give her bag back. I start walking over and the older girl tosses the bag up into this 8 foot tall bush and starts laughing. Before I could stop myself, I yell "Hey, YOU!" The two girls turn around and look. I tell the older girl to get the bag out of the bush and hand it back to her. NOW. My friend looked at me and said, "Wow. I didn't even see that." All I could muster was, "I hate a damn bully." Older girl got the bag down though and NICELY handed it to the younger girl.

I still cannot stand a bully...

Dumb Criminals and Refusing to be a Victim

2006-10-23T14:48:00.000-07:00

I read this interesting article on Of Arms and the Law this afternoon. Seems a mom and son burglary team picked the wrong house to burglarize. Gang member son is shot three times by the lady of the house with a .38 caliber handgun.

Momma, playing the role of getaway driver, is not familiar with the neighborhood apparently, so she's not sure where the hospital is located. With her shot son in the car, she flags down an officer - an officer who was responding to the victim's 911 call concerning the home invasion.

Another win for the good guys. Well, until the court system gives mom and son a slap on the wrist for their crimes.

What disgusted me was this comment in the Daily News article Intruder shot by homeowner, Suspect's mom seeks help from deputy:

"To be honest it's fairly rare, but occasionally it does pay off to own a gun," sheriff's Lt. Tom Bryski said.

As mentioned in the comments on Of Arms and the Law, apparently sheriff's LT Tom Bryski has never read Civilian Gun Self-Defense Blog. He'd definitely see that being a gun owner pays off every day in this county in a big way: by keeping law abiding citizens ALIVE and SAVING INNOCENT LIVES.

I make no apologies for being a gun owner. I've been around guns my entire life. In the south, it's very common for children to be taught gun safety starting at a very young age. Our parents take us out shooting and the majority of us are well-versed in the use of firearms and firearms safety by the time we're 10 or 11 years old. It is pounded into our brains that you NEVER point your weapon at anything you do not intend to kill. When we turn 21, one of the first things we do is get our concealed weapons permit. To many, that is the big milestone at 21 - not being able to go to a bar or buy a six pack of beer.

The other day, LawDog wrote a very interesting piece. In Meditations on Deadly Force, LawDog points out the importance of taking the time to figure out how you really feel about deadly force and whether or not you truly could take the life of another - and under what circumstances you would do so.

Today, I want to ask if you -- as an adult -- have sat down and truly pondered Deadly Force? Have you, as an adult, made the conscious choice to decide when, where, and under what circumstances you will use Deadly Force, and when you will not?

And more importantly, as an adult, have you drawn a firm, bright line between I will and I will not?

I ask this because there are people -- purportedly adults -- who have stated to me that they do not know under what circumstances they would attempt to take the life of another, and that they don't wish to think about such things until the moment that it becomes necessary.

This is complete, total, and utter bushwa.

Make your decision now. If the time comes, trust me, a violent face-to-face social negotiation with a critter is neither the time, nor the place for an inner debate vis a vis morality and philosophy.

Go read the entire thing. It's something women, but especially military spouses, really need to consider because so often, we are living alone with our small children.

I've known my line in the sand for most of my life. Well, since I was old enough to shoot a gun. Our family always said, a criminal may bust down a door and walk in, but they'll be carried out toes up. If it's me (or worse, my family) or the criminal, I'm going to try my damn-dest to make sure it's them.

I refuse to be a victim. And, if God forbid, somehow, I end up becoming victim, I refuse to die without one hell of a fight. When the police find my body, I want them to be able to say, "Damn that woman put up one hell of a fight. She certainly wasn't going down quietly."

This is a subject I take very seriously. It seems that the world just gets more dangerous each generation. When it comes to my home, this is MY safe haven. A criminal might get in, but once they do, they are at the mercy of my two big dogs and several of my favorite handguns. I will shoot first and ask questions later.

Husband is well aware of my stance. He knows I will not being going and hiding with my children while dialing 911, hoping the bad guys won't find us. I will, of course, dial 911, but I'll be taking care of business first and ensuring my children and I are safe. When husband has gotten out of the field early, buddies will say they are going to go home and surprise their wives. Often, it'll be late in the evening and already dark out. They'll ask husband if he's going to surprise his wife. He laughs and says, "Hell no. I come into our house in the middle of the night, my wife will shoot first and ask questions later. I call her and let her know I'm on my way home."

I take no chances. I do NOT want some scum of the earth invading the safety of OUR home and my children watching their mother being a victim and possibly murdered - and then the scum killing my children to make sure there are no witnesses left.

Oh hell no. My line in the sand is drawn. I never want to have to take someone's life, but there is no doubt in my mind that I would in a split second if needed.

Is this something you've thought about? Do you have a line in the sand?

House Cleaning Time...

2006-10-17T15:46:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow, our little guy turns six. It's hard to believe that six years have gone by...gosh they grow up so fast.

So, my best friend is making the five hour trip and coming to visit us for little guy's birthday. Her two little ones are out of school this Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. They should get here tomorrow afternoon sometime and will stay until Saturday. She's working now, so she wants to get home in time to be able to relax some before going back to work on Monday.

Of course, my house is a mess. So, I'll be doing some major cleaning tonight and tomorrow morning to get ready for their visit. Nothing like waiting until the last minute....

And the Stages Begin...

2006-10-14T23:11:00.000-07:00

I would apologize for not updating the ol' blog here, but it was a decision I made shortly after husband left. I decided that I wanted no part of writing and if I didn't feel like writing the entire year he is gone, then I wouldn't write...and I wouldn't feel guilty about it either.

Pretty much out of the blue this week, I began thinking about writing again. I had a few things to say and then decided once I'd logged on that I didn't really care enough to type it up and would log back off lol. And honestly, I don't have a damn thing to say tonight either, but figured I'd at least get a new entry added since it's been a month since I last updated this thing.

On to the latest happenings around here...

Husband has been gone a few days shy of a month now. One month down...eleven more to go. This time is harder in some ways and easier in others. The easier part is there aren't memorials going on every week this time. They aren't losing four soldiers on Tuesday, eleven on Friday, two more Saturday... Until you've lived through that - well, lets just say I'm truly enjoying the quiet, the fact that I'm not waking in the middle of the night in a jolt wondering what time it is and what I've missed on the news. I'm not really even watching the news this time. I may end up regretting that, but it's what is working for me at the moment.

The harder parts this time? My friends from last deployment have moved. I was talking to the lady who bagged my groceries at the commissary last week. Her husband just got back from Iraq and we were talking about how lonely it is those first weeks. She asked how long we've lived here and I told her we moved here in 2002. She said, "You've been here that long and you don't have any friends?" Umm, yeah I HAD friends. This is the military, lady...once the stop-loss was lifted after they got back from Iraq in 03-04, my friends MOVED. You know, that little thing called PCS lol? Some friends, their husbands retired. One still lives in the area, but her husband is now retired, working a full-time civilian job, she works full time and honestly, even though I've called her once since husband left...well, she just doesn't have time these days. I need to make some new friends, that's all. I was so lucky to make three really great friends right around the time husband deployed last time. I've just not made those connections this time around. Unfortunately, I'm finding old friends I was sure would be there, aren't. And that's ok. I've been aware for a while I need to distance myself from friendships that haven't been fulfilling friendships for a while and now is the perfect time to start severing those ties.

The deployment stages have begun and I seemed to have flown quickly through the tears stage and downshifted into the anger stage. Of course, anger is my defense mechanism, so stopping abruptly in this stage is no surprise. The past two weeks I've let the anger get the best of me. Stupid things set it off. For instance, we had a freeze warning last week, so I had to remove the hoses on the outside of the house. Why did that jerk my chain? Well, best I can come up with is because it was just another reminder that husband isn't here and he won't be here for a long, long time. I removed the hoses and it just shit all over my entire day. Make sense? Not really, but I've learned that reactions at the beginning of a deployment often don't - and that's ok. I didn't take my anger out of my babies, I just cussed the hoses out LMAO.

So there you have it. We're about a month into husband's deployment and the babies and I are getting settled into our new routine. They both are doing such a great job in school and I'm so very proud of them! All in all, we're doing really good, we just cannot wait to get this year behind us. Hopefully this will finally be husband's last deployment and he'll retire early in '08 as planned.

Officially Out of Denial...

2006-09-14T14:11:00.000-07:00

It started a few days ago - maybe last week. I can't be sure now. Husband said something about how soon he would be leaving. Well, it hit me like a lightening bolt. I KNEW this deployment was coming up fast, but I guess my mind hadn't put it in days until just recently.

Now, it's just about time. I cannot begin to express how much I'm dreading this.

One of husband's friends will come pick him up the morning he leaves. On his first trip to the desert, daughter was a baby and we took him to the hangar to say our good-byes. It was very hard to watch all these smiling wives, while I was doing everything I could to hold back the tears. And you know how well that works. Not sure about you all, but it seems like the harder I try not to cry, the more I need to cry. I sobbed the entire way home, which thankfully wasn't very far.

This last trip to Iraq from 2003 to 2004, husband had a buddy pick him up. After our first experience with deployment good-byes, we both knew we didn't enjoy saying our good-byes in public. So, this time we'll once again say our good-byes in the privacy of our own home, where I can sob like a fool for as long as I want to after he leaves.

I can remember being the new Mommy, the not so experienced Army wife and fairly young to boot and thinking, surely this good-bye thing will get easier through the years. It can't possibly be this hard and scary EVERY time. Goodness, was I ever wrong. Instead, we both agree that it gets harder and harder. You have more years behind you, more memories, more time together, you're closer emotionally...it all combines to make the good-byes harder each and every time.

So, I'm officially out of denial. I know this because I came home from dropping off the babies at school this morning and had that all too familiar feeling when getting out of the car. That feeling of not wanting to go inside where the life we've built together is everywhere, not wanting to be in our home without him here, not wanting to be a single mom... All the usual things I feel those first few weeks after he leaves, only he hasn't left yet.

Before I could pour my coffee, the tears began. After all these years, the fact that I cry before and after he leaves no longer embarrasses me. It's just the way I handle it. Some folks don't cry - some do. I've learned there is no "right" way to handle deployments, only what works best for each person.

I'll give myself a good week or so to cry whenever I get the urge. After that, it's time to get busy...start a new project on our old house, learn something new, find a new hobby. Anything that will get me moving forward and out of the pity party for one mindset. It usually works - and hopefully it will this time too. My only problem is finding that thing to do...the project, the hobby or whatever it is I decide on. Guess I need to paint the kitchen cabinets, but gosh I don't wanna ;).

Reality has set in though and it made for a crappy day. The tears continued off and on all day. I needed to go to the commissary and instead, I stayed home and cried whenever I got the urge. The hard part was picking up the babies from school. I'd done good this afternoon until I got in the car. The harder I tried not to cry, the more the tears streamed. So, just as I did two years ago when daughter went to this school, I sat in the car outside the school as long as I could trying to get the tears to stop. Then, I wore my sunglasses into the lobby to wait for son to make his way down the hall. The entire time hoping none of the other parents noticed the red faced, all stuffed up Mom. Sheesh.

I sure wish I was able to turn off the tears at will, but apparently I just don't work that way. Yep, out of denial...

My Books Arrived...

2006-09-14T13:58:00.000-07:00

Husband and I ordered several books last weekend. He ordered two on flipping houses. A business he and a buddy are considering starting when they get back from Iraq and retire. Husband is excellent with numbers and budgets and his buddy is a genius when it comes to fixing up houses. They'd be a good match for sure. We're talking about me looking into getting a real estate license while they are gone and we'll have another base covered.

I ordered Boortz's The Fair Tax Book and The Blog of War by Matthew Currier Burden.

Figure I'll start them both next week. Election season is coming up. Find out who supports the Fair Tax and then find out if they also share your politics. If so, then, vote for 'em.

Purse-Analysis

2006-09-13T14:25:00.000-07:00

Sue over at Suzy Snapper tagged me the other day. I've been slow on my blog rounds and missed the tag unfortunately. So, without further delay, here are the contents of my purse. Yep, about as unexciting as I am ;).

I will say that I have a problem when it comes to purses and shoes...although I can't stand to shop in general, I LOVE shoes and purses. I really enjoy looking for something new and different. I can spend a good hour browsing through the shoe department and the purse section of stores even if I don't find anything I really like or that is on sale ;).

The purse itself - it's one I've had for awhile. I'd just switched back to this one last week from a new purse I bought a few months ago. We had a pre-deployment ceremony last week and this purse matched what I was wearing.

Inside, there's a side pocket. All its contents are pretty much in the middle of the purse handle on the table. Four or five things of lip-gloss and two pens. The business cards and my military ID also live in the side pocket. The ID I just had updated a few weeks ago. Husband was promoted almost two years ago and I finally went to get it updated. Honestly, I wouldn't have gone then, but the darn thing was set to expire before he'd get back from this deployment, so it was easier to go take care of it while he was on leave.

