Full of Pride?

Please do not take what I am going to say out of MY context. My co-workers and I were talking about Iraq and the House passing the bill with the the troop pullout timetable in it. I feel like the president is defying the American people with his pride. He knows that there needs to be change in the policy effecting Iraq but he isn't willing to do so. He has decided that he will Veto the bill before he even has it in his hands. To me that says, "I don't care...I am the boss and we will do as I say" instead he should be saying " I will take into consideration all that has been presented to me and make a decision from there.
Iraq is something of a sore spot for me since I have sent my husband off to fight that war and will be doing so again in the next few months. I am not one of those wives that complain about the work my husband does since I know what the Army is about...I have been there. But...I also know that there are many things about this war that need to change. First of all it needs to be stated that yes we are still in a war. Everyone seems to forget that the president landed on a carrier and proclaimed that the war was over...
I am worried for my husband's safety. I am worried that my children may very well grow up without a father. I am not willing to become a widow. I married a man that I wanted to grow old with and that is what my plan is. I don't want to grow old without him. So do I think there needs to be a timetable for troop pullout? Yes I do. Do I think we need to make changes in the policies in Iraq? Yes I do. I think Iraq needs to be held accountable for their own country. I think they need to crack down on their own borders and stop allowing the "outsider terrorists" to come in. they need to prosecute the people that are being caught to include the high ranking officials in Iraqi Parliament. These are the things that a democratic government do. These are the things that need to happen so that they can stand alone in their own fight. But...
There are more problems other than these...there is the age old problem of religion there...we will NEVER convince them that tolerance of religion works...therefore this will continue to be a civil war of sorts....what do we do about this? Our troops can't fix that problem no matter how many we have there. I said the president needs to go to Iraq and stay for 15 months...lets see if things change then.

Still Sick

I have this cold type thing that has kicked my butt for the past few days. Friday it started and fell into a full blown sickness that completely drained every ounce of energy I had on Sunday. I stayed in bed all day. It was some well needed rest but not without consequences. The children ran without supervision since the hubby was also sick. This of course means my house is a wreck. Still a wreck since I had to cut the grass yesterday. Hubby did the floor in the kitchen since I hate doing floors. But...
I'll be getting better soon. I am taking medicine!

Sick

Feeling sick today. My throat hurts and I want my Mommy! Not really, but it was cute.
In addition to feeling sick I am sick of seeing a man's face plastered all over the TV and newspapers and hearing his name all over the radio. Why are we giving so much publicity to a cold blooded killer and not his 32+ victims? No more CHO!

Standard of Care

Should one Patient have different treatment than another? In most cases the answer is NO. For instance...2 men come in with the same knee problem, should one get better treatment from staff because he has more money or power in the community? No...They should both be treated the same. Standard of care is something that should apply to all patients. It does not matter if you are rich or poor, you should get the same patient care and patient safety. When does it differ? I would say in the instance of communicable disease. Airborne communicable diseases should make the standard of care change but not in the meaning that one would get better care over the one that has the disease but rather, more care should be taken so not to spread the disease. Take for example; you have a patient that has Tuberculosis and a patient that doesn't, both patients are to receive the same procedure but the TB patient is going first. If another room is available for use then the following patients procedure should be done in another room so that the preceding patients room can be terminally cleaned. In an operating room setting there should be air exchanges taking place so as to not spread the disease. You are not compromising the standard of care in this instance...Nor are you doing so in wearing a special mask or even having the TB patient wear a special mask. You are also not compromising the standard of care by keeping contact of that patient limited. What you are doing is helping to not spread communicable disease. Am I wrong in my thinking?
Sound off...

Va Tech tragedy and life

Yesterday's tragedy at VA Tech was just that...a tragedy. One in which I have no clue what the circumstances are but I still feel for the families of the people murdered. You send your children off to school in hopes that they will come back with a good education, some lessons learned and a bunch of college memories of drunken frat parties, not how their classmates were murdered in cold blood right next to them in class. It is a sad day that one can not even go to class without the worry that a disgruntled person might come in and start shooting. What motivates people to murder? What brings someone to the brink of death that they feel like they have to take people down with them? I am far from being a psychologist nor have I ever had any desire to be one...these questions confirm that....I don't want to analyze people to the point that they need this type of therapy. I would not want to help rehabilitate a murderer. Do I think it is possible to do so? I don't know. Maybe...maybe in the instance where you have a woman that shoots someone who is trying to harm her children....the man who kills because the person hurt his child or wife... Self defense....sure...it isn't as if they planned to kill right? But did the student who did this in VA? 33 people and as many hurt too... How can one person be so cruel as to hurt that many people? What was so bad about his life that he had to do that? I think I am going to have to have more facts....and then I will post again...

