The Last Word

The last word… someone has to have it… some people MUST have it.. and others cant get a word in edgewise… but its often the last word that is fought about most. Some must dominate a conversation by being louder, seemingly smarter, or just plain more of a bully in a conversation to make themselves look intelligent. Doesnt work that way… intelligence is shown often times in the silence while the smart one… makes himself out a fool…. Why do people often go out of their way to make themselves look more intelligent, when in fact they are speaking way out of their league, with knowledge they dont have, about a subject they have heard about on television… probably the discovery channel on How Its Made… The smarter ones keep their mouths shut and enjoy the show as the “intelligent” one makes a bigger and bigger fool of him or often times… herself… The louder ones seem to want to make sure that everyone gets their thoughts on things… after all… to that one person.. everyone is intitled to his or her opinion.. and he or she will give it loudly. Unfortunately.. too few are willing or able to shut the moronic bufoon’s trap long enough to get them to realize that no one really cares about their opinions.
Its the same way with those who have to have the last word… it often gives them the feeling that they are or were the most important person in the conversation, and that their opinion was the best and brightest…. not always so. Often times, others will let the big mouth big idea person have the last word so that the conversation will die out naturally… unfortunately.. it will lead to the one with the least claim to that last word…
On another plane of this idea… The Last Word… was a thought I had today while driving…. what else do I do? I drive and think… or drink coffee… I was thinking today… between cups of coffee…
What will My last words be? Will they be words of faith, happiness, recipies for My favorite desserts? What will My children hear as My last words to them?
I wonderd this because I tell My wife each morning that I love her before I leave the room for work. I never thought of it before, but if I should be killed in an accident, or maimed badly by a raging chimpanzee on steroids… and not survive because I broke My neck on the banana peels… I at least will die knowing that I said nice things to her before I left.
Do we do that for our families? Do we do that for our parents? Do we share the love and cherish the people before we leave for an uncertain future of the day to come? If we dont… why dont we?
We have no control over when our time here on this earth will end.. so we need to make sure that the last words our loved ones hear, are not harsh, hurting, caustic, or inflamatory words to harm the heart or soul…. we dont want to leave that legacy behind us. We want to leave happy, loving, caring words in their ears… lest it be the last thing they hear us say to them….
Dont go out without telling them you care. Dont drive away angry, planning on making up some time later… dont leave the teenager in tears when a simple “I love you” could heal a wound that will remain forever if you dont return….
Swallow all your pride, feelings, and anger… and leave a legacy of love…. tell them you love them.. let that be your last words each day… each time you leave them behind… one day it will be our last time… and I think we should let them know we care….

peace….

love you!

No Im not leaving without coming back…

MJ

Making Room…

For many months now we have been empty nesters… our two grown sons out on their own… well sort of.. the elder one living in our old house to insure its safety, the younger one living with grandparents so he can attend the college he wishes… the younger one has no intent of moving back home.. but recently the older one, since we have sold the house to a family member… has moved back home. We now have to make room sooner than we thought. With the arrival of the three siblings we are adopting, we have made arrangements for their rooms, decorated them, put all new clothes in their closets, and made sure everything was good. We still had one bedroom for the older boys in that case that they decided they needed to come back home… and one has… it does not affect the room arrangements for the children we are bringing home… the two girls will still share one room and the youngest son will have his own room. Its time to start buying more groceries, plates, cups, napkins and time to buy stock in Bounty Towels…. Im sure we will be going through a LOT of those. We will need more laundry detergent, more napkins, more more more more.. and we are absolutely overjoyed to be needing all this. We are moving our more mature video collection to the upstairs bedroom, and bringing down the Disney movies… we are getting afgans big enough to fit us all under so we can snuggle and watch tv together… including the older brothers of course. Best part of all this making room, is the boys e xcitement in meeting and welcoming their new young siblings. The older boys are so very excited, and cant wait to get to Russia to meet these children they have so far only seen photos of. They have both helped with painting, moving things, getting the rooms ready, and preparing for the trip of a lifetime. The boys are truly ready to accept into our family… their new siblings. The older son has made mention of wanting to get a gun…. I was rather worried about this until I asked him what he wanted a gun for… he replied… “Dad…. When my little sisters start dating… I know how those high school boys can be…” I could only laugh and reassure him that they would have to get past Me first.. and that alone, as you can tell by My photo… will be an unnerving task in itself. All this week My wife and son (older one Joe) have been cleaning, moving things, and getting the house ready for this wonderful transition to a new life. Bags are packed, passports and visa’s are ready to go… we have the traveling cash ordered, and our ride to the airport has been arranged….
We are ready. I cannot wait to touch the cheeks of the three children we will call ours. To embrace them in an embrace of love and caring that will not wear off… to kiss them one by one, telling them how much I love them already… reminding them each and every day that I love them… even if they misbehave… I will love them just as much. I want them to know that even though their older brothers are a pretty good difference in age… that they too love the children, and welcome them with open arms and hearts…
Its not only in our home we made room… we made room in our hearts, minds, and souls… we had love to give.. and now have more to share with. We have waited our married lives for this event.. we have made room before in our hearts… and always kept it open for the day… and now.. that day is so close I can taste it.. I can see the gleem in the little ones eyes… the want to be loved and cared for… as they can see the clear windows of our souls… deep with in the desire to make them an intrigal part of our lives for the rest of their lives… We have made room… with the help and guidance of God… we have made room… our sons have made room… and together we will all be better people for what God has give us.
Im glad I took the time….