Lets see, there's a receipt from Lowes next to the checkbook. My wallet that has my drivers license, credit cards, video store rental card and more business cards. The bulk of stuff in there I think are receipts from last Christmas that I keep meaning to put in the filing cabinet. Nothing like a bit of procrastination huh? There's a roll of film I need to get developed that has the babies first day of school on it and lastly, Big Red gum.

Like I said, nothing too exciting...

Maybe Homefront Six and CaliValleyGirl will share what's in their purses ;). I'm sure their purses will be more interesting than mine.

The New Car

2006-09-12T19:22:00.000-07:00

I mentioned that husband and I had been looking at cars. I had my heart set on the new Jeep Unlimited. After sitting in one though, I knew there was no way I could own one with my health issues. It'd bounce me too much. The Explorer was a pretty smooth ride, but even in it, the 35 minute drive to post gets to me. Long trips...well, there's no vehicle that can make that easy. The Jeep would have killed me there was no doubt.

The Explorer's warranty had ran and with husband deploying, the last thing I needed was a vehicle that I couldn't depend on. The transmission had been repaired three times, but thankfully it all was prior to the warranty running. The entire instrument panel had to be replaced after the gas gauge crapped out. Two windows - both had to have the power window motors replaced. All this before it even had 30,000 miles on it. As you can see, it didn't have a good track record. As that odometer crept over 40,000, we couldn't help but worry what would go next on it and how much it would cost us.

The problem was, I'd done a lot of research on the Jeep and hadn't seen anything else that I was remotely interested in that was also in my price range. Husband was on leave, so it was the perfect time to look. One afternoon after we picked up the babies from school, husband said we should ride up to the dealership here in town again and look around. We'd purchased the Explorer from them and husband's Mustang. They've always been more than fair on trade-in values and coming off prices of their vehicles to work us a good deal.

We get there and find out that Ford is offering 0% interest. And, I don't care who you are, you just can't beat that lol. The problem was, I'm not a fan of the Escape and the only Explorer they had sported this horrible baby-poop brown interior.

Several months back, they'd gotten in this red Mustang GT that was just gorgeous. With husband having the regular Mustang and both of us loving the new, old take on this classic, when we saw the red one, we had stopped in to drool.

So, husband says I should test drive the red GT. I say no. If I drive it I'll want it and there's no point in that. We already have one...he says no, we don't have a GT. I say we have two dogs, he says we board them, so it's not like they take trips with us. I say when we move...he says he's retiring when he gets back and we're not moving. I say...and he says, just drive the damn thing!

And I did...

And here she is, sitting outside my house.

And yes, I'm now officially in my mid-life crisis :)

The Five a.m. Phone Call

2006-09-12T11:22:00.000-07:00

September 11th, 2001 started off like any other day. Husband got up for work at 4:30, started the coffee and then came back upstairs to wake me before he left. At the time, I had a wonderful job that I truly loved. The best part? I was able to work from home.

Due to the time difference, my workday started around 5 am, since things started picking up online around 9 am eastern. People would get their children off to school and have their morning coffee while talking online with other military spouses. It was a lot of fun and one of the happiest and most fulfilling times of my entire life.

Our youngest was eleven months old. Daughter had slept through the night from the time she was three weeks old. Son never slept. An hour here, two hours there...husband and I were exhausted.

That morning was like all mornings, I needed a gallon of coffee and fast. I tipped toed down the stairs as to not wake little guy. I usually could get 45 minutes to myself if I was careful and quiet upstairs. This way, I could wake up and be pleasant Mommy instead of Mommy who doesn't want to talk heh heh. So not a morning person, but multiplied by the lack of sleep for almost a year.

I turn on the computer and head to the kitchen to get my mug of Jumpstart (as GuyK calls it). I sat down at my desk and literally jumped when the phone rang a few minutes before five. No one calls this early, so I automatically thought someone was sick or worse...

It was my father-in-law calling from Jersey. He asked where husband was - well, he's at work of course. He asked if I'd turned on the TV and I told him no, I'd just gotten sat down to start work and the TV stays off until the little ones wake up. He said, "Well, turn it on...a plane has hit the World Trade Tower. They are saying it must have been an accident, but I don't by it. That hole is too big for some small plane."

As we're talking, I am walking over to turn on the TV. He tells me to call husband and ask him to call him. About that time, I see a plane hit the other tower and say, "Oh my gosh, another plane has hit!" FIL asks if I'm sure, maybe it's video of the first plane hitting...I tell him no, it's a second plane. He says he knew it hadn't been an accident. Asks me again to have husband call him.

I call husband and he's already well aware of what's going on. Says he won't be able to call his Dad, so call him back and tell him he'll have to call him tonight or whenever he gets off work. Husband would be in meetings in a secure area - no cell phones, so he'd be out of touch until they got done. He'd call me when he could.

And with that, life on an Army installation changed forever. People who lived off post would sit for hours waiting to get on. Many ran out of gas those first few days the wait was so long. No longer could you drive on during the day with no gate guards. Now, there were numerous guards, mirrors to look for bombs, cars pulled off to the side to be thoroughly searched. I was thankful we'd decided to move on post for our last two years in the frozen tundra. Husband would have had a horrible time trying to get to work.

The rest of my day was spent doing my job while listening to the news, fielding phone calls from nervous relatives who just assumed husband would be on a plane within hours to somewhere lol. I love our extended family, but they have no clue. "Well, when will he deploy?" Umm, well, our personal line to President Bush is down, so we're just not sure. Sheesh - who says he's going anywhere? At the time, his BN was doing that transformation thing or they were about to start it...they weren't a good candidate for deployment. That would come a few years later for that group, quite a few years later and we'd be in another state and husband would have not only already done one tour in Iraq, but gearing up for the second one before those folks would be heading home.

Mostly, as sad I was for those who died and their families, I was more angry than I'd ever been in my life. I stayed angry...and I won't be satified until the last terrorist is dead. They deserve no mercy as they have none for others...

My prayers are with those who were killed and all who loved them. May God hold them gently as they face another year without their loved ones.

What a Landing...

2006-09-11T06:15:00.000-07:00

My Dad sent me this photo. Truly amazing...

And for any doubters out there, this rooftop landing is the real deal.

Our Quiet Days...

2006-08-25T14:49:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned, husband is on block leave. He is not one to do well sitting around the house. He has to be doing something. He'd made this huge list of things we need to get at Lowes and has been wanting to go all week. With both our little ones now in school, I honestly just couldn't get it together this week. I didn't feel like going anywhere and would have gladly stayed locked in the house ha!

Yesterday, we'd agreed to make the 40 minute drive to Lowes. We ended up not making it, so instead, we downsized some of the little ones' stuff that was cluttering up our desk. We'd bought them a plastic storage container with a lid to keep all their craft supplies in and somehow, the supplies (paper, broken crayons, dried up clay et al) had multiplied and taken over. It sure looks nice back there now. We also washed lamp shades, dusted, vacuumed etc. Stuff right up his alley - Mr. Meticulous cannot stand dust or clutter :).

Today we finally made it out of the house. We decided to go to Home Depot instead of Lowes. It's in the opposite direction of Lowes, but about the same distance from home. On the way back, we went ahead and stopped by the commissary and knocked out the grocery shopping. Husband was happy - we got out of the house :).

We also stopped by a few Jeep dealerships. I looked at a 2006 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited. Even though the 2007 is going to be bigger, I just wasn't that impressed when I sat in it. Ughh. The warranty has run on the Explorer, so we're ready to get rid of it...but I just can't find anything that I really like. Well, I like the Jeep Commander, but I refuse to spend that much. The salesman here in town asked me what was wrong with the price of this black Commander...I told him I planned to drive the thing, not live in it. Sheesh...vehicles are just outrageous these days.

At any rate, that's about it. Cleaning and shopping. The excitement...I know you can't believe we're so wild ha!

Two New Sites

2006-08-23T17:42:00.000-07:00

I've added two new (to me) blogs under My Favorites over on the right.

The LawDog Files is an awesome blog I've been meaning to link to for a few months. He writes on a variety of topics - and every post is worth reading. His stories about law enforcement, such as The infamous t-shirt and Ghoulies and ghosties and tac teams that go bump in the night are entertaining and well written. Next to GuyK's blog, Charming, Just Charming, LawDog's blog is my second favorite and daily must read. Give The Law Dog Files a visit. You won't be disappointed!

The Faren Report does a great job commenting on news and politics. I ran across his blog after he sent me a very nice email and commented on one of my posts. Be sure to stop by Larry's blog and say Hello. A nicer person you just won't meet!

Hope you enjoy these two newly linked blogs as much as I do!

And Then There Were None...

2006-08-23T15:17:00.000-07:00

School started here yesterday. It's hard to believe my baby is old enough for Kindergarten. He has the same teacher daughter had five years ago...

Husband started his block leave last Friday. It was wonderful having him with us to buy all the school supplies and on our son's first day of school - especially since next year he'll miss it all.

I walked son to class yesterday. I was lucky - I delayed the tears until I was out of his classroom and didn't really get the water-works going until daughter was dropped off at her school. Of course husband isn't a crier like I am, but neither one of us knew what to do once we got home. We both walked around like we were lost. This old house was W A Y too quiet. As Ron on Kim Possible would say, "This is just sick and wrong!"

For the first time in nine years, we don't have any children in the house during the day. It feels so odd. Although I'm happy that both our sweeties are loving school this year, I can't help but be a bit sad at the same time. Another chapter in our lives begins - which unfortunately closes our chapter on small children.

Both of our children are now in school. And then there were none at home.

What's going to be really hard is when husband deploys here soon. I'll be here all day by myself - and then I'll be by myself at night too since our little ones go to bed early on school nights. Yep, I'll need to find a job or something. Otherwise, I'll be nuts after a month of so much quiet.

Update on the Water Leak

2006-07-28T10:57:00.000-07:00

and other ramblings:

Tuesday the plumber showed up. They ran a new line from the meter out front to the house. There was no need to dig up the old one and try to patch it. It's almost 100 years old and if they'd repaired it, another leak would have probably sprung due to the increase in pressure. New pipe and the rust removed from the hot water side of our tub and all was well regarding the water situation.

They told me to watch for leaks elsewhere. With the increase in pressure, it could cause other problems. Yesterday, I noticed both my toilets were running constantly. I called and they came out today. More rust issues...but it was a quick fix thankfully.

Now, the only issue is the huge piles of dirt I now have in the front yard. It won't be long until husband gets home, so I'm just leaving the dirt for now. We're back into the 100s this week, so getting out there and moving that dirt is not something I want to do by myself.

If all goes as planned (fingers crossed) husband should be home in time to enjoy next weekend. We plan on buying a new air conditioner and installing it Saturday morning. While he moves dirt around Saturday afternoon, I plan on cleaning our front porch from top to bottom. Seems the spiders have taken over again. So, I'll get out there with a small brush and knock down the spider webs. Then, I'll get soapy water and wash the banisters and the floor. I'm also planning on getting some spray paint and painting our wicker furniture. It's currently white, but that blends in with the porch since it's also white. It's been on the porch for three years now, so it really needs some touching up. I'm thinking I might paint them a deep maroon color and then make slip covers for the cushions in a forest green. I thought that might really add some color to the front porch and liven it up a bit since all these 100 degree days (well, weeks actually) has killed off my flowers and are working on killing my ferns. In September when it's hopefully cooler, I'll plant more grass seed and finally buy the bushes I want and get them planted.

Today we're working on getting this house back into some kind of order. The babies' rooms seemed to have crept (exploded might be more accurate lol) down the stairs and throughout the house. They are working on cleaning up their rooms and I'll go up in a bit and help them organize. I've already dusted and cleaned the bathrooms...now I just need to get the babies' rooms done and vacuum.

I'm thinking tonight I might partake in some adult beverage. There's some beer in the fridge leftover from New Years. Yeah, we're BIG drinkers around here lol. Anyhow, I thought I might have a beer and stain the woodwork on the doorway leading into the living room.

I'm not a drinker at all, but this staying up until 4 in the morning has got to go. If I do go to bed, I wake up two hours after I went to bed and can't go back to sleep. Husband said to try drinking a beer or two, so I may. If I can get passed the smell lol. Mother said to drink a glass of wine, but I don't like wine - not to mention it gives me a headache after just a few sips. This insomnia has been going on for almost two weeks, so I'm now desperate enough to try drinking a beer. I bought some Excedrin PM and that didn't help, so I'm not confident the beer will do anything either. Oh well, we'll see.

