Who are today's heroes?

I was taken back, this week as we in the military lost a lot of our brothers in arms in yet another senseless shooting overseas.  I wondered how many people thought of them as heroes.  Yes in my book they are and will be heroes for ever.  They went into harms way and tried to help a nation.  I also wondered who else was my heroes.  Dictionary.com says a hero is a man of distinguished courage or ability, admired by his brave deeds and noble qualities.  The military member both Retired, active duty, reservist, guard and merchant all are my heroes. You noticed I did not say man as dictonary .com suggested.  They are men and women!  They wake up everyday to answer the call, and go into harms way to protect and defend our rights. But there is also another kind of hero that I would like to mention here.  They are the day to day unsung heroes.  The single parents who face the challenges everyday of raising kids single handedly and doing a great job. Working to support thse kids and they get little or no credit.  The military wife who has to balence the house hold, sometimes a carreer and deal with everything on little or no support except from some friends and family.  There are heroes amoung us everyday that we don't even consider.  Today I would like to salute the unsung heroes to never complain and do a fantastic job.  The rewards are few but you are rich in so many ways. Who are your heros???   Until next time!

Where is the best place to grow up?

I know this could be debated for ever but I was on Face book the other day and I saw a post from someone about drinking out of the water hose, being home when the street lights came on, eating leftovers, etc and I thought back as to when I was a kid.  I grew up in Marumsco Woods in Woodbridge Virginia.  I say this is the best place to grow up because as your neighborhoods, it produced some fantastic folks.  I still keep in contact with most of them and enjoy reconnecting with them.  We all grew up!  Some are scientist, moms, grandparents, social workers, hotel managers, some work in high positions in the government, some are professional boxers (That was my poor sense of humor, anyone remember Avery). Some went to professional sports. Some moved far, as far as California, Arizona, and some moved to a few states away, some stayed close.  I thought about the cool parade that ended up in a field at the entrance of Marumsco Woods.  All the streets were named after the states, and there was always at least one really cute girl on each street.  Alabama, Michigan, Maryland, Illinois, just to name a few. I remember Alaska road had a few!!  We partied in the woods, rode dirt bikes, hung out, we just hung out. I am sure we all have special memories. The only drawback was that everyone knew everyone else and bad news would get back to your folks before you could. I was scared of Mrs. Farrell and Mrs. Wade. I always tried to behave in front of them!!!  The cool thing was not only the woods but the fact we merged with the group from Marumsco Acres, at Rippon Junior. This is where and who could forget TB.  This is where she learned to take pictures.  I bet they were black and white back then!!! She will kill me for that one! Friendships were formed and some stay strong to this day, we then merged once again a few years later with the Dale City kids and life got crazy, Can anyone say Spriggs road, Pizza hut in Forrestdale, or the local bowling alley just to name a few.  I can!!! When I was able to drive I had a regular parking spot at Marumsco Plaza, since it was a big parking lot, everyone had a regular parking spot.  That was the place to be!! but a lot of fun. My nickname ended up being Midnight mooner.  I never understood that, I was always in by 12.  I could mention several names but am afraid I would miss one and certainly would not want to do that!  You all have made it easier for me and today I salute the kids who grew up in the 70s/80s from Woodbridge, the best place to grow up!!!!!  Until next time

Friends, Are they on your hand?

Was thinking of something my dad said before.  He told me that if you could count your true friends on one hand consider yourself fortunate.  I was talking to what I consider my best friend’s daughter last night on line.  I have known her since she was two and she has grown up to be a smart, intelligent, and beautiful woman, she has to get her looks from her mom! If not she would have a mustache, anyway it made me realize what true friends are all about.  After I talked to her I got a call from another friend of mine that I had not talked to in a while. I went to school with her. (A long time ago), I have gray hair she does not!  Enough said on that, anyway I called to check on her because of the bad storms in her area. She was off line for a few weeks and I was bummed, thought I had lost a part of me!.  I know if I needed them, and I have before, they would be there in a heartbeat.  I guess what I am getting at is you can never pick your family but you can pick your friends and I am glad I picked them or they picked me. My one friend drove about three hours to come see me because he felt I needed some company, after a very nasty divorce. Of course alcohol was involved when he got there but the fact that he came to see me meant (and still does) all the difference in the world. I remember taking a shoulder cooler to him for his wife because she had surgery, thought it would help.  He probably uses it now to store his famous dandelion wine; I drove up and back the same day, anyway, you go out of your way for friends!  It is funny how they turn out to be more family then friends. Different lives, different backgrounds it does not matter. I am truly blessed! If you could sit in a jail cell with them and say “damn that was fun” They are probably on the hand according to my dad. I only used a couple of examples but the bottom line is I can use my hands and feet! The list is growing everyday and that is a good thing.  You could never have too many friends. I won’t mention any names but you guys (and ladies) know who you are!!!  Thank you God for bringing them into my life, I could have made it without them but it is a lot better because of them! Until next time!!

