jonsmom's Blog

Below I have listed the temperature forecast for Baghdad, Iraq.  If the children of America can't take a day in school when the temperatures are in the 80's and 90's it looks like our military will end with the current generation joining now. 

     Today         99° / 76°

Friday       101° / 78°

Saturday104° / 82°

Sunday   106° / 82°

The next time you are about to complain about the temperature, take a few minutes and say a prayer for our troops.  They sure could use them. I got the one below in a chain email.  It only takes a second.
'Lord, please hold our troops in your loving hands. Protect them as they protect us. Bless them and their families for the selfless acts they perform for us in our time of need. Amen.'
The temperature in Afghanistan is a little lower, low 90's but I think it gets a little cooler there at night.  Still, when thinking about our troops, don't just think of the ones in Iraq.  Think of the ones all over the world who are away from their families.

I never lived alone. I never lived with friends. Unless of course you count the summers spent in Nova Scotia at my friends' camp. I went from living with my parents to living with my husband. I don't know the experience of having my own place. That might be one of the reasons I'm struggling with the fact that my two youngest sons, my babies so to speak, are moving out. Yup, they're moving on.  Maybe struggling isn't the right word.  Well, maybe it is. 

They're getting an apartment in Arlington together with a friend.  It came out of nowhere.  One day we're sitting talking and all of a sudden one of them said to the other "When are you going to be able to go look at the apartment?".  I said "What apartment?".  "Oh" he said, "the one we're going to move to."  Now I know they have been talking for awhile about moving.  Saying it's the right thing to do, it's time, etc.  But I never expected the conversation to be so nonchalant. 

I should be used to them not being around.  Jon was away with the Army for over a year and Bryant doesn't spend a whole lot of nights at home.  But having their stuff here has always been reassuring that they would be back.  Now they're packing up and going.  It's been a whirlwind.  It started with conversation and wham, they have already hit Craigslist and furnished their living room and kitchen.  Jon went out and bought the kitchen essentials, coffee pot, toaster etc.  We were in Maine the other day and I bought them all their utensils and such.  It's all happening so fast.  The reality of it really struck me when I found out they already have the cable guy coming.  The cable guy.   It is real.  They're getting their first month's rent free because they're going to do some carpentry work and painting around the apartment.  They're also helping the owner move out, and her being a dentist, are getting free teeth cleanings.  It's all working out well for them.  But for me?  I guess I'll manage and get used to it.  But for now, I'm in a sort of mourning.  I always thought I was looking forward to this day.  I was wrong.  My babies are all grown up and it's hitting me kind of hard.  I guess this is a new chapter for all of us. 

I know they'll only be a few towns away but I'll miss having them around.  We try to have at least two or three meals a week when we're all here.  I'll miss the "What's for dinner?".  I'll miss their arguing (did I just say that?).  I'll miss them both.  Just today when I was folding laundry Jon walked up to me and randomly gave me a hug and thanked me for being such a good mom.  I'll miss that.   I guess this is what it's all about.  We raise them to be independent and watch them walk out our door, leaving us behind.  I can only hope and pray they will bring all the lessons we have taught them and use them well. 

I got this in an email and thought some people might enjoy it.

THE NEXT SURVIVOR SERIES

Six married men will be dropped on an island with one car and
3 kids each for six weeks.

Each kid will play two sports and either take music or dance classes.

There is no fast food.

Each man must take care of his 3 kids; keep his assigned house clean, correct all homework, and complete science projects, cook, do laundry, and pay a list of 'pretend' bills with not enough money.

In addition, each man will have to budget in money for groceries each week.

Each man must remember the birthdays of all their friends and relatives, and send cards out on time--no emailing.

Each man must also take each child to a doctor's appointment, a dentist appointment and a haircut appointment.

He must make one unscheduled and inconvenient visit per child to the Urgent Care.

He must also make cookies or cupcakes for a social function.

Each man will be responsible for decora ting his own assigned house, planting flowers outside and keeping it presentable at all times.

