The Big Macs

Greetings from The Mediterranean

2010-07-03T16:14:00.002-05:00

Hey bud! Even though we are only an hour apart timewise I haven't been able to catch you on the computer this week. Hope all is well with you. I know you have seen some of my posts 'cuz I've seen your comments.

This vacation has been wonderful. The week in Spain prior to getting on the ship was terrific. Seeing such historical places as The Prado was almost surreal. Madrid and Barcelona are great cities mixing very old with very new and doing it very well.

Wish I could write more, but it is bed time. We are getting off the ship in the AM so I will have to get up early to pack. We'll chat when I get home.

Love you lots. Be safe and KYHD.

Iraq During the Summer

2010-06-15T16:30:00.002-05:00

So, just to give everyone a glimpse of what we have been having for heat, I pulled up Weatherbug's forecast for my area, and here is what it says:

Wednesday

6/16/2010

Hi: 122° Lo: 99°

There is a 0% chance of precipitation. Partly cloudy. Extremely hot, Muggy. Temperature of 122°F. Winds WNW 15mph. Humidity will be 26% with a dew point of 77° and feels-like temperature of 145°F.

So basically we are seeing our first break in almost 4 days (it had been hitting 150 with the heat index.) And it will be around 145ish till like sunday, and then monday and tuesday will be in the low trips so that will be much welcomed.

"Three minutes is like doing 200 push-ups"

2010-06-14T12:50:00.003-05:00

Except for the fact that my abdominal machine is running for 40 minutes twice a day. What I am referring to is the Flex belt. Now I only just got it so I cannot show results just yet, but I have taken a before picture and will take pictures after one week, three weeks and so forth to show my progress. My goal is to incorporate this into my work-out so that i can get a taste for what its like having 6-pack abs for the first time in my life. The Flex Belt has 7 different toning settings with 99 intensity levels. Due to my on-going PT routine, I was able to start out at level 35 (currently pushing 50 as I type this). My goal is to be able to consistently do level 99 for 40 minutes twice a day every day. Right now its definitely working my abs to the extreme, but its not uncomfortable nor can anyone tell that i am wearing it till they see my abs constrict. I am definitely optimistic about this investment.

Update: So upon further reading of the manual, I found the program I liked the most. Its # 6 and is by far the strongest in terms of contraction intensity (but it varies in itself between long pauses, strong bursts and short but powerful bursts).

Jess-
Yup, you can find it @ http://www.theflexbelt.com

Lately i have been using Program 6, which has the strongest muscle contractions out of them all (its called Ab-Power). And I am feeling the workout now. And I dont know any one personally that has used it, but of all the EMS devices out there, this one has the highest reviews/positive comments. The only negative I saw was the person said they wanted to just lose weight and not get a 6-pack look. lol (whatever dude)

So...

2010-06-12T14:10:00.002-05:00

Upon thinking up a title to describe this blog, the only thing I got was either "Why am I not surprised", "Didn't see that one coming," and "I told you so just doesn't express it well enough." Basically, the BRIGADE personnel are now starting to also see the issue that our missions are not being flown as long as they should be. Now granted today was a HOT one. There was nothing cool about today. By 1030AM, it was already 122 Fahrenheit. But even my Shift NCOIC noted what I had already said, in not so many words, that there birds could be flying longer. Even if it was -2 outside, these birds would not be staying up for the full mission time. So lo and behold, people are asking questions and whaddya know, people are asking around NOW what can be done.

Like I said, I told you so just doesnt seem to cover it enough. But in other news, my infinite source of knowledge and the desire to learn more about my system landed me front and center with working our FOB Commanders vehicle so that he has a means of picking up our video. Basically, I was told that whatever or whoever I needed to get the job done, the FOB would provide. My only request for getting the job done: More light (they tried having me re-wire a system in pitch black with only flashlights. ) So tomorrow I will get to work in PTs (Our Physical Fitness Uniform) to get my task accomplished. So yea, right now I, of all people, am in the COL's good graces.

Dear Iron Brigade

2010-06-02T12:44:00.003-05:00

I sincerely apologize for trying to fully support our current mission with pushing to get the aircraft to fly in its dedicated time-slot and not RTB(return to base aka land) early. I don't know what I was thinking when I made the suggestion for our civilian maintainer and army maintainers to tweak the engine to get it to burn less fuel and stay airborne longer. I know we promised You (Brigade) that we could support 16.5 hours of aerial coverage, but 13 seems sufficient. So again I apologize for trying to fulfill our promise and obligation. And I apologize to the civilian maintainer for recognizing him not doing his job and indirectly calling him out on it. How inconsiderate of me to want to do my job. This kind of thinking is only reserved for the brightest NCOs who are doing their job. I hope this matter can be resolved and we only half-ass support you for the rest of the deployment.

Your selfish Sergeant,
DA

Day Off??

2010-06-02T09:49:00.002-05:00

OK - there is NO SUCH THING as a day off!! Yesterday I was not in the office at my paying job but it was certainly NOT a day off. It started bright and early. I had 3 different service technicians coming for 3 different jobs: install a new windshield, replace a leaky/broken kitchen faucet and an annual AC check. Everyone got here when they were supposed to. The windshield got replaced. The kitchen faucet got replaced - it works like a charm and the AC/furnace checked out fine. So what's the problem??

In the course of the plumbing job and AC job - same company but 2 different technicians, they checked our water heater and both agreed it needed to be replaced. In their words, "this is an accident waiting to happen. This thing could go at any time and flood your basement." So, we agreed on a new water heater to be installed at a time to TBD. We also decided to get an electrostatic furnace filter with a lifetime warranty. Well - AC guy did not have said filter on his truck so he said he would bring on back later in the day. All technicians were done and out by 1300 (1PM). We go to lunch and I run errands. DA requested some fans...something about it getting up to ~120 degrees Farenheit. So a trip to Walgreens and Walmart and then to Post Pack n' Ship to get the fans and other goodies out to DA.

I get home ~1600 (4PM) and dad and I are going through our trip/cruise arrangements. Making sure we have everything, etc. AC guy shows up with plumbers to install new water heater...he still does not have new furnace filter! (They had not called or anything, but no problem we were home and had no other plans!) (Dr Dave was off for the afternoon since he had worked the weekend). They get the old water heater emptied and disconnected BEFORE they realize they have brought the WRONG NEW WATER HEATER. They brought a propane HWH instead of a Natural Gas HWH. They are NOT interchangeable. So we now have 2 choices: no hot water until tomorrow (today) OR they can go the Home Depot and buy a new one and install it for the night then come back in the morning with the new 50 gallon one we had agreed on. So we decide we do not want to be without hot water for the night and morning showers, so off to Home Depot they go. They are back in short order and a new 40 gallon HWH is installed for about 14 hours. BTW - all this extra cost is on them - we had agreed on a HWH AND the price to install it, etc.
So the AC guy shows up this morning to help carry the newly delivered 50 gallon HWH down stairs so the plumber that is on his way can install it. Oh - and he has the new electrostatic filter with him!! YEAH!! They are both downstairs now emptying out the NEW 40 gallon HWH so they can install the NEW 50 gallon HWH. Hopefuly the plumber knows what he is doing and can work by himself because the AC guy has been called to go to another job. There are alot of things I learned to do by myself while Dr Dave was active duty, but installing a new HWH was not one of them!!

Moral of this story - don't call your day "away" from your paying job a "day off"...there is NO SUCH THING!!

P.S. At some point yesterday afternoon, Dr Dave notices that the BRAND NEW WINDSHIELD that got installed just hours before is CRACKED!! Luckily, that will be repaired at no extra charge since it is warrantied 100%.

Hope all of you had a good Tuesday!!

What a Day!

2010-05-29T05:18:00.003-05:00

You know, people always get on my case about knowing too much of my system, but today, those voices were silent. We experienced severe turbulence and with my calm, naturally cool attitude, was able to control the situation and save the aircraft (Our system isnt designed to fly in anything above moderate turbulence.)

And just for reference, everyone here has experienced on a commercial airliner what is considered LIGHT turbulence. Severe turbulence essentially is strong enough to cause structural damage to aircrafts. Guess that's why they call me 'Professor' this deployment. And to top it off, I had to correct our Warrant Officer on regulations for signing a risk assessment for a certain condition. But I will praise SPC W. for his finesse in landing the aircraft when it was uncertain what was going to happen. Kudos, dude.

It's Gonna Rain...!

2010-05-21T07:01:00.002-05:00

So, apparently I am a better weather guy then the ones that we use here in Iraq. While they are forecasting weather, I am predicting weather and I have been right on more occassions than they have. (I swear they have the best job... They can be wrong and still keep their job. The weather simply changed.) I had both SWOs (Staff Weather Officer) tell me that they use a magic 8-ball half the time anyways. And I tell them that my 8-ball told me on the days when it was going to rain(And it did!) They now want my 8-ball. lol

Anywho, we are finishing up the inventories before our current commander hands over our company to the new incoming Commander. Now mind you we have actually been working with this new commander since we got in country, and at first we werent too keen on his ability to lead a unit with a UAS platoon in it. But it seems that since he has been transitioning over to being our commander, his whole attitude has changed and is a pretty approachable guy. Hopefully it sticks that way.

The Chocolate Milk Diet

2010-05-18T05:42:00.002-05:00

And no, this is NOT a joke.
From Yahoo News:
Imagine if everything you needed to know about weight loss, you learned in kindergarten. Well, if your teacher gave you chocolate milk as a lunchtime treat, she was (unknowingly) giving you one of the most powerful weight-loss tools in the nutritional universe. Turns out this childhood staple may be the ideal vehicle for your body’s most neglected nutritional needs. Each bottle delivers a package of micro- and macronutrients that can help you shake off body flab and replace it with firm muscle. And when you served it ice-cold, the creamy sweetness flows across your tongue with all the pleasure of a milk shake. Yum.

That’s the crux of what I'm calling "The Chocolate Milk Diet," which isn’t a diet at all. It’s essentially three eight-ounce servings of chocolate milk consumed at key points throughout your day: one when you wake up, a second before you exercise, and a third directly after your workout. Or, if it's your day off, just pattern them for morning, afternoon, and night. Sounds good, right? It is, and that’s why it’s so easy. But is this a free ticket to eat as much fried chicken as you want throughout the rest of the day? Unfortunately not, but alongside a healthy diet, it can help you drop lots of belly fat fast. Here are the four reasons why:

Secret #1: The Calcium Effect

Researchers have known for years about the role that calcium plays in building strong bones, but a more recent development deals with they way it affects your belly. A series of studies have shown that calcium can actually impede your body’s ability to absorb fat, and when researchers in Nebraska analyzed five of these studies, they were able to estimate that consuming 1,000 mg more calcium can translate to losing nearly 18 pounds of flab. What’s more, other studies have shown that dairy foods offer the most readily absorbable calcium you can find. Knock back three servings of brown cow and you’ll reach that crucial 1,000 mg threshold. At that point, any other calcium that you eat or drink is a bonus.

Bonus Tip: Everything is not as it seems in the world of fat and calories. Click here to see the 30 “Healthy” Foods that Aren’t. You'll be shocked by the pounds of fat you may unwittingly gain while thinking that you're eating healthy.

Secret #2: The Vitamin D Factor

All the calcium in the world isn’t going to help you if you don’t get a good dose of vitamin D to go with it. That’s because vitamin D is responsible for moving calcium from your food to your body, which means if you’re running low on D, you’re probably also missing the calcium you need to stay slim. Other symptoms of the D deficiency are weak muscles, easily breakable bones, and depression—not a great combo for success. Now here’s why this is significant: Most experts agree that the average American isn’t getting enough D. Some estimate that only half the population is meeting the requirement and one study published in the journal Pediatrics found that 70 percent of American children had low levels of D in their diet. The thing is, your body makes vitamin D naturally when you expose your skin to sunlight, but most people spend too much time indoors to benefit. And intentionally spending more time in the sun could put you at risk for skin cancer. The solution? Drink up. Chocolate milk, like most milk, is fortified with vitamin D.

