Surgery, Again

Well, Jasmine is back at the vet, getting lumps cut out again. The only good thing is that they are not cancerous. Seems that the last time she was in to have lumps removed, they were deep into her abdominal cavity and the vet couldn't get everything out. She made it through the surgery with no problems. Whew! But she has to stay the night at the vet, which sucks. I miss my little doggie.

My Birth Defect

Let me share with you my birth defect. It seems I was born with a Y chromosome. Please, no benefit concerts. While I typically manage to function fairly well, despite my congenital shortcoming, sometimes it gets the best of me. My latest loss against it is as follows... I had been feeling crappy for a couple days. Lexapro withdrawal symptoms, again. I recognized the feeling from my last doseage redcution. Seemed I had not taken the little white pill that I love to hate for several days. I mentioned to C, who does not have the birth defect, that I hadn't taken my pill since like last Saturday. She, of course, scolded me, not being sensitive to my handicap. Well, I took the pill last night and lo & behold, today I feel much better. I'm glad I have someone like her to look out for me. :)

Some Truly Random Thoughts

• Why is it that when a man know what he wants and is not afraid to tell anyone, he is "assertive"? When a woman knows what she wants and is not afraid to tell anyone, she is "a bitch"?
• ATTN: LAWMAKERS - I don't care what plan you have, YOU CANNOT DEFEAT AN ENEMY WHO IS NOT AFRAID TO DIE!!!
• Does anybody else find it funny that Kid Rock never saw "the video" and now wants a divorce from Pam? Is he the only person on the planet who has NOT seen "the video"?
• All anti-depressant medication sucks

Chrissie & Me

I'm glad I'm back at work after this weekend, I need the rest. Thursday through Sunday are covered here. Last night was The Pretenders and The Who live at The Giant Center in Hershey, PA. All started normally, Chrissie and pals took to the stage and started rockin'.

Between songs, under the heat of the lights, Chrissie removes her white jacket, much like the one in the photo. I yell "take it all off" during a brief moment of silence. Chrissie replies, to me and me alone, "back at cha'". In the words of the late Chris Farley: "that was AWESOME!"

The rest of the The Pretenders show and the entire Who set were a nearly religious experience.

Happy Veteran's Day

Tomorrow is Veterans' Day, as all the sales ads will tell you. Please take a few minutes to reflect upon the sacrifices a few Americans are willing to take for the benefit of all of us.

More importantly, remember those who have paid the ultimate price for our country. Please put politics aside and just remember them as the patriots they truly are.















Speaking of politics, my displeasure with Sen. Kerry's "joke" generated a lot of discussion about my political views and what I think of the war in Iraq. Politically, I am a registered, card carrying Libertarian. I have been a Libertarian for well over 5 years now. When I was in college, I took a sociology class and the one day we were discussing politics. I made the comment that I was not sure if I was a conservative Democrat or a liberal Republican. My personal views do not fit neatly into either major party. One of the other students in the class mentioned I might want to look into the Libertarian party. Like most people, I was skeptical at first, but after researching, I found the Libertarian view to be nearly indentical to mine.

On to Iraq... I have always had the opinion that we should have not invaded in 2003. Hussein did not seem to pose any immediate threat to the US. The Saudis, maybe, after all 19 of the 21 9/11 hijackers were Saudi citizens. The has been much discussion in the news about us "losing" the war in Iraq. How can we say if we are winning or losing if we do not have clear goals?

I feel we should be formulating a plan to help the Iraqis help themselves. "Give a man a fish, he'll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he'll eat forever." All people want to be free, no matter what their religion. They may not choose to live under an American style government, but freedom is freedom, regardless of it's form. Although I feel we should have not started the war when we did, I feel we should finish it in some way other than just leaving.

That's my $.02.

Apology Accepted

It seems Sen. Kerry has come out of hiding and has apologized for his "joke" at the expense of some of America's best, brightest and certainly bravest young people. Since he was willing to do something rare for a politician and do the right thing by apologizing, I sent the following message to him, accepting his apology:

Dear Sen. Kerry,
I accept your apology. In the future, I request that if you have a problem with the Bush administration's policies, that you make joke at their expense, not at the expense of hard working young American men and women.

