5th Street Truths

Back to blogging?

2011-08-02T13:02:00.003-05:00

It has been almost a year since I last posted here. Alot has happened in that time, most of which obviously wasn't worth writing about! So here I am a year later, re-evaluating the need to keep blogging. I'm not sure why I even opened up the site. I had almost forgotten my password.

But here I sit. And as I think back over the past year and what actually DID happen that was worth repeating I find that I have a rather uneventful life. So blogging may make me sad! Of course I am looking at my life from the point of view of the man who lived it, so maybe the details will be more interesting to others.

When you stop bloging for a while it is like having a train of thought derailed. I would have to go back and read my own posts to see just what I have already told you, lest I become that old guy who repeats the same stories over and over. So I'll try to avoid that and try to avoid reviewing my own material as well.

So where am I now. I guess in many ways I am revisiting some of the same old ruts: wish I was back in NC, wish I hadn't left active duty, wish, wish, wish. But some things have changed and some neat things have happened: I finally finished Company Command and I got promoted in the Army Guard, I have to travel all the time for my civilian job, my neice is now on her way to stardom with her new TV gig, I survived the big tornado outbreak in Alabama (April-May '11). So things aren't all the same.

I am starting a new round of workouts using P90X. Yes, from the infomercials. Started yesterday. We'll see how that goes. Seems OK so far.

A New Start

2010-08-03T17:48:00.002-05:00

Well after 11 years at the same company I am finally making a change. Change can be forced upon you once in a while, as this one was, but it gives you a chance to clean house in the process, reevaluate your goals, and/or start over.

In this case we are talking about a job. My work as a DoD Contractor was thinning out back in April-May. To float me through the summer I took some time on active duty for the Alabama National Guard teaching at the Officer Candidate School (OCS) and just got back on Sunday. I am now back at the office, turned in my 2 weeks notice, and am starting a new gig on 25 August with another company.

In the mean time, I will be enjoying some down time between jobs, doing some honey-do's, swimming in the pool at the sis-in-laws, etc.

I wasn't thrilled to be job searching in this economy, especially with a wife, 4 kids, 2 dogs and a llama to feed. Not to mention bills. Frankly, I do favor electricity when I can get it! But this job came to me. The internet is a wonderful thing even if it is used to spy on our every move. I guess whoever was spying on me saw I needed a job and took pity. LOL!

Drama...always drama

2010-05-24T21:29:00.002-05:00

I suppose as I get older I should expect more and more drama in my life. My kids have drama, my siblings have drama, my siblings kids have drama, drama at work, drama at home, drama in the Army...always drama.

I'm so sick of drama. And everyone comes to me to fix their drama (except my siblings). How is it that I have become the great drama fixer? I would have figured a long time ago that folks knew I could give a crap about their drama. My siblings figured it out. They share their drama so we can laugh about it. But nooooooo. I have become the great drama fixer for the rest of the planet.

Maybe it is because I don't give a crap that folks think I can be fair. But if I don't give a crap, why would you expect me to care about being fair? Just no accounting for some folks.

But if I had to pick one type of drama as my favorite, it would be redneck drama. Redneck drama always involves a few things: alcohol and an arse whippin'. Occasionally it involves a 300lb woman at a Waffle House, but even then you can count on alcohol and arse whippins. Redneck drama is what Jerry Springer makes his living off of.

I can sit an listen to redneck drama stories all day. But what I don't like to do is try to solve redneck drama. Trying to solve it is like a monkey solving a calculus problem. It ain't gonna happen. But I'll listen to it just the same.

Getting involved in redneck drama can get you killed, and normally by the person who asked you to help in the first place.

Junior Leader

2010-03-10T20:15:00.002-06:00

Well my oldest boy is in Scouts and was selected this week to be a Patrol Leader. He'll find out real soon how hard being a leader can be, but I have faith in him that he'll rise to the occasion.

Rumors of my death are greatly exaggerated

2010-03-02T22:13:00.003-06:00

OK, so there are no real rumors of my death, but you may have thought so based on my lack of posts. So this is a feeble attempt to re-start blogging a bit.

I won't try to re-cap the last few months of events, but I will say that I have been busy! The kids are in to all new activities such as Boy Scouts and Heritage Girls. I am attempting to be a scout dad and I'll be honest, I'm enjoying it almost as much as the boys are. I have been on two camping trips with the Scouts and it has been great! The other dads and Scout leaders are just way too much fun. We are sleeping on the USS Alabama next month. So that is the up side.

On the down side I finally got a speeding ticket...after 24 years of a clean record. Worst part is that I deserved the ticket. I won't say I wasn't speeding because I was...and for a stupid reason. I just admitted it and took the ticket. I hate humble pie. Tastes like crap!

But back on the up side, my niece may be coming to Alabama for college at Birmingham Southern. Kinda cool in my opinion. It may be nice to have some family near by.

Gator and the Towtruck

2009-12-08T18:18:00.004-06:00

I don't really remember just how I got the nickname Towtruck in college. I do know that Gator gave it to me and he is the only person that calls me that. I think it was because of me dragging him out of a firefight during training or something.

Anyway, me and ol' Gator have been friends for just about 18 years. We were able to get together for a very brief celebration and a football game recently. Here are a few pics.

Me and Gator

Gator, Gary, and me.

Victory is sweet- losing stinks

2009-09-10T22:07:00.004-05:00

I am helping coach my two sons' soccer team this year. I am the coach yelling instructions on the side lines and firing up the players. The other coach is the strategist and the one planning substitutions and knows all the rules. I am there for motivation.

We got our first win last night. That set us at 1-1-1. It was good for the boys to finally have a win. We celebrated with a milkshake!

Tonight we got killed by a bigger, faster, and more skilled team. We got crushed. I even quit keeping score. It was pitiful. Now we are 1-2-1.

Chiggers!!!! and other events

2009-09-09T20:56:00.003-05:00

For the uninitiated a chigger is also known as a red bug. It is an infinitly small bug that is mostly invisible to the naked eye but has a bite that leaves you wanting to skin yourself alive if they DO bite you. I had the pleasure of getting to know a host of these little bugs after a weekend civil war event outside Atlanta. I am still debating either self-skinning or amputation.

In other news, my oldest son was making a call on my cell phone yesterday. He was calling his grandparents and said my cell phone was making a strange noise like it wouldn't let him dial the number. I listened and it was...a BUSY signal. I guess this is just another lost thing thanks to the digital age and the proliferation of voicemail and cell phones. No more busy signals, and probably no more dial tones! Dang I feel old.

I have decided to play tennis at one level above my current ranking. I am ding this for the competition and the challenge. I am hoping I won't get smoked too bad. Season starts in a few weeks so I have some time to get ready. My team captain thinks I can hang with the next higher ranked players. We'll see.

Keep Gator in your thoughts. He just got some dream-shattering news that is kinda hard to swallow. But I'll let him blog about it.

Ruined Independence Day

2009-07-04T20:28:00.002-05:00

Well my day was ruined. After busting my hump for 4 hours in the hot sun putting up electric fence for the dogs I was looking forward to a pool party/cookout up the road. It was all adults, no kids. I had already met my sun quota so I was waiting for the shade to overlap the pool so I could swim.

The sun had just about moved right and all is going fine until one of the geniuses decided to roll a big number right there on the deck and burn it with another woman there. I was gone after that. I told the wife I was leaving. No pool, no cookout. Plans shot. I didn't make a scene, just packed and bailed.

Kind pisses me off. Granted, it ain't my party, or my house and I'm the one who decided to leave, but it still pisses me off the only thing we had planned for the holiday was ruined by some inconsiderate ass who thinks he is still 19 years old and that pot is 'cool'. Grow up jackass.

I don't celebrate "the 4th of July", nor should you

2009-07-01T10:18:00.006-05:00

This is nit-picky for most folks. I know it. I can hear you revving up your keyboards to jump on me. But I don't celebrate the "4th of July".

4 July is just a date. It falls every year between 3 July and 5 July. Absolutely nothing special about that date.

What is special? INDEPENDENCE DAY! Yes, my friends, the name of the holiday is INDEPENDENCE DAY. On this special day we celebrate our ancestors having the balls to stand up to an opressive and unrepresentative government as say "NO MORE!" It is this day that makes us all what we are today...AMERICANS! Free of opressive British rule. THE BIRTH OF AMERICA!

Semantics? I think not! By dumbing it down to "4th of July" we lose sight of what we are celebrating! This isn't about fireworks and hotdogs (although fun). This is about celebrating our freedom! This is about standing up for what is right! This is about honoring the sacrifice of those men and women who stood up and told the Brits to piss off and then backed it up by taking up a weapon and standing a post!

Some of those people lost everything they had...and I mean everything.

This day is the heart and soul of being an American. This day is where it all began.

Take time this INDEPENDENCE DAY and READ the Declaration of Independence. Don't get all wrapped up in the free time that you forget that a big part of free time is 'free', and that is what you are celebrating!

So don't wish your friends a "Happy 4th". Wish them a "Great Independence Day"

Now pass the relish before my hotdog gets cold.

Stream of consciousness writing

2009-06-25T09:17:00.003-05:00

When you have writer's block my HS English teacher always encouraged trying stream of conciousness writing to generate ideas...

Hmmmm...I know for both of my blog fans the times have been rather slow. I have not been producing very many interesting posts, or even any uninteresting posts. It seems life has been rather routine.

-oldest son got a dirtbike
-put electrified fence in the dog pen (good clean fun!)
-new house air conditioner
-Rosetta Stone Russian language software
-still waiting for Company Command to be the "best job in the Army" as was promised
-the end of my Civil War hobby

Nothing seems to peak my interest.

Suggestions?

10 years this week

2009-05-22T11:37:00.003-05:00

Well it is hard to believe that I have been working at the same place for 10 years. It sure doesn't seem that long.

I've been lucky I guess. This company has been good to me. They have supported my deployments and times I needed to be off for military service. They have sent me all over the planet on job tasks. They have always managed to find me coverage when things got slim. They have overlooked my off-beat humor and took it in stride.

I've had some good times and worked with some good people. Some are still here, some have moved on or retired.

I look forward to 10 more good ones.

Hell in a handbasket?

2009-04-20T15:20:00.004-05:00

Ugggh, where to start?!! Tea Parties, Miss USA Pageant, Texas Secession, Georgia Nullification votes...

Will this country fracture apart? It is an honest question to ask. I never really thought a second civil war could happen, and in some ways really don't think it will come to that, but it is something to consider. Go back and study your history.

The 7th grade answer is that the Civil War was about slavery and that was the issue. But real reasons individuals took up arms are as vast as the numbers of men who served. Consider that today. History may record that the war in Iraq was about oil, but what do the individual soldiers say? See what I mean.

Also consider the fracture between the right and the left. Consider the fact that many see these fractures as irreparable and irreconcilable. How much more would it take to push the country into another shooting war? And why would Johnny go marching off? Was his home threatened? Was his livelihood threatened? Was his freedom threatened?

Folks only need to feel their safety and well being is actually, no joke, seriously at stake. It was easy to get folks riled up back then, and they didn't have the mass media availability of information. Rumor was strong medicine. And don't think for a second that just because we have MORE information that it is necessarily a good thing. "Internet Rumors" now make us disagree with folks on the other side of the country rather than just the other side of the fence. Where some of these issues would have only caused a small "Whiskey Rebellion" 200 years ago they could now cause a full scale uprising across states.

Alarmist? Maybe. But not beyond the realm of possibility. I'm not encouraging it, nor condoning it. Just studying on it and noticing some interesting parallels between now and the 1850s.

Why is It Named That?

2009-04-02T08:40:00.002-05:00

I have a book on my desk called "Why Is It Named That?" by Dex Nilsson. It is a neat little book that explains many of the street names and place names used in our area. It is kinda cool if you are one of those folks who has ever wondered who 'Gooch Lane' was named for, or 'Bobo Section Road', or 'Ditto Landing.' I use this book as a reference occasionally. Kudos to Mr. Nilsson for his creative work.

For those of you who visit my blog, you may ask the same question (actually nobody has ever asked that I know of). The answer is quite simple and rather silly actually. One of the hardest things to do when you start a blog is deciding what to name it. I tried several titles, but all seemed to be taken. I started working my way back through my life, trying to find an event or association that I could reference in my new blog name.

After numerous attempts at a name and several years of history I was finally able to settle on Garrett Hall, the name of my dorm in college. Can anyone guess what street it was on? You got it, 5th Street. So there ya have it, the origin of the name and web address.

Patriot Guard

2009-03-23T11:30:00.002-05:00

I got to witness something really neat this weekend, although the circumstances were not the best. I attended a funeral for a Vietnam vet who died last year of a heart attack. Through a set of unfortunate circumstances, this gentleman had been buried in a pauper's grave with no military honors. He was there for a few months before actions were set in place to have him re-located and honors given.

This is where things get neat. After the initial problem was discovered, veterans of all stripes, veterans organizations, civic, military, and private individuals, all showed up to give this veteran a send iff he deserved. If you can say a funeral was nice, this one was.

What impressed me the most was a group of folks we don't hear much about anymore...the Patriot Guard Riders. Members of this organization stood vigil over the coffin of the veteran for over 48 hours...from the time he was exhumed, until the funeral. 100% coverage and escort. It was an honor to stand at some point with these folks, although not one would want credit for doing anything special. They each feel they are doing what is right, not special, just right.

I am now a proud member of this organization and while I don't look forward to anyone needing our services, I am happy to know there are those willing to do what they do and I am happy to be part of that.

Today

2009-01-20T22:05:00.002-06:00

Today a quote from Obi Wan seems appropriate: "I felt a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced. I fear something terrible has happened."

A meme from Kate

2008-11-21T13:51:00.003-06:00

A meme from Kates Kafe. Rules are: open closest book to you to page 56. Type the 5th sentence in that book and then the next 2-5 sentences.

"About 1939, sons Edwin and Carl purchased the 25---acre Garth farm and its 1823 house south of Huntsville, and area known as Jones Valley. After World War II they made the farm a success, raising cattle (originally brought from Texas) and producing seed (Certified Ky-31 Fescue). In the 1950s and 1960s Carl also served as one of the partners of G.W. Jones & Sons, did engineer projects, and became a dynamic community leader especially recognized for bringing industries to Huntsville."- Why is it Named That, by Dex Nilsson. Copywright Aug 2003/Mar 2005 pp56
This is a GREAT book for anyone that lives in the Huntsville, Alabama area and tell where a large number of our street and landmark names come from.

