'I HEARD A LOUD BOOM'
VP POOL REPORT
Tue Feb 2007 11:19:01 ET
Filed By Mark Silva
White House Correspondent
Chicago Tribune

The vice president left Kabul wearing a black suit and shiny dark cordovan cowboy boots - having just become the highest-level Bush administration official to have spent the night in a war zone - the unscheduled overnighter at Bagram Air Force Base. The vice president spoke on the record with the pool about the attack -- speaking, seated on a desk, in his Airstream, silver-skinned on the outside and leather-seated and wood-paneled on the inside, cabin set up inside the C-17 military cargo transport that had ferried him to Pakistan and Afghanistan and out as well.

He suggested that he never felt threatened, and that no policy of the US ought to be affected by such actions aimed at shaking the stability of the Pakistani govt.

There will be a transcript. The following is from my tape, but I caution that it was loud inside that C-17 - we sat out in the cargo bay with the rest of the administration, military and Service - so I've related the comments from tape and notes I feel most certain about, which is all of the substance of it:

"I was provided quarters overnight," he said of his Bagram stay. "It seems to me it was 10 occlock in the morning. I heard a loud boom... The Secret Service came in and told me there had been an attack on the main gate."

He was moved "for a brief period of time" to one of the base bomb shelters near his quarters, the VP said. "As the situation settled down and they had a better sense of what was going on, I went back to my room."

Asked about Taliban claims of responsibilty, he asked who said that, what did they say. Told that a Taliban was quoted by name as saying Cheney was the target, and asked what this sort of activity says of the overall situation there - and if it might be a way of playing to Taliban tactics of bolstering its own standing among the people, the vice president said, slowly, and calmly: "I think they clearly try to find ways to question the authority of the central government" there. "Striking at the Bagram (base) with a suicide bomber, I suppose, is one way to do that... It shouldn't affect our behavior."

Pooler's notes:

For whatever claims the Taliban spokesman may be making about having targeted the VP with the bombing at the gate at Bagram, the VP and his retinue were a long way from that gate, well inside that massive base. Take that for whatever it's worth.

The first we heard of the attack was the sirens of the base fire trucks leaving from their station, which was pretty close to the hub of the VP's activities there, including the military transport that he had used to fly in and out of Islamabad and Afghanistan - see the special-edition commemorative pool report on "The Spirit of Strom Thurmond."

The VP was preparing to leave Bagram this morning when the attack occurred, and the Service certainly picked up its step on our staging and sweeps as the base went to code red after attack.

On the flight out of Kabul, a senior administration official spoke to the pool insisting upon anonymity but allowing tapes - and there will be a transcript of that as well.

The president wanted the VP to make this trip because of "the continuing threat that exists in this part of the world," the sao said.

"I've seen some press reports that Cheney went in to beat up" on Karzai, the sao said. "That"s not so." The idea of going in and threatening someone "isn't valid."

There have been successes, more al Qaeda killed in Afghanistan and Pakistan than anywhere else.

"That doesn't mean there's no threat. That doesn't mean a rosy scenario. There's a lot of work to be done."

At Cheney's luncheon with Karzai, the Afghan leader told a story of meeting with tribal leaders and trying to get them to cooperate. "The only question they wanted to ask me, was, 'Is the United States with you?" Karzai said, according to this account.

People are concerned about the US commitment to the region, and Democrats in DC talking about withdrawal from Iraq make them concerned - though that debate back home had no bearing on the VP's decision to come here, sao said. "That would have devastating consequences to what we're trying to do" in this part of the world.

Karzai was reportedly "upbeat" - with all the money and troops that the US is committing to Afghanistan, the sao said, "It's all taken as a sign" of commitment.

"They worry about that... If they see weakness on the part of the US... They worry about our commitment."

The proposals of people in the US to withdraw from Iraq have "consequences in this part of the world," the official said. "The al Qaeda strategy is based on the notion that they can break the will of the American people."

Asked about Cheney's suggestions that talk of withdrawal lend comfort to the terrorists, in the context of his comments last week in the Pacific and his remarks about Speaker Pelosi, the official said no, what was meant was, "It would validate the al Qaeda strategy." Not aid and comfort them.

It was an 18-minute flight from Bagram to Kabul, landing there at 12:19 pm, and the VP was there for a little over two hours. See the Kabul pool, but we had been told the VP would meet with Afghan Pres. Hamid Karzai for about an hour - and it seemed to last a little longer, though we were outside holding.

At 2:13 pm local, the armored dust-covered motorcade of the VP left the grounds of the palace and sped through the slalom of cement and sandbag barricades that line the approach, and he boarded the C-17 under partly sunny skies.



....At Least Mr.Cheney had a room to go back to. Mortar attacks are something that soldiers deal with on an everyday basis in Iraq and Afghanistan. I hope that, if not anything, that Mr. Cheney at least get a sense of how dangerous it is out there and think about how to better take care of the ones who have came back injured and mentally traumatized, and of course, better pay ALWAYS helps!


But Seriously, I hope this war will find a good ending soon.

Thanks Hugh!

The Four Degrees of Oprah

I talked to my friend Latonya on the phone last night, I don't think I've talked to her on the phone since we came back from Iraq in late 04'. She was a mutual friend of Chief Debra Ackeret. Since you can only get so much through via instant messenger, I called her and left a message for her to call me back.

It was really nice to hear from her! We talked about what is going on in our lives and also what had happened to Debra Ackeret. You see, even Latonya, before Debra's death, has not seen or heard a lot from Debra. Latonya just chucked it to the results of two busy lives. Debra was still in the army and was thinking about going to another deployment to Iraq. Latonya found out about Debra's death through another army friend of hers, who knew Debra as well.

Shortly, I mean very shortly after Debra died, her father flew down from Wisconsin and collected Debra's body for burial in Milwaukee. Latonya never got to speak to him, or anyone related to Debra. The burial and the service was very quick and hushed. No one really knew what drove Debra to kill herself, there was still the suspecion that her boyfriend might have done it.

Now, this is where Oprah came into the story....

Kim is having trouble coming to terms with the sudden death in November 2006 of her sister—was her death a suicide or a murder?

John says he feels an immediate energy when trying to reach Kim's sister. "Okay, you have these different energies that are coming in," he says. "They're telling me to call you by a different name, Kimmy or Kimberly or something completely different from Kim. But they make me feel, like, don't call you Kim." Kim says that her sister used to call her "Kiminy Cricket," after the Disney character Jiminy Cricket.

John then says he is getting a feeling indicating suicide. "My sister was a warrant officer in the Army," Kim says. "She came back from Iraq late 2004. She passed away November 26th and it was questionable whether it was suicide or murder. I was told that my sister was shot and I think that's why there was the issue of suicide or murder because all of us immediately thought, and that's all we knew, was that it was murder. The forensics are still out, so the case isn't closed."

Kim says the hour-long reading with John has helped ease her worries about what had become of her sister after death. "I was brought up Catholic, so I really was raised to believe that [if you commit] suicide, you end up in the fiery flames of hell," she says. "That was my biggest fear." She says she no longer worries about that.

Two days after Kim met with John, the Sierra Vista Police Department in Arizona officially ruled that the death was a suicide…just as John's reading indicated.


Kim was Debra's sister, and she had appeared on Oprah during the day that John Edward (the bug-eyed psychic) was on the show. The GF saw that episode and so did Latonya. Now, neither of them watches Oprah much, if at all, and the one episode that they did watch, was about Debra. So what are the four degrees of Oprah? Well it's like this....me, Chief Ackeret, Chief Ackeret sister, Oprah.

I don't know why Debra had killed herself either, and I don't think that I'll ever know. I do know that Debra is not in hell right now. I think maybe she was really depressed over something or some events, and in the spur of the depression, she decided to end her life. Even though we didn't always get along during our deployment, it's all over now and I hope that she's happy and peaceful now, on the other side.

Chinese new year in Houston

I was in Houston for 5 days late last week to early this week, and got to visit with my grandpa, my sister, as well as the rest of the family minus the ones in New Jersey (aunt + her clan).
My sister drove me around so I saved some $ on a rental car. I couldn't say that I've spent a lot of quality time with my grandpa, since he mostly just plays mahjong and sleeps. We slept in the same room during my stay, and I couldn't help it but to feel that somehow, my grandma was there too. Grandpa is doing well for his age, and his new helper is a nice lady who's quite considerate.

My dad and my stepmom are still the same, trying to do their part by visting grandpa, and playing as much mahjong as they can stand. I can't really say that there were any major improvement or damage to our relationship from this visit, buy it was simply nice to have grandpa interact with them.

