For those who don't know it yet, Mike Hendriks out of Charlotte, NC has a wonderful blog entitled Cold Fury. I stop by there when I can, which isn't as often as I would like lately, and on my last trip I found
this entry, which should be required reading for everyone.
My stepson Richard is about to enter his third year as a U.S. Marine, and I couldn't be prouder of him. He and I didn't always get along during his teenage years (to put it bluntly, I thought he was a total slacker, and he thought I was a pain in the ass), but since his boot camp experience he and I have become good friends. When he comes home on leave we usually end up talking into the wee hours at least one night while he's home. The change in him has been enormous.
If anyone asks me if I support our troops, I tell them of course I do. I also support the effort in the Middle East to free the Iraqi people from a brutal dictator, which we have done. Personally, I think we should have told the world to sod off during Gulf War I and taken Saddam out then, but I wasn't in a position of power then or now. I never served in the military, although The Better Half did (Vietnam-era Air Force veteran) and my stepson is now. I almost joined the Air Force back in the day, and wish now that I had. After 9/11 I went and talked to several recruiters but was turned down (age, health concerns) by all of them. I even talked to the National Guard recruiters and was told that I was really too old to start from scratch. I'm not in the best physical shape, granted, but I felt like I could do SOMETHING to help in the war against terror, if it was nothing more than push a pencil. It kills me to have to sit on the sidelines and watch men and women put their lives on the line and there's nothing I can do to help.
On a lighter note, Sarah Rose came home this afternoon. She appears to be happy to be home and in her own crib again. We also have a little guy with us for about ten days (respite care). He's almost two years old and is supposedly autistic, although I don't seem to have a problem communicating with him. He uses simple sign language for some of the things he says, and I remember some of the signs I learned while we were caring for a deaf child some years back, so he and I can talk about simple things at least.
It's late, and I'm tired, so I'll end for now. Later, y'all!