when out on the lawn there arose such a clatter....

no this time it was not santa claus. it was me with a pressure washer....trying-somewhat to no avail-to get tons of mud off the bottom of daniel's truck. we are trying to fix his brakes, which have not worked too well since we went mudding. cannot seem to find the problem however, so i send out this request to the mechanically inclined (although i have a 133 mechanical...same scoring method as an iq test). here is the situation...the pedal has no pressure, even when pushed all the way to the floor...the brake fluid resevoir keeps loosing fluid...no visible leaks can be seen...when the truck is moving, the brakes will bring the vehicle to a stop, but over a great distance....and after spending the better part of 3 hours working on the problem, i have no other ideas. please help.

Terror, panic, and mania...

I realize as the time draws nearer that i am absolutely terrified to get out of the army. For the better part of the last ten years i have been wearing a uniform, and, as i near the end of this era in my life, i have begun to accept the fact that i do not know anything about being a civilian...i am scared. i know a hell of a lot about the army. regulations, standards, and all the tinsle and glare...civilians don't do this. Chris and Tom always make fun of me at home when i start telling stories. " this one time in the army..." its all i know. My confidence comes from being the one who knows everything. i like to be the go to guy. i like knowing and being able to do.
my back has been hurting a lot lately. it always seems that when one thing gets better something else gets worse. i am finally on a medication that helps with anxiety and depression. i feel great mentally. now my body is falling apart again. i hurts to sit, it hurts to stand, and it hurts to move in between. I need to go back to the doctor, but it almost doesnt make sense to do that...anyone who thinks socialized medicine would be good for america should have to be treated by military doctors. Tricare is as close to "good" socialized medicine as we will ever get. and it sucks. doctors just stamp the paper. i got my teeth cleaned the other day. 25 mins from start to finish, and that is not a credit to the superior performance of the dentist. it took longer to clean my teeth when they were my baby teeth. these are the only teeth i have for the rest of my life and the dentist ran over them like there was no point to making sure they were actually clean. socialized medicine is crap. thats why my back is screwed up, my brain is messed up, and i am finished with the army.
i put it to my soldiers like my drill sergeant put it to me, "You are not special. You are not a beautiful and unique snowflake. You are nothing but a cookie from a cookie cutter. Fort Jackson pumps out 40,000 pukes just like you every year. You are nothing but a number, and you are easy to replace." FTA
I'm done...
sick of this s....
83 days.

The light at the end of the tunnel...

I got my Orders today. There is officially an end to my term in service, and it is officially in sight. with my orders i can now begin to transition out of the military. I will be scheduling transportation of my household goods, and starting my VA medical claim. its kind of cool, i never realized what it would be like to get orders for ETS. my mood completely changed. i am ready to get out of the army. more ready than i have ever been.

For the love of money...

it really amazes me what motivates americans. the things that we will do for the love of money...we marry, we slave away at dead end jobs, we sacrifice our health and well-being, there is almost no limit. black friday is perhaps one of the most gross representations of the sickness of money. a temporary worker at a wal-mart was killed because americans were greedy enough to trample someone to spend money...we have too much. 1000 dollars will allow me to live, eat, work, travel, and donate money to a non-profit organization in a third world country for 6 weeks. it costs me nearly twice that much to live here in the US for 2 weeks. amazing. the things we "need" as americans is gross. kind of makes me feel dirty. i think i need a break from being an american.

The ball is finally rolling...

I am near the end...

I have 96 days until my terminal leave begins. I am thoroughly exited to enter this new phase in my life...as i continue to make my plans, they continue to evolve.

My hearts desire is to go with my sister to Ethiopia in March. She will be there finalizing the Adoption of Little O, and I have an opportunity to serve in a hospital that treats children infected with HIV/AIDS. This will be an incredible experience for me, and a huge help to the volunteer based organization Ahope. If you would like to learn more about the hospital and its mission, please visit the web site http://www.ahopeforchildren.org/. please feel free to donate, and if you would like to assist me in raising the money that i need for airfare, lodging, meals, and incidental expenses, click on the paypal link above and enter any amount.

I am truly excited about this opportunity, and would love for you to take part in this adventure with me.

andrew

working for the weekend

TGIS-i love the Army. I love having to come in on saturday morning because some West Point ring knocker decided it was safer than having soldiers drive all night on fridays before a four day weekend. I love that. Really.
Going down to fayetteville to see a buddy. And stay out of trouble. Funny how that is, trouble always seems to be close to home.
I am still exausted, mostly because I did not sleep in...thank you saturday battalion release formation. But I think I will get plenty of rest this weekend. Good thing too.
50 days until my ETS Physical.


