Happy birthday to my Wife.

         Today, I get the privilege of wishing a happy birthday to my wife.  Throughout the years we have had a wonderful time.  2 years of dating followed by 13 years of marriage makes for a lot of memories and interesting times.  Sure, I make jokes about some things (take yesterday's post as an example), but she takes them in stride.  If you haven't met me, I tend to be sarcastic and sometimes a bit weird in what I find funny.  Morose, may be a better term, but then again, so might sadistic.  Yes, I go overboard and point out flaws.  I don't do it to be mean, I do it because I find it funny (that whole weird sense of humor thing) and sometimes my sarcasm doesn't come across as such.  I have gotten better though, and I get to blame her for it.  That's right, she keeps me on the straight and narrow.  If I make a joke that isn't quite what I thought it was, funny, she is quick to point out that no one is laughing and why.  This usually requires that I apologize to someone while I explain the joke as I saw it.  Thus she saves me from alienating a lot of friends.  In fact, I actually say those type of jokes a lot less because she has directed my sense of humor a little more to the normal side.  Weird how that works.
         Guess what I am saying is, I love my wife and all she has done for me.  I hope her years on earth are more than mine (though not to many more, I tend to get impatient and don't know how long I could last up there without her).  Have a wonderful birthday, dear.  Oh, did I mention that she is the only woman I have met that when she says she doesn't want anything, she actually means it?  Yup, I have a winner.  Love you dear, Happy 3..ow... OK, no age, Happy Birthday.

Happy Hump Day: Yes, Dear.

          Happy Hump Day!  You'd think I'd be happier since it is my birthday.  I'm not.  At first, I was excited.  After all, it is my birthday.  Then I realized that it meant I was older.  Not something I like being reminded of (especially since I am one of the older (if not the oldest) military guy in my office).  Yup, I am now 37.  That's right, 37 years of making mistakes and learning from them.  You'd think, by now, I would have learned everything there is to know about making mistakes, but I find I keep making new ones.  I have heard from some of my more learned (I'll just use that term instead of older from now on, I think it sounds better) colleagues and friends that you keep making mistakes.  Something about no one is perfect.  Seems to me that there can only be a finite amount of mistakes one can make.  Seems logical anyway.  But then you throw in the illogical (i.e. women) and the number of mistakes grow at a rapid rate.
        Just when you think you have the rules figured out (usually just before puberty) you realize girls are interesting and the rules completely change.  No longer is it cool to dig a hole in the ground to bury your GI Joes.  No longer is that ratty game shirt worthy of wearing.  No longer is it better to have your fly open than to be seen with a girl.  Now, you have to figure out what it is women want.  In your infinite wisdom at that age (now a teen), you think you can figure it out given enough time.  By the time you realize that you'll never figure out women (and any man who claims he has is either a fool or was once one), you are either to old to be interested in them (that age right before you die), or you are married to one and the rules have changed yet again. 
          That's right, the rules you used to get her to date you, love you, and then marry you (though not always in that order) changed as soon as she said I do.  At this point every man has a decision to make.  Either you give up and roll with the punches because no matter what you do, you will anger her at least once a week and have to apologize.  You don't even have to be there.  Sometimes, you aren't even remotely responsible.  For example, I have had days where my wife was angry at me all day because in her dreams I did something to make her mad.  How the heck am I supposed to control that?!  Admittedly, she has gotten better about it, now she only gets mad when my dream self blatantly cheats on her. 
           Oh, did I mention that half of the time, they refuse to tell you why they are mad?  That's right, we have to guess.  Us guys, the ones who took three weeks to take the hint that you wanted us to ask you out.  The human beings that still haven't figured out that you want the toilet seat down, even though you've mentioned it for the last 20 years.  Yup, we have to guess.  And that just makes them madder, usually because we end up listing things they didn't know about, but mostly because we aren't telepathic and can't figure out exactly where we went wrong.  Then when they finally tell us why they were mad in the first place, you find it was either something we could do nothing about, something so minor that it wasn't worth mentioning, or sometimes (a small percentage really) something legitimate.  Then you factor in the rule that no rule is set in stone (except that one rule that is that you don't learn about until to late), and you are in trouble.  Yup, we men can't win. 
           That being said, I still have a lot to learn.  As is obvious from my post, I have said to much and now I have angered the one I love.  At least this time I don't have to guess what I did.  I just ranted on the wrong thing, exaggerated stuff she didn't find funny, and talked about women in a manner that some might say is disrespectful no matter how true.  Yup, I am in trouble.  Time to go home and take my licks and do the head bobbing yes dear.  You know the move guys.  The one where you bob your head and say, "yes, dear," in acknowledgement as the woman you love tells you just how badly you screwed up.  You hope to learn from it (I obviously didn't in this case), but you listen and hope you will at least get a good night kiss out of it. 
        Ladies, I hope the lesson you learn from this is simply that, no matter what he says or does, you have more power over him than anybody else in the world.  When you smile, you can get him to do anything.  When you frown and snap, he does it faster though.  Just saying.
        The above was written at an attempt at humor.  Only the author was harmed (hopefully) as a result of this post.  Ignore all resemblance to real life as it is strictly a coincidence.  Thank you.  Have a wonderful day and ...  what?  Yes, dear.