20 Year High Scool Reunion

2008-11-17T14:39:00.001-06:00

20 years has come and gone…and so has the reunion weekend. It is hard to believe that the weekend I anticipated for months has flown by and is now shrinking in the rearview mirror of time.

The weekend was fantastic. It wasn’t the nightmare I had been warned about. The girls (now women) of my class were not all that different. As a matter of fact, most of them were downright good-looking! Some looked frozen in time. (Be honest, we all wanted to see what everyone else looked like) The guys were all the same, just neatened up a bit. A handful of them were frozen in time, but only in maturity. We guys never really grow up.

The thing that was probably the best about the whole weekend was the fact that all of the cliquish behavior was gone. People were just people. There were no band-geeks, no jocks, no cheerleaders, no outcasts. There were moms and dads, engineers and school teachers, soldiers and judges, small business owners and corporate employees. Everyone talked to everyone. Nobody felt shunned or unwelcome.

As for the events, they were great. Football game 52-12 win! It seems the planners took into consideration the fact that most of us would be married and have kids- so there was a kid-friendly event. Some would want to do the bar thing- so there was a bar event. Some would want dinner and dancing- so we had that too. There was something for everybody and if you attended all of them you got to see A LOT of people.

But probably the best thing about the reunion was what I could leave behind- regrets. I could leave that regret of that girl(s) I dated briefly who I unceremoniously stopped being interested in. I could shed that regret of the friend that I lost touch with. I could shed that regret of not studying this or that, or that I had gone to this college instead of that one. I made the trip home remarkably unburdened.

As much as I hate to admit it, I am now facing mid-life. Of course that assumes I will live to be nearly 80 years old. But being back at the school and seeing all of those folks didn’t make me feel old at all. Seeing them made me feel like I had been a part of something and despite all of our differences then we all turned out OK.

It also reminded me that I have more friends than I normally think I do.

A brief update

2008-10-15T10:46:00.002-05:00

I’m not sure what exactly to write about for this blog today. It seems that everything is mildly routine. I am enjoying this fall weather here in Alabama. I have been riding my Honda Rebel to work and getting 57 MPG. Can’t complain about that I suppose. Gas prices have dropped back down to $2.79/gal. I can top off the tank for less that $5.

Went to Nashville last weekend for the Tennessee State History Day held on the Bicentennial Capitol Mall. It was a fine weekend. I spent the weekend as Corporal Alvin C. York for the WWI crowd. It was quite fun walking around doing a first person impression of York. Lots of research goes into a deal like that. Fortunately, you don’t have to do TOO much to know more than most on some subjects. HAHA!

I will say goodbye to the 1203rd Engineer Battalion this weekend. This will be my last drill with them. I am being transferred back up north to the 115th Signal Battalion. I’m gonna miss seeing some of those folks I deployed with. Some I won’t miss at all. Our Freedom Salute is Sunday. I was going to bring the family but now I am just going solo. 3 months ago the whole celebration would have been great. Now it is an event hard to cram into my schedule. Such is life.

Ticker keeps ticking

2008-09-23T09:40:00.000-05:00

Last Thursday I had a stress test and a dye test at the Heart Center here in town. For those of you who have never had a stress test, they stick you on a treadmill and hook you up to about 6 cables to take an EKG while you walk/jog. Every three minutes or so the treadmill gets faster and the incline increases.

A dye test is just what it sounds like. They inject you with some type of radioactive dye that has a short half-life and then scan you circulatory system with an X-ray type machine. It basically allows the doc to see all the plumbing.

All my tests came out just fine. No heart blockages or problems so now it is a question of what was causing the pain. That will be hard to determine now since I haven’t really noticed it in the past two days. So my guess is it was muscular-skeletal like the doc originally thought. I probably just needed some cigars and alcohol and a plate of eggs and bacon. HAHA!

That being said, I am still having a full workover in October to do all the screenings for stuff I have a family history of: diabetes, cancer, high cholesterol, etc. It is just good judgment.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

2008-09-16T14:36:00.001-05:00

Good- The Pirates are on a roll. That’s good. I am getting lots of comments here in Alabama about the play my Pirates are giving. Unfortunately, they almost blew it against Tulane, but then again Tulane is a good team- a lot better that most give credit for. ECU is nationally ranked, although too high in my uneducated opinion.

Good- I finally got my motorcycle license. So now I can ride with the wind blowing over my bald scalp, bugs in my teeth, etc.

Bad- Injuries and pain. Had a major neck cramp last week that took handfuls of Ibuprofen to cure and untold number of days to finally go away. I walked like Robocop and was generally grumpy. I’m getting older and the time has come, alas, to begin getting screened for all things medical…diabetes, cancer, heart stuff, and lord help me…the prostate. Had an EKG this morning and have a stress test and dye test on Thursday. That pain in my ribs won’t go away. Doc is 90% sure it is muscular-skeletal, but we are playing it safe. I’m all for that.

Ugly- Insurance agencies. Lord have mercy. That may be why my chest hurts. Had a leak in the roof and some interior wall damage. Hope they pay for it all. Roof was under warranty and the roofer tarped it that day and fixed it within 2 days.

But overall, things are well. And just so my sister, who reads this blog, doesn’t panic, YOUR YOUNGER BRO is FINE! I ain’t gonna die of a heart attack….a stroke?...maybe…

Somebody call the cops...

2008-09-02T08:55:00.002-05:00

So there I was…standing in Tiger Rags, a store devoted to all things Auburn University. The family and I had been provided tickets to the game through Operation Military Kids and because I was a recent Iraq vet. I had never been to Auburn for a football game and my wife, an Auburn Alumni, had not been back in many years, so we were spending the pre-game hours spending every dime we had on orange stuff for the kids.

Those of you who know me are aware that I am an East Carolina University grad. I love Pirate football, but it doesn’t love me. I consider myself a jinx on the program because for the past 15 years about 99.9% of the games I have watched they have lost. I had to go to Iraq so they’d win a bowl game. So I try to stay away from the TV, computer, or radio on gameday just so they have a chance.

But standing there in line at Tiger Rags I couldn’t help but watch the ECU/VTech game that was on ESPN behind the counter. Granted it was late in the 4th quarter and we were down so I figured the nails were already in the coffin and I could do no harm. But what was THAT?!! Did he….no he couldn’t have…..he blocked a VTech punt!!!! He’s running it back!!!! Could it possibly be????? Did we just BEAT Virginia Tech!!???!!???

At this point, I am jumping up and down and screaming GO GO GO!! As if it will make this guy run faster. He crossed the goal line and I am beside myself! Of course, the Tiger Rags clerk has called security, all Auburn fans are looking at me like I’m on crack and laughing.

Great game Pirates! At least what little I saw of it.

Whose list am I on?

2008-08-05T10:07:00.000-05:00

With my 20 year high school reunion coming up a lot of memories have been refreshed. It has been interesting to look at our class website and see how much people have changed and what directions they have taken with their lives.

In an almost unavoidable way, as I have personally traveled down memory lane I have begun to re-associate people with what groups they ran with back then. Based on those old associations, I have created a mental list of folks I hope will contact me and folks I never thought would contact me. The interesting thing is that the list has been WRONG. I have had some people contact me that I never would have considered. I like the fact that my pre-suppositions are wrong. It also makes me wonder whose list I am on…

Who would never expect to hear from me?

20 Year Reunion Coming up

2008-08-01T08:54:00.000-05:00

20 years. Where does time go? I just can’t believe it has been 20 years since I graduated high school. Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of days that I feel every minute of 38 years old, but 20 years just ‘poof’ gone.

I don’t get home much, especially as much as I should. And I never really kept up with folks from high school. Remember, this was pre-internet and e-mail, so basically the only way you had to find someone was to find their parents or someone who might know and ask. Once life gets going and people move around it was like they dropped off the face of the earth. Actually, I dropped off the face of the earth by joining the Army after college.

We are all scheduled to “return to earth” this fall for our 20 year HS reunion. This will be the first that I even have the remote possibility to attend. The 5 year I was in Kuwait. The 10 year I was in Korea. I don’t think we had a 15. So basically I have not seen hardly a classmate in about 20 years. I am wondering who I will recognize.

Our class has a website that is pretty neat. I sure hope folks post pictures so I can study up on who is who!

Readjustment to home

2008-07-24T17:12:00.002-05:00

Just 2 months ago I was in the final days of my deployment to Iraq. The time had flown by and I was getting ready to come home. I couldn't believe how fast the deployment went by. Now I can't believe how fast time has past since I got home. It seems like it was yesterday, but it has been almost 2 months. Strange.

I am one of the lucky ones. I haven't had any issues re-assimilating back into civilian life. (I have to be careful not to say "real" life because duty in Iraq can get very "real"). I don't know about my counterparts yet. I haven't seen any of them since we parted ways on 8 June. I wonder how they are doing.

I have been asked (alot) if I miss Iraq. My answer is invariably "I miss my buddies and being on active duty. Iraq? Well probably only because my buddies were there." It is a hard thing to describe. Even though I was never shot at (only ever been shot at in Mississippi, not Iraq), the experience of being through a deployment make you all a bit closer. You remember how everything sucked, or it was hot, or whatever misery you went through together. I guess it is a common experience of suffering (at whatever level) that gives you that commaraderie. You have stories that you can share without explaining 6 million small details just to make folks understand it.

My excellent wife...and she is EXCELLENT...humors me by listening to my stories, no matter how boring or no matter if she has a clue what I am talking about. So that is a bonus. But nothing compares to sharing that inside joke that only a handful of you realy know why it is funny.

Good to be back home!

2008-06-13T18:32:00.002-05:00

Well the long journey is done. I am back home after a year long deployment. Just to be fair and accurate, I was only in-country for 9 months, like most National Guard units. Many who have been deployed will say that Balad/LSA Anaconda is the choice of places to be stationed. I can't dispute that at all. The place was very comfortable and should be considered "Disneyland" by those stationed at other FOBs. It was luck of the draw I suppose.

I can't lie. My deployment was not hard. The hardest part was being away from my family, but in many ways that was easy too. My wife is a super-trooper and handled the whole thing with relative ease. Being around her family was a help too. So I had nothing to complain about.

Lots of guys had it worse that we did. Actually, dang near everybody had it worse (except the Air Force). The only reason the AF had it better was that they didn't have to go outside the wire and didn't carry weapons on the FOB and even active AF was only there 6 months.

Worse part of the whole deployment was Ft McCoy. I'll write more on that later. But for now it is just good to be home.

Home on Leave Part II

2007-12-06T21:44:00.000-06:00

Wow. Being home is weird. While I am enjoying seeing the kids and wife, I am a bit out of place. just when you start getting used to being here it is time to pack up and ship back out to Iraq.

I made some rounds while I was home and saw some folks from work and so on. I ran into Dr Phat Tony and shared some "war stories." Of course I reassured him I would keep an eye out for any type of midgett humor I could find. And that if I ran across an Iraqi midgett I'd be sure to take a picture.

Shout out to Kateykakes and Dig 'Em. Sorry for not getting in touch while I was stateside. Oh and Wolf says "Hello". He is sucking wind down south in 3ID country.

I am wheels up on 9 Dec back to the land of Abraham. Ya'll be good!

Home on Leave from Iraq

2007-11-23T17:28:00.000-06:00

I am home. It is only for a few days but that is better than nothing.

It is a bit surreal to be here when just a few days ago I was in Iraq. There is so much to readjust to. But in many ways my time in Iraq almost seems like a dream that has never really happened.

Much has happend though and much of it has been good. There are very good indications that the Iraqis in our area are starting to take back their country. We have some good reports coming in from the field. Many of the specifics I cannot go in to.

As far as home is concerned, well, it seems they have been getting along famously without me. That is not enitrely true of course, but it feels that way. The family really has missed having me around, but they have also risen to the challenge and done what they needed to do to press on in my abscence. In some ways it was what I wanted, but in some ways I wish I was missed more.

But this is my first day back so who knows what will come out once we get more used to talking to each other like family instead of visitors.

Mobilizing for Iraq

2007-08-04T22:49:00.000-05:00

Well here I am at my mobilization station. We have been here for almost 55 days and are nearing the end of our train-up. This has been a challenging event both mentally and physically but everyone here has risen to the challenge and we are going over stronger and sharper than most of us have been since basic training.

I’d have to say that I am proud of what I am doing. Being apart from my family has not been as hard on us as it has been for many because I travel so much in my civilian job but the extended time will eventually wear on us all.

The support I have received from friends and family has been excellent. I get all types of cards and letters from kids, church groups and so on expressing support for us.

I don’t have much time to write. And as I go further into the deployment I will discover just what I can and can’t publish in this blog. But I did want all 4 of my readers know that I am still alive and will still be blogging.

So here I am...

2007-05-14T22:58:00.000-05:00

Here I am. 37 Years old. Why is it that until today I did not ever feel old?

I am in a bit of a funk tonight. Even though I was just out socializing with my classmates from Ft Huachuca and had a blast I have come to the realization that I am not 19 years old anymore. Where did the time go? How did 37 come around so fast?

I had a Sergeant ask me if I was prior service enlisted or did I just enter the Army "old" as an officer. I didn't know how to take that question. I never had really thought about it. Was I "old"? I guess it had never occurred to me. A 37 year old Captain... old? Maybe.

I was listening to some country music. I wanted to go two stepping like back when...but I am "old". How fast time has slid by. How fast time has gone since I was a young buck, out with my new bride. How I have screwed up the time since then.

I just want to know if there is ever time for a 'do over.' I guess the impending deployment has made me rethink alot about where I am vs where I am supposed to be. I am far from that. I am far from where I used to be as well. I just don't have fun anymore.

I guess when you grow up you become more responsible... I hate being reponsible sometimes...

And so it begins...

2007-05-08T20:21:00.000-05:00

Well I finally got my deployment orders. I won't go into details about the unit or the timeline since the Army has new rules (I guess) about blogging that I now fall under.

I will say that I am excited about deploying. I have looked forward to this for a long time. It is like being called up to the major leagues. I'm glad to do my part.

Once I get a feel for the rules of engagement for mil-blogging I will expand on this post.