Over the years, I have had to educate several people about how tough it is to be a soldier, not only physically, but also mentally. The United States Armed Forces of today are not the same Armed Forces of 30 years ago. The old "go to war or go to jail" idea does not exist anymore.

Thank you for your time.

Respectfully,
SFC Brian A Linton


I really do not care if his apology is sincere or not. He made it public, that is all that counts. Let the Republicans and Democrats play their partisan games.

Senator Douchebag

I'm sure by now you have heard about Sen. Kerry's comment about students who don't do well in school getting "stuck in Iraq".

Here is the message I sent to him:

Dear Sen Kerry,Regarding your comments earlier this week about "being stuck in Iraq". I find your comments to be extremely offensive. I have served in the US Army and Army Reserve for over 18 years, with honor. I spent last year in Kuwait, in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. I also have a BS in Electrical Engineering Technology from Penn State and have completed 6 credit towards a Master's degree in Engineering Science. Does this mean I am not intelligent because I am in the military?

I ask you to please write to Sen. Kerry and let him know how REAL Americans, who are not married to billionaires, feel about our young men and women who have volunteered to do a job that may place them in dangerous situations.

Here is a link to sign a petition asking Sen. Kerry to apologize for his comments.

By the way, I am not a Republican, I just subscribe to their newsletter to keep myself informed.

For real change in government, on November 7th:
VOTE LIBERTARIAN!!!

Withdrawal

I feel like shit this week. The doc lowered my dosage of my anti-depressant medication. I feel fluish, alternate between feeling like I am going to puke my guts out and starving, I have hot flashes, etc. Sounds like fun, don't it? I can't help but wonder, why do people take stuff like crack or meth? Hopefully this passes quickly.

Haircut

Had a ani-rifc morning today. Dropped Jasmine off at the groomers and took Mr. K to the vets for his weekly fluids. They got along very well in the car, no swatting or yipeing at all. Jasmine looks pretty (for now).



















She won't look like that for long, Jasmine likes being dirty. She has spent a large part of the afternoon scratching at her clean (yucky for her) fur.

Tragedy In Amish Country

WARNING: Remember the 1st amendment Before Reading Any Further!









I am sure you have heard about the shooting at the Amish school by now. This pisses me off on many levels. First, why did this guy shoot these very, very innocent Amish girls? (Footnote: I am very protective of the Amish. Anyone who can continue to live like they do the the Internet age deserves respect) Second, I imagine all the anti-gun nuts are going to be out in full force in light of the multiple shootings the past weeks. Please repeat the following phrase, "GUNS DON'T KILL PEOPLE, PEOPLE KILL PEOPLE". Lastly, what really pisses me off is that this guy supposedly did it because he was seeking revenge for something that happened 20 years ago. 20 YEARS AGO!!! He hasn't had any problems or said anything that should have concerned someone in 20 years?!?!? That last one really touches a nerve with me due to my divorce. After I announced to my friends and family that my marriage was over, the typical response was, "Oh, we thought something was wrong". In my mind I said, "Thanks for nothing, fuckers!". What came out of my mouth was, "I wish you would have said something sooner". That is my point to all this angry rambling. If you know someone who doesn't seem quite right or a know of couple in a relationship where "things don't seem to be quite right" for the love of God, say something!!! Maybe by showing a little compassion we can prevent tragedies like this from happening in the future.

P.S. In other, good, news, Mr. K is doing better than we could have imagined. He gained a pound since last week!

Don't Panic

One of these days I'll start taking my own advice. I recently told a very, very close friend to remain calm and Don't Panic about their school, etc... Well what was I doing earlier this week? Seems I didn't have as much to worry about as I thought. I got the first assignment back from my power electronics class with a grade of 10/10. Woo Hoo!!! Guess I'm smarter than I give myself credit for. Well, maybe not, I just ended that sentence with a preposition. DOH!

