Christmas unwrapped

As I said yesterday, hope you all had a great Christmas. Here are some pics from our holiday spent together.

Our family room all dressed up for Christmas


Okay, so this is actually Christmas Eve, but don't they look great?


My beautiful wife. Don't believe the t-shirt ;)


My mother-in-law. I'm so fortunate to have in-laws I actually like :)


For a family man, this is what Christmas is all about.




And finally, the obligatory portrait of the author. My son took this shot.

Kinda sad that he's only four but takes better pictures than his old man does :)

I can't help but remember that there are thousands of Marines who weren't so fortunate this year to get to spend the Holidays with their families. I thank God for every day He gives me with my children. As much as they step on my nerves sometimes, I can't imagine not being able to see the joy on their little faces as they open their gifts and get excited for everyone else as we open ours. I resolve to try and see more of the world through their eyes in 2006.

Speaking of resolutions, what are some of yours?

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to everyone out there. May your holiday be less chaotic than ever and may you be able to spend more time with your family and friends. As promised, my lovely wife has posted pictures of the accident which almost ruined our hoidays. Please stop by and wish her well.



I honestly question whether or not I'll post again before the New Year. If I don't, then please allow me to humbly wish a safe and joyous new year to all of you, in addition to a Merry Christmas. May the new year bring with it all the promise of a rebirth and a "do-over" while reminding us that each year past only means that Jesus' return is one year (or month, or day, or hour, or minute) closer.

Peace on Earth and good will toward man(kind)... unless you try to hurt my family.

maybe next time

I hope to have more time later to post a better entry, but for now let me just say that Saturn makes an awesome SUV called the VUE (pronounced "view"). My wife was sitting at a stop light last week waiting her turn when some knucklehead tried to take the corner too fast (from the wrong lane), skipped the curb that acts as a median, and smashed into my family. Had my son been in the vehicle, this would not have a happy ending since the offending pickup destroyed his door (right behind my wife's head) and literally crushed his carseat, shattering every window and spraying my baby with glass. Still, everyone managed to walk away and now we just have to get through the insurance hassles associated with such a huge crash.

Does anyone know any good lawyers in the San Diego/Orange County area?

Having said all that, we spent yesterday afternoon car shopping while Grandma watched the kids so I didn't get to actually watch the Bengals clinch their first division title since my senior year in high school, or the Chargers dash the hopes of Colts fans every where for a perfect season. I did catch glimpses of the "game" between the 'Boys and the 'Skins. I say "game" because it looked more like a practice session for Washington. I also got to watch most of Da Bears and the Falcons. Man, that looked cold. So glad I live in San Diego.

Week in review

I was hoping to be able to come home a little early yesterday to get my weekend started just a bit sooner. Of course, that cursed me to still being there after 5 wondering when I'd get to go home. See, in my job I deal a lot with the retention branch at Headquarters Marine Corps. They're in Quantico, VA and they haven't been to work much this week. Something about some cold, white, slippery substance that makes driving dangerous and since we live in an age where a bunch of the work I do is over the internet... well, let's just say that it's good to live in SoCal.

Anyway, I did manage to get three more Marines reenlisted for another four years. Two of these guys rate bonuses for their willingness to stay in the Corps. While that's good news for them (I should work on commission) it's more papers that need to be signed by THE MAN and then submitted to the correct offices around base so these guys can get paid. That office is literally on the other side of the base, but since that puts me much closer to my house I don't complain too much. Of course when the Boss has to prioritize between conducting a court-martial or signing some paperwork, he takes the fun out of my job by opting for the legal proceedings. Oh well, maybe next week. As long as I can get these guys their bonuses BEFORE Christmas everything should be okay.

I'm sure the CO would rather be signing positive paperwork, but when you've got guys who are doing drugs, drinking and driving, and other crazy stuff, you gotta take action. Personally, I think these guys are just trying to cope with things they've done and seen over the last couple of years. I do it. I self-medicate with alcohol and video games. Not as much now, but I know exactly what they're doing. The big difference is that my choices are legal and relatively safe. I don't drink and drive and even though some of the later versions look to be getting more violent, I don't think there's much harm in playing John Madden 2003 football on my PC while everyone's still asleep upstairs.

So, as you can see, this has been a pretty slow week around here. I'll take it. I got my January issue of Model Railroader earlier this week. Thanks, Sis, for renewing my subscription. I devoured it in just a couple of days. I love the January issue because they index all the articles from last year, all the advertisers from last year, and they usually start a project that they'll complete in three or four months. This year's project is a 4' X 8' model RR set in Amish PA during the 1930's. How cool is that? There's a steam engine pulling a short train past a barn raising scene, complete with horse drawn buggies parked by the house. You can almost smell the lemonade.

Other than my best civilian friend and his wife telling us that they are moving on to bigger and better things, that's pretty much it for me. I'm happy for them and I know that they're being offered a golden chance that simply doesn't happen every day, but I'm still a little upset. I'm losing a good Christian friend, my wife is losing a good Christian girlfriend, and the Bug is losing his "fiance." Oh, they'll still be in the county, but not as close as they are now and that means that while we'll still get together on occassion, it won't be the same... unless I can get orders to Miramar or the Depot. Hmmm, there's a thought.

Have a great weekend and let me know how's things with you?

what happened?

Okay, so I guess this just isn't the year for the Eagles to climb all the way to the top of the NFC again and take the Trophy home in February. I suppose they could have lost even worse (ala UCLA) so at least that's a positive, right? Good thing the Chargers and Bengals are both doing well and Ohio State managed to get yet another ticket to the Fiesta Bowl. I believe that's three trips to Tempe in the last four years. They beat Miami there in 2002 for the Title (still dancing about that), then they went back in '03 and '04 for non-title games. I don't remember where they played this year, must have had something to do with the fact that I'd just received my orders to 1/5... I was a little distracted. Anyway, this year should be a great game against the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame. Hope I get to watch it.

I got the lights hung on the house last week. I'd take a pic and post it, but I need to replace a fuse and about a dozen light bulbs first. I tell ya, with it getting dark so early out here (before I get home) it's hard to get stuff done outside during the week. The house looks kinda Charlie Brown-ish while our neighbors to either side are more like Snoopy. Jen's done a great job with the trees and other inside stuff. Plus, it's Christmas time and I've got some leave coming up, so I don't care. :-)

On a different note, I finally got my computer up and running again at work. Turned out I needed a new motherboard. That's good to know... what's a motherboard? Anyway, the computer guys fixed it up for me and now I'm back being productive (or at least looking busy) at work. Speaking of which, I should probably get going.

memories

This story caught my eye by the headline. I couldn't help but wonder if they were talking about an assault on the base where I was, or one of the other bases in the area. It wouldn't be the first time terrorist thugs had tried to storm in and take over. It happened at least three times while we were there. A couple of Marines and officers have been nominated for medals for valor because of their conduct during those attacks, too. Oh, there was a story a few months ago about this "huge protest" in the streets of Ramadi demanding that America leave Iraq forever. To tell the truth about that one; it was about 40-50 bad guys grouped in front of cameras to make the "crowd" seem much bigger than it was and as soon as Humm-Vee's rolled up to the scene, they scattered and seemingly vanished. Yeah, tough dudes alright. It's not the truth when you hear stories about American troops losing control of the city or being overrun by "insurgents" as they are often called. What's true is that sometimes the terrorists get a little too big for their britches and pick a fight with us-a fight they never win, by the way. Actually, that's a good thing. That's why we're there... flush out bad guys and bring them to justice, either through capture or death. We'd rather they tried to pick on us than the truly civilian population that just wants to be left alone to live their own lives. Hey, come to think of it, isn't that what freedom really is?

mmph, mmph...

Thanksgiving was wonderful. We went up to my mother-in-law's friends' place and they had been cooking a turkey on a charcoal fire for a couple of hours. Mmmm, that smoked flavor was just to die for. Add that to the fact that I didn't have to cook and only helped (barely) with the dishes... good day. Ok, since it's not polite to talk with your mouth full, (and since I haven't needed to actually eat in, what, four days?) I figured I'd come back with that question I warned you about last time I checked in.

What are you thankful for this holiday season?