Weekend up date and other things

          Tuesday and all is well.  OK, sort of.  The usual stuff is going on.  Soccer practice, rehearsal, and meals.  Maybe that is why I am going insane.  I just keep going on with things that I have to do and places I have to be.  So close and yet so far.  Am I rambling, I think I am rambling.  Guess it's time to perform the weekend up date.
          Here goes nothing.  This weekend my brother in came in for a few days.  I think I mentioned that Friday.  Anyway, it was a good weekend.  The weather was nice so we were able to enjoy our sons' soccer games.  They both did well.  We were busy Saturday because of it though.  Sunday went well and we were able to enjoy ourselves further.  That is until I had to go to work at 9:30 pm.  I had to work graves Sunday night.  There was only 1 job, but I did OK.  At least I got to spend Monday at home.  I did sleep half the day though.  That is why there was no Monday post.  That and it was my anniversary.  That's right, 13 years of marriage to the most wonderful woman in the world.  Here's to, oh, let's say, a few millenia more.  The topper came when the Cowboys won on MNF.  Good day all around.
          This isn't to say that nothing bad happened this weekend, just more good than bad.  The down side of this weekend?  My phone has decided that it doesn't want to charge properly.  I have a work around so I don't need to get a new phone, it is just darn annoying.  Most people would say to just get a new phone, so let me explain why I don't want a new one.  Yes, dear, I just said I don't want a new one.  First off, I don't want to sign a new 2 year contract to get a new phone.  I retire and leave the area (probably) in about 16 months.  This means that if I go to an area that Verizon doesn't cover, then I will still have 8 months left on a contract for a phone I can't use.  Thus no new contract allowed.  Secondly, we aren't rich and thus can't afford to shell out the $200 that a new phone costs without a new contract.  Thirdly, I am limited in what phones I can have right now as I am not allowed to take a phone with a camera on it into work (my current phone doesn't have one so I am OK).  The next time I get a new phone, I want to get a nice one and that means it will probably have a camera.  If I wait until after I retire, I should be able to get the nice phone I want.  This all adds up to no new phone for me.  Sure I may have to trade batteries with my wife's phone every morning, but that isn't to much of a hassle.  I will deal with it.
          So that was the bad side of the weekend.  It probably wouldn't have been that bad, except that I went off a bit when I first found the problem and now my wife is convinced that I want to drop $400 on a new phone.  Now, every time I note that the battery on my phone is dead, I get to hear a worried lecture on how we are broke and can my new phone wait.  I think I've said, I am fine with my phone and that I'll work around it at least a dozen times now.  Hopefully this will change that.  If not, I will live with it.  That's what I get for freaking out that I didn't have a phone.  For those of you who don't know us all that well, I love my wife deeply and do not mean any of this in a negative sense.  I refer you to the opening announcement of my 13 years of wedded....OK, maybe not bliss, but definitely mostly happy times.  Hey, it's marriage and life, and thus it isn't always happy.  My marriage is about 90% happy (the remaining 10% is 5% my fault, 1% hers, and 4% confusing) and that is pretty darn good.  Especially, with 4 boys in the house.  That being said, I will probably hear about this post when I get home and my wife and I will talk about this and hug afterwards. 
          Keep your chins up, and don't let the world get you down.  Have a great day and I will post tomorrow.  Thank you