to make room….

I made room for you too… those of you who are close to Me know this I say not lightly…. there will always be room in My heart for you… for each time someone is added… more room is made….
Never fear that you will lose your place in My heart…. you are there for good…

sorry if I didnt digress like I usually do…. Im just a bit wiped.. planted a tree today…. I think its a money tree.. God knows it cost enough in the tree, fertilizer, potting soil, mulch, and back breaking digging… Im hoping to be reaping 10′s and 20′s soon…. but with My luck… it’ll be canadian dollars….. damn exchange rate…

peace

MJ

Clean Your Room!!

As a child… I often heard… “Clean your room!” I rarely did though. I preferred My room a bit on the messy side… I was always able to find things, because I remembered where I dropped them. Most of My possessions that were meaningful were either by the side of the bed, or just beyond the door. You could tell what path I took through the house because of the line of items left on the path. My jacket on one place, books in another, still another was My shirt, shoes in another place, and finally… Me….
I am not a neat person by any means, but I dont tolerate messiness in My home. My wife is a very good person when it comes to cleaning.. she knows I am a pig, and leaves My office to Me to clean.. until today. She called to say she was cleaning My office… imagine My panic… I would never again be able to find things… things would be put away where they belong.. I would lose the hunt for tools, and shoes… My dirty clothes, glasses, soda cans, and plates would all be removed and sent to the kitchen, laundry, or closet…. I would be lost… worst of all.. she would organize My desk… what a panic… I was almost in a sweat. I had visions of everything I have carefully placed being put in numbered files or worse…by alphabetical order…. I have a unique filing system… OTD/OTF….
If I want it.. its On The Desk… or On The Floor….. just like when I was a kid…
Sad thing is… the acorn doesnt fall far from the oak tree… My elder son is showing defiinte signs of being a bigger pig than I am. I at least pick up My clothes, put them in the basket, and have begun to put dirty dishes in the dishwasher… but My son seems to think that dishes dont need to be done until you run out of them…. his clothes are all over the floor, along with his computer, headphones, and a menagarie of other items that need to be put away somewhere. Hard part is… his idea of putting things away… is stuffing them under his bed… Ive made it clear that I will not stand for this. We have 3 children coming to expand our family… and I will NOT have that as an example of how we live. Big brother.. .and dad… will have to clean up their acts… I am already working on it.. he has a long way to go. He has no choice but to clean up his room… or I have told him… its either My way… or your way in your own home…. but it wont be his way in MY home…. after all… I PAY THE MORTGAGE!!!! Today I put in a big screen television… Im one of the last to own one… but I did get it mounted on the wall… and right away.. the elder son thinks he is going to put his playstation on MY television…. Aint happening…. I dont want more crap to fall over in MY family room… he can keep his games up in his room and keep them on his television… My house.. My rules… DAMN Im sounding like My father… I understand now where dad was coming from. I get older and I find I cant stand the mess and clutter that the younger ones live in… when I was living at home, I paid room and board.. and it bought Me a bed, and laundry washed. I had an occasional meal at home, but being a truck driver, I often had to eat on the road….
Its amazing how our worlds have changed… Our children seem to have more freedoms, and easier going parents than we had… but there comes a time when we have to draw the line… Im nearing that point with the older son. He is welcome to live with us, but has to follow MY rules… I had to follow My dads rules… it is the same in My home….
Im not busting his butt today because he got sick this morning… slipped in the mess from getting sick, and did the splits…. needless to say… he is in a LOT of pain…. but he has been told that his mess WILL be cleaned regardless of how bad his groin hurts… he can sit and clean… just like I do in My office… but his mess will be cleaned… there is no maybe or way out of it.. its either clean it up.. or find a place to live where you can live like a pig. I love My son very much… but its nearing the time for that tough love…. unless of course he cleans his room and is stays clean.

