So, why did I tell y'all about Billy and Billy? To make a point of sorts.
You see, I view what we are doing in Iraq as EXACTLY the same as big Billy taking care of little Billy's father. Sometimes you have to meet violence with violence in order to effect a change.
But I told you that story for another reason too. I've started to look around at the very country our kids are out there defending and I've come to the conclusion that those of us left at home, well, we need to make sure this country is worth coming home to.
It's not much different than sending your kids out...you want all the stuff picked up out of the back yard and whatnot while they are gone, right? You don't want them coming home to a trashed up house, starving puppies in the backyard, trash everywhere, right? Well, why in the hell would we want our soldiers to come home to a country like that?
Those of us left at home need to clean some house. We need to feed the puppies, to speak of, because there are those who cannot take care of themselves, there just is.
We need to address the health care issues in this country, we need to address the homelessness in this country. We need to address all these issues, otherwise, it isn't a country worth defending.
There are kids like little Billy in every neighborhood in every city in every state in this country. There are prostitution rings under your very nose that use little girls and little boys. There are child molesters and murderers. We need to take care of this trash.
Can you imagine, one of our soldiers coming home after doing his tour, starting his civilian life and having some low life scum steal his kid? Oh, lordy...what a payback, eh? He swore to serve and protect that asshole...see what I mean, peeps. Get out there...do your part. More on this coming.
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
True Story, Today
This is for you...you know who you are.
For the sake of literacy, we'll give ordinary man a name...let's call him Billy. And the kid he adopted...we'll call him Billy too.
I only had the honor of meeting them once. These are people the senior chief knows and he told me their story because he knew I'd be impressed.
Not too long ago, the senior chief and I ventured out on our own, business wise. We had a hot job and we needed to subcontract part of it out. The senior chief knew the PERFECT people, Billy and Billy. He had met Billy and Billy on his travels throughout the southeast on jobs before...knew their work and knew their story.
Hillbillies a lot of people would call them. And I hate to even think that.
So, as part of the business, I was the safety officer. Hey, it comes natural...but he let me know with them ...to relax the rules a bit. One of them had lost a couple of toes because of steel toes...it happens.
Anyway, they were there before us to the job site and when I met them and shook their hands, had I not known that one of them had committed murder, I would have never known. This man had the gentlest eyes of any man I've ever seen and to see that boy gaze upon him....hero worship cannot even begin to describe it.
They were both two of the shyest, most gentle people I had ever laid eyes upon, yet at the same time, they both radiated a strength...an energy....
You hear of connections that twins have...a secret language...a psychic connection??? Well, these two had it. I watched them for a long time work and they were MAGIC together...and it was really incredible.
I really wish I had more words to describe..but let me tell y'all one thing. Sometimes killing isn't so bad and sometimes there's people out there that need it.
For the sake of literacy, we'll give ordinary man a name...let's call him Billy. And the kid he adopted...we'll call him Billy too.
I only had the honor of meeting them once. These are people the senior chief knows and he told me their story because he knew I'd be impressed.
Not too long ago, the senior chief and I ventured out on our own, business wise. We had a hot job and we needed to subcontract part of it out. The senior chief knew the PERFECT people, Billy and Billy. He had met Billy and Billy on his travels throughout the southeast on jobs before...knew their work and knew their story.
Hillbillies a lot of people would call them. And I hate to even think that.
So, as part of the business, I was the safety officer. Hey, it comes natural...but he let me know with them ...to relax the rules a bit. One of them had lost a couple of toes because of steel toes...it happens.
Anyway, they were there before us to the job site and when I met them and shook their hands, had I not known that one of them had committed murder, I would have never known. This man had the gentlest eyes of any man I've ever seen and to see that boy gaze upon him....hero worship cannot even begin to describe it.
They were both two of the shyest, most gentle people I had ever laid eyes upon, yet at the same time, they both radiated a strength...an energy....
You hear of connections that twins have...a secret language...a psychic connection??? Well, these two had it. I watched them for a long time work and they were MAGIC together...and it was really incredible.
I really wish I had more words to describe..but let me tell y'all one thing. Sometimes killing isn't so bad and sometimes there's people out there that need it.
I Hate People Part 2
So, this weekend we decided to take the kids up to the river for a little tubing and to beat the heat a little.
We had to take the hot rod on a test drive because the new parts he put in my engine are still wearing in ...man, that part of it was FUN!! My little ol' hot rod just purrs right along now and that was awesome.
So, we get to the river, no big deal..but there was so many freaking people there. Which is fine, really...I don't mind the bumping or any of that but boy howdy do you ever feel like just another sheep or cattle in the crowd.
And, if you are at all in tune with nature, you know you don't play around even in the seemingly tamest of rivers. You just don't mess with mother nature.
However, it is very hard to listen to mother nature over the roar of a crowd. When you have a buttload of people riding down the river, there is no time to just float past the slower moving spots and let the river take you with it, wherever. No, you have to fight the river, pick your float thing up and walk a few steps to find a new place to put it and so on and so forth.
It was a pretty smooth ride until we got to this one spot that was really slow moving and happened to be deep, too. Any of y'all who've been up that way know exactly which tree I'm talking about too and which swimming hole.
So, there's this group of kids up there trying to be little daredevils and a crowd of people all worried that this one kid was going to jump on them. There were rocks and sand and it was a mess, let me tell ya. So, I got separated from the senior chief and the two little ones right before that and right after I got past the idiot on the tree, I just waited for them. Well, when the senior chief and the two little ones were there, the guy was really starting to seriously seem like he was going to jump out of the tree and that's just a bad deal. My daughter fell off her raft and into the deep water because of all the jostling around. She can tread water, but I cannot swim and she can't really either. The senior chief managed to grab her and get her over to me but in the meantime, little dude had floated out into the middle, right UNDER the guy who was going to jump out of the tree, the guy's feet were dangling and oh lordy, as soon as I had ahold of that kid, a shouting match ensued.
