Tag! I'm it!

I've been tagged by my friend A. I have to write 10 random, weird things about me. Well, that shouldn't be too hard. I'm rather random and weird.

1. I love ketchup and pickle sandwiches.
2. I enjoy country line dancing.
3. I can roll my tongue in a "U."
4. My favorite color is burgundy.
5. There's a soundtrack to my life. What do you mean you can't hear it?
6. I dislike iceburg lettuce salad, but love spinach salad.
7. Last year I ate cream cheese on a bagel for the first time.
8. I'd rather eat outdoors than indoors.
9. My idea of a dream vacation is a beach, a body of water and a stack of books a foot deep.
10. My husband is my best friend.

Once Upon a Time (in Kuwait)

Once upon a time, a hopeful daddy-to-be had a little time to kill. Here are his thoughts...

I’ve been thinking more about time lately, as I seem to be more aware of it’s presence since I’ve been deployed. So, here are some random thoughts I jotted down because, well, I had some time to kill.

Time goes by so quickly, or drags on at nearly an intolerably slow snail’s pace. Time becomes the beginning or the ending of an event, such as time to get ready for work or time to quit talking and go to sleep. Time is on our side or works against us. Sometimes we get lucky, and find the time to do what we’ve been meaning to do, or are in the right place at the right time. But if we’re really lucky, time seems to stand still during spectacular moments or deeply meaningful experiences, like looking at a dazzling sunset on the edge of a deserted road with no one else around, or gazing into your lover’s eyes and knowing she’s “the one.” It’s at this time, that time passes by neither too quickly nor too slowly, is not the beginning or the ending of an event and is not working for or against us. It just is.

Time is not personal. It doesn’t care who you are, how you’ve spent your life, if you think you need more of it or if you have too much of it on your hands. Time is constant.

Twenty years from now we may curse time, or regret that we didn’t use our time more wisely. But maybe, when we look back, we’ll be content with how we spent our time. So, let’s live in the moment and relish each day we have together, and twenty years from now, when we’re holding hands and watching our baby-turned-adult go off into “the world,” we’ll know that it was time well spent.

Pokeno night!

So tonight is my monthly Pokeno outing. What exactly is Pokeno? It seems to be a Southern thing - I'd never even heard of it in 30-odd years living in the Midwest.

Best explanation I can come up with: it's like bingo with playing cards. Except you uncover things instead of covering them up. Everyone brings a $5 gift and the winners get to choose something to take home. It's fairly easy to play (if you pay attention) and the point of the evening is to eat and socialize, whether you win or lose.

Tonight was not my night for Pokeno and I came home empty handed - boo! hiss! Oh well, maybe next time!

Happy New Year!

February 18, 2007 marks the fist day of the new lunar year. 2007 is the year of the pig. In China, the Boar (豬) is associated with fertility and virility. To bear children in the year of the pig is considered very fortunate, for they will be happy and honest. Will our child be born this year? We would consider ourselves extremely fortunate if that happens.

Support Our Troops

Everybody's doing it! Support our troops! I hear it all the time. No matter what your politics are, you have to support our troops.

I read a thought provoking column from the LA Times by Rosa Brooks. She equates politicians supporting our troops with politicians kissing babies. She asks that we not allow our troops to become pawns in the political game.

So what does it mean to support our troops?

Some people seem to think that we need to support our troops by keeping them out of harm's way. That's their job people! We have an all volunteer military. They knew it could be dangerous when they signed up. They may not like it, but after weighing the pros and cons, they joined.

Others seem to think that supporting our troops means not questioning this war or the decisions of the administration. I have always believed that an unexamined belief is not worth having. If it's the right decision, it should stand up to the questions.

I'm not going to slip into a political discussion. Not gonna do it! I just want to explore what I think it means to support our troops. Most of them are doing their duty, seeking to defend against the enemies of the United States. They don't want to die in this, or any conflict. But they do their job, fighting a war whether or not it is popular. Try to understand who they are and why they do what they do.

Every day I see the Soldier's Creed. It sums up what it means to be a Soldier. Remember that this is who you support when you support our troops.

The Soldier's Creed
I am an American Soldier.
I am a Warrior and a member of a team.
I serve the people of the United States and live the Army Values.
I will always place the mission first.
I will never accept defeat.
I will never quit.
I will never leave a fallen comrade.
I am disciplined, physically and mentally tough, trained and proficient in my warrior tasks and drills.
I always maintain my arms, my equipment and myself.
I am an expert and I am a professional.
I stand ready to deploy, engage, and destroy the enemies of the United States of America in close combat.
I am a guardian of freedom and the American way of life.
I am an American Soldier.

Half a year!

Celebrating the six month anniversary of our log-in date! One step closer to our little one. Baby, we're coming!

One year ago tomorrow we attended an information session put on by CCAI. A short year ago, we weren't even sure we wanted to adopt, and if we did - from where. The journey to now has taken a few twists and turns. We've learned so much and developed friendships along the way. My forum friends, bloggy friends and First Friday friends are now a very real part of my life.

Lord, help me to remember not to be so focused on the destination that I fail to enjoy the journey.

World's Shortest Personality Test

Thanks to my friend, Mandin for the link to the World's Shortest Personality Test. Does this describe me?

Your Personality Profile

You are sexy, powerful, and bold. You're full of passion and energy... Sometimes this passion has a dark side. You feel most alive when you're seducing someone. You never fail to get someone's attention. Quick minded, you're also quick to lose your temper!

The World's Shortest Personality Test

Referral News

Congratulations to all of those who will be getting the long-anticipated call. Referrals are arriving for those logged in through October 13, 2005. There are 301 log-in-days ahead of us.