What a crazy day. Has anyone ever had to deal with the Veterens Administration?  If you have not,consider yoursefl lucky. If you have, I am sorry, Laura enjoy your time is coming sweetie! I had to drive 1 hour up the road (Our state is so big) to be told they could not help me.  When I told the guy I was on hold for over an hour on the phone and then drove 1 hr he basically told me he did not care and he could not help me, he said "Fill out this form" I need your DD214, I told him they already had it in their system, he said he was to busy to look for it.   I was mad!  It takes are President years to produce a birth certificate but I can't get help from the VA! Could not find parking, people were in the middle of the road parked.  It was crazy!  I do not need the world, just some assistance to finish my refinancing on my house.  I have to remember the phrase "Why is divorce so expensive"? Because it's worth it!  Then to beat all of it my loan processor called and I told her what the problem was and she said she could get it in two days!  I could not believe it, first they tell me they need it, then they say they can get it!  What a crazy world we live in.  Then I found out some of the walls I have created are being knocked down, I built these walls for a reason. What the heck is going on!  Can't do much in the yard because everytime I turn around we are having a rain shower.  Now I have the Bathfitters dude at my front door asking me how I like there product.  I found it is better to work than retire.  I need to go back to work to rest!!  Until next time and thanks to those who have commented on my blog.  I had a friend tell me last year I should start writing, maybe I took her advise.  Thanks Lori and glad your back!!

How has Facebook changed our lives

OK, gotta ask yourself, how many hours a day are you on facebook?  It is amazing what you can find. Complete strangers get together and you find yourself including me looking to see what they wrote, they tell you what they had for dinner, what appointments they have, what they got in the mail!  You find people playing mafia wars, farmville, yoville, etc, Pictures of there lives transforming on the screen. You reconnect with friends from high school, girls you wish you were closer with in high school and yes some old friends.  I reconnected with some friends last year from high school (Garfield high school), it is a true blessing.  Facebook is toasted at weddings, parties, new years, etc. It comes up in our day to day conversations and hell they even made a movie about it.  I know one thing my life is a lot more complete because of it.  I would never been able to have daily conversations with people I grew up with, friends from my past and people I do not even know. Some of the conversations are like we are in the same room, kinda like the last scene in the 70s show where everyone is sitting around getting high and talking, laughing, etc.  Some folks are from different parts of the world, some in the same neighborhoods, some are in diffentent states but one thing for sure, they are only a mouse click away. You experience their losses, gains, happiness and sadness.  There are to too many names to mention but I can say my 1845 friends have touched my life. You have had my back playing mafia wars, through my divorce and simply life in general. I am truly blessed and rich in ways I could never imagine. I am now off to grow my pot in potsville, sell it on mafia wars, grow some more crops on farmville,  and if I have enough pot left over I will make some brownies in cafe world, and build a zoo and aquarium and watch my fish grow.  Until next time my friends.

Where's my package?

I had no clue what to write today until I talked to a dear friend about "the package"  Before it gets to out of hand I am talking about my refinance paperwork.  I still to this day wonder what happened and why it took 21 days to get a package from New Jersey to Delaware, than it hit me.  Someone had my package and was going to help me refinance. Maybe one of my neighbors.  I even had the UPS guy show me a picture that they had been at my house.  I said awesome picture but that does not explain where my package was. The package is still missing between here and there. I had to actually request another package so I could refinance my home.  This in self has been a crazy process.  I have to get a water test even though I have been drinking the water for years.   I have to get a termite inspection to see if my house is rotting away. I have to get verification on everything I have done in my military service and still have to go to the VA (Veteran's administration ) about 50 miles from here to get a piece of paper. I have to get tax receipts or the last five years, I have to do everything, the mortgage company has not been helpful.  It has been a very difficult process but I have learned two important things today!  Why is divorce so expensive?  Because it's worth it!  And what happens to the mail?  It ends up in someones CD Collection.  LOL.  I am sure I will hear about this one.  I am just glad I did not order the CD (or two) of the month.  Until next time!!!!!