If you ever want to see the senior chief go senior chief, just mess with one of these kids. And then some other guy joined up into it and I believe his words were..."Kid, if you don't get your fucking ass out of that fucking tree, right this fucking second, then I am going to come up and yank your punk ass out of there." And the whole time, he was stomping up the river..you never seen a kid scramble out of a tree so fast in your whole life. The senior chief is yelling at all the little shits that made up the mob going "JUMP,JUMP, JUMP"...he told them they was really going to feel like shit when their friend jumped and then died.
We made it through unscathed and as far as I know, nobody got killed, but jeez, I'm not doing that again. Ever. I HATE people.
We had to take the hot rod on a test drive because the new parts he put in my engine are still wearing in ...man, that part of it was FUN!! My little ol' hot rod just purrs right along now and that was awesome.
So, we get to the river, no big deal..but there was so many freaking people there. Which is fine, really...I don't mind the bumping or any of that but boy howdy do you ever feel like just another sheep or cattle in the crowd.
And, if you are at all in tune with nature, you know you don't play around even in the seemingly tamest of rivers. You just don't mess with mother nature.
However, it is very hard to listen to mother nature over the roar of a crowd. When you have a buttload of people riding down the river, there is no time to just float past the slower moving spots and let the river take you with it, wherever. No, you have to fight the river, pick your float thing up and walk a few steps to find a new place to put it and so on and so forth.
It was a pretty smooth ride until we got to this one spot that was really slow moving and happened to be deep, too. Any of y'all who've been up that way know exactly which tree I'm talking about too and which swimming hole.
So, there's this group of kids up there trying to be little daredevils and a crowd of people all worried that this one kid was going to jump on them. There were rocks and sand and it was a mess, let me tell ya. So, I got separated from the senior chief and the two little ones right before that and right after I got past the idiot on the tree, I just waited for them. Well, when the senior chief and the two little ones were there, the guy was really starting to seriously seem like he was going to jump out of the tree and that's just a bad deal. My daughter fell off her raft and into the deep water because of all the jostling around. She can tread water, but I cannot swim and she can't really either. The senior chief managed to grab her and get her over to me but in the meantime, little dude had floated out into the middle, right UNDER the guy who was going to jump out of the tree, the guy's feet were dangling and oh lordy, as soon as I had ahold of that kid, a shouting match ensued.
If you ever want to see the senior chief go senior chief, just mess with one of these kids. And then some other guy joined up into it and I believe his words were..."Kid, if you don't get your fucking ass out of that fucking tree, right this fucking second, then I am going to come up and yank your punk ass out of there." And the whole time, he was stomping up the river..you never seen a kid scramble out of a tree so fast in your whole life. The senior chief is yelling at all the little shits that made up the mob going "JUMP,JUMP, JUMP"...he told them they was really going to feel like shit when their friend jumped and then died.
We made it through unscathed and as far as I know, nobody got killed, but jeez, I'm not doing that again. Ever. I HATE people.
Monday, June 25, 2007
True Story
Once upon a time there was a man. He was an ordinary man, with an ordinary job, doing ordinary things.
One day, he was driving to or from work on an ordinary day. Sitting in his truck, listening to country music, sipping his coffee, maybe eating a breakfast sandwich just like any ordinary day.
Little does he know that around the bend of the next corner, his life is going to be never ordinary again.
Around the bend of the next corner is a car pulled off to the side of the road. On the side of the road, next to the car, is a man and a child.
The man is wailing on that child, just beating the hell out of him. The child is in diapers. So, the ordinary man, pulls his car over, snatches up the child beating man and proceeds to give him a taste of his own medicine.
He beat the man to death. He went to prison.
When he got out of prison, he adopted that child and today, they live an ordinary life, doing an ordinary job, but they are the most extraordinary people I have ever had the honor to meet.
One day, he was driving to or from work on an ordinary day. Sitting in his truck, listening to country music, sipping his coffee, maybe eating a breakfast sandwich just like any ordinary day.
Little does he know that around the bend of the next corner, his life is going to be never ordinary again.
Around the bend of the next corner is a car pulled off to the side of the road. On the side of the road, next to the car, is a man and a child.
The man is wailing on that child, just beating the hell out of him. The child is in diapers. So, the ordinary man, pulls his car over, snatches up the child beating man and proceeds to give him a taste of his own medicine.
He beat the man to death. He went to prison.
When he got out of prison, he adopted that child and today, they live an ordinary life, doing an ordinary job, but they are the most extraordinary people I have ever had the honor to meet.
Friday, June 22, 2007
The Military
Ok, my unabashed love of God and Country is pretty much well documented at this point, as is my unwavering support of the troops and their mission.
There are those in my life with which I correspond that really cannot understand that. All they see is the blood, I think.
Most people not in the know or with no experience with the military think it's just about the war, think it's just about the killing. They do not understand why so many people volunteer for the service. They think it's because those are the only options those people have, that those people come from poor families, that they only way they are going to get ahead in life is to join the service. They believe that these people become brainwashed, turned into trained killers, if you will.
This is a result of the media. You see, the media is only focused on the dirty part of the military. They are only focused on what we HAVE to do in order to accomplish what we want. You see, the goal of the military is world peace, too.
