Heads Up, DA

I enjoyed your last post - what I could understand. Like I said, you gotta start supplying subtitles!

Just to let you know I put a package in the snail mail the other day. It is not exciting or thrilling, but I was wandering thru Walmart the other day and thought you might be able to use these ~ especially with the "warmer" weather setting in.

Back to work. Well, sorta. It's almost time to go home so I need to clean up stuff and get ready to leave.

Hope you're doing well. I'd like to say "Stay cool!", but that would be a waste of typing time!

So, be well and KYHD!

Love you,

Shennie

Welcome, Chris Long

FYI - The Rams drafted Chris Long, as in the son of Howie Long! I have got to get to a Rams game this season. How cool would it be to see Howie Long in person. Mind you I was never a Raiders fan (in fact, I hated them - they played dirty, etc.), but every team has some awesome players and Howie long was one of them. In addition, he is a nice guy - articulate, funny, and gorgeous!! Even at his age!! I am soooooo excited. This is almost as good as getting to meet Gov Huckabee and LeVar Burton!!
I can hardly wait for football season to start!!

BTW - Jess, I will need every Sunday off starting in Sept and going through to the Superbowl!! jk...but it would be nice!!

Hugs and kisses & KYHD,
the Mom

Hey! Back at you!

Hey bud - good to hear from you. I knew you were OK 'cuz you had talked with Chelsey, but it is still good to hear from you on the blog or by phone.

We just finished lunch and the girls, Katie and Chelsey, have gone to Ace Hardware to pick up a new table and chairs for the new deck. They have been doin' stuff around the house, etc to earn money for the trip to Colorado. They were excited to do this 'cuz I let them take my car - the Santa Fe. I think that they will be able to fit the table and chairs in the back with the back seats down...we'll see.

Sorry to hear about losing one of your "birds". Even better to hear that it was not "pilot error"!! Was it one of yours? as in one from Ft Stewart?? Congratulations on learning to be a Flight Commander. It is generally true that the higher up you go the more papers you get to push around!! Hopefully, you will still get to "fly". Will you??

We are starting to get excited about the Health Care Forum we are sponsoring on 14 May with Mike Huckabee and LeVar Burton. Dad talked with Gov Huckabee by phone for about 30 minutes last Wednesday afternoon. This coming Wednesday he'll chat with LeVar Burton. We'll take lots of pictures so be watching for them after the 14th.

Hope all is well and try to stay cool...Things are greening up here from all the rain we had this spring. The red bud trees are beautiful this year. All the flowering trees have been, really.

Again, it was great to hear from you! We love you lots...please keep in touch.
Thanks to you and all your buddies for the jobs you do. Safe travels to Baghdad for your re-enlistment ceremony.

Hugs and kisses & KYHD,
the Mom

hey everyone

I know a lot of you have been concerned since i havent been on lately or posting much. But be rest assured that i am doing ok. I havent been able to be on much mainly cuz of the switch from my 1200-0001 shift to 2100-0900. So adjusting to developing a new sleep pattern, when to eat and shower and whatnot. But anywho, things are going good. I was off flight status for a little bit as Chelsey and Jessica are aware of. But as of today I am back on flight status after 'investigators' determined that it was a software failure that led to a hardware malfunction that caused the UAV to make an "unscheduled" landing in a local Sheik's field. And let me tell ya, what a landing it was! Our unit and FSR (Civilian Field Service Representatives) both are very disappointed in the Warrant officer that led the investigation. He had no understand whatsoever in UAV operations/abilities/limitations or anything remotely close. He pretty much said that it was one of our guys' fault that it crashed even before hearing any of the evidence (in which case that individual filed a formal complaint against the WO for not being able to be an impartial/unbiased investigator. It was only through the hard work of our FSR, maintainers and working with the UAS commander that the true cause was found.

Other than that mishap, things have been going good at Launch/Recovery Site (LRS for now). I am being trained up as a mission commander there, which let me tell ya is much more involved that a Forward Site (F/S) MC. The LRS MC has much more paperwork and forms and spreadsheets to fill out and complete than most supply clerks. On top of that, he has to work with the different Brigade S2 ISR personnel (ISR: Information Surveillance Report) as well as Division G2 (Civilian contractor who works with G3 on scheduling flights and working to de-conflict AV frequencies.

I know some of you are wondering how the weather has been around here and there is only one way to put it: Warm. You are probably thinking that I am crazy for saying that 108 F is warm, but seeing as how that is what it will be at night when during the day its between 125 and 145 F, then ya its warm. (even cool with a 37 degree temp drop. But for now, I will continue to sweat and blame iraq and Allah and whoever I can for being in a place that no human being should reside in, more less fight a war. I will say it does suck when I wake up at 1700 for chow and its still over 100 F outside and when I go to work at 2030, its 95 F.