Tired

Have I bitten off more than I can chew?

It's only Tuesday and I really need it to be Friday. I'm only two weeks into the semester and I'm starting to burn out already. Working full time, working on my school work, packing my stuff and getting a house ready to sell... guess that's why I'm tired.

Oh well, it should all be worth it in the end.

In Memoriam

As part of of the 2,996 9/11 tribute, I will be honoring Joseph O. Pick of Hoboken, NJ.


Joseph was one of thousands of people who were just going to work in the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001 to just do their job like they did everyday. He was the vice president of Fiduciary Trust International. Joseph was also a devoted father, a story in the New York Times related a tale of how, one Christmas he secretly showed up Christmas Eve, dressed as Santa Claus, to surprise his daughter, Jeannette.

Joseph was 40 years old when he was killed in the attack on the Trade Center. He is survived my his wife, Marie and his daughter, Jeannette.

This tribute was important to me because, as a soldier a lot of people consider me a hero for what I do. I do appreciate the sentiment and am somewhat humbled by the support I have received over the past years, but sometimes we forget the on that horrible day, there were more heroes than just the soldiers, firemen and police.

September 11, 2001 - Never Forget

Mmmm Toasty

Well, I seem to be slowly recovering from my self-barbecuing. At least the discomfort has subsided enough that I can sleep at night. Maybe in the future when someone recommends I wear sun screen, I should listen.

I got the results back from the vet. Jasmine's lump was non-cancerous, it was a type of cyst. Yay! Now the hard part is keeping her from licking the stitches. I have to make sure the incision stays clean and check it for signs of infection. It looks totally grody, so I guess I am just looking for blood or pus or something that looks even worse.

Relief (For Now)

Joy! Jasmine made it through surgery with flying colors. The vet said her pre-op blood work results were "execptional" for a dog her age. The lump has been sent to the lab for testing to see if it is a tumor or just a cyst.

She is resting comfortably, sleeping on the couch. The hard thing now is going to be making sure she does rest. I hope I have as much energy as she does when I am 13 (91 in human years).

I'm off to an old-fashioned Lancaster County Luau this evening.

Lump

Jasmine is going to the vet's for surgery tomorrow. She has a lump on her breast. Unfortunately, the only way to tell if it is a tumor or not is to cut it out and send it to the lab (the place with test equipment, not the dog). The vet did an EKG to make sure she could be anesthetized, which she passed with flying colors. I'm sure everything will be OK, but am still a little worried.

Wish her well.

Hiya Chester...

Well, I've finally stared drilling again, er, doing my reserve duty for you civilians. It's actually good to be (kinda) back in the Army. So far I like my new unit. There are a few glitches, since most of the battalion is either deployed or gainfully employed elsewhere. I have a lot of schooling ahead of me... I have to go to drill sergeant school, finish my basic non-commissioned officer course, etc.

First thing yesterday morning, I was nominated to be the acting first sergeant. DOH! I was all like, "well I don't know anyone here or how things are run, but I'll do the best I can". Well, I didn't loose anyone, mission complete.

Typical reserve unit, the soldiers are always trying to come up with things to do to ward off the boredom monster. Hopefully I can be creative enough to keep the idle hands busy.

Like the old commercials said, "it's not just a job, it's an adventure".

Naked Porch Blogging

This is my first naked porch blog. Yes, you read that right, I'm naked on the porch, blogging. OK, what could be so important that I would be blogging naked on the porch??? Well, it seems Lance Bass from NSync is gay. Talk about your wastes of time for the AP. Lance Bass is gay. NO SHIT!!! The AP has nothing else to report about? What about the war in Iraq? The Israel-Lebanon conflict? Afganistan? Anything else? Lance Bass, gay, I can hardly believe that!

Anyhoo, back to my nakedness and drinking.

Peace, out!!!

My Nomadic Life

I am in the process of moving out of my house (yuck). My stuff is currently in three different places. I took a load to the storage locker tonight, amazing how much shit I can fit in my car... four outdoor chairs with cushions, a microwave cart, two sleeping bags, a sleeping bag mat and a few miscellaneous lawn chairs.