Our military members are comprised of some of the most loving, caring individuals that can be found on the face of this earth. Why do people join the military? Not to kill, but to help. They join to be a part of the team that delivered food and supplies and helped those poor people devastated by the tsunami.
They are the people that made it so Iraqis could VOTE for the first time. Watching some soldiers carry little old women to the voting booth for the first time, just made me bawl like a baby.
I can remember being overseas..coming back from lunch and there was a girl. She was newly pregnant, a local girl..pregnant by a local businessman and unlikely to help. She was sitting with her friends and I walked by. She told me she was going to jump off the roof in a few minutes and her friends just LAUGHED. There was something in her eyes...she was serious...so I talked to her for awhile, gave her the hormone speech, asked her to let me see what kind of resources might be available to her and I busted my ass to get back to my shop and I thought I was going to be in trouble, and I almost was, but I had a wonderful senior chief that I was working for at the time, that knew EXACTLY what to do. I got a great eval after that..but that isn't the point. The point is that this poor civilian girl and her baby got help because we were there to help.
I learned in the military that American men....love women. I saw the eyes of the ones that came from the middle east..Bahrain...and other places ...the pain they felt at how the women were treated and how helpless they felt to do anything about it.
We saw a lot of men marry Asian women to save them from a life of prostitution.
Yes, there are always the negative stories, and I'm sure for every positive one I can come up with, one of you old salty dogs, or more negative thinkers can come up with two or three...but the point is, is that for the most part, our soldiers and sailors are good Christian people that are just there to HELP.
We all know a guy right now shipping out in two weeks who sure as hell ain't doing it for the money or the prestige. He's going because he wants to help. Period.
The senior chief's ex-wife, as much as I have little regard for her, was one of the first there after Shock and Awe and she reported seeing little kids and their parents living in abject poverty within yards of an ornate, opulent palace...it was disgusting, she said the disparity with which those people lived. It hurt her, and made her cry..and she was proud to have done SOMETHING while she was there.
The media doesn't tell of those wonderful things our troops do for the locals every single day. Kindnesses that seem so small that mean so much ..those go unreported and unmentioned and the media should be ashamed of itself.
Dirty laundry..that's all we want. We don't want to know about all the GOOD that's being done. We don't want to believe ANY good is being done. We just want to believe that Bush is mean and that he had some personal agenda. What about this? What about the knowing? How in the hell can you walk away from something when you KNOW it's happening. We KNEW...Clinton KNEW how those people were being treated in that country and other countries and yet he did nothing. How many of us felt right being done when we weren't done...NONE...why? Because of the collective consience. Once you know, you cannot take back the knowing.
Our military, I believe, is going to bring about world peace, or have a large part to do with it. What about Taiwan? Where in the hell would they be without us? Should we just ABANDON those people? Some would say so.
THOSE are the traitors...not to this country but to the human race.
You hear New York cry out...."Don't use us an excuse to get in this war." Well, what else CAN you expect from a city whose general population will not lift a finger if there is a crime being committed right there?
I'm just a little pissed, as you can tell.
Let me tell ya another little story before I close out this rant. When I first joined the Navy, during the last three weeks of school, my ex husband pulled a .357 and held it on me all night long. I managed to take care of things, get to school the next day, where I had a breakdown of sorts. My instructors knew exactly what to do, but beyond that, I had to, from that day forward, muster with the XO and the command master chief every morning before class because they wanted to know for themselves that I was alive and ok. Never before had I really been exposed to people that had that level of caring for a fellow human being. These are the people that make up our military. Not only did they do that, but they taught me how to never get myself in that position again. They helped me to empower myself.
These are the people that the media every day accuses of just being killers. I'm sick of it, it's wrong. These people are HEROES!!!!!!
I am proud of them, every one. Yeah, the war part sucks a whole lot, but that's not ALL it's about.
There are those in my life with which I correspond that really cannot understand that. All they see is the blood, I think.
Most people not in the know or with no experience with the military think it's just about the war, think it's just about the killing. They do not understand why so many people volunteer for the service. They think it's because those are the only options those people have, that those people come from poor families, that they only way they are going to get ahead in life is to join the service. They believe that these people become brainwashed, turned into trained killers, if you will.
This is a result of the media. You see, the media is only focused on the dirty part of the military. They are only focused on what we HAVE to do in order to accomplish what we want. You see, the goal of the military is world peace, too.
Our military members are comprised of some of the most loving, caring individuals that can be found on the face of this earth. Why do people join the military? Not to kill, but to help. They join to be a part of the team that delivered food and supplies and helped those poor people devastated by the tsunami.
They are the people that made it so Iraqis could VOTE for the first time. Watching some soldiers carry little old women to the voting booth for the first time, just made me bawl like a baby.
I can remember being overseas..coming back from lunch and there was a girl. She was newly pregnant, a local girl..pregnant by a local businessman and unlikely to help. She was sitting with her friends and I walked by. She told me she was going to jump off the roof in a few minutes and her friends just LAUGHED. There was something in her eyes...she was serious...so I talked to her for awhile, gave her the hormone speech, asked her to let me see what kind of resources might be available to her and I busted my ass to get back to my shop and I thought I was going to be in trouble, and I almost was, but I had a wonderful senior chief that I was working for at the time, that knew EXACTLY what to do. I got a great eval after that..but that isn't the point. The point is that this poor civilian girl and her baby got help because we were there to help.
I learned in the military that American men....love women. I saw the eyes of the ones that came from the middle east..Bahrain...and other places ...the pain they felt at how the women were treated and how helpless they felt to do anything about it.