I guess that's all that is going on around here. We went yesterday and bought groceries and got little guy's hair cut, so we don't have to fight the heat this weekend. I stopped by the dealership on the way out of town to see if they knew when the new Jeep 4 door Wrangler Unlimited would be hitting the lot. He said September/October, but they had one coming in sooner. It was the Rubicon though and I'm not wanting the Rubicon's price tag lol. He did give me a printout though and said they could order me exactly what I wanted and it'd be here in 6-8 weeks. I talked to husband last night about it. The plan is, the salesman is going to call me when the Rubicon gets in so we can test drive it. If we like it, then we'll go ahead and order me a black one. If you haven't seen it, stop by the Jeep Website and check it out. I sure hope it rides as great as it looks :).

Hope everyone has a great weekend! Til next time...

Please Keep Them in Your Thoughts...

2006-07-28T09:11:00.000-07:00

I finally get online this morning and the first article I see breaks my heart.

U.S. extends Iraq tour for 3,500 soldiers

As part of the plan, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld on Thursday extended the tours of some 3,500 members of the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team. The unit, which has been serving in northern Iraq, was scheduled to be leaving now, but instead, most of its 3,900 troops will serve for up to four more months. It was unclear whether the unit would go to Baghdad.

[....]

While about 3,500 members of the Stryker brigade were still in Iraq Thursday, about 200 had returned to Alaska and some 200 others were in Kuwait awaiting transportation home.

The Army said officials will determine on a case-by-case basis whether any of those in Alaska or Kuwait need to return to Iraq. It is likely the majority of those in Alaska will be able to stay there, but those who are determined to be essential personnel may have to return to the battlefront.

I just CANNOT imagine the heartbreak...you wait your L O N G freaking year and then they extend them four more months. I understand that the needs of the Army come first, but it sure doesn't lessen the pain any of these families will be feeling. The soldiers will be down in the dumps and the families will be in tears...you live for a day for a full year and then to have that day not come for four more months, it can be a hard pill to swallow. Knowing they might miss two Christmas seasons in a row...two birthdays, two anniversaries...damn hard no matter how "hooah" these families are.

Personally I'm not "hooah." We do not call home or me "household 6." I had no clue what the hell that meant until husband explained it to me a couple of years ago. All I know is I love my husband and respect how hard his job is and how hard he works to care for everyone he's responsible for. I'm not in the Army though. We like to live far from the military base and just be a regular, every day family when he's home. We have our flag out front...but other than the DoD stickers on our cars and my Army sticker on the back of the Explorer, you'd not know otherwise.

So, my point is (and yep, there is one, I promise), I'm not "hooah" and husband being extended four months would break my heart after he'd already done his year. If he got home and then had to turn around and go back...gosh it would DESTROY our children. My defense mechanism is anger, so I'd be pretty sore at ol' Rummy. There's no reason to extend folks who have done their year...they should have moved people forward two months ago when Baghdad was heating up. They should always have a plan so they aren't destroying morale and breaking families hearts with long extensions...four months is a HELL of a long time when they are in combat.

If you get a chance, please send some prayers out for these soldiers and their families. If you don't believe in prayer, that's ok...send some positive thoughts their way. They are gonna need it.

A Few Pics...

2006-07-24T18:33:00.000-07:00

At some of my favorite blogs, they've posted pictures of themselves. It dawned on me tonight that I'd not posted any pictures other than pics of my new pup.

So, here you go:

This was taken while husband was deployed to Ramadi, Iraq in 2003-2004. My friend had a BBQ for the spouses of deployed soldiers. There were about 20 of us there along with our little ones. It was a lot of fun...just to be around folks who were going through the same thing was nice.

This one was taken in August 2004. We were sitting in a hangar waiting on our soldiers to come in... It was truly a wonderful day and one I'd spent a year praying and waiting for. Unfortunately, husband didn't get R&R, so we'd spent a long time apart. I'm hoping things are a bit better this time around and everyone will get R&R...two weeks together to break up the year will be a blessing for sure.

At any rate, just thought the few folks who read here might like to see who they are talkin' with ;).

Phelps and the ACLU

2006-07-24T11:05:00.000-07:00

GuyK, over at Charming, Just Charming informs us of the ACLU suing on behalf of Fred Phelps. If you don't know who Phelps is, he's the ring leader of the wacko christian group who protest at military funerals. Yes, because the US allows abortion, he believes God is killing our soldiers in retaliation - or something of that sort. They are a bunch of heartless bastards if you ask me. There is the ACLU, trying to protect THEIR rights, regardless of the fact that they are intruding on the rights of mourning families to be able to bury their loved ones in peace.

At any rate, in the comments over at Guy's place, I have to agree with Anna. Phelps and his clan want someone to assault them so they can sue the very people they are assaulting emotionally during their darkest hours.

One of my biggest fears when husband is deployed is not only that he is killed, although that is one of the big ones...it's that he's captured by terrorists. Knowing he was tortured like the two soldiers who were recently captured and then found murdered - or not ever knowing what happened to him is what my nightmares consist of. I just don't know how the families of our MIAs from previous wars kept going. I don't know if I'm made of the same cloth...and to be brutally honest, I just don't think I'm a strong enough person to hold it together and have any sort of life after that happening to the man I love most in this world.

With all that said, of course every military spouse's fear is that, as they say good-bye to their soldier, it's the last time they ever see them. I know when my husband leaves, when I hug him that last time, I'm trying to remember every feature of his face, his arms, his hands, every sense of his being from his smell, the way his face feels next to mine - to how he puts his arms around me. After so many years of marriage, you'd think you'd "just know," but those are things that fade after months of being apart. The thought of a lifetime apart? It makes me want to burn those feelings of him into my mind and heart, so I can relive them in my mind as many times as I need, for as long as possible.

And, when he walks out the door and I stand there feeling as though my heart just broke, I worry that I didn't try to remember hard enough. That fear of it possibly being the last time you see him - and then the fear and worry every time the news reports deaths in the area he's in...

It wears you down...not only emotionally, but physically. Day after day, week after week, month after month of fear and worry, then relief, then guilt that someone's loved one died and you are relieved, but today it will not be your loss to mourn, but mourn nonetheless you will for someone is hurting and crying for the one they love that is now gone forever. At some points you are numb, at others, your emotions are so raw you're a walking time bomb, ready to explode into tears or anger depending on the circumstance. And this is just the way it is when your loved one is in combat.

All this to say, I'm truly surprised that at these protests Phelps orchestrates, he's never encountered violence. He's targeting people who are living in fear daily and their worst fears have just come home to roost. And there he is, with his horrible, hurtful signs and screaming disgusting slogans. I'm truly surprised that someone in these families hasn't snapped and put a bullet or two into a few of them...or at the least walked over and punched the bastard square in the face. Of course, this is what they want, no doubt. He's targeting people who are suffering in the worst way...

If nothing else, this is just a testament to the type of people who make up the military family. To be able to show such class, such restraint gives America a glimpse into the type of wonderful people they truly are.

I'm not sure I'm cut from that cloth either. God forbid I lose my husband, but to have to deal with Phelps and his disgusting hatred on top of it? I'm afraid losing my husband would push me to the edge and then Phelps and his clan would be the wind that blew me over that edge...hopefully my family would keep me from wanting to mow them down with my truck heh heh. Regardless of what these sick animals think, I just don't think God will smile on them when they do arrive at the pearly gates. Instead, I think our merciful God will want him to explain his lack of compassion and hopefully allow Phelps and his entire bunch of morons to feel every ounce of pain they've caused others - for eternity. Anything less would be too good for them...

The Military Wife Curse...

2006-07-21T17:33:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's true.

The curse D O E S exist.

And regardless of the number of years "livin' the life" - there are no exemptions for time in service. Sorry.

We all must accept the cold, hard, fact that by falling in love with someone in the military and marrying them, the curse has latched onto your life as the bastard leach that it is, to wreak havoc during each and EVERY separation.

I have at least one story for every separation. Some are bigger catastrophes than others.

There's the month field problem husband went on when we first arrived in Alaska. We hadn't been in our new home long enough to learn all the quirks of the place before he left. So, the morning he left, while putting our new puppy outside for a potty break, I ended up locking myself out and my twelve month old baby in... We lived in the sticks, the few neighbors we had were not home. It was several years before average folks like us would have a cell phone...my only option was to kick in the solid wood, dead-bolted front door. Broke the door and the door frame, but I got inside. Had to call our new landlord and explain how her new 5'2", 110 pound tenant had just destroyed the front entrance to her property. And of course, I had to pay to replace the door and the door frame.

Then there was the snowstorm from hell that hit Alaska...while husband was once again gone 30 days somewhere. First our Explorer had to crap out. THEN the snowstorm. The plow guy wasn't plowing our road or driveway...so when the Explorer was finally ready to be picked up, the Ford Courtesy van couldn't get to my house. I had to trek a quarter mile in snow up to my mid-thigh to get to the main road. OH and I had a baby to carry out with me...not to mention my purse AND her car seat. When I finally got the Explorer back to our road, I had to dig a trench up to the house wide enough for the truck so I could get it close enough to plug the damned thing in. Yes, for those never having lived in Alaska, it is so cold in the interior, you have to plug in your vehicles so a heater can keep your oil warm enough to circulate in your engine when you start it up.

Oh fun, fun times and husband got to miss out on all of it. Each and every time.

A N D, this 30 days separated has been typical. The curse strikes again and again - and again. Hopefully, if bad things do happen in threes, then today was my grand finale for THIS separation.

Lets see. First off - husband left on a Friday. A storm rolled through that Sunday night. Monday, the babies and I go to get in the truck and there's a HUGE limb laying in the front yard.

The minute I saw the limb, I knew...

It was the curse.

Husband is gone and he's the muscles of this operation. My physical abilities are limited, so how I was going to chop up this huge limb was beyond me. So, I dragged it to the side of the house and deposited it in the middle of our driveway. We don't use our driveway, so it wasn't in the way. I surmised until I figured out what to do with the damn thing, we'd just look like white trash for a while with the tree limb laying in the drive.

It's just a tree limb after all. Not a huge deal, more irritating than catastrophe.

The catastrophe was just around the corner waiting to sneak up and smack me over the head. Before we can share that story, we first must cover the second coming of the curse.

For over a week, we've been in the triple digits. Normally, we have a dry heat. Not this year. No, we also had high humidity. The temperature would be 106 degrees, but the "feels like" heat was 112 to 115. To say it was hot is an understatement. When the wind would blow, it felt as though someone turned on a hairdryer, blowing hot air in your face. The desert didn't have much on us.

The babies and I planned to stay inside and stay cool. It was so hot that even with the air conditioner on high in the truck, we would still sweat. Yes, staying inside was the answer. That is, until our downstairs air conditioner crapped out.

DAMN DAMN DAMN!!

What the hell do I do now?

Yes, the simple answer is go out and buy a new air conditioner. Why, of course! Why didn't I think of that?

No, you see, the problem is as I mentioned above...the muscles of this operation is gone for thirty days. The downstairs air conditioner is an older model and was here when we purchased the house in June of 2002. And, it's a big one. I'm guessing it's a 24,000 BTU air conditioner. It probably weighs a good 200 pounds at the very least, and it's wider than my arms can reach - that's for sure. So, I could easily go to Lowes and buy a new 24,000 BTU air conditioner. I just couldn't get it out of the truck once we got home and I certainly couldn't get the old one out of the window and the new one put in.

So, I went in search of a portable air conditioner. Wednesday, in 107 degree heat, the babies and I started searching for one at 10:30 in the morning. Wal-mart had no air conditioners left at all. Lowes had air conditioners, but no portable ones. Finally I went to the new Sears store that recently opened in a town 30 minutes or so from us. The gentleman in the new store said he didn't have any, but he called the store in the next town. He said he'd worked in that store a year ago and he knows they had several at that time. The associate in the other store said they didn't have any, but the gentleman urged him to go look at a specific spot in their storeroom. Twenty minutes later he called back and said they had ONE...by this time it was 5:30 in the evening. They'd hold it for me - and off the babies and I went another thirty minutes to the Sears in the next town.

Unfortunately, the one portable air conditioner they had is only 10,000 BTUs. Thankfully, we finally got a break in the heat-wave today with the high only in the mid-eighties. The 10,000 BTU portable air conditioner wasn't able to cool our large living room when it was in the triple digits on Thursday. It was better than having nothing though.

****

A N D finally, the curse's catastrophe finale. Well, hopefully this is the last of the curse for this separation. After today, I'm truly at my limit of handling anything else falling apart or crapping out.

Daughter's friend was coming over to play from 11-3 today. We got up about 8:30 and had breakfast. I did a few things around the house before we went to go pick her up. We came back to the house and they wanted to play out front. While they were playing, I watered our ferns that are on their last leg due to the heat.