I'll go first. At church this morning our music pastor offered a communion meditation that really made me think. He asked us to write down what we were thankful for and I came up with the standard answers... you know, the "church answers" such as, "I'm thankful for my wife and kids. And my house. And the fact that I have two cars that run..." then it got real.
I'm thankful that my son responded to the treatment he got at the hospital when we had to take him in on Friday because he couldn't breathe very well. I think I now have an inkling of what my folks went through the two times they had to take me to the hospital when I was a teenager. His chest x-ray was "inconclusive" and showed that he either has pneumonia (not good, but temporary) or he's showing the beginning signs of developing asthma (very not good). If you ask me, neither option is something a parent would wish on their child, especially a very active boy like the one I've been blessed with.
I'm thankful that I live in a beautiful part of the country with a beautiful woman who loves me and two kids who think I know everything and am always in control. Of course, by the time they're teens, I won't know anything and will always be out of touch, but right now it's very empowering.
I'm thankful for my job which helps keep this country the Land of the Free by retaining the best of those who have joined our ranks. No matter what some media outlets would have you believe, America is still the Home of the Brave.
Most of all, I'm thankful that the God I serve is a Giver of Second Chances. How many of us have damaged or destroyed a relationship or three by one act of thoughtlessness? I know I have, and that doesn't include the times when I've disappointed my Heavenly Father. I'm very grateful that "if we confess our sins, He is faithful to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
I'm thankful that I'm home for this holiday season, especially since it looks as though I'll be overseas for next year's holidays. Bummer.
Along that line of thought, I'm thankful that I don't have to worry about tomorrow if I can just really release my burdens and lay them at the feet of Jesus.
Anyway, as the music played, a dam was broken in my soul and emotion poured from my spirit like a tidal wave washing away all the broken pieces of my life and I cried. Not just one little tear, mind you. Oh no. This was shoulders heaving, water flowing, can't catch my breath crying. I haven't done that since... well, I can't remember when I last cried like that. When I got home, I described it to my wife that I felt like I'd taken a spiritual shower, I felt that good. I'm thakful to God for truly providing a peace that transends all understanding during this, the busiest and most stress-filled month I believe I have ever faced.

Hopefully, your Thanksgiving went well and your Christmas season is off to a good start. Only *gasp* 28 more days until Christmas?! Gotta go! Gotta shop! Well, maybe I'll get to it later. After all, I still have almost a whole month! Why rush into these things? Have a great week everyone.

let's see...

Well, it's been a week since I last posted so there must be something worth talking about, right? Of course there is. Here are some seemingly random thoughts, but they're actually not. They're just in random order.

First, HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my kid sister. I had to shout because she just turned the big 3-0 over the weekend. I'd link you to her blog, but with her job at a bank, working with the children's choir at church, and being a consultant for Stampin' Up, she just doesn't have the time to maitain a simple little blog. (Whatever... sheesh!) Anyway, happy birthday, Sis.

Next, I already told you about the great time we had in Las Vegas. We got back to work this week and learned that we have an inspection team from Division HQ coming to visit us starting next Monday! What?! Doesn't anyone remember Murphy's laws of combat? "No combat ready unit has ever passed inspection." See, this inspection is to make sure all our i's are crossed and t's are dotted (or something like that) and when you spend seven months in a place where people are either trying to shoot you or blow you up just about every day, those little details tend to get pushed aside for the bigger goal of going home alive and making sure the bad guys get a chance to explain themselves to "Allah". In other words, I don't expect us to do too well on this inspection. Don't get me wrong, we'll put forth a great effort, but we just haven't had the time to get all the spit and polish done that you'd expect from a Marine unit. Heck, we still don't even have a working fax machine in our admin office! Oh well.

On to sports... With Donovan out for surgery and T.O. already gone, not to mention a 4-6 record, I'm not really holding my breath for a post-season run by my beloved Eagles. Having said that, there are a couple of other teams that I enjoy watching who are doing well. My hometown Bengals are playing very well right now in the AFC North. Despite losing the game to the Colts on Sunday, they managed to put up a lot of points and keep the game interesting. Out here on the West Coast, my adopted hometown heros are also playing very good football right now. The Chargers have a record that belies their efforts. Had a few plays gone the other way, they could easily be 8-2 or even 9-1 right now. Regardless, it's exciting to see these teams playing hard this late in the season. Usually, the Bengals would've given up by now and Qualcomm stadium would be full of fans for the visiting team here in San Diego, but that hasn't happened.

Anyway, that's about it for now. I wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving. Oh, one more thought... I heard a couple of interesting questions on talk radio yesterday posed to all who believe there is no god and no reason to endorse religion: Why aren't you working on Thursday? (I'm celebrating Thanksgiving) Who are you giving thanks to, if you don't believe in God? (silence) I'll post this weekend about what I'm thankful for. In the meantime, get your list ready, 'cause I'm gonna ask.

Oh my gosh, I can't believe I almost forgot... OHIO STATE BEAT MICHIGAN! I almost had to turn in my jersey (and my hat and my t-shirts and my big slippers).

Hump day musings

Oh man, what a great weekend! I'd like to take a public minute to thank my wonderful parents for staying with the kids for three days while my wife and I escaped to Las Vegas for the weekend. THANK YOU! We went up there because to celebrate the 230th anniversary of the United States Marine Corps and it was a great time. I've been to several birthday balls over the years (especially when I was in the band) and this was definitely one of the better ones I've seen. Interestingly enough, we didn't hit any of the table games or even the slot machines all weekend, although I must admit that on Sunday morning, there did seem to be a large congregation praying to their one-armed god and hoping for a miracle (read: "slot-machines" and "pay-out"). Anyway, there was good food, free drinks, and just an all around good time. I'll post some pictures once I have a chance to download them from my camera.

Now on to some other news...

First, there's this whole thing about T.O. no longer wearing an Eagles jersey. I was wondering when we picked him up how long he would last in Philly. I agree with what someone said on Sportscenter when they opined that maybe this whole mess was the fault of his agent (who was fired) as much as his own.

We saw "Jarhead" last weekend as a precursor to the ball. Pretty good flick, although there were some serious exagerations about a few things. Unfortunately, the language was not one of them.

I was reading this story on my yahoo page... Ewwww!

I was also reading this article about the Senate asking the President to outline his plan for winning in Iraq. Um, excuse me, Gentlemen, but I believe the President has said on more than one occassion that he intends to pull our troops out of Iraq once the fledgling government is strong enough to defend itself. If they're so worried about exit strategies and timelines, then perhaps they could tell us what our exit strategy and timeline is for, oh I don't know, say, Germany? or maybe Japan? That war was officially ended over 60 years ago and we're still there!

Anyway, I hope your Wednesday is a good one. Have a great rest of the week!

Time keeps on slippin

My goodness, I didn't realize it's been almost two weeks since my last post. What happened there? Oh, I remember...

I finally started to sleep past 5:30, which is good since I'm supposedly on vacation. Then there was Halloween. We went to the boy's school because they were having a harvest festival. In the spirit of the "holiday" I dressed up in Arabic dress. You should have seen the looks I got from some of the other Marines who were at the festival. I think that if I wear the same outfit next year, I'll take the time and effort to make a bullet hole in my forehead or something and pass myself off as a "good" terrorist. After about 20 minutes in the crowd at the festival all four of us were ready to go, so I took my son around our block so he could do a little trick-or-treat-ing to fill up his pumpkin head. He had fun and we were out all evening, so I didn't have to pass out candy to teenagers who didn't even bother to put on a costume. (Don't you hate that?)

My folks came in from Cincinnati on Saturday evening to see us and to help with babysitting while we figure out the logistics of me going back to work. They've also agreed to watch the kids while Jen and I go to Las Vegas next weekend for my unit's Marine Corps ball. That should be a blast. My sister pulled a fast one and came out as well. What a stinker. She'd told me that she was house/dog sitting for Mom and Dad while they were out here. Oh well, the boy was tickled to see his aunt and he's been showing off for them all the stuff he's learned in the last six months.

Speaking of education, we've been getting him tested by the school district for a possible learning disability or a language skill assessment. Turns out, he's actually advanced for his age. While that's extremely cool, now we have to be careful to not set our expectations too high for him or his sister.

I started back to work yesterday. Talk about a bummer... but, it's a living, right? I'm grateful to have had the last three weeks to rejoin my family. I still have some issues to get through, but being a part of my children's lives is not one of them, thank God.

Now, if the Buckeyes can continue their success, maybe Penn State will trip up and OSU can claim the Big 10 title. I've pretty much given up on the BCS for this year. Texas and USC are just that good again. I think Andy Reid made the right decision in suspending T.O. for the rest of the season and McNabb hit the nail on the head when he said it'll help make the team more of a team instead of individuals looking out just for themselves. It's a shame, too. T.O. is a great receiver and a big play maker, but he needs to learn that without those 10 other guys on the field, he's really nobody.

I'm sorry it's been so long since my last update. Now that I am back at work and into a schedule again, my posts should be a little more consistant. Peace to you and yours and have a great week.

ahem?!

To all those out there (mostly liberals) who said that the Iraqis would never be able to handle democracy and that we were wasting our time and the lives of brave Americans in a pointless war, I have a question for you.

"Why was the nation wide voter turnout higher in Iraq than it was for some of the most contested elections held recently in this country?"