Oh yes… THATS gonna happen….

we shall see… we shall…..

until then…. or until tomorrow…

peace

MJ

Miss You….

Missing you…. its something we tell people who are close to us when we are apart… but what does it mean to you? Do you miss someone more at first then it doesnt seem to matter later on? Do you feel pangs of desire to be with that person, talk with them, be near them, or is it something that dulls with time? What causes the pain to remain when someone we care about or love goes away for any extended amount of time? What is done to fulfill the time spent away? How do we cope with the feeling of loss when a loved one is away?
Missing someone is a sure sign of friendship, love, caring, and understanding. We miss the others presence because they have a positive effect in our lives. We feel the loss of their input, their candor, and their presence. That is what we miss… and why we miss them. When we tell someone we miss them… we mean it mostly… sometimes we say it in jest… but when we are missing someone.. there is a connection that cannot be denied. Be it love, a deep liking, or just a friendship… its hard to lose such a feeling when someone is gone for extended times. My son’s girlfriend is traveling in Europe… she misses him terribly … he doesnt show it as well as she does. But you can see it in his actions… the way he talks about her… the way he marvels at her expenditure of large sums to spend 10 minutes on the phone with him… its love that drives that feeling of missing someone….
I know that with the closing of the 360 pages on Yahoo, I will lose some of My readers because of the fact that yahoo doesnt have a good way to transfer contacts from the 360 to the new profiles… I know that even though some of the contacts there I dont speak with personally, or on a regular basis… I will miss their input on My page. Ive made many friends here on 360, and I know that there is a chance that they will follow Me to the profile page and continue to read My blogs… but I will truly miss this format. There are so many things we miss…. we miss our beds when we are away… we miss our pets… we miss our familiar surroundings, and our homes… we miss our vehicles, and our gardens… being away makes for a list of things we miss… mostly.. we miss our familiarity…. whatever is familiar to us.. our comfort zone.. our place of refuge…
When I traveled over seas.. I missed the things which we take for granted… the simple things such as DRIVING ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ROAD!!! I missed the normal foods I am so used to.. and catsup of all things… its not the same overseas… they just dont know how to make it… I missed talking to those of you whom I speak with on a regular basis.. I missed My guitars, and playing with the band… I missed My pillow… odd as it seems.. we get used to something that makes us sleep better… and its not the same no matter where we go….
Ive found that bringing something that is familiar from home.. a pillow, a blanket, or a couple CD’s that I can listen to before bed.. will help Me sleep better… its feeling that missing link to My familiar surroundings…
I miss some things less.. I dont miss much from childhood… except the freedom… From My teen years… I miss the music, the easier times… but wouldnt trade where I am now for all that… Im happy where I am.
Mostly I miss you…. the people who read My blogs… who support Me in My rantings… and leave comments on My page….
In the closing days of 360.. I will continue to ask you to follow Me to the new profile version of Yahoo… read My blogs if you wish… feel free to comment… and stay connected… thats whats most important… staying connected….
If you dont….