One caveat here: Drink 1% chocolate milk. Vitamin D won't work without a little fat to help break it down. You want to skip the whole milk, too, as it has too many calories to make it a regular habit. The best option is 1%, or low-fat chocolate milk. It has the fat you need to absorb crucial vitamins, yet at three cups a day, it will save you 120 calories over whole milk.

Bonus Tip: Everything you need to know about cereal is right here: America's Best and Worst Cereals. Keep the sugar down and the fiber up for a perfect start to your day.

Secret #3: The Endurance Boost

If you want to lose the gut, you’ve got to exercise—no surprise there. But here’s a fact that’s not so obvious: Drinking chocolate milk can improve your gains. In a study published in The International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, subjects given chocolate milk before hopping on the stationary bikes were able to ride 49 percent longer than subjects given a generic carbohydrate-replacement beverage. And on top of that, they pedaled even harder. Total work performed by the chocolate-milk group was greater than the work performed by subjects drinking carbohydrate-replacement drinks or electrolyte-fortified sports drinks. The reason? Milk has naturally occurring electrolytes that keep you hydrated—more hydrated then water, in fact, which I revealed recently on my Twitter account—and its natural sweetness helps push more energy into your muscles. Another study from 2009 found similar results, but it went one step further by asking participants which beverage they thought tasted better. Not surprisingly, 100% chose chocolate milk.

Bonus Tip: Discover more loveable liquids by browsing through our Best Beers slideshow. Or, if you’d rather avoid the calories altogether, then you’ll want to read The Worst Beverages in the Supermarket. Again, the point is to make weight-loss easy and fun, without ever worrying about going on a diet again.

Secret #4: The Protein-Body-Weight Connection

Want to know the secret to staying thin? You need more muscle. That’s because muscle burns more calories than fat, so for every new muscle fiber you create, your resting metabolism receives another surge of fat-torching energy. And chocolate milk can help you do that. Researchers have determined that the ideal protein load for building muscle is 10 to 20 grams, half before and half after your workout. How much protein will you find in low-fat chocolate milk? Eight grams per cup. (That means one serving before your workout and one serving after will give you a total of 16 grams of highly effective whey protein—a perfect serving.) Add that to the extra cup you drank first thing in the morning and you’re looking at a turbocharged metabolism that keeps you burning calories all day long.

And don’t forget, you can still melt those 18 pounds of belly fat without giving up your favorite foods. You just need to make smart swaps, and we’ve got 10 new ones right here. You'll lose weight faster than ever—again, with ever dieting again.

Side-note: I will say that my intake of Chocolate Milk most likely exceeds the 3x8oz servings for this diet. But it might explain why I was staying at 165lbs for like...Ever...But I will say that I have slowly started to gain muscle mass as per the P90X program (and hopefully with the addition of the FlexBelt Ab workout device), I will be able to get to a nice healthy, lean/toned physique.)

Its Beginning to Look a lot like Christmas...

2010-05-17T07:48:00.003-05:00

In Campo, Colorado.... Certainly not here with a High of 109 today(RealFeel of 122), 111 tomorrow (with a RealFeel of 127), and 115 (RealFeel of 133) on wednesday... Umm, did someone forget to tell Iraq that its STILL springtime... HELLO!?!?!?!? Even the winds feel like someone turned on an industrial-strength blow dryer (much like the one from the movie "SpaceBalls.") Even the shade is in the mid 110s. But there is good news. We can now enjoy refreshing meals inside our new DFAC which recently opened and can seat 230 people at a time. Also some good news, the current FOB Commander has directed that snail mail arrive more frequently (even if in small quantities.) The reasoning may be personal, but it will mean that mail could arrive as quickly as just a few days. They have also changed up our flight times due to the heat so I will have a break in between the first and second flight of the day. (about 3 hour break). Which is nice cuz that means I will be in my nice, a/c cooled tent when its a million degress outside.

Another Saturday

2010-05-15T13:38:00.002-05:00

Greetings from home. The day started with thunder, lightning and rain. It is now 1445 and the thunder and lightning have stopped, but it is still sprinkling. Eveything that is supposed to be is GREEN!!. I don't think I have seen plants, bushes, trees, etc. this green in the 17 1/2 yrs we have lived here. BTW - the pool water is about the same color of green. Why?? Because several years ago we had a bad ice storm in Dec. During that ice storm, a couple of large branches broke off one of the big trees close to the pool. When they fell, they were caught by lower branches and hung out there for these last few years. Well, this last spring we had some VERY windy days and the broken branches found their way to the ground by way of the pump and filter for the pool. SO...some parts have to be replaced/fixed. Consequently, although they came out on Mother's Day to "open" the pool, nothing is working yet. I am hopeful that all will get fixed this week so we can swim by Memorial Day.

Does anyone else think it strange that I "chat" with DA more when he is half way around the world then when he is "home"? That is certainly the case. We chat almost every afternoon for a little while. Don't get me wrong! It's not that I don't enjoy it because I do! It just seems weird that it happens this way.

Hope all is well where you are and that the haboob has moved on.

Love you lots. Be safe and KYHD!

mom

Blast from the Past

2010-05-12T10:14:00.004-05:00

So I was going through some old emails trying somehow to clean up and organize my inbox when I stumbled across a particular photograph. So, if ANYONE has ever doubted how much the Army has done for me physically, I will show you how I used to look... Its kind of scary knowing that I personally was that big. And I will show how I looked the DAY of my graduation from Basic Training.

WARNING: THE FOLLOWING DEPICTS IMAGES THAT MIGHT NOT BE APPROPRIATE FOR CHILDREN. VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED... (Now my butt is covered)

Latest from Iraq...

2010-05-10T11:05:00.003-05:00

So its been 2 months since we have arrived in theater (pass the popcorn)... So far we have managed to piss off the locals by constantly flying around. We have enjoyed some yummy BBQ at our sister site. I have been promoted to Sergeant (AT EASE!!)... We have been established at the bastard child/shining star of the TOC (Tactical Operational Center)... I have been able to set in stone that I will be home for the birth of our first baby mac. So yea, that's 2 months of deployment in a nutshell.

Oh, and apparently the human body (specifically the human thigh) is no match when put against(thats an understatement) an after-market, up-armored metal HMMWV front bumper...Me Just an hour of colliding with the HMMWV

My "I cannot believe I did this" grin...

I talked to DA!!

2010-04-29T19:04:00.002-05:00

What a wonderful surprise!! First Chelsey called to tell me that DA would be calling and then he called!! We had chatted earlier (on Yahoo! Messenger)so it was even more of a surprise because he didn't tell me that the call center was up and running!! He even had his calling card from his first deployment and it even had minutes on it!! He sounds great. He says he has put on some weight (a good thing!) ( I could tell!! It's a mom thing!!) Also, I now have a little better idea of where he is located. Per COL McCarthy I will not post that info but you can call me if you want to know more!! He is actually talking to Dr Dave right now! This is so awesome!! I am so glad that he can call now. Chatting is great, but hearing his voice is soooooo sweet. He sends his love to all. Right now it takes about 1 month for mail to reach him, but that may change soon. He would love to hear in any way, shape or form from any/all of you so....hint, hint!! If you need his address just let me know.

DA - Call any time!! Love you lots, be safe and KYHD.

mom

90X (EXTREME)

2010-04-28T17:43:00.003-05:00

So for the past almost 2 weeks now, I have been going to the gym here on the FOB to do 90X which is a full body, muscle confusion workout. Essentially the program is designed to prevent people from plateauing for a muscle group. By mixing it up and alternating muscle groups, the body gets to ripped up and toned (and you can always push yourself beyond your weights. And before each workout, our shift takes an 8oz Na-Xplode energy supplement drink to help pump the heart rate up which forces more blood to the muscles which helps builds them up in less time, and strengthens the muscles which normally would take more repetitions and weights to achieve. I can already feel myself getting stronger and we haven't even hit past the 14th day of this 90-day (90days extreme) craziness. I cannot wait to finish this program. I will be taking a Before and After picture just so people can see the difference. (People know that I have never really been in GREAT shape, just in good shape). I already feel the difference and I am liking it. More to come!

My Promotion

2010-04-23T15:50:00.002-05:00

Well after months of waiting, and then weeks of further waiting, I have finally been officially inducted into the Non-commissioned Officer Corps. It was a small ceremony since it was during the duty day, but I was glad my Squad Leader/Shift NCOIC got to be present since he was the one who was pushing for me to go to the board (he is also the one that actually pinned me.) Things really havent changed too much, except having to get used to people walking past me and them saying" Good Afternoon, Sergeant..." but that will come with time. And I've seen a few people from our company here that noticed I got pinned and they congratulated me as well. So its been nice to get the respect, but I still feel like the same old me.

TGIF

2010-04-23T13:42:00.002-05:00

...or as we have been known to say (and Grandma Carew loved this) it's P.O.E.T.S. Day. (Piss On Everyone Tomorrow's Saturday!) Woo-Hoo.

How are things going over there now that you're a Sargeant? Are you busier than before? What's the weather like there? It's really nice here today. In the 50s and sunny. We're finally getting a spring we can enjoy! Some people are still cleaning up from the floods we had back in March. I was lucky, but some folks had some MAJOR water issues. Things were so bad Rhode Island and eastern Massachusetts got extensions on filing our state and federal taxes until May 11. I finally got all my stuff together this weekend and got it to my accountant. Every year I vow to be more organized. Hopefully this year I'll do it!

The package I've put together for you will either go to the PO later this afternoon or tomorrow morning. Hope it makes it to you relatively quickly.

Not a lot of exciting stuff happening here. OOOOOH! I thought of you yesterday afternoon. On the radio on my way home from work and on the TV news when I got home, everyone was talking about the hail storms down south of here. They had lots of pictures on the TV. I remembered all the photos you posted of your recent hail storm. We didn't have any up my way, but down heading to the Cape really got pelted. It looked to be about the same size as what you had.

Well, back to work. Only 2.5 hours until the weekend starts. I'm going to a friend's house for dinner tonight. She's an elderly lady in town (87). She has 24/7 help in her house (she has Parkinson's Disease). She lives in an old rambling house on acres and acres of land. She and her family have donated most of the land to the town so that it will never be developed. Some is farm land and some is Open Land. She also has a pool and a tennis court on her property. She's kept company by a relative of Cooper named Brassie.

On the one hand I have Monday off; on the other hand I have Monday off because I have to go to Lahey. Just for checking some stuff. Nothing exciting. My appt. is at 9:45 a.m. but I'm taking the whole day. That way I don't have to kill myself getting everything done over the weekend.

Well, Sarge, have a great day/weekend. And, remember....KYHD! XXOO

Shennie

Yeah!!

2010-04-13T15:40:00.002-05:00

Well, now I can post again. Thanks Jessica!

DA - it was good to chat with you this morning. Check out his new pictures on Facebook! We are all well here. Dad and I are back after being on the road for 2 weeks. It was a great vacation and we are well rested but it was good to get home. Saw Aunt Nancy and she says hi! Kitty O'Shea sure did miss us. She has not left my side since we have returned and she scratched at our door all Sat night!

Any updated news about your promotion? You haven't mentioned it so I'm guessing not but just thought I'd ask.

We need to get your USPS address. Aunt Sher needs it for the big package drive in May and we all would like to get letters, cards, etc...to you, so.......

Hopefully you can get on the blog now that you are settled in.

Love you lots. Stay safe and KYHD!!

Mom

Promotion (or lack thereof)

2010-04-03T01:23:00.003-05:00

Well, unfortunately as the title suggests, I have yet to be officially promoted; however, on my records it does show my DOR (Date of Rank) as being 20100401 for SGT. So now it falls on the command group to get my orders signed to make it formally recognized. The Promotion Orders have already been cut and mailed to the MAJ that is responsible for in-theater promotions. I am just waiting for him to sign them and get them to my unit. I am all set with my new camera which takes very good video (HD) and after the ceremony, I will make sure to get chelsey a copy of it and the pictures so she can post them/share them with everyone else. Well, thats about it for now, oh and chelsey has my mailing address now for the FOB I am going to (for the meantime).