Chinese new year celebration was good. We catered from this local restaurant but wasn't really satisfied with the food because it was cooked and packed in haste. I so wished that grandma was also there, just have to wait a while longer though.

My sister's dog Woody was as affectionate as a dog can be, he slept with me the whole time that I was there, and I also saw how he'd stick with grandpa. Dogs are such good judge of characters, I think. Even though grandpa is not the most affectionate man around, Woody was nevertheless able to see through that.

Here are some photos from the holiday....and really, the only way to really enjoy Chinese new year is to be in a place where there are lots of Chinese people......happy new year to all!

Dumplings

Note

Will post about my trip to Houston soon.....

Obit

Ackeret, Debra A.
Age 42 years, of Sierra Vista, AZ, formerly of Milwaukee. Sun., Nov. 26, 2006. Loving daughter of Curtis and the late Noreen (nee Wick). Dear sister of Craig, Brent (Bonnie), Lance (Susan), Kim (Raymond) Gregory, Michael, Scott and Daniel. Aunt of Shane, Alexis, April, Leah and Jacob. Dear friend of Laura Ellis. Further survived by aunts, uncles, cousins, other relatives and friends. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Sat., Dec. 2, 2006 at 11 AM at St. Boniface Catholic Church, W204 N11940 Goldendale Rd., Germantown. Interment church cemetery. Visitation Sat. at the church from 9 AM until time of Mass at 11 AM. Debra served 16 years in the US Army as a warrant officer and served 2 terms in Iraq.


Chief Warrant Officer Debra A Ackeret was deployed with me when I went to Iraq. I found out about her passing via suicide from another friend who was deployed with me. Most of us have since lost touch with each other away from our deployment. Chief Ackeret and I were not great friends, but nevertheless, her passing was quite sad.

May she rest in peace and have finally found resolution to whatever that was troubling her so much.

To my P.Q.....

Happy Valentines, I love you!

Grandma

I miss her. I'll be back in Houston this weekend and one of the most important thing that I'll need to do is to visit her in her final resting place. I'm going to make sure that I get the freshest and the prettiest flowers that I can find to put before her gravestone.

The Kathy Griffin show last night

I have to say that I was far from disappointed at the Kathy Griffin show, she started the show on time, and did not skip a beat with the jokes. She started with her observation on Pa. weather, then she talked about what she knew best, the world of reality shows and celebrities, to which she's a member of that group.

She stated that lots of talk shows have banned her because of how abrasive she can be, and I just think that these talk show hosts should let their audiences be the judge. Still, I wonder how she felt after finding out the news of Anna Nicole Smith's death, you see, it's no secret that Kathy has made some Anna Nicole Smith/Trimspa jokes from time to time.

Compared to the Wanda Sykes show, Jeanine Garofalo, Ellen DeGeneres, Lewis Black, and Margaret Cho (all the live comedy shows that I've seen), I have to say that Kathy Griffin's persona was much more energetic and even a bit on the manic side, but these characteristics are her trademark. I laughed a lot during Kathy's show, yet a lot of what she had talked about was not things that I can personally identify with. (ie. Hanging out with celebrities, having teams of lawyers, etc.) Yet that doesn't make her material less valid.

Keep up the good work, Kathy, I look forward to watching your show on t.v.!

Rest in peace, Anna Nicole....

What a sad life, I hope she finally has some peace now....

Tomorrow night....

The GF and I are going to brave the cold to see Ms. Kathy Griffin, one of the funniest comediannes around. She's on this show called "Kathy Griffin, my life on the D-List", and she has also volunteered her time to be a guest on the USO tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. In the days of so many hollywood actors being against the war and ignoring the troops, she's a refreshing breath of fresh air!


Will have the report of the concert on Thursday!

Just because....

Even if you are the best and the brightest......

You can still do some pretty dumb things....

From Houston Chronicle....
ORLANDO, Fla. — A magistrate's hearing on an attempted-murder charge against NASA astronaut Lisa Nowak of Houston has been scheduled for 3 p.m. today.
Authorities said they added the charge based on the fact that the materials Nowak had acquired for a showdown with Air Force Capt. Colleeen Shipman could have been used to kill her.
Until the new charge was lodged today, Nowak was eligible to post bond and return to Houston pending trial on a variety of charges lodged early Monday, including attempted kidnapping and battery of Shipman.
Nowak told police she wanted to confront Shipman because she believed they were competing for the affections of Navy Cmdr. William Oefelein, another NASA astronaut.
Police said Nowak drove 900 miles, donned a disguise and was armed with a BB gun and pepper spray when she confronted Shipman.
Nowak, 43, a Navy captain and married mother of three, flew to the international space station last July aboard space shuttle Discovery.
Oefelein, 41, piloted the space shuttle Discovery in December. He and Nowak trained together but never flew a mission together.
Nowak told police that her relationship with Oefelein was "more than a working relationship but less than a romantic relationship," according to an arrest affidavit. Police found a love letter to Oefelein in her car.
When Nowak found out Shipman was flying to Orlando from Houston, Nowak decided to confront her early Monday, according to the arrest affidavit.
Nowak raced from Houston to Orlando wearing diapers in the car so she wouldn't have to stop to go to the bathroom, authorities said. Astronauts wear diapers during launch and re-entry.
Dressed in a wig and a trench coat, she waited for Shipman's plane to land and then boarded the same airport shuttle bus Shipman took to get to her car, police said. Shipman told police she noticed someone following her, hurried inside the car and locked the doors, according to the arrest affidavit.
Nowak rapped on the window, tried to open the car door and asked for a ride. Shipman refused but rolled down the car window a few inches when Nowak started crying, the statement said. Nowak then sprayed a chemical into Shipman's car, the affidavit said. Shipman drove to the parking lot booth and police were called.
An officer reported following Nowak and watching her throw away a bag containing the wig and BB gun. Police also found a steel mallet, a 4-inch folding knife, rubber tubing, $600 and garbage bags inside a bag Nowak was carrying when she was arrested, authorities said.
Oefelein and Shipman, who worked at Patrick Air Force Base near the Kennedy Space Center, did not immediately return calls seeking comment.
NASA spokesman James Hartsfield in Houston said that, as of Monday, Nowak's status with the astronaut corps remained unchanged. "What will happen beyond that, I will not speculate," he said.
Hartsfield said he couldn't recall the last time an astronaut was arrested and said there were no rules against fraternizing among astronauts.
According to NASA's official biography, Nowak is a Naval Academy graduate who has a master's degree in aeronautical engineering. She has a teenage son and younger twin girls.
Oefelein has two children and began his aviation career as a teenager flying floatplanes in Alaska, according to a NASA biography. He studied electrical engineering at Oregon State University and later earned a master's degree in aviation systems at the University of Tennessee Space Institute. He has been an astronaut since 1998.

To Doc....

One of these days, Doc, I'll be strolling on the beach with the GF and the dog....I'm glad that life is dandy for you, but why must you rub it in?

I might not have been in the best place in life in the past fews years, and yes, I do gripe a lot, but you know what? I keep on trying, even if the outcomes are not the ones that I would have liked.

It may not be a lot, but that's all that I've got, you know?

Sometimes.....

I kinda miss the days that I've spent back in uniform, despite the fact that there were a lot of hassles.

My job right now has became a kind of a farce, and if it was not for the costs of moving again and what I have to pay back to them if I leave before the year ends, I really wouldn't mind wrapping it all up here and move to someplace warmer. I came into a job situation that was really diffucult to began with, and with the previous problems unresolved, I've basically inherited the same problems. You see, I've got this manager who is a very diffucult person to work with but she is the type who could almost walk on water for the upper management since she's good at what she does and manages to bring in contracts for the company every once in a while. I also don't think I know how the in's and outs of the fine art of marketing....I am from a school of those who think that if the product is that good, then the product should sell itself. Did I also tell you that sub-freezing climate is not really my thing either?

Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful to be working, I just so wish that I could just work and not have to deal with pretentious personalites, control freaks, and ass kissers...wait, that's in every job!

For now I basically have to play along for a little while more. The GF and I are already dreaming and scheming about someplace else. I apologize to the pet for bringing them to a place that's so cold that, as of 2 days ago, this town's temperature beat both the temperatures of Anchorage, Ak, and Siberia!

Congratulations Zach!

This is our cute as a button nephew, Zach, and the judge in his custody case granted the majority of his custody to his dad's side of the family. It all worked out great because his dad's side of the family loves and cares a lot for him, and he knows it.

So, congratulations kid! With luck, we'll be back to Texas to see you soon!

