Friday, November 30, 2007
A Shoe Puts "Good Shepherd" into Perspective
Everyone knows Princess Crabby prefers Navy....and that the Shoes rule.....but of course the creme de la creme are NECC. That's why Lt. Cmdr. David Rudko, a Canoe U grad, is just the person to explain why this year's Army prank was "ehh".
Tired Army prank can't rival great Navy heist
Rick Maese
November 30, 2007
In the early morning hours on Nov. 17, a band of cadets from the U.S. Military Academy sneaked onto an 875-acre organic dairy farm, located about 15 miles outside Annapolis, and stole three goats. They raced back to West Point, N.Y., slapped together some photos and created a YouTube video that detailed "Operation Good Shepherd" -- the theft of the Naval Academy's unguarded and defenseless mascots.
Yawn.
This still passes as a legitimate prank in this rivalry? C'mon, cadets. Log off the computers and crack open a dusty copy of the Army-Navy Prankster History Book."When I was there, every year it seemed Army would come in and take the goat," said Lt. Cmdr. David Rudko, Naval Academy class of 1992. "You basically drive to the farm and cut a lock. It's pretty easy to do.
"But no one had ever gone up there and taken the mules before."
In fact, as far as historians can tell, just once in the storied 117-year history of Army-Navy have the midshipmen ever infiltrated the U.S. Military Academy campus and successfully mule-napped the Army mascot. It was a plan that started with a wild hair in plebe year from Rudko and his roommate, Chris Middleton, and ended four years later after plenty of elaborate scheming, careful surveillance and an ornate car chase that started in New York and ended at Gate 8 of the academy campus.
The plan was hatched by the class of 1991 and passed along to the next year's seniors. A group of 17 midshipmen spent the better part of fall semester refining the mission. They made several reconnaissance missions to New York, posing as tourists to map out the area, snapping photos and shooting video. One of the mids was an electrical engineering major, and he visited West Point to study the alarm systems.
Stealing mules isn't easy. Unlike the Navy's goats, the Army's mules are housed on school grounds in a veterinary compound with guards stationed at the gate and the barn. An initial raid attempt failed when the midshipmen showed up the day after Thanksgiving and found that feeding times had been changed. The group resigned itself that another class would have to execute the plan. But as Army-Navy week approached, the excitement got the best of them, and they just had to give it another shot.
"Looking back, I don't think any of us thought it would really work," says Rudko, who is now based in Virginia with the Navy Expeditionary Combat Command. "It was so involved and the security there was so tight."
The midshipmen dressed as soldiers and military police, entering school grounds in cars bearing New York plates and bumper stickers that read "Beat Navy!" They distracted a staff sergeant, told him they were delivering feed for the mules and quickly subdued the remaining guards. Using molasses-sweetened feed to gain the mules' trust, the mascots were easily loaded into a horse trailer. As the raiders left, one of the imprisoned guards broke free, and word quickly spread that thieves were fleeing with mules in tow.
There was a brief high-speed chase at the gate, but guards relented after securing the midshipmen's tag numbers. Helicopters began searching from above, and state police were alerted on the ground. Authorities were stationed at toll booths along the New Jersey Turnpike, and others waited at the Naval Academy's gates. But the midshipmen broke into two camps, and those with the mules took a secret path back to Maryland, heading north to Albany, N.Y., before turning south and cutting through Pennsylvania.
After a snack break at nearby farm, night had fallen by the time the mules reached the Naval Academy. Inside the gates, the pep rally was about to begin, but outside, federal marshals and Defense Department police sprang from the darkness and temporarily foiled the heist. Quickly, word reached Lt. Angela Smith, the command duty officer, who informed the agents that they were on Navy property and she was in charge. She ordered the mules be escorted immediately to the pep rally."
It still boggles my mind that we were able to pull it off," Rudko says.
Two days later, a Navy team with an embarrassing 0-10 record hanging around its neck demolished Army, 24-3, in the 92nd edition of Army-Navy.
Though there has been a Memorandum of Agreement prohibiting mascot-napping ever since, that didn't stop cadets from stealing Navy's goats this year.
You're forgiven if you're not giggling as you continually refresh your Web browser. No doubt Army's thievery is perfect for YouTube.
But when the midshipmen get in the prank game, it's a big-budget action-adventure that has fans' behinds on the edges of their seats and Army's asses in the back of a trailer.
Tired Army prank can't rival great Navy heist
Rick Maese
November 30, 2007
In the early morning hours on Nov. 17, a band of cadets from the U.S. Military Academy sneaked onto an 875-acre organic dairy farm, located about 15 miles outside Annapolis, and stole three goats. They raced back to West Point, N.Y., slapped together some photos and created a YouTube video that detailed "Operation Good Shepherd" -- the theft of the Naval Academy's unguarded and defenseless mascots.
Yawn.
This still passes as a legitimate prank in this rivalry? C'mon, cadets. Log off the computers and crack open a dusty copy of the Army-Navy Prankster History Book."When I was there, every year it seemed Army would come in and take the goat," said Lt. Cmdr. David Rudko, Naval Academy class of 1992. "You basically drive to the farm and cut a lock. It's pretty easy to do.
"But no one had ever gone up there and taken the mules before."
In fact, as far as historians can tell, just once in the storied 117-year history of Army-Navy have the midshipmen ever infiltrated the U.S. Military Academy campus and successfully mule-napped the Army mascot. It was a plan that started with a wild hair in plebe year from Rudko and his roommate, Chris Middleton, and ended four years later after plenty of elaborate scheming, careful surveillance and an ornate car chase that started in New York and ended at Gate 8 of the academy campus.
The plan was hatched by the class of 1991 and passed along to the next year's seniors. A group of 17 midshipmen spent the better part of fall semester refining the mission. They made several reconnaissance missions to New York, posing as tourists to map out the area, snapping photos and shooting video. One of the mids was an electrical engineering major, and he visited West Point to study the alarm systems.
Stealing mules isn't easy. Unlike the Navy's goats, the Army's mules are housed on school grounds in a veterinary compound with guards stationed at the gate and the barn. An initial raid attempt failed when the midshipmen showed up the day after Thanksgiving and found that feeding times had been changed. The group resigned itself that another class would have to execute the plan. But as Army-Navy week approached, the excitement got the best of them, and they just had to give it another shot.
"Looking back, I don't think any of us thought it would really work," says Rudko, who is now based in Virginia with the Navy Expeditionary Combat Command. "It was so involved and the security there was so tight."
The midshipmen dressed as soldiers and military police, entering school grounds in cars bearing New York plates and bumper stickers that read "Beat Navy!" They distracted a staff sergeant, told him they were delivering feed for the mules and quickly subdued the remaining guards. Using molasses-sweetened feed to gain the mules' trust, the mascots were easily loaded into a horse trailer. As the raiders left, one of the imprisoned guards broke free, and word quickly spread that thieves were fleeing with mules in tow.
There was a brief high-speed chase at the gate, but guards relented after securing the midshipmen's tag numbers. Helicopters began searching from above, and state police were alerted on the ground. Authorities were stationed at toll booths along the New Jersey Turnpike, and others waited at the Naval Academy's gates. But the midshipmen broke into two camps, and those with the mules took a secret path back to Maryland, heading north to Albany, N.Y., before turning south and cutting through Pennsylvania.
After a snack break at nearby farm, night had fallen by the time the mules reached the Naval Academy. Inside the gates, the pep rally was about to begin, but outside, federal marshals and Defense Department police sprang from the darkness and temporarily foiled the heist. Quickly, word reached Lt. Angela Smith, the command duty officer, who informed the agents that they were on Navy property and she was in charge. She ordered the mules be escorted immediately to the pep rally."
It still boggles my mind that we were able to pull it off," Rudko says.
Two days later, a Navy team with an embarrassing 0-10 record hanging around its neck demolished Army, 24-3, in the 92nd edition of Army-Navy.
Though there has been a Memorandum of Agreement prohibiting mascot-napping ever since, that didn't stop cadets from stealing Navy's goats this year.
You're forgiven if you're not giggling as you continually refresh your Web browser. No doubt Army's thievery is perfect for YouTube.
But when the midshipmen get in the prank game, it's a big-budget action-adventure that has fans' behinds on the edges of their seats and Army's asses in the back of a trailer.
USS Thach
This is something I spotted at the super-secret site where I am allowed to lurk.
It is the USS Thach when it was deployed with USS Constellation Strike Group in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom 2003 . The Thach is named after Admiral John S. "Jimmie" Thach of Thach Weave fame.
The music is from the movie "Backdraft"....good call. The QMs did a good job on this and thanks to Derek for posting it on YouTube.
Thursday, November 29, 2007
This Day In History
In 1890, the first Army-Navy football game was played with Navy winning, 24-0.
Yeah, baby! And you will see that happen again this coming Saturday.......Admiral Keating says so.
In 1963, U.S. President Lyndon Johnson appointed the Warren Commission to investigate the assassination of U.S. President John Kennedy.
What a farce that was. This subject was recently discussed on another blog and a statistic was cited that claimed 2/3 of Americans didn't believe the Warren Commission got it right. The blog in question riduculed that 2/3s......what? I don't know a single rationale person who believes the conclusions reached by those gentleman. Seriously. Not one person I respect believes that Oswald acted alone. It was an odd exchange. There I was wanting to know who made up the other 1/3....they were the ones whose intelligence I was questioning!
Yeah, baby! And you will see that happen again this coming Saturday.......Admiral Keating says so.
In 1963, U.S. President Lyndon Johnson appointed the Warren Commission to investigate the assassination of U.S. President John Kennedy.
What a farce that was. This subject was recently discussed on another blog and a statistic was cited that claimed 2/3 of Americans didn't believe the Warren Commission got it right. The blog in question riduculed that 2/3s......what? I don't know a single rationale person who believes the conclusions reached by those gentleman. Seriously. Not one person I respect believes that Oswald acted alone. It was an odd exchange. There I was wanting to know who made up the other 1/3....they were the ones whose intelligence I was questioning!
Operation Good Shepherd
The Wizard of Odds: 'Operation Good Shepherd' Is a Success
Thanks! I found this by way of the Flight Deck over at Neptunus Lex.
You have to watch both videos.
Go Navy! Beat Army!
Thanks! I found this by way of the Flight Deck over at Neptunus Lex.
You have to watch both videos.
Go Navy! Beat Army!
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Admiral Keating 27 NOV 2007
My favorite parts are where some asshat asks if ADM Keating thinks China will apologize about the Kitty Hawk incident. ROTFLMAO!