Friday Philosopher: Words and the Like

           Today is going to be weird.  I can feel it.  For some unknown reason I ache and an feeling funny.  Then as I sat here at my desk, one of my lens pops out of my glasses and I hear the screw bounce on the desk.  I look down and the screw is just sitting there.  Luckily I had a spare pair of glasses (my safety glasses) in my bag.  I went to the tool room and they had the right tool and I was able to repair my glasses.  The amazing thing is the fact that, not only did I not lose the screw, I was able to get it repaired quickly and without a hassle.  If that weren't enough, I have a CO's call this afternoon and then my brother in law, Joe, is arriving this afternoon from Boise, ID.  Both my wife and I are at a complete loss as to what we are having for meals the next two days (we can't seem to agree on what day we are doing what or how).  In other words, it is pretty much a normal weekend, confusion, last minute planning, and general frustration abound.  That being said, I am looking forward to the weekend.  It should be interesting with soccer games and my brother in Law's visit. 
               Now for the meat of today's post.  There are some things we leave unsaid that really need to be said.  Things like: "I love you," to your spouse and children.  "Thank you," to anyone and everyone who does something for you, even if it is their job.  "You're welcome," to thank yous both said and unsaid.  "I care," to those we care for.  "Come back when you get the chance," to those we say good bye to.  Sometimes the unsaid needs to be said, just because it validates a thought.  Sometimes it needs said because those hearing really need to hear it.  Sometimes it needs to be said because some of us are dense and don't take hints to well.  And sometimes it needs to be said just because it is the right thing to do. 
               Then there is the other side of this.  Things that are said that really shouldn't be.  Things like: "You're dumb," to anyone.  You can replace dumb with any negative adjective (i.e. stupid, worthless, ugly, etc).  "You were an accident," to your children.  "Shut up," to anyone.  The list could go on, but you get the idea.
              Words are powerful.  The right words at the right time can uplift and brighten a day, while the wrong words can destroy a life.  The right words can illuminate a darkened path, while the wrong words can blind us from the truth.  Unmeant words, spoken often enough, lose their meaning, while meant words unspoken never have any meaning.  Untrue words spoken often enough, can reveal the truth, while true words spoken not at all become lost.
              Words are how we share who we are and what we desire.  They reveal our nature to those who hear them.  They bare our souls to those around us.  While our silence can speak volumes, it can be just a few words that remove the mystery of us.  It has been said, "It is better to remain silent and thought a fool, than to open ones mouth and remove all doubt."  Truer words have never been spoken, for it is through our words that we reveal the most.
              While actions can speak quite loudly, a whispered phrase spoken uncaring can put the lie to those actions.  We are all human and thus opinionated and subject to error.  To provide another quote I found profound, "Everyone has a right to their opinion, but not all opinions are right."  An opinion is just that, an opinion.  It is how we see life.  It is how we interpret the world around us.  Otherwise, it is either a truth, or a lie.  Truth is something supported by evidence.  Truth can be a basis for an opinion or the revelation of a fact.  You cannot argue truth, for it simply is.  A lie, though, is the antithesis of truth.  While the truth can destroy a lie, lies can never displace truth.  A lie is meant to deceive, and it can, for a while, but it will eventually be revealed as such.  The idea that truth is subjective is as ludicrous as saying a lie could be truth.  A truth is just that, true.  To believe otherwise is to hold nothing as true. 
           I realize that this maybe a heavy thought for a Friday morning, but it is what it is.  There is no underlying reason for this post.  No one hurt me, nor did I hurt anyone that I am aware of (at least no one that I haven't made it right with already).  I just felt I had to share what was on my heart.  I guess this is in response to several comments on the news stories I read today.  Conspiracy theories, hateful posts, and the like always seem to upset me.  Sorry if I came across as accusatory or self righteous, I did not mean to be either. 
           Have a great day and weekend.  I will write again on Monday.  As always, feel free to comment or suggest topics you wish me write on.  Thank you.

Short and pointless

          I really need to stop reading the news.  Very seldom does it include anything that doesn't anger or upset me.  Even if the article is good, the comments are off the wall and negative to the extreme.  It just means that I have to calm down afterward.  I need to try not to write my blog to soon after I read the news, but you know what they sell, bad news sells.
        I did get some good news the other day.  My brother in Law is with my sister and out of his home.  The church from my home town went and picked him up and brought him out.  He is sleeping better and will be getting the dental work he needs.  They still are trying to decide where they need to be and praying for God's guidance on it.  I just hope nothing happens to their house in Chattanooga while they are away. 
        Not much else is going on.  I really don't have a lot to say.  Since I ranted yesterday, I don't think it would be right for me to rant today.  I hope you all have a wonderful day.

Happy Manic Hump Monday? Huh, what?

      Wow, it's already lunch.  Where did the time go?  I will admit I did spend a fair amount of time this morning complaining about the new Face Book lay out with the guys in the office.  Turns out we all found it equally horrifying.  For some reason the people that run the sight have the Navy mentality.  The one that says, "If we change it, it is an improvement and we always have to improve it."  Never mind that the change made it worse.  It was a change and thus an improvement.  Never mind that it is now next to impossible to figure out what was posted in the past 12 hours since you last logged on.  It was a change and thus an improvement.  Never mind that, and forgive the yelling, WE DIDN'T ASK FOR IT.  It was a change and thus an improvement.
       This attitude is one of the many reasons I would not go beyond 20 years of service in the Navy if I had my choice.  What makes it even worse in the Navy is the fact that sometimes the change is simply adding to the current policy.  It says to me, "the original policy was good enough, but if I make an additional requirement I made things better."  This is not only wrong, but makes thing harder and worse.  Just once I want someone to look at the policies in place, and remove requirements to make things better.  The idea that you can't remove requirements that were made at your level by your predecessor because it might, and I quote here, "confuse the watch stander" is ludicrous.  If removing onerous and excessive requirements would be confusing, what do you think adding on to them will do?  It makes no sense, but then again, a favorite quote amongst the leaders here is, "The Navy doesn't have to make sense and usually doesn't."
        I just realized that it is Happy Hump day and I am not being very happy.  Instead, it appears I did a Manic Monday post.  I hate it when I get angry on my happy days.  Sorry, I apologize for my rant and will now penalize myself by mowing the lawn this afternoon and maybe fixing the boys' bikes.  Interesting though this week has been, it just keeps getting better.  There was no sarcasm in that.  Rehearsal is going great and I love the part I got.  I did another section on my story page.  I just received a certificate entitling me to 96 hours of special liberty (a free 4 day weekend) and I am looking forward to it all.  Except the mowing the yard part.  I could do without that.  Oh, yeah, I found out the check engine light on my truck could be a simple crack in my exhaust, a vacuum hose, or a loose gas cap.  I doubt the last because of the timing, but either way, there is no real risk in taking my time to repair it.  I should be able to fix it next paycheck.  We'll see.
      Once again, I apologize for the lack of the usual post.  I will make it up to you somehow.  I just am not feeling very funny right now.  Have a great day and don't take yourself to seriously.  No one else does.