Mr. Hakim Al Jaburi

He was our Arabic translator when we were in Iraq. He was not only kind but he was a funny and generous man as well. His trailer was next to mine and a whole bunch of us spent many evenings in his trailer drinking chai and talking about each other's families. He let us borrow his wool blankets when the coldness in the desert evenings became too much to bear, and before we left Iraq, he was going to apply to be a Rhodes Scholar and come to study in the U.S., and I thought that it was only going to be a matter of time before we all meet again.

It was not to be, however. After a week of getting back to the states, we got word that Hakim was assinated when he was driving back from the U.S. base to his family after he had collected his wages for the week.

His death was not the only death that I've encountered during my tour in Iraq, but his passing was especially sad because we've gotten to be friends over the time that I had spent in Iraq.

I think heaven, or whatever that'll come after life, will be a very interesting place, at least for me. Let's see, my grandmothers will be there, so will many of their friends that I used to know, and I know that Hakim will be there too. Now if I can just figure out how to be at least half as nice and generous and some of these people....

The black and white collection

And here are our kitty cats!

Silly's on the left and Little Man is on the right, this picture was taken while we lived in Kansas City.

Pho

Oh how I miss you!

Our Ramen!

This is our dog, Ramen, and he has been the best birthday gift ever! The GF gave him to me as my 30th. birthday gift. I had the choice of either a palm pilot or a dog, and had I picked the palm pilot, it would be sitting in some box in the garage somewhere instead of being utilized.

I hope he'll be with us for many more years and x number of more moves to come!

Welcome to the world, Brandon William Lowe!

This week....

The GF had a chance to meet my remotely located boss while on a business trip to DC, she (the GF) had quit her job the day before and since she's a lot better at this direction thing than I am, so we asked our landlor to take care of the dog for a day while we ventured down to DC.

Without revealing the details of the business meeting, it was a sort of "sales" effort by my remote boss to try to secure a business contract. I was basically told not really to say much of anything and just watch my boss "do her thing". Unfortunately, I think what these people were looking for were not things that we could offer. It was kind of funny and sad at the same time as my boss kept trying to tell them about the company's capabilities while the clients were either looking away or shaking their heads.

That brings me to my boss. She's this lady who has brought in the company a lot of contracts because of her previous business associations. She used to work for a state university as their library science specialist. Which means that she's good at researching things but not neccessarily intepreting them. Over the years, she has established a team of other library science folks for her team, and this other guy and I were hired at analysts to try to make sense of the data that they've gathered in order to crank out these reports. I think she'd rather have gotten more library science specialists than people like me and the other guy.

So come to find out that she has a habit of pissing people off and being a control freak over those who work for her. There were approximately 14 analysts who took the high road because of her. My fellow analyst and I have already encountered various examples of her idiosyncracies....only to have our suspecions confirmed later on by her team of librarians.

We're stuck, I'm stuck. Work has become irritating and burdensome. Yet I know that for now I must grin and bear it, and if I can, try to make the best of this situation....if I only knew how...

The poor GF is frustrated over how horrible the job situation is around here. I am sure that I've not been much of a source of comfort to her either. The pets are cold and I felt at fault for bringing them to such a cold place to live at. I only hope that by next year, this time, we'll be at a warmer place and griping about how hot January has been.

Looks like I was close.....

Sociology 92% Anthropology 83% Psychology 83% Philosophy 75% English 75% Biology 67% Journalism 67% Engineering 67% Dance 58% Mathematics 58% Linguistics 58% Art 50% Chemistry 50% Theater 50% What is your Perfect Major? (PLEASE RATE ME!!<3) created with QuizFarm.com

*This is about what major should I take in college...I was an anthropology major, so I was close!

High School Never Ends

Four years you think for sure
That’s all you've got to endure
All the total weenies
All the stuck up chickies
So superficial, so immature
Then when you graduate
You take a look around and you say HEY WAIT!
This is the same as where I just came from
I thought it was over
Aw that’s just great

The whole dang world is just as obsessed
With who‘s the best dressed and who‘s having...
Who‘s got the money, who gets the hunnie's
Who‘s kinda cute and who‘s just a mess
And you still don’t have the right look
And you don’t have the right friends
Nothing changes but the faces, the names, and the trends
High school never ends

Check out the popular kids
You’ll never guess what Jessica did
How did Mary Kate lose all that weight
And Katie had a baby so I guess Tom’s straight
And the only thing that matters
Is climbing up that social ladder
Still care about your hair and the car you drive
Doesn’t matter if you’re sixteen or thirty-five

Reese Witherspoon,
She’s the prom queen
Bill Gates,
Captain of the chess team
Jack Black, the clown
Brad Pitt, the quarterback
Seen it all before
I want my money back!!

The whole dang world is just as obsessed
With who’s the best dressed and who’s having...
Who’s in the club and who’s on the drugs
Who’s throwing up before they digest
And you still don’t have the right look
And you don’t have the right friends
And you still listen to the same poop you did back then
High school never ends

High school never ends

The whole dang world is just as obsessed
With who‘s the best dressed and who‘s having...
Who‘s got the money, who gets the hunnie's
Who‘s kinda cute and who‘s just a mess
And I still don’t have the right look
And I still have the same three friends
And I’m pretty much the same as I was back then
High school never ends

High school never ends

High school never ends

Here we go again




....and I'd go bowling for soup!

And the search still goes on......

For a better place to work and live, that is.

The GF will start her first day of work tomorrow, it wasn't really what she wanted. Even though it's in her line of work (phlebotomy), but it's a temp job and she has some ways to commute and that is a bit of a concern because we don't know what the weather would be like from this point on. So far, we've had "unseasonably" warm weather, but we don't know if this is going to last.

I'm still at this job, and it's okay but I'm beginning to feel that this is really not the place for me to stay at. I'm stuck working for a very type A boss who is not really into product integrity, and on top of that, not only am I required to work my job duties, but I'm also supposed to market the company and bring in more workers like myself. It really wasn't what was told to me when I initially interviewed with them. I'm not a marketer, I don't know the first thing about it. In a normal business scheme of things, there should be money allocated for us to perform tasks like that. For now, I'm going to try to grin and bear it, but I'm thinking this is just not me and I am trying to see if I can get us out of here by the end of the year. My sister said that maybe I'm just not cut out for a regular permenant job, and maybe she's right, but what is the point of staying around this feeling of distaste?

It has been a fairly quiet weekend, and even though it's kind of boring but at least it's predicatable, and there's a degree of comfort in that.

Better Days....

I think this should be the anthem for the new year....

And you asked me what I want this year
and I'll try to make this kind and clear
just a chance that maybe we'll find better days
'cause I don't need boxes wrapped in strings
and designer love and empty things
just a chance that maybe we'll find better days

So take these words and sing out loud
'cause everyone's forgiven now
'cause tonight's the night the world begins again

I need some place simple where we could live
and something only you could give
and that's faith and trust and peace while we're alive
and the one poor child who saved this world
and there's ten million more who probably could
if we all just stopped and said a prayer for them

So take these words and sing out loud
'cause everyone's forgiven now
'cause tonight's the night the world begins again

I wish everyone was loved tonight
and somehow stop this endless fight
just a chance that maybe we'll find better days

So take these words and sing out loud
'cause everyone's forgiven now
'cause tonight's the night the world begins again

'cause tonight's the night the world begins again


By the Goo Goo Dolls

Happy new year, may all the bad things of this past year finally pass, and all the good things make their ways in for this new year! May we all be blessed with good health, wealth, peace, and happiness!

Into X'mas....

First of all, to all a merry X'mas and have a happy new year!!

What is going on lately? Well, the GF and I are going to cook X'mas eve dinner by ourselves tomorrow.... if only the turkey will thaw out in time! A collegue at work was really nice to invite the GF and I to have X'mas dinner at his house Monday (hence the two X'mas dinners), of course, we'll bring a desert for him and his family and I hope they'll enjoy it! :-)

Work is unpredictable, as in I'm not doing anything consistent from day to day, since I've got an immediate boss who's a bit of a scatter brain and not even on site. My big bosses are trying to cook up plans to "expand the business" or biting more than they can chew so that the division will look "bigger and better" (except that they don't have the personnel or the $ to do it with.), but guess what, that's the corporate world, right?

It sort of makes me wonder how much longer I will be at this job. I mean, I'm not at all the technical guru, the expert at marketing, and suck even more at kissing ass. Oh, I think I'm doing okay over there right now, but something in the back of my head is telling me that the potential for growth in this company may be somewhat limited. Of course, I could be wrong, since I've only been there for 2 months so far.

We'll see what happens.

Life is just one big adventure after the other, right?

Again, happy holiday! May you eat a lot, laugh a lot, and love a lot!

How to win the war in Iraq......

Thank you, CPT. Travis....