Is it OK?

The question I ponder today is is it ok? Is it ok to be the "other woman" when you don't know you are the other woman? The reason I am even bringing this subject up is that my husband's ex-g/f recently labeled me as such and even though it has been 8 years, that label bothers me.
My husband and I have been married for almost 8 years now. We weren't together long before we got married and had a child. Yes the ultimate reason we got married was b/c I got pregnant but we were and still are in love. the story goes like this...
We were both in the Army and I met him when I arrived at my first duty station. He was actually one of the first guys that I had met...friend of a friend thing...At first I didn't like him. He was arrogant and way too into himself, and the way he was with the ladies didn't show me that he was committed to anyone. But he was...I had no idea...One night about a year and a half after we met, I was at the bar with some friends and he was there with his friends. He kept coming by my seat talking to me and well I had a few to drink. I knew him and I knew how he was but he was fun to dance with so...we started talking from that point on... And that was just it...talking...we were hanging out but nothing else was going on. Then my Grandfather died and I went home for a week. During that time he went back to see his g/f. I found this out later. But...when I got back from Alabama we were still talking. I remember sending him an e-mail and getting a reply back from a girl that I had no clue about and when I asked him he said she was an ex that had his password and wouldn't accept that they were broken up. I believed him. Should I have? at that point probably not but I did and I fell in love with him. Over that 4th of July weekend he had the opportunity to go with his friends to South Padre island and instead chose to take me to San Antonio to visit the old missions...it was a great trip and we had a wonderful weekend. That weekend sealed the deal for me...I knew I was in for the long haul and he made me realize that he was too. We finally talked about the "girl" from the e-mail and he told me that they had been on and off for a while and that she was trying her hardest to get him back and he had been stringing her along simply b/c he knew he could always fall back to her if he needed or wanted anything. It was a horrible relationship to say the least, and it was a horrible thing for him to do. I knew he had to make a decision of we were going to go any farther. The thing about their relationship is that they had been friends for a very long time and it is hard to just stop that. So....I had to suck up a lot those first few months...then I got pregnant...We found out in Aug and we had a decision to make. He was totally ready to make the commitment to me and our baby. I was too so we decided on a Thursday afternoon that we were getting married, got in the car, grabbed a few friends and did it. Our parents were not happy to say the least...his mom still hates me but is at least nice to my face most of the time. LOL My mom on the other hand LOVES him...she didn't at first but now she does.
But now....after all this time...I am friends with the" girl" The one that my husband said was the craziest woman on the planet. and I don't mean crazy fun I mean needs drugs to function in life crazy...Do I think she was crazy? well...I did hear a few of the phone conversations...it was a little desperate and seeking but...I may have been the same way after being in the relationship for a few years. And the things they went through...I know on a completely certain level that I would not have put up with the things he did or said to her. But....now that I know most of the long story....and I know I was the "other woman", is it ok that I was? Do you fault me for tearing apart her relationship? She says I am better for him, I was/am the right woman for him, but I think she still harbors some resentment for me...on some level she would have to right?
So I ask you...Is it OK to be the "other woman or man" when you are in the dark?