A Great Loss

2007-03-23T09:25:00.000-05:00

Aunt Lella was 93. It is a bit hard to describe her except to say that everywhere this woman went she carried light. She was the type of person that cheered up a room just by being in it. She had an infectious smile and genuinely loved everyone. If you were feeling down about anything you just needed to talk to her, and even if your problem wasn’t solved, you always knew that things would be alright and that somebody loved you.

Everyone was family to her. You were always wanted, you were always needed, you were always important. She never knew a stranger. She always had time for you. No one ever left her house hungry

She was from a generation that understood hard work. She push mowed her own yard until she was 90. She had a riding mower for a brief time. In order to mow the small hill on her property, she disconnected the automatic shutoff under the seat so she could put the mower up on the hill sideways and walk along side of it and steer so it wouldn’t flip over! HA! I can still imagine her walking down our country road with her long sleeved white shirt, scarf and big old floppy straw hat, carrying her cane- her wobble stick, as she called it.

Aunt Lella was a great story teller. She never passed on an opportunity to tell a story and she had a million of them. But just recently, her son took her back to Mississippi for a visit, and when asked to tell a story she said that she was too tired and that her daughter would have to tell it. Her daughter told it perfectly. The torch had been passed, without ceremony, from one generation to the next. It wouldn’t be many more days before she was gone.

We buried Aunt Lella yesterday next to the love of her life, Uncle Hayden. Her fight against dementia and deteriorating health was over. Late in the afternoon we gathered at her daughters and sang old hymns and cut up and told stories and ate. It was good. I have a feeling it is the way she would have wanted it to be.

We’ll miss you Lella.

Safe Harbor

2007-02-20T19:27:00.000-06:00

My interests in life seem to ebb and flow like the tides. I am a man driven by the currents without anchor. The currents these days have driven me to the familiar port of Germany where I have rediscovered the treasures of literature and art and a safe haven in which to repair my broken hull and torn sails. At this point I will dispense with the sailing analogies, but I think you get the point. Traveling to Germany has helped to re-center me and let me know that all my previous educational ventures were not in vain.

In 1992 I majored in German Language and Literature. Technically a BS(P). I had spent almost 7 years, off and on, studying the German language, people, history, and literature. It was the only subject I ever struggled with. It was not easy and I was lucky to graduate with the degree. I wouldn't say it was through hard work. I was often slaughtered in class. I was an average student in German. But I stuck with it because I loved it and because my teachers were excellent and loved what they did. I wouldn't have quit for anything.

These past two weeks it paid off. I entered Germany with a hesitance I rarely exhibit. I lacked confidence in my ability. I was scared but it was a top-of-the-rollercoaster scared. I wasn't sure of myself in anyway related to German. I hadn't spoken a full sentence of German almost since graduation in '92 much less had a full conversation. 15 years is a long time and if I wasn't real good at it then, how bad must I be now?

I wasn't bad. I was actually fairly good. Although I lacked certain vocabulary I was able to get along just fine and much, much better that I had ever imagined. Comfort returned, confidence was built. I could carry on entire conversations with multiple people.

What happened next was even better. All of the literature, art, and history I had studied was dusted off. The German's were amazed that an American had studied Goethe, or Rilke, or Schiller, or Brecht, or Mann, or Duerer. I was in my element. It wasn't perfect, but it was wonderful. I felt my education was useful and I don't get that often working around engineers who see a 'humanities' degree as sub-par.

I don't know if I will ever get to Germany again. I don't know if I will ever experience a comfort zone like that again. But I will carry this trip with me for a long time and I am grateful to the teachers who prepared me for it.

Color Germany

2007-02-19T12:56:00.000-06:00

Heidelberg Marktplatz

Heidelberg Kornplatz

Heidelberg Castle

Nuernberg

Albrecht Duerer statue

More Germany

2007-02-19T12:44:00.000-06:00

Nuernberg Castle Museum

Heidelberg University

Heidelberg Street

The Madonna

Germersheim Kirche

Germersheim

Christmas Cheer!

2006-12-03T19:28:00.000-06:00

Well it is that time again...Christmas. So I figured I revisit this Oldie but goodie about Charlie Lawson!

I know you will find this depressing, but for me it is a whimsical way of remembering my Papaw who loved this song and also to wonder...just what was that old man thinking of every Christmas with 8 kids in the house...?

In my opinion, I bet he loved it only because Nanny hated it. Ha! Man I take after my Papaw!

Who are these goobers?

2006-11-21T20:29:00.000-06:00

Well there I was minding my own business when I stumbled across some old pics. I am a bit gunshy about putting pics of folks I know up on the web but...

Dig 'Em can you name these two?:

We need to have a reunion.

Happy Birthday!

2006-11-10T09:07:00.000-06:00

I have three older sisters. Two of them, Cathy and Louise, have birthdays this month so I figured I’ll write a blog about them. I will have to be careful though. My birthday is later this month and if I know my sisters, well...we’ll just say that paybacks are a bitch. And writing anything about women can, in general, get you killed. So...

I’ll refrain from saying just how old these ladies are. That would be just a bit below the belt. What I will say is that in all the many, many, many, many years they have been here on the planet it has been really neat having them as sisters.

I’ll start with Cathy. She likes to be called ‘Catherine’ now and I suppose that is much more fitting. Teenage girls go by ‘Cathy’. Respectable members of a community, outstanding volunteers, great moms, people you look up to, go by Catherine. That’s what my sister Catherine is…a person to look up to. How many sisters out there, when they were in college, wanted a little punk brother to come visit them? Mine did. And that made me feel special at a time when I didn’t feel very special. Catherine’s door was always open to me and probably always will be. For that I am eternally grateful.

As for Louise…Louise has been a friend to me. I guess at some point we stopped being rivals in the house and she started treating me like one of the crew. I’m not sure what I did to deserve that, but she always included me. Her friends were my friends and she didn’t mind. She protected me like I was an endangered species. She has been my cheerleader and president of my fan club. How do you repay that? How do you express appreciation for that? I really don’t know.

What I do know is that I love my sisters. All three of them. They shoot straight with me, and sometime straight AT me. And even though I haven’t been the best at keeping up with them, or kept in touch, or been involved in their lives as much in the past few years as I’d like to have been, that doesn’t keep me from loving them deep down in the pit of my otherwise cold heart.

My hope for them both, on these special days, is that they have great birthdays. And that this blog, published to the world, will tell them a whole lot more that some crappy Hallmark card.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Colorado

2006-11-08T10:02:00.000-06:00

Well I finally have some time to post about my vacation to Colorado.

We flew to Colorado on the 19th of October. I was a bit uneasy about getting on an airplane with four kids, one of which is an infant. The flight was in two hops- a short 1 hour and a longer 3 hour. It turned out well though and we had no real problems.

Once in Colorado Springs the fun began. Let me first digress and say that the Chrysler Stow ‘n Go seating minivan SUCKED. Other than that, all was well. Clear and cool weather. We got settled in to our hotel room just fine. Lesson learned is that we will soon have to start renting two rooms. Cramming all 6 of us in one room, plus luggage, was rather cramped but we made it work.

We spent the first few days sight seeing around the Springs: Crystal Mountain Trail, Seven Falls, Garden of the Gods, and Old Colorado City. I initiated the boys by having them stick their heads into the freezing mountain water. Nothing like a brain freeze from the outside! The Seven Falls visitor’s center was pretty cool with all kinds of hands on stuff for the kids to look at.

Of course, we had the obligatory trip to Walmart for all things forgotten. Bonus was for me to get to the REI Store. I am big on gear and loved walking around in the store looking at all the cool stuff.

On Sunday we headed down to Horn Creek ranch outside of Westcliffe, Colorado. We followed Hwy 50 and made brief stops at Royal Gorge and at Texas Creek for lunch. For those interested in seeing Royal Gorge, be warned, it used to be free, now it costs around $20 per person. I’m not saying if it is worth it or not, but it is privately owned property so the guy can charge what he wants. I will say that we simply looked from the free overlook. We then followed Hwy 69 straight down into Westcliffe.

We spent all of the next week at Horn Creek Ranch. The kids did all sorts of outdoors stuff and learned some really cool skills such as how to build a shelter, map-reading, trapping, etc. It was a Daniel Boone/Grizzly Adams/Davie Crockett kinda camp complete with coonskin caps and cap guns. Even my 4 yr old daughter thought it was cool. She loved the class on field dressing deer. We got 15 inches of snow on Thursday 26 Oct but it was virtually gone on Friday.

After Horn Creek it was back to Colorado Springs for visits to Pikes Peak, “Boo at the Zoo” and a drive over Gold Camp Road, and then fly home.

All in all, well worth the I-don’t-know-how-much-this-cost-me price I had to pay. I also found that when I was away from Huntsville and work, I am much more patient with the kids and I seem to trust them more. Hopefully I can carry that over.

Back from Colorado

2006-11-02T11:09:00.000-06:00

I am back after two weeks vacation in Colorado. I will post more later but did want to hang a few pics out there.

Sangre de Christo Mountains before the snow.

Sangre de Christo Mountains after the snow.

And a deer or two.

Enjoy the view

2006-10-12T10:50:00.000-05:00

I have already given you my views on the approach of fall weather so you can imagine how I am feeling about the approach of another wave of colder weather (lows in the 30’s).

I got a peek at prime outside time last weekend during the Battle of Perryville, Kentucky. Perryville was the largest battle fought in Kentucky during the Civil War and each year this battle is re-created for the public as a living history. This year about 4,000 of us participated in this 144th anniversary (to the day) of the battle. But the point is that I got to sleep outside under the stars in 40 degree temps, cook over the campfire, and enjoy the outdoors.

Saturday morning I arose at about 4:00. Naturally it was still dark and one or two of my buddies were already up with coffee on the fire. The moon was full and I headed off into the brightly lit woods and fields. I cannot begin to describe just how awesome it was. Full moon streaming through the trees catching a waft of campfire smoke and a light ground fog made the whole place this amazing mix of grey hues and dark shapes.

At one point I stood on top of a hill that had once housed an artillery battery and looked out over the fog laden pastures and anticipated the dead rising up right then and there. Some scenes in life just strike reverence into your heart and force you, by the power of image, just to be still and silent and pay respects.

I can say that, for the moment, that was the prettiest place on earth. But I know that next week will prove me wrong as I head out to Colorado with the family.

Fall Approacheth

2006-09-17T14:52:00.000-05:00

It has been well over a month since my last post and months since I have posted on a regular basis. I guess the summer weather has either brought me out of my funk, which is always a good catalyst for posts, or it has created jobs for me which have kept me away. That, or it has been some mystic combination thus making me too busy to sit down and write about my complaints. Either way, I shall be returning soon as I can feel the approach of Fall in the air.

Fall air. What is it about that time of year that makes my senses overload? My memory reels each fall with rememberances of long lost times, ancient jokes and missing friends. Perhaps the bite of the first cool morning is just the shock the system need to remember that you are still alive and can feel something other than sweat and dank humidity. Lord I hate Alabama humidity.

Perhaps it is the crispness of the air, the clairity. You can smell everything in the fall. Smoke of burning leaves or debris from summer harvests. Rain. Fresh earth. Sounds become sharper. Breezes. Rustling leaves. Cackling geese flying south. The crack of helmets on the "friendly fields of strife." All better in the cold. Lord I look forward to the fall.

But fall for me is also the beginning of a time of solitude that I enjoy. The cold forces 'modern' people back inside. The requisite gatherings become fewer among the less hearty. Cookouts and pool parties cease. Those who remain outside are those who need not speak to each other just to be polite- Folks who know how to survive and dress for the cold- Those who don't need to hustle from the warmth of the car to the warmth of the house- Those who understand that sometimes, most times, being alone in the cold beats being hemmed up next to someone you don't like in the warmth.

Ahhh, come on fall...

Back to 1997

2006-07-31T12:49:00.000-05:00

Well I am well on my way to making my goal. As of this weekend I am down 20 lbs and running 2 miles in about 16 minutes. That is pretty good for me considering how I felt about a year ago.

This puts my weight at 165 lbs and run time back down where it was back in 1997. I have never been a fast runner, so making it in 16 minutes was great for me. I feel like a new person physically.

Of course I didn't actually get a great start on losing weight and exercise. My planned start back in August 2005 went miserably. Running really sucked and I found it almost impossible to lose weight. Holidays didn't help either.

I didn't start in earnest until I planned on re-joining the Army. I lost the inintial 14 lbs between February and May. I plateaued a bit and now I am working on losing about 10 more. Goal now is 155 lbs and 15:30 on the run.

Somebody do something funny

2006-07-18T08:41:00.000-05:00

Well here I sit trying to figure SOMETHING to write about. I haven't blogged in a long time simply because nothing has struck me as funny or retarded enough to write about. And I refuse to get into news items on my blog (although watching Isreal slam Lebanon has been fun). This is beginning to feel like one of those mandatory writing assignments for English class.

So I guess I am forced into the movie review business. But rather than review what movies are good or bad, I'm going to review how Americans watch movies.

Americans, being challenged in the literary arts, like action movies. Symbolism and character development are generally wasted on most of us. We like good old fashioned Schwartzeneger-style action or Freddy Kruger suspense, or at least we used to. Now, considering all the action and adventure we get on reality TV, it takes alot to get a movie crowd "pumped up."

Take, for instance, my recent trip to see Superman Returns. Good flick overall, but I noticed that the crowd didn't seem engaged in the film. Frankly, there were times when they should have cheered, but alas, silence. Why? Watching a 5 year old boy crush a bad guy with a grand piano to save his mom is worthy of shouting "Hell YEAH!" out loud isn't it? Isn't seeing absolute evil crushed by good worth cheering about? Well I think 'yes' and I did cheer.

Movies are supposed to be enjoyed and moments like those are made for cheering. Not all films are absolute silence fests. Cars was made to be laughed at...outloud. That dang tow truck was cracking me up! Superman was made to be cheered...outloud.

Perhaps we are all too mired down by 600 gallon tubs of buttered popcorn and a tanker truck of coke. Maybe they should start selling beer at movies.

The South is Dead...Long Live the South...

2006-06-20T08:37:00.000-05:00

Well I watched the final nails being put on the coffin last night. Whose coffin? The South’s coffin. The coffin containing any remaining differences and regional pride that made us different from those damn yankee states. We have been assimilated…HOCKEY has become an actual sport in the South…may she rest in peace.

