Fallen - When it hits a little to close to home....

I don't use the word 'heroes' often but when I do I mean it. It is a term that is all too often used without thought or regard for the actual meaning. Of course, the meaning have have many, as each person defines heroic action as something different.

I am fortunate to know many individuals who fall into my definition of 'hero' -- some may disagree with my use or definition of 'hero', but I know the sacrifices and the willingness of these people to put themselves in harm's way in the name of something more than themselves.

I call my husband and my closest military friends and family - heroes.

*Although I regard many, if not all, my civilian family and friends heroes - today I am remembering heroes of a different kind*

Honoring our fallen :

Air Force Major, Walter. E. Gray
13th Operational Sq, Ft. Carson.

 I meet you only once. I shared a welcoming Hello with you and we spole for only a few minutes. We exchanged pleasantries and you made me smile and laugh.
You were recognized and respected by all.
You and your sacrifice will never be forgotten. 

I can't help but tear up slightly as I write this.
I knew this man.

And as I write words of remembrance, I can't help but think of a wife, of a military man, writing something similar - but noting the name as Hamilton.
The sadness and terror I feel knowing that fate could have those roles reversed is far more than overwhelming; it is paralyzing. And in this moment I realize that I take for granted that I can welcome home my husband, my friends and my family after each deploy.

 But never again.

So, today, I remember Maj. Walter. E. Gray. 
You will never be forgotten.
Your sacrifice is honored.
Your memory will live on with the military members and their families.
Thank you.

Get me a sammich! But not from Chik-Fil-A.....

Yes, yes, yes.....it's a topic that has been beaten to death by everyone who has a FB page and the ability to string together a coherent sentence. But an article was recently brought to my attention and I thought it poignant to share......

http://www.owldolatrous.com/?p=288

Read it.
It makes prefect sense and it is written by someone who has a vested interest into the business practices of discriminatory establishments.

My thoughts - Did you really think I wasn't going to give a running commentary. Shame on you. :)

1. But it's just a sandwich! A yummy chicken sandwich.

Ok people. They put pickles on chicken. That ALONE should scream 'dodgy'.
Seriously, It may JUST be a sandwich. But for many people it's a symbol of one of two things. Firstly, those who mock others for NOT eating there, and show this by EATING there, are the ones making this an issue.
Anyone else see that?? ANYONE???
Do NOT stand there and preach to me that I am being unreasonable and a hypocrite by NOT eating at Chik-Fil-A because of my belief that I cannot support their business practices when you are quite happy to stand in line and jump at the first opportunity to say ON CAMERA that ' You are eating at Chik-Fil-A because you support "traditional marriages". UM....who is the hypocritical, uneducated, consumer now?
You started it. We are merely joining in at half time.

2. Its a start.

Yes, it's just a fast food chain.
Yes, he and his company are entitled to their opinion.
Yes, they are a franchise and you are only hurting the owners.

But it's a start. If everyone stopped taking action against something they believe to be wrong, we would be in a much different place in human history. We, as children, are taught to think for yourselves. We are taught to act with compassion, with common sense and act when we know something is wrong.
I may not save the world. I may not be able to stop all bigotry and hatred - but with my CHOICE of NOT buying from a company that support ideals that are so inherently different from my own, I make a difference.

3. Why is this even an issue?

Why would you use your position as a CEO of a major food chain to openly support something so hurtful? Why would you not use your influence and money to help further the cause for so many deserving groups? If you are a true Christian why would you not be active in helping your fellow man/woman? Those people who are homeless, starving, jobless, without medical care......

It is so easy to target a group because of what they represent, rather than target a group who is in true need and remains so because you are so focused on what shouldn't happen, you ignore what IS HAPPENING!

Bottom line.....

Mr. CEO/Whoever of the Chik-Fil-A corp.,

Why don't you step down from the political arena and spend your millions in places that it might actually do some good?
You know, like....poverty? Or education? A real issue?

You have no moral ground to stand on while you continue to make money off the ever-growing wasitlines of Americans and continue to perpetuate the low-wage economy of our floundering economic crisis. How about you put your money where your mouth is....and do something real? Gay marriage is't going to be the down fall of our American way of life - your stupid sense of morality is.

The End.

Carry on, folks.
And to those who are eating their way through chicken sammiches in support.....try giving that sammich to someone who really needs it.