Introducing.....

Jennie's World, my sister Jennifer's blog. I think it's much more interesting than mine, since she's pretty good at posting photos and you do get a better sense of what life is like for her down in Houston, with grandpa, and his helper.

The GF and I have decided not to go back to Texas for the Christmas holidays, since we are a bit short on travelling money, and I am trying to save up some more vacation days so we don't have to travel in rushed fashion. I'd like to also be able to bring at least the dog on travel with us, because he likes to travel, get petted by family, and we'd worry less with him being around us. I am hoping that my grandfather will stay healthy, perhaps get a bit stronger physically, and most of all, maybe not feel as lonely now that my grandmother is gone.

Speaking of my grandmother, they finally got her tombstone made and once again, they got the product wrong. (The first mistake was the miswriting of her name in Chinese) This time, they got the wrong style of tombstone. What does it take to get it right? She has been laying in an unmarked grave since July! I miss her immensely, and even with knowing that she's in heaven already, I can't help it but to wonder where she is right now, and how she's doing.

Work is going okay, we're humming along. Lately, I've been getting an offer or two to go back to active duty assignments, over in the West Coast, where I really had wanted to move us to not so long ago....it's tempting, but is it the right thing to do? Or maybe it's time to just buckle down and see where this day job thing will take us?

Rest in peace, Piper

This is to Laurence's cat, who unfortunately had passed away from a series of strokes. I never really got to pet you, but nevertheless, I will miss you a lot!

Thanks to doc!

Of "Doc in the Box", whose link you can find in my blogroll. He had a post from two days ago about a army soldier who has returned from Iraq not too long ago called "This is Your War II" , and it has one of the best descriptions of what it is like to be going through Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)and basically the aftermath of going through a war. My heart goes out to Mr. Red2Alpha!

Go and check out the blog, and please take time to think about what tolls a war can bring not only to the ones fighting it, as well as to those around the ones fighting the war.

Not to get political here, but I wonder if these consequences ever ran through the powers that be as they made this stupid decision to goto war, if you call that a war. That's the thing, they send others to go so they don't have to go themselves, and that is the way that it always has been.

I hope that Mr. Red2Alpha will somehow find a degree of peace someday.

Into December

I'm happy to report that we've all suvived the long drives, the bad weather during the commute to my aunt's house, and the gamut of emotions running throughout the household during the holiday/birthday dinners. (We had also celebrated my grandfather's 89th. birthday during thanksgiving break.)

Grandpa looked very relaxed and he even looked like he had gained some weight while staying with my aunt. My aunt flew him to live with her and her family shortly after my grandma's passing, partially because they were planning on doing that (with my grandma if she had not passed away), partially for a change of scenery for grandpa, and lastly, my aunt has a lot of misgivings about how my grandparents were treated by my uncle and aunt, the ones living near them in Houston. Let's just say that every family has problems like mine, of people not getting along with each other and misunderstanding so deep that it almost resembles hate. I guess the way that I deal with it is to live far from my family members, but that doesn't make it go away, you know?

I got to hang out with my cousins, who are all in their teens and one is even about to go into college. Technically, I am the oldest of them at 34 and while I don't feel that old yet, but I do wonder if we'll be able to hang out much more like this from now on. The family usually would get together because of the grandparents, but lately, there has been less and less occasions like this.

My aunt's house was grand, it's a million dollars and it felt like it too! It's a huge house, with huge backyard, 3 car garage, plenty of spaces, big windows, 3 fireplaces, and not to mention this jacuzzi that I almost drowned in! I sort of wish that the GF and I had a house like this! Maybe one of these days....getting comfortable sure can cost a bunch!

The GF went to see her family in Tx. and for the most part, she had a good time with the nephew, who is a lady's man now at the age of 5! I wonder if he'll grow up to be the next Hugh Hefner or something! :-)

I think I miss my family, minus the conflicts.

Pre-Thanksgiving

I raised my right hand and took my oath and became a 2nd. Lt. in the army reserves, thanks for the accolades, for those of you who might care. It was done in my office, and this retired admiral read my oath to me, and I was a bit nervous but did not feel any tingling due to excitement. I supposed that I would if I was new to this thing, but I've already been in the military for 10 years now. Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful for the opportunies, no matter how much I'd gripe about things.

To celebrate the occasion, the GF and I went to a local pizza parlor, and of the 5-6 people that I've asked to come along, 2 showed up. Friday nights are so bad when it comes to getting people together sometimes, and it helps that we've only been in town for a month and really don't know other people so well. So far, our only friends in town are this young couple that I've met at work, they're in their early 20's and haven't yet settled into the married with kids thing yet. They're nice people and also not from this part of the country, so it's also like we've got this alliance of out of towners.

The GF is flying to Tx. tomorrow for thanksgiving. We've bled out so much $ during the move and the first round of bills that I doubt that both of us could afford to fly back for thanksgiving or christmas. I'm driving to NJ to my aunt's for thanksgiving with the dog and going to celebrate (or try to) my grandfather's 89th. birthday there. It'll be tough because my grandmother's not here anymore and not everyone who is going to be there likes each other. My aunt doesn't like my uncle, her younger brother, both my dad (the oldest) and my aunt don't really respect my uncle. My uncle doesn't like my aunt (the middle one) because she had been treating him like shit, and on top of all that, both my aunt and my uncle think my dad is a total loser, which he kind of is. There will be a lot of evil eyes staring at each other, to which I hear that it's not all that unusual.

I'm ready to be away from here for a little while though. Good or not, at least I'm not here where nothing ever goes on and everyone stays behind closed doors.

This Veteran's Day weekend

While I salute all the veterans who have sacrificed their lives and also for those who are still serving, I didn't feel like that the holiday is really mine because I didn't have the roughest of all military careers. That is why I don't expect any free grubs or marching in parades....however, I would have liked some belly rubs, because they're free to give and receive! Yet, as I stood outside my front door, no one came by to give me any belly rubs...sigh!

We went to Pittsburgh on Friday, and ate a good dinner at this place at Station Square, a riverfront shopping complex. It took us forever to drive from here to Pittsburgh, due to highway repairs and general unfamiliarity with the general geography of Western Pa. We will make more trips to Pittsburgh and get to know the place eventually. I especially would like to visit the zoo!

It was also GREAT to have slept a few full nights and then some! I'm not the morning type, but I do get up early to do the work stuff. In this town, a lot of people go to bed early and wake up ass early...and I just don't know if I have it in me to do that. This place is such a clash of the corporate environment, the blue collar community that is the backbone of this town, and the so called emerging middle class. Most of the people here keep to themselves because it's so cold here and pleasantry is interpreted as people keeping to themselves.

I'm not sure yet if this place will ever be "home", and I don't mean that in a bad way at all...it's all part of the new experience of new job. God only knows what's down the road!

The jack

I just don't know how the hell it is possible that while I should be earning more money at the job, I'm actually keeping less because I got bumped to another tax bracket. Just got my first paycheck and they've taken out a good 1/3 of everything! I made more take home pay when I was on active duty in the army.....nope I'm not at the point where I want to go back to active duty....but this just sucks.

Otherwise, the job is going on alright, right here in cubicle city. I still have a lot to learn about how stuff works and hopefully more people to meet. Most of the people there are very serious and I sort of feel like a jokester there, but someone's got to be, right?

Most of the folks in town are kind of old, and they like to stay to themselves. Not that I've never lived in places where people like to keep to themselves, but I guess deep inside I just expected something on the slightly friendlier side when I moved here.

I miss my grandma a lot, and this is the first year that I'll have without her around, and so this will be weird.

The GF is having a bit of a hard time right now getting a gig in phlebotemy, and I hope that it'll change for her soon.

We both need to get ourselves up and moving, get busy and move our duffs around, it'll be good for the winter, generating some much needed body heat!

My Hillbilly Name Is...

Mary Lou Duke

Hillbilly Name Generator

Because I am their leader....

Damn, somebody has finally found me out! (the Oct. 19th You Like Rants post.)

NSFW!

Settling in.....

Well, yours truly finally found a house to live in! At a moment when I thought that there was really nothing left for me to look at as far as rentals were concerned, this lady called me and told me that she had a house for rent and she'll allow pets!!!!

I met up with the lady at the hotel lobby (I'm staying at a hotel right now) and she was nice enough to take me to see the house. It's a small house, but it had a basement, a garage, attic, covered patio, and a backyard that leads to a walking trail in the woods! When I went into the house, it smelled nice and looked very clean, which was a sharp contrast to the places that I've seen before around town. The rent is a bit expensive, but I think it's worth it. It's only 4 miles away from where I'll be working at, and the neighborhood is quiet.