Skipped Monday, Update Tuesday.

       As you can see, I didn't blog yesterday.  There is a reason for that.  I was too busy getting drilled at the dentist in the morning and felt it wouldn't be fair to you to hear me whine and complain about the pain in the afternoon.  Thus, I decided to skip Monday's post and move on to happier (to a small degree anyway) topics.
        Let's start with the weekend update.  As I mentioned Friday, This weekend was busy.  It started with a soccer game in the drizzling rain (my third son, Mathew's team) which we won.  Then moved on to celebrating my oldest's tenth birthday at Red Robin for lunch.  We then went to my second son's (David) game which we also won.  David also scored his first goal ever.  We then finished our grocery shopping and managed to get home just in time for dinner.  Sunday was a little less hectic.  After church and lunch, we went swimming as a family and had a blast.  Then we finally got to relax.  While it was busy, it was a good weekend.
      Last night, I had my first read through of the musical "Annie!".  I am Drake, Warbuck's Butler.  Turns out, it is a rather involved part.  I am in a lot of scenes and have quite a few lines.  Luckily, I have no solos, which is good.  I look forward to more of the same.
      Finally, this morning, as I was backing out of the driveway, my check engine light on my truck came on.  Hopefully it is something small and easy to fix.  I will have to get it checked out on my way home.  The good news is, the motor sounds good and I don't have any other indications of anything bad, so it may just be an O2 sensor or the gas cap.   We'll just have to wait until this afternoon to see what it is.
      Now that I have my wife wringing her hands and worrying, I will end this post.  Don't worry to much dear, we'll get it fixed and stay within our budget.  We don't even know if it is going to cost more than $2 yet so stop panicking.  Thank you all for reading.  Have a great day.

Friday, last day of the week, first day of?

      Here we are again.  Friday, the last working day of the week for most of us.  The day a lot of us think of as the beginning of the weekend.  The day we realize we have just 2 days to do 2 weeks worth of stuff because, since Monday afternoon, we have been telling ourselves, "I'll do it this weekend" every time a project pops up it's head.  Never mind that we still have projects form last weekend.  Ignore the fact that we have a dozen things scheduled for this weekend that have been planned for the past 4 weeks.  And completely forget about the fact that you have been working all week and promised yourself time to relax.  Just forget it, you don't have time.  You did all your relaxing Monday through Wednesday and are just now realizing that as soon as you are released today, you have to start your weekend's work.  That game you wanted to watch?  DVR it.  That special event you wanted to go to?  Forget it, not enough hours in the day for everything you have to do already.  Meals?  Two words, to go.  Sleep?  That's what Monday night is for.  That's right, you just wasted an entire weekend before it even started.  There is a solution though.  Since you are so practiced in the art of procrastination, you can now put off everything you were going to have to do this weekend until Monday afternoon, after all, you already put it off for this long, what is a couple more days?  Good job, now enjoy the weekend.  Have a great weekend and try and find some time to relax.

Random thoughts on my son's birthday.

         Ten years ago today my Oldest son was born.  It is amazing what happens in ten years.  He has a lot going for him and I just want to tell him happy birthday.  Oh yeah, his mom also promised that, when he turned 10, he could play Halo with me.  Tonight, we kill us some Covenant scum.  Yes, dear, I know he has to finish his homework first.
         The joys of parenting.  Anyway, I now have something to look forward to.  I actually have to pick up a ton or two of pellets today.  Today is the last day of the sale and we need them for winter.  This also means I need to pick up a new tarp and some plastic sheeting.  Should be fun.  Busy night.  Hopefully, I get off early enough so I am not stuck doing this until 5pm.  It is what it is.  We'll see.
        Not much else going on though.  Thanks for following along.  I'll write more tomorrow.