Is it tragic that we've lost nearly 2,000 brave men and women for this cause? Of course. It's especially painful for my battalion, who couldn't bring home 16 of our men and that's not counting the 130 or so who earned the purple heart this past year. Was it worth it? To a man, I would bet that every Marine in my battalion, and even most of the ones who have recently gotten out of the Corps after THREE tours to some of the heaviest fighting in this conflict, would say that yes, it is worth the risk and danger to help people realize the rights which they were "endowed with by their Creator, and that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." I read that somewhere once.

Oh, one last thing... as their career counselor, I always ask a young Marine why he joined the Marines in the first place because it helps me figure out how I can help him. Ya' know, oddly enough, I have yet to hear someone tell me that they joined because they had to. No one forced these guys to sign up. Some of them even say they enlisted because they knew the path they were on in high school was a path to destruction and they wanted to do something more with their lives. Well, to that end I can not help but recall one of our favorite quotes of one of my favorite presidents. Ronald Reagan once said that, "Some people go their entire lives wondering if they've made a difference. The Marines don't have that problem."

That's my boy!

Did you ever see those old Tom & Jerry cartoons where Spike (the bulldog) teaches his son how to chase cats and Tom is victimized for the rest of the skit? My point is this: Spike often laughs and says, "Ah-ha-ha... that's my boy!" That's the way I felt yesterday. My son turned 4 and I couldn't be more proud. I'd post pictures, but my wife already did, so I'd invite you to go there to see him. It's amazing how much he's grown in the last year. His diction is much better now and he can make himself understood easier, which is a relief to all of us. It was pretty funny though on Sunday, as we talked about his birthday being the next day, he said, "I don't want it to be my birthday." We asked him why not and he said he wanted to be three forever. Oh, please no! Fortunately, time marched on and when he woke up from his nap yesterday afternoon and saw that we had decorated (blown up some balloons and rearranged the furniture) he got all excited that his best friend and her family were coming over, not to mention Grandma and Grandpa. He also got a present from my folks way out in Ohio and just had a blast all around. After we got the kids hyped up on sugar with a birthday "cake" made of ice cream, we took 'em bowling. Fun, fun, fun let me tell you. The only thing that would've been better would have been had it not been one of the 12 days of the year that it rains here in SoCal. Oh well, can't have everything, right?

To make it even better, yesterday was the first weekday in over seven months when I didn't have to go to work. I've started three weeks of leave and it couldn't have come at a better time. I'll tell you more later about our memorial last week. Let me just say that it was good for my heart to know that those who fell did not die for nothing. Just read this article from USA Today if you don't agree.

Oh, and by the way at least the Eagles didn't lose yesterday thanks to their bye week... Go Chargers!

Well, that was fun

We had a big "shin-dig" for the battalion as an official welcome-home battalion family day at the State Beach in San Onofre (just south of San Clemente) yesterday.

It could've gone better.

We were late getting there, which wasn't too big a deal since there were about 1200 people hanging out, but the kicker was that it wasn't on the beach... not even close. The party was in a park area up behind the RV parking so my son couldn't play in the sand like his mommy and daddy had said he could.

Strike one.

The caterer for the event was a barbeque place (I so wish I could remember their name so I could link it here) that had a sweet tasting sauce to add to their shredded beef for BBQ sandwiches. If you didn't like that, there was also lunch meat available. Of course, the boy doesn't eat anything like that even though the cole slaw was good and they even had cookies.

Strike two.

They did have a bounce house for the younger kids, so that was a plus... until Lil' Bill got in for the last time and was DDT'd by some other kid in there. It could've been funny (or at least okay) if the other youngster had not hit the bug's mouth with his head. That split my son's lip and caused some serious concern for mom, who chipped a tooth in her younger days. Of course, the site of his worried mom and the fact that he can taste his own blood coming from his lip didn't help calm him down very much. Even when we went to see the paramedics and he got to sit on the bumper of their big red truck while the nice lady paramedic held an ice compress to his lip didn't help calm him down. The fact that he'd gotten up early and only had a short nap in the car on the way up there probably didn't help either.

Strike three. We're outta there.

The whole adventure lasted maybe two hours and that's if you include the drive up and back. What a day. Just remember, we're making memories that will last a lifetime.

grrrrrrrr....

That figures... last weekend was a good one for me as far as sports go and it ALL fell apart this week.

The Padres were swept out of the playoffs in three quick games. Along that train of thought, if you think about it, the Braves kinda got to play five games against the Astros. I mean the fourth one was more like a double-header, but still they played five games worth of baseball.

The Buckeyes came back from their week off and only scored 10 points? That ain't gonna cut it against the Nittany Lions. Maybe this is Penn State's year. They certainly look strong enough.

The Eagles... yeah, whatever. I think Donovan McNabb should get his surgery and stop trying to be the hero. If he's only out 4-6 weeks he'd be back in time for a playoff run but the way they're playing right now makes me think they're not going to the post-season.

So my hopes for a redemption of the weekend fell on the shoulders of the hometown heroes, the undefeated Cincinnati Bengals. And they fell short.

Hence the title of this post: grrrrrrrrrrrrrr...

At least I've got the day off today and tomorrow's a family day for the battalion at the beach.

How ya' been?

Okay, so I didn't post last week because my parents were in town to verify that I had safely made it home from the desert and was not just pulling their leg when I called to say "I'm home!" a couple weeks ago. So, what's been going on in my little world? Good question and I'm glad you asked. (:D

Let's start with me personally... I'm either certifiably crazy, or I think I'm over my fear of the public (or I'm in denial) because last night I auditioned for the vocal team at my church which will put me in front of hundreds of people twice a month for Sunday services. I also signed up for the band and even told the drama director that I was available if needed. Sheesh!

Hey, how 'bout them Padres? With a record of only 82 wins, which would have put them in at least third in any other division in baseball this year, the San Diego baseball club clinched the NL "Worst" last week and promptly lost game 1 of the NLDS to the St Louis Cardinals. My prediction? The "Friars" will win tonight's game in honor of Jake Peavy, whose busted ribs were unknown to anyone (?) until after the game and then they'll lose the next two and be out of the playoffs before they really get started. Let's face it folks, until San Diego is willing (or able) to spend the kind of money the Yankees and the Sox spend, they ain't goin' anywhere.

Besides, now that it's October, I'm more interested in the weekend action. Fortunately, the Buckeyes didn't lose on Saturday (didn't play) so that's a good thing. The Eagles had to mount a dramatic comeback in Arrowhead which is not an easy thing to do. Oh, and surprise, surprise... The Chargers beat the two-time champs... in Foxboro. Does that mean they coulda won the Superbowl last year or could win it this year? Not necessarily. It just proves that you have to play the game and can't rely on how the teams look on paper. Don't believe me? Ask the four teams who have played the Bengals so far this year!

Finally, I've received a few questions about my hobby, model railroading. I find it to be a peaceful distraction from the hustle and bustle of every day life. Unfortunately, I can only work on my layout ("train set" for those of you who aren't modelers) in my mind or on paper. I don't have an actual layout for two very good reasons. One, being in the military means I move a lot and I don't really have the time to devote to actually building anything right now. Two, I have a tendency to put off doing something until I'm sure it's going to be my absolute best effort. To that end, I've mentally built and rebuilt my layout several times. I'm hoping to actually start building after we finally buy a home and I know I won't be moving again, but that's probably not for a couple more years. In the mean time, I have my vivid imagination and (thanks to my sister) I have a subscription to Model RailRoader magazine to help me learn.

So, there it is. The whole battalion is home now and we're getting ready to start our much deserved post-deployment leave block next week. Hopefully by then I'll be able to figure out time to make more timely entries on my blog. Have a great week and let me know what's up.

Where does the time go?

Wow! I didn't realize that it's been over a week since my last post. First of all, I'd like to thank all of you who posted your concern to my panic attack episode that first weekend home. Fortunately, my wife was very understanding and she didn't ask me to do any more shopping for the rest of the weekend. Of course, Monday morning was a different story...

"If we go somewhere you're a little more familiar with and we go when most people will be a work, there shouldn't be too much to freak you out, and if there is, we'll leave right away... but you do need new shoes."

Okay, fine. We'll go shopping. At least the boy was in "school" for the morning, so we were able to shop in relative quiet. Although we started out looking for a new pair of nice dress shoes, I couldn't find any I liked, but since my current running shoes were starting to show some serious signs of wear and tear, I bought a new pair. I almost always get Nike shoes, but I usually at least look at other brands. Anyway, since I knew that these would be the shoes I run in over the winter (in the rain perhaps) and since the Corps issued me a pair of NB shoes in boot camp for PT, I figured I could do worse than these. Besides, when you don't care what color you're wearing and are willing to get (*gasp*) last year's model, you can save several dollars for more important things like the upcoming birthday ball in Las Vegas. Yeah, baby!