I never thought I’d see the day that a team based in North Carolina would play for, much less WIN, hockey's Stanley Cup. Hockey is and should have remained, a yankee sport. Keep that stuff up north. But alas, a bunch of hired-gun yankees (and canucks) have moved down South and brought their ways with them.

Now, just to be clear, I don’t hate hockey. It has a lot of fairly good violence which is just about the only redeeming factor. And I'm not saying those guys who play are sissies because they take some fairly cheap shots. I just think that some things should remain regional. I mean, congrats to the Hurricanes, but dang, who thinks this picture even looks right that doesn’t have some financial stake in the team or that isn’t a displaced yankee? I don’t know anyone. It's like playing polka music at an Alabama or Auburn football game...just don't sound right.

It was bound to happen I guess. We gave up Atlanta to subways and traffic. You have to specify "sweet tea" when you order (as if there is another kind of tea). Tobacco is harder to buy than crack. Dang near need permission from the Pope to have a gun.

At least we are still holding World Cup soccer at bay…for now.

I guess I’ll fly my flag at half mast today.

Once again in uniform

2006-06-09T10:42:00.000-05:00

Well after years of trying to reverse a near fatal error, I have finally returned to uniformed service. I had my first drill in the Alabama National Guard on 3-4 June.

This may not be a big deal to some folks but it is to me. Granted I am not a ‘high-speed’ soldier at 36 yrs old and I am in what is considered a ‘soft’ branch I am as happy as Braer Rabbit in the briar patch to be back.

I am assigned to the Battalion staff as the Intel Officer. I will be working closely with the operations section in planning exercises and so on. My current task is to help re-look contingency plans for hurricane relief operations.

A lot of folks don’t know what it is like to serve in the military. Many folks in my branch didn’t know what it is was like to serve in the military either (HA!) but we are all getting a first hand shot at learning it through deployments to Iraq, working hurricane Katrina and Rita, and so on.

I guess the hard part for me is this: I used to be the guy with the most experience. Now that I have been out for over four years and most of my counterparts have been to Iraq, I am the guy with the least experience. In many ways it is like being a cadet again. All of the uniforms have changed, a great deal of the verbiage has changed, but one thing is still the same- soldiers are soldiers and the qualities of a good leader are unchanging.

I will say that I am impressed with the unit much more than I was last time I was in. War has changed these guys. They have been shot at, mortared, lost troops, handled wounded. It has made them more professional. The buddy-buddy aspect of the National Guard is now edged with a greater respect for military order and discipline, structure and overall respect.

I look forward to learning new lessons. I look forward t giving that PFC or SGT the opportunity to teach me something from his experience. Hopefully, even though I am once again the new guy on the block, I can teach them some things too.

Duty First!

Memorial Day

2006-05-26T15:42:00.000-05:00

Normandy Cemetery, France

Lorraine American Cemetery and Memorial- Saint-Avold, France

Back from Vacation

2006-05-23T13:54:00.000-05:00

Well we are back from our family vacation. We hit Pigeon Forge on Sunday 14 May and stayed at the Fairfield Resort in a timeshare condo- two bedrooms, 2 full baths, king bed and two double beds, kitchen, and LOTS of room. The wife really liked having a washer/dryer combo in the place so we didn’t have to pack so much stuff.

Monday we went to the Smoky Mtn. Knife Works, Veterans Museum and then to Dollywood after 3PM. If you do that then you can use your tickets the next day too. Kids loved the roller coaster. Timber Towers was closed due to a malfunction.

Tuesday was Cades Cove. Saw three bears and umpteen million deer. Awesome place. Tuesday afternoon was NASCAR Raceway go-carts and the “Fixin’ to Rain” show.

Wednesday was back to Dollywood all day. (The place is closed on Tuesday so our Monday afternoon tickets were good for Wednesday). We rode everything from roller coasters to the Lemon Twist (teacup) ride, food, eagle show… I thought it would never end.

Thursday we went to Old Mill and Gatlinburg. It rained most of the day so I took my oldest boy to see the “Come Celebrate America” show. Good patriotic stuff in that show.

Friday we left and headed to Lake Lure, NC for a wedding and a finish to the weekend. We went to Chimney Rock and I tried rock climbing. The boys and oldest girl climbed the tower.

All in all a GREAT trip. I’ll post more when I download the pics.

Help find Brianna Hall- UPDATED

2006-04-27T19:28:00.000-05:00

BRIANNA WAS FOUND on 28 APRIL in Morganton, NC. Thanks to all who were concerned.
------------------------------------------------
Daughter of a fellow hunter is missing.

Help find Brianna Hall missing since April 24, 2006 from Advance, NC. Davie County.

Boots, Wheels and Wings

2006-04-24T09:47:00.000-05:00

This past Saturday I participated in the Third Annual Boots, Wheels and Wings WWII Day in Peachtree City, Ga. Overall it was a fine day…rainy…but fine.

As the title indicates, this is the 3rd time they have done this event and it seems that it is getting better every year. More folks, more vehicles, more aircraft and more reenactors. Reenactors as American GIs, Navy, Air Corps, Marines…and Germans and Russians.

Despite a rather disheartening downpour which lasted almost all day, the crowd was great. Unfortunately, I only got a few shots before my battery died but here are some pics.

Note the standing water around the camp.

British Ferret

Aircraft rollout.

An Army Of ...

2006-04-19T08:36:00.000-05:00

Well I have waited for Dr. Phat Tony to bring it up on his web site, but I guess I’ll have to make the announcement myself…Tomorrow I will be re-joining the US Army as a Captain. I figured DPT would have applauded or ridiculed the choice by now.

Anyway, I am not going back full time. I am simply joining a local National Guard unit. “Weekend Warrior” you say? Not hardly. As an Officer I will spend more than that ‘one weekend a month’ doing my job. Actually, once you get to be an NCO and above you end up doing a lot more that the commercial version of drill.

For me, it is a good compromise. I get to be back in the Army and my wife gets to stay put in her home that she loves. Odds are high that I will eventually be deployed, but that is what you join for, not simply to sit around on your arse getting a paycheck. If you want that, become a government civilian employee.

Us against THEM!

2006-03-06T11:20:00.000-06:00

(AR-15, and AK-47 FORUM users, read my other post above on the same topic...)
-----------------------------

What an outstanding weekend! My WWII Reenacting Unit (1st Infantry Division) and I were able to participate in some training with the Army National Guard. They had asked us to augment some of their personnel as OPFOR (Opposing Forces). We were happy to help out.

After a brief delay in kicking off the training, we hit the field around 7:30AM on Saturday. We fell in with approximately 16 other guys from the Guard which brought the OPFOR force up to 21. Decked out in our WWII uniforms and equipment, armed with M1 Garands and a 1919 .30 cal machine gun, we emplaced and waited for the US Army to try and ferret us out. It isn't hard to shoot at US Troops since they wear helmets and camo that look like the old German stuff.

At approximately 11:00 they hit us on the left flank. I was the furthest exposed on the left and soon found I was all alone since the machine gun nest had been destroyed. I was able to take down 2-3 GIs before being killed and the US Army ordered a “tactical pause,” which means they had some down time before continuing to their final objective. They conducted some reviews of their first fight and we ‘resurrected’ ourselves so we could keep on fighting.

Those of us who had been overrun on the hill moved to secondary positions guarding a building. We planned our defense, had some lunch and hunkered down for the afternoon fight.

We anticipated the attack would come from the west side of the building. The woods were closest to the structures there and it would create the least open ground to cover. The .30cal machine gun was placed in the woods to the south of the building in order to cover the approaches. We waited.

Now here is where I will admit that we cheated a bit. Having done this type of thing before, I knew to look at the ‘umpires’ for hints on where the enemy will come from. After all, the umpires have to grade the event so they will be looking for the attack. They gave it away as usual. They came from the southwest initially.

Giving fire from the Garands and a few M16s, we forced the Army to go to ground. They popped smoke, but failed to maneuver on us. Seeing we had them pinned, an umpire told us to “go ahead and die so these guys can attack the building.” Being a good training tool, I died as instructed.

3 squads maneuvered on the building from the west. Halting briefly at a row of connex boxes, they then sprinted 30 yds to the building. Unfortunately, a machine gun mowed them all down before they reached the building! Well, WE knew they were mowed down. Apparently they did not as they kept on attacking with umpires shaking their heads in disbelief while we laughed. Hopefully it was pointed out to them in their AAR that they had ignored fire from their flank.

Overall though, everybody had a great time. Nobody got hurt. Learning occurred. You just don’t get to do this type of thing everyday.

Self Assessment

2006-02-21T11:31:00.000-06:00

I need to listen more.
I need to talk less.
I need to read more.
I want to hike more.
I want to go to the range more.
I want to live more simply.

So how am I doing on my "Things to Improve On" list? As of right now I am doing OK only on two out of the six. I have been reading alot more and living more simply. I have not been hiking much, but I have been running. Yes, I know they are not the same, but at least I am getting exercise. I am looking forward to getting back into the woods here in the near future though.

I find it much more difficult to listen more and talk less, especially if the people talking are, in my opinion, idiots or simply re-stating some drab party line rather than thinking for themselves. I have tried to be less forceful in my opinions, but it seems I get pressed to speak by folks who simply want to hear the unexpected answer. I can't help but oblige them, normally to their chagrin.

Time to Go Home

2006-02-20T18:52:00.000-06:00

Well its come to this...I'm going home. North Carolina? No...Army.

I've come to realize a few things in the past few years. First- life is too short not to do what you love. Second- Life requires compromises. So after a 4+ years break in service I will not be seeking to go back to active duty, but rather settle for a National Guard position. This checks both blocks and keeps the Frau happy.

Right now I am shooting for getting my physical done in late March. This will set me up for the Re-Appointment Board in early April and re-commissioning in late April as a Captain (again). With any luck I will get my Company Command time out of the way soon and then pin on Major. After that I may have to transfer to the Military Police in order to stay in. But that is way in the future.

Right now I am running and trying to lose weight and get back in shape. Civilian life has made me soft, physically and mentally. That is why I am delaying the physical until late March...need to drop a few pounds first.

Wish me luck.

They don't make Politicians like these anymore

2006-02-17T15:41:00.000-06:00

Don't be afraid to say what you mean!

I grew up in North Carolina in the age of Jessie Helms. He and Strom Thurmond o South Carolina were the last few of a dying breed of politicians, so I thought. Then I see this article. Good to see some good ol' fashioned "ain't skeerd of the media" and "screw political correctness" still around. Hell, I'd vote for the man!

Father of the Year!

2006-01-26T11:27:00.000-06:00

I normally will not wade into such news topics but this one is great!

Father punches out teacher who molested his daughter.

The bastard is lucky the dad didn't shoot him!

(UPDATE: 27 JAN- Seems the whole "molestation" was a lie! The girls in question made it up to get back at the teacher that threw them in detention! Well honey, if you think detention was bad, just wait until daddy gets out of JAIL!) OOPS!

I have finally arrived!

2006-01-11T08:40:00.000-06:00

I fought it for years, but I guess I have finally given in an become a true Alabamian. Here's how I know:

1. I can properly pronounce Arab, AL. (A-rab)
2. I think people who complain about the heat in their states are sissies.
3. A tornado warning siren is my signal to go out in the yard and look for a funnel.
4. I know that the true value of a parking space is not determined by the distance to the door, but by the availability of shade.
5. Stores don't have bags and carts, they have sacks and buggys.
6. I've seen people wear bib overalls at funerals.
7. I think everyone from a bigger city has an accent.
8. I measure distance in minutes.
9. I go to the lake because I think it is like going to the ocean.
10. I listen to the weather forecast before getting dressed.
11. I know cowpies are not made of beef.
12. Someone I know has used a football schedule to plan their wedding date.
13. I have known someone who has a belt buckle bigger than my fist (and it is me).
14. I ain't surprised to find movie rental, ammunition, beer, and bait all in the same store. I'm actually disappointed if it isn't.
15. A Mercedes Benz isn't a status symbol. A Chevy Silverado Extended Bed Crew Cab is.
16. I know everything goes better with Ranch.
17. I learned how to shoot a gun before I learned how to multiply (OK I didn't, but my kids did).
18. I actually get these jokes and am "fixin' " to post 'em on my web site.
19. I actually know that tornados DO sound like a freight train.

Finally:

20. I am 100% Alabamian because I had this conversation: "You wanna coke?" "Yeah." "What kind?" "Dr Pepper."

Ups and Downs

2006-01-10T10:27:00.000-06:00

Well the combined Thanksgiving/Christmas holiday seasons are over and here in Alabama the deer hunting season ends in about two weeks. It is amazing that I made it through the holidays without killing anyone, and the deer season without killing anything (yet).

The season was full of ups and downs. The biggest down was that I had a car totaled. Notice I didn’t say I totaled a car. It is a long story, but bottom line is that I loaned it to a friend and his daughter ran through a telephone pole with it. Oddly enough this is my hunting buddy.

When you hunt with someone it is best to carefully consider how you handle conflict. After all, you don’t want to be on the outs with a person carrying a loaded firearm with a scope while sneaking around in the woods. That would be bad form.

One of the ups is that I got to catch up with an old friend. It’s always nice to be able to tell a story without having to describe the whole cast of characters because the other person knows them.

Another up is that I am still employed. Being in my position as a defense contractor makes you vulnerable to the ebb and flow of the whims of the government. And we all know how fickle they can be. (Sorry Big Brother, but you are fickle) So no complaint there.

So now we have a new year. I didn’t make resolutions because, as I told my son, I don’t make promises I don’t know I can keep. But there are some things I want to do or improve on.

I need to listen more.
I need to talk less.
I need to read more.
I want to hike more.
I want to go to the range more.
I want to live more simply.

We'll leave it at that for right now. I figure that is a good list.

A Blast from the Past!

2005-12-20T19:29:00.000-06:00

Have you ever had a friend that you wished you had kept up with but never could find again after moving? Well I have a friend like that, but thanks to the wonders of blogging, we have been able to catch up. Corbett and I were both in 3/37AR and 1-13AR. It is always nice to be able to catch up with former vets and tell tales. I haven't seen him since 1997.

This is me and Corbett (on the right) before launching the 3BCT Scout Competition.

Thanks to Paul V. for reading my rants!

Christmas Memories

2005-12-08T16:10:00.000-06:00

When I was a kid we used to go to my grandparents on Christmas Eve and have a get-together with the extended family. Now, my grandparents had 8 kids and 28 grandkids, so it was a huge gathering. We'd eat and open presents and sing.