Hey, Sarge!

2010-04-02T16:34:00.002-05:00

How's it going over there?

It has FINALLY stopped raining here in New England. We had almost a foot of rain last month - floods everywhere. I have been lucky. Just a little water in the cellar - no more than usual. The sun was out today and it was 75 deg. when I was driving home from work.

Easter weekend - I guess that means that spring is on its way. There are green shoots popping up all over my gardens.

Keep well. ...and most importantly, KYHD!

Hugs,
Shennie

Calling Card

2010-03-28T11:43:00.001-05:00

David scrounged up his old calling card number, and the number that will show up begins with 199. So if you get a call that begins with 199 you should probably try to answer it. Just giving everyone a heads up. I know it gets annoying when you feel you have to pick up every random number that calls you just in case it's him. While he could still call from a different number, it's looking like this should be consistent for at least a little while.

He's safe and sound at Camp Adder, and is being told that after his promotion he'll be taking over as Squad Leader of 1st Squad. Taking over as in replacing the SGT that is there now (because he's not very good at his job) and the squads are arranged by rank. In theory, the better soldiers are in 1st Squad. Hoo-rah honey!

I miss David

2010-03-27T18:32:00.002-05:00

I miss David. I've been thinking about him quite a bit and just wanted him to know.

Love you bud!

But Sarge!?

2010-03-25T11:18:00.003-05:00

Well, its official. My name is on the Army Promotion By-name list. So now I just have to wait for april 1st to roll around. Course in the meantime, I am thinking about looking at getting a camera for my deployment here and am wondering if I were to post some of the available ones here in kuwait, which ones people would recommend. And of course this px stocks up on plenty of full bird colonel and sergeant major rank, but they have more corporal rank than sergeant rank for pinning on my patrol cap... Ugh. May have to wait till I get in-country to find some pin-on rank (or break off the bottom rocker of Staff Sergeant rank if that will work)

Latest News

2010-03-23T09:00:00.000-05:00

So now that people are starting to get the word, I can say that as noted on my facebook page, I have met all requirements required by the US Army Promotion Branch to be promoted to the Rank of Sergeant. It is not official as of yet, but our company S1 is working the paperwork so that there will not be any delays. Also, both Mom and Chelsey know that I will be going to a nicer, more established FOB (mom noted that it definitely looks better, course it is run by USAF). Also, I spoke with Chelsey and she says that her mid-wife has lined up a company that will be able to setup her at-home pump so hopefully once that is established, she will be able to finally be discharged from the hospital.

For my promotion ceremony which will likely happen at the beginning of next month, I will have a fellow soldier use his camera to record the pin-on ceremony so that I can then pass it on to chelsey who will be able to then distribute it to the rest of the family. Also, I will pass on to chelsey our mailing address so people can start sending stuff out around the first of the month.

Another Fun Day

2010-03-22T04:05:00.003-05:00

Well, got to wake up at 0500 KT *Kuwait Time* to get ready for MET (MRAP Egress Trainer). Basically we get to wear our body armor, kevlar, eye pro, gloves, knee/elbow pads and get put into a MRAP simulator and they roll us as if we are involved in a roll-over accident (or struck by IED). Was pretty cool get spun around (was hanging upside down and chanting,"Look ma, no hands..." After that, we went by Panda Oriental (Kuwait's version of Panda Express and had Mandarin Chicken, Triple Fried Rice, 2 Orange Fantas, and 2 Desert Dews.

It has already started warming up quite a bit here. But it did actually rain last night which was not all that weird considering that we have had a lot of cloud cover since we arrived. Supposed to be in the 80's for the next few days.Got the chance to re-arrange our sleep tent so that people weren't scrunched together to make room for a sister battalion. Still waiting to see when cutoff scores will come out to see if I get picked up this month or not.

I have informed Chelsey about the good but interesting news, so she will pass the info on to family and friends (not something that can be posted on here due to risk of endangering myself and my unit.) I know chelsey is excited about the news. I will say this: I will be in a much better situation...

Kuwait

2010-03-21T01:45:00.002-05:00

Hey everyone. Just re-iterating what Chelsey had said. I did make it to Kuwait. It was like 4am in the morning here (so like 9pm MST). We are not expected to roll out for a little bit. In the meantime we will be doing some classes and some training. And pretty much getting our bodies onto this new time. (basically want to sleep right now since my body is telling me its 0046.) Apparently, the shifts got changed around. Chelsey will be able to relay it once I let her know the specifics. (I think this may make for change number 23??) Anywho, I am needing to get going. Will Talk to chelsey here in a bit. Love you everyone!

~DA

Arrival in Kuwait

2010-03-20T05:55:00.001-05:00

David just called. They've made it to Kuwait. They don't expect to move in-country before the 28th, and he expects to be pretty bored by then. Everything's great so far, and there's nothing very exciting going on. I'm still in the hospital, and honestly can't remember much more about our conversation. I'm nodding off as I write this, actually, so I'll leave it at this, but David wanted everyone to know that he's safe and sound!

First Stop

2010-03-19T04:04:00.002-05:00

Well, I am Officially in Bangor, Maine. Having to use my phone for internet to my laptop since the airport wi-fi seems to be having problems. (Definitely caught some looks and evil glares from a few people. ) Was also fun explaining to a Master Sergeant on how I had to hack my phone to do it (He looked at my rank and was like damn, I need THAT job (MOS)...)

Commander just stopped by to see if I was the Sleep Guard (A few of the guys in the platoon are resting up)

Next stop is Shannon, Ireland. Going back to the motherland. (Forgive me gramps. lol)

Definitely cold... Well time to go.

Deployment Times

2010-03-11T13:17:00.000-06:00

David is supposed to leave in the afternoon. Family time is scheduled from 1300-1400 on the 18th. So please make sure that any phone calls are made in the morning, or the night before.

One week.

Address

2010-03-10T18:15:00.000-06:00

David should be getting his deployment address tomorrow, and I will send it to the people I have email addresses for. Please contact either one of us if you want his address. I'm not going to post it here for obvious reasons. Also, bear in mind that they will not be in a position to receive mail until April 5, so don't mail anything until around the 1st.

More time!

2010-03-04T05:54:00.000-06:00

The deployment has been pushed back to the 18th! Three more blessed days!

Deployment #2

2010-03-03T00:32:00.000-06:00

David is officially slated to deploy again to southeast Iraq on March 15th, 2010. Where ever they are going will be lucky to have porta-johns, much less a call center or internet, so hopefully he will only be at that particular base for 3 months before they move them to a more developed one. However, for those first three months letters are going to be our most reliable form of communication, and we will have to keep each other filled in on the news we hear from him. I'll email everyone his address when we receive it. With luck the situation won't be as dire as we think and he'll be able to call, but we won't know till he's there. We'll keep you posted!

Our Soldier

2008-12-21T14:27:00.006-06:00

226 lbs. of gear ~ without flack jacket and helmet

God Bless The USA!

That's Our Soldier!

WELCOME HOME, SCOOTS!

Welcome Home Slide Show

2008-12-06T20:26:00.002-06:00

Two nights I'll never forget

2008-12-06T08:44:00.002-06:00

Thursday night was wonderful! David Andrew made it home safely and I still get chills when I think back to the ceremony.

Since then, we've spent a lot of time together. We enjoyed a very late dinner at Applebees Thursday night, where several staff members stopped by our table to thank David. One of the waitresses, Michela, said her husband returns on Wednesday night. We're praying for a safe and uneventful return so they can enjoy the same wonderful homecoming we did!

Yesterday we grabbed some breakfast at Cracker Barrel and then did some shopping. David's lost weight and much of his clothes don't fit anymore.

He hasn't worn civilian clothes since Feb 17th, 2008 (when he was in the states for my grandmothers funeral). Each day in Iraq, he wore his uniform. He also was required to wear his vest and helmet and carry his gun. In fact, in order to get into DFAC (the dining facility), the soldiers are required to show their weapon, a magazine of ammo, and their ID.

At the PX (the shop on base here in Georgia), we picked up some shirts and sweaters for him, but he still needs pants that fit. He's tall (6'2") and now he's very skinny (30" waist) so finding pants that fit him well has been a challenge.

While at the PX, I picked up a new Vera Bradley Weekender travel bag. It's bigger than a purse, but smaller than a suitcase. Things are less expensive on base because they sell items for less than suggested retail and there's no tax. I love my new bag.

Last night, after a failed attempt at a Pizza Hut dinner (as we were being seated, the waitress informed us the wait for dinner was running about an hour and 20 mins...to which we immediately responded, "peace out!") we then started on our merry way to a local German restaurant. Prior to DA deploying last October, Jennie, mom and I came down here to visit him and we ate at this restaurant. Turns out the gal that owns the restaurant, her husband is in David's platoon. We had a really good time talking with her and the food was fantastic. So, after the failed Pizza Hut attempt, we headed towards the German place.

Unfortunately, due to the Hinesville Christmas Parade, many of the streets were blocked off and we physically couldn't get to the restaurant. Who in the heck has a Parade in the dark? Seriously! You couldn't see the people on the floats!

We pulled over and Chelsey came out of her car over to us and we decided to try the Japanese Steak house in town.

FANTASTIC idea! We had a ball! The Japanese chef was awesome. He must have been a comedian in another life because he had us rolling (my mom nearly fell out of her chair when, while packing the rice prior to serving, he was slapping the rice pack with the spatula and yelling, "oh Jessica! Oh, Jessica!"). He and Shennie enjoyed sparing back and forth all night (Sher was wearing a Boston Red Sox shirt). It was a really good time.

After dinner, we went out to the rental car (Cadillac CTS) and I turned the key and as the car started, the windshield wipers came on and the washer fluid cleaned the windshield. I thought, "OK, maybe I accidentally pushed the button." I started adjusting the mirrors, turned on the seat warmer, and the wipers started up again, as did the washer fluid. I'm thinking, "What the heck? I KNOW i didn't push anything."

OK- this windshield wiping routine continued for the next 10 minutes! I'm driving down the street and the wipers turned on randomly! It was hysterical! Finally, it stopped and we figured that b/c it was so cold outside, the caddy must have some programming that sends heated lighter fluid to the windshield to help defrost it.

The rest of the drive home was uneventful, except for the CONTINUED Christmas Parade! It was just wrapping up as we finished dinner and headed back to the hotel.

We called it a night about 9:30pm. DA is still adjusting to the time change and the 5 day trip from Kalsu to Georgia.

Today, Shennie left to head back to Massachusetts. Later, we're heading up to Savannah to get some pantelones for the Soldier.

We're so thankful he's home and we're enjoying every minute together!

Look at all that gear

2008-12-04T23:08:00.004-06:00

"232 lbs of gear"

Ouch!

He looks good!

2008-12-04T21:29:00.003-06:00

Wrap up

2008-12-04T21:29:00.001-06:00

Sorry for no updates....

The ceremony lasted about 3 minutes.

Then everyone stormed the field to grab their soldier.

I got great video though.

Our soldier

2008-12-04T21:28:00.000-06:00

He's home safe.

Thank You God!!

He's home!

2008-12-04T20:52:00.001-06:00

And the music starts...

2008-12-04T20:05:00.001-06:00

They just announced the busses are 30 mins out!

And, the 3rd ID band is starting to play.

The atmosphere is very fun....lots of little kids holding signs welcoming daddy home. A couple kids are very young. I'm sure for one or two families, a daddy will meet his baby for the first time.

Still waiting though!

40 mins!

2008-12-04T19:38:00.003-06:00

The officer on the loud speaker just announced they've left Hunter Air Field (about 30 mins from here) on Army busses and they're on their way here!

Only about 40 mins until they arrive!

We're ready!!

2008-12-04T19:38:00.001-06:00

Aunt Sher flew in from MA to surprise David!!

D.A. Phone Home

2008-12-04T19:34:00.001-06:00

David phoned me tonight from U.S. soil!

