Things to come.

             This is just a short post to let you know where I am headed with all this.  I have decided that my next post will be on a topic that has been bothering me for a while.  I am not going to reveal it until I am done with the research and have figured out what I am going to write.  Just know that I am doing the research and that it will be a bit more fact laden than usual.  The down side of this is that I may not complete it this week, and with school next week, that means that it could be the following week before I post again. 
                No, I will not be posting next week as will be in class.  I have enjoyed posting regularly for you, but I have come to the realization that the quality has been beginning to slip.  Thus, I have decided to opt for quality over quantity.  I will try and give you a time line for each post, but they will not be as often.  Thank you for regularly reading my blog, I just felt that it was time to step up what I was writing.
              Thank you for reading, and as always, have a great day.

Busy, busy, busy

                I have taken a look at my schedule and the next month or so is so full of stuff that I won't have a lot of time to post.  I will post when I can, so don't despair (not that you would).  I just can't seem to find anything worth talking about for extended posts so I am just going to wing it for now.  This weekend was interesting.  I had duty Sunday so was completely unavailable.  Yesterday, the family and I went out and got shopping for school supplies done.  We also bought what we needed to launch some model rockets with the boys.  David has his built, Mathew will get his built this afternoon, and John should be able to finish his as well (John's is actually a higher level one).  I look forward to launching them sometime this week. 
                   As I said, my schedule is pretty full.  Next weekend I have a campout with the boys, which I am looking forward to.  Next week, I am in RTAP class.  That is a program for the military to help us transition to civilian life.  It teaches us how to write resumes and translate what we do in the military to skills needed in the civilian world.  Over all it is a great class that will help me as I move closer to retirement.  I will then be one week away from my trip to the grand canyon.  As I said, I have a pretty full schedule. 
                     Not much else worth saying, so I guess it is time to sign off.  Thanks for reading and, as always, have a great day.

A plea for help. Not that kind, I just need topics.

            Why is it that I really don't have much to say beyond the usual rants.  I could go off on how people misuse various resources to prove points.  I could spout my opinion on any number of current events.  I could pull up statistics to support my arguments just as you could to support your side.  The fact is, I don't feel like starting arguments or becoming angry over things that I have no control of.  This makes me realize just how tough it is to write articles day in and day out.  New ideas are hard to come by and old ideas get repetitive.  What is a writer to do?
             I've thought about writing a nonsense post, but that gets old quickly (and I've done it a few to many times for it to be funny anymore).  I thought about posting another answer, but those are more for my sons and there are only a few that have any relevance outside my family. 
              I guess what I am trying to say is that I am running out of ideas and am looking to you, my readers, to throw me a bone.  What do you want to read about?  What interests do you have?  I really don't mind looking things up.  It doesn't bother me at all.  I have all day.  My job allows me to do whatever as long as I am available to do inspections when required.  This means I have 8 hours (give or take 15 minutes or so) to do research and write articles.  As my boss said, we get paid for what we know, not what we do.  Sure there are times when we get busy, but they are spurious and we usually have a few days between them. 
             All that being said, I look forward to your input.  Thanks for reading and, as always, have a great day.

Another answer

            I didn't post yesterday because I got sent to the other office at the last minute to fill in for coworkers who had appointments.  That being said, I really don't have a topic for today so I will include another answer for my sons.  Here it is.

1-1          What’s the most important lesson you learned from your dad?

To begin with, I learned a lot from my dad and not all of it was appreciated at the time.  Some of the things I learned from my dad didn’t sink in until years after I left home and I realized where that particular bit of wisdom came from.  The one that I deem the most important was one of these.  Dad didn’t come right out and say you ought to do this or not do that.  No, it was a lesson taught through living and by example.  I don’t even know if dad realized he was teaching me a lesson, I believe he just lived that way.  The lesson I am talking about?  Treat others with respect and kindness at all times.  Sounds simple enough until those others step on you and hurt you.  I can’t remember dad ever getting angry and yelling at anyone.  He always treated everyone he met with respect and honesty.  Even when they weren’t around he treated them right.  Sure, there were times when he may have said something negative, but it was always in a respectful manner, more of an observance than gossip or meanness.   As I said, it wasn’t so much a lesson taught as a lesson observed.  I hope it is a lesson I can pass on to you. 