Another thing about the landlord, right off the bat, she told me that she had two young sons and she's gay....wow! I appreciate the honesty.

Since I've been here, everyone that I've met has been very nice to me, and I think that's a great sign. I had also met a Schmuck, seriously, that's his last name! He works at the Circuit City across the street from the hotel and he sells sell phones, I got one of his business cards in case I need to switch cell phone carriers. Some of the gas stations around here are called Sheetz, to which you can easily pronounce into something else completely.

The dog has been getting nothing but affection from the hotel staff, and he seems to be adopting to the cooler weather without much problems....I mean, he should, he's full of fur!

I'm a bit nervous about work, I went to the workplace yesterday to hand in some paperwork and I remember walking through a maze of cubicles, tall cubicles. They reminded me of the "Initech" Company featured in the movie, "Office Space". Are there going to be humor at the workplace? I doubt it, but at least I hope it' bearable, you know?

Very relieved about finally finding a place!

In Pennsylvania....

The dog and I finally arrived at our temporary detination in Western Pennsylvania, after a drive that lasted almost 2 days. The weather couldn't be better for driving, but my poor dog got so worned out that he went to bed almost immediately after we checked ourselves into the hotel. In fact, as I am writing this entry, (this is the afternoon following my arrival) the dog is still kind of lazy.

Started looking at possible places to live at, and the first two were nightmares of places to look at! One of the apts. have kitchen that looked completely non-functional, and old. I won't even mention the bathrooms! I also looked at the local newspapers for any more possible places to rent, and because of the pet restrictions, I really don't have a lot of options.

Trying not to get too nervous yet, after all, I just got here, right?

Time to wake the dog up!

Goodbye, Midwest!

I'll try not to shed a tear as I drive away eastward......

Cyndi Lauper rocks!

Last night we had the pleasure of attending a Cyndi Lauper concert in downtown Kansas City. We had purchased the tickets about a month and a half ago and I just thought that it would be a good concert, mostly for nostalgia sake. I was a middle schooler in the mid 80's when Madonna and Cyndi Lauper both became pop stars...ah the good ole' 80's!


I always thought that Cyndi was cooler than Madonna, since Madonna was big on gimmicks and not real talent. However, I was not too familiar with all of Cyndi's songs except for her album, "She's So Unusual", with all the songs like "True Colors", "She Bop", etc. On the other hand, I had once purchased Madonna's "Immaculate Collection", and I think that was enough for me, I think everything after that sort of was shit, and I never had a desire to watch her in concert either.


Most of the concert audience last night were people in their 50's and beyond, with a small pocket of people who are not yet in their 30's. I thought to myself "Man, did I really age that much?" Some of them were already drunk by the time Cindi came out to sing, and they were mildly irritating. Her opening act was this raggae band called "The Rule", and it was made up of 3 white boys and one black guy from Ethiopia. The lead singer had long dreadlocks, and a good voice, but I cannot say their music was something that I'd download on my Ipod.



Cyndi did her familiar songs with different interpretations and arrangement, and it was almost like hearing her songs for the first time. Her band was also great at keeping in sync with her and they looked like they were having a lot of fun doing what they do. The encore performance was longer than any encore performances that I've ever seen at any concerts, and it was fun to watch and listen to. I don't know if I was ever really aware of how powerful her voice can be!



If you can, try and catch her in concert, and I am sure that you will not be disappointed!


Here is where you can find out more about Ms. Lauper.

Meet Sushi!

adopt your own virtual pet!

Tuesday morning

Waiting for the water to boil so I can make my tea, and semi-anxiously looking online for a place to live at once we move up to Pa. I'm having a hard time so far in finding a place that'll accept pets. It seems like if you move to that part of the country, you should buy a house. Yet I don't think I'm quite ready for house buying yet. I have no idea whether or not this job is a long term one, and besides, house buying takes lots of $ and time.

The GF is optimistic about it all, and I am glad that she is.

Right now, there are just a lot of details of packing and moving.

Let me have some tea so I can get started again....

What a week

I spent a week in Houston so that I can hang out with my sister. My sister and I, although very much different and have been on occations known to bump heads with me, we nevertheless had a pretty good time. We ate Ethiopean, Chinese, and Vietnamese food, talked a lot about our memories of grandma, griped about the rest of the family, and played with her beloved beagle, Woody. We also drove to Galveston beach and hung out for about an hour. Galveston doesn't have the best beach out there, but the weather was so nice that it made everything better.

I found out that on the plane ride over to Houston that the company that I've interviewd with in Pennsylvania has offered me a job. It was in the middle range what I said should be my "starting price" for them, but more than what I was earning before, with an extra sense of the illusion of job security. I feel kinda guilty about it because I really didn't try much to look for jobs or to try and look for another job. Part of the reasons why was because I was not really all that motivated in going through the process of selling myself to other people all over again and again. This job really literally fell out of the sky, and I just hope that I'm at least halfway useful for this company.

Above all, I hope it'll be a better and a friendlier place to be at, for all of us.

Catchy tune of the day

EVERYTHING FALLS APART - DOG'S EYE VIEW

written by Peter Stuart
from the 'Happy Nowhere" CD on Columbia

Don't look now, things just got worse.
I'm drunk again I swear this crescent is just a curse.
Oh, I got here by killin' off all my friends.
I think I've figured it out: my life begins when the fun ends.

I got my wings, I'm free to go as I please.
Yeah, I got my wings now nothing really pleases me

'till everything falls apart
then I get to try to put it back together
yeah, it falls apart you can count on that
you can count on
bad, bad weather again.

Was it good? I don't remember much about it.
When things start to feel right
you can count on me to start to doubt it.
and the devil's not in the details, no the devil is in my pants
And it's shoot first apologize later.
Another quick and new sure shot romance
Well I got what I wanted now I don't want anything
Yeah, I got what I wanted, now my life is just boring.

'till everything falls apart
then I get to try to put it back together
yeah, it falls apart and you can count on that
you can count on that; bad weather this year.

I met God this afternoon ridin' on an uptown train
I said, "Don't you have better things to do?"
He said, "If I do my job what would you complain about?
So I let it go to Hell, now I'll have something to do.
He said, "I'll let it go to hell; does that sound familiar to you?"

Well everything falls apart
then I get to try to put it back together
yeah it falls apart and you can count on that
you can count on bad, bad weather
well, everything that falls apart, baby,
sooner or later gonna come back together
well, everything that comes together, hey,
sooner or later gonna fall apart again
and you can call it anything you want
they're gonna take it all away from you
you're gonna wake up, wake up, wake up,
scarecrow and find yourself lost again...

Ode to....

The GF who is out there earning the dough right now while I'm getting reacquainted with the pets and some good old fashioned housework. While I cannot say that I'm the best housewife out there, but it has been good to get to do these things for a change.


I have to also say that my GF need to be commended for putting up with me, my funky job changes, my family, and my many shortcomings. She's the ultimate wife, mother, and the smartest gal that I know and have the pleasure of being with!

I do hope that everything will work out fine with the possible new job, possible new move, and the possible new bouncing baby!

Love you!

Back from the interview

About the job interview:

After 2 seperate legs of flights from here to Charlotte, NC, and finally to Pittsburgh (with a overbooked and rerouted flight), I took the rental car and drove to Johnstown, Pa., this mountaineous town that houses some big name defense contracting firms, and I went to interview with a not so well known company. However unknown, this company owns this campus of buildings of big proportions.

I took a look at the town, it was a small town and I can't say that I got a sense of what people were like in the town. I did think it was kind of funny that two out of two gas station attendants to which I asked driving directions from all had missing upper front teeth, and mullets for haircuts. All the Chinese restaurants from Pittsburgh to Johnstown are called Jade Garden. Overall, the town looked kind of scenic, like the rolling hills featured on a microsoft computer screensaver.

I interviews with a total of 5 people, from the manager (the one who first saw my resume), to his boss (who thought that I had a lot of military intelligence experience.), an analyst (this bald-headed guy who is a Arabic linguist who had spent 20 years in the army.), the human resources lady (this young twenty-something gal who went over their benefits packages with me. When I asked her what people in town did for fun, she was at a loss.), and last but not least, the security guy who took my info. to check up on whether or not I had a security clearances. ( I think all of them were ex-military, with the exception of the human resources lady.)

They were all friendly, but I wasn't sure exactly if I was the person that they were looking for. I got the impression that they wanted someone who has a lot more dealings with the military intelligence community (I'm just an accidental tourist, thanks to my language), and just someone who is a lot more technically aware. (I could be wrong though, I'm not always the best at reading people and what's spinning in their heads.) I do have to thank them for taking the trouble to fly me over, put me up in a hotel, and giving me a chance to interview!