Below is one of my grandfathers favorite songs. My grandmother hated it. I can't imagine why.

This one's for you Papaw. We miss you.

The Story of Charlie Lawson
by Walter "Kid" Smith

It was on last Christmas evening
The snow was on the ground
At his home in North Carolina
The murderer he was found

His name was Charlie Lawson
He had a loving wife
But no one knew what caused him
To take his family's life

They say he killed his wife at first
While the little ones did cry
"Please papa won' you spare our lives
For it's so hard to die"

But the raging man could not be stopped
He would not heed their call
He kept on firing fatal shots
Until he'd killed them all

And now farewell kind friends and home
I'll see you here no more
One fatal shot into my breast
And my troubles will be o'er

They did not carry him to jail
No lawyer would he pay
He'll have his trial in another world
On the final judgment day

They all were buried in a crowded grave
While the angels watched all above
Come home, come home my little ones
To the land of peace and love

And when the sad, sad news was heard
It was a great surprise
He'd killed five children and his wife
And then he'd took his life

Appalachian Trail Part 3

2005-11-29T10:31:00.000-06:00

Friday morning found us all waiting for another in the group to stir first. No one wanted to be the first out into the cold morning.

Bruce was the first to stir and when we all eventually emerged we found him sipping a cup of coffee fresh from his stove. The sun was up and the additional warmth was welcome as temps slowly started to rise.

With morning comes breakfast and Nick headed up the hill to retrieve our “bear bag” from the tree where we had hung up our food the previous night. I started heating water in my JetBoil stove for coffee, oatmeal, and anything else. I myself am not a big breakfast person so I reverted to my former Army breakfast of coffee and Copenhagen.

After packing up and policing up trash we hit the trail around 10:00AM headed for Rich Mountain. The trail from Spring Mountain shelter to Hurricane Gap was mostly downhill with a few PUDs (pointless ups and downs). From Hurricane Gap to the top of Rich Mountain was another tough uphill. We stopped halfway up to filter water.

We reached the “top” primitive camping area around 12:15 and settled in for lunch. Contrary to what we had expected, there were mice here. Odd- none at the shelter, but mice at the primitive area. Some of the group were starting to realize they had brought waaaay too much food. Glen tried to pawn off the 3 week supply of raisins he had brought but found no takers. I downed a Spam slice, few bites of a bagel, and some M&Ms. (Don’t laugh, some folks think Spam is good!)

Most of the group went to the top of the Rich Mountain Fire Tower after lunch. My Army genes kicked in and I refused to walk further than necessary, so I stayed with the packs and fought off the mice.

The hike from Rich Mountain to Tanyard Gap was almost all downhill. We all really began hitting a groove and made really good time. Even though we were facing our longest hike, we really had no trouble considering we were all basically beginners. We hadn’t frozen to death so hiking was a breeze.

I’ll spare our “hike leader” some embarrassment over a brief lapse in judgment at this point, but I will repeat his rules to us: Stay with your group. Make sure you are going the right way.

Crossing Tanyard Gap we headed back uphill for about a mile to our next camping site. The top of Mill Ridge is a bit confusing because you must follow fire road for a brief distance. Luckily our previously confused hike leader knew where he was this time and we made camp overlooking a pond with no problem.

Continued…

Appalachian Trail Part 2

2005-11-22T14:27:00.000-06:00

So now for some details about the trip:

The 5 of us started out on Wednesday 16 November from Huntsville, Alabama and drove up to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Now, that put us 1 1/2 hours from our start point at Allen Gap but it was a cheap place to stay and have a good breakfast. So we settled in for a short night stay and early morning departure.

On 17 November we had a short briefing on what we were to expect of the days hike and our group assignments. This hike was also supposed to be a time of spiritual reflection and time alone in the woods with God and seperate from all other distractions, so we talked about some issues the leader wanted us to mull over while we hiked.

The drive up to Hot Springs was rather quick and we left a car near the Hot Springs Police office, which would be the end of our hike. We all crowded in to my truck and headed off for the launching point- Allen Gap.

We parked the truck at an old abandoned grocery store, packed up, and headed into the woods around 12:15. To say that the first mile (+/-) was tough would not paint a clear picture. Basically, it was like walking up a flight of stairs for a mile. Although muscularly demanding, I believe our biggest challenge was altitude and air. We were at a slight altitude difference from Huntsville and we suffered from the brief adjustment. Once we got into a groove we were fine.

Once the climb out of Allen Gap was complete (about 45-50 minutes) we were atop Buzzard Roost Ridge and headed toward Spring Mountain. Total distance from Allen Gap to Spring Mountain Shelter was 3.7 miles, but the PUDs (pointless up and downs) made it seem longer. We were also the shorter group and so by 3:30PM we finally hit the SM Shelter.

We had originally planned to stay on Rich Mountain but that was now still 2 hours away and darkness and cold would soon be an issue. We opted to stay at the SM Shelter despite the anticipation of "shelter mice" raiding out goods.

Tents were set, campfire built, food prepared and eaten, and wet socks and clothing changed for dry. It was a good decision to stay at the shelter rather than press on because we were able to prep for the extreme cold to come and get snuggled into warm sleeping bags.

The overnight temp easily hovered near single digits. In my tent it was 20 degrees. Factor in that there were two of us in there and do some best-guessing on heat loss, residual body heat, etc and you can easily get down to 9-10 degrees outside.

To be continued...

Appalachian Trail- Allen Gap to Hot Springs, NC

2005-11-21T10:04:00.000-06:00

Well I did it. I was a bit worried about my ability to keep the pace but I did it. 14.7 miles. 40lb pack. Temp range from 6 to 50 degrees. That may not seem like much to some, and in my younger days it wasn't much, but at 36 (Happy Birthday to me) it was enough.

Here are some pics.

Up Spring Mountain.

Spring Mountain Shelter.

View from Rich Mountain Fire Tower.

Looking at Hot Springs and the French Broad River from Lover's Leap.

The French Broad River.

November Birthdays

2005-11-10T08:58:00.000-06:00

Well it is that time of year again. It is “let’s see how many family birthdays we can have in a month” month. It is kinda funny actually. Out of 5 kids, 4 of us are born in November.

I remember as a young kid asking my mom what it was about Valentines Day and that Whitman Sampler candy box that did it for her (do the math). It was a rather invasive question for a kid to ask a parent. I never did get an answer, nor did I ever figure it out…my kids’ birthdays are scattered though the calendar year.

Anyway, at some point a long time ago, we November babies decided that it was all too much of a hassle to do the card shuffle. That and other family circumstances sort of put the cabosh on celebrating anyway, and then there were the times we went through not speaking, and generally making jackasses out of ourselves over small things such as feelings and personal opinions. So needless to say, we don’t run out and check our mail for those funny cards.

But that doesn’t mean we don’t all really love each other, contrary to what my dad may think. Cards don’t mean you care. Cards are just an easy way to check the block. There is nothing easy about our family realtionships so why should birthday cards be easy? We siblings are tough on each other and all share a common, but emotionally different painful past. So we keep some distance sometimes, like folks who have been in a car wreck we maintain a longer following distance.

In reality, even though I don’t do much with my siblings anymore, we don’t write, or hardly ever call or see each other, if push came to shove, we’d be there for each other, despite any previous or current hard feelings. We are family after all.

So to my sisters and brother who may read this this month- Happy Birthday. I'll always be there for you.

Dang! That's gonna leave a mark!

2005-11-03T08:20:00.000-06:00

Did you ever walk right into a spider web, or a hornets nest, or an ambush, or a mine field? I did...into all of them last night. I felt like Braer Rabbit punching that tarbaby and just getting more and more stuck. All I could think of was "how in the heck did you get into this?" My instinct was to flee...("break contact" in military terms). But like Braer Rabbit, the only way out was through the briar patch.

In the long run it turned out to be a good "painful experience." But it does leave one hell of a mark.

Rules for dating my daughter

2005-11-01T11:00:00.000-06:00

I know that this is a wee-bit premature since my daughters are only 4 years old and 7 weeks old. But a bit of early warning never hurt anyone and may keep future applicants from being hurt.

I didn't write these rules, but I love them (except for the reference to hockey in rule 8) so here they are:.
___________________________
Ten simple rules for dating my daughter...

Rule One: If you pull into my driveway and honk you'd better be delivering a package, because you're sure not picking anything up.

Rule Two: You do not touch my daughter in front of me. You may glance at her, so long as you do not peer at anything below her neck. If you cannot keep your eyes or hands off of my daughter's body, I will remove them.

Rule Three: I am aware that it is considered fashionable for boys of your age to wear their trousers so loosely that they appear to be falling off their hips. Please don't take this as an insult, but you and all of your friends are complete idiots. Still, I want to be fair and open minded about this issue, so I propose his compromise: You may come to the door with your underwear showing and your pants ten sizes too big, and I will not object. However, in order to ensure that your clothes do not, in fact, come off during the course of your date with my daughter, I will take my electric nail gun and fasten your trousers securely in place to your waist.

Rule Four: I'm sure you've been told that in today's world, sex without utilizing a "barrier method" of some kind can kill you. Let me elaborate, when it comes to sex, I am the barrier, and I will kill you.

Rule Five: It is usually understood that in order for us to get to know each other, we should talk about sports, politics, and other issues of the day. Please do not do this. The only information I require from you is an indication of when you expect to have my daughter safely back at my house, and the only word I need from you on this subject is "early."

Rule Six: I have no doubt you are a popular fellow, with many opportunities to date other girls. This is fine with me as long as it is okay with my daughter. Otherwise, once you have gone out with my little girl, you will continue to date no one but her until she is finished with you. If you make her cry, I will make you cry.

Rule Seven: As you stand in my front hallway, waiting for my daughter to appear, and more than an hour goes by, do not sigh and fidget. If you want to be on time for the movie, you should not be dating. My daughter is putting on her makeup, a process that can take longer than painting the Golden Gate Bridge. Instead of just standing there, why don't you do something useful, like changing the oil in my car?

Rule Eight: The following places are not appropriate for a date with my daughter: Places where there are beds, sofas, or anything softer than a wooden stool. Places where there are no parents, policemen, or nuns within eyesight. Places where there is darkness. Places where there is dancing, holding hands, or happiness. Places where the ambient temperature is warm enough to induce my daughter to wear shorts, tank tops, midriff T-shirts, or anything other than overalls, a sweater, and a goose down parka - zipped up to her throat. Movies with a strong romantic or sexual theme are to be avoided; movies which features chain saws are okay. Hockey games are okay. Old folks homes are better.

Rule Nine: Do not lie to me. I may appear to be a pot-bellied, balding, middle-aged, dim-witted has-been. But on issues relating to my daughter, I am the all-knowing, merciless god of your universe. If I ask you where you are going and with whom, you have one chance to tell me the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. I have a shotgun, a shovel, and five acres behind the house. Do not trifle with me.

Rule Ten: Be afraid. Be very afraid. It takes very little for me to mistake the sound of your car in the driveway for a ATF chopper coming in. When my Redneck side starts acting up, the voices in my head frequently tell me to clean the guns as I wait for you to bring my daughter home. As soon as you pull into the driveway you should exit your car with both hands in plain sight. Speak the perimeter password (chickenmonkey), announce in a clear voice that you have brought my daughter home safely and early, then return to your car - there is no need for you to come inside.

The camouflaged face at the window is mine.

Candied Apples

2005-10-31T10:10:00.000-06:00

It’s funny how your senses can take you back in time when they encounter something familiar. The floodgates (or dungeons) of your memory are unlocked and all sorts of things pour out.

This happened to me this weekend when I ate a candied apple. Until Saturday I had probably not had a candied apple since Reagan was President- the first time. Man, what a flavor! I would have to say that if God ate junk food that candied apples would have to be up there on the list.

With just one tooth pulling crunch of that candied shell I was once again standing on the main drag of the NC State Fair and I was 10 years old. I could instantly remember cruising around the rows and rows of vendors and rides. I even (eventually) remembered the name of one of my favorite rides from back then- the Himalaya! My sister Louise and I got my dad on it one time and he lost all of his pocket change due to the spinning force. It's kinda like marriage!

I just got a big kick out of remembering some of that old stuff and posting about it. Dr. Phat Tony calls it my “on-line mid-life crisis.”

Time to show my redneck side

2005-10-28T11:09:00.000-05:00

First some thanks to Dr. Phat Tony for sending me some readers.

Well fall is here and it is time to get out and enjoy the outdoors. I know many of you are thinking “What? Spring and summer are for that.” Well then you are an idiot.

Fall and winter are the absolute best time to get out and be in the outdoors. It is the best time for camping and hiking and for my favorite sport- deer hunting. Now I will not go into a long diatribe on why deer hunting is so great, nor do I care if you are an animal lover- I love ‘em too…with potatoes and gravy. But I will tell ya that fall and winter are the best times to be outside.

For me, summer is just too miserable. The air is heavy and thick- humidity and bugs. No thanks. And all of the pesky critters you don’t want to come across favor the summer: hornets, yellow jackets, flies, mosquitoes, snakes, 'city' yankees on vacation. All of ‘em in the woods in the summer. When the snowbirds and geese fly far south to Texas and Florida it is time for me to hit the woods. (Yankee Note: City yankees are different from country yankees and country yankees know why. If you don't, then you are a city yankee)

This fall I have several adventures planned. I will be hiking part of the Appalachian Trail on my birthday this year to celebrate turning 18 for the second time. Granted it will be a small 15 mile hike, but at least it is outdoors. Fifteen miles from Allen Gap back down to Hot Springs, NC in 3 days. I am chomping at the bit. This weekend I am sleeping in the back yard just to get ready.

I also have invitations to hunt in 4 different places. Compared to last year, when I had NO place to go, I am in high cotton. I am still a relative newcomer to hunting, but since I got the bug I have loved it! I’d say that just getting to sit in the woods and stalk my prey is my favorite part. I’ve done many hunts and not taken a single deer but had the time of my life. But the rush of that deer coming into the open, offering you a shot…man that gets the adrenaline up.

Praise the Lord and pass the gravy!

I love Teaching (and singin')

2005-10-17T19:55:00.000-05:00

Just recently I have taken on some new challenges. I am teaching 3 high school juniors German and I am teaching a 4th grade girl English. I am also doing my normal rounds of history presentations for schools...all on top of my normal 8 hours a day job. I wouldn't trade it for anything.