But this was great too:
The Admiral was asked if he had any final comment (about 38 minutes in).
"I do have one and it's a very serious topic. And one that certainly I need to bring to the attention of the Washington Press Corp. This is my seventh joint assignment and I am a very much a disciple of the Goldwater-Nichols bill and the dramatic improvements it has made in our military's ability to fight and win. However, this Saturday it all goes into a cocked hat when Navy will run roughshod over Army in Baltimore Maryland. Goldwater-Nichols doesn't count this coming Saturday. And I'm sure you will all be on Navy's side (this is when the serious face started to slip and a little half-smirk emerged) in this important engagement."
(At this point he outright grins and sits back in his chair - he looked like my Dad when he's very self satisfied)
Then the Army guy at the podium at the Pentagon cuts off his "Go Navy! Beat Army!"
The outrage!
So I will help you out sir.
Go NAVY! BEAT ARMY!
Cocoanut Grove
Sixty-five years ago this evening, my grandfather's brother Jim lost his life in the Cocoanut Grove fire. Jim had joined the Marines before the war and was a drill instructor. He was home on leave and out for a fun night with friends.
I've blogged about it before and the Globe wrote an article this morning to commemorate the anniversary.
I like this pic better, he looks mean, but my mother says he wasn't. She was only four and half when he died, but she has always been a good judge of character. My grandfather's brothers made sure we all knew the circumstance of his death. He and a date were there with another couple. Once Jim had his party out safely he went back inside. The friend came to my grandfather and told him that.
Then there was something about a hat on a bed, and my mother hiding in a closet when they came to tell my grandfather. I suppose I should ask my mother to explain that story.
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
The Other Offer Sounds More Appetizing
Just recieved my invitation to take advantage of early bird registration for the Power Generator's Middle East Conference in Manama, Bahrain.
Although, I think I would have had more fun here.
FatBoy To Pen Memoirs
Kennedy agrees to pen memoirs in lucrative deal
By Susan Milligan
Globe Staff / November 27, 2007
WASHINGTON - Senator Edward M. Kennedy has agreed to a multimillion dollar deal with Hachette Book Group USA to pen his memoirs, giving the veteran Massachusetts lawmaker a forum for his own perspective on a life and career that has been examined by others in countless books and articles, negotiators of the deal confirmed yesterday.
The rest of this drivel is here.
I asked SB if I should pick him up a copy..........he replied "No. I have enough toilet paper."
OK, just so you know, I'm always thinking of you, baby!
By Susan Milligan
Globe Staff / November 27, 2007
WASHINGTON - Senator Edward M. Kennedy has agreed to a multimillion dollar deal with Hachette Book Group USA to pen his memoirs, giving the veteran Massachusetts lawmaker a forum for his own perspective on a life and career that has been examined by others in countless books and articles, negotiators of the deal confirmed yesterday.
The rest of this drivel is here.
I asked SB if I should pick him up a copy..........he replied "No. I have enough toilet paper."
OK, just so you know, I'm always thinking of you, baby!
Monday, November 26, 2007
More On China Cutting Their Nose.......
.....well you know the rest.
It started here.
Caught up? Good.
Now go here and read what the birthday boy has to say. Very interesting. I took off my glasses and leaned closer to the screen for this one.....put on my thinking cap.
Full spectrum........haha. You slay me, baby! Happy Birthday, and Happy Anniversary, Galrahn.
It started here.
Caught up? Good.
Now go here and read what the birthday boy has to say. Very interesting. I took off my glasses and leaned closer to the screen for this one.....put on my thinking cap.
Full spectrum........haha. You slay me, baby! Happy Birthday, and Happy Anniversary, Galrahn.
Sunday, November 25, 2007
On The Run
The girls don't want breakfast.....I'm bummed.
I have to dress and go to Dunkin' Donuts.
However, I leave you this.
I have to dress and go to Dunkin' Donuts.
However, I leave you this.
Here For A Minute
I have to get to bed, my eyes are at half mast. Deb & Gen are down for the weekend.We have a crazy amount of snacks (I will have to move into the gym on Monday), and Frankie showed up with two pizzas and we watched movies all night.
First up "Zodiac"..........then "Ocean's 13" then, despite lobbying by SB we did not watch "In Harm's Way" I explained the whole premise to the girls.....John Wayne, dress whites, Maggie.....Jennifer laughed and said no. I looked over and raised an eyebrow and said "Well....he's your BFF."
I called to wake him and he answered the phone his laugh rumbled across the line from eight time zones away and went right through me from the balls of my feet to send tingles along my scalp.
We finished up the night with "Knocked Up". OMG, if Grace ever finds out we let her daughters watch that film.......we are DEAD! For the love of GOD, don't tell her. If you ever cared about me, don't ever let her know.
First up "Zodiac"..........then "Ocean's 13" then, despite lobbying by SB we did not watch "In Harm's Way" I explained the whole premise to the girls.....John Wayne, dress whites, Maggie.....Jennifer laughed and said no. I looked over and raised an eyebrow and said "Well....he's your BFF."
I called to wake him and he answered the phone his laugh rumbled across the line from eight time zones away and went right through me from the balls of my feet to send tingles along my scalp.
We finished up the night with "Knocked Up". OMG, if Grace ever finds out we let her daughters watch that film.......we are DEAD! For the love of GOD, don't tell her. If you ever cared about me, don't ever let her know.
Saturday, November 24, 2007
Did I Get It All?
Part of the Princess Crabby self-improvement plan is to stop buying new body scrubs/butters/creams/lotions/gels and to actually use all the ones I have. So this is a jar of Henri Bendel rose body cream that I am very happy say I used completely.
There's just 56 more jars & bottles to go, lol!
Here's another question.........why do I always want ketchup on my eggs the day I wear the white shirt?
MOOTW
Todays lesson boys and girls, is Military Operations other than War. While everyone wants to scream about the big bad US of A and their overwhelming and threatening military power......who else can show up at your cyclone and do this?
071123-M-7696M-044 BARISAL, Bangladesh (Nov. 23, 2007) A Bangladeshi soldier celebrates the arrival of bottled water delivered by Marines of Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron (HMM) 261, the aviation element of the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU). This mission marked the first U.S. military aid arriving in Bangladesh. The amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD 3) and the 22nd MEU are supporting relief operations at the request of the government of Bangladesh. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Peter R. Miller (Released)
071123-M-7696M-062 BARISAL, Bangladesh (Nov. 23, 2007) Bangladeshi soldiers unload a shipment of bottled water delivered by Marines of Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron (HMM) 261, the aviation element of the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU). This mission marked the first U.S. military aid arriving in Bangladesh. The amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD 3) and the 22nd MEU are supporting relief operations at the request of the government of Bangladesh. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Peter R. Miller (Released)
071123-M-7696M-044 BARISAL, Bangladesh (Nov. 23, 2007) A Bangladeshi soldier celebrates the arrival of bottled water delivered by Marines of Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron (HMM) 261, the aviation element of the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU). This mission marked the first U.S. military aid arriving in Bangladesh. The amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD 3) and the 22nd MEU are supporting relief operations at the request of the government of Bangladesh. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Peter R. Miller (Released)071123-M-7696M-062 BARISAL, Bangladesh (Nov. 23, 2007) Bangladeshi soldiers unload a shipment of bottled water delivered by Marines of Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron (HMM) 261, the aviation element of the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU). This mission marked the first U.S. military aid arriving in Bangladesh. The amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD 3) and the 22nd MEU are supporting relief operations at the request of the government of Bangladesh. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Peter R. Miller (Released) 071123-M-7696M-096 BARISAL, Bangladesh (Nov. 23, 2007) Bangladeshi soldiers use a stretcher to unload a shipment of bottled water delivered by Marines of Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron (HMM) 261, the aviation element of the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU). This mission marked the first U.S. military aid arriving in Bangladesh. The amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD 3) and the 22nd MEU are supporting relief operations at the request of the government of Bangladesh. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Peter R. Miller (Released)
Bravo Zulu USS Kearsarge!
Bravo Zulu USS Kearsarge!Friday, November 23, 2007
Admiral Keating is "perplexed and concerned"
So am I baby! I checked with SB and his answer was, "If he is...I am." What has the Admiral "perplexed and concerned"?
This.
I read the AP story and then poked around. I found Springboarder on top of it and bringing together some other threads.
Then I sent an email out to my favorite Sailors and got a lead to these views, here, here and here.
So far, my favorite comment was at the secret squirrel site.
No Hong Kong for you! You come back one year!
This.
I read the AP story and then poked around. I found Springboarder on top of it and bringing together some other threads.
Then I sent an email out to my favorite Sailors and got a lead to these views, here, here and here.
So far, my favorite comment was at the secret squirrel site.
No Hong Kong for you! You come back one year!
Thursday, November 22, 2007
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Jen Called
I explained my difficulties. She listened patiently until I got to the part about her stupid friend in the desert and she said "Hey!" Whatever, they are BFF.....good for them.
Then she added onto the weight of my burdens.
"You thought you were going to stay on? What's wrong with you? You know Diane is making desserts too. That was just stupid. Get over it."
I had been blocking this, but my sister-in-law makes all these little desserts.....peanut butter squares, fudge, rasberry squares, stuff like that. She cuts them up and puts them in little cupcake wrappers piled high on a platter. Evil.
So now I am going to go to the gym and do a pre-emptive strike on the damage I will do tomorrow.
Then I have to go to Stop&Shop and buy the little paper things you put on the turkey legs. That was my Dad's only instruction this year. Hope it's not as traumatic as the search for lemons last Christmas.....or was that Easter?
Then she added onto the weight of my burdens.
"You thought you were going to stay on? What's wrong with you? You know Diane is making desserts too. That was just stupid. Get over it."
I had been blocking this, but my sister-in-law makes all these little desserts.....peanut butter squares, fudge, rasberry squares, stuff like that. She cuts them up and puts them in little cupcake wrappers piled high on a platter. Evil.
So now I am going to go to the gym and do a pre-emptive strike on the damage I will do tomorrow.
Then I have to go to Stop&Shop and buy the little paper things you put on the turkey legs. That was my Dad's only instruction this year. Hope it's not as traumatic as the search for lemons last Christmas.....or was that Easter?
So........I Might As Well Explain Chutney Now
I don't know how I got this job, but on holidays I am the one who makes cranberry chutney. I cut the oranges in half and scallop the edges to serve it in. Back in the day I was very "Martha Stewart". I was a real foodie. 