Ill miss you…

peace

MJ

Changes…

We all go through them, but not all are for the better… we all experience change as we grow.. but not all growth is for the good… as it is with Yahoo and its growth… it is official… Yahoo 360 will no longer exist after July 13th of 2009. I am truly saddened to see it go, and I deeply hope and wish that you will follow Me to the new profile based blog.
I have come to find writing these sometimes nonsensical blogs a passion I do not wish to give up just yet. I enjoy sharing, pointing out the not always so obvious, and giving My not so valued opinions on things that we all take for granted.
Most of all.. I have met some very wonderful people here, and want them to all stay in contact with Me… (and of course buy MY BOOK… and BUY MY MUG!!!!!!!) All that aside… you as readers of this off the wall blog have become like family… and please pick up your dishes before you go to the new page.. Im tired of cleaning up after you all… and LET THE DAMN DOG OUT!!!
I plan to continue blogging on the profile blog, and regular daily updates into My madness and world, along with the new adventures of the MJ kids… will be provided on a DAILY basis… I know you will soon tire of Me saying how cute and lovable the kids are… but DEAL WITH IT!!!
I promise to not blog about putting away dirty pants, undies, or socks… and I wont blog about every cut, scratch,, and bruise they manage to get on the playground…. well not after a while anyway…
The blog will remain just as goofy as it is here… and it will be just as much fun to read.. perhaps not as easy to find… but Ill put a link here if I can… that is if Yahell will give Me a clue as to how to find the link…. but…. I will be here.. or actually there…
I will be finally backing up My blogs at either blogger.com, or at World Press http://mjsblogomatic.wordpress.com/
that is the link.. I hope it works…. Unfortunately in the move.. about one third of My blogs were lost… but… I am planning before I leave for Russia to get at least half of My blogs saved on this computer… I wrote over 680 blogs…. I dont wish to lose them….
All I can say is we must wait until the dust settles before making conclusions about the changes… according to yahoo.. all the old blogs are on the new profile site… I have seen many, but those which are copies are often times compressed and look odd….
Please though… stay with Me… I enjoy your comments, your readership, and your loyalty… I truly do. If it wasnt for you… I wouldnt do as well as I do…
I know as a group we can survive this brutal change… alone… we shall certainly not survive it….

thanks for sticking with Me….

peace

MJ

Please?….

Please?… its such a disarming word… its asking permission for something… anything… but how often do we use it in the wrong way? Kids… will you PLEASE be quiet?!!! Honey.. will you P L E A S E pick up your pizza box from 1993???!!!! Will someone PLEASE invent a way to fly to the moon so I can take a vacation???!!!!!!
We arent always a society of polite questioners… we often take for granted things that should be asked for, and of course with a “please”. Things such as… “please may I take a pint of your blood for research?”…. oh hell no.. the nurse walks in.. .stabs you with a fire hose and starts sucking you dry… you think youre giving blood.. oh hell yes you are…. you are giving gallons of it… but is there ever someone asking “please”? Nahhhh….
We have stopped teaching our children to ask politely. We hear things like… HEY YOU… Im sure the other person has a name given at birth…. GIVE ME YOUR LUNCH MONEY…. oh sure.. how about half the national debt too while Im at it…. I believe if the bully had said please… the kid would have handed the money over nicely… and no black eye would have ever been necessary. Instead of yelling… “HEY MORON GET OFF THE ROAD”….. you could politely hit the jogger with the car and then say… “may I please call you a priest?” What the HELL are they jogging on the road for ANYWAY…. PLEASE…. someone explain this!!!
How about this… instead of “Mom.. Dad… johnny is staying overnight…. (along with half the football team and all the cheerleaders for a GANG BANG)” how about…” Mom.. Dad? May I please invite the football team and cheerleaders overnight for a gang band and beer bong party?”
The plan would still backfire and of course the son would be grounded well into his next life… but at least he took the initative to ask please… right?
We hear… GIVE ME ANOTHER!!! Instead of honey.. would you please pass Me another dozen donuts?… oh.. and a gallon of milk to wash them down.. PLEASE…..
Asking for things politely has become a lost art…. when I order something at a restaurant.. and the waitress or slow learner, cant find a job, needs to pay for the drugs cashier at McDonalds, burger King, or Arbys… asks Me if I wanted something in particular with My food…. I always say.. “yes please….” Unless of course its offering extra saliva… no thank you then.. but Im still polite….
We need to say please more often… it will confuse the hell out of our children… they so seldom use the word please.. it will almost be as if we are speaking a foreign language….
Here’s hoping we can start a trend… polite people all around!! We can say please.. and even a thank you or two… next thing you know.. men will be holding doors for women, pushing in their chairs, and ordering dinner for them… putting down the toliet seat… and even washing their hands after they pee…. ok.. I already do that…. and the toliet seat thing…. I put it down after seeing a slow motion video of what happens when ya flush… and all the germs and micro particles that come out of that thing like a mushroom cloud… CLOSE THE DAMN LID BEFORE YOU FLUSH…. PLEASE!!!
See! Its working already… Im much more polite than before….