My faith in humanity......took a tumble.

I honestly do not understand the capacity people have to be cruel. I really don't. And despite my best effort to have faith in humanity and try to see the best in people, I have taken a tumble.

I'm a bleeding heart. I know that. I want to be Super Woman & save everyone and everything if it is within my power to do so. The husband tells me it is one of my best qualities and that is why he loves me -- but he hurts for me when I get so caught up in something and I end up being hurt by the inconsiderate and unbelievably cruel people of this world.

Yesterday, after returning from a run with Shadow, we came upon stopped traffic, at the entrance to your neighborhood. I immediately saw the problem. A puppy wandering down the FOUR lane commuter road. Parker angled the car to the side of the road....and before it stopped I was out of the car and running to the pup. With the help of another driver I caught him and put a leash on him.

He is a (as best as I could tell) four or five month old puppy - Pit Bull Puppy. All wiggles and kisses.....and terribly frightened. Shadow was watching this from the back seat of the car - anxious and curious all at once. I wrapped up the puppy and cuddled with him on the quick drive home to put Shadow back at the house and leave again for the Vet's Office.
With a wiggling baby pup, we took off to our Vet - minutes down the street - and made arrangements for him to be picked up by Animal Control.

I named him Wiggle-Butt.
Worst thing you can do is name a puppy - because you are only going to get attached and cry when he is taken away. Lesson Learned.

But Wiggle-Butt deserved to know some kind of kindness.

He was YOUNG. VERY YOUNG.
Still had his baby teeth
Reeked of urine
Hard, crusty scars on his bottom jaw
Well fed - but legs were showing signs of poor nutrition
NO TAGS. NO MICROCHIP. NO RECORD OF OWNERSHIP.

Playing Frogger in the middle of a damn commuting road.

What is wrong with pet owners today?
No way should a baby dog have enough time to dig or escape a yard if you ARE WATCHING THEM!!!
No way should a puppy be left alone for long enough that they have the opportunity to get away. AND EVEN IF IT WAS AN ACCIDENT - why isn't he tagged. Its the damn law. Why isn't he chipped?
Why was no one looking for him?????

He ate and drank like he hadn't eaten or had water in some time. He was scared and clung to me. My heart was broken. Killed by cuteness. Broken by the sadness in his eyes.
FUCK YOU PEOPLE. Why do you do this? WHY?

I assume the worst in this area because here, Pit Bull breeding (backyard breeding) and Pit Bull fighting is RAMPANT. It is a growing problem that is overwhelming the city's animal shelters, resources, rescue organizations and available homes for these dogs.
I assume that Wiggle Butt was part of something more than a family home because in this area I'm usually right. He was not well treated, he was dirty and scarred. Not a good sign.

Above all I wished I could have taken into my home and loved him and shown him not every human is an asshole. But I couldn't. I couldn't take in this beautiful puppy, with a chance that I might not be able to keep him in the long run. Our lives, at this time, is too uncertain.
But I will keep tabs on this one. I will watch over him. I will work as hard as I can to get the word out that there is a loving and wonderful puppy looking for a forever home. I will contact rescue groups and adoption groups until he finds a responsible and loving home to call his own.

My faith in humanity is faltering. It has taken a tumble.
What the hell is wrong with people anyway?

Boobies, OSMW's & Laughter...Oh MY!

Boobies. *heeheeheehee* Yeah, I'm that girl. Certain words make me giggle like a pre-teen kid.

Words like:
Boobie
Fart
Balls
Duty....yes, say it slowly and with the mentality of a teenage boy.....there it is! Funny huh?!?!

Ok, so the point of saying this is....well, I don't really have a point. Oh, wait! Yeah, I remember....boobies.
Breastfeeding is apparently the new controversial 'Du jour' of the day. I have written blog posts about it in the past but a recent post on a social networking site brought it all back.....breastfeeding and militant attitudes.
I don't care that you chose to breast feed your child, after all what else are breasts meant to do other than feed a kid - ok, so there are other uses, but they are 'supposed' to be used for feeding the spawn. And again I have no problem with it. But when you decide that breastfeeding needs to be a public exhibit, much like a "breast-acle" *see what I did there....spectacle + breast = breastacle!* and you bitch and bitch about other people's uncomfortableness with your on-display boob....THAT'S where I draw a line.

