Have you ever been so tired your eyes hurt and your body is reacting at least 1/2 second slower than your brain because there some kind of disconnect between the two? Well, I'm almost there. :) This isn't the most tired I've ever been. I once hallucinated that there was an entire Infantry platoon marching not 30 meters from where I was pulling security (it was during a war games exercise - not the real thing). I mean I saw them, I heard them, and I almost 'shot them' (with blanks). It's not so much the fact that I've worked fifteen straight days now as much as it is the past three days I've had to come into work at 03:00 (AM). Ugh! But the good news is that yesterday and today I was able to work with my telco counterpart to get tomorrow's work done early! I will now be able to take the next two days off! Hurray! :) (and there was much rejoicing, lol)
The weekend was pretty much routine type stuff...
Saturday is a blur in my memory right now. If I remember something that was worth writing about I'll come back and update. :)
Yesterday was a busy one. Due to working the wee hours I slept through morning service at church (in bed, not in the pew ;-) ), then got up and got dressed to head out to perform a salute for veterans. One great thing about being in an Artillery unit is being able to perform salutes for things like Veteran's day. Yesterday was at a small town's VFW post, and there were only about 20 people, but it was great - and they treated us like very nicely. They invited us in for some fried chicken and fixin's (for you Yankees, that's things like macoroni salad, baked beans... that sort of thing ;-) ), and all the drinks we could drink. The 'boys' were disappointed that I told them no beer. LOL
Note: I would encourage every one to do more than say, "I support our troops". Get out and talk with them - get out and talk with Veterans. Don't talk politics, or weither the war is right or wrong. Just get out and talk to them. Take one a meal if they are older, or struggling. Make up a care package to send overseas. If you want to support the troops, please do not undermine what they are trying to do - and that includes giving aid to the enemy in the form of propaganda. If you don't support the war, that's fine, it is your right to disagree. But please be careful in how you voice your opposition - because a lot of time, careless thoughts, words, and actions, really do not make the soldiers feel supported - it makes them feel rejected. Rejoice in their triumphs, and seek to point out the good things that have been done. We live in America where we are encourage to voice our opinion - and it is our right and priviledge to elect officials to provide direction. But there are times, in our zeal (both left and right here), we fail to consider the consequences of our actions.
Afterwards I drove home just in time to change, wash my face, and head over to Awana's to help out. In an odd way, I was glad to find out that there was a special Veteran's day service that alll of the Awana's would be at, and since my beloved was having trouble with DS2 (my 'Aspie'), I was unable to stay - which was fine by me. I really do NOT like the spotlight or attention my uniform brings. I like serving and doing that sort of thing - it's just that I don't like the recognition. I know what most (if not all of you) are going to say, that I deserve the recognition, etc. - but I really don't feel like I do. Not in light of what so many others have done. Right now I am just a RE soldier, and the one time I was deployed it was here in the states. I've done things like flood duty, etc. - but if you add it all up we're talking a few days over a very, very long time. The men and women who do that sort of thing, day in and day out - they deserve all the recognition. It just feels like I am robbing them of what they rightly deserve - so please do not try and argue with me on this... it only makes me feel worse.
So, I get DS2 home and we sit and watch a little football (I had already known by this time that my Panthers lost to the Atlanta Falcons). It was nice. We munched on animal crackers and drank milk, and watched the Baltimore Ravens score a meaningless touchdown. I mean, they lost to a team that could not get in the endzone - but kicked 7 fieldgoals! Wish I had Shayne Graham on one of my fantasy football teams! I was sort of glad to see the Rams get their first win of the season against the New Orleans Saints - but a part of me still roots for the Saints. Their season's not done - not by a long shot in the horrible NFC South. I mean even the Falcons are only 2 games back at 3-6!
I am not upset about the Panthers loss yesterday. I mean, they have two QB's on IR (Basanez & Delhomme), they have a hobbling soon to be 44 year old (Testaverde), another QB who has had 2 concusions and had come from a team that had basically allowed him to get pummeled (Carr), a QB who was an undrafted rookie free agent (Moore), and yet another who was signed on Friday (Olson)because it looked like they only had one healthy QB to send into the game on Sunday! For those of you keeping score at home - that six Quarterbacks! Earlier this season an offensive lineman for the Panthers was quoted as saying, "we take it personally when our QB gets hurt"! Well, by God, you had better be feeling about knee high to a grass-hoper right about now! Last week - seven sacks! This week, well I am not sure of the total, but it was at least two more that came on the final two possesion! And both times it basically prevented the Panthers of getting back into the game. If those offensive lineman had been samurai in feudal Japan, they'd have committed sepuko long before now. There are still seven more games for this club to play (at least), and most of them are going to be against tough opponents (@ Green Bay, @ Jacksonville, Dallas, @ Tampa Bay). I love Coach Fox, but I've heard his job might be in jeapordy... but how can you rate a Coach when you've had so much discontinuity at such a key leadership position as QB? There is plenty of blame to go around - and it all stops with the head coach to be sure - but I feel that Mr. Richardson should see this year as a scrub, let the coach know where he stands at the end, and give him one more season.