So, this morning, we had a couple hundred more Marines and sailors get home. There's more due in later today and the rest should get in over the weekend. After that, well, there's leave (aka... vacation) and then we start getting ready for our next deployment. Sound like fun? It's not, but as I remind myself everytime I feel like complaining: A) somebody has to do it, if not me then who? B) I freely enlisted and reenlisted several times to get to this point in my career, and C) after all, it's a living... sorta. :-)

and so it begins

It's official. I have been altered by my experiences in a combat zone.

Yesterday started quite well. We went to Glen Ivy for some much needed time for just the two of us. The original plan was to stay up there overnight and then go to the mall today. However, Jen's mom couldn't stay with the kids that long, so we modified the schedule to do both at once. After we left the day spa we went to dinner and then hit the mall... and that's when it happened.

I'd never had a panic attack before and I still don't know what caused it, but I could not get out of that place fast enough. Oh, dinner was fine, but something about the sea of faces (with unknown intent behind them) threw me into a panic. I managed to hold it together long enough so we could get the kids some much needed clothes, but we didn't stay nearly as long as my wife wanted to and I didn't get a chance to look for some new running shoes (since the ones I have are just about worn out from the use and abuse they've been through over the last seven months). It even got to the point where my wife had to drive home. All I can say is good thing medical coverage, including counseling, is part of my compensation package cuz otherwise, it wouldn't be much of a living. We were invited to a birthday party this afternoon and I'm even getting nervous thinking about that. This does not look promising for the crowds that are sure to swarm when we go to church tomorrow.

Safe at home

It sounds like the title of an entry for a baseball story, doesn't it?

"He's rounding third and heading for the plate... Here comes the relay throw, it's gonna be a close play... and he's... SAFE AT HOME!"

We actually got home yesterday, but I was sure that you all would understand if the first thing I did when I arrived had absolutely nothing to do with the computer, the internet, my blog-friends, or anything like that.

My wife was there at the basketball court to pick me up. Her mom had agreed to stay at the house with the baby and our boy was at his daycare (aka: school) so she didn't have to worry about entertaining kids while keeping an eye open for me to arrive. We were processed through March AFB very smoothly and were quickly loaded onto a bus for the trip down to Camp Pendleton. See, one advantage to being on the advance party (other than the fact that I get to come home two weeks early) is that I traveled with a much smaller group of Marines who were picked to be on this detachment due to our ability to act responsibly and just get things done without a lot of baby sitting. Therefore, when 45 men show up and go through a process that was tailored for up to 200 Marines at a time, it doesn't take very long.

Anyway, we took our bus down to our home base and stopped at the armory to turn in our weapons before meeting our families. By the way, in a HUGE twist of irony, I was reminded several times that I had to pack my nail clippers in my checked bags (seabag, or duffel bag) but I had to carry my pistol with me at all times... HUH? I'm still scatching my head over that one, but I digress. We got to the armory and learned that we'd made the drive with a flat tire. Well, at least we made it in one piece. After that, we got into formation and marched up to the afore mentioned basketball court, which was part of the courtyard of three barracks buildings. As we marched in, I spotted the world's prettiest girl with her digital camera, but I had to keep my head and eyes straight ahead, so I lost track of her. Thankfully, there were no speeches (the Officer in Charge of our group read a letter from the battalion commander over the cabin speakers on the plane) so we were dismissed and released. I spun around and there she was. We hugged tightly and kissed a couple of times, then I got my bags and we left.

We went straight to my son's school and sat in the parking lot for a few minutes talking while we waited for his class to come out to the playground. When we spotted him, we got out and ended his school day early (30 minutes) and after he showed me around his classroom and introduced me to some of his friends, we went home. That's where I saw my mother-in-law (she's a great lady) and learned that my daughter was asleep upstairs. After she woke from her nap we went to lunch and spent the rest of the day as every family should spend a day from time to time: together.

Anyway, after all the hoop-lah was over with, and all was said and done, I was more than grateful to be home. Was there more to my day yesterday? Yes, but since I don't have an age verification system on my blog, and my parents read this, I'm not going to say anything else ;-)

A huge thank-you goes out to all of you who have read and commented on my postings over the last several months. I would hazard a guess that this outlet has been almost therapeutic for me as I've learned to deal with the stresses of being in a combat zone. Even though I'm just an admin dude, I've learned again that "There's no place like home." I will continue to blog, of course, but I intend to change my template up a bit and I'm not even sure that I will stay on blogger. We have some work to do to prepare our spaces for the main body's return, but after that we will have a period of post-deployment leave (aka: vacation) and that's when I intend to tinker with my webspace here. Please let me know what you think and offer any suggestions you may have. As you'll notice, I've had to turn on my word verification system thanks to that evil spam monster out there haunting cyber-space. Oh well, life goes on right?

Peace to you and yours,
Semper Fidelis

time killing...

Twiddlin my thumbs...
Twiddlin my thumbs...

Can't wait to get on the plane to go home...

Ten more hours...

Three long flights to Germany, Canada, then California...

Twiddlin my thumbs...
Twiddlin my thumbs...

A fond Farewell

To my friend...

I hadn't seen you in a couple of years, but when we met again not long ago it was like you'd never left. Now we must part company again. Why? Well, it's really just a matter of choice. I can choose to spend more time with you, or I can do what I can to please my wife, so there's really not much of a choice. All things being equal, I'd love to be able to have both of you in my life at the same time, but that's just not an option here. Besides, the last time you met my son it kind of freaked him out. Now that I have a daughter who only remembers me from my pictures, I need to do what I can to look like those pictures when I get home. Granted, I won't be in my dress uniform when I get there, but that's a minor detail compared to the way she might react if you were there with me.

Well, friend, I guess it's time for me to say so long. Hopefully it will be a while before we see each other again but in this field you never can tell. You will be missed but I will think of you every morning (except Saturday). Now it's time to get rid of you, Mr. Moustache.

PS. To everyone else out there,(Mike, SteelCowboy, Karyn, and many others) this will be my last entry from my current location. This afternoon I will begin a journey that will take me half-way around the world and may take over a week. Thank you for all of your support and prayers while I've been gone from my family and friends. The next time I sign on I will no longer be "Bill in Iraq." I will be "Bill in California!" Cheers!

FINALLY!

I finally managed to figure out how to get a picture to post in the side bar of this silly blog and now it's official...

I've been web-ring'd! Is that a word? Let's make it one.

(ahem)

web-ring (v): to become a member of a select group of journals which are located in cyberspace, often know as "blogs". Web rings are blogs which have similar subject matters and are usually connected through a banner link somewhere on each page. (past tense: web-ring'd)

Cheesy entry? Yeah, probably, but it's 2 in the morning over here! I'm just waiting for a return phone call from back home about some business we're trying to take care of before we actually get there. Don't these people understand that I don't get a weekend and I need answers?

Anyway, please take a moment to check out the MilBlogs web ring and say "hi" to my new neighbors.

1991 was a very ... year

I got this "meme" from my wife on her blog. I guess the idea is that you can identify with the top 100 songs from the year you graduated high school and really show your age.

Anyway, go to this page and type in your graduation year in the upper right hand corner. When the search page appears the top item should be the list of that year's top 100 songs. Copy and paste the list into your page and mark each song as follows:

Put an asterisk next to the ones you like.*
Bold your favorites.**
Italicize the songs you loathe.
Underline the ones you can’t remember.
Leave it untagged if you’re without an opinion.

Okay, so the marking instructions are a little different, but that's only because for some reason I can't seem to get my text to have that "strike through" effect. Oh well. Here's my list...