Parenting,

Parenting is by far the toughest job in the universe! There is no right from wrong, there is no manual telling you what to do.  I know a lot of books are written on the subject and a lot of advise out there but let's face it, it is a tough job!!!  I had an issue with one of my kids over the Easter weekend.  I realized today that it is not just me who stuggles being a parent, it's all of us.  My ex wife blames the military for the beliefs I have in raising kids, I just think you should be a parent first and a friend second. you should praise in public criterize in private, and have rules the kids can follow. I do not think that is unreasonsonable.  I wish I had a nickle for everytime someone told me I should do it one way or the other. I hurt everyday because my kids think I am the problem, today I realized I am not the problem.  Coming from a divorced family is not easy I am sure, I never came from one.  My dad died many years ago and my mom never remarried.  But I do know that the parents get blamed for everything.  I know that there are battles between Exs and things are said about the other but what ever happened to respect?   Kids today are spoiled!  I know we all heard the "I had to walk 5 miles to school" speech from our parents but I never grew up with all the technology of today. I survived. Trying to have a conversation with your child and they are texting their friend while your talking is simply rude.  When your kid can spend a day next door and not even stop to say hello that is crap in my book.  What is wrong with the kids today?  I do know this, We as parents do the best we can do everyday and my hats off to the parents who's kids end up half way decent.  I always wanted to be a better parent than my dad.  I respect him to this day, But I know I do my best, my problem???  Not anymore.  Thanks my friends and you know who you are for helping me realize it is all of us struggling and the burden does not lay on my shoulders only.  You can look at it one of two ways, look at your kids and say what the hell or simply give in to their every request.  I am going to take the what the hell approach.  I just hope the kids if today will realize what we as parents have tried to do for them before it is to late. They won't but you got to believe in something! 

Easter Sunday

What a beautiful day, I made omelette's with the Easter eggs  I found and life is good!  I had the best conversation with four crazy people last night about cartoons.  The conversation hit an all time low on face book threads but I am sure it was funny.  It is funny the different prospective of cartoons and the TV shows of the 70s and 80s.  Gary I wish you would have joined in on that one, but you may want to change your profile pix!  Just sayin.  It felt like we were all in the same room laughing, telling tales. One was in Arizona, one in South Carolina and two in Virginia.  What a great night! It was crazy going to bed thinking I was glad the Walton's did not have computers on that Mountain.   I guess this is the sequel to my friends blog yesterday.  It amazes me we can talk for hours like we never were apart, aside of course from the mooning everyone.  Could you imagine a 52 year old man doing that now?  I can't streak any longer, hell cannot even run!  I did learn some new sayings last night, Bob, LLS, and I will never think of Tarzan again without busting up laughing.  Here is the comment that started all the mayhem, I had a blast!  "How do you expect kids to listen to their parents... Tarzan lives half naked, Cinderella comes back home at midnight, Pinocchio lies all the time, Aladdin is the king of thieves, Batman drives at 320 KM/h, Sleeping beauty is lazy, and Snow white lives with 7 guys. We shouldn’t be surprised when kids misbehave! They get it from their story books" Kelly your right about the kids of these days not knowing some of these characters.  That is why I treasure the characters I deal with from my past.  Thanks Debbie, Denises (From AZ yes it's you) and Vicki from SC. And Kelly thanks for taking me out of the trash can!  Happy Easter to all and you know I love you guys!!!!!  I felt like it was the basement scene of the seventies show, everyone sitting around getting crazy, man it was fun! See you soon. 

For Starters

I started writing this blog because a few of my dear friends suggested it as a joke.  They like what I wrote and were interested in my opinion, I find the funny because a lot of folks in my past have said quite the opposite.  Thank you Debbi, Denise,Vicki, Gary and Kelly just to name a few for giving me the encouragement to do this.  I find that anyone can do this now a  days, just takes the time to complete it.  I wondered what I would write about and it hit me this morning,  My Friends both present, in the past and I hope new ones in the future.  I am a very blessed man!  I have great friends who via face book, telephone, and some visits I have been able to reconnect with, or stay in touch with.  Some have kids going to college, some in the military, and some dealing with day to day issues of trying to survive in this crazy world we live in. some are divorced, some have been married for years, and some are even grandparents but they all have one thing in common.  They wake up every morning trying to do the best they can.  I do treasure my friends and with a little luck I will be around for many years to enjoy them. I have a couple of friends that have even gotten back together after many years apart.  I went to a gathering a while back with people I went to high school with, (the seventies) It was not a reunion but just a few people Who I had not seen in a while.  I found it not only amazing but the fact that some of us had not seen each other in a long time and we all acted like we had not been a day apart from each other.  That is friendship, you don't have to see each other everyday or talk all the time but friends stay with you no matter what is going on in your life.  I enjoy each and everyone of them.  Yes I am truly blessed!  Have a good day everyone.  If you have friends consider it a good day!