Happy Hump Day: Scheduled to the max

        I know it is Happy Hump Day, but I have some stuff I need to get out of the way first.  As I informed you yesterday...I said hold your horses, I will try and be funny in a minute....anyway, as I was saying, yesterday I informed you I tried out for a part in my churches Christmas Musical, "Annie!", I find out today if I got the part I want or a different part.  I didn't get a call back, but that doesn't mean I didn't get the part.  Next, I want to let you know that the link over there ------> is a link to what was formally "Joe's Story Time."  I decided to change the name to the title of the story and then I added a new post to it.  Check it out if you want.  I actually started writing that story years ago and have since updated it to match my developing style. 
     Now to the funny (I hope).  There is only so much you can do when you discover that life has been planning something for you with out your consent or knowledge.  This has happened to me on several occasions and continues to happen regularly.  I think, "hey, Tuesday is clear, I think I will mow the lawn Tuesday and enjoy today (Saturday) with the family."  Good plan, at least it was to me.  Then life raises its head in the guise of my lovely wife and says, "Oh, by the way, your son has soccer practice and you need to help his brothers with homework, make dinner, and there are clothes in the wash that need put into the dryer.  Thanks."  Your welcome.  The grass isn't up to my knees yet, so I guess it's OK.  It wasn't until I look back at the previous week and realize I should have seen this coming.  My boy has been going to practice for 3 weeks now, so I should know the schedule.  The kids did just start school, so I should have guessed they might have homework.  OK, I get it, I made a bad plan.  Can we just move on?
     It seems that no matter what I do, that period of time from September to June (also known as the "school year"), becomes a practice of what to do when.  Or more accurately, what day isn't there something scheduled.  For us, it is.....let me think about this for a minute.....Oh, yeah, Saturday....no wait, we have games Saturday....Friday!.....No, that's....wait, yeah, Friday....After 4pm.....when the kids get home from school....after dinner.....so, that doesn't really work then....Sunday?....afternoon....between football and....OK, I give.  I think if we skip football on Sunday (sorry dear), we might be able to get an hour or two together as a family to go out and do something. 
      What is it with scheduling things these days.  Growing up, I felt connected and had a great time and we only had things scheduled for Sunday's and Wednesday nights.  It seems these days that unless you have things scheduled for every day of the week, you are depriving your kids.  Really?  Do they really need to remain that busy.  What happened to doing chores, cleaning house, studying, and just spending time with family?  I don't think most kids could tell you what Uno is, let alone what a family game night is.
     Speaking of Uno, why is it that young kids are the cruelest players?  Take my 6 year old for example.  We try to avoid sitting next to him because he plays any mean card he can as soon as he can.  I understand that it is part of the game and most of us do it, but does he really have to giggle maniacally and then look at you so innocently afterwards?  At least my 10 year old has the decency to look evil when he plays mean.  My ten year old is another story altogether.  He actually actively plots out who and when he is going to attack.  I have actually seen him go through three wild cards to play his single blue card because it was a draw two and he really needed to play it on his brother.  It was just a little disturbing.  Then my 8 year old just plays to get rid of cards.  He may have the basic premise down, but he tends to lose sight of the fun.  Then again, he does seem to win quite often.  It is amazing just how much you can learn of your kids personalities over a game.
     I guess I just got lucky that I grew up in a home that loved playing games.  It is where I learned how to play by the rules and accept challenges.  I think that this is what I am trying to teach my sons.  My wife tells me to be nice and let them win sometimes.  I just can't do that.  I don't recall my dad ever letting me win.  I had to earn my wins.  Sometimes I think my dad had to have cheated as much as he won.  But now I know that he just didn't take it easy on me or my siblings.  I don't think I ever beat my dad at chess and he regularly beat me at Cribbage.  Dad was and is a competitor at heart.  We all love games and can't wait to play again.  I try and teach my boys to play games all the time.  Sometimes, we just can't find the time due to schedules and life in this day and age in general.
    Well, This may not have been that funny, but I enjoyed writing it.  Right now, life is calling and letting me know it is time to go.  Thank you for reading and keep playing.  Have a great day.

Short post.

       So yesterday was interesting.  I auditioned for a part in this years musical.  We are doing "Annie!" and I auditioned for the part of Rooster.  I think I did OK, but I don't know.  There are enough parts that I will definitely be in the show, I just don't know if I will get the part I want.  Call backs are tonight and the final list comes out Wednesday.  Guess I just need a little patience.
     today should be fun.  I have dental in about 45 minutes.  It's just a cleaning and a check up.  It will be a pain but it is something I need.  Then I get to check and see if I have a call back when I get done and follow that up with the rest of the day at work.  Not much else is going on.  I really don't have much to say.  Thanks for reading and enjoy.

