Monday's Missives

• Just came in from working on the yard and getting some sun and was surprised to find my two oldest sitting in the den watching a movie together like human beings and not strangling each other or setting the furniture on fire.



• They were so incognito I thought they must be getting in late from the school bus.



• Literally



• Three of my neighbors have jeeps.



• Luckies



• The one I owned in my previous life would punk theirs in a minute.



• That's alright though, good things will come back to me- right?



• Please say yes.



• Always fascinates me to see people who are business owners who seem to have no interest in being in business. Went in to an antique store yesterday to look for books. The guy rolled his eyes and sighed like he was dealing with a mentally challenged guy the group home gave 5.00 dollars to and took shopping for life enrichment therapy. I've done well at other antique stores buying books- high percentage of what ends up in them is often history,autobiographies and biographies which is what I'm into and the prices are often cheaper than a used bookstore. I would guess I've spent at least say, a couple of hundred dollars at antique stores for books in my life and have bought other things from that particular store in the past.



• Never again.



• Speaking of books, Recycled Books in Denton TX RAWKS! They must have a million books in stock and are very helpful and have a laid back atmosphere and attitude. Music and DVDs were too expensive in the past but, I'll see if there's been a price correction since I've been there last.



• I love how the store snakes around, in and out of other spaces they've acquired and up stairs and down into the basement.



• I'm going to go spend money there this weekend.



• They have a rare books section that makes me salivate and rock back and forth wishing for a lottery win.



• Think a good investment maight be in a big DVD collection from someone who changed over to Blueray and a new DVD player. Going to keep that one in the back of my mind.



• I love how the people we fight (and will always be fighting) essentially equate women with a piece of property that carries children and in our military culture they are equal in rights and opportunities to men. On my crew in Iraq my assigned machine gunner was often a female Marine. Stone cold killer- who could operate and maintain that gun as well as anybody. I would have gone anywhere in combat with her and in fact did hand picked her over many of the men in my platoon during planning sessions for operations.



• There were some very nice complimentary aspects to that story that I'll never forget. She was assigned to my squad because I was trusted to treat a subordinate female properly and also to keep her alive. She also because of her respect for my abilities and pride in our accomplishments campaigned her command for more patrol action and asked me to do the same with my unit and have her be my dedicated gunner.



• People give me way more credit than I deserve.

Fridays Dispatch- The Early Edition

• My feet are cold- cannot stand that, I'm wearing fuzzy house shoes. I never wear house shoes- fuzzy or otherwise. They were given to my son for Christmas and he outgrew them before he wore them I think.
• He wears size 14 shoes and is not nearly through growing.
• I'm listening to a live recording of Cheap Tricks I Want You To Want Me and singing along. Things can't be all that bad and even if/when they are- try it, I promise it will make it all a little better.
• I've said it before, I'll say it again,"We may have gotten a lot of things wrong in the 80s and early 90s- the music was not one of them."
• Surrender is starting- even better (nearly).
• In my neighborhood it's nothing for my neighbors to check their mail or get something out of their cars in PJs, robes or nightgowns etc.
• Nearly everyone has a 4 wheeler, go kart or golf cart etc. And it seems a relatively large number ride bicycles and walk as families. The long-ish road, friendly neighbors, isolated feel, one acre lots and the pond at the end of the lane has something to do with that I think.
• One of my neighbors used to have parties and they would drag shotguns out and shoot clay birds in their front yard.
• My next door neighbor busts rounds off into his firewood stack occasionally.
• Actually nice that people can exercise their rights and freedoms that openly but, it wasn't very good for me when I first returned from Iraq.
• No, not good.
• The people across the streets dog would come to my house when she smelled breakfast cooking, nose the door open and come in and sit down and wait for her share.
• What are neighbors for I guess?
• No, not a trailer park- average house value would be about 200,000 dollars.
• Before the bubble burst.
• I can be in a sound, exhausted sleep and if the baby wakes up and says,"Daddy" I'm awake and alert and going to him.
• Yes, that's usually the first thing he says when he awakens- humbling, satisfying, terrifying, fulfilling...

Heaven On Earth

for me is sometimes found in the most surprising places and times. When I'm home recovering from a flu, a cold or whatever, hearing my children play and having fun in the other room is very comforting and not the least bit annoying.