Paul Newman - the bluest eyes and a great man

His eyes were legend, his good works, his philanthropy were monumental. His acting got better and better with age. Some of the new crop of actors could learn a lot from that man's life.

LAW

Post Vegas and all the rest of it

Now - let me just preface this with the fact that I don't like a lot of noise, visual stimuli and heat etc., since it tends to make the migraines rear their nasty little heads. So Vegas isn't the best place in the world for me.

Friday - woke up with one of the headaches trying to start, but waited until we got on the plane to take a pill. The TSA folks are just a pain and I didn't want to get pulled over and not be functional. We got to Vegas and holy hannah - it was HOT! Got to our hotel ( quick aside, why does a Marriott that is across from the Convention Center not have an Airport Shuttle??) Nice hotel, a regular old Marriott - I don't like surprises unless it's a nice B&B, and from what I heard about the Sahara - I'm glad we picked it! Picked up the official stuff, and then decided to grab dinner. I had believed that there would be more than one bus to the infamous Penthouse party - but no. After we ate at the Sahara Buffet - not worth it, but one has to try the oldtimey stuff - we waited for the bus, but when it didn't show - went back to the hotel and crashed (the timezone thing..)

Next morning, it was easy to see those that had been at the party... some bleeding eyeballs! I was scared, nervous and worried about the panel, but didn't need to be. Melinda had great questions and made us feel right at home. There was one commentor who asked the same question of our panel and the one before it - wanted a large umbrella "agency??" for veterans so they aren't forgotten. hmmm... think we have one of those - it's called the VA and is about as cludgy and hard to navigate as you could want. (son and dil are both navigating it... appeals etc.) besides, the guy didn't understand that we take care of folks OUR way - look at Chuck Z needing voice recognition software and look at it now - Valour IT was born.

The uniform milbloggers were there so I got to meet some of the folks I read a lot, and finally met one of the co authors I invited to join ParentsZone! Meeting Some Soldiers Mom (who won the parents blog milbloggie YAY) made me nervous too, but she made me very much at ease and it was a pleasure swapping stories of some of the wierd and wonderful things our active duty kids have done.

The Army lunch - well I don't like being told that - or have it strongly suggested that- I make the blogs (mine and PZ) into a recruiting tool. That's a slippery slope I won't be heading down. This blog - because it's mine and I get to say what I want, get to show what life is really like in a military family in our situation. And PZ because it's for information, good and bad and all of the stuff in between. I'm not a recruiter and I won't lie, fudge or conceal anything. I'm NOT saying all recruiters do, so jump off that high horse right now. I'm saying I've heard and seen some real slime who are recruiters - one recruited our kid. We told him the truth and he decided to join up anyway.

Saturday night was wonderful. Dinner at a good Italian Restaurant (I'm told it's a chain, but it's good food!) and it was one of those evenings that we all hope for. Good company (SemperFi Wife with Col. Semper Fi Wife, HF6, Toad and Mrs. Toad and DH and myself) good food - we ordered "Family Style" and it was quiet enough to actually talk to each other. Andi - we missed you! and AFW - answer the phone next time!

Sunday DH and I walked around the Venetian, Bellagio and Caesar's - ooh the shops! Did some looking, no buying... and we did hit the slots - each of us stuck a buck in the quarter slots, walked out with 3.50 profit. OH - if you are in Vegas and want a decent breakfast, the Imperial Palace coffee shop - second floor... great pancakes! Of course, migrained again, but it backed off after drugs and some nap on the plane. Flew home, got home incredibly late - crashed. and got up early for work Monday...walking zombie!

I am glad I went, glad DH met more of my imaginary friends, and very excited that PZ got so much good recognition - lots of folks telling me it's needed and we are all hoping we can make it as useful as possible. (and fun too, we need FUN!)

Namaste. LAW

Goin' to Vegas

Here I am... packing for Vegas - to be a panelist at MilBlog Expo. To say I'm nervous, is a mastery of understatement. I'm going to be surrounded by people who are REALLY big cheeses in the milblogging community, and most of them do not like people who think like me. So - think of me kindly, huh?

DH decided he didn't want to take two small roll on suitcases and one other carry on each. So I'm glad we are on Southwest Airlines - one checked bag won't cost us extra. and the clothes won't need so much pressing either. I'm taking some adult clothes, want to look nice and professional during the panel, ya know. I'm sure they are expecting some hippie in beads! (no, SB friends, I know you don't...) at the last Spouse Buzz Live, I was told by someone who reads my blog that I don't look like a liberal - she was imagining either a hippie with long gray hair and beads, or someone with multiple piercings and tattoos, wearing weird and wonderful stuff... For those of you who haven't seen me - I am accused of dressing like a fuddy duddy - slacks, shirt and conservative jacket. It's fun to skewer the incorrect assumptions, isn't it?

I'm pissed off - the headache study I was in, and in which I was just 7 days from having the procedure - has been canceled! Dammit! There might be another one I qualify for, the same type of device. We wanted to have all this done before DH left in January - but I don't think that is going to be possible. I may just have to go another route. Trying to get our friends at Tricare to cover something like this - well, I'm up for a battle.

time to hit the shower and get moving. I'll try to post from Vegas.

LAW

Milbloggie for Parents Zone

can you believe it? our first year of Parentszone, and we're nominated for a Milbloggie! If you can, and want to, would you vote for us? We'd love to have a good showing!

I honestly didn't know about it, till JUST NOW!! yikes. That'll teach me to go on vacation!

LAW

Spouse Buzz Live

Holy Hanna - actually, she really wasn't that bad - Tropical Storm Hanna... We had a blast as always at SpouseBuzz Live. My DH came with me, since we then moved on to a family vacation (more about that on another post) He was so sweet, came to all the dinners and met my imaginary friends, even went and picked up the ParentsZone cards (I can't show them to you... I'm in a timeshare condo, with no scanner - horrors!) I liked what I saw of Virginia Beach and Norfolk, we even found a nice diner (he'll post about that on his blog Ditherings). Dinner with the SB gang and some spouses/kids - a very fun way to spend an evening. But one of these days we need to go to some little out of the way place, guys... somewhere NOT a chain restaurant! I know, with kids and some folks don't eat this, or that, or are allergic to something else...it's hard.

Met some old friends - Huh? Well, I've blogged with them, but never physically said HI. and saw some old friends again. Every time I go to SBL, I'm both heartened and disappointed. Heartened by the support we give each other - disappointed that we still can't connect with everyone that needs our support, help, shoulder to cry on.

So, now I'm on vacation with my folks. and that's another post!

Later.

Peace for the mind, for the heart and for the spirit. Namaste

LAW

Forsooth - yoikes and away!

Ren Fest- Maryland style. Smaller, and in the woods, and I loved it. And the best part - The Rogues - one of DH's favourite bands.

Lots of food - (but skip the "sweet potato fries" they are some sort of mush deep fried...ick) and I have to say the smoked turkey legs - not so much, they didn't use any mesquite or hickory. But the yard o' fries.. yum. The "Shakespeare Scum" Hysterically funny The Scottish Play in 30 minutes - next time we'll have to see the Romeo and Juliet in 30 minutes... There was another band we enjoyed as well - drinking songs in the Irish vein - The Hooligan Brothers. We'll definitely be going back - I have more shopping to do!!


Now we get ready for Spouse Buzz Live (if Hanna doesn't tromp her way up the coast too much) and a few days with my folks in the mountains. Then... Vegas!

Peace for the mind, the body and the spirit. Namaste.

LAW