Last week I participated in a school Civil War history program for 2800 5th grade kids in the Sumner County, Tennessee area. I portrayed an Army Surgeon, describing what it was like to handle the care of wounded soldiers and perform amputations. Kids love gross stuff.

On the language front I have my newest pupil- Francheska. Francheska is 9 years old and speaks ZERO English. Neither do either of her parents. All of them are German. I don't have any idea what has brought them to the USA, but I'd bet it has to do with Daimler or Mercedes.

Francheska's teacher is married to one of my co-workers. She has been especially frustrated by the whole ordeal since she speaks no German.

I love teaching. I love helping someone, anyone, learn something they never knew. As many of my friends will agree, I love to talk so that helps. But taking information and being able to present it in a way that helps folks understand...I love it.

And on a seperate note... I went camping this weekend with the family. Some of the folks at the campground have a jam session every night so I was invited to throw in with 'em. I did a few Jimmy Buffett tunes and a few Civil War songs. One of the musicians came up to me and said, "There are only two folk singers out here, and you are one of 'em." Made me feel kinda good!

Milk does the body good...within limits.

2005-10-07T08:36:00.000-05:00

I must say that my trip back to North Carolina was all I hoped it would be…with the exception that we got beat like a rented mule by Southern Miss. Then again, it wasn’t like we didn’t expect a beating.

Thanks to many Pirate faithful, I was afforded access to many pre-game treats that I had not expected. Thanks to Jon and Harry, I was given access to the Privateer Deck. This is basically a back-stage pass to the field house and first hand access to the high rollers room. Free food, meet the Athletic Director, hob knob with the big shots. Excellent. But as good as that was, it just couldn’t compare to what was to come after the game in the form of a small bet…

Post game found us at the Outback Steakhouse. Jon, Jon’s dad, Jeremy, me and Jon’s cousin- Trey. Trey is key to this whole story, for he is the poor slob who, not only instigated the bet, but suffered the consequences of the bet. Now stick with me here…

A few weeks ago, Jon had seen a video on the internet of some ECU students trying to drink a gallon of milk in 1 hour. None of them made it. This led to a discussion of “can it be done?” Most of us, well…the adults in the group…all pretty much decided that you can’t do it. That was based on a very crude memory of biology class and general experience from drinking other liquids of dubious nature. Enter 19 year old Trey…

Trey firmly believed he could pull it off despite being told by three adults and the cute waitress that it couldn’t be done. But as we all know, you can’t tell a 19 year old anything, especially when it come to consuming things. So we figured that if he didn’t believe our words, maybe he would believe it if we put up a decently large sum of money against him on a bet. So $60 was offered.

This is where we failed, since all he saw was a chance to make $60 in an hour.

Off to Walmart for a gallon of milk and two disposable cameras (we have to have a record of the event). I will preface this by saying that Trey had not eaten since lunch and ate nothing at Outback. We also allowed him to get 2% milk rather than whole milk.

Clock starts. Trey, ever confident, paces himself. One huge cup gone and a pic for the record.

Two huge cups gone. We’re up to about 15 minutes now and Trey is smiling.

Three cups down. Hey, he’s doing fine and is just shy of a half gallon. But where’s that smile Trey? You’re not looking so perky buddy. Man you still have well over 30 minutes to go. Plenty of time.

Fourth cup. Trey, you’re kinda nursing this one bud. What’s the matter? You’re not feeling SICK are ya? Fours cups gets you past a half gallon. Go Trey Go!

At this point Trey stands up from the truck tailgate where he had been sitting enjoying a few glasses of cold beverage of the milky variety. He is literally trembling. Milk overload is taking hold but he downs the last of cup #4 and pours #5! Trey, Trey, Trey, Trey!

It is during cup #5 where a perfectly healthy, 19 year old kid, turns into an invalid. Merely sipping at the milk gives him that “hard swallow” that you get as you are trying to force something back down into your gut that your body is wanting to reject. Jon and I are circling this poor boy like paparazzi, snapping photos. Finally, we get the signal…

SPEEEEEWWWWW! Spit, spit SPEEEEEEEWWWW! Spit, wipe the nose, spit.

The boy really got some distance on that! Are those chicken mcnuggets?

52 minutes and just a little over a half gallon.

Well, he didn’t earn $60 but he did get a valuable life lesson. And…he did get a free half gallon of milk to take home. And that was the most fun I've had at someone else's expense since college!

From the mouths of babes...

2005-09-28T09:06:00.000-05:00

Sometimes your children are your conscience. Sometimes they are your greatest joy. Sometimes they are your voice that says things you would only say to yourself. This can sometimes make them your worst enemy.

This was the case on Saturday.

There I was…working in the garage with my lovely wife and mother of four. She was reorganizing everything and making a place for the kids to put their bikes. I was putting a mirror on a kids bike and realized I needed an additional tool- my leatherman.

I turned to my oldest son, who is eight, and told him to go inside and get my leatherman. He proceeded to ask me about 10-15 questions that really had nothing to do with him performing the task he had been given. He was stalling. I knew it and finally I fussed at him, “Will you just go get the dang leatherman!”

As he proceeded off into the house I continued my grumbling. “Dang kid! He’ll spend 45 minutes asking you questions on how to do something rather than just do what he is told!”

Now THIS is where a child becomes your inner voice…Specifically, my other son, who is six, becomes my inner voice…much to my dismay…

“Just like his momma.” Nathan says.

Ummmm…can you feel the cold arctic air that just blew in?

I wish I could say I did the right thing, I really do. I wish I could say that I immediately did damage control…I didn’t. Instead I did what was natural, and what inevitably got me in more trouble than I was already in….I laughed so hard I cried.

I guess part of me, the child in me, just surrendered to the fact that I was already way in over my head so why not enjoy it?

Coming home...

2005-09-27T09:06:00.000-05:00

This weekend I will be returning to one of the places of my youth- Greenville, North Carolina and East Carolina University. For me, this was the launching point of my adult life. (Although some would argue I was born an adult and some would say I’ve never reached it.)

Going home is something many people take for granted. I don’t. Every trip back to the Old North State is a chance for me to regain a part of something I lost long ago. It is a chance for me to recapture a memory, and maybe to pick up some pieces of a fractured past.

This particular trip invites me to take part in the familiar rituals of football season. But this trip will be about far more than watching a game, it will be about walking the campus that I love so much. It will be about the people, the sights, the sounds, the smells of being back in a place as familiar to me as the back of my hand. It will be about home.

North Carolina has always been a special place for me. There is no place like it on earth. Even the feeling in the air is different. Just crossing the State line gives me a comfort that I don’t get anywhere else. It is that “sleeping in on a crisp, cold morning” kind of comfort. An “I don’t have to go to work today” kind of comfort. A “sitting down in your favorite recliner” kind of comfort. It is probably some magical mixture of sand and longleaf pine carried on the humid air that elicits this feeling.

I can’t decide what I look forward to the most or what I want to do first. Walk down the mall on campus? Look up old professors? See my old dorm? UBE? Student Store? REAL BBQ? I guess it really doesn’t matter what I do. Everywhere I walk I will also be walking the halls of my memory thinking of ghosts of my days on campus, almost hoping the present and the past can come together in a familiar moment and almost transport me back.

New movie quote

2005-09-23T21:48:00.000-05:00

Anyone that knows me knows that I remember LOTS of movie dialogue and love to throw out a quote now and then. My wife calls me the "Keeper of Useless Knowledge."

Well now I have a new one to add. I watched a HORRIBLE movie called Ghost Rock. The movie almost sucked my TV screen inside out it was soooooo bad. But there was one redeeming quote:

"All he knows about brains is you can buy 'em in a can and cook 'em with your eggs."

Lordy that is beautiful! That one goes in the book!

Now for those who don't already know, a common breakfast food was brains and eggs, at least here in the south. My grandfather used to eat them every morning. Sometimes things do change for the better.

Why is it...?

2005-09-22T19:45:00.000-05:00

Why is it that the advice your spouse gives you is not good enough until you have heard that advice from a third party as well?

That seems to be happening alot here. My wife is finally getting on board with many concepts that I have been pushing for months and months: survival/emergency planning, simplifying our lives, being more self sufficient. She is finally hearing that I am not a nutball after all. It is sapping my source of things to complain about! Dang it!

It works both ways too. I don't take advice from her, but when anyone else tells me the same thing, it is like I heard it for the first time and it was a pearl of wisdom just for me.

Making Room for Life

2005-09-16T13:21:00.000-05:00

Well since the new arrival of baby #4 the house has been going through a few adjustments. Some are baby related but many of the adjustments are things that we needed to do anyway, new baby or no new baby.

For example, we have finally decided to get rid of cable TV. I know that will be hard for many of my family members to believe since I was practically raised by a television. It was a tough decision but TV is such a HUGE time waster. It is so easy to get sucked into watching absolutely NOTHING and then wonder where your evening went.

The lady from COMCAST called and tried to convince me to keep my service. When I gave her my reasons for canceling she said, “I wish more people would do that.” Let’s just hope our call wasn’t being monitored for training purposes later or she will be looking for a job.

As a caveat to the TV being gone in the evening, we had to also swear off the computer. A computer in the home with internet capability can be just as distracting as a TV and if we supplanted TV with surfing the net we would have gained nothing.

I have, for a long time, wanted to implement these changes. Being somewhat of a throwback to an era 150 years ago, I find most “modern” conveniences to be mere multipliers of our suffering and just eat away at your day. The holdout, oddly enough, has been my wife. It was not until recently that she has realized that I was right. (Yeah, chalk one up for me!) OK, she actually got confirmation that I was not a nut from some others in our church. I think that is what really changed her mind.

My next targets are the cell phones, call waiting, and the answering machine. I mean really, just how available do we need to be to everyone on the planet? I’m not home? Tough. Call back later.

A New Little Rebel-ette

2005-09-09T20:21:00.000-05:00

Well #4 has arrived! That's momma, Susannah Kate(#3) and Sarah Elizabeth(#4).

Looks like I married up now don't it!

The Stun Gun

2005-09-07T08:44:00.000-05:00

My sister asked me to re-post my earlier story about the fence post. Since I will have to re-write that one, I submit this story instead. This happened to a fellow deer hunter that posts on Tennessee Deer. His name is Ruger. His original version ended up making e-mail rounds and came back to me in this form. Enjoy!
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My wife is fond of saying that my last words on this earth will be something akin to, "hey y'all, hold my beer and watch this!"

Well, I have outdone myself once again. No doubt you will see this true story chronicled in a LifeTime movie in the near future. Here goes.

Last weekend I spied something at Larry's Pistol and Pawn that tickled my fancy. (Note: Keep in mind that my "fancy" is easily tickled). I bought something really cool for Gretchen. The occasion was our 14th anniversary and I was looking for a little something extra for my sweet girl.

What I came across was a 100,000-volt, pocket/purse-sized Tazer gun with a clip. For those of you who are not familiar with this product, it is a less-than-lethal stun gun with two metal prongs designed to incapacitate an assailant with a shock of high-voltage, low amperage electricity while you flee to safety. The effects are supposed to be short lived, with no long-term adverse affect on your assailant, but allowing you adequate time to retreat to safety. You simply jab the prongs into your 250 lb. Tattooed assailant, push the button, and it will render him a slobbering, goggle-eyed, muscle-twitching, whimpering, pencil-neck geek. If you've never seen one of these things in action, then you're truly missing out-way too cool!

Long story short, I bought the device and brought it home. I loaded two triple-a batteries in the darn thing and pushed the button. Nothing! I was so disappointed. Upon reading the directions (we don't need no stinkin' directions), I found much to my chagrin that this particular model would not create an arch between the prongs. How disappointing! I do love fire for effect. I learned that if I pushed the button, however, and pressed it against a metal surface that I'd get the blue arch of electricity darting back and forth between the prongs that I was so looking forward to. I did so. Awesome!!! Sparks, a blue arch of electricity, and a loud pop!!!

Yipeeeeee . . I'm easily amused, just for your information, but I have yet to explain to my wife what that burn spot is on the face of her microwave. Okay, so I was home alone with this new toy, thinking to myself that it couldn't be all that bad with only two triple-a batteries, etc., etc. There I sat in my recliner, my dog looking on intently (trusting little soul), reading the directions (that would be me, not the dog) and thinking that I really needed to try this thing out on a flesh and blood target.

I must admit I thought about zapping the dog for a fraction of a second and thought better of it. She is such a sweet dog, after all. But, if I was going to give this thing to my wife to protect herself against a mugger, I did want some assurance that it would work as advertised. Am I wrong? Was I wrong to think that? Seemed reasonable to me at the time...

So, there I sat in a pair of shorts and a tank top with my reading glasses perched delicately on the bridge of my nose, directions in one hand, Tazer in another. The directions said that a one-second burst would shock and disorient your assailant; a two-second burst was supposed to cause muscle spasms and a loss of bodily control; a three-second burst would purportedly make your assailant flop on the ground like a fish out of water. All the while I'm looking at this little device (measuring about 5" long, less than 3/4 inch in circumference, pretty cute really, and loaded with two itsy, bitsy triple-a batteries) thinking to myself, "no friggin' way!"

Friggin' way-trust me, but I'm getting ahead of myself. What happened next is almost beyond description, but I'll do my best. Those of you who know me well have got a pretty good idea of what followed. I'm sitting there alone, the dog looking on with her head cocked to one side as to say, "don't do it daddy," reasoning that a one-second burst from such a tiny lil' ole thing couldn't hurt all that bad (sound, rational thinking under the circumstances, wouldn't you agree?). I decided to give myself a one-second burst just for the hell of it. (Note: You know, a bad decision is like hindsight-always twenty-twenty. It is so obvious that it was a bad decision after the fact, even though it seemed so right at the time. Don't ya hate that?)

I touched the prongs to my naked thigh, pushed the button, and HOLY s**t! DAaaaauuuuuuMN!!! I'm pretty sure that Jessie Ventura ran in through the front door, picked me up out of that recliner, then body slammed me on the carpet over and over again. I vaguely recall waking up on my side in the fetal position, nipples on fire, testicles nowhere to be found, soaking wet, with my left arm tucked under my body in the oddest position. The dog was standing over me making barking sounds I had never heard before, licking my face, undoubtedly thinking to herself, "do it again, do it again!" (Note: If you ever feel compelled to mug yourself with a Tazer, one note of caution.)