1. (Everything I Do) I Do It For You, Bryan Adams
2. *I Wanna Sex You Up, Color Me Badd
3. Gonna Make You Sweat, C+C Music Factory
4. Rush Rush, Paula Abdul
5. One More Try, Timmy T
6. **Unbelievable, EMF
7. *More Than Words, Extreme
8. *I Like The Way (The Kissing Game), Hi-Five
9. The First Time, Surface
10. *Baby, Baby, Amy Grant - despite the controversy over her divorce, I still like her music.
11. *Motownphilly, Boyz II Men
12. Because I Love You (The Postman Song), Stevie B
13. Someday, Mariah Carey
14. High Enough, Damn Yankees
15. From A Distance, Liette Midler - ICK! YUCK! DON'T EVEN... !
16. All The Man That I Need, Whitney Houston
17. *Right Here, Right Now, Jesus Jones
18. *I Adore Mi Amor, Color Me Badd
19. *Love Will Never Do (Without You), Janet Jackson
20. *Good Vibrations, Marky Mark and The Funky Bunch Featuring Loleatta Holloway
21. *Justify My Love, Madonna
22. Emotions, Mariah Carey
23. Joyride, Roxette
24. Romantic, Karyn White
25. I Don't Wanna Cry, Mariah Carey
26. Hold You Tight, Tara Kemp
27. You're In Love, Wilson Phillips
28. *Every Heartbeat, Amy Grant
29. Sensitivity, Ralph Tresvant
30. Touch Me (All Night Long), Cathy Dennis
31. I've Been Thinking About You, Londonbeat
32. Do Anything, Natural Selection
33. *Losing My Religion, R.E.M.
34. Coming Out Of The Dark. Gloria Estefan
35. *Here We Go. C+C Music Factory
36. It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over, Lenny Kravitz
37. Where Does My Heart Beat Now, Celine Dion
38. Summertime, D.J. Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince
39. Wind Of Change, Scorpions
40. P.A.S.S.I.O.N., Rhythm Syndicate
41. The Promise Of A New Day, Paula Abdul
42. *I'm Your Baby Tonight, Whitney Houston
43. Love Of A Lifetime, Firehouse
44. Fading Like A Flower (Every Time You Leave), Roxette
45. This House, Tracie Spencer
46. Hole Hearted, Extreme
47. Power Of Love-Love Power, Luther Vandross
48. Impulsive, Wilson Phillips
49. Love Is A Wonderful Thing, Michael Bolton
50. Rhythm Of My Heart, Rod Stewart
51. Things That Make You Go Hmmmm..., C+C Music Factory
52. I Touch Myself, Divinyls
53. Tom's Diner, DMA
54. Iesha, Another Bad Creation
55. *Something To Talk About, Bonnie Raitt
56. After The Rain, Nelson
57. Play That Funky Music, Vanilla Ice
58. Temptation, Corina
59. Can't Stop This Thing We Started, Bryan Adams
60. *I Can't Wait Another Minute, Hi-Five
61. *3 A.M. Eternal, The KLF
62. Time, Love and Tenderness, Michael Bolton
63. Saideness Part I, Enigma
64. *Around The Way Girl, LL Cool J
65. I'll Be There, Escape Club
66. Cream, Prince and The N.P.G.
67. *Now That We Found Love, Heavy D. and The Boyz
68. Show Me The Way, Styx
69. Love Takes Time, Mariah Carey
70. Cry For Help, Rick Astley
71. *The Way You Do The Things You Do, UB40
72. Here I Am (Come and Take Me), UB40
73. Signs, Tesla
74. Too Many Walls, Cathy Dennis
75. Crazy, Seal
76. *I'll Give All My Love To You, Keith Sweat
77. Place In This World, Michael W. Smith
78. Something To Believe In, Poison
79. Wicked Game, Chris Issak
80. Get Here, Oleta Adams
81. Round and Round, Tevin Campbell
82. Silent Lucidity, Queensryche
83. I'm Not In Love, Will To Power
84. Piece Of My Heart, Tara Kemp
85. Real Real Real, Jesus Jones
87. Just Another Dream, Cathy Dennis
88. Everybody Plays The Fool, Aaron Neville
88. Strike It Up, Black Box
89. Rico Suave, Gerardo
90. Disappear, INXS
91. *Groove Is In The Heart, Deee-Lite
92. *All This Time, Sting
93. The One and Only, Chesney Hawkes
94. *O.P.P., Naughty By Nature
95. Freedom 90, George Michael
96. *I Saw Red, Warrant
97. *Miles Away, Winger
98. Do You Want Me, Salt-N-Pepa
99. The Motown Song, Rod Stewart
100. *Shiny Happy People, R.E.M.

Okay, so there it is. I'd love to see what you think. Have a great day!

Monday... Monday

My wife has wisely suggested that since I'm back at my base camp, I should probably update my blog to alleviate any concerns my friends and family may have concerning my well-being. Good point, Princess. Thank you.

So let's see... What's the latest and greatest? I spent the last several days at a different camp counseling the Marines whose contracts are due to expire sometime in the next year. Ideally, I would be spending the next few days processing their requests for reenlistment. That's not as easy as it sounds. The warriors of this battalion have done their bit for "king and country" and now they're looking forward to getting on with their lives back home. I can't blame them for wanting to take a break but some of these guys are prepared to cut off their nose to spite their face so to speak. Don't get me wrong... Some of these guys have developed a carefully thought out transition plan but I've had a couple of Marines look me in the eye and say in all honesty that they don't know what they're going to do. Those counselings take a little longer as we get into life goals, dreams, and long range plans. Fortunately I've heard a lot of these stories before and I can address their concerns and offer guidance. After all, that's why I'm out here in the first place right? My conversations with these guys have managed to produce a couple of requests for retention as long as they can get orders to a particular duty station. Not a problem. That's what I do. Anyway, that's where I've been for the past few days.

I came back "home" to learn that I really didn't miss that much with my absence. Go figure. All I have to say about that is that if anyone needs to talk to me while I'm on my post-deployment leave in a few weeks they can call my cell phone...

And leave a message.

Weekend update

Well, another week has come and gone in this place and I'm at a crossroads of sorts. On the one hand, I couldn't be more elated to know that I'm very near the end of this deployment and I'm almost close enough to my homecoming that we've started making plans for my post-deployment vacation time, welcome home parties and just some good old fashioned chillin'. On the other, we had a memorial last Wednesday for a Marine we lost at the beginning of August. We two more memorials scheduled for later this week and it's starting to wear a little thin to say the least.

At least I'm still in relatively good health and my family seems to be doing well. My wife seems to be in a similar quandry. The more she tries to look forward to our reunion, the more the kids seem to notice that she's not paying attention to them and so they do what kids do best: make themselves the center of attention. Well when I get there I'm going to have my hands full in the chaos that I'm looking forward to of rolling around in the grass with my children and chasing each other all over the yard. Still, we have a way to go and I can't focus on that just yet. We still have a job to do here and we will continue to do it every day until we have been properly relieved by another battalion. I've been reading this blog by a reporter embedded with an Army unit up near Mosul. Although the names are different, the stories are very much the same.

As we near the end of this deployment I would ask for those of you who feel so inclined to please pray for our continued diligence and also to lift up the families of those who have been killed or injured while serving the people of America and the people of Iraq. I've been taking pictures every now and again and as soon as I figure out how to post them to my blog, I will share more of my adventures from the past six months. Have a great week and God bless you all.

Sheesh!

I went to my wife's blog and found a blogthing that I thought I'd try, but alas, I couldn't seem to get the html code to work. Grrrrrr. So, I guess it's up to me to be my usual witty self to brighten your day (or at least let you know that I'm still alive and doing well).

First things first... Football is back! I got a chance to see some of the Falcons/Colts game in Tokyo. I'm sure Jen is absolutely thrilled to know that I'm ready for some football! "Mama says no foos-ball cuz it's of the Devil." (Waterboy)

I just learned that Peter Jennings has passed away. Of the three national anchormen that I grew up watching, I liked him the most, even if he was Canadian. :-)

I watched in nervous anticipation as the space shuttle lifted off last week. They are due home early Monday morning. Our thoughts and prayers for their safe return.

Speaking of thoughts and prayers... our thoughts here at 1/5 go out to the families of our brothers who lost their lives a while ago and those who continue to put it all on the line every day. I saw an article about a mother who went to the President's ranch in Texas to ask him for what noble cause did her son die and all I can say is, "Ma'am, your son (who joined the military voluntarily) gave the ultimate sacrifice for the cause of freedom. For that, the people of Iraq and America owe him and his family a debt that can only be honored... never repaid in full." All I can say to that is that in the worst case scenario that something like that were to happen to me, I would hope that my family would honor my life and the decisions I've made and continue to support a cause I believe in with all my heart.

As a weak segue on the subject of heart, I'm hopeful that the Padres have enough heart to hang on to their lead in the NL West. If they don't then I'm pretty sure they won't make the playoffs. The entire division would be at the basement if all teams from the NL competed on an even basis for playoff spots. It's actually kinda weird that a .500 ball club can win one division while another team that might win 90 or more games might not even make the post season. Well, at least it's a system that's a far cry better than the college BCS.

A blog buddy of mine, Steelcowboy, just went on a little trip that looks like my dream vacation. With horse drawn covered wagons, beautiful scenery and a train ride to boot, I just couldn't imagine a better getaway. Well, I take that back. I've got my own little getaway planned with Jen for as soon as can be arranged upon my return to the States.

There are lots of other things I could comment on, but I think we'll just leave it here for now. Drop me a note and let me know what you think.

USA today

Ladies and Gentlemen, this story was written after Mr. Z spent about a week among the Marines here in Ramadi. Despite my railings against the media in general, I found Gregg's article to be well written and very acurate. After he left us, he emailed several of his sources (myself included) to verify facts and ask follow-up questions. The end result is, I think, a good picture of what the warriors of this battalion have been going through for the last couple of years. Being the leading edge of the tip of the spear is taxing on everyone involved... even (and maybe especially) the family members we leave behind.