The postman showed up and son ran out to get the mail from him. Junk mail and...a small envelope from the city. Whenever I get something from the city, it's NEVER good news and today was no exception.

I open the envelope and it's a note from our water department. It says:

To Whom It May Concern: Shannon **** *****

In reviewing your water usage this month we have noticed your usage has increased from 4,200 to 29,100. Some high usages are due to increase of water usage during the summer months. Other possibilities are a possible leak or that a stool that was running. Please let us know if you are aware of your increase of water usage this month.

Of course, with husband gone, my water usage should have gone down since he's not home taking long hot showers and there is less laundry to do.

I call the water department and they send someone out. He says I'm losing about 300 gallons AN HOUR. He walks around the house and says he doesn't see anything that would suggest an outside leak.

At 300 gallons an hour, if it was leaking in the house, I would surely have noticed. I did a walk-through of the basement and thankfully nothing is leaking down there.

So, I ask if the water guy can just cut off my water until I can get a plumber out here. He says sure.

Long story short, daughter's friend was taken home early and the plumber arrived this afternoon. He also did a walk-through and saw no leaks. So, he cuts the house's main water valve off in the basement and then goes out and turns on the water at the meter. Meter starts spinning. That tells him the leak is between the meter and the house...in the ground.

DAMN DAMN DAMN!

The plumber was super nice. He left me a meter key which is a long pole that turns the water on and off at the meter. This way, over the weekend, I can turn the water on to get our baths and to flush the toilets but turn it back off so the water bill doesn't put us any farther into the poor house.

They've called so someone will come out and mark the gas lines and such hopefully Monday morning. That way, the plumber can come back out and dig up my front yard to find what is broken and gushing water and fix it. He estimated it'll cost us around $450.00. The water company says that my normally $35.00 water bill will be $197.00 this month and will probably me even more next month since the leak will be on that bill also. They did say that once the leak is fixed, to call and let them know. They end up reimbursing half of your high "water leak" bills based on the average of your normal bill.

So, every time I have to use water in the house, I have to run out and turn the water on, hurry and do what I have to do with the water and then run back out and cut it off. It's gonna be a FUN weekend.

I'd planned on going this weekend and getting my hair cut - do something for myself just to make me feel good. My hair hasn't been cut in months, so it's long overdue. I'd planned on buying a memory foam mattress pad thingy. I've heard great things about them - especially for people like me who have trouble sleeping due to pain. I'd also thought about going to Hobby Lobby and buying a painting kit to try my hand at a new hobby. I won't be doing any of that...I'll be pinching pennies until all this gets taken care of and I see how bad it's going to put a dent in our checking account. Between the new air conditioner and now the water leak...I'm estimating we're out at least $1200 in less than a week.

I really, REALLY hope this is the last of this separation's curse. I truly am at my limit now. If something good would happen just to balance a little of this out...heck what am I saying? If nothing else bad happens,I'll consider that something good and be thankful.

Damn that DAMN curse!!

Another Good-Bye

2006-07-04T18:58:00.001-07:00

Yep, it's that time again. Time for us to start preparing for the year apart. First, we get thirty or so days preparation courtesy of the Army...well, more than likely 29 1/2 days considering our luck. Can't do the full 30 days or they have to pay separation pay ya know. One year, due to two planes in a row having mechanical problems and the flights being delayed, husband was just a few hours from the full thirty days and folks jumped through hoops to get them out of there lol.

We celebrated daughter's birthday early this year since husband would be gone on her birthday. She had a great time and I was thankful husband was here to share in it with us. Next year will suck for sure though...just that typical black cloud hanging around here. Even during good times, you can't help but have the deployment cloud hanging over everything and that sense of dread dangling around the edges.

I only have one project planned for this separation though. I'm going to paint our kitchen cabinets. I have the sandpaper, the primer, paint and brushes. Now I just need the motivation heh heh. Maybe by this weekend I'll feel like fooling with it. If not, maybe the next. I have plenty of time, so maybe I'll do like I normally do and put it off until the very last minute lol. That way, I can drive myself nuts worrying about the procrastination, yet not doing anything productive.

Well, we're off to the backyard. Thankfully, the city park is only two blocks from here, so we can stand in our backyard and watch the fireworks show. No traffic, no rude people and unruly children... After the mosquitoes have eaten us up, we can come back in without having to fight traffic or crowds. It just doesn't get any better than that ;).

Hope everyone had a great 4th of July.

All Things Irritating

2006-07-03T09:16:00.000-07:00

I have a few little mini-rants I thought I'd share. I know, the excitement is just too much...

* Why is it that some people do not get the easy concept of the ON RAMP? For those who do not know, the ON RAMP's purpose is to allow traffic coming on the interstate to accelerate (the key word here is accelerate, folks) to the speed of the other traffic and then MERGE with said traffic. If the speed limit is 70, you are free to ACCELERATE to 70 mph and then MERGE. Going 35 mph on the ON RAMP and hitting your breaks as you reach the interstate is not only STUPID, it's dangerous. Do us all a favor and take the back roads and stay off the damn interstate if you cannot figure out how to use the freaking ON RAMP. Sheesh, it's not rocket science. And why is it that minivan drivers seem to be the ones most often afflicted with confusion on ON RAMPs?

* If it is 104 degrees out, the pavement is going to be scorching HOT. If it's 3 pm and your nasty, hasn't had a bath in a month, useless self is just crawling out of bed - use some of the sense God gave you and put SHOES ON YOUR BABY before dragging the poor baby across the street barefoot! You took the time to put shoes on yourself! And, if you are just THAT lazy you can't take a few minutes and put some shoes on that baby - at the VERY least, pick the poor baby up and CARRY HIM across the hot black asphalt to your beat up hoopty. When you don't, it makes normally laid back, law-abiding people such as myself want to get out of my vehicle AND BEAT SOME SENSE INTO YOU.

* I missed the memo that you, military shopper from hell, are the proud new owner of the commissary. Until the rest of us receive that memo, PLEASE stop acting as if you OWN every aisle in the commissary. There's no need to leave your cart in the middle of the aisle AT THE END - to go back two aisles to get something you forgot. The rest of us peons just might need to get around your cart and finish our shopping within this decade. And, when a group of ten of us finally get tired of waiting and move your cart over just enough to get by, dirty looks FROM YOU because we dared to move your cart might just get you a couple of "fuck you's" from frustrated shoppers - and damage your fragile ego. Just a little warning...

* If you've been too lazy to teach your children ANYTHING at home, please spare the rest of us and leave your animals at home. My 7 month old puppy would behave better in Wal-Mart than some children I've come across...and he's spoiled rotten.

I think that covers it for now...but I reserve the right to edit at any time and add a few more ;).

We're Back - Unfortunately...

2006-06-23T16:19:00.000-07:00

We decided at the last minute to head on to Destin, Florida for vacation. We stayed at the same resort we stayed in last year. This year, it was just waaay too crowded and apparently NO ONE teaches their children anything these days.

Now, toddlers are one thing, but we're talking children 8+ to teens. MY children behave and respect other people's belongings....I guess we are just a dying breed. Several days, I truly thought I was gonna go find a kid's momma and just take out my frustrations ON HER. The four of us couldn't even wade out into the water together. The ONE time we did, some ten year old just sat down with our stuff and started playing with my children's toys!! My babies are 5 and 8 and they would not DARE just make themselves at home with someone else's belongings. What in the hell is wrong with parents these days and where the HELL WAS HERS??!

Teen boys throwing big clumps of wet sand at one another until they HIT my little girl in the head...then the former Drill Sergeant awoke in husband when he saw this and got PISSED, he used his peal paint voice and let it be KNOWN he was PISSED - and the miscreants quickly scattered heh heh. Saw one teen telling his Dad...Dad (little bird chest man) was getting all puffed up. That is, until his miscreant pointed at husband - and dad quickly turned and went the other way. Yeah, doubted anyone had the balls to come say something about how we told their BRATS to quit throwing sand and hitting OUR EIGHT YEAR OLD when they were clearly 14-15 years old!!! DARED someone to say something...no prayed they would so I could tell them and everyone within ear-shot TO PARENT THEIR FREAKING BRATTY CHILDREN!!!!

You wonder if any adult in their lives EVER carry on a conversation with them or teach them even the basics of manners, empathy, personal pride etc. Too many fat moms with fat daughters and NOT ENOUGH bathing suit to cover the fat. I readily admit I no longer have my 22 year old body that I had when husband and I met. I admit that after two c-sections and two other abdominal surgeries, my belly ain't NOTHING to be seeing the light of day and scaring strangers with. I KEEP IT and my other non-attractive areas covered to the best of my abilities heh heh. Please people, if you have rolls and dimples in your thighs, belly, butt (you get the idea) spend the money on enough fabric TO COVER IT and spare the rest of us. Even with a tan, it still ain't gonna be attractive. If your 14 year old has more rolls than a bakery, please don't let her buy that bikini and tell her she's cute...she's NOT. How about you cook a healthy meal, go on walks with her and help her learn about a healthy lifestyle instead of ignoring the fact she is an obese (but otherwise healthy) child and she doesn't have to live that way! Ughh!

Other than the people we shared the beach with lol, we had a great time :). The drive down was wonderful. We barely had the radio on and instead just talked the entire way down. We stopped for the night in Mississippi that Saturday we left. We got up at 5 Sunday morning and headed on down to Destin. Check-in was at 4:00, but we arrived around 12:30. Last year, we'd stopped in early and they called us when the room was ready around 2. I was extremely surprised when they said it was all ready for us and we could check in early. It was a nice start to our five day stay.

We were again on the 17th floor - and enjoyed the balcony almost as much as the beach itself. You can see for miles and watch fish and dolphins out in the Gulf. The water is such a clear blue/green....honestly, I cannot think of anywhere on earth with more beautiful beaches.

Husband would get up around 6 am and go put our chairs and blanket on the beach so we'd have a great spot. Usually daughter would get up and go with him while son and I snored for another hour. By 7 we were up and all of us would sit on the balcony and get "woke up" before heading down to the beach at 8. We'd come in for lunch and then hurry back down to the beach again until 4 or 4:30....

As usual, the day to leave came too quickly. We packed up around 7 Friday morning and hit the road. Thankfully we decided to stop at the same place in Mississippi for the night. When we got up that next morning, husband was going to get the babies settled in the truck while I turned in the room key. Instead, we had a tire going flat and were going nowhere. The great thing about where we stayed in MS was the fact a Wal-Mart was right across the street. We were able to put some air in the tire at a gas station next door to the Wal-Mart, then drive it up to the service/tire dept. Unfortunately, it was so early, we had to sit in the parking lot for an hour waiting for them to open. Another unfortunate was the fact that the tire didn't have a hole that could be plugged. Instead, the inside wall of the tire had a gash in it and we had to buy a new tire. The good part was that we stopped early the night before instead of trying to make it to Memphis or another bigger city. Had we done that, more than likely we would have had a blow-out. I'll take buying a new tire any day....

Now we're home and back to the same ol' same ol. Yea me. Yea us. Husband's getting ready for deployment and working long hours. I'm just trying to get my heart ready for another year of worry and little sleep....

At any rate, we're back and I should be blogging more regularly now. Hope everyone's summer is off to a great start!

Taking a Break...

2006-05-21T09:56:00.000-07:00

I think I'm going to take a bit of time off from the computer. I guess I go through stages where everything is interesting and then, none of it is...

I talked to my Dad this morning. It was a great conversation as it always is. He was telling me about a story he heard in the Air Force about General Patton. Seems some of his soldiers had been arrested in a corrupt town outside of Fort Benning, across the border into Alabama. Patton took a tank down the main road and threated to level the town if they didn't release his men. They released 'em real quick.

Having read several Patton books, I'd never heard of this story. So, I had to get online and search to see what I could find. I found a small blurb at the bottom of this page: http://www.bobtuley.com/georgepatton.htm.

Seems it was Fort Riley that this happened and it was a cannon and not a tank ;). Still thought it was really interesting.

So, I'll see you all in June, sometime. Once husband gets back, he's going to take some leave and we plan on taking a small vacation. Daughter gets out of school this coming week, so it's the perfect time...

Till next time....

What a Way to End the Week...

2006-05-20T09:05:00.000-07:00

Warning, not for the queasy

Thursday morning was fun. I put Dakota in the truck to take daughter to school, just like every morning. We get to the end of the block and he PUKES all over the front seat. Ughhh!

And then the smell hit us. The smell worried me, because it truly smelled like actual shit. I worried about stomach torsion, something that seems to be a problem in GSDs.

I roll down the windows, try to keep him still so he's not also wearing it. I get daughter to school, get back home and then SON starts heaving in the backseat.

THIS IS NOT HAPPENING!!!