There is no such thing as a one-second burst when you zap yourself.
You're not going to let go of that thing until it is dislodged from your hand by a violent thrashing about on the floor. Then, if you're lucky, you won't dislodge one of the prongs 1/4" deep in your thigh like yours truly. SON-OF-A-B1+cH that hurt! A minute or so later (I can't be sure, as time was a relative thing at this point), I collected my wits (what little I had left), sat up and surveyed the landscape. My reading glasses were on the mantel of the fireplace. How did they get there??? My triceps, right thigh and both titties were still twitching. My face felt like it had been shot up with Novocain, as my bottom lip weighed 88 lbs. give or take an ounce or two, I'm pretty sure.

By the way, has anyone seen my testicles? I think they ran away. I'm offering a reward. They're round, rather large, kinda hairy, and handsome if I must say so myself. Miss 'em . . . sure would like to get 'em back!

AMIGO DON'T EVER DO THIS!

Are you prepared?

2005-09-05T11:55:00.000-05:00

All of the talk about the disaster in the Gulf States has made me think about being prepared. I am a bit of a preparedness nut, but the whole thing made me think of the long term. How long could I support my family if a natural disaster ocurred?

I'd like to think that I am better off than others if for one simple reason: I have land. Land gives you advantages that others do not have. I have three wells for water or cool storage. I can grow my own food. I can raise my own animals for direct or indirect food source (ie. chicken or the eggs).

But having that land is only the beginning. I need to purify the water. I need to be able to survive until the crops are ready. I need to be able to preserve the food for storage. I need to be able to deal with trash and human waste. I need to be able to manage all of those resources and the millions of moving pieces that go with it. And I'd need to protect it. Could I do that if I had to?

The answer is partially "yes." I could "go Amish" if I had to. The bad thing about all of this is that 75 years ago, folks were so much more self sufficient that all of this "disaster preparedness" was what they considered everyday life. Since we, as a "modern society," have progressed so far beyond that, we don't need to be prepared, right? Well just ask the folks ravaged by hurricanes or tornados.

I was never taught these skills as a kid and the Army never really taught me this stuff. I had to go out and learn it on my own. There are several really good resources that I use and would like to recommend:

Lehman's Supplies -if you can think of it, they probably have it.
Root Cellar Basics
End Times Report -religious in nature but a GREAT resource on being self suffucient.
Outdoor Skills - This is a Boy Scout type site but good stuff.

I'm not saying the world is coming to an end...but I'm not saying it isn't either.

The Walls of Jericho

2005-09-02T23:40:00.000-05:00

There is a place here in Alabama called the Walls of Jericho. For those of you unfamiliar with it, it is a natural sheer cliff ravine with a stream flowing through it just outside of Hytop, Alabama. There is a hiking trail going down to the Walls.

Did I mention that the trail goes DOWN? Yes, according to the topo map, and my aching feet, it is about a 1000 ft elevation difference. The hiking trail is just about 2.5 miles according to the signs, but it seemed longer. That may have to do with the fact that I was a bit out of shape, carrying a 50 lb Army reject rucksack and my leftover jungle boots, or the fact that the group of men on the hike were also shadowed by our sons.

This was a father/son camping trip and even though I have two boys, I only brought one- the 8 yr old. I figured that this would be a good test case and that next time, if things went well, the 6 yr old could pack in as well. Primitive camping (no bathrooms or showers) is hard for small kids if they are raised too cushy. As we'll see, mine rocked and the 6 yr old will ruck up next time.

The Walls are awesome and provided some serious entertainment for the kids wanting to water-slide down the algae covered rocks. There was a blue-hole for swimming and my boy dared to jump off the 10ft cliff into the freezing water just like the bigger kids. He ain't skeered!

We camped in a clearing about 3/4 of a mile from the swimming hole, had a campfire, smores, etc. The whole point of the trip was for dads to "bless" their sons. For those not familiar, this is where you tell your kid just how special and important they are. Biblically, this was a ritual of growing up. Dads, blessed their sons to let them know that they had attained certain status in life, that they had passed certain milestones on their way to manhood. It is a lost tradition but what a great one to revive. I know my son benefited from it and so did I because it made me focus on just how much he was growing up and how fast.

Kids seem to have endless energy when they are doing what they like to do, so the hike in was easy. We only stopped once or twice for the kids going in. Downhill is easy. Gravity (mostly) works in your favor. Even if you fall you are closer to your destination. Going back out was different so for some dads 2.5 miles seemed like the Bataan Death march.

My kid is an exception though. At 8 yrs old, despite the demands for perfection I put on him, he always seems to rise to the occasion. Not a word out of him. Not a peep or a whine. Not a complaint about his pack weight. I let him call for breaks climbing out. Four was all we took. Four. To use an Army phrase: HOO-freaking-AHHH!

I did learn some valuable lessons about hiking gear. More on that later...

Katrina

2005-09-01T13:28:00.000-05:00

Where to begin?

My original intent was to come home from two weeks of travel and share my stories of hardship and so on. But now, after watching days and days of Hurricane coverage from Louisiana and Mississippi, I just don’t have the heart. Missing a flight or being crowded in “cattle-class” seats pales by comparison. At least I had food, water, and a home to go back to.

Its amazing how things that seem to be "tragedies" become mere small inconveniences when a REAL tragedy occurs. 9/11 did that for us for a while. Katrina is doing it for all of us again.

Seeing the suffering of others, of your own people, bring a focus of reality to your problems. Things that seemed to be insurmountable problems now become trite. Things that would anger us before now become laughable and forgivable mistakes. We gain perspective through tragedy.

Watching this disaster has reminded me of my work in Florida after Andrew went through. I cannot begin to explain the damage that hurricane caused. Nor does it directly compare to the damage done by Katrina. With Katrina you have flooding and continual danger that is not proportional to Andrew’s wind damage. At least after Andrew you could get assistance into needed areas.

My heart’s desire is to go help as I did back then in 1992, but we have a kid on the way and the doc says she could come at any time. The wife has a history of delivering early so here I sit. I will have to find another way of helping. And I encourage all of you to do the same.

Been away a while

2005-08-28T08:39:00.000-05:00

I have been away from the computer for a few days while in upstate New York and I have to say I do love not having to check e-mail. I DO, however, dread having to catch up on all the e-mails I missed.

But alas, e-mail will have to wait yet one more week as I am off again to Colorado and then North Carolina in back to back trips.

I will say a few things about up-state New York:

1. I definitely know why they always qualify being a New Yorker by saying "I am from UP STATE New York." In my opinion, up-state New Yorkers are good ol' country folks that just happen to have a bad accent. New York City folks and up-state New Yorkers have ZERO in common...and that is a good thing.

2. The weather was great.

3. The WWII Vet in my last post even gave them some love when he said, "Yep, if you're in a fight, those boys from Alabama, Tennessee, and up-state New York, those are the ones you want with ya. They'll stay with ya in a fight."

Well, off to the airport.

I stood in awe.

2005-08-20T21:52:00.000-05:00

I am a historical reenactor. This weekend I had the priviledge of participating in a field training exercise with D Company, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment (D/506 PIR) of the 101st Airborne. This unit is populated by a number of actual 101st Airborne Soldiers who, when not in Iraq, try to take some time to honor those who came before them by re-creating actions of the 506th for the general public.

But this weekend was just for training and they had secured the use of an excellent piece of land owned by a former Army Sergeant, and veteran of WWII. After we had finished a night recon Friday and a patrol on Saturday (complete with German snipers), we stopped by to see Mr. McMullin and thank him for use of his property.

When we gathered around him, in field uniforms and equipment he started telling his stories. And I have to say that for the first time in my life I really felt that someone was imparting wisdom to me and that THIS moment was a moment I needed to remember. I just cannot describe the reverent silence as he spoke to us. It was absolutely clear that what this man had to say was absolutely important, vital to hear.

Mr. McMullin served in the Pacific Theater of War fighting the Japanese. He helped retake Guam and invade Okinawa, just to name two of the fights he was in. "On Okinawa," he said, "you could walk a mile and never not walk on a body. There were that many casualties. We buried them with a big old trench digger."

The general story telling came easy, but when he got to names, well, that's when it got hard. He'd drop his head, pause, the sort of take an internal moment to remember, then move on a bit down the story, leaving out unspoken but understood details.

After sharing the stories of lost youth and innocence, he proceeded into the life lessons. Sage truisms were spoken in simple terms. I'll give you a few:

- a man's got to have a good wife, that's important
- if you want anything in life you've got to show up early and stay late. Nobody's day should only have 8 hours of work in it. After you get done with 8 hours at your job you need to find something else to do.
- it ain't always about the money. I've seen many a family break apart because of money.

Nobody spoke, even when he paused for longer that what would normally be considered comfortable in a converstion. We all knew we were, to use a kid phrase, "being schooled" by a man who had seen much and knew of what he spoke.

I stood in awe.

"Pyle, You are a disgusting fatbody!"

2005-08-18T18:14:00.000-05:00

I can hear the D.I. Gunnery Sergeant Hartman in Full Metal Jacket hollaring now! God I loved that movie. Well, the Basic Training scenes anyway.

The reason it is echoing in my ears is because I feel that way. Since I left the Army I have let myself go a bit (no smart remarks Dr. Fat Tony!). On average I'd say I am about 25 lbs heavier that I should be for my height. Doc even say my blood pressure is sneaking up there so I need exercise.

Well today starts the turn around. I went running and it sucked but I am determined to get back in fighting shape. I am setting moderate goals and will use the only measure of success I am familiar with- Army PT standards.

Now for those familiar, they are not very high standards. They are generally passable by most average physically fit folks. That is my goal, average physical fitness. If I can get to scoring 80 points per event I'll be happy. I also want to lose about 20-25 lbs.

Wish me luck.

Well I'm off the ledge...for now.

2005-08-17T13:16:00.000-05:00

Ranting just felt good last night. After 3 hours sleep I feel better.

My friend Dig 'Em keeps goading me to get back in the Army. If anyone knows me and my heart it is Dig 'Em. Unfortunately for me, I feel the boat has sailed. As much as I'd like to I just can't go back. Not for a lack of personal will, but because of bureaucracy. But I can still complain about it.

I frequent Army message boards. On those boards are stories of hundreds of retired or former Army folks trying to come back. Fully qualified folks. Folks who have only been out a few years. Folks itching to go to Iraq and do the job. But it seems the US Army does not want them (us). The Human Resources Command (HRC) is a morass of worthless paper-pushers who give great lip-service but no follow through. They are the ultimate tease prom date.

I tried from Oct 2002-Feb 2004 to go back in. I, like others, started the process thinking, "gee this should be easy since I was previously in." Oh how wrong you could be. Volunteering for recall was just a tease to all of us willing to participate. Meanwhile the Army is missing recruiting goals, can't keep personnel and all the while saying they need folks. Reality is they don't want you.

I get really hacked off about it because if the Army had acted faster, if they had cared at all, I'd have been back in by May 2003, I would of had company command in Iraq and I would be well on my way to Major and probably alot happier. But they didn't and circumstances changed making timing real bad.

Now, as I told Dig 'Em, going back in just does not fit. I'd have to have some Divine intervention in my life for things to work.

Do you miss it- Part II

2005-08-17T01:05:00.000-05:00

I'm so friggen pissed off I can't sleep. My wife just got off the phone with one of her old friends from our days back at Ft Riley. This friends husband was a CO of another company in my Battalion when I was a shave tail LT.

I don't know why it pisses me off so much to know that he is still in the Army and they are still married depite living completely seperate lives in different states. He has been a "geographical bachelor" for several years now. I want to jump up and applaud him for sticking to his guns on his career and his "you knew I was in the Army when we got married" attitude despite her "I wanna stay here" attitude.

My wife was lamenting that their kids will be out of the house when he retires and comes home. As if the kids are the victim of HIS choices. They are the victim of HER choices. Hell, the woman should have followed her husband! She knew the man was in the Army when she signed on.

Maybe I'm just transferring my own disappointment in my own choices. I wish I'd had the guts to just stay in. I wish I'd had the guts to just accept that next duty station. Yes, I'd have been an ass and I'd probably been in Kosovo and Iraq and Afghanistan...or dead.

Instead I sit here day after day in this town I hate trying to find some meaning in the BS work I do for the idiot DA Civilians, most of whom have never served day 1 in uniform.

I can't watch the news about Iraq or Afghanistan. I get angry knowing I am not there. I get angry knowing that I am not doing what I feel I should be doing. I get angry that I am not a physically fit, ass-kickin', terrorist killin', American can of whoop ass. The biggest baddest sum bitch on the block waitin for some red flag wavin' commie to come try and knock over my sand castle. I'm pissed that I'm not that.

I'm pissed that sometimes, in order to save your marriage you have to sacrifice the thing dearest to your heart and try to choke that down everyday, just so your kids can have breakfast with two parents. I'm pissed that I've had to surrender my first love in order to not become some bullshit marriage statistic. I'm pissed that I had to give up the one thing that made me feel like a man, in order to be a man.

The search continues...

I am alive!

2005-08-14T17:33:00.000-05:00

Yes, I made it. It is only due to my superior wilderness survival skills that I have come through this in one piece. Unlike the idiot that tried to live with the grizzly bears, I have made it out alive without being mauled. Well, not horribly mauled... Thanks to a rare twist of fate, the headcount of attendees lended itself to me being able to drive and sleep seperate from all the rest of the extended family. God was smiling on me.

Unlike many normal campers, we don't actually camp. We "relocate" everything we own to a wooded area. This means we have a house(s) (5th wheel camper and my pop-up camper) with A/C, stove, microwave, showers, TV and so on. Some of you who have never actually slept outdoors may actually consider this camping. I do not.

On Friday morning I awoke to freezing temps. Snuggled close down under my blanket I, for a brief momoment, thought I was in Ouray, Colorado in 1995 and that the past 10 years had been a dream. Alas, I was wrong. I flung open the door to the camper...Georgia 2005...damn. Turns out the A/C had been cranked way down and I was not about to walk out into the aspen dressed beauty of the Rocky Mountains, but into the sweaty, humid hell of north Georgia. Oh well...

We packed up the truck for a trip out to Lake Winnie amusement park. Turns out the park isn't all that bad. Small rides for small kids. Not too hot, slight breeze. Four + hours later we are done. Back to camp, kids in the pool, dinner, bed. I turned the A/C way down again...might as well try, right?