In processing

2008-12-04T18:37:00.001-06:00

Well, he turned in his gun and is "in processing." If you're not familiar with the military, that means he's signing in to let Uncle Sam know he's HOME!

The welcome home ceremony is still scheduled for 920 pm EST.

Pictures will be coming soon!

Touchdown!

2008-12-04T17:48:00.001-06:00

David has landed on US soil!!

Getting closer

2008-12-04T17:43:00.001-06:00

He just texted and is about to land!

We saw the busses!

2008-12-04T17:07:00.001-06:00

OK, so we're in savannah driving to dinner and we just saw the busses David is coming back to base on!! We almost followed them :)

They're picking up the soldiers at Hunter and driving them down to Fort Stewart.

Only a few more hours!

PS White Zinfandel is buy one get one free at Outback!!

This is the start of a very good evening!

Delayed ceremony

2008-12-04T15:41:00.001-06:00

Tonights welcome home ceremony has been pushed back from 720 to 920pm. Two more hours doesn't seem like a long time, BUT IT IS!!

David should probably land around 6pm, then they have to load up their gear into trucks and head down here for the 920 ceremony.

We can't wait!

2008-12-04T05:24:00.002-06:00

Hey everyone, just wanted to let everyone know that I have landed in Germany and we will be departing shortly. Flight wasnt too bad, though I took some Tylenol PM and another sleep aid and it didnt seem to help much at all. So hopefully I will be able to take something a little stronger for my flight home (and yes, I am using a EUR keyboard, so if I were to type normally it would like something like this: So zea, logging onto mzspace is a pain in the rozal Q$$. Cool stuff actually. Anywho, I am going to try to get a phone call in here a moment or two so I can officiallz call peeps and let them know Freedom One has landed. Take care and cannot wait to see everzone back home.

Kuwait

2008-12-02T23:22:00.002-06:00

He has landed. He's supposed to leave at 7:20, which is...I'm assuming in the evening. That gives him...a day and 8 hours to get from Kuwait to Stewart for the ceremony. The flight to New York should be about 13, and then he has to get to Stewart...so maybe he leaves at 7:20 in the morning of the 4th and then has 20 hours to do the trip. I don't remember, but maybe that makes more sense. I don't know what kind of layover they're expecting in New York. Wow! He's almost home tomorrow!

In the Air

2008-12-01T23:08:00.002-06:00

Less than 4 days!!! According to David he should be on a plane to Kuwait now or soon. He said I could expect a call sometime after 3 AM, so hopefully he'll be able to get to a phone relatively quickly after arriving and I'll post on here when he's safely in Kuwait. Then from there he's on a flight directly to New York, from which he'll fly to Hunter Army Air Field in Savannah, and then they'll take buses to Fort Stewart. As of last night everything is still on track for him to arrive on time on the 4th. Weather is going to be in the 50s and 60s with potential rain, so not too incredibly bad, maybe having the ceremony outside won't be as painful as I thought it would be, but I think I'm still rooting for it being inside.

It occurred to me as I was driving home from Jennie's that in about a day and a half I'll be in the car on my way to Georgia, and then once I get there it'll be less than a day until David is physically in my presence. That's really the way I want it, because once I'm there I'm going to be in excruciating anticipation. Better to have as little time as possible sitting in a hotel room with Mom and Jessie twiddling my thumbs wishing it was time to leave. Heaven forbid they show up late, I think I'd eat someone.

Well that's the update, I'll let everyone know when I've heard from him!

Phase 1

2008-11-29T02:33:00.002-06:00

Phase 1 out "Get David Out of Iraq" is over. Right now I am currently sitting in a cot that will be my bed for the next few days till we can move on to Phase 2. Like I was telling JL and JB, carrying around 226 lbs of gear left me sore as hell. I woke up this morning after an actual 10-hour sleep (thats after having been up for 20 hours) and I could barely move. Arms and chest are sore, shoulders are shot, have jell-o for walking legs(if stumbling around aimlessly is walking). Neck doesnt feel too bad, but is definitely stiff. Right now we are just kind of relaxed waiting for others to get up so we can go to chow. I do have internet in the tent so I can easily talk to people when they are online. Anywho, I think people are ready to go to chow so I need to get going. Talk to everyone later

Happy Thanksgiving 2008!

2008-11-27T12:31:00.003-06:00

The turkey is in the oven. The potatoes are peeled. The sweet potato and apple casserole is ready as is the green bean casserole to go in the oven along with the extra stuffing when the turkey comes out!! Jess will be making carrot puff when she gets here and she is bringing a corn dish! No one should go away hungry today!!

Again this year I am tempted to call the Butterball Turkey Hotline and complain!! Why the #%*! do they have to put the extra turkey stuff in plastic bags INSIDE to turkey and then freeze it harder than a rock??? Every year I feel as though I should be on World Wrestling as I am trying to get the turkey to give up it's giblets, etc. again! Why couldn't the wizards at Butterball put the bag of stuff on the OUTSIDE????
I'm convinced that the genius who came up with this idea has never had to fight with a frozen turkey Thanksgiving or Christmas morning!! 'nuf said.

Today we will be celebrating out first Thanksgiving with our precious granddaughter/niece! I can hardly wait to welcome her to Grandma and Grandpa's house!
Today will be the first of many happy celebrations with her. How blessed we are!!

Last night, DA called. He wanted to wish us all a very Happy Thanksgiving! He is packed and ready for the flights that will bring him back to the good old USA.
We are ready to welcome him back and celebrate with him at Ft Stewart on Thursday - one week from today!!

So, to family and friends, Happy Thanksgiving and safe travels!

mom

Happy Birthday, DA

2008-11-24T09:24:00.002-06:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, UNCLE DAVID!

Hope you have a very special day. Congratulations on being a brand new uncle, too.

I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving as well. Will they be serving you a huge turkey dinner this week - with all the fixings?

Have a safe flight back to the States, and in the meantime - KYHD!

Love,
"Great" Aunt Sher

Phone Calls

2008-11-17T15:35:00.002-06:00

I've heard from DA more in the last month than I heard from him all year long! It's been nice though to talk with him. I'm so excited to see him when he gets back stateside. I know I won't get to see him until sometime in the new year, but by then his niece will be almost 3 months old, so she'll be a lot more fun to be around.

I've been doing more around the house today. Now that my doctor is back in town, I'm not afraid to put myself into labor by doing laundry and cleaning things up a little.

In fact, I'm now ready for her to come anytime. I'm so excited to see what she looks like and to not have her kicking under my ribs anytime I make the mistake of leaning too far forward. Being pregnant has been an adventure, but I'm ready for the next phase, mommyhood!

Happy Anniversary!

2008-11-16T10:42:00.002-06:00

Today would have been G'ma and G'pa's 62nd anniversary! Though they are not with us today, we can learn alot from them by remembering how they spent 59 wonderful years together! Dad and I are well on our way to that milestone: our 34th anniversary will be here soon! I hope and pray that each of our children has found (or will find)the love of their life and that they will have many happy years together!

DA - It was good to talk with you again last night. It is less than 2 weeks now and you will be making your way back to the good old USA and we couldn't be happier! We all wish you and your buddies safe travels and look forward to seeing you in early December.

Love you lots & KYHD!!
mom

Two calls in three days!!

2008-11-09T11:26:00.002-06:00

Wow - I've talked with DA twice in 3 days. He called while I was at work on Friday and we talked for about an hour and then he called this morning to wish me a Happy Birthday. Needless to say I was surprised and very happy. He sounds well on the phone; upbeat and looking forward to getting back to the states. He has started packing and going through his "stuff". Deciding what to bring back and what to leave there or sell to someone staying there.

Today will be a quiet one. Dave is working and I will watch some football, do laundry and read until it is time to go to Jess and Craig's house for dinner. I think we are having chili, corn bread and apple pie...yum-mo! I know it will be delicious and I don't have to cook!! YEAH! I may even have some wine....

The nursery here is just about done. Ben and Craig came over yesterday and put the crib and changing table together and I washed sheets and blankets, etc. I still have some things to wash and some decorations to put on the walls and then we will be ready for baby Becca! I'll take some pics and see if I can get them on the blog perhaps tomorrow or Tuesday.

Thanks for the calls DA - it was GREAT to talk with you.

See you soon....KYHD

Love you,
mom

Redeployment Part 1

2008-11-06T07:56:00.003-06:00

So, I know a lot of you have been wondering about when I am coming home, what the plans are for the holidays, how the deployment has been overall through my experiences, and just how things are. While I cannot unfortunately say here when I am leaving or when to expect to see me at stewart, know that I will be at Stewart within 4 days of leaving my FOB. The plan is to leave from here to BIAP, then take a plane to Kuwait. Once there, I will be processed as coming out of deployment status, and will then fly to Hunter AAF. Once the hugging grandmas and war veterans get done hugging us and thanking us for our service and welcoming us home, we will then bus to stewart in which we will have a Welcome home ceremony that will last approximately 10-20 minutes. Now mind you that the ceremony WILL commence the moment we get to stewart. So it could be at 1400 (2pm for the civilians), or 2am(just a heads up). Once the Commanding General (CG) is done with his speech welcoming us home and how we did an outstanding job accomplishing our mission, we will then be released to the more important hugs and kisses and tears from the families and friends and general loved ones. We will then receive sometime between a 24-48 hour pass to spend with the family. We will then go through a grueling, long and boring re-integration phase. Unfortunately, the Division has felt that in order for everyone to get get equal time, they will not be allowing people to go on block leave until after the first of the new year. This not only allows for everyone to get home, but to also get the re-integration training that they (the powers the be) feel is necessary for soldiers to receive since we are considered a high-risk after this drawn-out deployment (prone to drinking, reckless behavior, marital/relationships problems, and coping with post-deployment issues that arise). So unfortunately for us, you will not be able to see me after the welcome home ceremony and the time there until after news years day (they are preventing people from leaving new years day so that soldiers are not out on the road when people in the area have been drinking and driving (nothing good happens outside the house after 10pm, right?) So, that is that part.

Will tell more in my part II about my experiences (good and bad) in my next blog which will be closer to the end of the month.

"Great" News, Part II

2008-10-29T17:02:00.002-05:00

I just got off the phone with Aunt Janet. She got home from China last night. She's got a thousand stories to tell - and only about 3 of them make me want to go there for a visit. But, she is thrilled that she went. The best part was that her "roommate" didn't show up so she had a private room to herself during the whole trip. ...and she lost 5 lbs!

I laughed when she called because of your blog and when I told her about it saying she is going to be a great, great aunt, she laughed and told me that I keep reminding her of that! So, she's thrilled about the new baby as well. Be on the lookout for a package from Wallingford.

She couldn't talk any longer - she was going out to play cards!

Please tell JJ not to plan on blogging during labor - I'll think she'll have more on her mind than punctuation.

New Blog

2008-10-29T09:51:00.002-05:00

Hey everyone! I thought it might be a good idea to set up a blog so Ben, Jessi, Mom and I can keep people up-to-date during the labor and delivery.

birthofabelli(dot)blogspot(dot)com

The hospital where I will deliver has wireless internet in the room, so we'll be able to let everyone know the progress of labor and delivery. Don't worry, I won't include the gross stuff.

"GREAT" news!

2008-10-28T08:38:00.002-05:00

Hey - I was just thinking about all of Becca's aunts and uncles, etc...Aunt Janet is going to be a great,great aunt when Becca is born! She is my aunt, so she is Jennie's great aunt, so she will be Becca's great, great, aunt! I hope they get to meet soon...what a wonderful picture that would make!!

Good Morning!

2008-10-28T07:59:00.002-05:00

DA - Sorry I missed your phone call Saturday night, but we were in St Louis at the Bellinger family baby shower. My phone was in my purse in another room. It would have been great to talk with you while at the shower, though. I didn't see that you had called until Sun morning when I checked my phone.