Thankfully he gets the door open and is able to puke everywhere OUTSIDE of the truck...three times.

I get son settled and then get the dog settled and head out to the truck to clean up the mess. I start cleaning and what do I find? CAT LITTER. At least I know the dog isn't dying - just a damn idiot for eating CAT SHIT. Sheesh.

Turns out, son has an easy gag reflex. He said the smell is what made him toss up his breakfast...

End warning

So Thursday afternoon, we get outside so I can dig up the bare spots enough for grass seed. The metal rake wouldn't put a dent in the dry dirt. I had to get the shovel. On the really hard parts, I had to put the shovel in the dirt with my foot. On the not so hard parts, I could just twist it to break up the dirt. I had no idea there were so many bare spots until I got out there to do the work. My wonderful body lasted an hour the first day...with breaks every ten minutes or so. It didn't help it was 90+ degrees.

By Friday morning, I was back out there. I felt like crap from the day before and didn't even last an hour. I'm almost done though...I guess this evening when it cools off enough I'll get out there with the grass seed and do that part.

Just really defeating, to be quite honest. Five years ago, I could have finished it all in an afternoon, with no breaks and then went and cleaned out the pond. Now, I can't do anything it seems without gritting my teeth and just forcing myself to try to ignore how bad I'm hurting and then regretting doing that the rest of the night. Thursday night I was up every two hours because I just couldn't lay there anymore without wanting to cry. Makes for waking up in a GREAT mood when you've not slept the night before...

Now we're off to get groceries. Yeah, great fun. Gosh I HATE grocery shopping. Thankfully, we don't need much. So hopefully we'll be in and out pretty quickly.

Ok, done whining now...

Back to Army Life We Go

2006-05-16T23:57:00.000-07:00

Ok, so we never left Army life in reality, but for the past ten months or so, it's sort of felt that way. It's been that long since husband has been anywhere. Years ago, even if husband didn't go to the field, he still had duty every so often. Husband hasn't had duty in years now, so when there are no field problems or other training, he's home every night. Of course his regular work hours are long hours and there are quite a few late nights, but he's still home every night.

Now that all the transformation stuff is completed, it's back to the reality of normal Army life. Husband left yesterday for some time in the field. He won't be gone too long - just long enough to make the little ones and I face the music lol and snap back to reality.

I guess it's a good thing, this short field exercise. It'll help us get back into the swing of things since we've had him home for so long. This summer, they head out to CA to play in the sand for a month and then not long after, they'll head over to Iraq for a year. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't dreading going through another year consumed by fear and worry. Gosh, I'm just dreading living that again. It's all part of Army life, I know, but it sure isn't the part I enjoy. He's got 22 years of being a soldier behind him. Maybe THIS time when he returns from Iraq, he truly WILL be ready to retire. He was positive he was ready to retire last time - and here we are, gearing up for another year apart...

My road to keeping sane when he is away from home is finding something to do. Something new, something that is challenging and interesting. Before he deployed last time, I decided I wanted to build a picket fence for our backyard. Husband went with me to Lowes to buy a post-hole digger. I showed him the plans I'd printed off the internet for a custom picket fence. I measured the yard and made notes so when he left, I'd have a project to get me through that first month of adjustment.

Husband was sure I'd gone off my rocker. He said there was no way I could build the fence...dig the holes blah blah blah. After he left, I think I gave myself about a week or so to cry whenever I felt like it - and then I jumped into my fence project with both feet. I emailed pictures to him as I made progress lol. Apparently, husband was really proud, he showed everyone the pictures once they got internet access and he could print them out.

For the next deployment, my plan is to build us a back deck. Right now, we just have a small stoop that has seen better days. The back deck will go from the back door to the end of the house and extend out to our brick patio. We'll have plenty of room for built in planter boxes and seating - along with a nice table and chairs. A back deck will look so pretty back there...

As for this short field problem, I have several small projects planned. I was going to start today, but little guy was running a fever, so we stayed in today. He's not coughing or anything, so where this fever came from is a mystery. I'm hoping he'll be feeling better tomorrow.

At any rate, my first project is to get some grass planted. Last month I put some weed killer on the front yard because dandelions had taken it over. Now I have quite a few bare patches out there. I'm going to get the metal rake out and till up the bare spots and put some new grass seed down.

While he was deployed last time, I had planted some small boxwood bushes in front of the front porch. They've not done too well and look like crap, so I'm going to dig them up and toss them. I want to buy some Burning Bushes and plant them there instead.

Once the bushes are planted and the grass seed is down, I plan to clean out the pond and get a new pump since the old one died. On one side of the drive in the backyard, there is a tiny cement retaining wall that has a cement step, up into the grass of the backyard. I'm wanting to build an arbor there over the step. Maybe get some honeysuckle or wisteria to plant to grow on the arbor...

If I have time after all that, I plan on trying to finally get those kitchen cabinets painted. I know he'd be surprised AND thrilled if that was done before he got home lol.

Ok, it's way past my bedtime...better get going. Til next time.....

Blog Moms, Dads, Daughters etc.

2006-05-08T15:00:00.000-07:00

Ok, can someone please explain this latest phenomenon to me?

I've read on several blogs here lately, "My BlogDad..." or "My BlogDaughter said..." or similar references to a blog-family type of thing.

What in the heck is this? Does someone adopt you as their online, blogging daughter/child - or do the "children" pick a blogger they think would be a good parent to them lol?

Just don't get it and thought someone might could take pity on me and explain thangs ;).

Jersey Slogan Issues...

2006-05-08T06:09:00.000-07:00

Seems N.J. Scraps 2nd Slogan in Less Than Year . How sad...

I have a possible submission:

The Asshole of America!

No offense Jersey residents. Husband is from there. I've been there and anyone who thinks a jug-handle is a GOOD idea needs their head examined AND the title of Asshole of America.

Just STUPID...

Dakota - Our Newest Baby

2006-05-04T19:04:00.000-07:00

I know I promised photos a long while ago. Learning the new camera and then finding time to upload and resize 'em turned into the challenge lol. I finally got around to it tonight though.

Our New Baby just turned five months old. Last weekend, we took him in to be neutered. He spent the night Friday night and husband picked him up Saturday morning. I'm pretty sure husband said he weighed in at 59 pounds. My baby isn't a little baby anymore...that's for sure.

Here is the first pictures we took of him. They were taken at the end of January when he was eight weeks old.

The next photos were taken on April 3, so he was four months old. He's growing up so fast! He's getting more tan on the top of his head now too. When we first brought him home, his head was entirely black....then he started getting the tan above his eyes. A few weeks later, he started turning tan on the top of his head too. I'm interested in seeing what his final colors will turn out to be.

Here is my absolute favorite photo of both our pups in one of their favorite spots...the top of the stairs on the mezzanine.

They are both such a joy to have in our family. We love them so much and I'm so thankful husband talked me into going to "just look" at the German Shepherd puppies back in January.

Dakota is so much company. With husband deploying again later this year - having him here with me is going to be such a comfort. Like Chelsea Dog had been, Dakota is definitely my dog. Wherever I am, he is or wants to be.

Dharma, our rottie, has a soft spot for our babies (which we think is wonderful). When they go to bed at night, she goes with them. Some nights she sleeps with daughter, some nights, she sleeps with son...other nights she chooses the spare bedroom where she enjoys having a king sized bed all to herself lol. It all just depends on her mood I guess ;).

When husband is gone, I find it comforting to know that we have a dog on each floor. If someone were to try to sneak in downstairs, like Chelsea Dog before him, Dakota will hear it and let me know. If someone were brave enough to try to sneak in a window upstairs, there's no doubt our rottie would take care of business until I could get there :).

We've truly been blessed, that is for sure. Two wonderful dogs are part of our family....

We're Alive....

2006-05-03T14:11:00.000-07:00

Today was my regular doc appointment. Little guy and I are STILL coughing, but feel better. My doc, LTC M., gets little guy on the table and says he thinks it's viral. I tell him I gave him his inhaler this morning at 5:30 because his chest was so tight when he woke me up. He asks why he has an inhaler and I explain that whenever he gets a cold, it goes straight to his chest. The two times we've taken him to urgent care, they've given him a steroid, breathing treatment and the inhaler. He agrees this is what we should do now.

Then he has me hop up on the table. Ok, so this old body no longer "hops" anywhere, but I get up there. He says I'm walking like an old lady and I tell him that is because the coughing doesn't help my medical problem and makes me hurt worse. He listens to the belly, then has me sit up so he can listen to my lungs. He says, "You're wheezing too!"

I know I am because when I take a deep breath I can feel it crackle in there. Ughh.

So, little guy and I are now both on steroids. We both now have inhalers. And no, neither one of us has asthma thank goodness.

Hopefully this will do it and we'll be all better soon :).

And my doc is deploying to Iraq and then retiring. I just want to CRY. I cannot explain how much I like him, how easy he is to talk to, what a great personality he has, how caring he is to me, my husband and my children...and how much he has done to help me with my medical problems. My last doc I really liked, but we had over a year to get to know each other and form a working relationship (which is essential when you have a chronic health problem). I've had this doc since August and I feel like I've known him my entire life. I'm really going to miss him...I trust him and I dread, DREAD starting all over again with someone new (big whine....sob sob sob).

Ok, I'm done with my pity-party for one now ;). Thanks for listening.

STILL Sick....

2006-04-26T14:27:00.000-07:00

and if you have a queasy stomach, you may not want to read this post.

I felt like CRAP yesterday. I wanted to see my two favorite shows last night (NCIS and The Unit) or I would have gone to bed at 7pm instead of 9pm. At any rate, I woke up coughing at 2:30, then again at 3:45. I managed to go back to sleep until 4:30. At 4:30 am, my head was so congested and pounding so hard, I had no choice but to get up.

I make my way to the kitchen and take Entex - a nasal decongestant that I was given during the last bout of this crud in January. I try to lay down on the couch but my head was pounding so hard I couldn't. I get up, go to turn on the lamp over here by my chair and the bulb blows. Not only does the bulb blow, but damn if it doesn't flip the breaker in the scary basement. So, hacking cough, the flashlight and I take a trip down and flip the breaker. I'm sure a few choice words were released on the way down and back up, but honestly my head was hurting so bad I can't remember for certain.

By six, my head was better, but now all this congestion in my nose and head is running down the back of my throat. I have a VERY easy gag reflex on a good day. I'd taken my regular, every day meds at my normal, six in the morning time and got myself a cup of coffee. At 6:05 or so, I turn on Fox News, start to cough and oh boy, let the games begin...

I run to the bathroom, throw open the toilet and toss up my meds, the water I took them with, the sip of coffee I'd had and lots of gross congestion I'm guessing. I'd try to swallow, get this tickle in the back of my throat and heave again. I had the dry heaves so bad, I thought I was going to bust blood vessels in my eyes.

I come back and sit down in my trusty chair. I think, ok, if I can drink a sip of coffee and get rid of that tickle thing, I'll be ok. BAD idea. Back to the bathroom....

I think I have it all under control by 6:20, so I try taking my regular meds again and get a cough drop for good measure. Five minutes later I'm back in the bathroom throwing up water, my meds and cough drop...after having almost choked on said cough drop...

By this time, it's 6:35, I'm heaving so hard that not only am I sure I'll pop blood vessels in my eyes, I can't catch my breath in between heaves they are lasting so long.

In the many years husband and I have been married, this morning was the first morning I seriously considered calling husband at work and asking him to come home. I didn't think I was going to be able to stop hanging my head over the toilet long enough to get daughter breakfast and to school. Hell, at that point, I wasn't sure I could talk to husband if I could get him on the phone...that's how bad it was.

Thankfully, by seven, I'd managed to get some coffee down to get that tickle in my throat and chest under control and the dry heaves stopped.

The day was pretty uneventful compared to the way the morning started. Little guy felt bad enough to nap this morning from 8:45 until almost 11. He's started that barking cough thing. We go get daughter from school this afternoon and I guess he and I both got too hot in the truck. We all get out and he and I both start coughing and trying to throw up in the front yard. My GOSH!!! So, that was it. I called my doc. He wasn't there the first time, but I called him back an hour later and he answered. We'll see him tomorrow morning thank goodness. I was trying to wait until next week since it would be the time for my normal doc visit, but trying to puke in my front yard dashed that hope. We're going in tomorrow and hopefully an antibiotic for me and some steroids for little guy will fix us both up.

I'm not ready for the heat of summer, but I'm so sick of being sick, I'll take it just so we can stop getting sick every month as we seem to do during the winters here.

Sheesh, what a day.

A Few Quick Updates...

2006-04-20T22:06:00.000-07:00

I believe when we last left off in the Cold and Flu-Fest of 2006 we were all on the mend.

Well, that didn't last long.