Nahhhhhh

ok…. may I please close the blog.. My fingers are tired…..

thank you…

peace

or is it please….

MJ

Honey… Im Home…..

Honey Im home… words often heard in the 50′s and into the 60′s when the man of the house came home from work. Expected was the wife standing in a nicely ironed dress, hair fixed, make up perfect, and dinner almost ready to be served. The children were all well dressed, groomed, and polite as anyone could possibly ask for. The family dog stayed down from the table, and never begged for scraps. Dinner was a family affair. All calls, friends, and electronic items were put aside for the family gathering for dinner time. Of course back then, all there was was a radio, and possibly a television set, but they were turned off for the dinner hour. Food was hot, plentiful, home made and ready at 5 pm. Everyone sat at their assigned places, and waited for the Man of the house to say grace, and fill his plate. The children listened as dad talked about his day, the traffic, the job he hated, or loved. He would ask each of his children about their day, school, athletics, or glee club depending on what each child was doing at school. Dinner lasted more than just a few minutes, and when it was done…. each child asked permission to leave the table. Dishes were done by mom and the kids, each sharing in a duty of clearing the table, scraping the dishes, washing, drying and putting the dry dishes in the cabinets. It all began with those words…”Honey… Im home! Back in those days we dropped everything to greet dad.
In My household, it was not unusual to meet dad at the garage, while he parked his 1967 Pontiac Catalina in the garage. We would rush out to greet him and one of us would always carry his lunch box into the house for him. Dad got off work at the same time every day, and every day after he got home… dad took a short nap. We dreaded the duty of having to wake him… one gentle touch and he would jerk awake, and slowly make his way to the dinner table. Dinners were always full of conversations, and good food. Mom is a gourmet cook, and was always making things that were balanced as well as tasty… of course that was until she discovered LaChoy Chinese in a Can…. I think she truly believed it was Chinese food… it was more like dog food to Me…. she would make Chop Suey…. I would have rather eaten chopped liver with tomatoes…. I love liver by the way… but I cant eat tomatoes.. they make Me sick… just like moms chop suey would. We suffered through it at least once a month…. to this day… I cannot touch it, nor can I look at a can of LaChoy ANYTHING in the store. Dad would complain that the food was too much, too spicy, too cold, too hot, we had it last week, it was too bland, it was too rich…. He was a far more picky eater than I. I learned to clean My plate, at times while holding My breath to get the next bite into My mouth without letting My tongue taste any of it.
On Fridays it was creamed peas with tuna and toast… being Catholic.. of course there is the Catholic guilt about eating meat on Fridays… so we never did. Lunches were almost always peanut butter and jelly… grape jelly of course… but dinners on fridays were interesting… I to this day cannot touch a tuna noodle casserole… Mom would make scrambled eggs with steamed cauliflower, which even though it sounds kind of disgusting… it was pretty good…. the creamed peas with tuna and toast was pretty simple… a white cream sauce.. add peas.. and a can of tuna… serve on toast… for My dad though… she served a Bohemian dish called Cuchka…(chutch-ka)
It was lentils boiled to a paste…. and served with sliced hard boiled egg… again… something I would never eat… it was just disgusting… but dad ate it..
After dinner we would clean up and dad would go and watch television…. or work on a project… he was always doing something, or tinkering.
Dad was never bored… he was constantly taking things apart to fix them, or explore how they worked. He often times brought home broken power tools to tinker with.. taking several of the same item, and using parts to make one good one. He built his own alarm for the house… but to turn it off.. you had to be a track star…. it was attached to the front, back and basement doors, as well as the garage… so if he set it before he went to bed.. he knew exactly what time you got in…
Dad was a good man… even when we didnt see eye to eye. He was one of the most powerful men I had ever known… even into his 50′s was able to do handstands and walk down the driveway on his hands…. but those hands… always were willing to help. He was always doing projects for family, friends, and those who needed his talents…
On Saturdays as a child… I would accompany him to a priests farm in Wisconsin. We would spend the day there fixing things in the farm house. The priest was Father Long… a wonderful man who inherited his wealth and used it for good. Dad would build things for him, fix his barns, fences, and any other things that needed repair. I would get 3 dollars a day for helping. I would bring dad tools, and take the ones he was done with back to the tool box. At the end of the day… we would drive back home, and just listen to the radio…. there was little talking… we were both exhausted…
Dad never did call out “honey Im home”.. but mom always knew when it was time that dad arrived with Me. She would make hamburgers for dinner on Saturday night. I can still remember the broiled burgers… stacked high on a plate, with bottles of catsup, mustard, relish, sliced pickles, onion, and for dad.. brown mustard. There were chips, and cokes to go around…. we were hungry men and mom knew it. After dinner, we would watch television as a family. Back then the television was in the living room.. it was a piece of furniture, and each of us had our own place to sit… one never sat in dads place… it was forbidden. We watched such shows as Family Classics, Lawerence Welk, and Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom…. what ever dad wanted to watch was what we watched. We didnt march off to 3 or 4 different rooms with different televisions to watch our own shows… we watched as a family. Now.. we watch different shows, play on the computer, or play video games… all alone… video games, iPods, and portable DVD players… all designed for the one.. not for the group….
Im hoping to take a step back in time… and start watching televison as a family again. Maybe I can find videos of Lawerence Welk…..