We saw a lot of men marry Asian women to save them from a life of prostitution.
Yes, there are always the negative stories, and I'm sure for every positive one I can come up with, one of you old salty dogs, or more negative thinkers can come up with two or three...but the point is, is that for the most part, our soldiers and sailors are good Christian people that are just there to HELP.
We all know a guy right now shipping out in two weeks who sure as hell ain't doing it for the money or the prestige. He's going because he wants to help. Period.
The senior chief's ex-wife, as much as I have little regard for her, was one of the first there after Shock and Awe and she reported seeing little kids and their parents living in abject poverty within yards of an ornate, opulent palace...it was disgusting, she said the disparity with which those people lived. It hurt her, and made her cry..and she was proud to have done SOMETHING while she was there.
The media doesn't tell of those wonderful things our troops do for the locals every single day. Kindnesses that seem so small that mean so much ..those go unreported and unmentioned and the media should be ashamed of itself.
Dirty laundry..that's all we want. We don't want to know about all the GOOD that's being done. We don't want to believe ANY good is being done. We just want to believe that Bush is mean and that he had some personal agenda. What about this? What about the knowing? How in the hell can you walk away from something when you KNOW it's happening. We KNEW...Clinton KNEW how those people were being treated in that country and other countries and yet he did nothing. How many of us felt right being done when we weren't done...NONE...why? Because of the collective consience. Once you know, you cannot take back the knowing.
Our military, I believe, is going to bring about world peace, or have a large part to do with it. What about Taiwan? Where in the hell would they be without us? Should we just ABANDON those people? Some would say so.
THOSE are the traitors...not to this country but to the human race.
You hear New York cry out...."Don't use us an excuse to get in this war." Well, what else CAN you expect from a city whose general population will not lift a finger if there is a crime being committed right there?
I'm just a little pissed, as you can tell.
Let me tell ya another little story before I close out this rant. When I first joined the Navy, during the last three weeks of school, my ex husband pulled a .357 and held it on me all night long. I managed to take care of things, get to school the next day, where I had a breakdown of sorts. My instructors knew exactly what to do, but beyond that, I had to, from that day forward, muster with the XO and the command master chief every morning before class because they wanted to know for themselves that I was alive and ok. Never before had I really been exposed to people that had that level of caring for a fellow human being. These are the people that make up our military. Not only did they do that, but they taught me how to never get myself in that position again. They helped me to empower myself.
These are the people that the media every day accuses of just being killers. I'm sick of it, it's wrong. These people are HEROES!!!!!!
I am proud of them, every one. Yeah, the war part sucks a whole lot, but that's not ALL it's about.
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Blue Laws
As if the blue laws were not enough around here, let me tell you of my recent alcohol buying experiences in my local little town.
Dax actually got me to thinking about this with his post about Sunday beers.
Anyhoo, my latest thing is peach wine. I found a brand, and it's a cheap wine, for sure. Of the variety of wine that will instantly take you back to your misbegotten youth complete with images of two sweaty teenagers groping in the back seat of some car somewhere. Oddly enough, though, it's hard to find. You can find the OTHER flavors, like pink champagne and cold duck, but the peach can only be found at my local grocery store.
At my local grocery store, they only will put out so much of it. Why? I don't know, or I didn't know...
I bought all three bottles and let the gal at the checkout counter know that this was some good stuff and since I'd been shopping in that store daily for 10 years, it would be kind of cool if they'd put more out more often, right? I mean, that's what you do when you want your grocery store to stock something..you let them know you like the product and that you'd like for them to stock it more.
And, she was sweet and blah blah...right? Well, the next week, I came in and bought the other three bottles and one of the gals was just all upset ..told me that they had a whole bunch in the store room but also said that they couldn't put that many out and it was going to be a week ...PERIOD...before they would put any more out, despite how much was in the back room.
What the hell kind of business is that? They decided that they didn't like one of their customers buying that much wine. It went against something religious, as far as I could tell...and it pissed me OFF. I mean, supply and demand...I don't need no damn saving and I really, fucking really resent being judged by someone who doesn't even know me or anything about me. THAT pisses me off more than anything.
I just smiled real sweet when she said that to me and told her I'd be happy to find somewhere else to buy it then. And, I did. I thought about ordering it, too and hadn't gotten around to it yet and stopped in there this past weekend, and wouldn't ya know there were SEVEN bottles of that stuff out there. I giggled at that and bought my usual three...which made them feel better...LOL...I wound up actually buying them all, but I bought the rest 2 at a time....
This really cracks me up in a way...it does. It's CRAZY...I tell ya...
And I've had the complete OPPOSITE experience with the local likker store. Man, the chick in there is DRUNK every time I go in there...well, I haven't seen that particular chick in a long time, and it probably has a lot to do with being DRUNK...and I mean...3 feet away, you are staggering with a contact high because of her breath drunk.
Somehow, believe it or not, I prefer those religious gals at my grocery store...and that's what's REALLY crazy.
Dax actually got me to thinking about this with his post about Sunday beers.
Anyhoo, my latest thing is peach wine. I found a brand, and it's a cheap wine, for sure. Of the variety of wine that will instantly take you back to your misbegotten youth complete with images of two sweaty teenagers groping in the back seat of some car somewhere. Oddly enough, though, it's hard to find. You can find the OTHER flavors, like pink champagne and cold duck, but the peach can only be found at my local grocery store.
At my local grocery store, they only will put out so much of it. Why? I don't know, or I didn't know...