Well - it looks like I will have the nursery ready for Becca by Nov 1. That was my goal when I started working on the room. Today they install the new carpeting, then I head to Babies R Us to get a crib and changing table. Then all that is left is putting up some decorative pictures and hanging the valance. Did you see the latest pictures of Jennie & Becca? Jennie looks like she swallowed a basketball!!!! I think Jess has some pics on her blog. The nursery at J&B's is pretty much all done. They have the dresser/changing table, crib and shelves all put together and organized. I think they are still looking for a rocker/recliner for the room. Becca is due 3 weeks from today!!

Hope all is well with you. Are you "getting short"? When do you start packing up all the equipment for the trip back to the states? Any new news about your return??

Please call again when you have a chance. It is always good to hear from you.

Love you lots & KYHD!

mom

Sleep, per chance to dream...

2008-10-20T08:09:00.002-05:00

Well, as you've probably heard by now the Red Sox will not be heading on to the World Series with Philadelphia. The Rays won that game. We just couldn't seem to bring our runners home - we've been stranding too many guys on base.

But, we've won two of the past four World Series, so I think we can let another team enjoy the spotlight. As much as I never have been or probably never will be a fan of Tampa Bay, I do have to recognize them for their climb from worst to first in the AL this year. Good job, guys. Now go away.

The one advantage of all this, I don't have to stay up any more watching games. I can go to bed at my normal hour. Ah, sleep!

As us Red Sox fans have been known to say, "Wait until next year!".

G O P H I L I E S!!!!!

Red Sox

2008-10-19T13:11:00.002-05:00

Red Sox Nation is on a major high today. We were down 3 games to 1 the other day against Tampa Bay and we are now tied 3 - 3. Tonight is the deciding game. Whoever wins, goes on to the World Series against the Philadelphia Phillies. I went to bed the other night thinking that I would not be going through sleep-deprived nights; after all, we were losing 5 - 0 in the 5th. I woke up to the wonderful news that we had come back and beat the Rays 8 - 7!!! How sweet is that. Last night I stayed up to the last out and we won - again - 4 - 2. The Red Sox don't make it easy for us fans, but we're used to it. After all, it was 86 years between World Series wins.

So tonight at 8:07 we begin game #7. Hopefully we will win again tonight. I just may have to be "sick" tomorrow.

Shennie

Care Packages and Other Stuff

2008-10-18T15:52:00.008-05:00

This morning, amongst the other things I had to do, I spent a couple hours at the care packages event packing for you and other troops. I managed to get 75 pocket prayer shawls finished with more in the works. I'll take them up tomorrow morning. Everything has to go into ziplock bags, so I packed some bags with coffees and teas and other bags with snacks: Oreos, doritos, peanut butter and cheese crackers, trail mix, peanut packages, 100-calorie packs, etc. It was much more organized this time than last but it was also a lot colder today than last May. But, it was good. Be on the look out, Scoots. You should be getting a couple of boxes. Please let me know when they arrive. I have no idea what will be in them, it's all random but packed with love.

There were folks from church, the private school in town, and some high school kids packing and hauling alongside soccer moms and dads and the likes of me and my friends. I had also requested pictures from the early childhood ed group on campus and the kids all drew pictures and put stars on them. I hope the troops realize that these are 3 and 4 year olds offering their best to them.

When I was leaving I had to pull out on to a major road and make a left hand turn. As I got to the end of the driveway I thought, "Great, one of S'boro's finest right here - I should have no problem pulling out." WRONG! He stood there with radar gun in hand aiming at all the folks coming down the road - out in broad daylight and never even took one step to go out and stop traffic so that I could pull out. I had to wait almost 5 minutes. What a bozo! When his raise comes up at the next town meeting, I may have to rethink things! The reason I had to go left was I had an appt. for my flu shot. Here's hoping it works.

I had a good checkup at Lahey yesterday. Numbers are all good and no one has called me in a panic after getting the results of my renal ultrasound. I guess Lefty is doing its thing quite well. Thanx, JJ! Oh, Marti sends her love.

The great surprise was when I stopped to get gas yesterday afternoon on my way home, it was $2.69/gallon! It hasn't been that low in AGES. It's usually more expensive at the place I went to, but that's the lowest I've seen it anywhere around here. It's also the same place where I get my heating oil. They sent me a "renewal" contract yesterday lowering my monthly budget payment by $162.00! I must be doing something right.

Last weekend I surprised JJ and the Mom and flew out for JJ's baby shower. Donut, Ben & Craig knew I was coming. I have NEVER seen the Mom so surprised ~ JJ as well. Of course, I spent the afternoon staying one step ahead of the Mom - dodging her all around O'F. It was worth it. We had a great time. It reminded me of an old 'I Love Lucy' episode.

I talked to Uncle Nick yesterday. He was between trips. He had just gotten back from a week in Arizona and was getting ready to head to the Berkshires for the weekend. Food for thought: Uncle Nick's full name is Hayden Albert Nichols, Jr. His suggestion for JJ's baby's name is either Nicolina or Alberta!!!! Don't laugh too hard.

Well, better get stuff cleaned up and think about supper. I need to be ready to sit down and watch the Red Sox. I NEVER thought I'd be doing that tonight after watching the first 5 innings of Thursday night's game. I went to bed then ~ we were down 5 - 0 and I had to get up early to go to Lahey. When I ever woke up Friday morning and heard that we had won 8 - 7, I almost fell out of bed! Can we win again? Here's hoping.

Here's JJ after the shower last weekend.

The Mom and Dad to Be. Chances are Becca will be tall. I'll call Gene Auriaumo (UCONN women's coach) and put her name in.

Proof of where Donut get's her napping trait.

The picture really doesn't do the color justice, but I wanted to include it anyway. This is taken at the reservoir here in town.

Same reservoir, different view.

Hope you're doing well. Can't wait for you to be on US soil. Until then, Scoots, I love you and KYHD!

Shennie

I'm dreaming...

2008-10-11T23:35:00.001-05:00

Of a white Christmas... Just like the ones I used to know...

Fall in New England

2008-10-09T05:56:00.002-05:00

I have to tell you that this is the best time to live in New England. The colors are beginning to pop and there are Kodak moments everywhere. By this time next week it will be picturesque here in Massachusetts. It's probably at its peak in Maine and northern NH and VT this weekend. The leaf peepers will be out in full force. This is the one time when it pays to stay home. The tourons (as we used to call them when I lived in VA) will be out in force.

I will probably be out and about on Monday - it's Heritage Day in town - so I'll bring my camera with me and will post them later on. The best shots are over by the reservoirs - the reflections in the waters are spectacular.

They say CO has color too - but not the variety we have here in NE. CO is mostly yellow due to the aspens. They used to tell me that there was a lot of color down in Virginia - if you wanted to drive 2 hours to the mountains! No thank you. I'm used to looking out my kitchen window at the myriad of colors.

Autumn in New England - You can't beat it!

KYHD!

Shennie

I kid you not!

2008-10-06T18:37:00.002-05:00

I don't know if you kids will remember, but whenever you would ask G'pa Carew what he wanted for dinner, or what he wanted to eat, he would ALWAYS reply, "fried bananas". Well...at The Dragon Palace here in town they have a lunch buffet that Dad and I go to frequently and they serve fried bananas! So now whenever you eat there from now on you can think of G'pa...I do! I chuckle every time I go through the buffet line! (I have yet to try them!)

How's everyone doing out there?? DA - haven't heard from you in a while. How's it going? Any more news about returning to the states?? I did get your e-mail about the deployment trophy. To be honest, I'm not sure I feel comfortable donating money for a gun. I'm still considering your request. I would prefer donating to a "cruise fund" for you and Chelsey for when you return. How about that??

Things in O'Fallon are fine. Not too much excitement here. They closed the pool last week so I guess summer is over. The hot tub is cleaned and ready to go if we would just remember to use it!!

Hope all is well with you. It would be good to hear from you sometime...

Love you lots and KYHD!

mom

Good bye Paul

2008-09-27T16:46:00.002-05:00

Today we have lost a great man: Paul Newman. He was a great American, husband, father, grandfather, actor and director. Although he worked in Hollywood, he was not "of" Hollywood. He was classy and sassy. I did not always agree with his political views, but he was a "liberal" I could respect - he was a leader not a follower. He was not "all about him" as evidenced by his generosity to those less fortunate, but he did not make a big deal out of it.

I enjoyed watching him on the big screen because not only was he "easy on the eyes", but he was believable in each character he portayed. He made acting look easy even though he worked hard at it. The last work I saw him in was the movie Message in a Bottle and he was superb.

My prayers go out to his wife, actress Joanne Woodward, and his daughters and grandchildren.

IF THEY NEED ME, CALL ME!!!

2008-09-25T17:42:00.002-05:00

How arrogant can you get? I can't believe he actually said that!! He wants to be the President of the United States!!! Tell me DA - how far would you get in the USA if you told your boss, call me if you need me???

If I'm not mistaken, he is still collecting his salary as a United States senator and he tells is colleagues to call him if they need him??? I am so angry I could spit. First he says that we are in the most serious financial crisis since the Great Depression and in the next breath he tells "them" to call him if they need him!! His FIRST job is as a US Senator - THEN he can campaign for the presidency!!!! At the moment I am from IL and if he walked into my house right now I would kick him out! How dare he say that to the people who are paying his salary!! NO WAY is he ready to be the leader of the free world.

He wants to be Commander-in-Chief, yet he has never worn the uniform of any branch of the military. He wants to be CEO of the United States of America, yet he has never "run" anything.

If anyone reading this had any doubts as to whether John McCain could be the president, THIS ONE STATEMENT BY BARACK OBAMA should take care of those doubts. John McCain puts his COUNTRY FIRST. His campaign slogan is accurate: COUNTRY FIRST and he is leading by example.

Thank you, John McCain, for your service to your country. Keep up the GREAT WORK!

So yea

2008-09-23T04:15:00.002-05:00

Looks like Chelsey may have found us a more suitable place that will be just right for the two of us (and affordable!). And its located right outside of post. Course I am still looking forward to coming home and seeing everyone and just be glad to be back around civilization (and I stress the word civilization) I see Jennie is getting closer and closer to her due date. Wish I could be home for the birth but hopefully the whole family or most can be around for christmas (especially me!)

Anywho, things are definitely starting to cool off with the high this week only reach 108, which has already come and gone. The rest of the week is maybe a high of 100. And a storm appears to be rolling in around the weekend (needs reminding of what the word weekend means...) But things are going good. I am already passed the 1,000 combat hours in country and apparently I need to start hitting the books and getting some awards because promotion points recently PLUMMETED to a new 3-year low. So with a few classes and some better PT scores, I could be the next SGT... /ends dreaming.. D'oh!

Well, hope all is well back home and cannot wait to let you guys know when for sure we should be packing up, though we probably wont know for another month or so. At least for a solid timeline.

Boo Hoo

2008-09-15T00:23:00.002-05:00

So, first I would like to with the Dad and the Jennie a happy but belated birthday(s). Yea, I would have to have called or been on line to send something, however, some ****bag decided to go postal at a Patrol Base and things got a little ugly. So yea, things are still the same here. Getting much cooler thats for sure (barely breaking 105 the last couple days, so its been nice). Reports are still pointing to sometime between december and January, but a sister UAV unit has already started to wind down and begin packing up since they will be out of here by mid to late November and we will be right behind them, sucking down their dust.

Well, not a whole lot is really going on in aviation world, except that one of our AVs was granted its wish... Its DEATH WISH... muhaha (its been nicknamed the exorcist bird because it does crazy stuff that defies aviation and real-world physics... it hasnt quite spun its nosewheel 360, not that it has a nosewheel anymore...But other than that, we are really just logging hours. Cant say much else really, but yea, thigns are definitely very quiet here.

Hello Out There

2008-09-14T11:46:00.002-05:00

How are things where you are? Is it beginning to "cool" down over there? We're having typical New England autumn weather these days. One day it's warm and a little muggy; the next day there isn't an ounce of humidity and the temp is in the 70s and glorious. Nights are "chilly" - definitely blanket weather.

Apple season is starting. When you drive all around you see signs to "Pick Your Own Apples". Excuse me! That's what hired hands are for. In a couple weeks I'll have to make my annual trek to one of the local orchards and get the required bags of Cortland and Delicious. Great for apple crisp and fresh applesauce.