Lovin' life (or at least the prospect of actually having one that doesn't involve owning property in the Tigris River valley)

----Nothing follows----

Ahhh the blessings of technology

I have just recently figured out how to post using my new phone...so now I have absolutely no excuse for not posting.
This week has been a living hell. Three long months of planning went straight down the toilet, because a few key players didn't do their job. I have almost completely lost all of my motivation. The only encouraging thing that happened this week was that I realized I had mis-calculated the days until I come home from the army. 141 days remaining in my service to the country. 141 days of supporting and defending the Constitution of the United States. 141 days of waking up tired and coming home exhausted. 141 days. Start the chain @ 100 and tear a link off every day.

I'm tired, sad, lonely, and I want to come home.

I love it when a plan comes together...

Well, the party has passed, and i no longer have to deal with the daily changes. A great stress has been lifted. The party went well, and so did the fund raising. now i get to focus my attention on more planning...i guess that is the problem with working in the S3 shop. I think i should accept that my job is plans...and like the A-team, myself and my co-workers have a lot of work to do-I love it when a plan comes together!
aj

Long time, many adventures

work has been incredibly busy. my partner in crime has started school in the afternoons, so i am left with a lot more afternoon work. it has been an adjustment, but i think that i am coping well enough. there has been a lot going on here at work, most of which i am not allowed to discuss in this forum, but others i can. i have been the primary coordinator for the company party. i never realized how much added stress party planning (on a very limited budget) could be. no wonder people pay for planning services. unfortunately for me, i am paid-and the commander sees that as enough compensation.
Battalion keeps coming up with last minute changes, but expects us to plan 8 weeks out. it really throws a wrench in the works, and makes for a very difficult planning effort. i wish that they would stick to the same timelines that they are imposing on us. it would really make for a fluid transition.
I am really ready for some time off, and, maybe, just maybe an early return to the fine State of Colorado. MO you can tenatively plan for a date around your birthday plus 2....but i will give you better hard times around the date.
I love you all and miss you very much.
AJ

196 Days till i come home...i hope.

"24"
Twenty four oceans
Twenty four skies
Twenty four failures
Twenty four tries
Twenty four finds me
In twenty-fourth place
Twenty four drop outs
At the end of the dayLife is not what I thought it wasTwenty four hours ago

Still I'm singing Spirit take me up in arms with You
And I'm not who I thought I was twenty four hours ago
Still I'm singing Spirit take me up in arms with You

Twenty four reasons to admit that I'm wrong
With all my excuses still twenty four strong
See I'm not copping out not copping out not copping out

When You're raising the dead in me
Oh, oh I am the second man
Oh, oh I am the second man now
Oh, oh I am the second man now

And You're raising these twenty four voices
With twenty four heartsWith all of my symphonies
In twenty four parts
But I want to be one today
Centered and trueI'm singing

Spirit take me up in arms with You
You're raising the dead in me
Oh, oh I am the second man
Oh, oh I am the second man now
Oh, oh I am the second man now

And You're raising the dead in me
I want to see miracles, see the world change
Wrestled the angel, for more than a name
For more than a feeling
For more than a cause
I'm singing Spirit take me up in arms with You

And You're raising the dead in me
Twenty four voicesWith twenty four hearts
With all of my symphonies In twenty four parts.
I'm not copping out. Not copping out. Not copping out.

We few, we happy few, we band of brothers...

I've had some time to myself lately, and realize that i am really ready to get out of the army. I get really frustrated with the army politics, and no matter how much i attempt to make a change, or adjust my life to be less affected by the chaos that results, i can no longer tolerate the bad taste that is left in my mouth.

the Sergeant Major of my battalion told me (non-specifically, but never the less a shot fired in my direction) that, because i was un-willing to re-enlist, that i was doing a great disservice to my country, and that i was failing the soldiers that fall underneath me. I work hard day in and day out to ensure that my soldiers are taken care of, and that training is conducted to standard. To hear this man diminish my performance due to his un-realistic expectations for retention was truly diheartening. The problem with this situation is that it is not an isolated event. this is epidemic among the senior leadership of the Army. The sustained war in Iraq is weighing heavily on the spirit of the American Soldier. I have been to Iraq for a total of 26 months since joining the army 5 years ago. That is 26 months of time lost with my family that i will never get back. when i sit and think about this, i am, most of the time, brought to tears. The physical and mental injuries that i have sustained are with me daily. I cry alot. My back constantly hurts. I am always anxious.