I bought all three bottles and let the gal at the checkout counter know that this was some good stuff and since I'd been shopping in that store daily for 10 years, it would be kind of cool if they'd put more out more often, right? I mean, that's what you do when you want your grocery store to stock something..you let them know you like the product and that you'd like for them to stock it more.
And, she was sweet and blah blah...right? Well, the next week, I came in and bought the other three bottles and one of the gals was just all upset ..told me that they had a whole bunch in the store room but also said that they couldn't put that many out and it was going to be a week ...PERIOD...before they would put any more out, despite how much was in the back room.
What the hell kind of business is that? They decided that they didn't like one of their customers buying that much wine. It went against something religious, as far as I could tell...and it pissed me OFF. I mean, supply and demand...I don't need no damn saving and I really, fucking really resent being judged by someone who doesn't even know me or anything about me. THAT pisses me off more than anything.
I just smiled real sweet when she said that to me and told her I'd be happy to find somewhere else to buy it then. And, I did. I thought about ordering it, too and hadn't gotten around to it yet and stopped in there this past weekend, and wouldn't ya know there were SEVEN bottles of that stuff out there. I giggled at that and bought my usual three...which made them feel better...LOL...I wound up actually buying them all, but I bought the rest 2 at a time....
This really cracks me up in a way...it does. It's CRAZY...I tell ya...
And I've had the complete OPPOSITE experience with the local likker store. Man, the chick in there is DRUNK every time I go in there...well, I haven't seen that particular chick in a long time, and it probably has a lot to do with being DRUNK...and I mean...3 feet away, you are staggering with a contact high because of her breath drunk.
Somehow, believe it or not, I prefer those religious gals at my grocery store...and that's what's REALLY crazy.
Who Knew?
| What Your Peanut Butter And Jelly Sandwich Means |
 Your eating style is reserved. You are a bit of a fussy eater, and you have very specific ways you like your food prepared. You have an average sweet tooth. While you enjoy desserts, they aren't exactly your downfall. Your taste in food tends to be pretty flexible. You may crave sushi one night, and your favorite childhood recipe the next. Admit it, you're a little trashy and low class at times. You're definitely more comfortable at a tattoo parlor than the theater. You are a tough person who isn't afraid to live life fully. There isn't a lot that scares you. Precise and controlled, you can be a bit anal retentive when it comes to how you like things. You're definitely a perfectionist. |
H/T to Leslie
Monday, June 18, 2007
Hot Rodding Again
Oh yeah! My car and I can even call it mine now, is up and running. I just took it on a long ol' test drive and boy howdy was it fun. There's a little more power in it now and she's loving those headers. She's loving the new lifters, too...
So, the senior chief spent all day father's day finishing this up for me. We got him good though. I went to Wal-Mart and picked out some cool t-shirts so that he thought all he got was a bunch of crappy t-shirts.
The last gift was a bag of cash. No lie. Everybody kicked in...they all knew he wanted some cool toys for his car, but nobody knew what, so they put in some money and instead of a gift card ..which is what we were going to do, now he isn't limited to one store. Anyway, I just stuck it all in a bag from his favorite racing shop.
If I would have had time I would have got it in even smaller bills so that it would have filled the bag up, but hey, you can only do what you can do. I don't think he counted it until this morning, but when you have a buttload of kids and they all contribute a certain amount, it can get on up there...hehehe.
I cooked him some chicken on the grill, didn't burn the corn, and we had a nice time.
It was quiet...he's uncomfortable with being the only dad left in his immediate family. All those women have no other men to lavish their love on and they have so much love, it can be overwhelming sometimes. This, too, shall pass. It was wierd, but it was the first year I didn't have a father of some kind to honor as well.
So, the senior chief spent all day father's day finishing this up for me. We got him good though. I went to Wal-Mart and picked out some cool t-shirts so that he thought all he got was a bunch of crappy t-shirts.
The last gift was a bag of cash. No lie. Everybody kicked in...they all knew he wanted some cool toys for his car, but nobody knew what, so they put in some money and instead of a gift card ..which is what we were going to do, now he isn't limited to one store. Anyway, I just stuck it all in a bag from his favorite racing shop.
If I would have had time I would have got it in even smaller bills so that it would have filled the bag up, but hey, you can only do what you can do. I don't think he counted it until this morning, but when you have a buttload of kids and they all contribute a certain amount, it can get on up there...hehehe.
I cooked him some chicken on the grill, didn't burn the corn, and we had a nice time.
It was quiet...he's uncomfortable with being the only dad left in his immediate family. All those women have no other men to lavish their love on and they have so much love, it can be overwhelming sometimes. This, too, shall pass. It was wierd, but it was the first year I didn't have a father of some kind to honor as well.
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Happy Father's Day
To all you wonderful Dad's out there, I hope your day reflects all the love that you give all year long. Happy Father's Day!
Friday, June 15, 2007
Finding God
One thing I learned during my meditating and studying is that if you want to find God, you must look to nature.
My favorite place to meditate is in the little pine stand in my back yard. It's not quiet, for sure, but it's hard to feel separate and alone amongst the birds singing, the owls hooting, the ants busily gathering stuff, the low buzz of bees.
The longer you just sit and absorb nature, the more it comes to you that it's all a design. It's a design we haven't quite figured out yet, naturally, but a design nonetheless. There are no accidents. Everything fits together too well. Each animal, mineral and plant, needs all the others in order to be the way it is. If any small thing is altered, then there is big change down the line somewhere.
Seeing that all is connected, you cannot help but know that it wasn't an accident. No way. Something created us. And the knowing brings peace.
My favorite place to meditate is in the little pine stand in my back yard. It's not quiet, for sure, but it's hard to feel separate and alone amongst the birds singing, the owls hooting, the ants busily gathering stuff, the low buzz of bees.
The longer you just sit and absorb nature, the more it comes to you that it's all a design. It's a design we haven't quite figured out yet, naturally, but a design nonetheless. There are no accidents. Everything fits together too well. Each animal, mineral and plant, needs all the others in order to be the way it is. If any small thing is altered, then there is big change down the line somewhere.
Seeing that all is connected, you cannot help but know that it wasn't an accident. No way. Something created us. And the knowing brings peace.
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Spirituality
People often wonder what that is and how it pertains to religion. I have attempted a post or two before on this subject, but it is a hard thing to put into words.
Church is simply a place to get religious education. And each church has their own spin on what the truth of matters are according to what part of the Bible that they got stuck in.
To me religion, implies rituals and superstition. Religion is man-made and very fallible. In my recent studies, I've learned that since DAY 1 there has been a political spin on information.
That does not mean that I don't believe in God. My faith is unshakable. My faith is very child like. Just because I don't understand it, does not mean I do not believe in it. I don't understand electricity or magnetics all that well, either, but I sure as hell believe in them.
I do believe this thing we call God is just but another energy. Unseen, and untapped yet, yes, but simply an energy all the same. Maybe I'm heretic for that, but I believe it will all come down to physics in the end. But, I believe in it and I believe in what I see when I can tap into it. It's the knowing how and when to tap into it that is the big question...how to harness it...that has always been the question.
We all want to perform miracles, to heal people, etc. etc. These things, I believe we can do. All religion is...is one way or another to try and tap into this unseen energy.
The only thing that is known to work is STATE OF MIND. Trying to tap into it is like looking for lost keys. Only when you quit looking do you find them. Only when you relax can you begin to tap into this power, this energy source we call God.
I don't believe this source of energy is any more personal to us than electricity. That it can affect our daily lives and change the direction of things when we come into contact with it...positively and negatively, I do believe, but that doesn't make it personal. Electricity kills sometimes, too...magnetics can do some REALLY funky stuff.
What about Jesus Christ our savior...I can hear some people grumbling that. What about him? Did he exist? I'm certain of it. Did he die so that we would learn something? I'm certain of it.
Lately, I've been studying Kabballah, and when I say that, a lot of people laugh. They say, oh it's just a Hollywood thing, blah, blah, blah. Doesn't matter. There's a ton of information there. When people get over their religious prejudices ...only then will we know the truth. The history of our planet and our people is contained within those texts. Just like anything else, only certain books were put together in the bible. Every religion has it's own sacred texts, so it goes to reason that every religion is a piece to the puzzle. Only when we can learn to get along, will we ever be able to know the truth. Hell, even the Koran has a piece to the puzzle.
I really don't know what I'm trying to say here, except that I guess I get sick of people assuming that because I don't go to church, I am not "saved" or that I don't believe or whatever. It's simply not true, I just don't need all the flash and circumstance. My belief is absolute. I don't need church. I don't have doubts.
Church is simply a place to get religious education. And each church has their own spin on what the truth of matters are according to what part of the Bible that they got stuck in.
To me religion, implies rituals and superstition. Religion is man-made and very fallible. In my recent studies, I've learned that since DAY 1 there has been a political spin on information.
That does not mean that I don't believe in God. My faith is unshakable. My faith is very child like. Just because I don't understand it, does not mean I do not believe in it. I don't understand electricity or magnetics all that well, either, but I sure as hell believe in them.
I do believe this thing we call God is just but another energy. Unseen, and untapped yet, yes, but simply an energy all the same. Maybe I'm heretic for that, but I believe it will all come down to physics in the end. But, I believe in it and I believe in what I see when I can tap into it. It's the knowing how and when to tap into it that is the big question...how to harness it...that has always been the question.
We all want to perform miracles, to heal people, etc. etc. These things, I believe we can do. All religion is...is one way or another to try and tap into this unseen energy.
The only thing that is known to work is STATE OF MIND. Trying to tap into it is like looking for lost keys. Only when you quit looking do you find them. Only when you relax can you begin to tap into this power, this energy source we call God.
I don't believe this source of energy is any more personal to us than electricity. That it can affect our daily lives and change the direction of things when we come into contact with it...positively and negatively, I do believe, but that doesn't make it personal. Electricity kills sometimes, too...magnetics can do some REALLY funky stuff.
What about Jesus Christ our savior...I can hear some people grumbling that. What about him? Did he exist? I'm certain of it. Did he die so that we would learn something? I'm certain of it.
Lately, I've been studying Kabballah, and when I say that, a lot of people laugh. They say, oh it's just a Hollywood thing, blah, blah, blah. Doesn't matter. There's a ton of information there. When people get over their religious prejudices ...only then will we know the truth. The history of our planet and our people is contained within those texts. Just like anything else, only certain books were put together in the bible. Every religion has it's own sacred texts, so it goes to reason that every religion is a piece to the puzzle. Only when we can learn to get along, will we ever be able to know the truth. Hell, even the Koran has a piece to the puzzle.
I really don't know what I'm trying to say here, except that I guess I get sick of people assuming that because I don't go to church, I am not "saved" or that I don't believe or whatever. It's simply not true, I just don't need all the flash and circumstance. My belief is absolute. I don't need church. I don't have doubts.
Monday, June 11, 2007
Death
I've been thinking about death a lot lately. I guess it's that time of year, really.
I really believe we have it ALL WRONG, too..our concept of things a thousand years from now is going to look like nothing but a bunch of superstition. We need to be studying physics really to understand it all.
I think the soul is something like water. You know water has several forms. Water in a lake or a river is water, but frozen is ice, and in the clouds as a gas. But, still, no matter what FORM it takes, it is still H2O. I think our souls are a lot like that. When we die, it just takes on a different form.
I really believe we have it ALL WRONG, too..our concept of things a thousand years from now is going to look like nothing but a bunch of superstition. We need to be studying physics really to understand it all.
I think the soul is something like water. You know water has several forms. Water in a lake or a river is water, but frozen is ice, and in the clouds as a gas. But, still, no matter what FORM it takes, it is still H2O. I think our souls are a lot like that. When we die, it just takes on a different form.
Friday, June 08, 2007
To Summarize...
Yeah, I'm pretty damn happy considering the year I had. It was rough. My father in law died and the only person who had ever had that experience before was me and my mom in law...my oldest son put his truck into a creek bed and moved to Denver for 4 months and Joe joined the Army. Jake was living with his grandparents and it sucked because we thought we had given my father in law a new lease on life, and shit went downhill in a hurry. It was cool..the entire family made it. He was surrounded by all of his children, all of his grandchildren and his great grandchildren were at home with me praying for safe passage. On the spiritual meter, it was pretty damn awesome.
But, now, Jim's back home and straightened out. He's my eldest stepchild and I think he's finally healed from the shit his mother put him through. God I hate that woman...LOL!!! I kicked her out of the pictures I was taking of Joe at his Army graduation. I'm probably going to rot in hell for being that mean, but too damn bad. Jake's home, too, and doing real well. Joe's just went to Fort Hood. It was hard to let him go, but he's sure of what he's doing...and I'm sure because we made sure he understood the truth of things. Probably Jake is going to join the Navy...and David too.
My little dude is just really not cool with his big brother going off. He didn't think it was fair at first, until Joe wrote home about all the shit he had to do in boot camp. Sean decided it was pretty fair then..hahaha!!
And my girl just kicks ass...literally sometimes...LOL!!! She's not really a girly girl or any of all that. She's fun..she's at that age where we love to go shopping together and whatnot. Hell, she steals my shoes...that cracks me up. She steals my clothes too..hehehe. I love having a daughter as much as I love having sons.
And that pretty much sums it all up lately. It's been busy and many details have been left out, but it's been a ride this year and coming out on the other side...it's ok, things always work out right in the end, really. It only gets easier from here, until the next time, and each time it gets a little easier anyway. You hate to think you get experienced with death and all, but hey, there's a lot of stuff that's good to know.
But good lord, I do not need to watch any shows during the day. My damn life is just one big soap opera and believe me I try to contain the drama as much as humanly possible. I would hate to think of how it would be if I didn't.
But, now, Jim's back home and straightened out. He's my eldest stepchild and I think he's finally healed from the shit his mother put him through. God I hate that woman...LOL!!! I kicked her out of the pictures I was taking of Joe at his Army graduation. I'm probably going to rot in hell for being that mean, but too damn bad. Jake's home, too, and doing real well. Joe's just went to Fort Hood. It was hard to let him go, but he's sure of what he's doing...and I'm sure because we made sure he understood the truth of things. Probably Jake is going to join the Navy...and David too.
My little dude is just really not cool with his big brother going off. He didn't think it was fair at first, until Joe wrote home about all the shit he had to do in boot camp. Sean decided it was pretty fair then..hahaha!!
And my girl just kicks ass...literally sometimes...LOL!!! She's not really a girly girl or any of all that. She's fun..she's at that age where we love to go shopping together and whatnot. Hell, she steals my shoes...that cracks me up. She steals my clothes too..hehehe. I love having a daughter as much as I love having sons.
And that pretty much sums it all up lately. It's been busy and many details have been left out, but it's been a ride this year and coming out on the other side...it's ok, things always work out right in the end, really. It only gets easier from here, until the next time, and each time it gets a little easier anyway. You hate to think you get experienced with death and all, but hey, there's a lot of stuff that's good to know.
But good lord, I do not need to watch any shows during the day. My damn life is just one big soap opera and believe me I try to contain the drama as much as humanly possible. I would hate to think of how it would be if I didn't.
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
Kids...
Well, Joe's in Texas. He left yesterday morning. I thought I was going to have to kick him out...it was very hard for him to leave.
He got pulled over 30 miles from my mom in law's house.
Going too slow.
I am so laughing my ass off right now even thinking about it.
The conversation went a little something like this.
Cop: "Where you headed, son"
Joe: "To Grandma's House" Yes, that is exactly what he said. To grandma's house.
Cop: "Well I pulled you over because you were going so slow you looked suspicious. Are you tired, or lost?"
Joe: "A little of both, but mostly lost."
I assume at this point, the cop gave him some directions...because he got there pretty quick after that. He called us right after he got done with the cop, apparently, but he left that part out as it was midnight or so.
What a hoot. Boy, I'm going to miss that kid. This was the last of his innocence.
He got pulled over 30 miles from my mom in law's house.
Going too slow.
I am so laughing my ass off right now even thinking about it.
The conversation went a little something like this.
Cop: "Where you headed, son"
Joe: "To Grandma's House" Yes, that is exactly what he said. To grandma's house.
Cop: "Well I pulled you over because you were going so slow you looked suspicious. Are you tired, or lost?"
Joe: "A little of both, but mostly lost."
I assume at this point, the cop gave him some directions...because he got there pretty quick after that. He called us right after he got done with the cop, apparently, but he left that part out as it was midnight or so.
What a hoot. Boy, I'm going to miss that kid. This was the last of his innocence.