The leaves really haven't started turning yet. Every once in a while you'll see a red one or an orange one lying on the ground. I think it's going to be a red and orange year ~ not many yellows. It was a fairly moist summer so things should be good.

Pumpkins are everywhere. I stopped at the nursery yesterday and they had huge bins of varying sized "punkins" ~ as G'ma Mitchell used to say. I usually pick up a couple small ones to put around the house. I don't do the ones on the stoop any more ~ they usually end up smashed on the road. How thoughtless and inconsiderate.

It was a crazy week. I've been dealing with some new s/w at work that is "not ready for prime time" but we're expected to be productive using it. Add to that my boss is retiring and we're going through the transition process, party planning, and the jockeying personalities. I now know why some folks go "postal". Then, I had to spend an extended afternoon at Lahey and an extra day at S'boro Med to keep my docs from going apoplectic. So my potassium level was low. We're straighened everything out and all is well but have discovered that if you pose one question to three docs you get FOUR different answers and two shoulder shrugs. Let's just say that it was the week from hell and can only go up from here.

So, I'm enjoying the New England fall and I had a good time shopping yesterday. I'm finding all kinds of fun things for YOUR niece. Girls are such a treat to buy for. Wait til you see a couple of the outfits I got for her. I can't say any more ~ you never know who's listening.

So, Donut and Craig are in Sin City this weekend. I hope they're having fun. I think our gang here is planning our annual trek to Maine in November. We stay in York and shop in Kittery. Our hotel is right across the road from the ocean and we have a great time. Some of them even go to the Kittery Trading Post; you know, the place with way too many moose heads, flannel around every corner, orange hats and camo pants. People there go ga-ga over multi-colored kayaks, deep-freeze sleeping bags, and duck whistles. I get the hives just driving by! I stick to Coach, the Kitchen Store, and the Bass Store (clothes, not fish).

Well, I've been lazy all morning - I did do a lot of knitting and have some breakfast ~ but now it's time to shower, do laundry, and organize my life for the next week. Hope you have a great week.

KYHD! Love you lots!

Shennie

Good News!

2008-09-13T12:24:00.002-05:00

When I posted the other day, Jennie had received news that she had gestational diabetes. On Thursday she saw her OB/GYN doc and he said NO that she does not have gestational diabetes. There was some confusion with her test results, but the good news is she does NOT have gestational diabetes. She has to watch her diet...reduce carbs and refined sugars, drink lots of water and get some exercise which at this point is easier said than done! She is getting quite big around the middle. Jess took some pics the other night so watch her blog for baby bump updates!

They are working on the nursery now. Rob painted it this week so all they have to do is put up the Winnie the Pooh border. He also painted our "nursery". Both rooms look great...he really does a nice job and is much quicker than us! We will be replacing the carpet in our nursery before Rebecca is born. I think J&B are going to have the carpet in their nursery cleaned. I would like to have our room ready by 1 Nov...we'll see!

Today we are having a belated birthday party for Ben, Jennie and Dad. Craig was supposed to be included, but he and Jess decided to go to Vegas for the weekend, so his will have to wait until Oct when we celebrate Jess' birthday. For their (J&B's) birthdays we are giving them a video camera. Ben will be picking one out. Hopefully we will have it for the Baby Shower on 10 Oct.

We were hoping to swim today.It is warm enough, but it is supposed to start raining this afternoon and rain thru Monday. Remnants of a Pacific storm and Ike. They are predicting 3-6 inches on Sunday. The sun is out right now, but the clouds are moving in.

J&B have started childbirth/parenting classes. Things sure have changed since I had you guys! Oh well....I guess I am getting old: my baby is having a baby! I LOVE IT!!

Hope all is well with you. Any news about anything?? Sure would be good to hear from you!

Love you lots and KYHD!
mom

Hello out there!

2008-09-08T19:43:00.002-05:00

Howdy! Sorry it has been a while since my last post....but then again it has been a while since your (DA's) last post!!

Not too much excitement here...just same old, same old. Working at the office and trying to keep up around the house.

Dad and I were in Nashville, TN for the weekend. He had a Memorial Hospital Executive meeting and I just tagged along for the fun of it. We stayed at The Opryland Hotel which is HUGE! We got lost many times and even the people working there did not know where some areas (meeting rooms)were located!! It reminded me of trying to find the way around a new cruise ship, except that at least the room stewards know where things are and can give you directions! The meeting went OK, I guess and I got to tour a couple of mansions. The mansions in Newport, RI are much more impressive, but it was something to do. The drive down was not too bad...we had rain about half the time and the other half was just cloudy. The drive home was uneventful.

Hope all is well with you. Anything exciting happening??

Jennie got some news today...she has gestational diabetes. She has a DR appt on Thursday at which thime she will learn more about what is going on and then on Monday she has an appt with a dietician. We will keep you posted. It is not really anything to get excited about. She will have to watch her diet (little to no refined sugars) and exercise more, like taking a walk in the evenings. She feels fine and everything with the baby will be fine also. Happy Birthday, Jennie!

Wednesday is dad's 57th birthday! Is he getting old or what?? Now that Jennie's birthday is here, they all start to come!!

In anticipation of Rebecca, I have joined the Children's Book of the Month Club. I got my first order today! I will have to get a bookcase for her bedroom here to hold all the books until she can read and be read to!

How's the weather there these days?? HOT?? I can't believe that it is almost time to close up the pool. We are having a family get together this weekend for birthdays and we were hoping to swim, but I don't think it will be warm enough. It is only supposed to be in the 70's. I will probably call the pool guy next week to get us on the list to close the pool. The hot tub is working though so maybe we can use that.

I guess that is about it for now. It would be great to hear from you by phone OR blog!

Take care and KYHD!!

Love you lots,
mom

Hanna

2008-09-06T16:57:00.002-05:00

Well, since no one else has posted since my last post last month ~ I figured I jot a quick one before I fold clothes then cook my lobster - YES, LOBSTER! I decided to treat myself tonight. I hope the end result is worth it because the process was harrowing!

In case you haven't heard - I'm sure it's not headline news in downtown Baghdad, Hurricane Hanna is crawling up the eastern coast. It would make news if it were a 20 mph gust of wind in the Gulf of Mexico, but a tropical storm in New England is relegated to the back page because WE can take care of ourselves. Anyway....

I had a bunch of errands to do today - my usual cram-my-life-into-a-Saturday errands - not OMG-there's-a-hurricane-coming errands. So I started out. There were lots of lines - the worst at the dump. Go figure. My last stop was the grocery store. I haven't seen anything like that since I lived in Virginia and they were predicting an inch of snow! EVERY cashier was open and they were 6 - 8 deep. I don't usually go to this store, but they had a good price on lobsters so I decided to brave the crowds. One of the reasons I don't is I'm usually the only person in the store who speaks English as their first language.

But, I made it through unscathed and I came home with 2 lobsters - one for dinner tonight and one to make lobster salad with tomorrow. Believe it or not it's my only lobster this season. I've seen it on several menus, but I don't enjoy eating it at a restaurant.

I learned from the BEST - G'ma Carew. As Uncle Nick says, when Helen was done with a lobster all that was left was the shell and the eyes! I don't quite go that far, but I can do a pretty good job. Uncle Nick once sat between your mom and me while we were all eating lobster. He vowed THAT would never happen again. He swears he almost lost 3 fingers.

Your mom passed your email along about some brass saying something that he shouldn't have about some groups going wherever. I think the bottom line was they you may be home sooner rather than later. I SURELY HOPE SO! But, as I've said before, can you translate into English before you hit "Send"? I only worked at the Pentagon for 14 months! I can't wait to hear that you're back on safe turf soon.

I'm off to a Red Sox/Tampa Bay game Monday night. Free tickets. A friend of a friend had them and didn't have anyone to go with. How could I turn down a Sox game with the D-Rays? We're chasing them for the eastern lead. We're smoking - they're fading. It'll be my 3rd game at Fenway this year. G'pa is smiling down at me. He's up there with Teddy Baseball enjoying my time at Fenway. I love it. (Oh good - they just said that it's supposed to be great weather on Monday.)

Peaches is going to be 31 on Monday. She is getting OLD! We won't mention how old Dr. D. will be on Wednesday - though he hasn't caught up with me. (I heard that comment, Scoots!)

Well, time to fold clothes and then get the lobsters cooked. Clear the decks - melt the butter - grab a stack of napkins - I'm coming in. The only disadvantage is that the dump doesn't reopen until Wednesday. I may have to find a local dumpster tomorrow afternoon in which to dump the shells.

Well, Scoots, hope you're doing well. Any requests for a care package? I haven't sent one lately - what do you need/want?

Remember, you're my favorite nephew so KYHD, I love you and come home safely - - - SOON.

Shennie

Good Morning, Scoots

2008-08-24T10:23:00.002-05:00

...although, I'm sure if I checked Donut's new website I would find that it's sometime later on this afternoon where you are.

I hope you're doing well. I think about you often and keep checking the Big Macs to see if you've had time to post a message or two - tho' I usually need an interpreter for your notes :,)

Things here are good. Had you been a fly on the wall here this week you would've laughed so hard at your technically-challenged aunt that you would have lost your grip and fallen off!

Last week I decided to get a new flat-screen TV (actually I had decided before hand but decided to wait until we had our tax-free weekend). (NOTE: The TV in the kitchen wasn't bad - it was the small one that G'ma and G'pa had. However, the bigger one I had in my living room is getting old ~ I bought it when I lived in Virginia. When it gets too warm, it shuts off. POOF! It's off. Annoying! I decided to replace that one.) So, I had checked out a couple different ones ~ I was into simplicity. 19", not hung on the wall, easy to hook up, no fancy bells or whistles. So, off I go last Saturday with 2000 of my closest tax-dodging friends to Wal*mart. I found a great little LCD WITH a built-in DVD. How cool. So I had the poor single-handed stock boy get it from out back and off I go to the checkout counter. Well, the barcode(s) wouldn't scan. They kept getting "Invalid number". Even manually punching in the # the poor clerk was getting completely frazzled. Finally a manager came over and did his voo-doo and it worked.

I got it home, assembled (installed the base) and got it hooked up then realized that my cable box did not support HD so I had to call Verizon and get a new box. No problem except that meant going through Customer Service Hell listening to this robotic maven who should be gagged. Luckily I must've hit it just right and hit the "O" key enough times and within about 2 min. I got this nice girl who helped me make all the arrangements to get a new box. She said I should get the box by Tues. or Wed. Sure enough; there it was on my doorstep on Wednesday when I got home from work.

Yippee! HD. Not so fast, Shennie! I got everything assembled and everything hooked up except the end of the HDMI cable that was supposed to so into the TV. Did you know you can't put a rectangle cable end into a round hole!? So I tried everything; I looked everywhere. No luck. There were scads of other connection points but nothing that would accommodate a flat cable end. I was convinced that my new nickname was going to be Dumb Dora. Then I looked at the box the TV had come in and it said everything on it but HD. Had I screwed up that badly?

Dejected, disappointed (I had hoped to watch the Sox in HD that night), I unassembled everything. Now the next problem. Getting the TV and its accessories into the box it came in. That's like putting 10 lbs. sh** into a 5 lb. bag. Re-folding a map is easier. I was in no mood to fuss.

So, yesterday I took the time and put everything into the box and headed back to Wally World. Before I took the old TV in, I went in and checked to see what they had. I was still confused. So there I was, in the electronics section of Wal*Mart with TVs flashing the same picture in 25 different sizes calling Ben for his help. I'm so glad your sister married a techno marvel. (If you had been in the same hemisphere I would have called you so don't feel dejected [you're probably really happy]!) Well, come to find out, my TV did support HD but just not with an HDMI cable. I could've bought a different connector, but the result would not have been as good. Thus, I decided on a different model that DID have a flat HDMI connector. Long, long story shorter - they were out of that model at that store. Is it 5:00 yet?