There were times in my life when i loved to be the focal point in a crowd. I was constantly trying to be the center of attention. that was when i was happiest. All eyes on me. I spend a lot of time alone now. I like to have time to myself. Time to think. I am most calm when i am by myself. I go to Group therapy 2 times a week, and talk with people who have become friends. My doctor has diagnosed me with CPTSD (combat post traumatic stress disorder). The way i see it, I am a normal person, who was exposed to abnormal circumstances, and is having a normal reaction to them. Wierd things happen to the human mind when exposed to combat situations. confronting death (your own or others) on a daily basis is not healthy.

My last rotation in Iraq put me on what could best be described as the "front lines" of the war in Iraq. Asymetrical warfare is that in which there is not a line of combat. it happens all around. we imprison ourselves on heavily defended camps, and pray that the soldiers on the perimeter stay awake. i was the one on the perimeter. the keeper of the gate. I had to search dead bodies for weapons. i had to treat bleeding civilians. i had to asses wounded. the smell of death is branded into my mind. it haunts me in my sleep, and it creeps into my mind and crowds my thoughts during the day.

I don't know how long i will suffer from this affliction. I am not worried about whether or not i will ever feel "normal" again. God has promised me that will not be the case. "For i know the plans that i have for you says the lord. Plans for good, and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." I have a future. and it is not in the army.
I have given some of the best years of my life to serve my Country.


The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
-Thomas Jefferson.

Agatha Christie...

No I was not killed by the butler in the library with the candlestick...

what an amazing month this has really been. this is the first month of my fifth year in the army. it has been a month packed with training, work, and reflection.

Training-

I spent the first part of the month at Fort Campbell attending the Sabalauski Air Assault School. It was probably the most intense training that i have ever done in the Army. It was physically challenging, emotionally challenging, and mentally tough. There were several times that i wanted to quit, but, through encouragement from my family, i was able to make it through the school...i am now certified to run a lane on a repel tower, and, of course, repel out of helicopters.

The time that i spent at Campbell gave me a chance to break out of my comfort zone and take a good look at what was going on in my life. This assesment gave me the courage to step out of my comfort zone and seek some counseling from a christian. God really works in mysterious ways. Just as i was broken by physical, emotional, and mental trial, my group therapist was able to finally get approval to do joint counseling with the chaplains office. Today was my first session, and it was wonderful to hear the word of God as counsel.

Work-

work has been crazy, just as i returned from school my colleage was sent on a mission. no time to catch up and balance out the work load. this was an unfortunate consequence of our job, but i am up to the task.

We had a lot of Safety training this week and last. There were a couple of preventable accidents that led to a soldier's death.

Reflection-

even though i have had very little time for me to sit down and reflect. i have been working on some new techniques of clearing out what i don't need to focus on. "let go, let God"

It is a good feeling to have the peace of God wash over you. the peace that passes understanding.

sorry it took me so long to post, i will make it an effort to keep you posted.

Epididymitis....

it may be a tongue twister, but that's what the ER Doc says that i have. i went to the emergency room on thursday night, because the family jewels were in excruciating pain. two short hours later, an ultra-sound, and quick check for hernia, and i was on my way out of the ER with scrips for vicodin and doxycycline. Thank you Moldy-Mary, doing much better now. i still feel like i got a quick kick in the junk, but i am getting better.

it was a big week for me. lots of preparation. we are getting ready for weapons qualification, and there is a lot of work for the training room whenever this happens. nothing like putting cold hard lead downrange.

looking forward to jamboree!

all for now.

And the Army goes rolling along!

Back in the loop, and sorry for the absence. i have no adequate excuse, so i will spare you the typical Private banter.
I am thoroughly excited at the prospect of next month. after a twenty month long ordeal, all of the problems with my promotion packet are fixed, and i am eagerly awaiting the publishing of the cutoff score for april. perhaps, perhaps, perhaps i will be a sergeant on the first. give or take thirty days. (this is a government agency).
Quarterly training brief is finally over. (that was one of the lame excuses that i had to offer, but decided to store) and i am finally getting home before seven at night. quite the hassle for me, but at least i had plenty of company and the staff in the office was much more prepared this time around.
I was watching the news, and caught a story about how the Air Force is struggling with the extension of their long and arduous tours in iraq (currently four months long), and came to the realization that the secretary of the Air Force must have had a little fuzz in his ears when President Bush declared a "War on Terror" and must have understood it to be a "War on Tourism" the Air Force certainly has us protected at the most popular tourist destinations worldwide (while the Marines(currently performing 8 month tours) and the Army (currently serving 15 month tours) are carrying the brunt of the war upon their tattered shoulders.) Off we go, into the wild blue yonder!