Saturday morning. Still Georgia. Oh well, off to Chicamauga battlefield for a bike tour. Actually my first time in that park NOT wearing my Confederate uniform. Despite my better judgement, I ended up the dang tour leader. OK, so I enjoyed spouting facts everone else didn't know. I even stumped the dang yankee transplant Park Ranger. Your tax dollars at work. I guess that is why I like National Treasure so much- the pro is stumped by somebody who lives for it.

I really enjoyed watching my boys walk around the visitors center and ask if such-and-such yankee "was a good guy or bad guy?" only to know I'd say they were bad guys...loudly...so everyone could hear. And then when the video clip of Lincoln would come on they'd point and say, "hey daddy, look, its the worst President ever!" God bless kids! (sniff, sniff) Sometimes they make me so proud!

So Sunday we packed up and made it home. That's all I can come up with for now...

Just a note:

2005-08-11T17:18:00.000-05:00

If I'm not back blogging by Sunday night, 14 August...send a search party. There will be no truth to the rumor that I just up and walked away never to be seen again.

I-75 south, exit 350.

Hi ho, hi ho, to vacation hell I go...

CR

Someone please shoot me

2005-08-10T18:27:00.000-05:00

Well tomorrow starts another lost weekend. Last weekend was my family visiting. This weekend I am being forced on a 3 day camping "extravaganza" with my in-laws...all of them.

3, count them, 3 glorious days trapped on a campground with my in-laws. With my sister-in-law who has ZERO volume control. With my brother-in-law who is all things to all people. So cheerful you want to smack him. Can you feel the love? I can.

I've tried to think of ANY way to get out of it. Alas, I cannot.

I've already heard the "its what you make of it" speech. (Which means don't be such a stick in the mud.) "But this is for the kids." (Which means don't screw up their childhood memories by being a jackass.)

Family vacations, when they did occur, always sucked when I was a kid. Always. Being packed off to some wierd friend of my dad's house. Going to the beach with NO reservations and driving all day to end up in some dump hotel. Sunburn, car sickness. The joyous memories are endless. gag!

My wife was just the opposite. Happy, fun vacations! Yaaaay! Now I must join in this "fun."

Good Lord, someone shoot me.

Well isn't that special?

2005-08-09T22:10:00.000-05:00

When you grow up in a divorced family you suffer damage. Like it or not, no matter how your folks try to keep from bad mouthing each other in front of the kids, or how much time they allow you to spend with the other parent, you suffer from not seeing them interact. The "family unit" is damaged and there is always fallout from that.

I am just now trying to come to grips with some of that fallout at age 35.

One thing I know for sure is that I have always felt a need to be important and included. Some of my most hurtful memories are of not feeling included.

I need to feel important, special. That is why I studied German- no one else did. French and Spanish were for the weak. That is why I memorized obscure historical facts and always feel I must go against the grain of common opinions. But in that, I must also stay within the rules, but just at the fringes. Outright rebellion is not an option for some reason.

In my career I have found that to be difficult. Serving as a Signal Officer in an Armor Battalion made me special because I was the subject matter expert. When I was assigned to the USFK Protocol Office in Korea, I was the best at it when everyone else hated the job. I was the subject matter expert and my peers deferred to my judgment and advice. It made me important.

Now I am a civilian. Finding that thing that sets me apart from everyone else has been killing me for 5 years. I’ve found that it has made me hard to deal with, grumpy and crass. I almost can’t help it. "Curmudgeon" is the word I believe. My specialty knowledge I was hired for (military communications) is waning now the longer I have been out of service. I am becoming obsolete.

Because I don’t feel really special it is easy to be crass and grumpy. Not even my personal relationships make me feel special. While a man like me should revel in the joy of having great kids like mine, I find myself pushing them to levels of perfection that they simply cannot achieve at their age. "Failure is not an option" I often say.

I don’t make friends, just acquaintances that I really know nothing about. I live in the past and dwell on past successes. If not my own then those of others as a historical re-enactor of various military periods such as Civil War, WWI, or WWII. In those I get to be someone else AND a subject matter expert.

I can hear my church acquaintances saying, "but you are special to God." Hmmmm, man that is just hard to see from where I stand. Beat down on the inside. I see it for other people, but not for me. I’ve never felt that specialness and warmth that others have felt from Him. Maybe I’m doing something wrong. Maybe the time is not right. I don’t spend time second guessing the Almighty.

But everytime I hear a preacher preach on God welcoming us home with open arms..."well sone my son" just rips my heart out.

The search continues…

Do you miss it?

2005-08-08T20:39:00.000-05:00

Every time I tell someone I was an Army Captain I invariably get the question "do you miss it?" And it seems that invariably, folks are surprised when I say, "Hell yes. Everyday." Especially in this time of war.

I loved being in the Army. I loved being part of a team. I loved going to the range. I loved going to NTC. I loved not having to pick out what I would wear to work in the morning. But most of all I loved the people. Not all of them (LTC Houle) but most of them.

Guys like SGM Trevarrow, OPS Sergeant Major of 3/37 AR. What a great guy. Pipe smokin', straight shootin', dependable. The kind of guy you'd like to have on your side in a dark alley- or foxhole.

SGT Harrington. Leader of the "House of Pain" for the unit fatboys.

1LT Corbett Leatherwood, Scout PL. The only West Point guy I've known that I didn't instantly hate just on principle.

I even miss that unknown E-7, who at Ft Hood, gave this lowly 2LT the best lesson in leadership I ever got, by chewing me a new butthole in front of about 100 troops. God bless him. I'd buy him a drink now, if I knew who he was.

I never went to war. Never had to. But we did fight our skirmishes and we did have our bonds as fellow soldiers. Yes, Private, even officers are soldiers.

I joined the Army when there was such a thing as East Germans. Russians were the official bad guys and to be called a "commie" was fightin' words. Back when "Red Dawn" made sense as a movie.

I planned on 20 years. I was to be a career man. CPT Knolton had given me sage advice to stay "down range" as much as possible. To avoid the "more political" Signal Battalions was key since I didn't suck up. I called a spade a spade and Signal didn't like that.

I watch the news now, and even though I know the conditions suck, and the mission will take YEARS to complete and it will not be pretty...there is a big piece of me that wishes I could have a part of it. Although now it is not a possibility.

I can't explain it. Most folks just don't understand it. But when you've been a part of a team like that, and they go into the big game without you, you miss it. You feel like you have let someone down by not being on the field. You feel like a coward.

There is a quote in Henry V Act IV, Scene III by Shakespear:

This story shall the good man teach his son;
And Crispian Crispian shall ne'er go by,
From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remembered:
We few we, happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother: be he ne'er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition;
And Gentlemen in England now abed
Shall think themselves accursed they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispians day.

Facing your fears

2005-08-08T14:19:00.000-05:00

So what is your greatest fear? Spiders? Snakes? Rats? Liberals? (did I say rats twice?) Conservatives? People of a different ethnic group? Nuclear war?

My pastor has been doing a sermon series on fear. What is your greatest fear? I have many. Some I never have to deal with. Some I deal with daily but don’t recognize them as fear unless I really think about it.

What’s your greatest fear? Public speaking? Too easy. I can talk in front of anyone. Being in charge? Never been a problem. Not being in charge, or rather, not being in control? Well, now that is a bit closer to true- but not my greatest fear.

I guess if I had to answer the question I’d say my greatest fear is caring. Caring?! How can that be a fear? Think about it. When you care about something, anything, or someone, that thing or person becomes special to you. You start to exert protective feelings over it. When that thing is hurt you hurt. When it hurts you, it cuts the deepest and heals the slowest.

What makes us care or not care? Why is it that I find it easier to run off to a fire or a wreck and help someone I don’t even know rather than help a family member who could use a hand?

Why is it I can be profoundly affected by a movie depicting folks sacrificing for each other, but never really want to do that in my own life?

I’ve always found it easier to remain detached and uninvolved. There may be several reasons for this that trace back to my childhood. But this is an assumption. I really cannot tell you anything of value about my childhood so I don’t know. Most of it is basically a blur devoid of any meaningful detail. And I fear my family filling in any of those details for me since I fear what the past holds- reminders of things I could not control.

So how do I get over this fear of caring?

The search continues…

Starting Over

2005-08-08T11:31:00.000-05:00

My original intent on starting this blog was to use it sort of as therapy. I normally have alot on my mind, most of which doesn't interest others, but I still need to vent or get things off my chest. Looking back at the past week I have failed to follow through with that so I am starting over.

You'll notice I deleted some posts. Those were things I thought would get visits to my site. Funny stuff, news stuff...in other words- fluff to get site hits. Sorry but that is all gone now.

I've kept items that mean something to me- reflect something about me. If they end up meaning something to you- great. If they don't, well, it is my web site.

If you want funny (and I do mean funny) please feel free to visit Dr. Phat Tony's Blogspot. He'll prescribe a pick-me-up.

-CR

Fatherly Pride

2005-08-08T10:12:00.000-05:00

This weekend was odd for me. I was actually caught smiling. I know…it is completely unlike me to smile, especially to not be able to control it. But for one brief second, I was caught.

My oldest son was in a small production at church. He is 8 yrs old and had the lead and man, he did a really good job. I don’t get excited about much and typically I can find a down side to everything, but this was an exception. He rocked. I just can’t believe he has such a sharp mind for all the lines and lyrics he had to remember and the staging and blocking (theater terms for “where to stand and when”). At 8 years old.

I guess he takes after his old man in that respect. Yes, I too was once an award winning stage actor. Hard to believe that this grumpy so-and-so was once considered to be headed for Broadway by my peers and drama coaches. I was even accepted to college as a Theater Arts major. Seems like ages ago. A whole different life. What ever happened? How did I get here from there?

I almost can’t even remember what it was like. But for a brief moment, this past Friday, I could. Watching that kid made me think about all the good times I used to have, and all the people I knew, and the plays. I was honestly happy. Mark your calendars. It doesn’t happen that often.

There is a haven created by being an actor. For a brief moment in time you get to be someone else besides yourself. Someone, anyone, with different problems, different family. There is praise and admiration that you just don’t get otherwise. You are the center of the universe, and it feels good, if even for a brief moment.

I guess kids are God’s way of letting you fix all the stuff in your life that you broke, or that were broken for you by someone else. You get to live vicariously through them. So this weekend, he was the hero- THE MAN! And the pride that he felt could not be contained in his small smile, so I had to do some smiling for him.

Good job son. You rock!

Whatever happened to honoring the flag?

2005-08-06T16:44:00.000-05:00

I just got back from 3 grueling hours in an all wool WWI uniform in 95+ degree heat. Why was I doing this? I was part of a Color Guard that represented 20th Century US Troops in a parade here in town. We had WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam and Gulf I/II represented.

When I was a kid, I was taught to stand when the flag passed by. I was taught to render to it the respect it was due as our national banner. But today I was sadly reminded that those values are falling away.

Younger generations are not being taught about respect for the flag. Even older adults are getting slack in the ways. I was surprised at the number of older folks, who should know better, who I KNOW were taught better, that just sat there. Healthy folks, not wheelchair bound folks. The wheelchair folks did their part-

One former Marine, in a motorized wheel chair, on oxygen, gave every bit of energy he could muster to stand before we crossed his path. He was determined to do the right thing when he easily could have taken a pass. OUTSTANDING! OOORAH!

I know this is nothing new to many of my readers, but it struck a nerve today. Why don't they stand? How hard would it be? How little could we ask of you? How easy could we make it? Stand.

I'm not asking you to join the military. I'm not asking you to vote for a particular party. I'm just asking you to stand.

Do you stand? Would you stand?

Why we do what we do

2005-08-04T08:10:00.000-05:00

This is a pic I received via e-mail.

The story with it went like this:

He had just saved her from a fire in her house, rescuing her by carrying her out of the house into her front yard, while he continued to fight the fire.

She is pregnant.

The firefighter was afraid of her at first, because he had never been around a Doberman before. When he finally got done putting the fire out, he sat down to catch his breath and rest. A photographer from the Charlotte, North Carolina newspaper, "The Observer," noticed this red Doberman in the distance looking at the fireman.

He saw her walking straight toward the fireman and wondered what she was going to do.
As he raised his camera, she came up to the tired man who had saved her life and the lives of her babies, and kissed him, just as the photographer snapped this photograph.

As a Volunteer Fireman, I absolutely love this pic. I am not the most experienced fireman in the world by a long shot. But this pic is a good example of why we do what we do. But perhaps the best comment on "why" is best left to a professional:

“I have no ambition in this world but one, and that is to be a firefighter. The position may, in the eyes of some, appear to be a lowly one; but we who know the work which the firefighter has to do believe that his is a noble calling.

There is an adage which says that, "Nothing can be destroyed except by fire." We strive to preserve from destruction the wealth of the world which is the product of the industry of men, necessary for the comfort of both the rich and the poor. We are defenders from fires of the art which has beautified the world, the product of the genius of men and the means of refinement of mankind. (But, above all; our proudest endeavor is to save lives of men-the work of God Himself. Under the impulse of such thoughts, the nobility of the occupation thrills us and stimulates us to deeds of daring, even at the supreme sacrifice. Such considerations may not strike the average mind, but they are sufficient to fill to the limit our ambition in life and to make us serve the general purpose of human society.” -Chief Edward F. Croker, FDNY.

The View from Here

2005-08-03T18:43:00.000-05:00

Well, spurred by a friend I am starting my very own Blog so I can get some frusration out of my system and maybe, just maybe, spread a word of truth (at least from my point of view).

So what do I write about in my first Blog? How do I want the rest of the world to get to know what lies in the deepest, darkest recesses of my twisted mind? Hmmmmm... let's see...

Well we'll start with the fact that I was raised on the campus of a mental hospital. That should set the stage for you! That's right, for 16 years I lived on the grounds of the main mental hospital in the State of North Carolina- Dorthea Dix Hospital in Raleigh. My folks worked there and we lived in employee housing.

It was kind of a neat experience you might say. Sort of like Jonestown without the koolaid. We were a tight knit group. The families all knew each other, kids all went to the same schools, and we all got in the same trouble. The State budget was our life-bread and nut-cases our business.

There were average patients and seriously violent cases. We even kept John Hinkley after he popped Regan!

So you might say, I was raised to be slightly off balance. And I'm sure you will find many off balance things here.

Welcome to my world!