They are supposed to tell me whether or not they wanted me to work for them in about two weeks time. I'm not going to worry about what the result of it will be, not really. I guess since in my mind I got this interview by total accident, if I get this job, it'll be a total accident too! I'll let y'all know when I hear something!

I was so tired when I came home last night, with just myself and not my luggage. Due to the re-routing of flight, I didn't get my luggage until sometimes this morning. (I was supposed to fly from Pittsburgh to Philadelphis, then from Philly back to Kansas City. Yet the flight to Philly was not going to leave until 3 hours after the supposed departure time, so I got the gate agent to put me on a flight to D.C. and then fly back to KC from there. That happened, but the luggage followed the original flight route. I wonder if this is a normal thing when it comes to flying with U.S. Air.....)


Glad to be back with the GF and the pets!

Moving on

I had gotten back in touch with a few people from my job from prior to Japan, went to dinner together this past Friday evening, and through a quick visit, I got to see more of my former colleges face to face.

That was yesterday, I went to the old office on a bad day, I found out. For one thing, one of the person there was just let go and from all accounts, he didn't take it too well. On top of that, due to budgetary concerns, everyone in that office have to now submit written reasons why they should stay in their perspective jobs. My old partner in crime told me that his contract (he's a civilian contractor) has been extended for another year, but he's not even sure what will happen after that. Most of the people there have invested a lot in this particular geographical area, bought houses, cars, and sent their kids to the public schools in the area.

Even though that place wasn't fully staffed when I had visited yesterday, I could sense the uneasiness and the frustration there even though the people that I saw were happy to see me.

I thought about why I chose to leave that place and I thought that even though it wasn't a easy decision to make, I'm glad that I did it. Granted, I am on unemployment right now, but I'm looking around and I like some of the possibilities around me. I don't have that "I'm stuck" kind of feeling.

On a side note, I'm glad that ABC decided to show the "Path to 9/11" movie desptie of complaints from former president Clinton and his posse. Let's play fair here, I don't think President Bush demanded that "Fareneheit 9/11" be pulled from the theaters because the movie had placed him in a negative light. Just to let you know, I don't like either the republicans or the democrats, and when we entrust our lives to the politicians, we might as well become card-carrying members of the masochist party (I made that up, by the way).

Flying out tomorrow to a job interview in the Northeast, and I hope that the interview will go well, regardless or whether or not I get the job. The GF and I are anticipating a move to...?

Here's to that ever-present unknown!

Commitment phobic men take note.....

From Associated Press...

NEW YORK -
Brad Pitt, ever the social activist, says he won't be marrying
Angelina Jolie until the restrictions on who can marry whom are dropped. "Angie and I will consider tying the knot when everyone else in the country who wants to be married is legally able," the 42-year-old actor reveals in Esquire magazine's October issue, on newsstands Sept. 19.

In the article he reflects on "fifteen things I think everyone should know."

Though Shiloh, the world-famous daughter of Pitt and girlfriend/earth mother Angelina Jolie, hogged much attention upon her birth in May, Pitt says he "cannot imagine life" without adopted children, Maddox, 5, and Zahara, 1.

"They're as much of my blood as any natural born, and I'm theirs," says Pitt. "That's all I can say about it. I can't live without them. So: Anyone considering (adoption), that's my vote."

Pitt, who plays a world traveler in the upcoming drama "Babel," subscribes to a laid-back parenting style.

"I try not to stifle them in any way," he says. "If it's not hurting anyone, I want them to be able to explore. Sometimes that means they're quite rambunctious."

Lucky kids.


....I wonder if Angelina turned around and slapped his face...

"I feel it's really important to have that time to sit and talk to them," he continues. "I really like that last minute before they fade off. And always give them a heads-up before you jerk them out of something. You need to tell them, like, `You have three more minutes.'"

___

American Cities That Best Fit You::

55% Austin

55% Miami

50% Honolulu

50% Los Angeles

50% Washington, DC

Which American Cities Best Fit You?

Funny....I used to live in Austin!

Rest in peace, Steve Irwin

He was so full of life, one of these people that I envy. He puts out more energy in one day than I do in 10 years!

I hope your legacy will be carried on. My condolences to Terri and the kids.

If you are interested, you can read about him here, I am sure that animal planet is probably going to run all sorts of tributes to him, so we can catch footages of him there too.

The award for favorite guilty pleasures movie of 06'....

goes to "Snakes on A Plane"!

Granted that the movie will probably never win an academy award, but it sure beat about at least 80% of the current movies out there when it comes to guilty pleasures!

I dragged the GF to see it with me, and even though she said that I owed her for this one, I could see that she enjoyed the movie as much as I did! Sure, some parts of the movie were a bit gory, but that was part of the fun part of the movie.

I have to admit that the internet was a big motivating factor for myself wanting to see this movie, and the other motivating factor is the fact that I really like cheesy movies.

So if you are like myself, a fan of cheesy movies with a bit of a gore, I think you'll like this movie!

The week so far....

I've been cleaning the apt. a bit, cooking some, did lots of dishes, filed for unemployment, surfed a lot of net, walked my dog, and made some phone calls to the friendly folks at the Washington army national guard, where some thoughts of me transferring there loomed for a while.

The GF has been great, constantly reminding me that we are on unemployment budget right now so we've got to act as such, reminding me what chores lie ahead for me during the day, and talking to each other at various times during the day and night. Thanks to her, I'm taking it easy for a few weeks!

I might have this job interview coming up in the next two weeks, and I don't really know if I'll get it, much less know what the job is really about... not a good way to go in to an interview. I'll keep you updated when/if anything happens. The GF and I would love to move out of the Midwest, but we realize that it's partly up to us, and partly depending on what job that I get and where that job will be at. We'll see what happens.

I've been talking to the GF a lot about my grandmother's passing and how it feels afterwards. It's like free therapy for me, and I'm really grateful for her for that. My poor sister has been dealing also with the aftermath, and I think for her it has been bittersweet. Bitter because she had looked so forward to be spending time with both of grandparents, (and some more things that come with spending time with them.) and sweet because she's now getting to know my grandfather a lot better. A death in the family can sure bring out a lot of things in us, force us to deal with things that we had avoided for a long time, influence us in both positive and negative ways, and that's just the beginning.

To my nephew Zach, we're going to try really hard to come and see you soon! We've missed you a lot from here! We'll bring down Ramen dog for you to play with, and sneak you some goodies! You got to try and stay the good boy that you are, despite the fact that a lot of the adults around you aren't as good as you are. Adults can be real idiots at times.

This song....

kept running through my head today...

The Fray
Over my head

I never knew
I never knew that everything was falling through
That everyone I knew was waiting on a queue
To turn and run when all I needed was the truth
But that's how it's got to be
It's coming down to nothing more than apathy
I'd rather run the other way than stay and see
The smoke and who's still standing when it clears

Everyone knows I'm in
Over my head
Over my head
With eight seconds left in overtime
She's on your mind
She's on your mind

Let's rearrange
I wish you were a stranger I could disengage
Just say that we agree and then never change
Soften a bit until we all just get along
But that's disregard
Find another friend and you discard
As you lose the argument in a cable car
Hanging above as the canyon comes between

Everyone knows I'm in
Over my head
Over my head
With eight seconds left in overtime
She's on your mind
She's on your mind

Everyone knows I'm in
Over my head
Over my head
With eight seconds left in overtime
She's on your mind
She's on your mind

And suddenly I become a part of your past
I'm becoming the part that don't last
I'm losing you and its effortless
Without a sound we lose sight of the ground
In the throw around
Never thought that you wanted to bring it down
I won't let it go down till we torch it ourselves

And everyone knows I'm in
Over my head
Over my head
With eight seconds left in overtime
She's on your mind
She's on your mind

Everyone knows
She's on your mind
Everyone knows I'm in over my head
I'm in over my head
I'm in over...

Everyone knows I'm in
Over my head
Over my head
With eight seconds left in overtime
She's on your mind
She's on your mind

Back in the states

After getting stuck in Chicago O'Hare, because of flight cancellations, I finally made it home on early Sat. morning instead of Friday afternoon. The weather was the main factor in flight cancellations, and on that note, let me give a standing ovation to the pilots and crews of UA flight #753, because of their flying skills (I'm not being at all sarcastic!), we made it back to kansas City in one piece!

It was great to see the pets, the apt., and most of all, the GF! We spent to the weekend just eating and relaxing, there were nothing better for us to do. We also went to watch the movie "Little Miss Sunshine", and I highly recommend it! That movie doesn't have the usual fluff of the movies around now, and it was sad, funny, and hopeful at the same time. Take my word for it, I think it's definitely the funny little movie that could of the year!