Well, its currently (0950) and its 97 F, and its supposed to hit 105 today, and 105 tomorrow (but tonight will be a nice cool 78 F). Well I need to go shower cuz I am sweaty and sticky and blah... I love you guys!

Ditto on the Mom's Sentiments...

Where in the world are you? Haven't heard much from that side of the globe lately.

Won't fill up this page ~ go to my blog and check out my notes from the past week. I've been on a rip! If I worked for National Geographic, I'd be raking in the dough.

Hope all is well. Spring has arrived in New England - had an ice cream cone (DQ) for lunch yesterday. It's not the Sundae School, but it'll do.

KYHD!

Love,

Shennie

Hello!

DA - Since we have not gotten a visit from 2 uniformed Army officers (one being a chaplain), I assume you are still alive! It sure would be nice to hear from you. Just a blog would be nice!!
We are all fine here. Chelsey is recovering nicely, though she is still sore. Katie has been helping her during her recovery. I went back to work this morning - I took Monday & Tuesday off to be with Chelsey, etc.(see chelseyanddavid.com for details). Jennie is well - past most of the morning sickness, but now the exhaustion has set in. Ben got my TV and DVR set up Sunday evening, so I have my own space now downstairs in the back room - computer, TV, DVR, VCR & DVD player, couch, & loveseat. It is great! Jess and Craig are working on finishing their basement with help, of course. How are you??????????????????????

I hear your shift has changed so that affects when you can get on line, call, etc.. but something in the form of communication would sure be nice!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Guess that is about it for now. Must finish making dinner: spaghetti, meat sauce, bread and salad.(and wine....lots of wine!)

Love you lots & KYHD,
the mom

Quake and Wake!

That's what we did @ 04:36 today! It was really something. I was already awake and heard the quake before actually feeling it. At first noise, I thought the cats were fighting...they can sound like 2 horses runnng through the house. I quickly realized it was not them and thought perhaps a train was passing through. When the "quaking" began I realized it was not a train. The whole house shook for about 10-15 seconds (it seemed much longer!), then it subsided. The whole scenario from start to end was about 45 seconds. Just as we were all starting to feel comfortable, it happened again. At 10:15, the practice started to rock and roll! It was quite a powerful aftershock. It is the wierdest feeling to have a house or large building shake all around you!! Luckily there was very minimal damage in the area. The first report of damage was from Louisville...no worries, though, Rick and Jan slept right through it!
A section of Kingshighway in St Louis was closed for a few hours for inspection but it has since reopened. There have been some reports of crack in basements, but so far nothing major. We are very lucky...see Jess & Chelsey's blogs for details of magnitude, etc....
So, bud - how ya doin? I saw you briefly on camera while you were chatting with Chelsey earlier this week, but you guys quit before I could say HI! She said that your shift has changed. I wondered why you had not been online much when I would check. Hope you are well and hangin' in there. It would be nice to talk to you either on the phone or online!

Take care of yourself and keep in touch.
Love you lots & KYHD!!
Mom

Springtime In New England

What a beautiful day it is today. Wish I were working outside or just outside in the sun. As I was driving around campus today to go get some lunch, all the coeds were lying in the sun and all the boys were running off the road staring at them!

We deserve this weather. It's been a long time coming. It's not that we had such a miserable winter here in Massachusetts. We had some snow and some cold weather, but nothing out of the ordinary; after all, it is New England. Granted, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine got hammered in some places. Some had almost 100" of snow. It just seems like it's been dragging on and on. We'd get a warm day and then it would get cold and rainy for several days. Time for some warmth and sun.

We are finally seeing some buds on the trees and some are even beginning to blossom. I did stop over at some friends' house yesterday and their side door garden was abloom with daffodils. What is that poem I learned in high school?

I wander'd lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host of golden daffodils,
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Thank you, William Wordsworth!

Unfortunately they say that this warm weather is not going to last very long, altho' I think I did hear that the rain and miserable stuff that we were supposed to get on Monday may not happen. That would be good. The Boston Marathon is Monday and that kind of weather can surely ruin a good run! Not that I would know anything about that. It's also the day for Phil's memorial service. It would be nice if we had some sun for that.

But, a three day weekend is always great. Personally, I think the work week should be Tuesday afternoon, Wednesday, and Thursday morning. Then from Thursday afternoon to the following Tuesday at noon would be the weekend! How does that sound?

Monday is also Sheila's 65th birthday. Her email is winterwoman1@optonline.net. Wish the old lady a happy birthday, folks.