I couldn’t leave this at one lesson.  There is a second lesson that comes on the heels of the first.  It is to work hard at whatever it is that you do.  This was a lesson I definitely didn’t appreciate growing up.  Usually, it was because it was one I learned through doing.  This is a lesson that is best taught through action.  I learned it through chores and work on our four acres.  There was always something that needed to be done.  Usually it was enough to keep us kids working all week during the summer and all day Saturday during the school year.  Looking back, I thank God that dad made us do that work and do it right.  He gave us the understanding that spending a little extra time to do it right the first time is better than doing it right the second or third time.  I hope that it is something I can teach you as well.  The ability to do a job right the first time and to see it through to the finish is important.  It is what sets you apart from your peers and allows you to find success in whatever you do.

             As I look back I realize that lessons that struck home the strongest were the ones taught through actions.  Those taught to me by word of mouth have tended to fade while those that my dad lived have endured.  I hope that I can live those lessons for you and that you can live them for your sons and daughters.
            Thanks for reading and, as always, have a great day.

Another answer

           What a week.  The Fourth was great.  Had a good time with family and fireworks.  I managed to end the day with the same number of appendages as I started with, which is a good thing.  Even better, my boys had a good day and got to light fireworks as well.  So much fun.  My mother-in-law and niece had a good time as well and leave tomorrow.  They will be missed but it will also be nice to be able to take a single vehicle to go somewhere as a family again.  Overall, it has been a good couple of weeks with them. 
            Not much to say today.  Didn't have any news story catch my eye.  No discussions worth rehashing.  In all, a quiet weekend.  Guess that means I get to post another answer.
            This one is pretty quick.

As a boy, what did you want to be when you grew up?

Like all boys, I went through several stages of what I wanted to be.  Early on I wanted to be a pilot.  This was re-enforced when I found out my father was in the Air Force, as it sparked my interest in airplanes.  I had a large collection of aircraft cards.  They were about 5” x 7” in size and had pictures on one side (some were photos and others were drawings) and the airplane’s specifications and weaponry, as well as a brief description of when the plane saw service.  I spent hours going over those pictures, dreaming of being a pilot.  I loved the idea of flying.  I really didn’t care what, I just wanted to fly. 

As I entered my middle school, I discovered that, in order to fly in the armed forces, you had to have near perfect eye sight.  Since I was already in glasses at this point, I realized flying an airplane for the Air Force was out of the question.  At this time I was already taking piano lessons (I started when I was in 4^th grade), and so I adjusted my dreams.  I decided I wanted to write music.  I loved playing around on the piano (practicing was not really that fun after all) and making up music.  I guess I still have that dream to a certain extent; I just don’t have the discipline or training to follow through.  Looking back, I realize just how important that practice was.  Had I put more of an effort into actually playing my lessons, I might have actually been able to write a full song. 

I had other fleeting dreams as well.  I dreamed of being a fireman, a police officer, and an astronaut.  I played at being a soldier, a ventriloquist, and a movie star.  I dreamed of being rich and famous (though in all honesty I was a bit vague on how I got there.)  The point is, have a dream.  Find out what it takes to follow that dream, then go for it.  There is nothing you can’t do if you just pick up your feet and move towards it.  Sure, you may find that it takes a lot of work, but it can be so satisfying.  Just remember, no matter how tough that dream may be to achieve, you have my support. 

There is an old joke that goes: “how do you eat an elephant?”  The answer:  “One bite at a time.”  The same is true of your dreams.  Take them one bite at a time and keep chewing.  Eventually, you’ll look back with a full life and say, “Whew, what a mouthful, but man was it satisfying!”

       Thanks for reading and, as always, have a great day.

My America, How I love her.

