Back To Work!

Just a short post --- I start my new job Monday! This one feels like the right one (but, hey, I've been wrong before). Crystal Reports Analyst in an IT rather than Marketing setting (less BS). I'm excited about this particular opportunity and I need to get back to work before I forget how to use a computer for something other than blogging, shopping and e-mail.

So I'm off to lunch with a few former co-workers (I will be working 20 minutes to the West now, rather than 20 minutes to the East so I won't be able to see them very often). BTW, the new HR mgr (where I used to work) lasted three days!!! hahahahahahahahahahaha

MY MEN!

My "men" having smokes in Ybor City. Notice Kris pinching T.O.M. (The Old Man)'s ear. Not a lot of hair among the three of them -- but sooo much HEART!

This morning I woke up just feeling so proud of my family. Maybe it's because I'm finally winding down from all the events of the last few years. My sons REALLY are out of danger, my daughter is thrilled being pregnant, I'm thrilled that I'm going to be a granny, I love not working.

I'm leaving in a few minutes to drive down south to visit my friend Ann and her gaggle of children for few days. One reason for the trip is to return the car to her that she GAVE to us last year after Steve was laid off and lost his company car. It's an Isuzu Rodeo that gets great gas mileage. She's going to use it to do her running around in rather than her huge Expedition. It feels really good to be able to give it back.

I'm giddy with "happy" and I'm having the time of my life right now! (Thanks T.O.M.)

This Old House --- My Old Body

As I've mentioned before, our house was built in 1922; I was built in 1955. Oh my aching body. I've been down on my hands and knees painting the plank floor boards in our bedroom --- and this is just the primer. When we pulled up the avocado green, sculpted carpet from the 60s the floors were not in good enough condition to refinish. But they are going to look amazing painted.

Monday and Tuesday I helped my sister-in-law start organizing her home office --- this will take much longer than painting my floor. She has two businesses and years and years of paperwork in boxes and boxes. It must have been the time I spent sitting on her floor that messed up my neck and shoulders. Today it's hard to even move. Now the floor painting is going to put me back to bed! OR IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN FROM PLAYING "Mysteries of London" on my laptop for hours last night!

For anyone who read my post on the tornadoes, K&K have decided to sell their house now instead of next year as they had planned. So many homes were destroyed in Chapman, but theirs was untouched. Hopefully a family who lost their home will be able to move in to K&Ks in a short time. K&K will move to Manhattan where they attend grad school at Kansas State. The bonus is they'll save a lot of money on gas driving between school and home.

This photo shows a house in Chapman that is missing its front but the lace is still in place on the mantle.

I choose my former boss!

My oldest son and his wife live in Chapman, Kansas (about 20 miles from Ft. Riley). A tornado did major damages to their tiny little town last night. K&K live a little bit outside of town; their home was not damaged and they are both fine. They spent today in Manhattan, Kansas helping friends clean up from tornado damage in that town. Kansas State University where K&K attend grad school sustained (according to one news source) $20 million in damage. The photo on the right shows some of the damage in Chapman. Thehe aerial footage available online shows that most of Chapman looks like this.



The much sadder news, of course, is the four Boy Scouts who were killed by a tornado in Iowa. Good kids doing good things and they were killed.

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REMEMBER WHEN I QUIT MY JOB?

It has been verified --- I am NOT a whiny "quitter". The State of Florida has determined that:

"THE QUITTING WAS WITH GOOD CAUSE ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE EMPLOYER." The "Notice of Determination" was in today's mail and my first three weeks' of unemployment were already in my bank account!

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Randomness:

Advice I used that I found on the internet:

1. Peanut butter really will remove the sticky stuff left after a label is soaked off a bottle. You need to leave the PB on for a few minutes or so then scrub it off.
2. Cleaning the lint screen on your dryer WILL apparently extend the life cycle of the appliance. I read somewhere that if you run water over the lint screen, it kind of puddles and doesn't go through, supposedly as the result of using dryer sheets. Put a little soap and water on the screen, scrub lightly with a brush and that's it. I'll have to get another dryer and wait a few years to see if it actually makes it last longer. But I'll have to keep using the one I have until it breaks and let the new dryer catch up, or something like that.

Wanted: an old, small water tower just like the one in the photo on the right. I'm really into historic things and have lately become fascinated with water towers. I've also developed an interest in typography (illustrated in the dual-purpose image on the left -- it's a "wanted poster" AND an example of typography; are ya with me?)

But for some it does not . . .

Florida lost three American Heroes this week:

Pfc. Andre D. McNair, Jr., 20, Ft. Pierce, Florida, was killed in an accidental helicopter crash in Afghanistan on June 5, 2008.