Well Not THAT Far back…

But we will be watching televesion as a family…. again… for the first time….

Thanks for taking this walk down memory lane with Me….

I enjoyed it

peace

MJ

Venting….

Im sure we all get mad… sometimes we get sooo mad we want to just rip someones head off and shove a watermelon down their neck… and twist their head on backward after… but we dont… we know better. Road rage is a very big problem in this day and age, leading to guns, knives, and clubs… and thats just the kids…. People on the roads dont care what others are doing, thinking, or where they are on the road… if youre in the way… too bad.. you can stop, move, or get the hell out of the way…. they dont care.. and they especially dont care how angry you get… you can just deal with it. I am one of those who gets it in traffic every day. I drive a large truck, 33,000 pounds loaded to be exact… and for some reason… people seem to think it can stop like a Jaguar…. it CANT. I get cut off on a daily basis… I get passed too closely, I get brakes slammed on in front of Me after someone who was behind Me suddenly decides they needed to be 3 feet in front of Me at 60 miles per hour, and then they need to stop because Im too close….. I didnt pull in behind these morons.. they pulled in front of Me….
This stress on a daily basis does raise My blood pressure. I find Myself, like Im sure many do in similar situations… needing to vent. Its not good to let stress build and build in your system until you are primed for a heart attack… you should let it go… but do you do as I, and let it out instead of letting go? Or do you let it go? I cant just let things go…. I try to, but after 30 plus years of driving a truck, I find My “give a damn” is severly broken. I dont care if you think you have an appointment with your nail girl, hairdresser, accountant, hooker, banker, or parole officer… I am STILL driving a truck.. and you STILL shouldnt cut one of us off. I tend to talk to traffic when I drive… I can spot morons from miles away… I make a game of it; trying to determine when and where the idiots will change lanes too close to Me, and when they will inevidibly slam on the brakes. It happens enough that I can read them like a book. I can usually tell when they are changing lanes, and when they will make a sudden exit from the middle of left lane of a three lane highway. Of course there are no other vehicles on the road… just a few scattered here and there… usually around 30,000 during the morning rush hour…. but of course.. these few are the chosen ones.. they can change lanes 3, 4, 7 at a time… and no one does anything… they can drive down the shoulder of the road to pass people and no cop is ever around… but let Me go 3 miles over the posted limit… and you can bet Ill be pulled over…. fortunately.. I have NEVER in 36 years of driving… received a speeding ticket. I can only imagine how loudly I would vent if I did.
Venting is almost an art… one must get it off the chest, without burdening another with the anger and frustration felt because of the incident. Usually we are supposed to feel better after venting, but for some… it only makes matters worse when the person they vent to doesnt share in the anger and frustration… I truly think some vent to get someone else angry… after all… misery loves company…
There are times when I vent at someone and find Myself having to apologize later for My rude and inconsiderate behavior…. one would think I would learn after a few times… but NOOOOOOO I dont seem to get the lesson through my thick skull…. maybe someday…
But with the children soon to arrive.. I am working harder on not venting out loud. I am working hard to keep My temper in check… I havent had to since the older sons were teens… they understood that when Dad gets pissed… get out….smiles… My anger runs a cycle.. I get pissed off… I yell and shout.. I calm down… I fix what I broke….
I dont break things any more.. and when I did… it was always something of My own… it was convenient and handy… and I needed to throw something.. usually in the garage… nothing in there is of any consequence…. I just throw to let the steam off…
But… no more… Im working hard on not yelling as much, and being more calm when the situation gets a bit rough on Me. This way I am easier to deal with, calmer, and dont fly off the handle as badly… hey.. its the new Me!
I have been on call 2 weeks in a row, and next week ( minus Friday) will make three weeks in a row…. Im keeping My cool. Im not getting angry about anything…. its almost refreshing.
But I know when I do blow My cool… I will probably vent… but not as much or as badly….
Im learning…

Thanks for letting Me vent….