I went home, made some lunch and called another WW and they had 2 of those TVs. So, I went up there, got the new one (which was $14 cheaper but no DVD player) and came home. But, remember the hard time I had checking out with the original TV? Well, I had the same problem returning the blessed thing. It kept saying "Invalid Number". Somehow the clerk worked around it. I thought computers were supposed to make things easier! It's amazing how well everything goes together when all the parts fit! Then I couldn't figure out why nothing happened when I turned everything on. Desperate - I RTFM. Ah, call Verizon and have the box activated! An hour later I was watching HDTV from my new TV/cable box in my kitchen.

That was the crux of my week. Hope yours wasn't as exasperating! Is it cooling down over there? The weather here the past week has been PERFECT - in the upper 70s and NO humidity. Can we bottle this and save it?

One more week before the college kids come back and 3 weeks before missions start. The peace and quiet is over.

Well time to take a shower and run a couple errands. Then it's back home to do some laundry. As Grandma used to say: "I'm not sure if we're the cleanest people or the dirtiest people ~ I'm always doing laundry!" And, there's ONLY 1 of me.

Be well, Viya con Dios, and KYHD!

Love you,

Shennie

Hello!

2008-08-20T17:30:00.002-05:00

Hey - I'm sorry it has been sooo long since I posted...I just don't know where the time goes! It's not that I don't think about you because I do - every day, multiple times a day.

As you can guess, life has been busy but good. Hope all is well with you. It's been a while since we last talked (about 1 month). Chelsey says she hasn't been chatting with you as much recently, I guess your schedule has changed? Anyhow, it would be great to hear from you on the phone OR on the blog.

Dad and I will be heading to Nashville, TN for an executive meeting of the Memorial Hospital board and others. We will be gone the first weekend in Sept for that. Then in Oct we are going to San Diego for a MGMA (medical management) meeting. That will be for a week around the middle of the month. After that we are staying put until Rebecca makes her debut!

Jennie and Ben are starting to work on Rebecca's room. They have picked out the theme (Winnie the Pooh) and now have to pick out paint. Ben chose a wallpaper border yesterday so that will help with the paint selection. They have also registered for lots of goodies @ Babies "r" Us. It is lots of fun to walk through the store and just scan the things you want! Jessica is putting a baby shower together for Jennie and 'Becca for early Oct. Anything you want me to get for her to be from you?? Just let me know.

Jess and Craig are doing well. Their basement is done for all intents and purposes. It looks very nice and they are enjoying having a place to watch TV, etc... that is out of the way for company.

Any luck with your internet yet?? Do you think you will have service before moving back to the states?? Oh well.........

I guess that is about it for now. Just by way of reminder....Ben's b'day was yesterday, Jennie's and Dad's are in 2 weeks and Jessica's is mid Oct. By your b'day, you will officially be an uncle!! How about that?? Feeling old yet??

Love you & KYHD!

mom

Is it 5:00 Somewhere?

2008-08-17T15:53:00.002-05:00

I have been suffering through 2 days of Red Sox - Blue Jays games. Let me put it this way ~ I could have pitched better than any of the Sox pitchers and I throw worse than the proverbial girl thrower!

And I've had the honor of watching these games on my new TV ~ sorta. Yesterday and today Gov. Patrick granted the Bay Staters a tax-free weekend. Anything less than $2500 ~ with certain exceptions ~ is tax-free until midnight tonight. So, I took part of my check from "W" and bought myself a flat screen for the kitchen. It's an Emerson 19" with a built-in DVD player. I got a pretty good deal on it and I didn't have to pay tax. (Note: Everyone is complaining because the state is missing out on all this revenue; think about all the income tax they're getting from all the extra help stores had to hire this weekend. It may not be even, but they're not losing out completely.)

My new TV will be even better when I get my new cable box that delivers hi-def! I called Verizon yesterday afternoon and actually got to speak to a live human being within the first 2 minutes of pressing buttons. How novel. She was really nice and we had a couple laughs. Her office was about 45 minutes south of here and it had just poured buckets there and we were enjoying beautiful sunshine. (Note: The weather this weekend was perfect - low 80s and NO humidity.) The box should be mailed out tomorrow and I should get it by Wednesday. It'll be great. I'm moving the TV (Grandpa's little one) that was here in the kitchen to the living room and then have to get rid of the big one in the living room. Don't know how. Our transfer station doesn't accept TVs or CRTs any more.

I wasn't quite sure about hooking it up, but you'll be pleased to know that I got it done without any problems. Actually, there was only 1 cable to screw in. I did have help - I read the manual - sorta. You'd be proud of me, Scoots.

Well, laundry beckons. I hope everyone has a good week.

KYHD!

Shennie

Weather

2008-08-10T18:17:00.002-05:00

It has been crazy here the past couple weeks.

I don't think I can remember a day within the past two weeks where we did not have a horrific thunderstorm roll over our area in the late afternoon. During the day it'll be sunny and bright with some regular clouds. Then, about 3:00 in the afternoon everything changes. The sky will get very, very dark and ominous and the next thing you know the wind has kicked up, and the heavens open. Without any warning it will be pouring. There have been days when I was looking and talking to someone in my office with my big window behind them. Almost instantly I will see rain just pouring down behind them. Yesterday on our way back from the farm stand, we were watching the clouds and there was actually a huge rectangular formation up ahead of us. It was perfectly shaped. Don't see that very often.

Farmers are complaining. Usually about this time of year they're all complaining that they need rain and they're irrigating. This year it is just the opposite. Everything is too wet. They're even promoting drying agents for the plants so that mold and fungus doesn't grow on them.

We've even had a couple tornadoes. Up in New Hampshire. I think there was even a spout spotted in Barrington, RI, where the mom went to college.

Sometimes the thunder and lightening is scary! It'll be right over head. We've even had a couple crop up in the middle of the night. I hope this cycle soon comes to an end. I feel sorry for the poor folks who have tried to have a vacation the past couple weeks.

Nick and I had one or two storms while we were out at the cottage. Mostly it was HOT and MUGGY while we were there. Now, they finally have the shower back in order. Not while we were there. Oh well.

Wish I could send you some, Scoots. Sleeping has been wonderful. Think about you when I'm bitching about the heat. If you can do it, so can we!

Back to the Olympics.

Miss you! KYHD!

Love,

Shennie

Welcome Hannah!

2008-07-29T13:45:00.002-05:00

DA - Just wanted to let you know that Lisa (nurse at the office) had her baby last Thursday night. Hannah was born @ 2037 by C section. She weighed 8# 9oz and is 18 1/2" long. Lisa and Hannah are doing well and already @ home. I am taking dinner to them tonight. Jessica set up a sign up calendar so we can all take turns taking them dinner. Tonight is meatloaf, mac & cheese, salad and brownies. On Thursday I am taking hamburgs, corn on the cob, potato salad & cupcakes.

We are back in the swing of things since returning from vacation. The St Louis summer weather has finally hit. I guess they had some hot days while we were gone, and it has returned! I know it is not as hot as you have it over there, but it is WARM & HUMID today. Maybe I can get in the pool after delivering dinner and getting my hair cut.

Well - Lisa just called and they are ready for me to deliver their dinner.

Hope all is well with you. Dad and I work this weekend, but he is not on call. I think it is supposed to be hot this weekend so we will be in the pool....probably will have company in the pool, too!

Love you & KYHD!

mom

P.S. Ben had to rebuild my laptop. Lots of spyware, etc..It is working great!

We're Back!

2008-07-23T19:20:00.003-05:00

Hey everyone! We're home. We got back to O'Fallon about 3 this afternoon (1500 hrs for those military types!). We had a great vacation and saw lots of northwestern Michigan - The Cherry Capital of the World! I guess we just missed the Cherry Festival by a few days. There were cherry trees everywhere - still FULL of cherries! The two concerts at Interlochen Center for the Arts were good - the philharmonic was better than the World Senior Choir concert. The best was Jon Reep - the comedian we saw Monday night. Apparently he was last years winner on Last Comic Standing. He reminded me of Larry the Cable Guy...in fact he said that he gets mistaken for him frequently. He was on stage for 90 minutes and we laughed the whole time!
In addition to seeing that part of Michigan, we read some, saw 2 movies, and just took it easy. Momma Mia! (the movie)is GREAT! It is the quintessential musical. We actually went to see it twice we enjoyed it so much. I would go again in a heart beat.
We also took advantage of many of the Michigan wineries. Who knew?? I guess the climate and soil there is great for growing grapes so there are several wineries. We brought home about 10 bottles of Michigan wine. I may even save some for when Jennie can drink again!!

It is back to work tomorrow - bright and early 0630!! Our next time off will be in September, though I am not sure of the dates. After that, who knows?? After each vacation we vow that we will get the next one planned within 6 months, but we have yet to keep those vows!! Maybe this time.

DA - It was so good to talk with you Monday afternoon. Thanks for calling. Sorry you missed the others, but maybe you can call sometime when we are all together. That would be great. How is the internet setup coming?? Hopefully you will have it soon and for a while before you PCS to the states!!

I guess that is about it for now. Hope all is well with everyone else!

Love to all and KYHD!!
mom

Message

2008-07-22T19:54:00.002-05:00

Hey there! We got your message yesterday. Unfortunately, we were both at work when you called. You sounded good though.

The baby is still growing and developing at a healthy pace. My health is also good. My weight is within what it should be, only my belly and butt seem to be growing! My blood pressure is good and all my other tests are within normal ranges.

It was great to hear your voice! Please try and give us a call over the weekend if you can.

KYHD!

SpaceBalls: ****, Even in the future nothing works!

2008-07-17T09:34:00.001-05:00

Check out the date...

Got a good laugh and hope you will too

Sunday

2008-07-10T08:05:00.002-05:00

Hi DA,

Check out my blog http://kelonac.blogspot.com/ to see some pictures from Sunday. We had a great time.

Miss(ed) you! KYHD

Shennie

The Flag Ladies

2008-07-08T09:00:00.002-05:00

I ran across this organization a couple weeks ago and have bookmarked them. I was so impressed with what they are doing that I even sent them a small donation and mentioned that you are currently stationed in Iraq.

http://www.freeportflagladies.com/

I received a thank you note from them today:

Dear S...

Thank you so much for your donation. It will help more than you can know. 100% of any donation that we receive is used to support our troops. Your kindness really helps to lift our spirits. We will continue to do all that we can for as long as we can to show the men and women serving this great nation that we support them and their families.
Please thank your nephew for us. He is one of our heroes.
...With much love, The Freeport Flag Ladies

It may be worth a trip to Freeport (and thus LLBean) to see their work.

Thanx, Scoots. Any requests. Sorry you weren't able to check in Sunday night. We had a great time and WAY TOO MUCH FOOD!

Shennie

Better Late Than Never... (revision)

2008-07-05T01:43:00.005-05:00

So I was going through my emails that i just got as of 0935 this morning and noticed it still showed I had one unread message, so I started scrolling down until I hit the very bottom and thats where i found this email... Like the title says, Better late than never right?? (Check out the date it was sent/received. Hope Al Gore doesnt find out that he didnt invent the internet, not with a date like that!

Randomness

2008-07-05T01:16:00.003-05:00

Enjoy!

Happy 4th of July!

2008-07-04T11:34:00.002-05:00

Ditto Shennies post! It is a great day!

Bud - I wish you could be here with us but since you cannot, please know that you and all you buddies are in our thoughts and prayers this day.
We have nothing special planned for today - we are celebrating on Sunday when we can all be together. It looks like there will be about 20 here so pray for good weather!!!

It was so good to talk to you the other night! and for such a long time!! You sounded well even though it was the middle of the night for you! I hope the rest of your shift went smoothly. Hearing the sound of the engine from one of your birds reminded me of the sound of remote-controlled planes.

Have you got your internet up and running yet? It would be great to talk to you on Sunday when we will all be here. If you will be able to call, send me an email so I can be sure to have the Skype phone close by. Dad and I will be at work until 5 but all the others will be here earlier but will porbably be swimming. Just ler us know if you can.

Have a great Army day. I'm sure that there is something special going on on post.

