So, The Boy is growing up.
He went to school today in his NROTC uniorm for the first time and he actually looked great in it. The Wife was good, she didn't cry (though she did go back to bed and pull the covers over her head after he left, so I have my suspicions!) but she ain't happy her baby is growing up. Folks have been noticing lately that he's quieter and more thoughtful when he speaks and that he handles things with a bit more confidence than you'd expect to see in most 14 year olds. I watched him last week, running his Scout Troop's color guard at a $500/plate black-tie fundraiser. He calmly, and politely, spoke with four of five local dignitaries (university president, radio DJ, former senator, BSA council president, etc.) to arrange and coordinate the entire evening's program for his guys and he never once asked me for help or advice. He ran the program so well, all the dignitaries made a point of telling me how remarkable the boys were. They even made sure to get a number of pictures with the boys for publicity. Yup, he done good! The Boy's ok in my book! :-)
Other things . . . Well, I'm carrying a full-time (15 Credit) course load in my return to college. (No, I don't do things by half.) It's a little daunting but I think I can do it. it's been a few years since I had to study and take tests, but it's like riding a bike, right? Shit, I hope so!
Still running every day and the weight is still moving downward, albeit slowly. (Why can't I lose 30 lbs/day, huh? Is that too much to ask? Sheesh!) All-in-all, things are going great at the moment, even if a bit hectic, but I'll take it.
Writing . . . ummmmm . . . no? None at all. Just haven't had the time, or the burning desire. I'm trying to learn to live in the real world for once, ya' know? I'm actually enjoying it out here and I don't want to get lost back inside myself again. I'll head back to it, but only when I'm certain that I won't lose my place here in reality. Does that make sense? Nah, not to me either. Oh well, you'll have to trust me on that one! :-)
Later!
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Memory and Courage
It's September 11th once more. Please take a moment to remember all those who passed on that terrible day.
. . .
Thanks.
September 11th . . . (Note, that it is spelled out and NOT referred to as "9-11". Please don't call it that, the events of that day were too important to ever be "nicknamed" It strikes me as damn disrespectful to the folks who went through it.) September 11th was an important day in my life. It changed the way I saw the world. No, I didn't lose anyone directly to the attacks but I stood outside my office on that awful morning and I could see the smoke and dust rising into the sky with my own eyes. I stood there, knowing that the planes had flown over my head only moments before and I'd been blissfully unaware of what was about to happen. I stood there, not knowing if people I loved had been in the Towers that morning (My oldest brother worked in Tower Two regularly. Thank God, he overslept that morning and was caught in traffic on the Jersey side of the river when it happened.) I stood there, a slow dread awakening in my heart as I realized that with a difference in flight time of less than five minutes, those planes could have obliterated everything and everyone, that I loved. My wife, my son, my entire family . . . had all come within moments of death and none of us had even known the danger was there.
We hadn't even suspected.
Today, six years later, we are a nation at war. Men and women in uniform are thousands of miles from home, fighting in places and conditions most of us can barely imagine, to ensure such events do not happen again. They are putting their bodies between my family and a recurrence of the events of that dreadful day. There aren't enough words in any language for me to thank them properly, so I'll just have to settle for "Thank You". If you wear, have worn, or will one day wear, the uniform of a United States soldier, no matter what branch, thank you for keeping the ones I love safe. Thank you for making it possible for us to sleep quiet in our beds each night without fear of what might fall on us from above. Today is September 11th, and we all need to remember those who died in the Towers but we must also remember those who have fallen since to make sure it would not happen again. Most of all, we must also remember those who still stand -weapon in hand- to make certain it never will.
As of yesterday, my brother-in-law Bill (you may remember him from this post about his working in support of hurricane Katrina) moved to the front lines of that fight. He has deployed to Iraq, leaving behind his wife and three children in order to protect all of us. Take a moment today to think about him -and everyone like him- and to say a prayer for their safe and speedy return.
Later.
. . .
Thanks.