Yet another wonderful blog

Found this one today. Loved it!
http://4thavenueblues.blogspot.com/

Longer Troop Deployment

I feel as if I must rant about the increase in deployment time for the troops. As a military wife, I have to say that the extention is infuriating. As a veteran, I have to say that I almost understand. But not really. Troop deployment is already terrible...I know I should be thankful it isn't like it used to be back during earlier wars when you didn't hear anything from your soldier until they were on their way home 2 years later. But this is not the case now. Things are totally different, although I am inclined to believe that this war is very comparable to Vietnam.
I have been very lucky since I didn't deploy when I was active duty, and my husband has only been to Iraq once. ( He came back from Iraq and became a drill sergeant so he was basically gone for 2 years even though he was still living in my house.) But the year he was in Iraq was the first year of the War and it was miserable for them. They were living in their vehicles for a while...they had one bottle of water a day in 150 degree heat, they had 1 MRE a day and I didn't talk to him until 3 months into the deployment and that was only for 10 minutes every 2 weeks if the sattelite phone was working. I am not exaggerating this either. Many people have relatives that were in Iraq during the same time and they had phone conversations with their soldiers and computer instant messaging all the time. Not my husband's unit. well some did...not the "real" soldiers...the ones that were out on missions, pulling guard duty and overall doing all the work. You have several different types of soldiers in the Army...my husband is a Combat Engineer...he is a true combat soldier...he doesn't do paperwork( well a little), he works with and trains troops. He is a soldiers soldier. He loves doing his job and he loves working with his soldiers. But he also loves his family and as much as he wants to stay in the Army....I am not sure how much more he can take. For that matter any of the soldiers. I have talked to so many that would have made the Army a career if it not for all the deployments. We have some friends that have been to Iraq 4 times since 2003. There are so many higher ranking soldiers getting out because it is too much to handle. For a soldier to deploy for 15 months to have to turn around a deploy again in 7....yes that is happening...look at 4ID headquarters....I think that what should happen is that the people making the decisions about troop deployment should go to Iraq and spend 15 months there, running missions, dodging IEDs, Mortor rounds, AK47 shots by snipers, and pulling guard duty on a base that is sure to be subject to some type of attack at least once during the night. Then maybe they would understand why all of the soldiers have issues with the troop deployment of 15 months. Oh...wait...but they are going to get an extra $1000 a month over the 12 months...yes..yes this makes it all worth missing your children grow up, Missing your daughter's first date, missing the first day of school for your son or first football, soccer, baseball or any other sporting game, first tooth fall out. Or how about my husband who missed the birth of his daughter and didn't see her until she was 5 months old and that was for 2 weeks. There were many others that missed births too...and deaths. It is a sad world when we are fighting someone else's battle and they don't even want us there. When we have done enough and when it is time for them to take care of themselves they can't or won't...I am not saying we need to pull out completely all at once...but we do need to make them become more self sufficient and we aren't going to do that when we keep increasing the troop level instead of decreasing it!
Ok enough for now.... I am sure more to come...Especially since my husband will be deploying in June to Iraq...AGAIN

GYM Membership

Since my job pays for half of a gym membership I decided to join. It is a really nice gym. I got the membership last month and finally went last night. I decided to do water aerobics since it is less impact and probably won't hurt as much...well...a little background first...I used to work for a gym when I was much younger and single....it was back then a "meet market" so I was a little apprehensive about joining one because of my preconceived notions. But...I walked into the gym only to be surprised by how professional everything was. There were personal trainers walking around helping people, they have a cute room for babysitting which of course is good for me and my kids. There are several machines that were full of people actually working out and not talking and laughing. They have a cardio room with a huge movie screen to watch movies while you work out. They have an aerobics room and free weights and a pool and a basketball court...it was just impressive. However as I was leaving I did notice three muscle guys flirting with some girls that looked less than pleased to have them "trying to help".
All in all....I think my $15 a month will be worth it. If nothing more than to actually get a little exercise outside of all the walking I do. Maybe I might actually like it so much that I start doing it more than just the water aerobics.

Came across this blog

I was scrolling through some random blogs and came across a few that were worthy of reposting.

This one in particular was amusing to me. The wording of things made me laugh but more importantly made me think I might actually agree with him.
http://thepagantemple.blogspot.com/.

Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Political Idea

So I always thought of myself as a more middle of the road kind of Political person. According to this website www.politicalcompass.org/ I am more of a lefty. LOL Yes I agree with Stem Cell research and abortion and also same sex marriage....who the hell am I to judge? But I am not against the war...I fully support the troops, and I have never ever said that I am ashamed that I live in the state the President is from....
Let me clear up a few things before I have people sending me hate mail....
Stem Cell Research. If we can cure many diseases by using Stem Cell research, yes...use it. Do I think Cloning is ok...only to clone organs...not human beings. If we can Clone a human heart and use it for a transplant...then we should. We wouldn't be able to do this without Stem Cell Research....
Abortion... Your body....your conscience....Would I or have I? No...my own personal thing though. I am not going to judge you for doing it. I am also not going to engage the debate over if it is a person.
Same Sex Marriage.... You know what...it is hard enough to find happiness in this world. If you are happy with a person of your same sex...I am happy for you. If you have enough love to share and want to adopt a baby, then why not? With all the girls having babies and dumping them in the bathroom of the place their prom is being held, I say why not give that baby a loving home with people that are going to love it and care for it and bring it up to be a productive person of society. Who really cares if you are gay or not? I don't...I have many gay friends and love them dearly. All of which are productive persons of society....some are Accountants, Doctors, IT Techs, Massage Therapists...Some are mothers and fathers...
The one thing I can tell you about all of my gay friends as opposed to my straight friends....not one of my gay friends has cheated on their partner. They are loyal and faithful to the other and they truly have found happiness. Why is this such a big deal? The government has determined that marriage should be between a man and a woman....one man and one woman....most marriages nowadays are not that...there are Multiple people involved...the babysitter...the secretary, the realtor, the pizza delivery guy....Marriage has become a big joke to straight people. It is being taken for granted. We should look to the gay community and take their lead on how to treat a union.
Ok I am off my soap box. I just think that people need to be more open to things instead of being so closed minded!