          As this is the last post of the week due to the holiday, I felt that I should write on what this country means to me.  Although I believe that John Wayne did it better (look up his "America, Why I love her), I will try my best to put my feelings on her into words we can all agree with (or at least not get angry over).
         America, to me, is a country that means freedom.  This, by itself, is not enough to make her great or enamor me to her.  No, America draws me home for so many more reasons.  While its lands are vast and its sights awe inspiring, it is her way of life that keeps bringing me back.  Oh, we have our problems, but, then, who doesn't?  We pride ourselves in our freedoms.  Freedoms that few countries truly have.  Freedom to say what we will about our government and debate its merits or pitfalls openly and without fear.  Freedom to worship or not as we see fit.  Freedom to choose how we spend our lives.
          America has been called the land of opportunity, and rightly so.  This doesn't mean it is given to you and you are guaranteed success, only that you have the freedom to chase your dream as hard as you want.  If you decide it is to hard and you don't want to pursue it it is your choice, no one can, or is allowed to, make that decision for you.  Yet, you also have the freedom to go where you wish within this nation to chase your dreams.  So many come here, not because life is easier, but because it is freer.
          America is not perfect, no land where humans lives ever will be, but it is a place you can call home.  The American dream is to own our own chunk of land.  A parcel we can call our own and use as we will.  We are granted the ability to not just vote, but to write to and speak with those we vote for.  We are allowed to see our government in operation and the freedom to at least read what it does.  While we may not agree on what has been done or will be done, we have the freedom to debate it.
          Why do I love America?  She is the mother of freedom and the guiding light of democracy.  Though that light may dim at times and freedoms may falter, the light always returns to shine brighter and the freedoms return to stand stronger.  When endangered she rises up and stands together, her light shining brighter than the sun and bringing even those who are unhappy with her to her call.  She leads where others dare not tread and stands where others would fall.
            America is a nation of passion. We share what we are passionate about freely, without fear.  We are granted the ability to follow our beliefs where and how we will.  We are allowed to share those beliefs freely and invite others in.  Thank God for that freedom.
           In closing, I believe I can sum this up by simply saying that America is a land where we get to be who we choose to be, how we choose to be, when we choose to be, and where we choose to be.  It is all a matter of personal choice, a choice we are free to make.  God bless America.   Have a great Independence Day!
          Thanks for reading and, as always, thanks for reading.

Fireworks, the 4th, and the traffic

           What a week!  I look back over the past week and I realize just how busy I have been.  I didn't even have a hour to fix my truck until Sunday and I knew what I needed to do for over a week.  That's what happens when family visits.
            I have a question.  Who is planning on going to a public fireworks display?  Personnaly, I don't want to go to one because it is a pain in the rear.  If I can find a spot nearby that I can see the display from, then I would rather go there.  The reason is that when you go to a public display you find that everyone else went as well.  Either you arrive hours ahead of time and stake out your spot, which means your car is now blocked in and you also don't get to leave for hours afterward, or you arrive just beofre it starts, walk a mile to get to a decent spot, hope that you can actually sit (with 8 people this year, not going to be easy), then try to navigate the crowd on your way out.  No matter how you look at it, is 15 minutes of fireworks really worth the hassle?  Maybe if we planned on meeting a couple of families there it may be worth it, but I just don't see it as worth it with what we have to deal with.
            Don't get me wrong, I love seeing fireworks, I just don't like all the problems that come with it.  At least if we stay close to home, the boys can go inside if they get scared or decide they are too tired.  I just don't want to go.  I want a couple of days at home without running in circles.  Is it too much to ask to have a holiday at home with my family without pressure to run somewhere for some reason?  Oh well, making hte wife happy is important too.
             Other than the fireworks dilema, I really am looking forward to the 4th.  I am making homemade ice cream again this year (strawberry this time).  We are planning on going traditional with burgers and hot dogs.  I have a few fireworks to light off at home and of course, we have games to play.  So much fun.  I hope you have a wonderful 4th.  Tomorrow will be my last post of the week due to the holiday and the wierdness of my schedule.
           Thanks for reading and, as always, have a great day.