My wife has been feeling the strain lately as trying to fill the role of two parents at once has been draining her reserves as well. If you have a minute, please jump over to her blog and post some encouraging words. I know she'd appreciate it and so would I.

the $10,000 phone call

My wife forwarded me this true story...

A man decided to write a book about famous churches around the military.

He bought a plane ticket to Fort Jackson, SC thinking he would start by working his way across the USA.

On his first day he was inside the Base Chapel taking photographs when he noticed a golden telephone mounted on the wall above a sign that read "$10,000 per call."

The man, being intrigued, asked a soldier who was strolling by what the telephone was used for.

The solider replied that it was a direct line to heaven and that for $10,000 you could talk to God.

The man thanked him and went on his way.

Next, he stopped at Andrews Air Force Base in Washington, DC. There, at a very large Chapel, he saw the same golden telephone with the same sign under it. He asked a nearby Airman what this phone's purpose was. She told him that it was a direct line to heaven and that for $10,000 he could talk to God. "O.K., thank you," said the man, and left.

He then traveled to Ft. Leonard Wood, MO, Wright Patterson AFB, OH, Colorado Springs, CO, and North Island Naval Air Station, in San Diego, CA. In every chapel he saw the same golden telephone with the same "$10,000 per call" sign under it.

Upon leaving North Island, he decided to travel to a Marine base to see if he would find the same phone. He arrived onboard MCB Camp Pendleton, CA and while waiting to visit the base chapel, he was invited into the Enlisted Club. There was the same golden telephone. This time, however, the sign under it read "40 cents per call." The man was surprised.

Just then, a salty old Gunnery Sergeant walked in and he asked about the sign.

"Gunny, I've traveled all over America and I've seen this same golden telephone in many chapels on many different military installations. I'm told that it is a direct line to Heaven, but in the the Army, the Air Force, and even the Navy, the price was $10,000 per call. Why is it so cheap here?"

The Gunny smiled and answered, "You're on a Marine Base now son, it's a local call."

Okay, so maybe it's not a TRUE story, but it could be. :-)

Everybody's working for the weekend

Happy Saturday!

My lovely wife is off on a retreat with some of her friends for a MOPS planning session. That means several moms who are gathered together to talk about their kids without having to actually deal with them for a whole weekend. Jen needs the break and conversation that's not constantly peppered with phrases like, "Trey! No!" and, "Leah, get down from there!" This leaves me free to type a few things on my blog here for general consumption.

Speaking of my wife, she sent me a link to this site that will tell you what your name is if you are a wizard. Just for the record, you may refer to me as Oliver Flint. Don't ask me how they came up with that, but there it is.

Now that I'm on the downhill slide toward home, I've been thinking about what I'm most likely to do when I get there. Aside from the obvious wish list of greeting my kids and spending some time with my wife, I'm thinking of trying to get to a ball game and see the Padres host the Dodgers for the last series of the season. I haven't been to a game in over two years and I have not yet been to our relatively new ballpark downtown, either. This would be a chance to kill two proverbial birds with one preverbial stone.

Hope you have a great weekend and thank you for your continued support for those of us who are over here serving in a cause that we believe in and defending a country that we love.

My, look at the time!

I didn't realize that it's been almost a week since my last update. Sorry about that. I don't have any excuse, good or bad, so I won't try to make one up right now. So, what's been going on? Simply put, not much. That's a good thing though so I'll take it. When there's not much going on out here that means I don't have to update our memorial wall or help inventory the gear of a Marine who's been injured and sent back to the States (or killed), so not having much going on is a very good thing.

But that doesn't mean the world has stopped does it?

Lance Armstrong is still in the overall lead in his quest for an unprecedented 7th consectutive Tour de France victory. Yeah! Leave to an American to show Europe how to ride a bicycle in the "rolling countryside" of France.

The All-Star game has come and gone. I was worried that the Padres wouldn't be able to pick up where they'd left off, but they split the series with Arizona, so we're okay. The Reds? Um, yeah... Moving on...

My wife has told me that I'll probably be moving again within six months of getting home. If memory serves, we moved into our current house about three months after I got home from Iraq two years ago. If the pattern holds then that means I'll be trying to load a U-Haul instead of hanging my Christmas lights. You'll pardon me if that idea doesn't get me too excited.

My parents celebrated their 37th anniversary last week. How? They got tickets to the NASCAR race in Ky! I'm glad they had a good time. My mom says she's now hooked on this "Non-Athletic-Sport-Centered-Around-Rednecks" (I heard someone say that once and I thought it was funny although way wrong.

The media and the Democrats have teamed up to beat President Bush over the head with this whole Karl Rove thing. Whatever... 'nuf said.

Finally, Hurricane Dennis ran through and now we're waiting on Hurricane Emily. My thoughts and prayers go out to those of you who were/are in the path of nature's fury. Oh! That's what it was! I was planning to write about the shuttle mission, but since it got scrubbed I kinda lost my motivation. Eh, all's well that ends well, right?

Hope you have a great week and I'll try to be a little more timely with my updates.

Some understanding please

I was reading this story about an Iraqi couple who do not share the same muslim belief system, but are trying to live peacefully for the sake of their son and I thought to myself, "These folks are finally getting a taste of what it means to live in freedom." They must learn to live with and respect each other's differences to have peace in their home. If they can do that on an individual level, why can't that spread to those around them and so on, until the populace of Iraq is actually behaving as a civilized people? Well, maybe that's over simplifying the situation. Still, it's something to think about.

I was also reading this story and commentary, since it mentioned two of our Marines, and I thought, "Now, this guy just doesn't get it." First of all, to use the deaths of two Marines as bookends to an editorial about taxes is just in poor taste. Second...

Let me break down the math for you and see if it makes any more sense to you than it did to me. His claim that 97% of the tax breaks being mentioned would go to only 3% of people who pay taxes. He has a problem with that. I don't. Why not? Last year, we filed our claim and learned that not only were we getting a refund, we were getting more money than what we had deducted from our pay for taxes, thanks to credits for my dependents, Jen's home based business expenses, and other miscellaneous items. So I ask you, how can I be "owed" a break as a working class citizen when I actually make money because of our current tax code? You know what? I don't own a small business with a labor force. I don't make a product that benefits society. I don't even have any employees. Well, we did hire a gardner to help care for the yard while I'm away, but that's not the point. The point is, giving me more money is not going to create any new jobs. Letting the business owner down the street keep more of his hard-earned money so he can hire more people, or make more products, or whatever, actually makes sense. Maybe that's why it's not a popular idea. I learned a long time ago that "pro" and "con" are the opposites of each other. Does that apply to "progress" and "congress"?

What's 13%?

I took this quiz and found out I'm only 87% American. I thought I was full American... born in Ohio, joined the Marines at 18, fighting the country's enemies wherever they may be found... what am I missing? I even married a California girl. Can't do much more than that!

You Are 87% American

You're as American as red meat and shooting ranges. Tough and independent, you think big. You love everything about the US, wrong or right. And anyone who criticizes your home better not do it in front of you!

How American Are You?

Schemes, dreams, and other nice things

Sometimes I am impressed by the human spirit. Especially the spirit of the Marines with whom I serve. See, we have about 3 months to go before we are scheduled to go back home, but the battalion is already making plans to celebrate the Marine Corps' birthday in November. We have announced the location of this year's ball, and we are even asking that Marines buy their tickets before we load the planes to go home, so there will be time to arrange seating and add any special guests before the hotel begins to make their preparations.

See, for those of you who may not know, the United States Marine Corps is very big on tradition and ceremony, and when we have a ceremony that is also a tradition? Whoa! Just be careful. The Marine Corps birthday ball is like your senior prom, grad night, class reunion, and a toga party... all rolled into one. Great times.

Yessir, looking forward to these last 82 days going by, but I know that the closer we get to going home, the further away it will seem, and then eventually... BAM! It'll be over and we'll be home.

Independence Day

In every life there comes a time of decision. At some point, we all must decide what is important enough to us to fight to defend. I made my decision a long time ago. Ever since I can remember, I've wanted to be in the military. I had one of the original (12 inches tall) GI Joe action figures (not a "doll") and when Hasbro started producing the 4 inch tall version to compliment/compete with the Star Wars figures, which I also had, I had a vast collection of good guys and terrorists. I never would've guessed back then that I'd some day be fighting a slightly different version of the Cobra orginization. A world-wide terrorist group determined to rule the world? Granted, the mad-men we fight today aren't as well equipped and don't have a battlefield commander like Cobra Commander, but they're just as evil and even elusive. Nevertheless, we will win. Why do I say that? How can I be so sure?

Because today is Independence Day and we are Americans.