Crazy freak storm

So here it is April and Easter weekend comes and wouldn't you know in Texas hell hath frozen over...We had a freak snow storm this weekend. It was crazy. And You know here in Texas in a military town NO-ONE can drive anyway...so it snows and people freak out. They were driving 25 on the damn freeway. This was not pleasing me. I know how to drive in the snow. I have tires on my truck that can handle the snow...but everyone else is crazy. So instead of going out to party Sat night...I ran my errands and went home to hang out under my blanket all night.
Easter was fine...the family did nothing but hang out and let my 7 year old beat me in "Scene It". How humiliating....not really it was the Nickalodeon version. Then he lost a tooth and we had to discuss how much the tooth fairy should bring him. He of course thought that $100 was appropriate...fat chance...not even for the first tooth lost...but this is not his first. So he go $5. I remember getting a quarter...the tooth fairy that came to my house was cheap! LOL
Well....more to come later....Happy days!

So I lost it

OK so I finally started writing a post yesterday and thought I hit the save draft button but obviously I didn't since I can't find the draft.
Ok so....So much has happened since I last blogged a year ago. But I will blog more now I promise! To start off with....I got out of the Army. This was a huge step for me...but one that I am glad I made. You know that feeling you get when you hate going to work when you wake up in the morning...well that was the feeling I was getting with the Army. It isn't my job mind you, it was the Army setting and some of the people I worked with. I was constantly having to bite my tongue and I hated it. Not that there aren't times that I don't have to bite my tongue now but it is so different. We also moved from Fort Leonard Wood MO to Fort Hood Texas. This is was really good thing. We were stationed here prior to going to MO and we love it here. I am really glad that I am back...it feels like home. I love being some place and feeling comfort. With the move and getting out of the Army came a new scare...finding a good job. Well I did it. I got a job at one of the hospitals here locally and I love it. Not at first mind you....but now...I have changed departments and I am in a specialty clinic....it is great. The people I work with are really nice and caring...and fun to be around so it makes the day go by faster. The move also produced scares for the children...Switching Kolby in the middle of his 1st grade year was huge for me...I thought this was going to really make an impact on Kolby but boy was I wrong. He is doing great in his new school. He loves his teacher and has made friends and academically...well he made the A honor roll...so I am very proud! Maddie is also doing great. We found a good private daycare that has a pre-K program for 3 year olds. She began to excel the first 2 weeks we had her there. And she has already become some of the teachers favorite. Todd is doing well also. He made the E7 list and is on cloud nine. He may have to go back to Iraq in June which neither of us are happy about but there is a chance he won't have to go. I am praying! You do the same! His job so far has kept him in the field for the better part of the last month but he comes out tonight. The kids are really excited about this. Kolby has new toys and games he wants to play with Todd since his 7th B-day was Sunday. But....
But the only bad thing about Todd's job is that the unit his platoon is attached to seems to be a bunch of idiots. Yes I know this seems to be the norm for most of the Army nowadays but this unit seems to be really bad about things. The guys were sitting in the field this morning waiting for the unit to bring something that should have been done prior to this morning. But....that is nothing new.... I will just wait...this is not the unit he belongs to...just attached to for the next few weeks. Patience!
The next new thing that is going to come up is that I want to buy a house....but...We have to know that we are going to be here in order to do that and with the new rank comes the increase in the chance of moving to another post...Not that i would totally mind...but I am happy here and happy with my job and I am making new friends. So a move at this point would be a bad thing for me. But I really would like to buy a house so that when i get a wild hair up my butt to paint the bathroom black I can...(not really). I think the post would frown upon my doing that in base housing. But I think as long as I repaint then they wouldn't mind so much. But anyway...
Well i suppose this is all for now. I will make a point to blog at least twice a week from now on.!
Have a great day!