That's A Tough One

A boy I went to high school with died in Baghdad last week.

That's the first time anyone I've known has been to war. And, the first time (obviously) they've died. Even if it wasn't as the article states, a 'combat related' injury, he was still in Iraq. He was still away from home. Possibly alone.

It makes me think of Tessa's brother. He was in the air force and the army sent him a letter telling him he'd be shipped off in February to Iraq for the army. Even though he appealed, and even though it was found that they had indeed taken the wrong Doug _ _ _ _, they took him anyway. Did I mention that he was ten days shy of retirement? I guess they figured, "We've already located him, why not?" He thinks he's getting out in November. They first told him he'd be there five years.

Woah.

It's the Study of Newsology, what did you think!?

I am so glad I've never had the desire to be a newsologist.


I had forgotten until a while ago, that the news makes me angry. I was definately reminded.


On a sidenote, Tessa's boyfriend broke up with her this week. Another friends family came down from up north to visit her in her new home. She and her boyfriend have been fighting all week, because her sister-in-law is a klepto.

It's going to be a loooooong weekend.

"Badges? We Don't Need No Stinking Badges!"

"One morning I shot an elephant in my pajamas. How he got in my pajamas, I don't know," "Animal Crackers," 1930.

Number 53 on the AFI Top 100 movie quotes list was definately my favorite.

See the entire list here

I think I just heard my closet heave a sigh of relief.

Dear Goodwill Shopper, In your hand you're probably holding my purple strappy sandals as we speak. Maybe you are holding those cute suede pink and purple polka dot slides I never got around to wearing, or even those gold platform heels I bought to go with my prom dress senior year, and lost as fast as I found them. Maybe you are holding one of the other 30 or so pairs of sandals I dropped off this morning at Goodwill's backdoor. No matter what you pick today, I support your choice, but I do have one request: Please be good to them. I spent many a teenaged night looking for those babies.

Express

Something else I learned today: If you're standing in the Express line at Wal-Mart, reading the inside flap of your new book "100 People Who Are Screwing Up America and Al Franken is Number 37" wearing that furrowed brow slightly horrified, slightly curious expression that you get only when you have the thought "Okay....someone behind me smells like bacon...ew" The guy in line in front of you WILL do a double take and point to you and say "Didn't we used to work together?" and at first, you'll have no idea who he is, but you'll play along (because he pinpointed the place you met) and he'll smile and you'll remember, 'Oh, you were THAT guy.' You will chat about what you're both doing. He, being in his early thirties now, and obviously more successful, will tell you he's starting his own computer company. You in turn, will mention that you need some work done. He'll dip into his wallet, pull out his business card and tell you that he's available anytime you might want to get together, even if it's later that evening, and not to hesitate to call. You'll shake hands as he gets ready to go and he'll lean in and smell like Curve and tell you that you're looking pretty good, and you'll flash him the biggest, stupidest grin you can manage and say 'thank you'. As he saunters away, you remember that you had a school girl crush on him when you worked together, because he reminded you of a cowboy (and we all know how you feel about cowboys...or, just the last four letters in general). And, while it's nice for a few moments in time, you slide the business card to the cashier (because, even you simply can't) who is more his age, and who keeps saying to you things like 'He's a handsome guy' and 'He seemed like quite the gentleman' and you simply reply 'He is'
After all, who else but a gentleman would remember someone they spoke maybe a handful of sentences to three years ago, over the course of 5 days? No one I can think of.Then you go home with a little extra bounce in your step and watch The Daily Show, only to find that the fella who wrote the book you just purchased is duking it out with Jon Stewart. And you can't stop grinning like a damn fool.

"So the combination is one, two, three, four, five? That's the stupidest combination I've ever heard in my life! The kind of thing an idiot would have

It's strange how hearing one small sentence come out of someone's mouth can make you go from feeling confident and protected to like you're floating around in space tethered to a ship going the wrong direction. My security bubble has popped. Again. I wish you weren't so far away right now. Just to completely confuse everyone further about what I'm saying, I'd like to point out that almost everyone I know lives pretty far away from where I do. Plus, I may or may not be referring to that kind of distance. There. That should do it.

Road Trippin'

Warm Sunshine
Time on my Hands
Newly Relocated friends
New "Weekender" Bag
Urge to travel
300 miles of open road
+_____________________
See you cats Friday





Please enjoy the 911 Report while I'm away.
There appears to be less funny stuff and more unfunny stuff this week.

1:35 a.m. – Report of two subjects shining flashlights in homes on Southside Ln.
9:03 a.m. – Caller from Mill Branch Rd. advised narcotics were stolen from her vehicle.
4:10 p.m. – Report of shoplifting at Shoney's.
10:09 p.m. – Caller at Rt. 172 threatened harm to herself.
8:47 a.m. – In reference to a gun found previously, caller at Mayo Trail advised a male subject was now searching the same area.
2:12 p.m. – Report of three female subjects, possibly intoxicated, at Wal-Mart.
9:07 p.m. – Report of female subject hitting and screaming at a 6-year-old child at Wal-Mart.
11:57 p.m. – Report of possibly intoxicated driver in red sports pickup, driving 15 mph on Rt. 321.
12:28 p.m. – Report of reckless driver in black SUV on Rt. 460, had flashers on and was driving on the median.
11:42 p.m. – Caller at 6th St. advised a possibly intoxicated male subject was knocking on her door.