Not much other news from here. Glad the earthquake wasn't all that bad. But, I'm sure it got everyone's attention.

Hope all is well for you, Scoots. Is it starting to get REALLY warm over there? Time for another care package ~ any special requests?

Love you and KYHD!

Shennie

Earthquake

So did anyone else wake up at 4:35 this morning to the trembling and shaking of an Illinois earthquake? I believe we're affected by the New Madrid fault, so anyone know if it was just our area, or the whole south-midwest area?

How's it goin'?

Hey bud - How's it going? You haven't been online in a while. At least not when I check late in the afternoon/early evening here.

We are all doing well. Ben and Jennie were here most of Sunday as Ben tried to get our internet to work. After several hours (and 3 calls to Charter), he decided that it had to be the cable modem. Charter was here bright and early Tues AM to replace it. So far...so good! On Sat Jennie and I went to the Maternity and Parenting Fair at Memorial Hosp. It was interesting and just the right amount of "stuff"....not overwhelming.

Rick and Jan were here visiting Jess and Craig so Jennie and I stopped by to say hi when we got back from Belleville. It was good to see them.

Today I got some used furniture for the second family room downstairs. At least that is what I am calling it for now. I have put a TV in there with the couch and love seat. That room will eventually be the "kiddie" playroom. For now, I will use it as a second family room and my computer room. At some point in the not too distant future I hope to have digital cable (hint, hint...Jess and Craig!), and a DVD/VHS player hooked up to the TV.

Today at the new Ace Hardware store here in town I found a patio set for the new deck. It is very similar to Jess and Craig's set that she got from Jan and Rick for her college graduation. It is just the right size since this deck is smaller than the back deck. Now I have to figure out how to get it home. I don't think it comes in boxes. It might fit in my car with the back seats down. I'll check tomorrow when I get off from work.

I guess that is about it for now. Shennie will be out here this weekend, if American Airlines is still flying! Yesterday and today they cancelled all their flights on their MD 80's....safety issues!

Hope all is well with you.

Love you lots and KYHD!!
the Mom

You're going to be an uncle...

I know that Chelsey already told you, but I wanted to say it too! So, I'm seven weeks along (today) and my due date is Nov. 18.

So far things are going well, although, like Mom said I'm getting nausea most mornings. And I'm breaking out. It's like I'm freaking 16. Not cool. But I guess having a little one to have and to hold in a few months makes it all worth it.

Anyway, go check my blog to keep up on how the baby is coming along (I've posted a neat little ticker to keep track of little "Cruiser"). If you want, I can post it here, too, but it's up to you.

Love ya! KYHD!

Thought of you!

DA - I thought of you yesterday morning when KEZK played Abbott & Costello's "Who's On First" dialogue. Yesterday was opening day for the St Louis Cardinals and this radio station plays it each year on opening day. I remember how you liked the Three Stooges, Abbott & Costello, and Red Skelton. Even though I have heard that dialogue many, many times, it still cracks me up. Unfortunately, the game was rained out so they are playing tonight. I think we are going to have to start building an ark here if we get much more rain. The ground is saturated and we are about 6" above normal for rainfall already this year. EVERYTHING is greening up. Forsythia and daffodils are out and we will probably have to mow the lawn this weekend IF it doesn't rain.

Hope all is well with you. I have really enjoyed chatting online and getting to see you with the web cams. I know that is "old" stuff to you, but I am still working my way into the 21st century for technology!

Dad's nurse is having a girl. They found out last night when they had an ultrasound done. She is very excited since they already have 2 boys. She is due in August, so we'll keep you posted.

Jennie seems to be fine when I talk with her. I guess she is having some nausea in the mornings so saltines have become a staple in her diet. She has her first appt with OB/GYN on 15 April when she will be about 9 weeks. We'll also keep you posted on her progress. Ben is scoping out video cameras, but we still have some time before we need one.

That's about it for now. Talk to you soon.
Love you lots and KYHD!!

the Mom

Website

Well, David and I jumped on the bandwagon and have decided we want our own webpage too. So, voila. www.chelseyanddavid.com. It took me HOURS to figure this thing out, but I made progress and am using the same software that Jessie uses (because I adore her blog). So check it out and link to us and hopefully we'll keep in touch with people ever more.

Friday Night Was Fun Too!