Daughter was diagnosed with Strep Throat in the beginning of April. Husband then caught the cough part of daughter's latest bout of sickness. Around the 11th, the cough got a hold of me and is still refusing to let go. Last weekend I started losing my voice and I'm still really hoarse. The chest and nasal congestion is driving me nuts. Ughh.

Last weekend, despite neither one of us feeling great, we worked on the yard. I sprayed the grass down with weed killer. The Dandelions were trying to take over. We took trips to Walmart, Lowes and Home Depot and bought flowers. Daughter and I planted these pretty cascading flowers in the planters by the front porch's steps. We put our ferns on each side by the front door and hung up the hanging baskets that are just FULL of dark purple colored petunias. It's really starting to look a lot like spring around here.

I had several things I wanted to do this week in the house, but I've felt like crap all week and ended up doing nothing more than lots of coughing. I was suppose to go buy groceries today, but decided to spend another day coughing in the privacy of my own home. I have to get out tomorrow (Friday) regardless, so I rationalized staying home today by convincing myself that since I HAD to get out tomorrow, I could buy groceries then.

Tomorrow I take little guy to register for Kindergarten for the 2006/07 school year. I cannot believe he's already old enough to start getting ready for school. He sure is excited, so I'm looking forward to watching his reaction to everything...

This weekend, we're planning on laying low. Try to nap a lot, drink lots of fluids, eat some good food and then nap some more. Hopefully, now that it is warmed up, if we get a lot of rest, we'll finally kick this stuff for good.

New Jeep Wrangler Unveiled!

2006-04-13T12:13:00.000-07:00

I've been waiting on the New York Auto Show since January to see the new four-door Jeep Wrangler unveiled and I just have to say...it was WELL WORTH THE WAIT!

For some great photos, check out Autoweek.com and click through all the pics.

Car and Driver also has a bit of coverage.

The new Wrangler is set to hit dealerships this fall. I'll be there - and for the record, I'll be looking for a black one :).

Learning from the French

2006-04-01T21:42:00.000-08:00

I stopped by Michelle Malkin's blog this evening and found an article linked from Allahpundit's entry NIGHT FEVER

Though written four years ago, Theodore Dalrymple's essay "The Barbarians at the Gates of Paris" remains the most harrowing treatment of France's banlieues I've ever read.

The fact that things have only gotten considerably worse in France since this article was written, several points he makes seems to speak volumes to our current immigration problems - if only our politicians would listen.

Now, we have a HUGE illegal immigration problem that is quite different than France's situation. Their immigrants were invited. However, the "guest worker" nonsense and giving citizenship to those who have broken our nation's laws by sneaking across the border illegally does apply. In a different way perhaps, when you boil away the political spin, if these laws pass, they will essentially be invited.

But what is the problem to which these housing projects, known as cités, are the solution, conceived by serene and lucid minds like Le Corbusier’s? It is the problem of providing an Habitation de Loyer Modéré—a House at Moderate Rent, shortened to HLM—for the workers, largely immigrant, whom the factories needed during France’s great industrial expansion from the 1950s to the 1970s, when the unemployment rate was 2 percent and cheap labor was much in demand. By the late eighties, however, the demand had evaporated, but the people whose labor had satisfied it had not; and together with their descendants and a constant influx of new hopefuls, they made the provision of cheap housing more necessary than ever.

Cheap labor that was in much demand...

Sound familiar?

The article is extremely long, but I found it similar to driving by a car accident. Horrified as I was while reading about the impotence of the police, the crimes (and weapons the criminals have) and the attitude of this French underclass, I just couldn't seem to look away and stop reading.

Some four years later and things have only deteriorated further. As France tries to wake up and pass laws that would actually help the very people who are protesting find jobs, they are so ignorant, they don't even realize it.

In 1986, Reagan passed an amnesty to "fix" our immigration problems. Instead, it sent immigration numbers soaring.

Pete Nunez, the former U.S. attorney for San Diego and a lifelong fighter for immigration control, told me in a recent talk: "Why are those numbers today so high? Because of the amnesty of 1986! Those 2.7 million illegals amnestied were then able, in the decade of the '90s, to sponsor their family members. That decade turned out to have the highest number of legal immigrants practically in our history, because of the amnesty."

Here at the busy port of entry, in my long conversations with officials of the Department of Homeland Security, which encompasses immigration, border patrol and customs, there is unanimous agreement with this interpretation.

"The '86 experience definitely led to family reunification," Lauren Mack, customs and border protection public affairs officer, agreed. "We watched that amnesty -- it only created more fraud and more problems."

[....]

The 1986 amnesty was not to be the first of many amnesties, nor a kind of experimental plug in the flow of human beings from a poor country to a rich one. To the contrary, it was to be the "last amnesty." Pushed by liberals in Congress like Teddy Kennedy, it was supposed to settle and legalize the illegals already in the United States, while controlling future immigration. It was to be the solution.

Instead, those 2.7 million settled in America and, under the dominating "family reunification" policy, were able immediately to sponsor almost any number of relatives, some bringing in 80 or 90 persons. And because the enforcement aspects of the law were never put into practice, the 1986 amnesty left the gate open to still more massive numbers. Meanwhile, the proposed new guest worker programs before Congress almost all provide for some kind of amnesty that will lead only to a repeat of 1986.

If we won't learn from France's history, can we at the very least, look back and learn from our own?

What happens in twenty years when, due to how quickly technology is improving and expanding there are too few low-wage jobs for our "guest workers" to fill? Instead of cheap workers, machines (or even robots) with hi-tech computers do many of these jobs. With the spike in unemployment, do we then increase our public housing to house these displaced "guest workers"? Do we pay to educate them so they are qualified for higher paying jobs (jobs that hard working Americans DO want and need)? Do we first have to pay to teach them our language so they can understand when they attend school? Are we also paying to feed these unemployed "guest workers" and their families? Are we offering unemployment benefits to them? Health benefits? And how do we pay for all this (yeah, I know, higher and higher taxes along with increases in the costs of health care et al)? Not to forget - the baby boomers will be well into their Social Security benefits that will be bankrupt by then...

Our economic future sure looks a bit scary...

If we ever learn anything from the French (of all people), if we ever bother to look back and learn anything from our OWN history...NOW is the time!

Color Change...

2006-04-01T21:31:00.000-08:00

The yellow links on this template bothered me. They sort of matched, but they also sort of stuck out like a sore thumb too.

I decided to try a more subdued color. Hopefully, the links' new color is still easy to distinguish from the rest of the text, instead of being so bright you need sunglasses ;).

First duty is to yourself

2006-03-31T14:25:00.000-08:00

Dimitri Vassilaros`s article First duty is to yourself is an excellent look at the idiotic "duty to retreat" laws.

Many states have criminal-friendly "duty to retreat" laws. A victim in his house is mandated to retreat from an attacker until he is cornered. Only then is the prey allowed to use lethal force on the predator. Prosecutors in those states have been known to victimize the victim (such as charging him with manslaughter) who prefers to fire back rather than to back off.

Unbelievable to me that these laws even exist.

A hypothetical here. Husband is deployed and two dirtbags learn that there's a lady who lives alone with two children. For some reason they believe we have large stashes of cash in the house (sorry, I know it's laughable, but it's a hypothetical) and decide it's the perfect way to finance their drug habits.

They break into the back door of our home at 2 in the morning. Considering our house is almost 100 years old and creaky, I hear the noise and grab my handgun. In a "duty to retreat" state, I'm suppose to wake my children up and try to HIDE us in OUR OWN HOME while these dirtbags ransack my home looking for nonexistent money?

Yeah.

RIIIIGHT.

Guess I'll be going to jail because regardless of the law, I'm not risking the safety of my children or myself. Once they are IN my home, they'll wish they weren't.

I think I might could handle being a victim of a crime coming out of a grocery store or something and having my purse stolen or my car hijacked. In my OWN HOME though? Where would you ever feel safe again? It'll be a cold day in hell before I allow someone to victimize me or my family in OUR HOME regardless of idiotic left wing laws that make the criminals victims regardless of their actions. They might get me - but I'll go out fighting. Not feeling like a damn coward because I HID instead of protecting what is precious to me - my family and the safety of our home.

I can't believe that in America, we've allowed laws like this to be put on the books. I guess it's time I renew my NRA membership since it's been years. Seems they are the only ones who are lobbying states to make sure the criminals don't have more rights than the victims of their crimes.

Cynthia McKinney

2006-03-30T21:25:00.000-08:00

I wasn't surprised to see this linked on Drudge last night: Report: McKinney Punches Cop. It's just typical of her arrogant, ignorant and disgusting attitude.

How DARE a police officer stop HER. Never mind the fact she wasn't wearing her lapel pin when she bypassed the metal detector. She is just too important and busy to stop the first time he said, "Ma'am, Ma'am" and say, "Yes, sir, I'm Cynthia McKinney, House of Representatives out of GA."

Every Capitol police officer should KNOW who SHE is after her many years in Washington! And, don't you know she is so VERY important, when said arrogant idiot is stopped, she has every right to PUNCH a police officer and have NOTHING happen to her.

GIVE ME a damn break!

If any of us acted in this manner, we'd have been thrown to the floor, a knee on the back of our head, handcuffed and tossed UNDER the jail. A black, race-card throwing nutcase from GA? Hell, I'm sure the police officer will be made to apologize to her before the week is out. It's high time that we stop allowing politicians to be above the law and demand they all be held to the same standards we are. She assaulted a police officer and should be charged accordingly - regardless of how much she whines that it's all because she's black. I don't care if it was a white republican, if they hit a police officer they should be charged.

This isn't the first time she's had a run in with police in our nation's capitol. No, Rep. McKinney has 5th run-in with security.

What in the hell is wrong with GA voters? It must be slim pick'ins in her district to have to scrape the bottom of the barrel over and over and keep sending this nutcase to Washington to represent them.

Further Reading:
Cynthia McKinney, The rep who cries racism.

Great New Reads...

2006-03-30T12:09:00.000-08:00

I've updated my links to the right to add two blogs I really enjoy.

Your Crazy Uncle is a blog that covers a wide range of topics. If you like motorcycles, you'll really enjoy that aspect of his blog. He's also a member of the Patriot Guard Riders...something that makes him and his wife very special in my book. Stop by and say hello - and thank him for caring about our military families. It is wonderful people like him that are protecting our military families in mourning from the nutjobs who have no respect for the pain and heartbreak these families are facing.

Charming, Just Charming is a great way to start off your day. GuyK writes about an assortment of topics from politics to gardening...his unique writing style makes his blog a joy to read. He doesn't mince words. One of the many reasons I enjoy stopping by each morning as I enjoy my first cup of coffee to see what he's up to and what he's talking about.

Give these two blogs a visit. You won't be sorry and it will be time well spent....

Ughh...

2006-03-23T12:39:00.000-08:00

Husband requested roast for dinner on Tuesday night. I have to say it was the best roast I've ever cooked and I've cooked quite a few of 'em through the years. It turned out so tender and juicy - and the carrots and potatoes were seasoned and cooked to perfection.

Today for lunch, I made me a roast beef sandwich. Little mayo, some bbq sauce...had a pickle and some chips with it. It was SO good, I made me another. Now, two hours later I'm STILL too full and regretting being such a pig and eating a second sandwich. What in the hell was I thinking?!

Ughh...

Spring? Where??!

2006-03-20T23:39:00.000-08:00

Well, spring has officially sprung. And, of course for our current location, that means it is snowing. I really thought once we left Alaska, snow would be something this southern girl would see little of. Unfortunately, that doesn't seem to be the case for this area. After four L O N G years in Alaska's cold, dark interior, I can't stand the white stuff.

In Other News...
Daughter is on spring break. I feel bad for her. It looks like it's going to snow most of the week, so we'll be stuck in the house. We'll come up with some fun stuff to do though...like cleaning their rooms lol. Ok, so I won't be that mean. I can do that next week when she's back in school. I'll set up the paints in the kitchen and let them go to town. My two babies love anything that is messy ;), so painting will surely lift their spirits some since we can't spend the week at the park like we'd hoped.

Last week daughter had a cough and runny nose, but she's much better now. Unfortunately, little guy started his cough today. By this afternoon, it was the barking cough that seems to happen to him the minute he gets the sniffles. That's why I'm awake at this hour instead of sleeping in the warm bed with husband and the spoiled German Shepherd (the rottie sleeps with daughter lol). We went to bed at 11, but by 11:30, little guy was coughing. Earlier he had coughed so hard he got sick to his tummy, so I had to change his sheets. When he started coughing again after we had gone to bed, I went ahead and got up. Figured why go to sleep only to get up in an hour to doctor him his next dose of cold medicine.