Our country was born from the creed that "all men are created equal and are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights." Add that to the fact that as the world's only real superpower it is our responsibility to watch out for the little guy, to make sure that those who are unable to defend themselves are protected from the playground bullies of the world. Is there a cost? Unfortunately, yes. We have paid for the freedom of others and we will continue to do so. We have paid for the freedom to say what we want by spilling our own blood. We have paid for our right to bear arms by taking up arms in the defense of the ideal. We have upheld our freedom of religion by the Grace of the One who has freed us by the shedding of His own blood on a cross over 2000 years ago.

There comes a time in every life when one must decide what is worth fighting for, because if you are not willing to stand for something you are vulnerable to falling for anything. As cliche' as it may sound, I have chosen to live for Jesus, who made me in His own image, and saved me through no action of my own, and I have chosen to fight for the principles that make America... well, America: "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." Along my journey I have been joined by a wonderful woman and I have been blessed with riches beyond measure.

Is it worth living for? You bet. Is it worth fighting for? Absolutely. Is it worth dying for? If that is the sacrifice required of me to ensure that my children can enjoy the same freedom I have known... yes.

Happy 4th of July, everyone.

Who's not patriotic?

Well, this is interesting. While I'm over here helping the people of Ramadi establish a young democracy and become self governing, the good people back home have decided that I'm not very patriotic. Why not? Because I drive a sport utility vehicle and have therefore prolonged America's dependence on the evil that is imported oil. Oh, please. That's a bunch of crap for several reasons...

1. My SUV get better gas mileage than some cars do.
2. If the boneheads in GreenPeace would just shut up, we could develop the oil reserves in Alaska. Maybe my history lessons were skewed because I started school in the 70's, but I was taught that people only criticized our purchase of the territory (from Russia) until oil was discovered.
3. As I drive around Southern California, I want to be as safe as I can for the sake of my family. If driving a SUV is the only way I can feel confident that my wife will have the power she needs to get out of the way, and the safety features necessary to save them, then call me unpatriotic.

Bottom line, folks, is this... Last time I checked America is a country of freedoms. Freedom of speech allows people to say what they want about my vehicle and also allows me to respond in this format.

Weekend wrap-up

Friends, another week has come and gone, and now it's time to carry on

We mourned our brothers and our friends
Whose service with us has reached its end

Thankful for the men they were and promising to make them proud
We move back into the hostile crowd

We've turned a corner in our battle for the hearts and minds
And we've turned a corner as we count down our remaining time

With less than one hundred days before we leave to go home again
We must not lose focus on the battle we are here to win

Will there be casualties from this point on? It would be foolish to say for sure
All we can do is "soldier on" and keep our honor clean and pure

For we are Marines and this is what we do
Do not feel sorry for us
Do not anger us
Do not tell us we should know better

There are those to whom we answer that make those decisions
And we go
Into harm's way
Day after day after day

If we didn't want to be here we would never raise our hand
Or sign the dotted line
But we did
Many of us more than once

We leave behind families who support us and defend us from the press
If you ask me we should pin medals on their chests
Our loved ones must carry on with every facet of life
Kids, bills, cars that don't work
All very normal strife

But they do that every day
Not knowing from one week to the other
What's happened to their warrior
Father, son, husband, or brother

This ode is dedicated to all of you who stand with us to say
Speak your peace
You have that right
This is the USA

Just remember as you spit your hatred for our warring ways
If it wasn't for someone willing to fight
And die if that's what is required
Then all of your anger, meanness, spite
Would surely get you fired... Or arrested

We have fought in every clime and place where we could take a gun
From the winter spent at Valley Forge
To the hot Iraqi sun
And every place in between and some that time does not recall
In every conflict there's a price where too many heroes fall

Watch over us, dear Lord, we pray and see us through this night
That we may face You some day and know that we've done right

Help us to maintain our honor and integrity
As we do the tasks we've been trained for in the USMC

Watch over our families and keep them safe
Nestled in Your hand
Someday soon we'll be home back in our favorite land

With less than one hundred days left our time is drawing near
Thank You for our blessings and those we hold so dear

Amen

Views on the News

Well, today is one of those days... I don't have any one thing in particular I feel I need to say, so here are some links to various news stories and my humble, working man's opinion on each subject.

Let's start with Dick Durbin's comments about the Gitmo Gulag. Now he says he regrets that his comments may have offended some people. Mr. Senator, aren't you the slightest bit remorseful that your comments were vindictive and only served to further the cause of those who would see America, and all that we stand for, destroyed in a fireball of glory?

Moving on. The Rev. Billy Graham has announced that his current crusade will probably be his last. Although I never attended a crusade personally, my family was heavily involved in his visit to Cincinnati a couple of years ago and the message he preaches has never waivered. I'm sure God is going to tell Mr. Graham, "Well done, good and faithful servant," when it comes time for him to "enter into his master's rest."

This story about a jerk who's being accused of beating his family and pets to death irks me. Why? Because I'd be willing to bet dollars to donuts that if he is NOT sent to death row for this there will be a bigger outcry from PETA than from any so-called human rights group. Same thing goes for the sicko who appears to be abducting dogs in PB.

We will miss these two men as we work toward the stabilization of this area and the destruction of those who would do us harm. We will miss them and the 11 others who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the service of our country.

Then there's this family from Kansas who came all the way out to CA just to berate a church in La Jolla. My question is why La Jolla? Is it because they thought they'd get more media coverage if they came to San Diego, or is it merely an excuse to visit Southern California and see the big city?

Anyone want to explain to me the difference between a life sentence and a twenty year prison term when the convicted man is 80 years old?

And yet, through it all, the San Diego Padres have managed to not only stay in first place in the NL West, but actually increase their lead over the Dodgers and D'Backs! Will wonders never cease? There are a few out here (Dodgers fans) who firmly believe that the Padres will fade after the All-Star break and end up out of the playoffs, like they did last year, but I have a feeling that this may be the year for San Diego. When they got a taste of the World Series a few years ago, I have a hunch that started a hunger for the team for which there can be only one cure- a championship ring.

Well, these are my thoughts for the day. I look forward to hearing yours.

finally, some GOOD news!

You know, we don't get alot of news over here, but we have been able to keep tabs on the whole disappearance in Aruba thing going on. Hopefully she will turn up alive. Add that to the Wacko-Jacko acquittal and you can see how it's easy to get discouraged by the news these days.

Thankfully, this story has a happy ending. As much as I look forward to one day camping with my family (somewhere where it's warm, but not hot, and I can walk around without a pistol strapped to my leg all day if you please), I can not help but already feel a certain trepidation about our adventures. My son is the kind of kid who will simply wander off because he is watching an ant crawl away and wants to watch it as long as he can and my daughter would follow him for the simple reason that "anything he can do I can do better."

Father's Day

Today is Father's Day. I could almost end this entry with that simple statement. In a society where it seems fashionable to be critical of white Christians, like Howard Dean was a couple of weeks ago, or to poke fun at dads, as evidenced by many of today's commercials and other spots, the fact that today is Father's Day doesn't seem to amount to a hill of beans.

But I know better.

There are those of us among the father population who strive to be more than just the male contributor to the next generation. We try to be dads. Here is a good example of exactly what I'm talking about. I think this blog entry is a good thought on what may have been going on in the mind of God when He created man and told him to be fruitful and multiply.

So, to all the fathers out there who are striving to be dads, and to all the dads out there (like mine) whose children have grown and left the nest, taking a piece of you with them... Happy Father's Day.

To my Dad: Thank you for showing me that no matter what I did in my life, even if was exactly the opposite of what you advised (remember saying "Don't sign anything" when I went to the recruiter's office 14 years ago?) you supported me. Only now that I am a father myself do I truly begin to understand the saying "Any male can be a father, but it takes a man to be a dad."

Thanks, Dad.

I've got an idea

The last two days have been somewhat hectic out here. As you may have heard, things have not been exactly quiet out here on the Western Front. Fortunately, today saw a return to what passes for normalcy around here, which makes me feel a little guilty for being able to say that we’ve passed the ½ way point for this deployment and can honestly start counting down to going home. Of course, there are those who were only brought out here for a short time and they are already on their way home, but they deserve it. Most of those men were here for the third time. Me? I’m on my second tour to the cradle of civilization and I think I’ve seen just about enough of this place to last me for a pair of lifetimes, thank you very much.

Okay, yes, there is just a little bit of anger seeping into my fingers as I type these words. Is it anger towards the Iraqi people? Not especially. It’s not their fault they won’t stand up and defend their homes against those who would rule over them. Is it anger toward my commander-in-chief? Absolutely not! I swore an oath to support and defend the Constitution, bear true faith and allegiance to the same, and obey the President of the US and all officers appointed over me, so help me God. In fact, I’ve sworn that oath several times over the last 14 years. So who’s left for me to be the focus of my ire?