Oh, yeah, I just got contacts for the first time. Not sure if I like them or not. My eyes don't like being touched, but they are starting to cooperate more.

When I make life changes, I go all out!

The Cutest Little Dog, Ever

This is Jasmine, the cutest little dog ever. She is a 12 year old American Cocker Spaniel (she will be 13 on July 4th). Well, to be politically correct, she is a German-American Cocker Spaniel since she was born in Ansbach, Germany.

In addition to playing tug with a rope and chasing tennis balls, her other hobbies include dining on cat poo and "rearranging" the trash can. She also enjoys going for walks and exploring construction sites.

I'm not dead yet

Well, my class is finally over. Haven't received word of a grade, hope I passed. Yes, I have been slacking on the blog thing. I do have some idea for blogs, just need to take a few minutes and write them.

Brain Frappe

Well, I had a great weekend, as usual. Drank a lot of beer and other assorted intoxicants Saturday night and played tour guide in Gettysburg on Sunday. I had my class tonight, can't wait 'til it is over. Just one more week, the summer class thing has its ups and downs. Up is that it is only 6 weeks, the down is that it is 15 weeks worth of information to digest. I feel as if someone has opened my skull, scooped out my brains, plopped them in a blender, hit frappe for a minute and poured them back into my skull. Mmmm... brain frappe.

I was hoping to post more pictures, but blogger seems to be running a little slow tonight, maybe some other time.

I'm looking forward to a NYC trip this coming weekend! Should be a great time, I will be travlling with my most favorite travel buddy.

TTFN

OK, here is a new post

Swish, swish, swish... (sound of broom sweeping).

Well, I haven't gone totally mental, yet. My class does seem to be getting easier as time goes on. Maybe the summer class deal isn't so bad after all.

This will be a short post, I am very tired. Seems I have someone who likes to keep me "up" late. Who can say no to a pretty face?

The Great Rubber Band Debacle, Part Deux

Happy day! The Alliance Pale Gold Crepe, Size 62 rubber bands have finally arrived. All is well in the world. At height of the crisis, the following were involved in ensuring the proper rubber bands were used: (1) product engineer, (1) engineering manager, (1) engineering secretary, (1) customer service supervisor, (1) customer service rep., (1) value added manufacturing supervisor, (1) field sales rep., (1) mechanical engineer and I believe a partridge in a pear tree may have been involved.

Well, I had my first graduate class last night. Seems the class started last Thursday, not last night like the rest of the classes. That puts me about the equivalent of one week behind, luckily the professor is giving me a chance to catch up. I think this will be my first and last summer course I take. Cramming 15 weeks worth of knowledge into 6 weeks is about as painful as it sounds.

In other news, I just read that Lew Anderson has passed away at the age of 84. RIP Clarabell.

Oh Joy, Pictures!!!

OK, I think I figured out how to post pictures. I'm not retarded after all.

These photos were taken last Sunday as I wandered aimlessly through Harrisburg, PA. I will post more later.

Front of Dauphin County Courthouse















Abandoned Railroad tracks















Looking North on Front Street















Grave of John Harris

The Great Rubber Band Debacle

Hello all,

Still haven't figured out the picture posting thingy...

I have been warned about mixing blogging and work, but here goes, anyway. I am an electrical engineer. In college I took 9 credits of calculus, including differential equations, 9 credits of physics through quantum physics and other miscellaneous interesting, but often painful classes. OK, back on track. One of my more recent projects I have tackled is how to ship parts to one of my customers without the rubber band around them breaking. After many hours of troubleshooting, meetings and general head scratching, it was determined that not all rubber bands are created equal. It turns out that the Alliance Pale Gold Crepe, size 62 is the creme de la creme of rubber bands. Those of you considering a career in engineering can now see the exciting type of project to which you may end up applying all that good knowlege.

Free Peters!!!

