Monday, May 31, 2010

Rolling Thunder 2010



The Saluting Marine - The Lincoln Memorial - the Bikes (credit - StevenFrancis Photography) -

I was standing a little to the right of this location, when I noticed a woman standing almost rigidly, wiping her cheeks periodically. When asked if she was alright, she said yes, and that it was "silly" because she lost someone so long ago in the Vietnam war, that she shouldn't still be crying. No, it was only yesterday that her chopper pilot was KIA, they had been dating for only a while, she now has a new life, but still...... She asked me about my connection to the military, when she saw the my son and my husband served patches on my vest. Then she said what we have all heard so often "I don't know how you do it" we kept talking and she thanked me for helping her understand a little better, about how military families keep going, and the service members who volunteer to serve. A hug, and a connection. And remembering why the Thunder is Rolling, remembering who we are memorializing, not just those who died, but those left behind.

LAW

Sunday, May 30, 2010

Rolling Thunder - sorta

Unfortunately, Chief's vertigo came back, so neither of us will be riding! We'll go down and take pictures, and spend some time with friends.

Cat is now on hyperthyroid meds. Gave him the first one yesterday, on an empty stomach - which resulted in having to harvest some grass from the front lawn, and cleaning up the results. today, he seems to be better. Yeah, been a helluva weekend so far!

later, y'all.

LAW

Friday, May 28, 2010

Yeah - I'm still here

Well, um.... I can't believe it's been so long since I was here. I feel like I've been writing everywhere else, LeftFace and Facebook and all the rest of it. But wow, I've neglected LAW something fierce, huh? To update - I've left the fulltime job that was making me quite nuts, and now I'm working part time at a data entry type job (just enough to cover some bills) and trying to get my Virtual Assistant business up and running.

The town house has come together, found furniture we wanted but at a very unexpected place. You know the kind of store, carries furniture Chief calls "AlFaw palace" replete with gold brocade, fake stuffed tigers and screaming pink? We walked into one of those, and were about to leave until we saw the "normal" looking dining room set (Craftsman style) and bedroom dressers and side tables - good solid stuff. and cheaper than most of the other stores. unfortunately, their delivery sucks. SUCKS. waited around, they forgot a piece, but now the dining room chairs are re-covered (black naugahyde was tooo ugly) and the silver has been cleaned and looks great in the breakfront.

my little garden (mostly in pots and flower boxes) is coming along, the field salad/mesclun mix and spinach are great additions to the farmers market lettuces and vegs. The Sunday Farmer's Market has opened, the buffalo guy's meats are great, the fresh farm eggs are wonderful, and the vegs have so much flavour! If y'all have a farmers market, go, buy there! much better quality, support a local farmer.

Looking forward to this weekend, riding in Rolling Thunder (we hope). Chief will be, I don't know if my neck will allow me to wear the helmet/therefore no ride for me if I can't.

I can't promise I'll write a lot in the next few weeks. and for those faithful few who drop by here, I'm sorry.

LAw

Tuesday, May 04, 2010

Survey Time!! Power in Numbers.

Last year, Blue Star Families did a survey - and when they got the results they took it to Speaker Pelosi and a group of other concerned Congresspersons. And it made a difference - the fact that we as military families feel that civilians don't get what we do, that we are disconnected from the rest of the country - made an impact! The fact that there were many of us who said it, added weight. The First Lady talked about it, I've heard it at hearings and from members of Congress. Let's make sure that the findings from THIS survey are noted - are valued. How? by taking it! The more people who take this survey, the more military families that make their voices heard and their feelings and problems known - the louder our voice becomes. NOW is the time for us to let those Powers that Be know, because we are a power to be reckoned with NOW!

Here's the site for the Blue Star Families Survey

Go take it, it's private, your name will not be forwarded or published. Remember, to Congress, to those vague Powers That Be, numbers count. so take it, then pass it on. post it on your site, your FB status, tweet it. Let's make sure WE are represented, that OUR voice is the voice that speaks for military families, not some pencil pusher who never saw an ID card or PCSed, who doesn't understand that military families are proud of their servicemember and aren't asking for handouts, but that we have concerns, and want to make sure that the programs that are designed to help us, are really doing so.

Here's that link again.


LAW

Saturday, May 01, 2010

Moving forward

I gave notice yesterday, I start my new job in mid May. Excited? OH YEAH. I'm so so done with the firm, I'm so done with the "make binders" (3 sets) of pleadings, print out a few thousand pages here, there, everywhere... how about reviewing it in the data base first, and then tell me what you want printed. We must go through forests at the firm. FORESTS! and sorry, the area of law - zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. I think I've come to realize that I'm too old for this crap. I don't want to work until 10 pm, because the attorneys can't actually write a brief until the day before it's due, and therefore I can't do the cite checks etc of a 45 page brief until THAT day - or the secretary will screw up the formatting (again) at 8 pm... so the Table of Authorities and Table of Contents needs to be run again, and again, and again... ad nauseum. But the kicker for me is - I just don't CARE about it. I don't CARE about what I'm doing! I know what I want to do, and I'm going to do my damndest to actually do it.

What do I want to do? Well....Helping military families, in a concrete way, and helping military families by making sure we aren't forgotten again, regulated to the "oh, yeah, and after we spend billions on this program, this weapons system (and we as Congress don't care if you NEED it, we have a factory in our state that will make the doohickey thingamabob) AFTER we do all that... we'll consider doing a little something for the families - let's throw them a bone, they'll shut up and go away". No, we aren't going to anymore.

Getting off the soapbox. have a lot to do today. Migraine is almost gone, so I might get something done!

Talk to you later.

LAW