Well, other than the bleeding hearts who say we should leave as soon as possible, my wrath is directed toward those who would snipe at us from buildings and who plant bombs in the road because they lack the ‘nads to face us directly. See, if the bad guys are in such a rush to die in “glorious battle” against the “oppressive evil” and all we want to do is do our duty “to the Flag and the Republic for which it stands” then why don’t they face us straight up? We’ll kill them and everyone wins. They die the way they want to and we go home, the way we want to. What’s wrong with that?

Besides, I'm missing all the fun back home. My wife should learn to never let me leave. I have yet to experience a serious quake and I laugh at her when she says she'd rather go through an earthquake instead of a tornado? Why? At least with tornados, you can sort of prepare for them and you get some warning that they're coming. Earthquakes? By the time you realize what it is, it's over. Where's the fun?

Happy Birthday

To my little one, on her first birthday:

It seems so hard to believe that it's already been a year since your mommy and I welcomed you into our world. We went to the doctor's office for a scheduled visit, since you weren't due for another week, and after our midwife checked, she asked if we were ready to have a baby.

We said, No.

We still had things that needed to be done around the house to prepare for your arrival. We'd moved since your brother was born, so we needed to go around and baby-proof all over again. Then there was the decorating that still needed to be completed. We had bought your crib, but it wasn't assembled yet. Good thing we had borrowed a basinet from our friends for your first few weeks home. Oh, did I mention that Mommy hadn't packed her bag yet?

Still, you would not be deterred, so we went home. Mommy packed her bag while I called Grandma. Somebody would have to look after your big brother for a while. Mommy still didn't really feel any labor pangs, but the doc said your mom was dilating already. We went back to the L&D wing in the hospital, checked in and waited... and waited... and waited. Unlike our experience with your brother, everything went fairly smoothly this time. The doctor with the epidural got it right so Mommy could actually "enjoy" the experience of the birth process. We watched the evening news and even got most of the way through "The Tonight Show" before the active labor began.

Mommy worked just as hard as she did with your brother and before we knew it, there you were... on Mommy's tummy. New to everything, you started crying and even that didn't last very long. I cut your umbilical cord and the doctors were impressed with how healthy you looked. After you and I spent some time in the nursery, I was able to take you back to Mommy, where you and Mommy had a chance to bond and meet each other face to face.

The next day (well, actually, later that day) Grandma brought your brother in to visit you at the hospital and he just fell in love with you right there. He started laughing and waving at you and calling your name like you were the Queen of the Tournament of Roses or something. When we brought you home we suddenly couldn't remember life with just three of us in the house. You brought so much joy to us that there hasn't been a day that goes by when I don't thank God for bringing you to us.

Now I'm over here and not able to say these things to you directly, but know that I love you and want only the best for my little girl. I'll be home soon and you and I have some catching up to do. When I left you only had two teeth, barely, and you weren't even crawling yet. Now you're walking! I love you, Precious, and Daddy will be back as soon as I can.

I will always be,

Your Daddy

PS. I had to go back and change some things after Mommy read my letter and reminded me that I was wrong about some of the details. My brain must be fried from the heat over here.

random thoughts

Okay, since I haven't posted for a few days and since there isn't really anything in particular that's made me think, "Oh man! I have got to blog about this," I offer a few random thoughts about a wide variety of topics from today's readings and other sources...

Home:
My mom and sister have arrived in San Diego to help my wife with the birthday party for this weekend. I so wish I could be home for that, not to mention the other aspects of being physically home this summer.

Politics:
Not that I'm against the Democratic Party tasting their own shoe polish from time to time, but Mr. Dean should learn to just shut up every now and again. You know it's bad when Sen Biden is basically saying the same thing.

Sports:
It figures that the year when I'm going to miss the entire baseball season, the Padres are actually in first place, up by 3 1/2 games in the NL West as of today. Of course, I am also spared having to watch my beloved Reds fall to 15 1/2 games off the pace in the NL Central, so maybe it's not all bad. I'll get home just as football is really getting interesting... Go Eagles!

Faith:
I believe that God will see me through the rest of this deployment and reunite me with the wife and children He has used to bless my life. I have used some of my free time to learn basic guitar chords. Perhaps some day we will be able to sing songs around a camp fire as a family.

Well, I guess that's about it for now. As you can see, I'm clearly in the throws of the "mid-deployment blues." It sometimes happens right around this stage in a deployment. We've been here for just over 100 days and we have a little over 100 more before we go back to SoCal. Of course, I do have Friday to look forward to for a few reasons... but I'll save that until then.

I knew it

Let me ask a question. If the good people of the former regime out here really have nothing to hide, then why is the UN all in a tizzy about some missing chemical weapons equipment? I'm not one to say "I told you so," but come on. Okay, okay... I'm totally one to say "I told you so," but that's not the real point here. Maybe this goes along with all those long range, French-made, missles I saw when I was here two years ago. It's almost as if the more things change, the more they stay the same.

To that end, while the UN gets their britches in a bunch about stuff that America's been saying along, I'm heading out into the city over the next few days to see if we can get some of these citizens registered to vote. In case you forgot, or never heard, there was an election in January to select a representative government. That governments main purpose was to draft a new constitution for the country of Iraq, which is to be voted on by the people. Kinda sounds like "Government of the people, by the people, and for the people" but what do I know? Anyway, that election is coming up and we are trying to instill a sense of ownership in the people of Ramadi. If they want changes in the way the government is (or isn't) involved in their lives, they need to register and vote. This town has about 300,000 citizens of voting age but only about 10% are even registered. We're hoping to up that to about 25% by this election.

Hope your June is off to a good start. Check my wife's blog for some great news about what June means to us as family. It should be fairly obvious at the top of the page.

Thank you

It has been a truly humbling experience to read the comments of so many people who responded to my Memorial Day message. Thank you all for your support. I'll probably be back to my old fire-brand self in a day or two, but we must first conduct our own memorial for a brother who was taken from us on the day we set aside to remember those sacrifices. Thank you again for your support and please keep us and our families in your thoughts and prayers.

Memorial

For all of you who have read my wife's blog, thank you for your support.

If you haven't, here's your chance.

Hope you had a memorable Memorial Day.

ex-ACT-ly

I knew I wasn't the only one who thought like this. I don't know the validity of everything she says here, but I can certainly understand the sentiment. If there is one advantage to actually being deployed over here it must be that I don't get my blood in a boil every day. I'm free to wallow in my own conservatism and fellowship with red-blooded Americans who, for the most part, share my values.

Happy Memorial Day!

X-squeeze me?

Let me give you some background info. I work in the admin office out here in Iraq, which means that I am able to check email, read news stories, and update my blog on a fairly regular basis. I have set up my account to provide me with daily updates concerning the key word Ramadi. I also get their headlines, and that's what I'm talking about today. I was reading this story about the ALLEGED abuse of the Quran by guards in Cuba and I was struck by the last few lines. Let me save you the trouble by pasting those lines here:

"The United States government continues to turn a blind eye to mounting evidence of widespread abuse of detainees held in its custody," said ACLU Executive Director Anthony D. Romero. "If we are to truly repair America's standing in the world, the Bush administrtation must hold accountable high-ranking officials who allow the conitnuing abuse and torture of detainees."

Excuse me? Since when does America have to prove anything by catering to whiny little cowards like these terrorists? Here, I'll let another section of the same story make my argument for me:

FBI records cite at least one instance in which a detainee is said to have falsely claimed that a guard had dropped a Quran. "In actuality the detainee dropped the Quran and then blamed the guard. Many other detainees reacted to this claim," the FBI document said, and that sparked an uprising "on or about 19-20 July 2002."

See my point? These cowards are willing to do anything and everything to get their willing accomplices in the press to help them forward their cause. They desecrate their own holy book and blame us. They stockpile weapons in mosques and use those mosques as staging areas for launching attacks against US and mult-national forces. According to the Geneva convention, using a holy site for anything other than worship or humanitarian reasons (a field hospital, for example) is a huge NO-NO! "Places of worship may not be used in support of the military effort" If a mosque (or church or cathedral) is used in violation of this principle, it loses it's protection. Does that stop these thugs? Hardly. But, hold a Quran and sneeze at the same time and all of a sudden you've violated their human rights.

While doing a bit of surfing for this entry, I came up with something that might interest the media. This is an excerpt from Wikipedia.com, an online encylopedia, concerning the law of war.

"Spies and terrorists are only protected by the laws of war if the power which holds them is in a state of armed conflict or war and until they are found to be an unlawful combatant. Depending on the circumstances, they may be subject to civilian law or military tribunal for their acts and in practice have been subjected to torture and/or execution. The laws of war neither approve nor condemn such acts, which fall outside their scope."

I'm going to give myself an ulcer if I keep this up much longer, so I will finish with this thought: we are down to 129 days before it's October 1st!