The men will only have access to television when the kids are asleep and all chores are done.

The men must shave their legs, wear makeup daily, adorn himself with jewelry, wear uncomfortable yet stylish shoes, keep fingernails polished and eyebro ws groomed.

During one of the six weeks, the men will have to endure severe abdominal cramps, back aches, and have extreme, unexplained mood swings but never once complain or slow down from other duties.

They must attend weekly school meetings, church, and find time at least once to spend the afternoon at the park or a similar setting.

They will need to read a book to the kids each  night and in the morning, feed them, dress them, brush their teeth and comb their hair by 7:00 am.

A test will be given at the end of the six weeks, and each father will be required to know all of the following information: each child's birthday, height, weight, shoe size, clothes size and doctor's name. Also the child's weight at birth, length, time of birth, and length of labor, each child's favorite color, middle name, favorite snack, favorite song, favorite drink, favorite toy, biggest fear and what they want to be when they grow up.

The kids vote them off the island based on performance. The last man wins only if ...he still has enough energy to be intimate with his spouse at a moment's notice.

If the last man does win, he can play the game over and over and over again for the next 18-25 years eventually earning the right To be called Mother!

Awhile back I shared with you the winners of the Darwin Award.  Here are some more stories, mostly in retail (surprise, surprise) that you may enjoy.    I don't know if these are true but if so it's scary. 

They Walk Among Us:

I was at the checkout of a K-Mart. The clerk rang up $46.64  charge.
I gave her a fifty dollar bill. She gave me back $46.64. I gave  the  money
back to her and told her that she had made a mistake in MY favor.  She
became indignant and informed me she was Educated and knew  what she was
doing, and returned the money again.  I gave her the Money  back .... same
scenario! I departed the store with the $46.64.

They Walk Among Us!
I walked  into a Starbucks with a buy-one-get-one-free coupon for a Grande
Latte.  I handed it to the girl and she looked over at a little chalkboard
that said  "buy one-get one free."  "They're already buy-one-get-one-free,"
she said, "so  I guess they're both free".

She Handed  me my free Lattes and I  walked out the door.


They Walk Among Us!
While  looking at a house, my brother asked the real Estate agent which
direction was north because, he explained, he didn't  want the sun waking
him  up every morning.  She asked, "Does the sun rise in the north?"  When
my brother explained that the sun rises in the East,  and has for sometime,
she shook her head  and said, "Oh I don't keep up  with all that stuff."



They Walk Among Us!!
I  used to work in technical support for a 24/7 call center. One day I got
a  call from an individual who asked what hours the call center was  open. I
told him, "The number you dialed is open 24 hours a day,
7 days a  week." He responded, "Is that Eastern or Pacific t i me?"
Wanting to end the call quickly, I said, "Uh,  Pacific."



They Walk Among Us!


My sister has a  lifesaving tool in her car designed to cut through a seat
belt if she gets  trapped.  She keeps it in the trunk.



They Walk Among  Us!
My friends and I were on a beer run and noticed that the  cases were
discounted 10%.  Since it was a big party, we bought 2 cases.  The  cashier
multiplied 2 times 10% and gave us a 20%  discount.



They Walk Among Us!
I couldn't find my  luggage at the airport baggage area, so I went to the
lost luggage office and  told the woman there that my bags never showed up.
She smiled and told me not  to worry because she was a trained professional
and I was in good hands.  "Now," she asked me, has your plane arrived yet?"

Being the parent of a soldier isn't easy. I'm one of the lucky ones.   My son, who is in the Mass Army National Guard, returned home in November after being in Kosovo for 15 months.   When he joined he was only 17 and had just started his junior year in high school.
He completed basic training the following summer and returned to Georgia the summer after he graduated for his MOS training.  He is an infantryman.  When he returned from training, his unit had already gone to Guantanamo Bay.  In 2005 when asked, he volunteered to go to Kosovo on a NATO peacekeeping mission.  He was transferred from his unit to another one to be with other soldiers getting ready to go. There was not currently combat there, but I still worried.  He had to have his weapon with him at all times just in case.  The picture I have of him getting his Christmas dinner shows him with his gun slung over his shoulder.   Shortly after he was deployed, his original unit was told they would be going to Iraq.  I thanked God every day that he was not there.