So I have been debating this. It would be the one sugary thing that would tempt me tomorrow. I could pass on all the other sweet things (pumpkin pie, regular cranberry sauce) and just indulge in a few extra carbs (stuffing, potatoes). Maybe even hit the gym later.
Well considering what Grace is doing to me.....might as well make the effing chutney.
So I have been debating this. It would be the one sugary thing that would tempt me tomorrow. I could pass on all the other sweet things (pumpkin pie, regular cranberry sauce) and just indulge in a few extra carbs (stuffing, potatoes). Maybe even hit the gym later. Well considering what Grace is doing to me.....might as well make the effing chutney.
Another Country Heard From
Literally.
SB pops up in IM and I am ranting about Grace
SB says:
hey
bostonmaggie@yahoo.com says:
Hi!
bostonmaggie@yahoo.com says:
My sister Grace just made me crazy and I am blogging about it
SB says:
going to Ctown for Tday?
bostonmaggie@yahoo.com says:
How was the gym, I didn't go
bostonmaggie@yahoo.com says:
but of course
bostonmaggie@yahoo.com says:
dinner at 1300
bostonmaggie@yahoo.com says:
so I will not be online
SB says:
it was fine. still have congestion in my chest so got winded pretty quickly
SB says:
why did Grace make you crazy?
SB says:
shall I go look at the blog?
bostonmaggie@yahoo.com says:
I have been a good girl on Atkins lately and I have been having a little internal debate about Thanksgiving. Nothing would really tempt me if I didn't make chutney. I had just about decided to not make chutney
bostonmaggie@yahoo.com says:
no it's not up yet
SB says:
seems to me I caused a problem with your chutney once
bostonmaggie@yahoo.com says:
then Grace called and reminded me that the desserts that my parents and Jen and I bought as part of Genevieve's school fundraiser
bostonmaggie@yahoo.com says:
lol you did
SB says:
have not looked at the blog in days
bostonmaggie@yahoo.com says:
anyway all the desserts will be there tomorrow
bostonmaggie@yahoo.com says:
argh!
bostonmaggie@yahoo.com says:
normally they have apple and pumpkin pie unless I make something else
bostonmaggie@yahoo.com says:
I can resist those....easily
SB says:
so what's the problem?
bostonmaggie@yahoo.com says:
but this is chocolate, chocolate, chocolate
SB says:
oh
bostonmaggie@yahoo.com says:
all Gen's stuff is the problem
SB says:
have some willpower
SB says:
just walk away
bostonmaggie@yahoo.com says:
what the eff are you talking about?
SB says:
walkin away from chocolate
bostonmaggie@yahoo.com says:
who
bostonmaggie@yahoo.com says:
are
bostonmaggie@yahoo.com says:
you
bostonmaggie@yahoo.com says:
talking
bostonmaggie@yahoo.com says:
to
bostonmaggie@yahoo.com says:
?
bostonmaggie@yahoo.com says:
lol
SB says:
i've only had dessert 3x since i've been here
SB says:
and it is plenty tempting
bostonmaggie@yahoo.com says:
no suh
bostonmaggie@yahoo.com says:
you don't feel that way about dessert
SB says:
but then again i expect to get my 5k time down to 30 flat
bostonmaggie@yahoo.com says:
how about we substitute your favorite beer for dessert?
bostonmaggie@yahoo.com says:
shut up
SB says:
bm
bostonmaggie@yahoo.com says:
you do not have the proper amount of sympathy for my plight
bostonmaggie@yahoo.com says:
thank goodness for the blog
bostonmaggie@yahoo.com says:
there are people out there who will feel my pain
SB says:
when have I ever had any sympathy?
SB says:
and why would i start now?
bostonmaggie@yahoo.com says:
kiss my royal irish ass sailor
bostonmaggie@yahoo.com says:
you used to be really nice and complimentary when you were trying to woo me
SB says:
you always blame your sisters for everything
bostonmaggie@yahoo.com says:
stomp....stomp
bostonmaggie@yahoo.com says:
don't take their side
bostonmaggie@yahoo.com says:
you bastid
SB says:
I bet Grace is as nice as Jen
bostonmaggie@yahoo.com says:
why do I put up with you
bostonmaggie@yahoo.com says:
not only are you not being nice
bostonmaggie@yahoo.com says:
you are being deliberately provocative
SB says:
when have i ever been deliberately provocative?
bostonmaggie@yahoo.com says:
I need to find a new man
bostonmaggie@yahoo.com says:
someone who will be nice
bostonmaggie@yahoo.com says:
someone who will say "Maggie, you are so hot."
bostonmaggie@yahoo.com says:
"Maggie, your sisters are evil to bring chocolate cake to your Dad's house
bostonmaggie@yahoo.com says:
that person would deserve my attention
SB says:
and you would soon kick them to the curb because they would not hold your interest
bostonmaggie@yahoo.com says:
bastid
SB says:
yours
bostonmaggie@yahoo.com says:
yes
SB says:
your day is not complete if i don't give you a hard time about something
SB pops up in IM and I am ranting about Grace
SB says:
hey
bostonmaggie@yahoo.com says:
Hi!
bostonmaggie@yahoo.com says:
My sister Grace just made me crazy and I am blogging about it
SB says:
going to Ctown for Tday?
bostonmaggie@yahoo.com says:
How was the gym, I didn't go
bostonmaggie@yahoo.com says:
but of course
bostonmaggie@yahoo.com says:
dinner at 1300
bostonmaggie@yahoo.com says:
so I will not be online
SB says:
it was fine. still have congestion in my chest so got winded pretty quickly
SB says:
why did Grace make you crazy?
SB says:
shall I go look at the blog?
bostonmaggie@yahoo.com says:
I have been a good girl on Atkins lately and I have been having a little internal debate about Thanksgiving. Nothing would really tempt me if I didn't make chutney. I had just about decided to not make chutney
bostonmaggie@yahoo.com says:
no it's not up yet
SB says:
seems to me I caused a problem with your chutney once
bostonmaggie@yahoo.com says:
then Grace called and reminded me that the desserts that my parents and Jen and I bought as part of Genevieve's school fundraiser
bostonmaggie@yahoo.com says:
lol you did
SB says:
have not looked at the blog in days
bostonmaggie@yahoo.com says:
anyway all the desserts will be there tomorrow
bostonmaggie@yahoo.com says:
argh!
bostonmaggie@yahoo.com says:
normally they have apple and pumpkin pie unless I make something else
bostonmaggie@yahoo.com says:
I can resist those....easily
SB says:
so what's the problem?
bostonmaggie@yahoo.com says:
but this is chocolate, chocolate, chocolate
SB says:
oh
bostonmaggie@yahoo.com says:
all Gen's stuff is the problem
SB says:
have some willpower
SB says:
just walk away
bostonmaggie@yahoo.com says:
what the eff are you talking about?
SB says:
walkin away from chocolate
bostonmaggie@yahoo.com says:
who
bostonmaggie@yahoo.com says:
are
bostonmaggie@yahoo.com says:
you
bostonmaggie@yahoo.com says:
talking
bostonmaggie@yahoo.com says:
to
bostonmaggie@yahoo.com says:
?
bostonmaggie@yahoo.com says:
lol
SB says:
i've only had dessert 3x since i've been here
SB says:
and it is plenty tempting
bostonmaggie@yahoo.com says:
no suh
bostonmaggie@yahoo.com says:
you don't feel that way about dessert
SB says:
but then again i expect to get my 5k time down to 30 flat
bostonmaggie@yahoo.com says:
how about we substitute your favorite beer for dessert?
bostonmaggie@yahoo.com says:
shut up
SB says:
bm
bostonmaggie@yahoo.com says:
you do not have the proper amount of sympathy for my plight
bostonmaggie@yahoo.com says:
thank goodness for the blog
bostonmaggie@yahoo.com says:
there are people out there who will feel my pain
SB says:
when have I ever had any sympathy?
SB says:
and why would i start now?
bostonmaggie@yahoo.com says:
kiss my royal irish ass sailor
bostonmaggie@yahoo.com says:
you used to be really nice and complimentary when you were trying to woo me
SB says:
you always blame your sisters for everything
bostonmaggie@yahoo.com says:
stomp....stomp
bostonmaggie@yahoo.com says:
don't take their side
bostonmaggie@yahoo.com says:
you bastid
SB says:
I bet Grace is as nice as Jen
bostonmaggie@yahoo.com says:
why do I put up with you
bostonmaggie@yahoo.com says:
not only are you not being nice
bostonmaggie@yahoo.com says:
you are being deliberately provocative
SB says:
when have i ever been deliberately provocative?
bostonmaggie@yahoo.com says:
I need to find a new man
bostonmaggie@yahoo.com says:
someone who will be nice
bostonmaggie@yahoo.com says:
someone who will say "Maggie, you are so hot."
bostonmaggie@yahoo.com says:
"Maggie, your sisters are evil to bring chocolate cake to your Dad's house
bostonmaggie@yahoo.com says:
that person would deserve my attention
SB says:
and you would soon kick them to the curb because they would not hold your interest
bostonmaggie@yahoo.com says:
bastid
SB says:
yours
bostonmaggie@yahoo.com says:
yes
SB says:
your day is not complete if i don't give you a hard time about something
Argghhh!!!! My Rotten Sister Grace!
My rotten sister Grace just called me about an hour and half ago. She was having a bad day. I was having a pretty good day. I listened to her "Direct TV" tirade and said all the right sisterly things. She said it was a rage day. OK, I said, enjoy that.
Then the conversation turned to other events. The movie last night, my good day, tomorrow, when was she going, who was going. Dinner at my parent's house will occur precisely at 1300 hours. That is the hallmark of these occasions, precise timing and punctuality.......I know what you are thinking.......how did he end up with a daughter like me? I wonder about that too.
Anyway, then she drops this bomb. "Remember the stuff everyone bought from Genevieve's school fundraiser? It will be at Mum's."
Yeah, that's Atkins.
Do you understand how hard it is for me to be good? I am a bad girl in sooooooooo many ways. This morning when I got on the scale I was down to a weight I haven't been since April of 06. Considering my complete and utter lack of self control this is a REAL accomplishment.
We ordered all this crap on Girl's Weekend. It seemed like a great idea at the time. At the time I placed my order I had a mouth full of M&Ms, I had to point to what I wanted! My goddaughter Deb was reading me all the chocolate descriptions. Did I want chocolate cake, double chocolate torte, triple chocolate bombe??????? "Deb, you know me. Circle the chocolate, chocolate thing." Jen picked a chocolate thing. My Mum got two! Of course she doesn't have this problem, I got this body from my father's side of the family, specifically my aunt Teresa, but I am taller.
OK, now it six weeks later and I have been good and going to the gym and even if I slip off, it's carbs, not sugar.
I was laughing and yelling at Grace. I told her she was rotten. I was laughing so hard I could hardly explain it to the girls in work.
Then the conversation turned to other events. The movie last night, my good day, tomorrow, when was she going, who was going. Dinner at my parent's house will occur precisely at 1300 hours. That is the hallmark of these occasions, precise timing and punctuality.......I know what you are thinking.......how did he end up with a daughter like me? I wonder about that too.
Anyway, then she drops this bomb. "Remember the stuff everyone bought from Genevieve's school fundraiser? It will be at Mum's."
Yeah, that's Atkins.Do you understand how hard it is for me to be good? I am a bad girl in sooooooooo many ways. This morning when I got on the scale I was down to a weight I haven't been since April of 06. Considering my complete and utter lack of self control this is a REAL accomplishment.
We ordered all this crap on Girl's Weekend. It seemed like a great idea at the time. At the time I placed my order I had a mouth full of M&Ms, I had to point to what I wanted! My goddaughter Deb was reading me all the chocolate descriptions. Did I want chocolate cake, double chocolate torte, triple chocolate bombe??????? "Deb, you know me. Circle the chocolate, chocolate thing." Jen picked a chocolate thing. My Mum got two! Of course she doesn't have this problem, I got this body from my father's side of the family, specifically my aunt Teresa, but I am taller.
OK, now it six weeks later and I have been good and going to the gym and even if I slip off, it's carbs, not sugar.
I was laughing and yelling at Grace. I told her she was rotten. I was laughing so hard I could hardly explain it to the girls in work.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
I Strayed........
The plan was to work until I hit the gym. Frontline was running a show tonight on Darfur. I had every intention of being on the treadmill when it came on.
But no.
Jen called. "Bertucci's?"
I countered with the movies. My thought was some popcorn was better than chicken parm or pizza.
We saw American Gangster. I liked it, Jen was lukewarm.
I told myself (& The Commander) that I would go to the gym afterwards. Yeah....no.
But no.
Jen called. "Bertucci's?"
I countered with the movies. My thought was some popcorn was better than chicken parm or pizza.
We saw American Gangster. I liked it, Jen was lukewarm.
I told myself (& The Commander) that I would go to the gym afterwards. Yeah....no.
Monday, November 19, 2007
Uncle Jimbo Wants A Parade
Uncle J wants a big "Victory" parade in DC *near* the 4th of July...he's thinking maybe the 2nd or so.
So, I'm in. I've never been able to say no to Uncle Jimbo!
Baby? Can we work a pub crawl into this deal?
An Early Thanksgiving Greeting
Harrianne, a neighbor from a long time ago, sent me this Thanksgiving pic. 
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Sometimes It's Not An Email Rumor!
Or something Snopes has debunked.
You know I get a lot of feel good emails that paint someone in just the right light, wrapped in a flag. Then you find out it's not true.
Bummer.
But sometimes, it is true.
I got one today that was a series of three stories that were together titled "How To Silence a Room". The first was about Colin Powell. Now the email had a few of the details wrong. But the punch line was true. Here is the correct version.
Colin Powell was attending the World Economic Forum in Switzerland during January, 2003. George Carey, former archbishop of Canterburyasked Powell whether the U.S. was relying too much on "hard power" such as military action as opposed to "soft power" such as appealing to the common values of the major religions and building trust based on those values.
Powell responded by affirming the "soft power" of values but that it was the "hard power" of the military that, for example, helped free Europe and so the "soft power" of peace and reconstruction could take place.
Powell then said, "We have gone forth from our shores repeatedly over the last hundred years and we’ve done this as recently as the last year in Afghanistan and put wonderful young men and women at risk, many of whom have lost their lives, and we have asked for nothing except enough ground to bury them in, and otherwise we have returned home to seek our own, you know, to seek our own lives in peace, to live our own lives in peace. But there comes a time when soft power or talking with evil will not work where, unfortunately, hard power is the only thing that works."
You know I get a lot of feel good emails that paint someone in just the right light, wrapped in a flag. Then you find out it's not true.
Bummer.
But sometimes, it is true.
I got one today that was a series of three stories that were together titled "How To Silence a Room". The first was about Colin Powell. Now the email had a few of the details wrong. But the punch line was true. Here is the correct version.
Colin Powell was attending the World Economic Forum in Switzerland during January, 2003. George Carey, former archbishop of Canterburyasked Powell whether the U.S. was relying too much on "hard power" such as military action as opposed to "soft power" such as appealing to the common values of the major religions and building trust based on those values.
Powell responded by affirming the "soft power" of values but that it was the "hard power" of the military that, for example, helped free Europe and so the "soft power" of peace and reconstruction could take place.
Powell then said, "We have gone forth from our shores repeatedly over the last hundred years and we’ve done this as recently as the last year in Afghanistan and put wonderful young men and women at risk, many of whom have lost their lives, and we have asked for nothing except enough ground to bury them in, and otherwise we have returned home to seek our own, you know, to seek our own lives in peace, to live our own lives in peace. But there comes a time when soft power or talking with evil will not work where, unfortunately, hard power is the only thing that works."
USS Sampson Color Guard
071104-N-8110K-004 BOSTON, Mass. (Nov. 4, 2007) - The guided-missile destroyer USS Sampson (DDG 102) color guard presents colors at the opening ceremony of the National Hockey League match between the Boston Bruins and the Ottawa Senators. Sampson is the fourth ship named for Rear Adm. William T. Sampson, a naval hero during the Spanish-American War. The three previous ships, all destroyers named in honor of Sampson, were also commissioned in Boston. U.S. Navy photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Dave Kaylor (RELEASED)The CNO & I Are On The Same Page
CNO praises IAs, calls for expanded fleet
By Zachary M. Peterson - Staff writerPosted : Sunday Nov 18, 2007 9:33:54 EST
The Navy’s top admiral is putting a premium on the work of sailors on the ground in the Middle East and is pushing for more ships to maintain presence around the globe.
In his first interview since taking over as chief of naval operations at the end of September, Adm. Gary Roughead spoke of the value that having thousands of sailors on the ground in a war zone brings to the fleet.
“For the first time in history, we have more sailors on the ground in the Middle East than we do at sea — 14,000 sailors ashore and about 11,000 at sea,” Roughead said during the interview in his Pentagon office.
In his first month on the job, he unveiled a new maritime strategy, written in concert with the Marine Corps and Coast Guard, and visited sailors in Iraq and Bahrain in a sweeping overview of operations there. The admiral’s own op tempo was made obvious by his office — except for the large paintings that always adorn the CNO’s workspace, the walls were bare.
During his Iraq trip, Roughead said, he had the opportunity to speak to 3,000 to 4,000 sailors on the ground.
Air Force, Army and Marine commanders all noted the strengths of sailors serving as individual augmentees in their units, he said.
“It was interesting to me that when I talked to the Army, Air Force and Marine commanders, when they are referring to U.S. Navy sailors, they refer to them as ‘my sailors,’ ” Roughead said. “And the thing that really struck me were the qualities that they talked about with respect to our sailors — a sense of accountability, the vast range of skills and capabilities that our sailors have, the discipline that they have and the way that we just do our business as sailors; the idea of how you stand a proper watch. That came through loud and clear.”
The admiral disputed the notion that an IA assignment could hurt a sailor’s career.
IA tours are producing sailors who can operate in a joint force — to the betterment of the individual sailor’s career and the Navy, he said. The skills that IA sailors bring to their parent commands are unlike what they could attain on a traditional tour, he said.
“We are becoming a much more capable force — a force that not only understands jointness, but experiences jointness in a very unique way, out there doing it with the other services,” Roughead said.
Further, he said, the new maritime strategy calls for sailors to deploy to areas of the world where the Navy has not traditionally spent much time, such as Africa.
There is more here, including interesting stuff about his plan to expand the Fleet.
By Zachary M. Peterson - Staff writerPosted : Sunday Nov 18, 2007 9:33:54 EST
The Navy’s top admiral is putting a premium on the work of sailors on the ground in the Middle East and is pushing for more ships to maintain presence around the globe.
In his first interview since taking over as chief of naval operations at the end of September, Adm. Gary Roughead spoke of the value that having thousands of sailors on the ground in a war zone brings to the fleet.
“For the first time in history, we have more sailors on the ground in the Middle East than we do at sea — 14,000 sailors ashore and about 11,000 at sea,” Roughead said during the interview in his Pentagon office.
In his first month on the job, he unveiled a new maritime strategy, written in concert with the Marine Corps and Coast Guard, and visited sailors in Iraq and Bahrain in a sweeping overview of operations there. The admiral’s own op tempo was made obvious by his office — except for the large paintings that always adorn the CNO’s workspace, the walls were bare.
During his Iraq trip, Roughead said, he had the opportunity to speak to 3,000 to 4,000 sailors on the ground.
Air Force, Army and Marine commanders all noted the strengths of sailors serving as individual augmentees in their units, he said.
“It was interesting to me that when I talked to the Army, Air Force and Marine commanders, when they are referring to U.S. Navy sailors, they refer to them as ‘my sailors,’ ” Roughead said. “And the thing that really struck me were the qualities that they talked about with respect to our sailors — a sense of accountability, the vast range of skills and capabilities that our sailors have, the discipline that they have and the way that we just do our business as sailors; the idea of how you stand a proper watch. That came through loud and clear.”
The admiral disputed the notion that an IA assignment could hurt a sailor’s career.
IA tours are producing sailors who can operate in a joint force — to the betterment of the individual sailor’s career and the Navy, he said. The skills that IA sailors bring to their parent commands are unlike what they could attain on a traditional tour, he said.
“We are becoming a much more capable force — a force that not only understands jointness, but experiences jointness in a very unique way, out there doing it with the other services,” Roughead said.
Further, he said, the new maritime strategy calls for sailors to deploy to areas of the world where the Navy has not traditionally spent much time, such as Africa.
There is more here, including interesting stuff about his plan to expand the Fleet.
Saturday, November 17, 2007
The Person at the FBI.....
.....who maintains my file must be scratching his head. I know I am! I got an email this morning reminding me to register for this event.
Friday, November 16, 2007
Bowls Should Be.....
.....licked til the tongue is tired......why am I thinking of something other than dessert?
Thursday, November 15, 2007
My Head Is Swimmin
We picked Bertucci's tonihgt. I arranged for a designated driverr. He stunk b y the way. We got there at 8 amd had a nice meal, a lot of laughs, good bartender.
but at 10:13 she hands s a check.
WTF?
10:13?
Anyway, I call the spalpeen to get us and he is so late that they sht off the TVs, then the muisc and then some lights!!!
We killed ourslves laughing on the way home
ghetto ghetto go........get out of the the car
the car had child dafe locks and I was locked in the back seat for a whele, but someone came and got me. Not my bastid son, but someoen.
i'm going to bed. wish I had a bedtime story,
but at 10:13 she hands s a check.
WTF?
10:13?
Anyway, I call the spalpeen to get us and he is so late that they sht off the TVs, then the muisc and then some lights!!!
We killed ourslves laughing on the way home
ghetto ghetto go........get out of the the car
the car had child dafe locks and I was locked in the back seat for a whele, but someone came and got me. Not my bastid son, but someoen.
i'm going to bed. wish I had a bedtime story,
I'm Lost
So, I guess I'll go out drinking...........lol!
OK, I'm kidding, I'm going out to dinner - Girl's Night - and I was already planning on having a few cocktails. A little farewell to my cheating week! Tomorrow, back on Atkins.
Anyway, what I am lost about is someone who is upset with me. I don't know why. I wish I did.
Ok, I'm signing off now..........will Bertucci's serve me dessert first? I am wondering if I should switch from Cape Codders.......maybe get something fou-fou.
OK, I'm kidding, I'm going out to dinner - Girl's Night - and I was already planning on having a few cocktails. A little farewell to my cheating week! Tomorrow, back on Atkins.
Anyway, what I am lost about is someone who is upset with me. I don't know why. I wish I did.
Ok, I'm signing off now..........will Bertucci's serve me dessert first? I am wondering if I should switch from Cape Codders.......maybe get something fou-fou.
The Irony of the Day
Boston is not actually the center of the universe.
Calm down, it's still the center of my universe.
It is ironic that I have have to be the one to tell some people this. Currently there is a little brouhaha going on here in the Hub regarding Pope Benedict's upcoming trip to America. The local papers, and talk shows are whipping everyone up over being snubbed by the Pope. Talk about navel-gazing. In order to be snubbed, you must come up on the radar first. Trust me, the Pope is not sitting in the Vatican telling his appointments secretary......."Boston? I'll show those Bostonians! I'll go to New York and Washington instead!" Are some of us really that smug? Are some of us that self involved?
The most ridiculous one was a guy at the Phoenix who read a poem stating the reason was that the Pope had to avoid Boston because of the priest-sex-abuse scandal. Crazy. As I commented over there; 1) Pope Benedict wasn't in charge when that happened and 2) How would his visiting Boston help heal those wounds?
The Pope, like any other world leader traveling to a foreign country, has a foreign policy agenda to advance. In this case, it is peace in the Middle East and his trip is about how best to accomplish this goal. He is going to the two seats of power in the political world. The Pope will address the U.N. in Turtle Bay and he will meet with the President in DC.
The other item on the Pope's travel agenda is to visit Ground Zero. If he's coming to America and time is short.......that's actually the most meaningful thing he can do.
And to be frank, if I were going to read anything into the Pope passing on Boston.......I'd say it's more a snub for O'Malley. I've not cared for the man since he blew into town.
What has he done that merits a Papal visit? Closing parishes? Holding meetings with parishoners and making them think they have some say and then completely disregarding their input? Disrespecting priests who have worked long and hard in those parishes? Priests who have not a breath of scandal attached to them.
Or perhaps attending an award ceremony for a certain hardworking priest and hijacking the evening with his own agenda?
Yeah. If anyone got passed over, it was O'Malley........not Boston.
Calm down, it's still the center of my universe.
It is ironic that I have have to be the one to tell some people this. Currently there is a little brouhaha going on here in the Hub regarding Pope Benedict's upcoming trip to America. The local papers, and talk shows are whipping everyone up over being snubbed by the Pope. Talk about navel-gazing. In order to be snubbed, you must come up on the radar first. Trust me, the Pope is not sitting in the Vatican telling his appointments secretary......."Boston? I'll show those Bostonians! I'll go to New York and Washington instead!" Are some of us really that smug? Are some of us that self involved?
The most ridiculous one was a guy at the Phoenix who read a poem stating the reason was that the Pope had to avoid Boston because of the priest-sex-abuse scandal. Crazy. As I commented over there; 1) Pope Benedict wasn't in charge when that happened and 2) How would his visiting Boston help heal those wounds?
The Pope, like any other world leader traveling to a foreign country, has a foreign policy agenda to advance. In this case, it is peace in the Middle East and his trip is about how best to accomplish this goal. He is going to the two seats of power in the political world. The Pope will address the U.N. in Turtle Bay and he will meet with the President in DC.
The other item on the Pope's travel agenda is to visit Ground Zero. If he's coming to America and time is short.......that's actually the most meaningful thing he can do.
And to be frank, if I were going to read anything into the Pope passing on Boston.......I'd say it's more a snub for O'Malley. I've not cared for the man since he blew into town.
What has he done that merits a Papal visit? Closing parishes? Holding meetings with parishoners and making them think they have some say and then completely disregarding their input? Disrespecting priests who have worked long and hard in those parishes? Priests who have not a breath of scandal attached to them.
Or perhaps attending an award ceremony for a certain hardworking priest and hijacking the evening with his own agenda?
Yeah. If anyone got passed over, it was O'Malley........not Boston.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
I Miss Rick
He never calls....... He never writes....... Doesn't he miss me? LOL
U.S. military officer Major-General Rick Lynch (2nd L) walks with other U.S. soldiers during a visit at a U.S. military camp in the rural town of Salman Pak, southeast of Baghdad November 6, 2007. The quantity of Iranian bomb-making components being found in Iraq is increasing despite a fall in attacks and 20 Iranian-trained agents are still operating south of Baghdad, Lynch said on Sunday. Picture taken November 6, 2007. REUTERS/Erik de Castro (IRAQ)
U.S. military officer Major-General Rick Lynch (2nd L) walks with other U.S. soldiers during a visit at a U.S. military camp in the rural town of Salman Pak, southeast of Baghdad November 6, 2007. The quantity of Iranian bomb-making components being found in Iraq is increasing despite a fall in attacks and 20 Iranian-trained agents are still operating south of Baghdad, Lynch said on Sunday. Picture taken November 6, 2007. REUTERS/Erik de Castro (IRAQ)
Words of Wisdom From Sherri
Tips to Live By
1. Aspire to be Barbie - that bitch has everything.
2. If the shoe fits - buy one in every color.
3. Take life with a pinch of salt... a wedge of lime, and a shot of tequila
4. In need of a support group? Cocktail hour with the girls!
5. Go on the 30 day diet (I'm on it and so far I've lost 15 days).
6. When life gets you down - just put on your big girl panties and deal with it.
7. Let your greatest fear be that there is no PMS and this is just my personality.
8. I know I'm in my own little world, but it's ok. They know me here.
9. Lead me not into temptation, I can find it myself.
10. Don't get your knickers in a knot, it solves nothing; and makes you walk funny.
11. When life gives you lemons - turn it into lemonade then mix it withvodka.
12. Remember every good looking; sweet, single male is someone else's exboyfriend!
13. Now smile and send to any girl wasting time at work, suffering from a hangover, or just suffering from work that might need a reason to smile.
*****************************
Number 9 is very true, trust me!
1. Aspire to be Barbie - that bitch has everything.
2. If the shoe fits - buy one in every color.
3. Take life with a pinch of salt... a wedge of lime, and a shot of tequila
4. In need of a support group? Cocktail hour with the girls!
5. Go on the 30 day diet (I'm on it and so far I've lost 15 days).
6. When life gets you down - just put on your big girl panties and deal with it.
7. Let your greatest fear be that there is no PMS and this is just my personality.
8. I know I'm in my own little world, but it's ok. They know me here.
9. Lead me not into temptation, I can find it myself.
10. Don't get your knickers in a knot, it solves nothing; and makes you walk funny.
11. When life gives you lemons - turn it into lemonade then mix it withvodka.
12. Remember every good looking; sweet, single male is someone else's exboyfriend!
13. Now smile and send to any girl wasting time at work, suffering from a hangover, or just suffering from work that might need a reason to smile.
*****************************
Number 9 is very true, trust me!
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
The Return of Mr. Light
Four years ago, the last time my mad-man-in-the-desert was playing in the SandBox, we did a lot of chatting on Yahoo Messenger. In one of the first emails he sent I noticed the last name said "Light". I knew that wasn't his last name and I questioned it. He had no idea what I was talking about and couldn't remember the circumstance of creating the account. So we just laughed and moved on. Later when he was state-side we fell out of the IM habit.
Last night, after not the best day at work......I can home.....signed on the computer......and there was a message from Mr. Light.
It was a thrill beyond words.
Welcome back, Mr. Light.
Last night, after not the best day at work......I can home.....signed on the computer......and there was a message from Mr. Light.
It was a thrill beyond words.
Welcome back, Mr. Light.
Monday, November 12, 2007
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Long Day, Inappropriate Shoes......
......but worth it.
There were conversations with a mad-man-in-the-desert........
Conversations with my favorite veteran.
Joining in with others to honor Charlestown veterans including my own.....
Once again, I want to congratulate and thank Bill Durette of the Charlestown Historical Society.
There were conversations with a mad-man-in-the-desert........
Conversations with my favorite veteran.
Joining in with others to honor Charlestown veterans including my own.....
Once again, I want to congratulate and thank Bill Durette of the Charlestown Historical Society.
Princess Crabby Wants You........
****This stays on top until Veteran's Day****New Stuff Below The Top Two Posts****Go Navy!!!!
......to donate to Valor-IT. It's that time of year again. We have broken up into service related teams to raise money for Valor-IT.
Guess which team I am on?
Sorry Rick, I love you, but in the end....I'm a Navy girl!
Here is the Valor-IT webpage.
To donate, please go to the widget in the sidebar. My sidebar sometimes drifts to the bottom. I am techno-capped (I have other assetts). Please look to the right or scroll down. Thanks to Barb for technical assistance.
......to donate to Valor-IT. It's that time of year again. We have broken up into service related teams to raise money for Valor-IT.Guess which team I am on?
Sorry Rick, I love you, but in the end....I'm a Navy girl!
Here is the Valor-IT webpage.
To donate, please go to the widget in the sidebar. My sidebar sometimes drifts to the bottom. I am techno-capped (I have other assetts). Please look to the right or scroll down. Thanks to Barb for technical assistance.
Veteran's Day Blogburst
The Armorer has suggested that we all blog about this great story.
Lieutenant Awarded Distinguished Service Cross
Nov 02, 2007BY J.D. Leipold
WASHINGTON (Army News Service, Nov. 2, 2007) - First Lt. Walter B. Jackson became the seventh Soldier since the Vietnam War ended in 1975 to receive the Distinguished Service Cross for extraordinary heroism in action.Secretary of the Army Pete Geren presented the DSC, which is second in precedence to only the Medal of Honor for valor in battle, at a ceremony held in the Pentagon's Hall of Heroes this afternoon.A second lieutenant at the time of his heroic action on Sept. 27, 2006, Lt. Jackson was cited for selfless courage under extreme enemy fire while serving as a company fire support officer with company A, Task Force 1st Battalion, 36th Infantry Regiment in Al Anbar Province, Iraq.Lt. Jackson was engaged in combat operations with his unit against insurgents and while he attempted to recover a disabled vehicle, his unit came under heavy machine gun fire, which resulted in several Soldiers being wounded. As he applied first aid to a severely wounded comrade, he too was shot in the thigh.Lt. Jackson's citation in part reads: "Upon regaining consciousness after being shot, second lieutenant alternated between returning fire and administering first aid to the Soldier. Second Lt. Jackson was hit again with machine gun fire as he helped carry his wounded comrade to safety, but he never faltered in his aid. Although his own severe wounds required immediate evacuation and surgical care, 2nd Lt. Jackson refused medical assistance until his wounded comrade could be treated. Second Lt. Jackson's selfless courage under extreme enemy fire was essential to saving another Soldier's life and is in keeping with the finest traditions of military service..."Before the presentation, Lt. Col. Thomas C. Graves, former Task Force commander, recounted part of that September 2006 day when he arrived at the medical aid station to see his wounded Soldiers and the first words to come from 2nd Lt. Jackson were of concern for the wounded captain he'd rescued."All the leadership schools, classes and years of experience never really prepare you for that moment in time when you are standing among heroes who have given their all, where their first concerns still remain with their fellow Soldiers," he said. "It reinforces duty and commitment unlike any other experience."After Secretary Geren made the award presentation, 1st Lt. Jackson spoke to the packed room, humbly thanking his family, his West Point classmates and the Soldiers he's served with in his short two-year career and saying simply, "I believe I just had to do what I had to do in that situation... I think many Soldiers would have done the same thing."1st Lt. Jackson has been recovering from his wounds at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, having undergone more than a dozen surgeries. While recovering at WRAMC, he volunteered as an intern with the Judge Advocate General's office. He is awaiting orders to take over a multiple launch rocket system platoon in Korea with the 2nd Infantry Division Fires Brigade.
Lieutenant Awarded Distinguished Service Cross
Nov 02, 2007BY J.D. LeipoldWASHINGTON (Army News Service, Nov. 2, 2007) - First Lt. Walter B. Jackson became the seventh Soldier since the Vietnam War ended in 1975 to receive the Distinguished Service Cross for extraordinary heroism in action.Secretary of the Army Pete Geren presented the DSC, which is second in precedence to only the Medal of Honor for valor in battle, at a ceremony held in the Pentagon's Hall of Heroes this afternoon.A second lieutenant at the time of his heroic action on Sept. 27, 2006, Lt. Jackson was cited for selfless courage under extreme enemy fire while serving as a company fire support officer with company A, Task Force 1st Battalion, 36th Infantry Regiment in Al Anbar Province, Iraq.Lt. Jackson was engaged in combat operations with his unit against insurgents and while he attempted to recover a disabled vehicle, his unit came under heavy machine gun fire, which resulted in several Soldiers being wounded. As he applied first aid to a severely wounded comrade, he too was shot in the thigh.Lt. Jackson's citation in part reads: "Upon regaining consciousness after being shot, second lieutenant alternated between returning fire and administering first aid to the Soldier. Second Lt. Jackson was hit again with machine gun fire as he helped carry his wounded comrade to safety, but he never faltered in his aid. Although his own severe wounds required immediate evacuation and surgical care, 2nd Lt. Jackson refused medical assistance until his wounded comrade could be treated. Second Lt. Jackson's selfless courage under extreme enemy fire was essential to saving another Soldier's life and is in keeping with the finest traditions of military service..."Before the presentation, Lt. Col. Thomas C. Graves, former Task Force commander, recounted part of that September 2006 day when he arrived at the medical aid station to see his wounded Soldiers and the first words to come from 2nd Lt. Jackson were of concern for the wounded captain he'd rescued."All the leadership schools, classes and years of experience never really prepare you for that moment in time when you are standing among heroes who have given their all, where their first concerns still remain with their fellow Soldiers," he said. "It reinforces duty and commitment unlike any other experience."After Secretary Geren made the award presentation, 1st Lt. Jackson spoke to the packed room, humbly thanking his family, his West Point classmates and the Soldiers he's served with in his short two-year career and saying simply, "I believe I just had to do what I had to do in that situation... I think many Soldiers would have done the same thing."1st Lt. Jackson has been recovering from his wounds at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, having undergone more than a dozen surgeries. While recovering at WRAMC, he volunteered as an intern with the Judge Advocate General's office. He is awaiting orders to take over a multiple launch rocket system platoon in Korea with the 2nd Infantry Division Fires Brigade.
Another Great Way to Celebrate Veteran's Day
This is from JimB, frequent commenter at the Castle.
Extreme Makeover On the Marine Corps Birthday.
It's a really great story with lot's of great pics. Definitely worth the click.
Extreme Makeover On the Marine Corps Birthday.
It's a really great story with lot's of great pics. Definitely worth the click.
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Starting Off My Veteran's Day Right
Tonight we were all at my parent's house to celebrate Jen & Tom's birthdays. Everyone showed, it was great.
We were talking about the event tomorrow down in City Square. The Charlestown Historical Society is hosting the Charlestown WWII Veterans' History Day. During the conversation my mother mentioned some letters from her father's brothers during the war. Of the nine children, seven served in World War II. So out came the letters. I couldn't stop reading them. I was absolutely fascinated. Finally about 9:30, my mother made me put them down and drive Jen home.
I hadn't realized how late it had gotten, I missed my phone call to the mad-man-in-the-desert!
So, I'm off to bed to be up early tomorrow. Mass, and CCD. Then it's off to my cousin Dan's to pick up my Uncle Dan's Purple Heart. It will be one of the exhibits.
So, if you are in City Square tomorrow around 1 or 2 pm, stop by. We'll be easy to spot. Bill Durette, who runs the deal (and does a great job) has re-enactors and vintage vehicles.
We were talking about the event tomorrow down in City Square. The Charlestown Historical Society is hosting the Charlestown WWII Veterans' History Day. During the conversation my mother mentioned some letters from her father's brothers during the war. Of the nine children, seven served in World War II. So out came the letters. I couldn't stop reading them. I was absolutely fascinated. Finally about 9:30, my mother made me put them down and drive Jen home.
I hadn't realized how late it had gotten, I missed my phone call to the mad-man-in-the-desert!
So, I'm off to bed to be up early tomorrow. Mass, and CCD. Then it's off to my cousin Dan's to pick up my Uncle Dan's Purple Heart. It will be one of the exhibits.
So, if you are in City Square tomorrow around 1 or 2 pm, stop by. We'll be easy to spot. Bill Durette, who runs the deal (and does a great job) has re-enactors and vintage vehicles.
Who Is More Bold Than Maggie?
LL at Chromed Curses.
I was pimping Navy and LL was gracious enough to join the Navy team. I made some suggestions in jest and I have been called out.
Here is part of her post.
UPDATE: The idea has been tossed out to “win a date” with the blogger for donations. So I’m gonna put it out there. If you want to try to win a date with me, send me your receipt for your donation. Highest donation wins. I’ll take ya out to dinner and although I can’t promise a Happy Ending, I can promise that you’ll have a good time cuz I really AM a nice person, contrary to common fears out there. If you’re a girl and you win, I’ll still take ya out to dinner and show you a good time, but I probably won’t wear a tight t-shirt for you. *grin*
**************************
So, I must follow suit. Same rules.
Princess Crabby is up for bid.
Seriously, I'll throw in some stops on the Freedom Trail and a few choices of places to have dinner - you can pick, tourist trap or true Bostonian place.
**********UPDATE***********
The Armorer plays dirty pool.
I was pimping Navy and LL was gracious enough to join the Navy team. I made some suggestions in jest and I have been called out.
Here is part of her post.
UPDATE: The idea has been tossed out to “win a date” with the blogger for donations. So I’m gonna put it out there. If you want to try to win a date with me, send me your receipt for your donation. Highest donation wins. I’ll take ya out to dinner and although I can’t promise a Happy Ending, I can promise that you’ll have a good time cuz I really AM a nice person, contrary to common fears out there. If you’re a girl and you win, I’ll still take ya out to dinner and show you a good time, but I probably won’t wear a tight t-shirt for you. *grin*
**************************
So, I must follow suit. Same rules.
Princess Crabby is up for bid.
Seriously, I'll throw in some stops on the Freedom Trail and a few choices of places to have dinner - you can pick, tourist trap or true Bostonian place.
**********UPDATE***********
The Armorer plays dirty pool.
Thursday, November 08, 2007
No Girl's Night
Jen is at her desk. Pat's with her b/f and Ed's at the Revolution game.
So.........how do I take advantage of this free Thursday?
Do I pop over to the gym?
Do I phone-a-friend and go out?
Do I go home and watch something fun on the Tube?
I punched out at 1920, and.......went across the street and grabbed a take out dinner.
I am a double loser! I am back at my desk and I ordered the burger and ate the bun! Bad Atkins-girl! Bad girl!
I may be having a boring Thursday night.....but I know this guy who is living it up in Vegas, baby!
Don't tell anyone, remember....................what happens in Vegas...........
So.........how do I take advantage of this free Thursday?
Do I pop over to the gym?
Do I phone-a-friend and go out?
Do I go home and watch something fun on the Tube?
I punched out at 1920, and.......went across the street and grabbed a take out dinner.
I am a double loser! I am back at my desk and I ordered the burger and ate the bun! Bad Atkins-girl! Bad girl!
I may be having a boring Thursday night.....but I know this guy who is living it up in Vegas, baby!
Don't tell anyone, remember....................what happens in Vegas...........
Cold? You Don't Know What Cold Is!
*****UPDATE***** I started this post early this morning. But it was so crazy busy in the office, I am just getting to it now. Half my staff was out. It was so busy that I didn't have time for my own nonsense!*******
"Cold? You don't know what cold is!"
This is something Jen says all the time. Last night upon walking through her front door, I remarked that I knew winter was coming because now it was finally warmer inside the house than it was outside. 40 outside/50 inside. I ate my pizza quickly before it froze on my plate.
At 2200 we called that mad-man-in-the-desert and he reported that it was getting cooler there too. It was 65 at his 0600. Jennifer made a noise that conveyed her disgust.
This morning when she got into her car, the dashboard displayed happy news for her. She called and left me this voice mail at 0804.
"33 and icy, baby! 33 and icy. You want it cold? You want to know what cold is? Today you have cold."
Just so you know, when it gets nippy in New England.........somebody's happy!
"Cold? You don't know what cold is!"
This is something Jen says all the time. Last night upon walking through her front door, I remarked that I knew winter was coming because now it was finally warmer inside the house than it was outside. 40 outside/50 inside. I ate my pizza quickly before it froze on my plate.At 2200 we called that mad-man-in-the-desert and he reported that it was getting cooler there too. It was 65 at his 0600. Jennifer made a noise that conveyed her disgust.
This morning when she got into her car, the dashboard displayed happy news for her. She called and left me this voice mail at 0804.
"33 and icy, baby! 33 and icy. You want it cold? You want to know what cold is? Today you have cold."
Just so you know, when it gets nippy in New England.........somebody's happy!
Wednesday, November 07, 2007
Reading
I think I need to reset my reading mode. There was a time when I read constantly. I kept books everywhere so I was never without. Lately, it's more likely to be a magazine. As far as books go, there has been an incredible decrease in the time I spend reading. "The Pentagon's New Map" has been staring at me from the shelf and making me feel terribly guilty. "Mayflower" in the form of an audio book, travels with me to the gym every night that I go......but somehow the headphones end up plugged into the TV. I find that there is no balance between fun reading and serious reading. My serious reading is so stacked up and there is nothing fun in the house. So, I think maybe, subconsciously, I was in revolt. So I am going to go out and get whatever the newest Stephen King book
is and unplug. No foreign policy, no history, no biographies........
is and unplug. No foreign policy, no history, no biographies........Tuesday, November 06, 2007
A Moral Dilemma
The Princess has a moral dilemma.
Can I possibly explain how difficult this is for me. I have no morals....or scruples.....or any of those other things.
It's like when I am at yoga and the instructor says "Bring your hands together in front of your heart, for mountain pose." And I think "Where is that?"
So how does a heartless, despotic Princess deal with a moral dilemma?
Above this post is info on bidding on me. Proceeds to Valor-IT. Simple right? Well, I messed up. I did not specify Team Navy. I assssssumed it was clear, but it has been pointed out by a Marine and now an Army guy, that it's not written in the deal.
Oh, I can hear the heartless chuckle from the desert now.
So.......what do I do? If the high bidder donates to the Marine Team or the Army Team, are they still the winner?
Can I possibly explain how difficult this is for me. I have no morals....or scruples.....or any of those other things.
It's like when I am at yoga and the instructor says "Bring your hands together in front of your heart, for mountain pose." And I think "Where is that?"
So how does a heartless, despotic Princess deal with a moral dilemma?
Above this post is info on bidding on me. Proceeds to Valor-IT. Simple right? Well, I messed up. I did not specify Team Navy. I assssssumed it was clear, but it has been pointed out by a Marine and now an Army guy, that it's not written in the deal.
Oh, I can hear the heartless chuckle from the desert now.
So.......what do I do? If the high bidder donates to the Marine Team or the Army Team, are they still the winner?
Gone Baby, Gone
Jen & I went to the movies tonight and we saw "Gone Baby, Gone" I loved it, so did Jen, but we were both uncomfortable with the ending. I don't want to spoil it for anyone. At every turn we *got* him, right up to the end. For Jen & I, the main character's actions in the end just didn't track.We loved the accents and the local stuff. We recognized all the portrayals as people we had seen all our lives. Our favorites were Bubba Rogowski played by Bostonian rapper, Slaine and Dottie. Jen & I swore that she must have been walking down the street in Dorchester and Affleck just grabbed her up and put her on that couch! Turns out that's pretty much what happened. The Boston Globe had this amazing story on her. It is Jill Quigg's first movie and they did just spot her in the street. Of course we were drawn to the two most real players.....as our cousin Chrissie likes to say "Ya can't shit a shitter."
When we were watching the previews, they ran the trailer for "No Country for Old Men". I think it's set in Texas. The trailer is maybe 3 or 4 minutes long. Jen & I must have said "What?" 20 times. I said it looked good, but we'd have to go a screening that had subtitles, lol. Then when we were watching the credits for "Gone Baby, Gone", I told Jen everyone else was going to need subtitles for this. She laughed and said she got every word, I said........."My point exactly".
I like all Lehane's books and this was no exception. While "Mystic River" is my all time favorite book, the movie was not up to that standard. This was a better movie.
Monday, November 05, 2007
A Little Perspective
There has been much whining and nashing of teeth about contacting certain mad-men-in-the-desert. Dealing with phone cards, coordination of time, poor international connections has me pouting non-stop.
So the other night I was on the treadmill at the gym and the local PBS channel is showing "The Best Years Of Our Lives". I settle in for my 40 minutes, very happy with this. This is a very beautifully made and acted film by William Wyler. Three minutes into the movie, tears are running down my face. Thank God the treadmills face the wall! Thank God there aren't many people there at that time of night! Watching Myrna Loy's face when she realizes that he is there........ Watching them walk towards each other.......Watching them embrace............moves me more than I can express here. You can see the clip here.
So after 40 minutes and several more moments of being choked up (Dana Andrews talking to his father, Harold Russell talking to his girlfriend and his uncle), I head down to do some yoga. After my shower it's time to call the desert.
"I was watching "The Best Years of Our Lives". She hadn't seen him in years. There were just a few letters between them."
"Are you going to stop being such a baby?"
"No, but I am a little ashamed."
LOL I said it was a *little* perspective..........not an epiphany!
So the other night I was on the treadmill at the gym and the local PBS channel is showing "The Best Years Of Our Lives". I settle in for my 40 minutes, very happy with this. This is a very beautifully made and acted film by William Wyler. Three minutes into the movie, tears are running down my face. Thank God the treadmills face the wall! Thank God there aren't many people there at that time of night! Watching Myrna Loy's face when she realizes that he is there........ Watching them walk towards each other.......Watching them embrace............moves me more than I can express here. You can see the clip here.
So after 40 minutes and several more moments of being choked up (Dana Andrews talking to his father, Harold Russell talking to his girlfriend and his uncle), I head down to do some yoga. After my shower it's time to call the desert.
"I was watching "The Best Years of Our Lives". She hadn't seen him in years. There were just a few letters between them."
"Are you going to stop being such a baby?"
"No, but I am a little ashamed."
LOL I said it was a *little* perspective..........not an epiphany!
Sunday, November 04, 2007
Happy Birthday Tommy!
Today my older son Tommy turns 26. His godmother called me and asked how old he was. I told her that if she had to ask, she was a crappy godmother. I laugh because I know why she is blocking it. The older he gets, the older she gets. So I said 26 and she moaned "Oh that's cruel." I told her it was ok, she should remember she was 9 when she became his godmother. She laughed and said that's better. Tom worked the night shift so the birthday thus far is pretty boring.
Saturday, November 03, 2007
One Step Backwards
Or........How Maggie torments herself.
I have been very good with the self imposed moratorium on new purchases of body scrub/butter/cream/lotion/shower gel/souffle. I have imposed this draconian measure because my bathroom and my bedroom are packed with a myriad of these products........on shelves.........in baskets.........on my bureau.......everywhere.
But I fell off the wagon last night. I bought Bodycology Vanilla Buttercream Sugar Scrub. It's so new I can't find a pic on the Internet.
It smells exactly like the name infers..........lol.
So I stick with Atkins all day - good.
I go to the gym and do my time on the treadmill and in the yoga room - good.
Then I shower with my new sugar scrub which makes my skin really soft - good.
Now I have to take my buttercream body to bed and torment myself - lol.
I have been very good with the self imposed moratorium on new purchases of body scrub/butter/cream/lotion/shower gel/souffle. I have imposed this draconian measure because my bathroom and my bedroom are packed with a myriad of these products........on shelves.........in baskets.........on my bureau.......everywhere.
But I fell off the wagon last night. I bought Bodycology Vanilla Buttercream Sugar Scrub. It's so new I can't find a pic on the Internet.
It smells exactly like the name infers..........lol.
So I stick with Atkins all day - good.
I go to the gym and do my time on the treadmill and in the yoga room - good.
Then I shower with my new sugar scrub which makes my skin really soft - good.
Now I have to take my buttercream body to bed and torment myself - lol.
CNO & the MCPON On The Road
My friend Gary has been globetrotting along with the MCPON. 
071029-N-7682E-128 PERSIAN GULF (Oct. 29, 2007) - Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. Gary Roughead shakes hands with Lt. Cmdr. Matthew Hall after receiving a tour of Khawr Al Amaya Oil Terminal (KAAOT). The primary mission of Combined Task Force 158, comprised of coalition ships, is maritime operations around both the KAAOT and Al Basrah Oil Terminal. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Heather Ewton (RELEASED) 
071029-N-7682E-128 PERSIAN GULF (Oct. 29, 2007) - Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. Gary Roughead shakes hands with Lt. Cmdr. Matthew Hall after receiving a tour of Khawr Al Amaya Oil Terminal (KAAOT). The primary mission of Combined Task Force 158, comprised of coalition ships, is maritime operations around both the KAAOT and Al Basrah Oil Terminal. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Heather Ewton (RELEASED) 071029-N-1598C-171 PERSIAN GULF (Oct. 29, 2007) - Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (MCPON) Joe R. Campa Jr. addresses the chief petty officers aboard nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CVN 65). MCPON and Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. Gary Roughead are visiting Sailors in the 5th Fleet area of responsibility. Enterprise and embarked Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 1 are underway on a scheduled deployment. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class McKinley Cartwright (RELEASED)******************************************
They're working hard to protect and defend us.........what are you doing?
Friday, November 02, 2007
Trauma
Tonight was very traumatic.
It started out pretty good. I brought in hot chocolate for my staff wenches. I worked hard. I had a 32 minute audio rendezvous with SB. I had a great day. Went off to get my hair colored.............the red is gone. Then, with no plans in particular, I headed for the gym. I love this gym. There were four other people there. No wait for a treadmill. The exercise room was empty so I got to do the whole 49 minutes of yoga and not feel like I was holding anyone up. Then there was a shower for as long as I wanted. Nice, huh? So I head off to Walmart to pick up a few things. I call Jen, to see if she needs anything, no. I am wandering around looking for a new kind of cheese to try. Atkins loves cheese
When the traumatic part happens.........as I wander, I realize.......I can hear.......what I think is......NO, it can't be........but yet.......it seems to be Latin.....over the loudspeaker.........a man singing Latin........it's "Ave Maria".
Doesn't anyone feel my pain? It's All Souls Day, for pity's sake!
It started out pretty good. I brought in hot chocolate for my staff wenches. I worked hard. I had a 32 minute audio rendezvous with SB. I had a great day. Went off to get my hair colored.............the red is gone. Then, with no plans in particular, I headed for the gym. I love this gym. There were four other people there. No wait for a treadmill. The exercise room was empty so I got to do the whole 49 minutes of yoga and not feel like I was holding anyone up. Then there was a shower for as long as I wanted. Nice, huh? So I head off to Walmart to pick up a few things. I call Jen, to see if she needs anything, no. I am wandering around looking for a new kind of cheese to try. Atkins loves cheese
When the traumatic part happens.........as I wander, I realize.......I can hear.......what I think is......NO, it can't be........but yet.......it seems to be Latin.....over the loudspeaker.........a man singing Latin........it's "Ave Maria".
DEAR GOD!!!!!
It's Christmas music. I call Jennifer. I tell her. She tells me to get over it. I say "You must not have heard me, I said they are playing Christmas music in the Walmart." Her reply? "Well, you could stop shopping there." Fine, I say good bye. That's when I noticed the Christmas tree and the Christmas display from the Pepperidge Farm people.Doesn't anyone feel my pain? It's All Souls Day, for pity's sake!
I Was Good..............
............and I was bad.
I stuck with Atkins all day.
Got a ton of stuff done at work.
Remembered to pay Frankie's cell phone bill before it got shut off.
Jumped right on that question SB had and did all the research promptly.
Was the DD for Jen & Ed.
Went to the gym after dropping them off (I love that the gym is 24/7!)
but..............
there's always a but...........
I ate the bread with dinner and munched on a few breaksticks.
You win some..............you lose some.
I stuck with Atkins all day.
Got a ton of stuff done at work.
Remembered to pay Frankie's cell phone bill before it got shut off.
Jumped right on that question SB had and did all the research promptly.
Was the DD for Jen & Ed.
Went to the gym after dropping them off (I love that the gym is 24/7!)
but..............
there's always a but...........
I ate the bread with dinner and munched on a few breaksticks.
You win some..............you lose some.
Thursday, November 01, 2007
Brig Gen Paul Tibbetts (USAF Ret.)
Pilot of plane that dropped A-bomb dies
By JULIE CARR SMYTH, Associated Press Writer
Paul Tibbets, who piloted the B-29 bomber Enola Gay that dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, died Thursday. He was 92 and insisted almost to his dying day that he had no regrets about the mission and slept just fine at night.
Tibbets died at his Columbus home, said Gerry Newhouse, a longtime friend. He suffered from a variety of health problems and had been in decline for two months.
Tibbets had requested no funeral and no headstone, fearing it would provide his detractors with a place to protest, Newhouse said.
Tibbets' historic mission in the plane named for his mother marked the beginning of the end of World War II and eliminated the need for what military planners feared would have been an extraordinarily bloody invasion of Japan. It was the first use of a nuclear weapon in wartime.
The plane and its crew of 14 dropped the five-ton "Little Boy" bomb on the morning of Aug. 6, 1945. The blast killed 70,000 to 100,000 people and injured countless others.
Three days later, the United States dropped a second nuclear bomb on Nagasaki, Japan, killing an estimated 40,000 people. Tibbets did not fly in that mission. The Japanese surrendered a few days later, ending the war.
"I knew when I got the assignment it was going to be an emotional thing," Tibbets told The Columbus Dispatch for a story published on the 60th anniversary of the bombing. "We had feelings, but we had to put them in the background. We knew it was going to kill people right and left. But my one driving interest was to do the best job I could so that we could end the killing as quickly as possible."
Tibbets, then a 30-year-old colonel, never expressed regret over his role. He said it was his patriotic duty and the right thing to do.
"I'm not proud that I killed 80,000 people, but I'm proud that I was able to start with nothing, plan it and have it work as perfectly as it did," he said in a 1975 interview.
"You've got to take stock and assess the situation at that time. We were at war. ... You use anything at your disposal."
He added: "I sleep clearly every night."
Paul Warfield Tibbets Jr. was born Feb. 23, 1915, in Quincy, Ill., and spent most of his boyhood in Miami.
He was a student at the University of Cincinnati's medical school when he decided to withdraw in 1937 to enlist in the Army Air Corps.
After the war, Tibbets said in 2005, he was dogged by rumors claiming he was in prison or had committed suicide.
"They said I was crazy, said I was a drunkard, in and out of institutions," he said. "At the time, I was running the National Crisis Center at the Pentagon."
Tibbets retired from the Air Force as a brigadier general in 1966. He later moved to Columbus, where he ran an air taxi service until he retired in 1985.
But his role in the bombing brought him fame — and infamy — throughout his life.
In 1976, he was criticized for re-enacting the bombing during an appearance at a Harlingen, Texas, air show. As he flew a B-29 Superfortress over the show, a bomb set off on the runway below created a mushroom cloud.
He said the display "was not intended to insult anybody," but the Japanese were outraged. The U.S. government later issued a formal apology.
Tibbets again defended the bombing in 1995, when an outcry erupted over a planned 50th anniversary exhibit of the Enola Gay at the Smithsonian Institution.
The museum had planned to mount an exhibit that would have examined the context of the bombing, including the discussion within the Truman administration of whether to use the bomb, the rejection of a demonstration bombing and the selection of the target.
Veterans groups objected, saying the proposed display paid too much attention to Japan's suffering and too little to Japan's brutality during and before World War II, and that it underestimated the number of Americans who would have perished in an invasion.
They said the bombing of Japan was an unmitigated blessing for the United States and the exhibit should say so.
Tibbets denounced it as "a damn big insult."
The museum changed its plan and agreed to display the fuselage of the Enola Gay without commentary, context or analysis.
He told the Dispatch in 2005 that he wanted his ashes scattered over the English Channel, where he loved to fly during the war.
Newhouse, Tibbets' longtime friend, confirmed that Tibbets wanted to be cremated, but he said relatives had not yet determined how he would be laid to rest.
**********************************************
Tibbets said he slept easy. He should have. Thank you for your service sir.
***********************************************
***UPDATE***There is a good write-up here at American Power
By JULIE CARR SMYTH, Associated Press Writer
Paul Tibbets, who piloted the B-29 bomber Enola Gay that dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, died Thursday. He was 92 and insisted almost to his dying day that he had no regrets about the mission and slept just fine at night.
Tibbets died at his Columbus home, said Gerry Newhouse, a longtime friend. He suffered from a variety of health problems and had been in decline for two months.
Tibbets had requested no funeral and no headstone, fearing it would provide his detractors with a place to protest, Newhouse said.
Tibbets' historic mission in the plane named for his mother marked the beginning of the end of World War II and eliminated the need for what military planners feared would have been an extraordinarily bloody invasion of Japan. It was the first use of a nuclear weapon in wartime.
The plane and its crew of 14 dropped the five-ton "Little Boy" bomb on the morning of Aug. 6, 1945. The blast killed 70,000 to 100,000 people and injured countless others.
Three days later, the United States dropped a second nuclear bomb on Nagasaki, Japan, killing an estimated 40,000 people. Tibbets did not fly in that mission. The Japanese surrendered a few days later, ending the war.
"I knew when I got the assignment it was going to be an emotional thing," Tibbets told The Columbus Dispatch for a story published on the 60th anniversary of the bombing. "We had feelings, but we had to put them in the background. We knew it was going to kill people right and left. But my one driving interest was to do the best job I could so that we could end the killing as quickly as possible."
Tibbets, then a 30-year-old colonel, never expressed regret over his role. He said it was his patriotic duty and the right thing to do.
"I'm not proud that I killed 80,000 people, but I'm proud that I was able to start with nothing, plan it and have it work as perfectly as it did," he said in a 1975 interview.
"You've got to take stock and assess the situation at that time. We were at war. ... You use anything at your disposal."
He added: "I sleep clearly every night."
Paul Warfield Tibbets Jr. was born Feb. 23, 1915, in Quincy, Ill., and spent most of his boyhood in Miami.
He was a student at the University of Cincinnati's medical school when he decided to withdraw in 1937 to enlist in the Army Air Corps.
After the war, Tibbets said in 2005, he was dogged by rumors claiming he was in prison or had committed suicide.
"They said I was crazy, said I was a drunkard, in and out of institutions," he said. "At the time, I was running the National Crisis Center at the Pentagon."
Tibbets retired from the Air Force as a brigadier general in 1966. He later moved to Columbus, where he ran an air taxi service until he retired in 1985.
But his role in the bombing brought him fame — and infamy — throughout his life.
In 1976, he was criticized for re-enacting the bombing during an appearance at a Harlingen, Texas, air show. As he flew a B-29 Superfortress over the show, a bomb set off on the runway below created a mushroom cloud.
He said the display "was not intended to insult anybody," but the Japanese were outraged. The U.S. government later issued a formal apology.
Tibbets again defended the bombing in 1995, when an outcry erupted over a planned 50th anniversary exhibit of the Enola Gay at the Smithsonian Institution.
The museum had planned to mount an exhibit that would have examined the context of the bombing, including the discussion within the Truman administration of whether to use the bomb, the rejection of a demonstration bombing and the selection of the target.
Veterans groups objected, saying the proposed display paid too much attention to Japan's suffering and too little to Japan's brutality during and before World War II, and that it underestimated the number of Americans who would have perished in an invasion.
They said the bombing of Japan was an unmitigated blessing for the United States and the exhibit should say so.
Tibbets denounced it as "a damn big insult."
The museum changed its plan and agreed to display the fuselage of the Enola Gay without commentary, context or analysis.
He told the Dispatch in 2005 that he wanted his ashes scattered over the English Channel, where he loved to fly during the war.
Newhouse, Tibbets' longtime friend, confirmed that Tibbets wanted to be cremated, but he said relatives had not yet determined how he would be laid to rest.
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Tibbets said he slept easy. He should have. Thank you for your service sir.
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***UPDATE***There is a good write-up here at American Power