September 11th . . . (Note, that it is spelled out and NOT referred to as "9-11". Please don't call it that, the events of that day were too important to ever be "nicknamed" It strikes me as damn disrespectful to the folks who went through it.) September 11th was an important day in my life. It changed the way I saw the world. No, I didn't lose anyone directly to the attacks but I stood outside my office on that awful morning and I could see the smoke and dust rising into the sky with my own eyes. I stood there, knowing that the planes had flown over my head only moments before and I'd been blissfully unaware of what was about to happen. I stood there, not knowing if people I loved had been in the Towers that morning (My oldest brother worked in Tower Two regularly. Thank God, he overslept that morning and was caught in traffic on the Jersey side of the river when it happened.) I stood there, a slow dread awakening in my heart as I realized that with a difference in flight time of less than five minutes, those planes could have obliterated everything and everyone, that I loved. My wife, my son, my entire family . . . had all come within moments of death and none of us had even known the danger was there.
We hadn't even suspected.
Today, six years later, we are a nation at war. Men and women in uniform are thousands of miles from home, fighting in places and conditions most of us can barely imagine, to ensure such events do not happen again. They are putting their bodies between my family and a recurrence of the events of that dreadful day. There aren't enough words in any language for me to thank them properly, so I'll just have to settle for "Thank You". If you wear, have worn, or will one day wear, the uniform of a United States soldier, no matter what branch, thank you for keeping the ones I love safe. Thank you for making it possible for us to sleep quiet in our beds each night without fear of what might fall on us from above. Today is September 11th, and we all need to remember those who died in the Towers but we must also remember those who have fallen since to make sure it would not happen again. Most of all, we must also remember those who still stand -weapon in hand- to make certain it never will.
As of yesterday, my brother-in-law Bill (you may remember him from this post about his working in support of hurricane Katrina) moved to the front lines of that fight. He has deployed to Iraq, leaving behind his wife and three children in order to protect all of us. Take a moment today to think about him -and everyone like him- and to say a prayer for their safe and speedy return.
Later.
Thursday, September 06, 2007
Top 10 Things to Ponder
I am shamelessly lifting these from Mr. Pissed, because they made me laugh . . .
Number 10 - Life is sexually transmitted.
Number 9 - Good health is merely the slowest possible rate at which One can die.
Number 8 - Men have two emotions: Hungry and Horny. If you see him Without an erection, make him a sandwich.
Number 7 - Give a person a fish and you feed them for a day; teach a Person to use the Internet and they won't bother you for weeks.
Number 6 - Some people are like a Slinky...not really good for Anything, but you still can't help but smile when you see one tumble Down the stairs.
Number 5 - Health nuts are going to feel stupid someday, lying in Hospitals dying of nothing.
Number 4 - All of us could take a lesson from the weather. It pays no Attention to criticism.
Number 3 - Why does a slight tax increase cost you two hundred dollars And a substantial tax cut saves you thirty cents?
Number 2 - In the 60's, people took acid to make the world weird. Now The world is weird and people take Prozac to make it normal.
AND THE NUMBER 1 THOUGHT FOR 2007 . . .
We know exactly where one cow with Mad-cow-disease is located among the millions and millions of cows in America but we haven't got a clue as to where thousands of illegal Immigrants and terrorists are located. Maybe we should put the Department of Agriculture in charge of immigration
Sad, yet true, no?
Later!
Number 10 - Life is sexually transmitted.
Number 9 - Good health is merely the slowest possible rate at which One can die.
Number 8 - Men have two emotions: Hungry and Horny. If you see him Without an erection, make him a sandwich.
Number 7 - Give a person a fish and you feed them for a day; teach a Person to use the Internet and they won't bother you for weeks.
Number 6 - Some people are like a Slinky...not really good for Anything, but you still can't help but smile when you see one tumble Down the stairs.
Number 5 - Health nuts are going to feel stupid someday, lying in Hospitals dying of nothing.
Number 4 - All of us could take a lesson from the weather. It pays no Attention to criticism.
Number 3 - Why does a slight tax increase cost you two hundred dollars And a substantial tax cut saves you thirty cents?
Number 2 - In the 60's, people took acid to make the world weird. Now The world is weird and people take Prozac to make it normal.
AND THE NUMBER 1 THOUGHT FOR 2007 . . .
We know exactly where one cow with Mad-cow-disease is located among the millions and millions of cows in America but we haven't got a clue as to where thousands of illegal Immigrants and terrorists are located. Maybe we should put the Department of Agriculture in charge of immigration
Sad, yet true, no?
Later!
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