So, I came downstairs, made some coffee, got online and waited until the six hours were about up so he could have another dose. My poor baby...his chest is so tight. I gave him the grape flavored cough and cold medicine and put some Vicks on his chest. He's now settled back into deep sleep and no longer coughing. Unfortunately, now I'm wide awake though ;). I'm sure the coffee didn't help. At any rate, if he's not sounding better in the morning, I think I'm going to go ahead and brave the crappy weather and get him in to the doc. We'll just have to see how he's feeling...and how he sounds.

That's the updates from here. Hope everyone has a good week!

It was just another day...

2006-03-18T06:36:00.000-08:00

well, not really I guess. But, I'll keep the details to myself because my feelings are so hurt.

It's not been easy being Shannon (with Irish maiden name), born on St. Patrick's Day. The only part Irish I received (I think) was the temper lol - or so my mother says. Although the bad temper eased once I had children, it can still emerge on a moments notice.

What did I do for my birthday? Nothing. I'd forgotten it was my birthday until our son wished me a happy birthday yesterday morning. Ughh. Once you're past 16 and 21 - what else is there to look forward to lol? It was just another day.

I'm still 29 and holding LMBO.

PersonalDNA | Your True Self Revealed

2006-03-12T21:51:00.000-08:00

This was a pretty interesting test. It's not a quick, answer a few questions and get your results though. It took me about 30 minutes to complete.

Encouraging Analyst

To read my entire report:
My Personal DNA Report

If you take the test, be sure to link to this post. I'd love to read your results!

Letter to my Pets:

2006-03-12T20:42:00.000-08:00

I ran across this blog tonight and could really relate to her letter to my pets entry...especially the bed issue.

If you have spoiled pets like we do, click the link above and enjoy. If not, visit her blog I am Norman and get ready to laugh. I would also recommend the entry "I was attacked" - too damn funny!

Polar Opposites

2006-03-01T06:10:00.000-08:00

Yes, husband and I are polar opposites. Well, not on important things like how much we love each other, how we think politically and how we raise our children. We're more opposites in areas like - well, for instance, I'm a night owl and he's a "hit the ground running at Oh-Dark-Thirty" which infuriates me.

I like to get up slow, NO talking (gosh he's a talker when he gets up lol), have a gallon of coffee and I'm ready to start moving around 11 a.m. Meanwhile, Mr. Meticulous gets out of bed on the weekends and starts laundry at the crack of dawn which interrupts my ability to slowly become pleasant after much partaking of coffee. Instead of being able to relax, he's carrying laundry upstairs to fold. I can't sit here and NOT help (the guilt would kill me), so I'm pissed, heading upstairs to fold laundry that he started too damn early.

I'm short and small - he's a big guy. Again, polar opposites lol. Whenever someone knows husband at work, I guess they assume he's married to a biker gal or something. When I show up, I hear, "Wow, I thought you'd be...ummm taller."

Taller? I'm not THAT short. 5'2" isn't that short is it? He hears over and over that I'm not how they imagined his wife to look....I guess I'm suppose to look like something else even though there is a photo of us ON his desk lol. Ok, it's an old photo, but not THAT old.

He's the pushover at home and I'm the Barbara Bush of our family - The Enforcer. I guess people assume that former Drill Sergeant husband has us all stand at parade rest as he enters and exits the house. Ummm, NOT lol. The babies can pretty much get away with anything when it comes to Daddy. He's the fun parent; I'm the "Use Your Manners" parent.

He wanted a new vacuum. That red Bissell (I think) that has the lift off part for doing stairs and such. I wanted a new gun. Sunday he saw the new vacuum at the PX and I said we could wait. Our old vacuum gets the job done. He said I was impossible.

Monday after my doc's appointment, I stopped by a pawn shop to take a gander at their handguns. I'd talked to husband and HE SAID if I saw what I wanted, to buy it. Well, it just so happened they had the S&W 9mm that I wanted. I was going to wait and go back today and get it, but figured hell I'm here and I KNOW I'll end up buying it, I might as well save myself the trip lol. Ten minutes and a background check later, my new gun and I are on our way home for a long and prosperous relationship together lol.

Husband calls after I get home and asks if they had anything I liked. I did NOT know that his plan was to find this particular gun and buy it FOR ME as a surprise. Apparently he'd been calling gun shops for weeks looking for it. The first place I go into, they have it. I looked at it as it was meant to be ;).

Loving to give his polar opposite a hard time, husband says, "So let me get this straight. You're too cheap to buy a new vacuum cleaner, but a GUN that costs triple you have no problems with."

My response was, "I've never heard of anyone stopping an intruder with a new vacuum."

All he could do was let out a huge *sigh*...

It's not easy being married to me ;).

My Kind of Alarm System

2006-02-16T06:52:00.000-08:00

When I get online in the morning, Neal Boortz is my first stop.

While visiting my father in Atlanta in 2003 during our last PCS, he had the Boortz show on in the car one day. Once we got set up at husband's new duty station, he sent me the link to Boortz's site. I've been a huge fan since.

We used to get his show on the local AM channel, but two years ago they dropped it for some reason. I sent in my complaint, but I guess it swayed no one. I loved getting started on a house project early in the morning and listening to Boortz. I'd get so caught up in the show, I wouldn't notice how much work I was doing ha!

Anyhow, each day Boortz adds a new photo in the Redneck Scrapbook. Some are just so ridiculous, you cannot help but laugh.

This morning, he featured the Redneck Burglar Alarm. Very affordable and sure to deter some criminals. All others, the coroner's office can sort out lol...

Two Words....

2006-02-15T08:33:00.000-08:00

will explain my absence: Strep Throat

Yeah. It's been FUN, letmetellya.

We get the babies better and then it hit me last Thursday. I woke up at 4 when husband got up for work and couldn't hardly swallow my throat hurt so bad. High fever, aches, including ear ache. Shit warmed over...yep, that about sums up how I felt.

I REFUSED to go to the doc. I've been up there so much lately and I'm SICK of doctors. If I never had to see another doc as long as I lived, it'd be a day too soon.

When I was young, every year I had strep. It would scare Mother because my fever would get so high and I'd be so sick until they gave me a shot of antibiotics. I know what strep is (daughter has had it twice, including full blown Scarlet Fever with the rash) and I know it won't get better without an antibiotic. Thankfully I had an antibiotic in the cabinet and started taking it Saturday I think. They'd prescribed it several months ago and we thought it was making me nauseous, so they switched me to another. Turned out it was another med they'd given me at the same appointment that was making me sick... At any rate, I usually toss any meds the minute I stop taking it, but I never got around to tossing this out. I'm so thankful now lol, otherwise I would have been BACK to the doc and I had NO interest in going.

Yesterday was the first day I felt almost human. I washed the sheets on all the beds and did a few other things. By 7 pm I felt like crap again. I wonder why when you're sick, you'll feel better during the day but when night comes, you feel really bad again? Maybe because you've gone all day...

Husband had set up an appointment for this morning for the Explorer. Several months ago, they fixed the rear driver-side window. It just stopped working one day. Well, it was cold, so I never rolled it down after they fixed it (not smart). When we had a warm spell, I rolled it down while going to get daughter from school and half-way, it made this clanking noise. GREAT. Husband took it in for the oil change on Saturday and they had to order a new regulator for it. He made an appointment for today at 8:30 for them to replace it. They said it'd only take 30 to 45 minutes, so I planned to wait.

This morning, I wake up and don't feel so great. After taking daughter to school I get ready anyway and head up there. I'm about 10 minutes early and walk into the service department. There isn't a soul in the place except an elderly farmer. He says they are all at a meeting he was told. His appointment was at 8 and they haven't even got his truck into the bay.

GREAT.

Someone from the parts dept. comes over and takes my keys and logs me in. Husband had seen a gold Explorer on sale and wanted me to look at it while I was there. So, little guy and I bundle back up and walk outside to take a peak. YUCK. It had an ugly interior and no third row seat. Now, we don't NEED the third row seat and we rarely ever use the one we have in our current Explorer. However, with the third row seat comes the rear heating/cooling vents in the ceiling that have their own controls up front. I can adjust it from the drivers seat to make sure they aren't too hot or cold. It makes a huge difference for the babies. Without it, it's cold back there in the winter and hot in the summer - at least it was in the black Explorer we had in Alaska before Explorers had third row seats and the ceiling vents. So, great price - but no thanks. The one we have is nicer, so we'll keep it a while longer.

Son and I walk back into the service department's waiting room. I'm freezing, so I sit down and pull my long coat over my legs. The elderly farmer is sitting there too and makes small talk with little guy and I about the weather.

All of a sudden, I'm not feeling so great. I was freezing and now - a minute or two later, I feel really hot and start to sweat and my stomach feels upset. I stand up and take my coat off and feel like I'm going to either throw up or faint - or both. I sit down and the elderly farmer asks if I'm OK. I guess I turned white as a sheet or green or something. I tell him I'm OK, we're just all getting over being sick and maybe I'm not completely over it. I am thinking outloud and say I don't think I'll wait after all. I think I need to go home.

I go back to the service desk and the employees are out of their meeting and slowly returning. I tell the guy who I am and ask if we can reschedule for Friday. All I keep thinking is if I faint here - they'll call an ambulance and if I can just get home and sit down I'll be ok... It takes him a minute to reschedule, but we're finally on our way. I've never been so glad to be on my way home in my life lol.

Husband calls while I'm driving. I tell him what happened. I'd planned to wait for the truck, then go up to the installation so we could have lunch together and then get groceries on the way home. He says to go home and stay home. I didn't argue lol.

I'm going to stop by the little grocery here in town and pick up milk and a few other things we need when I pick daughter up from school. I think the rest of the day, I'm just going to sit here in my cushy chair and whine about my ear aching lol. My throat feels fine now...but this darn ear ache just doesn't want to ease up. The dogs barking make me see stars, but damnit I'm NOT going to the doc lol. I have to go back around the 1st anyway...no way I'm going now and then going again then. I'm SICK of doctors.

The good news is the babies are all better and although husband was sick last week, he's feeling better too. Now, if only I can get myself feeling better, we might can go and do something fun this weekend since he has a four day weekend. We missed a gun show last weekend because I was sick...and I'm STILL mad about that. I'd planned to buy me a new pistol and now I'll have to wait until the next gun show since there isn't anywhere around here that sells the pistol I want. The gun show was my best bet on finding it...otherwise I'll wait until we visit my parents and I'll buy it down there.

OH - We did take Dakota for his second round of shots this past Saturday, February 11th. In three weeks, he'd gained almost ten pounds. He weighed in at 26.3 pounds. I missed obedience classes this past Monday night, but next Monday we'll be there. If I wait too much longer, he's going to be too big and a real handful.

We keep joking that we should have named him Jerry Lee after the German Shepherd in the old movie K-9 with Jim Belushi lol. He is a grumbler and talker like Jerry Lee was in the movie - and even talks back when scolded for chewing on something he shouldn't be chewing on. Gosh I've just got to get pictures posted. Maybe after I lay down for a little while I'll feel better and will get around to loading the software and figuring out how to transfer the photos from my new digital camera to my computer. I know it's not hard...I've just been too lazy and then too sick to do it. My baby sure is a cutie though and has fit right into our family as if he's always been with us. I'm so proud of him...and he's got such a big personality. Husband and I both can't get over how much personality he has, not to mention how vocal. Yep, I love our new baby and I'm so thankful he's a part of our family!

Ok, there's my ramble for the day - er week. Hope everyone is having a great week!!

Healthy Family Please...

2006-02-07T12:14:00.000-08:00

My heavens, what a time we have had with the babies being sick.

My babies were diagnosed with strep two and a half weeks ago. Daughter? She took the antibiotic and got all better. Son? Well, it's never so easy with our little guy. Starting last Thursday he had pink eye. I went to the doc and while there, doc looked at his eyes. Said they no longer give eye medication for pink eye (which I think is CRAP). Just buy OTC eye drops and it'll clear up on its own. Yeah. RIIIIIGHT.

Saturday night husband had little guy at the Urgent Care Clinic. He was so sick... The Penicillin for the strep apparently was not enough to clear up his subsequent ear infection. He was back to coughing so hard he'd throw up. The UCC doc said he probably coughed in his hands, then rubbed his eyes - eye infection. He was given a stronger antibiotic, ointment for his eyes, a steroid to reduce the inflammation in his airways and help his cough, Tylenol with codeine because his eyes hurt so bad...

He's much better today thank goodness. But, he got on the couch right after lunch and is still sleeping. My little ones have NEVER napped (even when babies), so I know he's not feeling great today to have slept this long. Unfortunately, I have to wake him here in about 15 minutes so we can go get daughter from school. Then I have to get ready to go to a FRG meeting tonight.