Army Pfc. Andre McNair Jr.’s dream of being a pilot fell from the sky [and] ended last week in a helicopter crash at the Kandahar Army Airfield in Afghanistan.

“He really wanted that pilot’s license,” his father, Andre McNair of Fort Pierce, said Monday afternoon. “He really wanted to fly.”

McNair Jr.’s mother, Pam McNair, said her son was “looking to make a career out of the military. He was going to re-enlist so that he could become a pilot.”

PLEASE READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE here.

Spc. Quincy J. Green, 26, died in Iraq on June 2, 2008. "Spc. Green graduated from Orange Park High School where one of his favorite classes was NJROTC. While at OPHS he was also the football team’s mascot, 'Raider Man'. While in Iraq Quincy was a Chaplain's Assistant. Quincy was looking forward to coming home to be able to spend time with is 2 year old and 8 month old daughters."

This photo of Spc. Green with his daughter is so beautiful and yet so sad. If you study their two faces, their resemblance is amazing. I'm sure he was a proud Daddy.


Ssg. Enoch "Blake" Adams, Brooksville, Florida, died at Ft. Polk, Louisiana on June 2, 2008. Staff Sgt. Adams was a physician's assistant student at Ft. Polk's Bayne-Jones Army Community Hospital. The following information was provided to me by Ssg. Adams' father James Adams.

Enoch “Blake” Adams
Staff Sergeant U. S. Army
October 30, 1969 – June 2, 2008

Enoch “Blake” Adams was born in Naples, FL, and came to Hernando County in 1973. Blake attended Hernando schools through the 9th grade and graduated high school from Melbourne Air Force Academy. He was a graduate of Stetson University (1991) and the Texas Chiropractic College (1994). While in Brooksville he was a member of the former West Jefferson Baptist Church. He enlisted in the United States Army in October 1998.

In his early military career, he served at Fort Hood, Texas as a M1A2 Abrams tank loader and unit armorer; and was deployed to Bosnia with the A/1-12th Calvary. He also served with Headquarters, Headquarters Command, 2nd Infantry Division at Camp Casey, South Korea. When he returned from Korea, he was assigned to B/3-66th Armor, 4th Infantry Division at Ft Hood. While assigned to the 4th ID, he deployed to Camp Lancer, Iraq.

After completing his assignment with the 4th ID, he was selected to serve as an Army Recruiter and was stationed with the Riverside Company, Southern California Battalion from 2004 – 2006. Blake applied for and was accepted to the Physician Assistant Program. From August 2006 - October 2007, he completed his academic studies at Fort Sam Houston, Texas’ Interservice Physician Assistant Program, class 3-06. In October 2007 he was assigned to Bayne-Jones Army Community Hospital for the clinical phase of the PA Program.

Blake’s awards and decorations include Army Commendation Medal with one oak leaf cluster; Army Achievement Medal with one oak leaf cluster; Good Conduct Medal third award; NCO Professional Development Ribbon; Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal; Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal; Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; Overseas Service Ribbon; Army Service Ribbon; National Defense Service Medal; Korean Defense Service Medal; and the NATO Medal.

Survivors include his wife: Lori Scott-Copeland Adams of Bradenton, FL; father: James F. Adams of Brooksville; brother: Warren James Adams of Jacksonville; FL; and, step mother Barbara Gawor Adams of Brooksville.

On behalf of the Blue Star Mothers, I will present Gold Star Banners to the family of Ssg. Adams. His funeral service will be held Saturday, June 14, 2008, 1:30 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church, Brooksville, Florida.

Pfc. McNair's funeral will be held Saturday, June 14, 2008 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in Ft. Pierce. The Casualty Assistance Officer for the McNair family has graciously offered to present the Gold Star Banners to this family on behalf of the Blue Star Mothers.

Judy Edwards, the Jacksonville BSM Chapter President, will present Gold Star Banners to the family of Spc. Green at his funeral in Jacksonville on Friday, June 13, 2008.

The Power of Proud American People

"Granite Grok's Dope of the Week Award"

Claude Roessiger, an executive of Pak 2000, sued the town of Wolfeboro, NH this week over the public display of American Flags on town-owned property. He has since dismissed the lawsuit but is still experiencing the wrath of many proud Americans. Note the 'disclaimer' by the company on its website. My suggestion was that Mr. Roessiger apologize [while standing in front of the local VFW] holding a huge American Flag --- a perfect pie in the face opportunity (and make it a good ol' American Apple Pie).



Here is the original posting on GraniteGrok.com.

This was brought to my attention by another Blue Star Mom. She is part of the infamous group recently referred to in the press as "Moms of Fury" -- mothers who are proud to STAND UP and STAND OUT for America and our military.