Breastfeeding isn't a team sport.
Breastfeeding isn't a super power.
Breastfeeding isn't group activity.
Quit seeking attention through whipping out a boob - if you want to do that, I hear there are special clubs for that. :)

My point is you have chosen to breastfeed BUT we the general public have not chosen to watch you.

In other news...

OSMW.
Military wive is NOT A JOB SKILL. I asked a friend recently (a woman who does the hiring at her place of employment & fellow mil. wife) what would she do if she saw that on a resume? She stared at me blankly and asked if I was serious.....since I am often NOT....and I told her was dead serious.
Her response was simple. She would move on to the next candidate and chalk it up as stupidity.

My thought is - do firefighter wives put that down on resumes? Do accountant wives put down that they are married to an accountant so they should be good with numbers? Do doctor's wives state that as a doctor's wive I should get a job at the hospital because I have been to a few.....????

REALLY?
Just how lazy do you need to be to put that as a qualification?

Let me put this into perspective....

Qualifications
Military wife
Survivor of 3 deployments
Moved four times in five years

What the wife thinks it means
Military wife = Its a superpower and only certain women can do it.
Survivor of deployments = Was on my own and didn't breakdown, multitasker, single parent.
Moved 4 times in 5 years = Organized.

What an employer thinks it means
Military wife = AND? What are your ACTUAL quals? Education? Job history????
Deployments = Uh huh. So you are telling me you get lonely and might have problems with childcare and making it to work on time.....awesome.
Moving = so I'm going to spend time and money on you....and then you will leave in year. NEXT!!!

I want my employer to see my JOB skills and MY EDUCATION. Not a biography of my personal life. I don't even mention the military home life unless asked. Why? BECAUSE I'm not in the military MY HUSBAND IS. Lord.

Laughter is the best medicine. And despite my frustration and anger that I feel towards OSMW's I love 'em. They are the fruit loops of life; in them I will always find a reason to laugh and be grateful for my own drama-free, troll-free, and whiny-free life as a Secondhand Latina.

WOO-SAH Sisters. 

Video Game Stupid.

Apparently, there is a moment YOUR life when you cross the line from having fun playing video games to being a over-stimulated, under-achieving, couch-surfing, Red-Bull-guzzling, depressive that believes that self worth is directly related to the amount of 'kills' you rack up on the game.

Oh. My. God.

I see the draw of a video game; I'm not here to say, ' Video Games are EVIL', "Video games will rot your brain'.....well, maybe. My point is mature and regulated 'gaming' is an escape. A virtual book and storyline that you immerse yourself in and mindlessly participate in and then power off and go do something else.   The game, after all, ISN'T real.

"Promoted....PROMOTED!!!" (terrible reference it a 'spoof' of Battlefield gamers)

Last night, as I sat reading, and Parker sat playing his video game - I began listening to the conversations between two players.

(online gaming & real time chat is the popular way to play this particular game - and even though Parker doesn't 'chat' with anyone, we can still hear the conversations of other players on his team)

Player One : I got your back buddy!!
Player Two : Uh huh....*muffled rambling*
Player One : You gotta move in quicker....take him DOWN!
Player Two : *muffled yell*
Player One : Just trying to help you buddy, I'M RETIRED MILITARY, I know this shit.

Um, WHAT? You are retired military? Therefore, you are bad ass battle buddy? Seriously?
I laughed so hard, I was crying.

Do you think he understands he is PLAYING A GAME?
Has the line between reality and video game been blurred?
Is this why people go postal?

I don't have a problem with video games or the manufacturers of video games.....or the industry and society of gamers.
I don't think that its the designers of video games that cause the problem. Its the sad, little people who have no ability or want to interact with the real world that is the problem. People might argue that is there was no video games they wouldn't have this problem....or find something else to do.
Maybe.

But before there was video games, there was role-playing.....and other related uber-nerd activities. The problem is people. People who take EVERYTHING too seriously. People who can't find enjoyment in anything that might actually be social......

BA. ZING.GA.

Yeah. I guess this is directly conflicts with my love of Big Bang Theory. But at least these guys try to be social. To find mainstream activities to enjoy and be a part of.

I leave you with this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJgqc9h2jV4

Watch it. And I dare you not to laugh.