The pets have been quite forgiving to my 3 months absence. The cats have been affectionate, still recognizing me, and even taking their place next to my pillow for naps! The dog have been following me around the house, easing my worry that he is mad at me.

This week will be all about the apt. cleaning, and preparing meals for the GF and the pets! The rest will follow.

There is no place like home!

*To Jeff and Eric: I'm glad that you guys received the rocks, I'm sorry that I couldn't send anything more exotic, but stay tuned!

Bye bye Japan!

Yes, finally, your truly is about to depart Japan tomorrow afternoon and embark on whatever that's next.

I was not able to say goodbye to everyone that I knew here, but via the power of electronic communications, I hope that task was sufficiently accomplished. This has been the one of the worst military duty experience that I've ever had, but the $ made helped to make this whole thing a bit better.

I don't think I want to travel extensively abroad for a while for now. I need to be with the GF, the pets, my grandfather, my sister, and go visit my grandmother at her gravesite. Even though I have no idea what is coming up next, where I'll be working, and where we'll be living at, I'm not that worried because I know that will not help with things. I hope that things will eventually work out.

I wish for the best of all the soldiers here at the bullshit battalion, I hope they will not have to struggle with a lost and spineless leadership system for too much longer. May each of them find their calling and bliss like we all should be doing. To the nice Japanese folks that I've been associating with, "arigato"!

I'll post some photos from my trip when I come back and will have captions on them, so stay tuned!

Japan is a good place to visit and try new foods, but if you are not into small places and all things expensive, then maybe a visit is all that's really neccessary.

Here's to a safe flight, and a big sayonara!

Rest in peace, Lucky dog

Lucky is this black lab mix that my uncle and his family had for the past 5 or so years, they got him after they got robbed. They adopted him from the local animal shelter and kept him sort of as a guard dog.

Unfortunately, while my uncle and his family did not abuse Lucky, they did keep Lucky on a leash in their backyard most of the time. As their kids grew up, less and less time were devoted to Lucky.

Lucky eventually learned to get out of his leash and run around the neighborhood, and he also ran to my grandparents' house a lot, where he knew that my grandmother would give him treats. The last time I saw and petted him, he showed up after my grandmother's funeral, and he sat in front of the garage door of my grandparents' house, waiting for us to open the door for him. He looked as sad as I felt at that time. I gave him some water and he sat by me in the backyard while I petted him.

Yesterday, as the whole family prepared to attend church, my aunt chained him inside the house with a metal leash instead of a leather or a fabric leash. Lucky tried to escape by jumping out of a window that I guess was partially open. He choked himself to death on his metal leash, and by the time that my uncle had returned him, Lucky's body was already stiff.

I don't know what's going on, but there are some morbid stuff going on in Houston, where my family's living. First was my grandmother's death, now Lucky, and I hope to God that there's no more deaths for a long time! I'm really sad about Lucky's death, and I hope that he's already by my grandmother's side as her pet in heaven.

Rest in peace, Lucky dog, may you never be chained up again!

For my GF

Every Woman In the World

Air Supply

Every night seems dinner and wine
Saturday days
I was never in love, never had the time
In my hustle and hurried world
Laughing my self to sleep, waking up lonely
I needed someone to hold me, oh

It's such a crazy home town
It can drag you down
Till you run out of dreams
So you party all night to the music and lights
But you don't what happiness means
I was dancing in the dark with strangers
No love around me
When suddenly you found me, oh

Girl, you're every woman in the world to me
You're my fantasy, you're my reality
Girl, you're every woman in the world to me
You're everything I need,
You're everything to me
Oh girl

Everything good, everything fine
That's what you are
So put your hand in mine and together we'll climb
As high as the highest star
I'm living the life time in every minute
That we're together
And I'm staying right here forever, oh

a song dedication....

....to the bullshit battalion who has held me prisoner for the last three months....

"Get Me Outta Here"
By Jet

I went down to the bank
To get me a'pay
I'm gonna get me outta here
I got me some cash
I'm heading back to LA
I'm gonna get me outta here

I'm sacking the man
cause the man is a thief
I'm kicking the plan
before the plan kicks me
I'm gonna get me
Get me out of here
I'm gonna get me
Get me out of here

I went down to the Duke
10 time a day
I'm gonna get me outta here
Drink all night and talking shit all day
I'm gonna get me outta here

I'm sacking the man
Tcause the man is a thief
I'm kicking the plan
before the plan kicks me
I'm gonna get me
Get me out of here
I'm gonna get me
Get me out of here

I don't mind how I live my life
Without the luck you got
I ain't tryin' to keep in time
So just keep off my ride
You won't hang your rusty sign on me

I went down to the bank
Just to get me my pay
Get me outta here
I'm gonna get me
Get me outta here
I'm gonna get me
Get me outta here

One of the ultimate bad lucks

I was reading news articles about the Stryker Brigades today, when I noticed that some of the formerly deployed soliders from Alaska have been recalled to active duty, some after they have returned home, and others found out when they were waiting for their states-bound plane from Kuwait.

The article is here is you want to read it.

I was thinking back about my deployment, and how our group almost could not get out of Kuwait because our less than brilliant commander forgot to sign us out of Iraq. Nevertheless, we still managed to get back to the states and promptly got our luggages and gear about 3 weeks after we should have already gotten back to our homes. It was sadly comical, but thank God all of us got back in one piece and healthy, at least physically!

The return to the states is getting closer, and I cannot wait! God forbid if they should extend my order here!!

Turn, turn, turn

Words-adapted from the bible, book of ecclesiastes
Music-pete seeger

To everything (turn, turn, turn)
There is a season (turn, turn, turn)
And a time for every purpose, under heaven

A time to be born, a time to die
A time to plant, a time to reap
A time to kill, a time to heal
A time to laugh, a time to weep

To everything (turn, turn, turn)
There is a season (turn, turn, turn)
And a time for every purpose, under heaven

A time to build up,a time to break down
A time to dance, a time to mourn
A time to cast away stones, a time to gather stones together

To everything (turn, turn, turn)
There is a season (turn, turn, turn)
And a time for every purpose, under heaven

A time of love, a time of hate
A time of war, a time of peace
A time you may embrace, a time to refrain from embracing

To everything (turn, turn, turn)
There is a season (turn, turn, turn)
And a time for every purpose, under heaven

A time to gain, a time to lose
A time to rend, a time to sew
A time to love, a time to hate
A time for peace, I swear its not too late

This song all of a sudden for me this year has a greater meaning, with my grandmother passing away, the few other folks who went before her (famous folks like the guys who made that "90210" show, and the like.), and now, the former Israel prime minister Ariel Sharon, who's slipping away from life as we speak, his slipping away sounds eerily like my grandmother's passing. It feels like an era is about to end and something new will happen. Whether that is a good thing or not, I don't really know. The GF frequents this self-proclaimed Christian prophet's site , and she'd tell me about some of the prophesies that this man has made about world affairs, natural disasters, etc. God supposedly talks to him directly, but for some reasons, God never gives him any timelines or different things to tell him. (He's got a sense of humor, of course!) Anyway, this man said that this was going to be the year that a lot of folks who were in the show and political businesses will pass away, but don't people die just about every year and every day?

Just wanted to mention that this guy will take Visa, Master, checks and money order, and American Express if you're interested in supporting his ministry. I guess the days of surviving just on manna has long since passed.

Anyway, my point is that, I think I might just had a semi-prophetic/knowing moment.

Lazy Sunday

Woke up today to this rush of tummy trouble, I guess the roasted chicken that I had yesterday was not such a good idea at the end. I was finally able to go online and chat with the GF, and with the aid of a borrowed webcam, I also got to see her and the pets! It was good to see that they're all good and running around, being themselves.

I went back to sleep after our chat, and slept for like 2 hours or so. Lately, I just feel so sleepy all the time. Not having a lot to do here helps a lot. Yes, there are all these places that I can goto in Japan, but some places that I wanted to go take a lot of yens that I don't have and if I do get to a place that I really liked, I might risk missing Japan a bit.

There are so many things that I've got to do after I come back to the States, not counting looking for another job, or filing for unemployment for a while, and also fussing with military stuff, part of it being getting this experience out of my way.

There was this festival called the "Bon Odori" festival that was held right outside of the barracks that I live in. There really was nothing overtly Japanese about it, rather, a chance for local and contracted vendors to sell their stuff. I found out that the Japanese people LOVES American pizza (there were a lot of locals who were granted access to this post.), Budweiser beer, and hot dogs, boy do they like them! It rained really hard during part of the festival, it rained so much that I thought that a typhoon was blowing by!