Love you lots and KYHD!
mom

Happy 4th of July

2008-07-04T09:19:00.003-05:00

Today more than ever is the day to celebrate our soldiers and sailors.

Today more than ever is the day to appreciate the brave stance that our founding fathers took to stand up to King George and risk their lives and the lives of their loved ones.

Today more than ever is the day to not just relish in a day out of work, but to remember why we have the day off and why we can work without oppression.

Today more than ever is the day to thank God for our freedoms and blessings here in the United States of America and to thank God because we CAN thank God.

Today more than ever is the day to remember Bunker Hill, Normandy, CBI, Gettysburg, Verdun, the Alamo, the Tet Offensive and the Fall of Saigon, Operation Desert Storm, and 9/11 ~ at the very least.

Today more than ever is the day to celebrate the advancements in the arts and sciences that come from living and researching in our free country.

Today more than ever is the day to remember the soldiers, sailors, marines, pilots, and others that sacrificed time, lives, limbs, and souls for our freedom. From Navy nurses to Army Air Corps mechanics we remember and thank you.

And, to those who proudly wear our country's uniforms today, we walk a little taller, smile a little broader, sleep a little sounder, breathe a little easier because of you and we thank you and love you.

We keep you in our thoughts, prayers, and hearts daily. God bless you!

Shennie

Internet

2008-06-27T02:54:00.002-05:00

Well, we have gotten more done in the last week for setting up the internet than in the last 7 months. Virtually all the money has been turned in and will be submitted tonight. Ethernet cable is starting to pop up even more around our CHUs and people are definitely taking interest more closely on the progress. All thats left is finishing the running of the cables to individual rooms and submitting the money so that when the first packet is sent to our dish, my line will be the first to sign on!

Things are going OK at Launch/Recovery though we did have a minor incident this morning. But the AV was recovered successfully despite the human error/oversight. But due to the error, new changes have already been established and NO ONE is happy about it, especially the day shift. But we have all admitted to the mistake and took responsibility/blame for it, so all thats left is making sure it doesn't happen again.

Well, I am exhausted from the long night and running around the 100+ weather working on setting up the internet so I will say adieu but keep you all updated.

~David

P.S. Make sure to all have your skype phones charged and handy. I could be calling one or all of you in the next4-5 days!

Hey Everyone

2008-06-23T01:24:00.002-05:00

I guess its been awhile (again) since i last posted, so here's the latest. Our unit actually lost a bird. (Mechanical failure... Total...Total...TOTAL loss. lol) Luckily I didnt have to piss and bleed since it was predetermined that there was no fault of ours. So yea, that was fun. Anywho, I have officially turned in my share for internet in the rooms. So it looks like that within the next week or so, I will have net available to me 24/7. The monthly cost is $68 but provides 1.5Mbps to 2Mbps. That means I will be able to FINALLY use my skype phone and laptop when I want to.

So yea, I will try to update this more often. And some care packages with more Slim Jims and Teriyaki Beef Jerky would be awesome! Well take care everyone.

Love y'all!

Cookie Platoon!

2008-06-11T20:35:00.002-05:00

Hey bud - check out cookieplatoon.com. It is a gal from Chester,CT whose son is deployed to Afghanistan and she makes cookies to send to him. This has grown to involve many volunteers and dozens of cookies AND many troops getting homemade cookies when they are thousands of miles from home! Aunt Sher's friend sent her the info and she passed it into me. Debbie and I have emailed a few times the past couple of days and I told her about our blog so she is going to check it out and maybe post a comment. I thought you might get a kick out of hearing from someone in Chester!
Technology is great! I hope at some point when we are back east to meet her. What she is doing for our troops is amazing. She must be a very special person!
If you get the chance, I'm sure she would love to hear from you. You can contact her through the cookieplatoon.com website.

Well - how's it going? We are all fine back here. Keeping busy and out of trouble (for the most part). Dad and I have decided to travel to Michigan for our summer vacation. We certainly wanted someplace NORTH. We considered Ireland for a while but once we looked into the prices we decided against it.

Katie is still in O'fallon. She was going to leave yesterday or today, but she woke up sick yesterday so maybe she'll get on the road by Friday.
We don't have anything big planned for Father's Day this Sunday. I think we'll have a cook-out her at the house and go swimming. So far the water has been fine and the heater is working. Keep your fingers crossed!!

Gotta run - dinner is ready....

Love you lots,
mom

Power - or Lack Thereof

2008-06-11T11:46:00.003-05:00

At 11:45 p.m. last night the power went out (again) at my house. This time it was due to some terrific winds, I'm sure. I woke up just as the power went out - possibly because it was also thundering and lightening at the time. The house was all closed up because the temp had been up to 97 yesterday and I had the a/c on when I went to bed. Of course that went off when the power went out.

I got up, took a stroll around the living room and kitchen, watched as some police cars went by the house and then went around and opened all the windows. The temperature had dropped at least 20 degrees and there was a lovely breeze. I thought I'd log on and see what was happening but ~ duh ~ realized that even wireless won't work if the router doesn't have power!

I finally fell back asleep and woke up around 6:30. I had found a D battery for my clock radio and could listen to that. I still had no power; therefore, no coffee, no hot shower, no blow dryer, and most of all ~ no car to go to work. If I lose power, the garage door won't open and since I cannot get into the garage EXCEPT through the main car door, I'm screwed. So, I called work (using my 1980s vintage rotary trim-line phone), said I'd be late and went about doing what I could without electricity.

I folded clothes, knitted, sorted a dresser drawer, knitted, started sorting knitting needles, and knitted. I called the electric company and they had a recording that the outage affected 5 towns and they expected the power to be back on around 10:00 a.m. At 10:05 I began to hear click, click, hmmmmmmm, click. The hamsters had been fed and the power was surging again. The first thing I did was open the garage door - just in case the power went out again. At least then I could get the car out and go to work. After resetting all the clocks and making sure that everything that was supposed to have power and be working was, I took my shower and got ready to go to work.

I got in about 11:15 - only after stopping to get a Dunkin Donuts French Vanilla Iced Coffee.

This is the 5th time in about 2 weeks that I've lost power at the house. Don't know what caused the others, but this one was a doozy! I was hoping it wouldn't last too, too long; I didn't want to lose the food in the fridge. On the one hand I was hoping it didn't stay off too long so I wouldn't lose the food; on the other hand, I was getting a lot of piddly stuff done around the house and was on a roll. Oh well.

But, all seems well; the power is back on ~ at least it was when I left the house about 3 hours ago; and everything seems to be working fine.

KYHD!

Shennie

Start the Car

2008-06-08T13:25:00.002-05:00

It's back ~ the IKEA commercial. Donut ~ I know you're moonlighting in that commercial. I have seen it at least a dozen time and I laugh each time. It is you!

For those of you who haven't seen it, go to:

http://tvads.wordpress.com/2007/12/31/ikea-start-the-car/

Shennie

Care Package to the Troops, Part II

2008-06-02T09:50:00.001-05:00

Check out this url:

http://www.telegram.com/article/200 80527/NEWS/873165981/1101

KYHD

Love,
A.S.

There and Back Again... A Soldier's Tale

2008-06-02T02:06:00.002-05:00

Well, the re-enlistment went well and got to see some cool piece of history, as well as hang out on a FOB that doesnt require me to carry my weapon around everywhere (lucky punks). But it was nice. Got to hang out with one of our HUMINT (human intelligence) translators for the day and play some table tennis, some pool, wanted to play darts. And got a major tease from the MWR personnel cuz the FOB we were at is run by State Department personnel, so State Department personnel are allowed to consume alcohol while deployed. So that sucked seeing all that alcohol and couldnt have a sip. Its like that old sailor saying. Water Everywhere but not a Drop to Drink. One question I have is who ordered the CH-47 model industrial strength blowdryer... Talk about some heat. For those wondering, a CH-47 is the nomenclature for a Chinook. and standing behind one with engines on is like having a 20' tall blowdryer blowing on your entire body (this plus the fact that it was still like 96 degrees at 2215.) So it kind of sucked. Had to stand there because they screwed up which flight it was. Was originally announced as Marne Express. But then they were like oh crap, its the AMR flight. But they had room to allow everyone to get on. So then they had to have everyone stand there with the chinook exhaust blowing on us while they read off the manifest roster. And once on, we lifted off only to do a roundabout to pick up yet another contractor. Was funny to see the rear crew-chief hop off and simulate a running motion to the contractor (course the flight scheduler thought he meant her, but when she started approaching, he waved her off, pointed at the contractor and again simulated the running gesture. Once all that was said and done, we were on our way back. It took all of like 10 minutes to get back and once there we downloaded off the chinook, signed back into the FOB, and went to our Battalion to sign back in there. Once that was done, we had a moment to relax and look at some of the pics from the day. Was funny to see the height difference between my old Platoon Leader/XO and myself. It was like A.S. and myself. But I left Battalion and headed straight to my room, downloaded all my gear, cleared off my bed and crashed for the rest of the night. But it was a nice trip, but it was good to be back in my bed.

Oh, I did get both the Autographed pictures and the Care Package. The pics were great, and that care package. Some of the food I still might be eating towards the end of the deployment...

Happy Birthday and Farewell Katie (and Chelsey)

2008-05-31T13:34:00.002-05:00

Happy Birthday a couple of days early to Katie and Farewell to Chelsey and Katie. Katie will be 21 on Monday (boy, my kids are getting OLD!)and Chelsey leaves for Colorado tomorrow, with Katie close on her heels(hopefully by the end of the week!) Katie is staying around here hoping for her tax refund and stimulus check, neither of which has arrived yet. She needs the money for he trip, so we are hoping "the check is in the mail."

The pool is just about ready....I think we will be able to swim this afternoon. All the numbers, pH, chlorine, etc are all good, but the water is still a little cloudy. They just opened it Thursday afternoon so it is looking very good for 48 hours out, but with the rain last night, the water is not as clear as I like it for guests so we will let them decide if they want to swim.

For her birthday meal, Katie requested Chicken Parmesan, pesto, coleslaw, & greek salad. For dessert we are having angel food cake with fresh strawberries and/or cheesecake.

Sure wish you were here, Bud...Hope your trip back from Baghdad was uneventful.
Thanks again for your service to your country. We think of you and pray for you and your buddies everyday. Everyone from the office sends their best to you along with their thoughts and prayers.

Stay safe and keep in touch.

Love you & KYHD!
the mom

I, David, do solemnly swear...

2008-05-29T06:15:00.002-05:00

Thats right people. I have formally and ceremonially re-enlisted in the United States Army. Six more years (5 once i get state-side again). The Re-enlistment ceremony went well. Flew out this morning on a Blackhawk and got to sit in the down-wash seat (trust me, its the 'best seat' to have...lol... if you like rotor downwash (rush of air kicked down from the spinning of the rotary blades. Enough to make your uniform flap like crazy, and blow sunglasses right off your face if not careful. And good luck keeping your eyes open.

But going to the ruins of Babylon was quite the experience. It was the first (and probably last time, least for awhile) that i got to leave a military installation in a military convoy. weapons loaded, body armor, the works. But the area is very pro-america, (when Muqtada Al Sadr isnt ordering his militia to attack)... Got to see and be in the Palace of Nebe-chad-nezzer , as well as the Palace of Hammurabi. (Even got to see the holy palm tree that Saddam took one bite from the fruit). It was certainly warm, even at 1030 in the morning, especially when wearing IBA( Body armor), Kevlar (Helmet), and carrying around a SAW (my weapon) loaded with a full 200-count drum of ammunition.

Now planning was definitely jacked up. First, everyone knew I was trying to get the Green Zone, but the Battalion and Brigade weren't keen on the idea. And then even with plenty of notice, they couldn't arrange for one of my best friends to make it out for my ceremony (though having my old Platoon Leader was nice. She definitely understands UAVs better than most senior Officers. Plus my Battalion Commander and best friend since Ft Stewart was there, so it was definitely worth the trip. Well, I am going to go lay down for a little bit before heading back home later tonight