When I got home there were two calls from the mom asking me to call cuz they were logged on and chatting with DA. I'm pretty good with a computer, but I was trying to get Yahoo Messenger set up in fast forward, I felt like I was all thumbs! Luckily I had Donut on the phone helping me. My biggest problem was the sensitivity of the keypad mouse. I kept accidentally moving everything to the background when I'd hit the mouse at the wrong time. Finally, I got everyone's webcam window, chat window and conference window all up in front. We had some good laughs and thanx for welcoming me to the 21st century, Scoots. Now, can you come here and help me with my iPod?

You look good - a little tired but I know it was the middle of the night for you.

Well, breakfast calls and so does a day full of projects and errands. I've got a mess to clean up in the garage. I had taken some garbage out the other day to get ready to go to the dump (excuse me, in Southboro we don't have a dump, we have a transfer station) but I forgot to close the garage door that night! Le's just say, the local vermin had a buffet! Tonight is the roast beef dinner at church ~ it's always a good time.

Great to "talk" to you last night; can't wait to do it again soon.

Love you and KYHD!
/Shennie

Wednesday night was the best!!

OK - so Wednesday evening I'm sitting in the family room watching the news and Chelsey calls me. She says that DA is online so I should get to my computer. (I've never chatted online before!) So I head upstairs to the kitchen, start up the laptop, sign in to Yahoo Messenger and then she walks me through getting onto my webcam and then VOILE' there is DA in Iraq at the internet cafe and I can see him and he can see me sitting in my kitchen thousands of miles apart! It was AWESOME. We chatted for about 15 minutes and then his time ran out, but he was able to get back on about 20 minutes later and we chatted for about an hour. While we were online, I called J&C and J&B. Neither of them had their webcams set up, but Jess got online and chatted with DA for a while. He even got to see the Dad and KL. I was SOOOOOO excited. My typing was horendous because I was trying to watch him and type at the same time...this from someone who cannot walk and chew gum at the same time!! He didn't seem to care, though.

Shennie - does your laptop have a webcam?? If so, I will let you know when we are chatting with DA next so you can get on. You need to have Yahoo messenger. I think he usually gets on about 5-6pm CDT. It is 0 dark early in Iraq, but it is when he has just gotten off work.

Technology is great - especially when you know how to use it! Thanks heavens for my kids and their techno savvy spouses!

Oh - he did say he should have internet in his room soon, like in the next week or so, so then WE will be able to contact him insted of having to wait for him to contact us.

Anyway - it was GREAT to see him and "talk" to him. I hope we can do it again soon.

Love you & KYHD,

the Mom

Happy Easter a Little Late!

I'm up bright and early today - it's opening day for the Red Sox! Of course, they're opening in Tokyo, Japan. They may be playing at a normal hour in Tokyo, but the first pitch was thrown out at 6:05 a.m. EDT. So, I decided to get up, throw in a load of laundry, do a little knitting, catch up on my blogging, and pay a couple bills - all in that order!

Easter was a nice day - though the weather was very chilly. At least the sun was out. I went to the early service at church (9:00 a.m.) so that I could get on the road to Conn. I had been invited to Cathy and Scott's for dinner. It was fun. The ride down wasn't bad and the directions were very easy. It was actually on the way to Silver Lake.

I was the first to arrive and was greeted by Scott and Norman - their long-haired dachshund. Bailey, their tailless cat, was in hiding somewhere - fine by me. Bruce arrived next bringing his world famous recipe - shrimp cocktail! Sheila, Dennis and Lisa finally showed up and the food began to appear from all corners. As usual, there was way too much food, but it was all good: ham, mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, green bean casserole, carrot puff, rolls, grilled asparagus, pickles, olives. This was after the shrimp and cheese and crackers. Then, Cathy had been up early and produced two bunny rabbit cakes - carrot cakes decorated with cream cheese frosting and coconut all on a bed of green coconut surrounded by small chocolate rabbits and jelly beans.

I left exactly at 4 and thought I'd be home before 6 - that was until I hit the Mass Pike at 84! It was all backed up. Why, you ask? Because there was an accident on the OTHER side of the road several miles up and everyone on my side had to slow down and check to see what was happening on the other side of the highway. Let's erect high barriers between sides of the road so this type of thing can't happen.

Anyway, we had a great time. Ate way too much.

More later on - it's a busy week. Tomorrow, Barbara Morgan is visiting my Challenger Center (JJ is very jealous), so we're busy getting ready for that. I'm busy knitting - working on a wedding present and then have to start on the first of MANY blankets for my great niece or nephew.

Hope you're staying safe. Is the weather warming up?