Peace

MJ

Reservations Please….

Going anywhere on a plane is a tricky thing… going alone is hard enough… but imagine planning for a group of say….. SIX!!! That is what we are facing with the return trip from Russia. We are going as a couple, I am returning alone, our two sons are going together….GOD HELP US ALL!!!!….. The wife is on the phone right now with United Airlines trying to tweak the reservations for the multiple plane flights we will be doing. I will be there a week, My wife 3 weeks, and the older sons 2 weeks. I have to return for work, and the boys will be going there to help bring the three siblings home. The hard part is that each of us has a itinerary that states our flights, and reservations, times of flights, and places where we will change planes. Now here comes the hard part… My older son is also a Joseph… but he is Joseph Francis…. the agent we have to use for the adoption, as recommended by the adoption agency… has him listed as Joseph M….. his brother is Kevin Michael…. and now the wife is on the phone with the agent who booked the flights. For a mere 5500 dollars… we are flying 4 people into Russia… and 7 people out! That doesnt count the limos we have to take.. as its cheaper than taking a cab. We will take a limo to the airport, and I will probably take a taxi home to where My pick up truck will be… the limo will go back when the wife and FIVE KIDS come home….
But… all the paperwork is daunting… I am amazed that My wife has any hair left after all the papers we have had to file, document, file, notarize, mail, express mail, fax, beg, borrow, and plead for… We have filled in enough papers to make War and Peace… look like a comic book… she has made enough phone calls to leave a paper trail from here to Russia.. TWICE….
I dont understand all the paperwork… but Im at work all day… she is home and willing to do these things.
The reservations for the flights had to be made quickly… we will be flying on a Boeing 767… I love big planes, they bounce better… With all that has had to be reserved, I am amazed at the timing of it all… we fly into Washington DC, then to Moscow… we hang around Moscow for a few hours… about 8 or so actually… and then board a train, the tickets for which are going to be purchased for us in advance by the people who work for the doctor in Russia who recommends the children! Its a pretty big wheel turning all the smaller wheels to make this possible… we are one of those small wheels, but we will be making a HUGE impact on the lives of 3 children who right now.. dont have much of a future. But.. in a few weeks, that all will change. We will bring them home to a happy, joyful, and loving home…. without reservations….
We want these children to know they are loved… there will be no holding back any type of affection they need. They will get hugs, and kisses, and tucked into bed each night… because thats what they need.. to be loved, and shown love… without reservation.
With these children… the only reservations I want… are at the hotel pool, the plane, and at a restaurant where they can indulge in any kind of food they have not ye tried….
My biggest thanks of course goes to My wife for all her efforts… second goes to the social worker Alison.. she has fielded calls days and nights, answered millions of questions and has always done so with a smile… she has been an angel in this whole adoption process.
Funny thing is… My nephew Gary and his wife are beginning the adoption proceedings… with Alison!!! Im thrilled as is My wife, that our family has not only embraced our adoption, but have taken the adoption with us, and My younger brother and his wife, to be a spring board to go ahead and adopt also. We are truly becoming an international family….
Without reservations…

Thanks for hanging in for the ride….