I'm A Museum Groupie

I was hoping to post some pics, but it seems either I am a total retard or blogger isn't cooperating with me. Probably a little of each. So, anyhoo, I realized this weekend I have accidentally become a museum groupie. Oh, and I coined a new (as far as I know) blog term. Blacker = blog + slacker (n) one who does not post on a schedule soon enough as to please their blog buddies. Ok, back to the museum groupie business: my ex-wife works in the museum field, she is doing basically the same job now that she did before I helped her through 4 years of college (note bitterness) and my new "significant other" interns at a museum. Totally by coincidence, of course, but enough to make me a museum groupie. Which is fine by me, I do enjoy museums... just one of many quirks that make up the freakiness that is me. Hopefully I figure out how to post pics soon, I have some good ones, in my not-so-humble opinion, to share.

TTFN, Brian

Das Bier Ist Gut!

Well, I was voted into the Lancaster Liederkranz tonight. http://lancasterliederkranz.com/index.htm

As a result, I may have been "delta-uniform-india". Those of you who have been in the service know exactly what I am talking about. I drank from the "boot", a Deutscher custom.

Ok, Carnealian, http://carnealian.blogspot.com , my most favorite blog buddy, suggested I:

1. Grab the nearest book
2. Open it to page 123
3. Find the fifth sentence
4. Copy it onto your blog/journal along with these instructions

"She was being carried into the yard, her arms around firm, powerful shoulders."
So the fifth sentence on page 123 of the nearest book is: "TRUST-To what degree and on what levels am I willing to let the other person gain access to the things about me that I don't want everybody to know?" Which is from Adult Children Of Alcoholics by Janet Woititz. Yes, I understand the irony of a child of an alcoholic being "delta-uniform-india", so there is no need to point it out to me. My mother is a recovering alcoholic, which for the first 35 years of my life defined me. It was only after my 14 year marriage fell apart that I found the strength within myself to heal from the scars of my life as a child of an alcoholic. Funny how it takes a tragedy in our lives to make us fix ourselves. I'm much better, now and in a strange way I am glad my marriage fell apart, if it hadn't, I never would have met "C".

Well, obli-di, obli-da, life goes on...

1st Amendment and Other Musings

Hello all,

Earlier I was cutting the grass, which strangely enough I find to be very thereputic. While mowing I started thinking of a conversation I had this weekend... the discussion was about the exact moment when one goes from being the smart ass , punk kid causing trouble to the old crank bitching about the smart ass, punk kid causing trouble. I have come to the conclusion that the exact moment is when you write the first mortgage check for your own house.

On to 1st amendment business. I am a soldier, which I have been both full and part time, for over 17 years now. With each enlistment or reenlistment, you take an oath to defend the constitution of the United States. My favorite amendment is the 1st: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances." Why do I mention this now, you ask? Well, I am a big fan of free speech and since I have sworn to defend it to the death, if needed, I feel I should take full advantage and exercise my rights. So if words and phrases like: fuck, shit, asshole, sperm burping come dumpster, ass clown, ass hat, douche bag, cunt, cock, clitoris, butt pirate, bitch, ass spelunker, nipple, blow job, sloppy wet pussy, fuck stain, fucker, mother fucker, father fucker, uncle fucker, dick head, retard, gimp, needle dick bug fucker or tuna taco offend you, please go read someone else's blog. Consider yourself warned.

Greetings!

Well, I was always asked: "if everyone else jumped off a bridge, would you?" I was starting to feel left out of this blogging business, so I have opened shop.

The past few weeks have been incredible for me. After months of being in a deep depression, I am finally coming out of my deep blue funk & I feel more alive than I have in years. Is it the spring weather or is it the absolutely incredible woman I have met?Who knows, and does it really matter? I am happy and that is all that counts. "C", if you're reading this, thank you!!!

I have become almost too good at occupying my mind and keeping myself busy, doctors orders to pull myself out of the depression, of course. In a couple weeks I will be starting on my masters in Engineering Science. It is both scary and exciting at the same time. Not too shabby for someone who flunked out of college on the first attempt, is it?

Well enough rambling here. TTFN, Brian