Two highlights of yesterday were that I won this digital camera at this drawing, and it was one of those $300+ models of digital cameras too! (Now I've just got to figure out how to take it back with me, without having it shattered to pieces, thanks, terrorit assholes!) The other highlight was that I got to talk to some of the pilots and the crew chiefs who fly one of the Blackhawk helicopters on display there, even took some photos of parts of myself in the cockpit...I wanted to stay away from these goofily posed tourist photos! Of course I asked about about their nightmarish moments in flight, and whether or not some of these urban myths that I've heard about helicopter decapitations were true...c'mon, I can't resist!

Next week, more mailing out stuff back home, and getting myself ready to get outta here! I've got to clean the room, and give it back to the powers that be cleaner than when I first came in, how fair is that!

I miss everyone from home!

A few thing to say....

To the terrorists who are trying to blow up everything and everyone: Cut the crap, if you think that your rewards are 77 virgins, you're in for some shocks!

To the government workers who got their jobs because they've married someone important or was once has-beens: You're slowing down progress.

To domestic based airlines: Keep trying...


To the battalion/brigade who are keeping me here in Japan right now: I am getting on that flight home, and you can't stop me.

To Doritos chips: I love you!

To the major news channels: I don't really want to know how to make a bomb from hair gels or breast milk, so spare me the details.

To Floyd Landis: I believe ya!

To my sister: Good luck with the business lunch, I hope good things will happen to you in Texas!

To the GF: Love and miss ya!

Sweet!

Cheese workers win Powerball dough
Dozens of Sargento employees say they'll split $208.6 million

Tuesday, August 8, 2006; Posted: 4:27 a.m. EDT (08:27 GMT)


Lori Breske, left, greets Powerball winner Jill Wilkens as she arrives at work Monday.

PLYMOUTH, Wisconsin (AP) -- Dozens of cheese company workers returned to their jobs Monday after they reported being among about 100 workers who won a Powerball jackpot worth $208.6 million.

Andrea Fink, 26, of Sheboygan, said she arrived early for her second shift in the afternoon at Sargento Foods to meet with the other winners. The group said it held the only winning ticket for Saturday's Powerball drawing.

"I don't know what to say. I can't believe it. It just seems unreal," said Fink, who planned to buy a house with her winnings.

Sargento Chief Executive Officer Lou Gentine said he met with most of the winners and some other employees Monday afternoon before they started work, and the gathering often burst into applause.

The ticket has been turned over to an attorney, he said, though he was not sure when it would be submitted to the lottery. The group estimates each person will receive between $500,000 and $700,000, after taxes, if they choose to take a lump sum, he said.

"To see the joy on their faces, it's just incredible," Gentine said. "We're really happy for them."

The winners are of different ages and do a variety of jobs, such as cutting and shredding cheese, loading trucks and performing maintenance, Gentine said. He said their salaries range between $30,000 and $50,000 a year.

Colleen Sumner, 51, of Crystal Lake, said she was not sure whether she would keep working at Sargento, where she has been employed for nearly 19 years.

"It's going to help how many different families. It's super. It's a lot better than one person winning," she said.

The winning ticket was sold at Ma and Pa's Grocery Express in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, along the so-called "Miracle Mile," a stretch of South Main Street where several stores sold multimillion-dollar tickets during the 1990s.

Ma and Pa's sold a winning Megabucks ticket worth $6.5 million in 1994 and has sold tickets that won $500,000, $250,000 and $100,000.

Powerball is played in 29 states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Copyright 2006 The Associated Press.

Cool Monday evening

After about a week's of 95 degree plus weather, it finally rained today and the temperature got down to about 77 degrees. It was the kind of rain that didn't come down very hard, and there was even a breeze!

Tomorrow is the Chinese father's day, and I'd like to wish my grandfather as happy of a father's day as can be. They say that the loss of of a loved one is felt most acutely when holidays or birthdays come around.

I finally got net hookup in my room, and stupid ole me could have gotten the connection when I first came here, but it's my fault that I didn't try hard enough to try to find a net provider. I downloaded Skype and now I can talk for FREE to the GF and the family back in Texas... technology is simply grand!

I went through the first step of getting out of this small military post in Japan by getting a full physical. It's required so the army will not be liable for any illnesses that happens after us reservists leave an active duty tour. So to get constant military provided healthcare, basically someone like myself would have to be on constant active duty. Not me though, the beauty of being a weekend warrior is that I could be on active duty as I'd like, unless I'm called up to war again. I do sort of long for a more normal life though, whatever that might mean.

I can't wait to fly back home, even if I don't really know what is coming later. Really looking forward to peting the pets, wearing things which are not uniforms, being a housewife, havinge a mini-me, and just basically not really looking back.

A shoutout to Jeff at Phidoux, I've got your Mt. Fuji rocks and photos, and I'll be sending the rocks to you soon, but you might have to wait for a bit for the photos. I've got another shoutout to my grandma in heaven, I hope that she's having a blast in the company of God, her family from back in Mainland China (most of them had passed on before she did), and a bunch of friends as they party up there. ( I hope they're are!)

To the GF, I miss you!

"Forever"

By Vertical Horizon

Take these roses off of me
Let me live, let me be
For a little while
Let my eyes,
See everything and nothing in their time
I do not mind

Who've guess I'd learn
To let the walls around me burn
Light up the hillside
My words, I ate them for so long and nothing changed
It was just the same

And I don't know if you see me here
But I can tell you your face is clear
I will see you...

Forever
Forever
I will see you
Forever
Forever

Call me close once again
Call me teacher, call me friend
Just like the first time
Call my name, it echos around me in this room
Its all you

I don't know if you hear me there
But it's dark so no one cares
I will hear you...

Forever
Forever
I will hear you
Forever
Forever

I wanted you to be everything to me
Now I've got to learn to carry on
I know I cannot hide this emptiness inside
But nothing is the same since you've gone

Send me letters from above
Send me strength, send me love
Such sweet love
Sing me songs that echo in my head and in my heart
That's where you are

And I don't know if you feel me here
I can tell you one thing that's clear
I will feel you...

Forever
Forever
I will feel you
Forever
Forever
I will hear you
Forever
Forever
I will see you
Forever
Forever

Take these roses off of me
Let me live, let me be

Long time no see!

I came back from emergency about almost 2 weeks ago, and now I am just trying to finish out this duty tour from hell. I didn't exactly get to do what I came here to do, instead, my life was filled with a lot of really senseless duties, like driving around the military housing area on a golf cart, for patrol purpose, staff duty (the military version of the 24 hour custodial duty), and worst of all, being caught between power struggles of this battalion and the division that I work for. I will be SO GLAD once I board that plane back to the States!

I miss my grandma immensely still, but I just don't burst into tears everytime that I think about her now. Maybe it's because somewhere in the back of my mind, I know that I'll see her again. I thought that it might look something like these scenes from that show "Six Feet Under", in the final episode, where they showed how all the characters died. Right before some of the characters would pass away, they see their loved ones who have passed away before them, as if to welcome them into the afterlife. Of course, there is always a possibility that all the things that I've ever heard or read about the afterlife could be wrong, but for now, I think I'll stick to my uneducated gut feelings about this. Without some blind faith, I think this life would be very hard to live out.

I finally got the net hooked my in the barracks that I live in now, yes, it has been like almost 3 months too late, but better late than never, right? I hooked up Skype and can talk to the GF and folks from home at just about anytime now. Provided that neither of us are asleep, there are 14 hours time difference between us. No more wasting $ on phone cards!

My heart goes out to these three people:

*My GF, who is going through a hard time at work because one of her co-worker is something of a schizophrenic, and the GF was the victim of a lot her co-wroker's outbursts. The GF has been handling everything with a lot of control and grace, but I know that it must not be easy.

*My grandfather, and that's for how hard it is to have lost his companion of 74 years and having to cope with the aftermath. On the outside, he has shed the least amount of tears, but I can tell that's not a reflection of what is going on on the inside. He has not been sleeping to well lately, and for obvious reasons. I hope that eventually, he'll be able to feel more of that sense of peace in knowing that he and grandma had a great life together, and that it can be continued in heaven.

*My sister, she had a lot of hopes of being able to look out for our grandparents, and also finding a new life in Texas. Now she's living in their house and also missing grandma immensely, and sort of submerged for regretting not having moved down sooner. I feel for her.

On top of all that, I have no idea where my next job will be next, but I hope that it will all work out in its due time. It's really time to move on to the next phase of life, the kind of growing up that has to do with a lot more communications, more stable job, a house, and most importantly, kids so we can participate in the ruining of the next generation!