Manic Monday: Remember 9/11 and Unity Lost

         It's Manic Monday.  This week I think I will skip the rant and go for the memory.  With the 10th anniversary of 9/11 yesterday, I got to thinking, "what exactly has changed because of that day?"  Yes, air travel has become more inconvenient.  We have a sense of loss when we are reminded, but really what else has changed.  Have we become a more unified country?  Are we truly stronger and better able to care for ourselves?  Or did we sink lower than we were before hand?  When we are asked to remember that day, some of us tear up and are moved.  Some of us simply say what a tragedy, but it's time to move on. 
         In the first months following 9/11 we saw a united nation.  We saw something that hasn't been true of our nation for decades.  There was no partisan politics when it came to what must be done.  We reached across the aisle and mourned together as Americans.  We worked together to find a solution and pass legislation that was required.  The sad state of affairs is that less than 10 years later, we do nothing but play the blame game and refuse to pass anything that the "other party" has proposed.  The good of the nation has been replaced with the good of the party.  Bush is continually blamed for two wars, yet when you look at it through the filter of history you find that the war in Afghanistan was a direct result of 9/11 and a bipartisan war.  That's right, it was a unanimous decision to go into Afghanistan and eliminate the Taliban and Al Qaeda.  The nation rejoiced when we were told we were going.  Yet, not even 10 years later, we blame Bush and denounce the war we all wanted.  Granted the announced reasons for the war in Iraq were wrong and less than ideal, but in all it was necessary as part of the war on terrorism.  There may not have been WMD's, but there was most definitely direct support of terrorism.  Yet, we still denounce this.  The biggest problem I have with those that denounce these wars is that they want us to just leave.  We, as Americans, don't go somewhere, mess stuff up in major ways and not fix it.  It just isn't in our natures.  We learned from our past mistakes (at least I hope we did).  The fact is that, if we had left these two war zones when public opinion turned against them, they would be havens for terrorists today and back under totalitarian regimes again.  When you leave a country torn by war with no leadership or established government, the strongest military force takes charge.  In this area of the world, that would be the best armed and that means the very people we went to defeat in the first place.  This means we have to establish a stable government before we leave.  This means we have to ensure that government can defend itself.  This takes more time than we expected.
       I find it hard to believe that we have sunk so low in 10 years that we can no longer act for the good of the nation.  That we must put the election of those in our party over what the nation needs.  That politics has replaced patriotism.  That the strength of the party is mistaken for the strength of the nation.  Support your soldier was been replaced with support your party.  Remember the fallen has been replaced with remember what the other party did.  We are no longer happy with doing what is right for the nation, we only blame the party we don't like for where we are.  It isn't our fault that we didn't act on what was right, the other party made us.  This has become the mantra of both parties and it needs to stop.
     As I look back at 9/11 I see 2 tragedies.  The first is obviously the loss of life from the attacks and the extremism that spawned the attacks.  The second (and greater loss I believe) is the loss of the national unity glimpsed following this tragic day.  We saw a unified nation.  A nation where differences were put aside for the national good.  A nation where, though we may have differed in opinion, we were united by patriotism and the ideals that made the nation great.  A nation where we stood together and denounced the wrong.  That is lost now.  Instead of standing together to denounce the wrong, we stand apart and denounce each other right or wrong.  Instead of being united by love of country and national ideals, we are torn apart by opinion and blame.  Instead of putting aside differences for the national good, we emphasize the differences and use them to highlight the individual bad.  I am saddened by this and look toward the future with trepidation.  Unless things change, it will only get worse. 
       I am not pointing fingers at any party.  All parties are to blame.  We as a people are to blame.  I have fed the flames of separation by denouncing other parties just as many of you have.  We as a nation need to stop finding the bad in everything and start pointing out the good.  When a new piece of legislation is passed or proposed, we need to find the good in it first.  And then try and make it better.  Instead we find the bad and say that this makes the entire thing bad.  When I offer my children something new to eat, the first thing they see is something unfamiliar.  One of 2 reactions ensues, either revulsion because it is unrecognized, or excitement because it is new and maybe better.  I work with my boys and have asked them to try it s though they expect it to be good.  I understand that not everything tastes the same to everyone, but if you believe you won't like it before you try it, you won't.  It's just a given.  You won't like it because you have already made up your mind (and none of us likes to admit when they are wrong, especially when it is a matter of opinion and personal taste).  The opposite is true as well.  If you go into something expecting to like it, you at least have a chance of enjoying it.  True, you may sometimes still end up hating it, but at least it isn't due to stubbornness.  How many great foods are passed up because we decide they look horrible?  The same can be said of legislation.  Our first take on it can sour the rest of it.  If we believe that it bad before we read it, then it is hard to find anything good in it.  But if we look for the good, we may find bad, but we can at least find something worth saving.
         I guess what I really want to say is, let's put our priorities straight.  We have allowed our priorities to be reversed and it is destroying our nation.  Nation before party.  Let's remove the party blinders and do good by the nation.  I love this country, but it's politics are destroying it.  I think we should remember 9/11 and strive to achieve the elusive cohesiveness we had following it.  If we wait for the other guy to start first it will never happen.  Reach across the aisle and be the first.  Lead by example and end the divisiveness that is the catchword of the day.  Sit next to someone different from you.  Greet your opposite with a smile and a friendly handshake.  Step out and be open and honest.  Heal our nation.
       Thank you for tolerating my rant today.  It is just my thoughts and feelings.  Thank you.  God Bless America.