Last year, the nephew of a friend of mine was sent to Iraq.  He felt, as most soldiers do, that he was well trained and knew he could go there and do his job.  On January 9th,  he and a group of his comrades, were sent to a house in the Diyala province which had been previously cleared of insurgents to investigate reports, from an informant, that the insurgents had returned.  They had an interpreter, and with him, ten soldiers went to do the job they were trained to do.  Only four survived.  It turns out that nobody informed them that indeed the insurgents had come back, wired the house with explosives, and left.    When six of the soldiers entered the house, the interpreter ran away.  The house exploded killing all six of these brave Americans.   My friend's nephew was buried under thousands of pounds of concrete.  Thank God he survived.  He is recovering in Walter Reed with two broken legs, second degree burns and other injuries.   He is expected to recover and will walk again.  It is going to be a very long recovery.  Both physically and psychologically.

These men were lead to their deaths by the interpreter.  It is believed that he knew full well what was going to happen.  They trusted him.  This is just one of the dangers of being in Iraq.  People compare this war to Vietnam.  I think it is worse.  At least in Vietnam the soldiers had more of an idea who the enemy was.  In Iraq it could be the vendor at the market, the child on the street or even the interpreter hired to help you.  Just today I read about these horrible people using mentally handicapped women to kill 70 people at an animal bazaar.  Wired with explosives that were detonated remotely.  Who are these people?  When will this all stop?  How many more of our precious sons and daughters, mothers and fathers, husbands and wives have to die?  Or suffer horrific injuries?   I can't even imagine the heartbreak the families of these young people endure.  The pain must be unbearable. 

Being the parent of a soldier isn't easy.  I'm one of the lucky ones.

Ok so I'm not the most religious person in the world.  I have my faith, I say my prayers and I try to live in a way that my actions don't cause any harm to others.   I try to mind my own business and, with the exception of open forums such as this, I do not impose my beliefs on people whose opinion differs from mine.  I like to say I live as Christian a life as I possibly can.  Of course I've made mistakes but I believe that in the end I will be forgiven for any misdeeds I may have performed because I have done what I could to make amendments and learn from my errors.

If I, and many Catholics, live our lives like this, why do we, almost daily, have to be barraged with insults about our religion, our church leaders and our beliefs?  Do people think  we are not as easily affected by the actions of others?   That we live in some kind of shelter and aren't aware?  Are we supposed to be thick skinned because we have beliefs others may not share?  Are we looked upon as less intelligent, more deserving of the disdain of society?  We all know what has happened in our church over the last several years.  I have never heard any Catholic defend the disgusting, immoral actions of some of our leaders.  We are just as offended as anyone that these people took advantage of innocent children.  This does not give anyone, the media, other religious groups, advertising agencies etc. the right to say or do anything they want against our church and parishioners.  Catholic bashing, as my mother calls it, is truly the only prejudice that is still allowed in this country.  Say anything about another religion, a lifestyle, or minority group and there is hell to pay.  This is unacceptable.  I, for one, will no longer sit back and allow it to happen.   I am tired of people trying to make me ashamed of my religion.  I am tired of being offended by other's remarks, actions and so called art.

I am sorry if there are Catholics who have left the church because of all that has gone on.  It is a shame when one feels so hurt and disappointed that they feel that such a change is necessary.  As I have said before, I would not desert a friend or family if someone close to them did something I was disgusted by and I will not desert my faith.  I know this doesn't make me a better Catholic or a better person.  I take comfort in the fact that God has a place for all of us.  While I know and support the First Amendment I will not defend the practices of anyone ,be it a member of my church, a corporation, a publication or members of another faith who find pleasure in offending others.   This Catholic has had it.   To use a quote from the movie Network "I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore".