July 10th

It has been a long time since I had the time or inclination to write anything on this little BLOG of mine. I have had the misfortune to have two cunados (brothers-in-law) die and have their services in the last week or so. My mother is holding up pretty well even though she is technically on the short road to everlasting life. She seems to be healthy and tries to put on the game face, but she is having a harder time getting around without getting really winded and out of breath. I am working really hard and attempting to learn all that I need to know in order to run the company by the end of the year. There seems to be something else to learn on a daily basis. I have been, in actuality, too busy to take time out and learn what I am supposed to be learning. I have been helping my boss's brother-in-law (our route man) on his route and when I am not doing that, I have the repairs, installations and customer service duties. I have an appointment with the V.A. psychiatrist tomorrow. There is some thought that I am (and have been) suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome for lo these many years and need some counseling or something. You know how the government is! Everything is a BIG DEAL.

I hope that everyone is having a great week after the 4th. I also hope that everyone had a great Independence Day and enjoyed much food and fun with loved ones.

Our weather forecast is for "increased" rain over the next few days. We have had a 'few' showers that wet the ground and made us more humid, but no REAL rain of note. Our temperatures tomorrow are supposed to be under 100 .... for the first time in about 30 days. We have been hot, but not abnormal over the past week ... 105-108 ... and it hasn't been real bad.

i am watching some old movies on TV and trying to relax for a bit ... watching "The High and the Mighty" right now. Have never seen it all the way through before.

Well, must re-fill my wine glass and pay attention to my movie. Have a great day and a better week.

Love from the desert

June Already

Well, again I have been remiss in my postings. Work has been really hectic and I have been worn out. My boss went on a two week Alaskan cruise this week and everything went to hell as it were. I have two of my nietos (grandkids) up for a week or so ... Devin who is 11 and Steve Jr. who is 8. It is Saturday morning and I am relaxing for the first time in a week or so.

Well .... things got the better of me and I am now sitting in front of the computer on Sunday morning.

Yesterday: [where it went]
I fed the boys pancakes, boys and I went to the pool, then we picked up Hilda, went to the International Wildlife Museum, ate Chinese at New China, went to the pool again, I went to the installation ceremonies for the American Legion Post 36 ( I had to take pictures and was installed as the Historian for 07-08), then we went to Amanda's 22nd birthday party (Hilda's daughter), took Hilda home, boys and I returned here. Elapsed time frame 0830 - 2200. So much for relaxing I guess.

Monday afternoon:
Sunday went down the tubes pretty quickly. The boys spent some time at the pool, we went to the Legion to get a dog. Alissa (a young bartender there) and her husband had found her chained to a tree in a local park. The chain had created a scar around her neck and she was really malnourished. Alissa fattened her up but couldn't keep her ... she has lots of animals already ..... so I took her. One of my nietos (grandchildren), Steve Rigney Jr., who is with me has a birthday this week (Friday) and his parents said he had been wanting a dog and that he could keep her. They have a big yard (they live in my old house) and he really loves her. Devin would like to have her also but they can share, as Devin is at Stevie's a lot. She is a really quiet dog, but has some size on her .... she is about 16" at the shoulder. They are calling her 'Roxie' and she seems to like the name. She is gold colored like a Lab, wrinkled around the shoulders but Devin says she looks as if she has some 'Rotty' in her. She is really friendly, good with kids and extremely quiet.

You guys have a good week and a better one next week.

PEACE

Memorial Day 2007

It's been a while since I set any thoughts down. What with my continuing bout with the Shingles and my work and the Legion, I have been very lazy at home. American Legion Post 36 has asked me if I would take over the office of Post Historian for the remainder of the year. I had helped out a few times because of health issues facing the incumbent, but yesterday ... at the Post Immortal ceremonies ... was my first 'official' function. Post Immortal is a yearly ceremony where we take the names of Post members who have passed on during the year and burn them in a brazier in a military ceremony. They are then members of the "Post Immortal" in heaven and are no longer Post 36 members. We had a pretty good crowd of family and friends and the color guard was in good form. Afterwards, we had a really good Pot Luck and gathering. Hilda and are going to the VFW today for Memorial Day festivities. Memorial day and Veteran's Day are times that I never fail to stop and reflect on all those who served and especially those who gave all. I have been and will be many things in my life, but I am always a proud veteran. A friend of mine who is forever badgering me to "Give Peace a Chance" and who is extremely anti-war cannot understand my glorifying of our veterans. He doesn't understand that the middle eastern faction(s) who attacked us on 9-11-01 are not giving peace a chance. In fact .... how about:

1979 - US Embassy takeover in Iran,
1982 to 1991 - 10 americans kidnapped in Lebanon,
1983 - Bombings of US Embassy and the Marine barracks in Lebanon,
1983 - Bombing of US Embassy in Kuwait,
1984 - Hijacking of Kuwait flight 221,
1985 - Hijacking of TWA flight 847,
1985 - Hijacking of Achille Lauro,
1985 - Hijacking of EgyptAir flight 648,
1986 - Bombing of TWA flight 840,
1988 - Bombing of PanAm flight 108,
1993 - WorldTrade Center bombing,
1995 - Bombing of US military complex in Riyadah,
1998 - Bombings of US Embassies in Kenya and Tanzania,
2000 - Bombing USS Cole,
2004 - Bombing of Australian Embassy in Jakarta,
2004 - Train bombings in Spain,
2005 - Bombings in London

Jihad's goal (their words) ... 'IS World Domination in the name of Islam'. Two quotes that I think are relavent:

"The wave of the Islamic Revolution will soon reach the entire world".
- Mamoud Ahmadinejad

" The ruling to kill Americans and their allies - civilian and military - is an individual duty for every Muslim who can do it, in any country in which it is possible to do it ... to comply with God's orders to kill the Americans and plunder their money and resources wherever and whenever they find it. We also call on Muslim ulema, leaders, youth and soldiers to launch the raid on Satan's U.S. troops and the Devil's supporters allying with them."
- Osama bin Laden

In my little Redneck opinion... we should bomb the middle east into a parking lot and target ANY and ALL Muslim radicals whenever and wherever we find them. Happy Memorial Day and support our troops.

Weekend post

Well, it is the weekend and I am going to chill a bunch. I have been suffering the last 2-3 days with "shingles". This causes lots of blisters on one side of your body, lots of itching / burning / pain. It is caused by left over virus from chickenpox from YEARS ago that has been sitting dormant in an area of your spine. It becomes active from any number of medical problems ... i.e. - flu, etc. Mine was caused by a bite from a Black Widow spider. I have been hit by Black Widows several times in my life, electricians are always running across them in the desert. I have 'somewhat' of a tolerance for their venom after many treatments for their bites. Didn't kill me or anything, but it did activate the dormant virus from chickenpox from decades ago. I am really bothered by this more than other odd occurances that have come my way because there is basically nothing that can alliviate the pain, itching, et al. But my problems are minor.

My mom has been diagnosed with cancer again ... this time in her lung (she has had two masectomies ..[sp]). She is going in for the biopsy next Wednesday. She says that she is uncertain that she will accept chemo-therapy again. There are so many health risks from it at her age that she is fairly certain that she would rather die of cancer than pneumonia or some other complication from chemo.

Now that the depressing news is out of the way ... my brother Steve in Danville is fairly certain of getting a great job (that will send him to Poland for a few months). It pays really well, (for Danville), and he and his lady have both been laid off for some time due to the closure of Dan River Mills. I wish him tons of luck.

We here in the desert southwest are enjoying daily temperatures in the high 90's but have stayed away from triple digits for several days.

Hilda and I watched "Happy Feet" last evening. It was a cute movie. I took her home about 2000... I didn't want her sleeping with me as she has never had Chickenpox, and I can give it to people right now. I am really burning and itching right now but I hope it gets better during the day.

I am perusing the TV magazine (comes with the Sunday paper) for something interesting on the tube today, I don't feel like going anywhere. I had a fitful night of sleep last night because of the itching/pain. I got up and felt like writing poetry for the first time in a long time. I actually filled up a couple of sheets of legal paper with various words, phrases, poems etc. So, perhaps something good will come of my malady.

Our weather here is typical Tucson .... lows in the hi 60s low 70s and highs in the mid to high 90s. I wish that I felt like going out and enjoying it more. But ... it'll be warm until November or so.

I hope that everyone out there is having fun in their life and getting and giving love.
PEACE