Before I sign off... last night, I couldn't sleep (ever been so tired you hurt all over, and as a result you struggle to get your body to relax enough to go unconsious?) so I'm watching the Colts/Chargers game. Indy had come back from a sixteen point deficit, six interceptions, to be driving with less than two minutes to go. I'm seeing the Colts get to the less-than-one-yard line - finally my eyes are drooping and I decide to go ahead and turn off the TV. I mean why stay up when Payton Manning is driving to the doorstep with less than two minutes to go and they are only trailing my two points. I mean, even if the Chargers line holds, the Colts still have Adam Vinatieri - who is practically automatic. *click* Then, I get my tired old bones up and out of bed at 02:15 so I can get in to work. What is the first thing I see... he missed!?!?! Now, this long winded point is not to poke any kind of fun at Linda and her Colts - how can a man who roots for the Panthers point a finger and laugh? I really am stunned that they did not pull that one out. I didn't say anything about the loss to the Patriots last week - they are a really good team. Still, the Colts are not out of anything yet. I can still see a rematch between the Colts and Patriots - and the next time the outcome can easily be different. Ok, I'm going to wrap this entry up for the day...
Verse for today:
Mark 14:32-42,
ESV
And they went to a place called Gethsemane. And he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” And he took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be greatly distressed and troubled. And he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death. Remain here and watch.”
[4] And going a little farther, he fell on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. And he said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” And he came and found them sleeping, and he said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Could you not watch one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” And again he went away and prayed, saying the same words. And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy, and they did not know what to answer him. And he came the third time and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? It is enough; the hour has come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.”
My weekends are pretty much a blur right now, and i was focusing on a short story contest entry. Right now we have a Bible Study meeting every Friday night, DS1 has two soccer games over the weekend, church, Awana, and any other 'social' activities that try and get squeezed in. My beloved and i are working on trimming some things, but that takes time. At least the end of the school year is coming. \o/ Yea!
I have never entered a writing contest on my own. When i was in grade school i remember a teacher submitting something i had written to some kind of local thing, but it didn't win anything and i remember being discouraged. But, recently i was searching the internet for a hobby of mine and stumbled across a writing contest this website was sponsoring. Now, it's not a huge writing site, and it is pretty much for niche type of group - and i was a full month and a half behind from when it was announced, but i thought, why not! So two weeks ago i dove in and came up with a really rough 1st draft. I tinkered with it, but in the end i really needed an outside pair of eyes. A good WWW/blogging friend was very, very kind enough to proof it and point some things out... ok, a lot of things, but i dove back in... reworked it, corrected some things... and sent it back. This is a first for me... i rarely edit things more than once (which is a bad practice for someone who likes to write by the way), in the end i had a total of four edits. The contest ends at midnight on Thursday so i am feeling pretty good that i have it turned in a little "early". Now, there are no prizes and i have no idea how many total entries there have been... but i am eager to know how i do.
My little commuter car just flipped 144k miles on it this morning. I picked it up the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend 2000. It had only 1 mile on the odometer and it was literally fresh off the boat. I love this little car. Back when i was commuting over 100 miles a day i was averaging over 40MPG! Now that my commute is under 20 miles a day i am still averaging over 35MPG. I have never had any problems with this little car and all i've ever had to replace on it has been the wiper blades, tires, oil (includes transmission and such), brakes, and the clutch plate. God willing i will be driving this car for another 9 years. I know that it is not always wise to buy new cars because they are not investments and the depreciate rapidly once they are driven off the dealer's lot, but i knew i would be a long term owner, and averaging the cost of buying the car over the time i've had it so far has been less per year than i expected. If i am able to drag this on for another decade or so it will be even better.
Well, the NFL draft was this past weekend. It is like an oasis in between seasons for me. Now, i am not a fanatic where i digest each and every player that has entered the draft. I rarely even read about other teams (other than the Panthers)
, but for some reason i like to follow and watch the NFL draft in April. To be honest, it's almost like watching paint dry or grass growing. It is a long drawn out affair with endless analysis of each team and player. But there is something that stirs hope in me. Something that makes me look forward to the next football season!
Over all i am happy with Carolina's draft this year. I am never a big fan of trading away your lower level round slots in the draft, but it worked out OK (so far) when Carolina picked up Jeff Otah and Jonathon Stewart last year. Even with out a first round pick i like the first three choices from this years draft: Everette Brown (DE), Sherrod Martin (CB/s), and Corvey Irvin (DT). It is way too early to say how good these young men will do in the NFL, but i like the hype. Well, like I've said in the past... all i really want is a 9-7 season... anything more than that will be gravy... and i like gravy (in this context).