KYHD - Love you,
Shennie

What Everyone Needs to Read

Remember the book "Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus"? Well, here's a prime example offered by an English professor at Southern Methodist University:

In-class Assignment for Wednesday:

Today we will experiment with a new form called the tandem story. The process is simple. Each person will pair off with the person sitting to his other immediate right. One of you will then write the first paragraph of a short story. The partner will read the first paragraph and then add another paragraph to the story. The first person will then add a third paragraph, and so on back and forth. Remember to re-read what has been written each time in order to keep the story coherent. The story is over when both agree a conclusion has been reached. The following was actually turned in by two of my English students, Rebecca [last name deleted] and Gary [last name deleted.] "

At first, Laurie couldn't decide which kind of tea she wanted. The chamomile, which used to be her favorite for lazy evenings at home, now reminded her too much of Carl, who once said, in happier times, that he liked chamomile. But she felt she must now, at all costs, keep her mind off Carl. His possessiveness was suffocating, and if she thought about him too much her asthma started acting up again. So chamomile was out of the question.

Meanwhile, Advance Sergeant Carl Harris, leader of the attack squadron now in orbit over Skylon 4, had more important things to think about than the neuroses of an air-headed asthmatic bimbo named Laurie with whom he had spent one sweaty night over a year ago. "A.S. Harris to Geostation 17," he said into his transgalactic communicator. "Polar orbit established. No sign of resistance so far..." But before he could sign off, a bluish particle beam flashed out of nowhere and blasted a hole through his ship's cargo bay. The jolt from the direct hit sent him flying out of his seat and across the cockpit.

He bumped his head and died almost immediately, but not before he felt one last pang of regret for psychically brutalizing the one woman who had ever had feelings for him. Soon afterwards, Earth stopped its pointless hostilities towards the peaceful farmers of Skylon 4. "Congress Passes Law Permanently Abolishing War and Space Travel," Laurie read in her newspaper one morning. The news simultaneously excited her and bored her. She stared out the window, dreaming of her youth -- when the days had passed unhurriedly and carefree with no newspapers to read, no television to distract her from her sense of innocent wonder at all the beautiful things around her. "Why must one lose one's innocence to become a woman?" she pondered wistfully.

Little did she know, but she had less than 10 seconds to live. Thousands of miles above the city, the Au'udrian mothership launched the first of its lithium fusion missiles. The dim-witted wimpy peaceniks who pushed the Unilateral Aerospace Disarmament Treaty through Congress had left Earth a defenseless target for the hostile alien empires who were determined to destroy the human race. Within two hours after the passage of the treaty the Anu'udrian ships were on course for Earth, carrying enough firepower to pulverize the entire planet. With no one to stop them, they swiftly initiated their diabolical plan. The lithium fusion missile entered the atmosphere unimpeded. The President, in his top-secret mobile submarine headquarters on the ocean floor off the coast of Guam, felt the inconceivably massive explosion which vaporized Laurie and 85 million other Americans. The President slammed his fist on the conference table. "We can't allow this! I'm going to veto that treaty! Let's blow'em out of the sky!"

This is absurd. I refuse to continue this mockery of literature. My writing partner is a violent, chauvinistic, semi-literate adolescent.

Yeah? Well, you're a self-centered tedious neurotic whose attempts at writing are the literary equivalent of Valium.

Asshole.

Bitch.

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter from southwest IL! Jess, Craig, Dad & I went to church this morning - 8:30 service. It was great! I really enjoyed going - unfortunately it had been a while.
On our way out from church we ran into Martha & Patrick with little Owen. It was my first time seeing him - what a cutie!! I can't believe he is 6 months old already!
Once we got home, I started in on dinner. We are having ham, homemade macaroni & cheese, sweet potato and apple casserole, coleslaw and squash with onion and tomato. For dessert we are having angel food cake with strawberries and whipped cream. There will be 8+ for dinner so I am certain there will be leftovers. Not a problem for me! Leftovers means I don't have to cook for a couple of nights!!

Hope all is well with you. Any Easter decorations? Maybe something like they did at Christmas in the DFAC??

If you can, give us a call on the home phone so we can all talk to you!

Love you lots & KYHD!!

the Mom

Easter Sunday

DA - If the call center is open, how about calling us Sunday evening after 1900 hrs our time?? I know that is kind of late for you, but we will all be here for Easter dinner. J&B will be in St Louis for the afternoon, but are planning on arriving here about 1900.

It will be GREAT when you get internet in your CHU. Let us know ASAP when that happens.

Congratulations on passing your PT test. Good news is always welcome!!

All the work we had done on the house is almost complete. Just some odds and ends to finish up. The only "big" thing left is a light for the new deck. I decided that it would be good to be able to see when I am grilling out and since I grill all year a light would be nice in the fall and winter when it gets dark earlier.

Guess that's about it for now....it was good to hear from you!!

Love you lots...KYHD

the Mom