The new CO's wife took over, so I was going to get to be a wall flower again. She called this morning though and one of her babies is sick, so I'll be doing tonight's meeting. She's a wonderful lady and I'm happy to help, but I will be glad when this is her show and I'm just along for the ride lol.

Gosh, I'm ready for bed already lol. Come on night night time :).

Alabama Church Burnings

2006-02-05T14:14:00.000-08:00

Friday morning I was watching Fox News. The morning show folks on Fox and Friends aren't anything to be too excited about to begin with. They usually irritate the crap out of me. I watch because the alternative is left wing idiots on CNN. Therefore, every morning Fox News is on in my house so I can learn what the big stories of the day are.

Friday morning, the story about five Alabama church burnings was mentioned. At first, they were "black churches" but at a later update, they were "just" churches. As we now know, only one of the burned churches' congregations turned out to be predominately black.

One of the geniuses of Fox and Friends asks another, "Do they think this is a hate crime?"

Another answers, "No, they are not considering these hate crimes."

Me: STUNNED.

Five black churches?

Hate crime.

Five Jewish temples?

Hate crime.

Five mosques?

Hate crime.

All rightfully so!

"Just" five rural churches? Nah, it CAN'T be a hate crime apparently. If it is Christian houses of worship and the worshipers are white, there is no hate crime.

Hate and hate crimes come in ALL forms. White Christians CAN be victims as well as their houses of worship. I just can't understand why these aren't being investigated as such.

My thoughts and prayers are with all the congregations. May the sick person (or people) who did these crimes be caught and brought to justice quickly.

What is Your Style?

2006-01-25T11:28:00.000-08:00

You are a down-to-earth style person. Your friends see you as a pretty cool kinda person. You don't mind any certain kind of music or clothing. You seem to get along with most people and you have many friends on your side. Your personality is outgoing and you are very funny.

Advice:
*Since you don't mind different kinds of people, be careful who you hang around with.

What is your style? (with advice and pictures!)
brought to you by Quizilla

Dakota's First Doctor Visit

2006-01-21T17:53:00.000-08:00

This morning was our baby's first visit to the vet and he did so good!

After looking him over very carefully, the doc gave him a doggie biscuit. While he gnawed on that, one of his vaccinations was given to him. He didn't even cry - which is saying a lot considering he is the most vocal dog I've ever known! All I can say is it must have been one damned good tasting treat for it to have captured his attention so well!

The lady at the front counter was super sweet to us too. She couldn't get over his front paws and honestly, neither can we. He has HUGE feet! They put him on the scales and at 8 weeks old, our baby weighed in at 16.6 pounds :). I know, we should be ashamed of ourselves for under-feeding him so badly lol.

I purchased How to Be Your Dog's Best Friend : A Training Manual for Dog Owners by The Monks of New Skete. I've heard some great things about their training methods, so I thought I'd give it a read and see.

Dakota will have to be trained well due to the fact he'll probably outweigh me lol. Plus, I want him to go everywhere with us. He already rides with us to take daughter to school and to pick her up. I'm hoping to keep that up so he can always be with us when we're out except when it's too hot during the summer.

A Not So Mommy Vacation

2006-01-20T12:29:00.000-08:00

Last weekend, husband had four days off for MLK Day - Friday through Monday. I'd been fighting a cold all week and woke up in a great mood Friday morning. For two nights, I'd been up all night with insomnia on top of having the cold. So, yeah, I felt like poop and my attitude wreaked of it.

Back to Friday morning.

I got up and husband seemed to be in a similar mood, which always adds to my irritation whether warranted or not. After an hour of his silence, my bad mood was only growing. I asked him what was wrong. He said "nothing." My irritation grew to no longer being able to keep my mouth shut.

I said, "Well, if you're going to be in a bad mood all weekend, I'll just go visit Michelle." Nevermind the fact that I'm in a bad mood. Projection folks. PROJECT your mood onto your spouse and then blame him lol.

Michelle is my closest and dearest friend. We've been best friends for over a decade. For the first time since they PCS'd from VA in December of 97, we're within driving distance of one another. A five hour drive, but driving distance nonetheless.

To my surprise, husband was all for me driving the five hours and spending the weekend with Michelle. My response was no, I couldn't leave him and the babies for three days - not to mention our new puppy who is working on being housebroken. It wouldn't be fair to him, it'd be too much work - and other excuses. Husband said it might do me some good to get out of the house, have some "me" time, spend some time with my best friend et al. He also said it'd be good for him and the babies to spend some time together, just the three of them.

Before I knew it, I'd packed a few things, loaded my six favorite CDs in the dash, filled up the tank in the Mustang and was on the interstate. I'd called Michelle first, of course, who said her husband was working all weekend, they had no plans and to come on down.

An hour into the five hour trip, I came to my senses somewhat and realized that the ONLY time I'd been away from my children more than a few hours was when I was in the hospital after surgeries. By this time though, I thought I'd gone this far with my Mommy Vacation, I might as well drive four more hours and get to see my best friend.

I didn't realize how hard it was going to be without my children. Friday evening wasn't too bad. I arrived around 5 pm, we ate and by 9 pm her babies were in bed. We watched a few movies, stayed up until 2 am talking and then hit the hay. Insomnia still hanging out, I was back up at 5:30 am - missing my husband and my children.

Her husband ended up getting off early on Saturday, so he kept their children while we went out to eat lunch and did some shopping. We found a great sale going on at Goody's and she helped me pick out a new outfit. I'm a blue jeans and t-shirt kind of gal. She has more style in her pinky than I have on my best day lol, so I love clothes shopping with her. Something I normally detest. I bought a cute pair of casual deep gray/black knit pants. The seams were in a light brown, so she said find a light brown shirt to match. The pants were regular $29.00 and I got them for $6.00. The shirt was $4.00. I also bought a deep purple cashmere sweater for $8.00 and an orange ribbed short sleeve shirt for $4.00. GREAT prices!

After shopping, she had to stop by her cell phone company. While she was in there, I sat in the car and called husband. They had gone shopping, rented movies, were doing laundry etc. and I was Mommy-sick. I missed my babies, I missed my husband and I was ready to go home. Or course, a week of insomnia, a cold and being exhausted was NOT helping matters lol. Instead of coming home on Monday, I made the decision then to come on home Sunday. I felt much better after that.

Saturday night we stayed up until 2 am talking and watching TV. Sunday morning, once again, I woke up at 5:30 am and couldn't go back to sleep. So, I got in the shower, got packed and was home by noon. She knew I was heading back early Sunday and that I wasn't going to wake her up before I left. I told her to call me when she got up and I'd let her know where I was. She called around 10:30 and was surprised I was an hour and a half from the house lol. I made damn good time on the way back.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed every minute I was able to spend with Michelle. It was just so hard to be away from my little ones...being around her children and mine not being there felt completely awful. Honestly though, for the first time being away from my babies, I don't think I did too bad. She said, if we'd gone somewhere together and her children hadn't been there either, it probably would have been easier for me. She's taken trips while in Europe with friends where they left their children home with their husbands...like going to a spa etc. I don't know, I probably would have still reacted with tears knowing me. She's much more adventurous than I am...

I was so glad to be home though. I felt as if I'd been gone a month, not only one full day lol. I know its good for Moms to get some time to themselves - and for children to get quality time with their Dad without the "rule enforcer" there to cramp their style. It sure is hard when you're not used to it though. Husband is a wonderful Dad and I knew they'd all be ok, but I sure missed them something terrible.

I think it will be a long time before I decide to take another Mommy Vacation...

Our New Baby

2006-01-18T07:53:00.000-08:00

The first dog husband and I welcomed into our family came before our children. She was a mixed breed and turned out to be a small dog. The ad stated she was part boxer and part something else that I cannot remember now. She ended up looking like a cream colored dachshund even though she didn't have an ounce of dachshund in her.

Our little dog lived in more states and traveled farther than most of the people in my family back home. She was a barker...someone could fart two blocks away and she'd not only hear it, but smell it and bark. She was my shadow. Wherever I was in the house, she was also. She was in the kitchen when I cooked, sleeping at my feet while I was online, in the bathroom when I brushed my teeth... Unfortunately, she passed away this past October right before her 12th birthday. Heartbroken doesn't begin to describe what I felt when we lost her. I miss her so much...

After she passed, our children wanted another dog immediately. We have a rottie who will be nine this year and three cats, so it wasn't as though we didn't have any animals around here to love. I refused to discuss getting another dog. Our small dog had been my constant companion for a long time. Even several months after losing her, I still want to cry when I think of her - which is several times a day.

On to the point...

I've always wanted a German Shepherd. When I was nine or ten, I watched some movie about a German Shepherd. It wasn't Rin Tin Tin or anything of that nature and I certainly don't remember the name of it after all these years, but I vividly remember the aftermath. The ending caused so many tears I thought my mother was going to pull her hair out. My love affair with the German Shepherd had begun.

A month or so ago, I told husband when we did get another dog, I wanted to get a German Shepherd. He said that sounded great to him (he's also a sucker for animals thankfully) and we should start looking. I refused, explaining that I wanted to wait a while - maybe start looking in the spring when it wouldn't be so cold out while housebreaking a puppy.

Well, somewhere between waiting until spring and looking at the local classifieds, we ended up at a breeder's house on January 2nd. Mom and Dad were both on site and beautiful. We picked out the cutest little boy to welcome into our family and I cannot begin to tell you what a joy he is!

We named him Dakota. He's black and tan and I tell you, I've never seen feet so big on a puppy lol. He was six weeks old when we brought him home and ALL feet and belly. He was definitely well fed and not wanting for much ;).

His spot to sleep is with his head on my fuzzy slippers during the day. When I'm cooking or giving the babies a bath, I have to be careful because he'll curl up at my feet no matter where I am and catch a nap lol. At night, he's really abused and made to sleep at the foot of our bed lol. While not a problem now, when his body catches up to his feet - well, I have a feeling we'll have to make other arrangements lol.

I'll try to get some pictures of him today and post them. He's something special, that's for sure.

A Million Little Lies?

2006-01-10T14:42:00.000-08:00

Yes, I read A Million Little Pieces by James Frey when Oprah suggested it. The first and only book she's suggested that I've ordered and read.

When I saw a picture of him, I did think he looked too clean to ever have been a crackhead, but thought it was years ago...

The Smoking Gun is reporting that most of the climatic parts of the book are lies. They have police reports to back it up.

Damn. I hate a liar...

Late Night Surfing...

2006-01-10T08:22:00.000-08:00

When you're just surfing the net and not looking for anything in particular, often times, you'll run across something special. I normally read political blogs and a few military/military significant other blogs, so without the "just surfing" last night, I would have never came across this. It's well worth the read though...so damn funny. I'll warn you, it's on the sick side - the guy needs to be on the special floor in his local hospital, but it's so funny I just have to link to it.

Hello...Gerry*

Enjoy...

Attention: Conservative Writers

2006-01-09T14:51:00.000-08:00

Become a Town Forum Press Author.

We are a community of conservative writers who join together to counter the influences of liberal authors and publishers. Our innovative book publishing program gives conservative voices the chance to be heard.

How does it work? We're like a blog, but rather than posting your thoughts online, we publish them in quality paperback and hardcover books. Each of our books are collaborate efforts by our members. They are published lightning-fast, on-demand, and they are available in bookstores and on Amazon.com.

They are currently looking for submissions regarding Cindy Sheehan.

Cindy Sheehan asked an important question in her speech to the group "Veterans for Peace." Although she phrased it in a rhetorical fashion, it is a question which needs answering. The mainstream media and left-wing activists would have America believe our actions in Iraq are unjust and without value.

Here's your chance to tell Cindy about America's "noble cause in Iraq." Write an essay of about 500-1000 words detailing why America's involvement in Iraq is a "noble cause." Pick any reason you'd like, as long as you write clearly and concisely.

I'll be sending in my essay later this week. One, I know she will read the book. She just won't be able to pass up something about her even though it won't be the regular MSM kiss-up. Two, I have strong opinions regarding the left's puppet, Cindy Sheehan and their surrender mentality. My only worry is keeping everything I want to say below 1000 words as I have a LOT to say on this subject heh heh...

My New Blog...

2006-01-09T00:00:00.000-08:00

Welcome to my new blog!

I started blogging in February 2004 while my husband was deployed to Iraq. It was a wonderful opportunity for me to express the many emotions I felt while he was gone instead of holding them all in.

Although he returned in August 2004 from a year in Iraq, I kept the blog going due to the fact that their next deployment was coming up sonner rather than later. It turns out he won't be deploying (knock on wood), so I decided it was time to start a new blog. One that focuses on me and my interests such as writing...both creative writing and political.

I'm looking forward to seeing how my new blog grows and hope to make some new friends along the way!

Test Post

2006-01-06T21:51:00.000-08:00

First post on new blog....