Monday, June 04, 2007
Vehicle hell is now over. Check out the new babies we added to the stable. The one on top is the one Army boy picked up a couple of weeks ago. The one on the bottom is the one we just picked up and it is twice the car as Army boy's. He's got the standard 305, t-tops, stock everything, which is awesome by itself.
The senior chief has the cat daddy of cars. It's got a 383 in it and it's just full of testosterone! Also a Z28, but a true coupe, which are rare to find. This particular car was definitely a find. It's brand new. The story is quite sad, but the guy built it to drive himself and then got hit with a divorce. Blue book value being what it is, he couldn't ask what it's really worth because otherwise he would have had to spend the money to get it appraised, which he didn't have. It's show ready...
So, the senior chief is one happy dude right now and that makes me one happy lady! Pretty soon, he'll have my baby worked over and then I'll be happy..er.
I'm going to have to post a couple of other pictures of the Big Dog ..(that's what the senior chief named his new car)..because that one really does not do it justice. It is surprisingly invisible on the road, too.
Blogging Phenomenon
It seems that the relationship between blogging and living is much like that of time and money. You are either blogging or you are doing something to blog about...but not at the same time.
Anyway, these last three weeks have been a whirlwind with Joe being home and taking care of business.
Last Friday was mine and the senior chief's anniversary. He took the day off and we hung out together...we didn't really have anything planned.
So, we were hanging out in the garage and discussing the never ending car situation, knowing that we need a new car and with limited resources. So, on a whim, we went and looked at one, and it is all that and a bag of chips, let me tell ya. The senior chief is happy...
While we were out looking though, the eldest kid called us....wondering where we were...LOL...it's our anniversary and we couldn't sneak 2 minutes out together.
Well, that was because the kids had planned us a party. How cool is that. We get home and there were people lined up behind us. All bearing alcohol and food and lots of laughter and fun. I was pretty honored.
The Marine boy we adopted ...he says we're the best parents ever. I don't even really have words for how loved they made us feel, and how special.
The next night was the going away party for Joe who is transferring to Fort Hood. He did a lot of running around his last week home. The senior chief started to get a little upset about it but I reminded him that the kid is probably going to be playing in the sandbox soon, that this is the last of his innocence...and the senior chief knew I was right. But, we're still going to miss him.
Anyway, this kid pulled some old girlfriends of Joe's out of the woodwork and there was one that was a hoot. She walked right up to him and said.."Yeah, honey, you were whipped when you were with me..." He blushed, and man, he was wondering to himself why he ever broke up with her...LOL!!! I leaned back on the car and said..."Oh, honey...DO tell."
It was about 10 minutes later that she realized I was Momma. Now THAT was funny.
I adopted a sweet girl this weekend. Man, this girl is drop dead, model gorgeous and has absolutely no self esteem. None. Thinks she's fat and ugly. What the hell is UP with that? Geez. We gotta fix that. And her boyfriend...lordy, honey he was one of those ...me and her were in the kitchen making rice crispy treats and there ain't no room in my kitchen for 2 people, and this dude came up and squeezed right in between us...it was creepy. Marine dude said...Man, that dude is one of those people you hear about that goes and shoots up a school and nobody is surprised. And, that creeps me out because that was my impression, too. But, he had ulterior motives for saying that..drama drama drama. Sure glad I'm not a young thing anymore. I do not miss those days.
I got more later, but it's back to the grind today.
Anyway, these last three weeks have been a whirlwind with Joe being home and taking care of business.
Last Friday was mine and the senior chief's anniversary. He took the day off and we hung out together...we didn't really have anything planned.
So, we were hanging out in the garage and discussing the never ending car situation, knowing that we need a new car and with limited resources. So, on a whim, we went and looked at one, and it is all that and a bag of chips, let me tell ya. The senior chief is happy...
While we were out looking though, the eldest kid called us....wondering where we were...LOL...it's our anniversary and we couldn't sneak 2 minutes out together.
Well, that was because the kids had planned us a party. How cool is that. We get home and there were people lined up behind us. All bearing alcohol and food and lots of laughter and fun. I was pretty honored.
The Marine boy we adopted ...he says we're the best parents ever. I don't even really have words for how loved they made us feel, and how special.
The next night was the going away party for Joe who is transferring to Fort Hood. He did a lot of running around his last week home. The senior chief started to get a little upset about it but I reminded him that the kid is probably going to be playing in the sandbox soon, that this is the last of his innocence...and the senior chief knew I was right. But, we're still going to miss him.
Anyway, this kid pulled some old girlfriends of Joe's out of the woodwork and there was one that was a hoot. She walked right up to him and said.."Yeah, honey, you were whipped when you were with me..." He blushed, and man, he was wondering to himself why he ever broke up with her...LOL!!! I leaned back on the car and said..."Oh, honey...DO tell."
It was about 10 minutes later that she realized I was Momma. Now THAT was funny.
I adopted a sweet girl this weekend. Man, this girl is drop dead, model gorgeous and has absolutely no self esteem. None. Thinks she's fat and ugly. What the hell is UP with that? Geez. We gotta fix that. And her boyfriend...lordy, honey he was one of those ...me and her were in the kitchen making rice crispy treats and there ain't no room in my kitchen for 2 people, and this dude came up and squeezed right in between us...it was creepy. Marine dude said...Man, that dude is one of those people you hear about that goes and shoots up a school and nobody is surprised. And, that creeps me out because that was my impression, too. But, he had ulterior motives for saying that..drama drama drama. Sure glad I'm not a young thing anymore. I do not miss those days.
I got more later, but it's back to the grind today.
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