Peace

MJ

Tomb Of The Unknown Soldier

For information only, this is from the Arlington National Cemetery site… and is NOT My work… it is just to give an overview of how we honor our soldiers. Of note is the misconception that those who guard the tomb are not allowed to drink or swear… its not true… The Sentinels of the Tomb of the Unknowns

The Tomb of the Unknowns (also known as the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier) is guarded 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and in any weather by Tomb Guard sentinels. Sentinels, all volunteers, are considered to be the best of the elite 3rd U.S. Infantry (The Old Guard), headquartered at Fort Myer, Va. After members of the 3rd U.S. Infantry become ceremonially qualified, they are eligible to volunteer for duty as sentinels at the Tomb. If accepted, they are assigned to Company E of The Old Guard. Each soldier must be in superb physical condition, possess an unblemished military record and be between 5 feet, 10 inches and 6 feet, 4 inches tall, with a proportionate weight and build. An interview and a two-week trial to determine a volunteer’s capability to train as a tomb guard is required. During the trial phase, would-be sentinels memorize seven pages of Arlington National Cemetery history. This information must be recited verbatim in order to earn a “walk.” A walk occurs between guard changes. A daytime walk is one-half hour in the summer and one hour in the winter. All night walks are one hour. If a soldier passes the first training phase, “new-soldier” training begins. New sentinels learn the history of Arlington National Cemetery and the grave locations of nearly 300 veterans. They learn the guard-change ceremony and the manual of arms that takes place during the inspection portion of the Changing of the Guard. Sentinels learn to keep their uniforms and weapons in immaculate condition. The sentinels will be tested to earn the privilege of wearing the silver Tomb Guard Identification Badge after several months of serving. First, they are tested on their manual of arms, uniform preparation and their walks. Then, the Badge Test is given. The test is 100 randomly selected questions of the 300 items memorized during training on the history of Arlington National Cemetery and the Tomb of the Unknowns. The would-be badge holder must get more than 95 percent correct to succeed. Only 400 Tomb Guard Badges have been awarded since it was created in February 1958. The Tomb Guard Identification Badge is a temporary award until the badge-holding sentinel has honorably served at the Tomb of the Unknowns for nine months. At that time, the award can be made a permanent badge, which may then be worn for the rest of a military career. The silver badge is an upside-down, laurel-leaf wreath surrounding a depiction of the front face of the Tomb. Peace, Victory and Valor are portrayed as Greek figures. The words “Honor Guard” are shown below the Tomb on the badge. There are three reliefs, each having one relief commander and about six sentinels. The three reliefs are divided by height so that those in each guard change ceremony look similar. The sentinels rotate walks every hour in the winter and at night, and every half-hour in the day during the summer. The Tomb Guard Quarters is staffed using a rotating Kelly system. Each relief has the following schedule: first day on, one day off, second day on, one day off, third day on, four days off. Then, their schedule repeats. The Changing of the Guard The guard is changed every hour on the hour Oct. 1 to March 31 in an elaborate ritual. From April 1 through September 30, there are more than double the opportunities to view the change because another change is added on the half hour and the cemetery closing time moves from 5 to 7 p.m. An impeccably uniformed relief commander appears on the plaza to announce the Changing of the Guard. Soon the new sentinel leaves the Quarters and unlocks the bolt of his or her M-14 rifle to signal to the relief commander to start the ceremony. The relief commander walks out to the Tomb and salutes, then faces the spectators and asks them to stand and stay silent during the ceremony. The relief commander conducts a detailed white-glove inspection of the weapon, checking each part of the rifle once. Then, the relief commander and the relieving sentinel meet the retiring sentinel at the center of the matted path in front of the Tomb. All three salute the Unknowns who have been symbolically given the Medal of Honor. Then the relief commander orders the relieved sentinel, “Pass on your orders.” The current sentinel commands, “Post and orders, remain as directed.” The newly posted sentinel replies, “Orders acknowledged,” and steps into position on the black mat. When the relief commander passes by, the new sentinel begins walking at a cadence of 90 steps per minute. The Tomb Guard marches 21 steps down the black mat behind the Tomb, turns, faces east for 21 seconds, turns and faces north for 21 seconds, then takes 21 steps down the mat and repeats the process. After the turn, the sentinel executes a sharp “shoulder-arms” movement to place the weapon on the shoulder closest to the visitors to signify that the sentinel stands between the Tomb and any possible threat. Twenty-one was chosen because it symbolizes the highest military honor that can be bestowed — the 21-gun salute. Duty time when not “walking” is spent in the Tomb Guard Quarters below the Memorial Display Room of the Memorial Amphitheater where they study Cemetery “knowledge,” clean their weapons and help the rest of their relief prepare for the Changing of the Guard. The guards also train on their days off. The Guards of Honor at the Tomb of the Unknowns are highly motivated and are proud to honor all American service members who are “Known But to God.”

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hope you enjoyed…

peace

MJ