Whatever

      It was an interesting night last night.  Turns out I have been put in charge of games for Awana grades K-2.  Should be interesting.  We'll see what happens and how it works out.  Monday, I have tryouts for the Christmas musical (We're doing Annie this year) so my week is pretty much shot if I get the part.  We'll just have to see how it goes.  I still need to mow the lawn and put the camper away, I have 2 soccer games to go to on Saturday, and I am trying to get the house clean as well.  In other words, I just got busy, real busy.  Oh, and it is supposed to hit 90 this weekend.  Oh, well, you do what you have to.  Anyway, I have actual work to do for a change so I have to go.  Have a great day.  Thanks for letting me whine for a bit, I feel better.  Enjoy your day.

Happy Hump Day: What the heck did I just write?

    Happy Hump Day!  yes, it's that day of the week.  Doesn't seem like it should be with the shortened week, but it is.  This always seems to happen when a holiday occurs.  You forget that the first day of the week isn't Monday and thus you end up a day off the rest of the week.  It usually takes me until about mid Saturday morning for it to finally dawn on me that it was a shortened week. 
    This is especially bad when it comes to weeks like Thanksgiving week.  Being in the Navy, I tend to get the day after Thanksgiving off as well.  This means that I end up with 4 days off straight.  While I enjoy the lead up to it, I end up feeling as though I should be somewhere else on Saturday and walk around in a daze for hours until it finally sets in that I really don't have to be anywhere.  I think my wife figured this out and has used it as an excuse to either schedule things or to take me shopping.  Either way, I am able to skip the daze.  Not that I don't like shopping or doing things with my wife, it just makes for a long day.  In fact, I love doing things with my wife (I'm not just saying this because she is reading it, Hi Honey!, I really do enjoy spending time with her) and she is the one who hates shopping.  I love window shopping (and the occasional purchase is good as well). 
      This brings me to a whole other topic.  I must have the most non woman type wife in the world.  I mean that in a good way.  She hates spending money.  The height of fashion for her is the sale rack at good will and as long as you can rig it to work it is still good.  She balances me. I like to look halfway decent, can't stand it when things aren't performing or looking as well as when they were new, and love shopping.  Since we actually have a savings account with money in it, you can guess who wins more often.  The funny thing is, we both had similar backgrounds.  Growing up, our clothes were either hand me downs, thrift store purchases, or garage sale finds.  New meant we went into a store to buy it (you do have to go into a thrift store to buy it).  We wore faded jeans because that's how they came (they faded naturally, we paid $2 for them while the stores had them for $50 new).  When ripped jeans became the fashion we were excited, we were finally in style and we didn't have to pay outrageous sums of cash for new jeans, ours came "preventilated" (my dad's phrase) from the thrift store.  Shopping meant that we were going out to get stuff we needed and that was it.  I only got actual new stuff for Christmas and birthdays.  It was the same for my wife.
        So why is it that I like to spend money and my wife wants to hold on to it?  I don't know.  We both had lean times growing up, but when I had money I couldn't wait to spend it.  She on the other hand held on to it.  I really can't explain it and neither can she.  I am glad she likes to hold onto stuff, it keeps me in check and makes it so we can have nice things (at least until the kids get a hold of them). 
        Yes, I sometimes complain about my wife's thrifty tendencies.  Yes, I call her cheap every once in a while.  Yes, we argue about money regularly.  But I think that just helps me reign in my spending.  I get the feeling that she complains about my spending ways just as much.  She constantly reminds me that just because we have $50 in the account doesn't mean that we can go find a new knife for the kitchen (so I like cooking as well).  I love her for it and maybe because of it.  She carries a lot of weight around with the primary worry about money.  I am usually unconcerned about the check book until I have a stack of receipts in my wallet.  Add to that the ease of going to the store on my way home from work and, with out her, I would be up to my eyes in debt. 
        So I guess this Happy Hump day post has become a thank you to my wife.  The humor may or may not be there, but this is what came out when I let my thoughts go free (I also appear incapable of sticking with a single topic, but maybe that's just ADD).  Thank you for reading.  Have a great day.

Weekend update: The camping was fine.

           Great weekend.  It was 4 days of enjoying the sun and communing with fellow Christians.  The park was awesome and the weather perfect.  The boys had a great time and we never once heard them say they were bored (at least not until the ride home).  Now we just need to prep the camper for winter storage and clean up.  We started yesterday, but it will probably take a few days to get it fully unpacked and cleaned.  We did manage to give the boys hair cuts as well as baths.  All in all, we are all feeling great after a wonderful weekend.
           I have to say that the biggest thing I got out of this trip was the testimonies and the evidences of God's work.  I had many discussions with my fellow campers and they were always productive.  One of the topics we touched on was how God makes it easy to believe what we want.  After all, he did say, "Seek and ye shall find."  Although many Christians take this to mean seek God and you will find him, we came to the consensus (I am pretty sure it is accurate as well) that this meant that what ever you seek you will find.  I had some help in this from reading Lee Strobel's "A Case for Faith."  God has given us every evidence we need to prove his existence, if we seek that proof.  He has also given us enough evidence to disprove himself to a certain degree if we choose that direction.  What I find even more interesting though, is that if you keep digging into proof that God doesn't exist, you eventually reach the point where you have disproved your proof and have to start again.  Most people that I have ran into stop when they have enough proof to satisfy themselves and stop looking.  As a Christian, I keep finding more and more proof of God's existence and have yet to find that point where my proof is disproved. 
            We also found that those that decide to prove that God doesn't exist have their reasons for doing so.  These range from not wanting to admit they are sinners to the understanding that if they admit God exists that they have to give up the life and beliefs they currently hold.  To quote Pastor Barry, "A faith that requires little to nothing is a little to nothing faith."  I was among the sinners who didn't want to give up what he had.  The problem was I believed in God, I just chose to ignore what I needed to do to have that closer walk with him.  Once I gave that up, I found that I had less stress, I had a closer relationship to my wife and kids, and I was happier overall.  I am not saying it is easy.  Quite the opposite, in fact.  Turns out, the sin nature is quite the strong and determined little beast.  I have to be ever diligent to keep from cussing or getting involved in looking at things I shouldn't.  I have to fight the fight daily to keep from doing the things I used to do.  I don't always win, but it is easier now to admit them to God and be brought back.  It is just the way it is. 
          Thank you for letting me ramble today and giving me some of your time.  Have a wonderful day and keep your chin up.  Every bad day ends and a good day is sure to come (we can hope anyway.)

Tragedy and compassion.

            I am so excited.  This weekend is the final camping weekend of the year and I get to spend it with my church family.  Should be a great time.  We still have a lot to do to get the camper packed and I still have shopping to do, but We are so close.
            Now it is time to get serious.  For a couple of weeks I have been keeping a secret my sister asked me to keep (Sis, if you read this and I am wrong on anything, please let me know and keep the updates coming).  I kept it off of the Internet, for reasons I will detail below, but shared it verbally with my church and friends here.  My younger sister and her family is going through a really rough time.  They live in an area that has a high gang population.  My brother in law is the pastor of a church in the middle of this area.  The gangs there have decided they don't like the fact that he is offering alternatives to gang life and have decided that he needs to leave.  He is of a different mind.  What began with midnight calls and knocking on the door and running, escalated to texts with direct threats against their sons.  They went to the police and were told that the mayor didn't want the police to address the gang issue as it would draw attention to it and thus hurt tourism.  Due to the threats and inactivity of the local police, my sister was forced to leave her home with her children while things, hopefully, cooled down.  This left my brother in law alone with his ministry.  To make it worse, after my sister left, the house and church were both tagged with gang graffiti.  Then my brother in law had a log thrown at him from a moving car.  The log struck him in the jaw, knocking loose some teeth.  While he was lucky his jaw wasn't broken, he now needs a root canal that he can't afford due to various reasons.  As before, the police are still silent on this. 
         Now for the reason I kept this silent until now.  When my sister went to the police the first time, they saw an increase in the threatening activity, including pictures of her boys sent to her via text with threats accompanying them.  For this reason, she wanted the story and her location kept off the Internet as she was afraid of reprisal.  These gangs have not relented and my sister and her family are at the end of their ropes.  The reason I chose to write this today is because, she finally felt comfortable enough to share it via Face Book yesterday.   They need whatever support you can give them and I send them my prayers daily.
        I need to add that I have the deepest respect and love for my sister and brother in law.  Through out this the thought of giving up on their mission and leaving the church for their own safety has been the last thing they want.  If not for their boys, I believe the both of them would still be out there and spreading God's love.  If there is any Christian you should look up to, my sister and her husband are two of the best.  Sis, I love you and wish I could be there for you.  Thank you and have a wonderful weekend.
       

Another short post

           Today is a wierd day.  Looks like I won't be adding onto my story blog until at least Tuesday.  Today I have a lot to do here at work and thus won't be able to do anything on it.  Tomorrow, I hopefully will get off early so I can leave early for my camping trip.  In all, I am going to be a busy man for the next couple of days and then I will be disconnected from all technology until Monday as I don't have a smart phone nor a WiFi capable laptop.  I am fine with that as I will be camping and usually don't spend much time on the computer when I am at home anyway. 
            I really don't have much to discuss today.  Things are going well, so I have no reason to complain.  I'm a sailor, I can always find something to complain about, I just don't have anything worth complaining about.  Anyway, hope you have a wonderful day.