We have seen a lot of new faces around the company as the rotation begins letting the old go and the new come. stop loss is over, and its nice to have new people to talk to....i was begining to think that if i heard the same lame joke one more time i would snap....funny....the same joke just sounds so much different when it comes from a new persons mouth.

all for now.....i hope you are a little satisfied with this installment, i promise more are to come!

what a week-oh, wait it hasnt started yet

what a crazy week i have ahead of me. i will be off the radar for the whole week, and that really doesnt change my posting schedule much. i seem to not find any time during the week to post-i am working on that.

my company commander, and all of my supervisors have decided that they can no longer wait on Department of the Army to fix the issues resulting from the roll out of the new promotion points system and will be promoting me to corporal on monday. it is exciting for me, because 1.) i will now be considered a non-commissioned officer, but 2.) i will also start getting rated for the work that i am already doing in my current position.

an added benefit is that i can also start making more jokes about the movie major payne.

things continue to heat up around the world, and this concerns me. as much as i would like to visit macedonia, i would prefer to do that as a civilian tourist. pray that there will be a steady decrease in violence worldwide, and that cooler minds will prevail over the heated call to violence.

wow-has it really been that long?

i did not realize that i had not posted in such a long time. a thousand apologies. at any rate-here is the latest.
Lent started two weeks ago, and i gave up alcohol. I am using this time to reflect on what is important to me, and how drinking on any basis is taking away from that. sort of an act of self-discipline. things are going well on that front, i only think about it occasionally and that is because i bought beer on the monday before lent. so i have a full 12 pack sitting on the counter. in the mouth of temptation and sticking true to my goal.
i am excited about NC, but apprehensive of the feasability. i will keep you posted.
things are going well at work, and i am busier than i think i have ever been. there is a lot of training that needs to be completed prior to our next deployment. no one knows when that is, so we are training like mad-as if we were leaving next month...it is an effort to always remain prepared. it is our responsibility to the taxpayers. (and being one myself, i want the most out of my money)
i think i will close this post out and take a nap...taxpayer money hard at work...

Thomas Jefferson

"I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them."

The State of the Union is fragile at best...

Now-the long awaited thoughts on the state of the union address. although i thought most of the speech was the typical political rhetoric that we expect from an address of this type, there were a few points that i thought were particularly effective in communicating a clear political message. His talk about the War on Terror will largely be ignored, because he is the source of the informations, however true it may be.

His emphasis on the individual in the political machine was particularly strong. unlike hillary's claim that it takes a village, the president insists that it takes an individual. similar to the founding father's ideal that the individual is the key to political justice.

"In the work ahead, we must be guided by the philosophy that made our nation great. As Americans, we believe in the power of individuals to determine their destiny and shape the course of history. We believe that the most reliable guide for our country is the collective wisdom of ordinary citizens. And so in all we do, we must trust in the ability of free peoples to make wise decisions, and empower them to improve their lives for their futures. "

it takes an individual to control the machine, it takes an individual to stand up to injustice, it takes an individual to prevent 1984.

i particularly liked how the president differentiated between a peace-keeping operation and the true definition of the battle in which we are currently on the front lines.

"We are engaged in the defining ideological struggle of the 21st century. The terrorists oppose every principle of humanity and decency that we hold dear. Yet in this war on terror, there is one thing we and our enemies agree on: In the long run, men and women who are free to determine their own destinies will reject terror and refuse to live in tyranny. And that is why the terrorists are fighting to deny this choice to the people in Lebanon, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the Palestinian Territories. And that is why, for the security of America and the peace of the world, we are spreading the hope of freedom.

it is essential that we continue to fight on the front lines of tyranny and injustice, regardless of the monetary cost, regardless of the lost family time, regardless of the economic struggle. "The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants." -Thomas Jefferson

By trusting the people, our Founders wagered that a great and noble nation could be built on the liberty that resides in the hearts of all men and women. By trusting the people, succeeding generations transformed our fragile young democracy into the most powerful nation on Earth and a beacon of hope for millions. And so long as we continue to trust the people, our nation will prosper, our liberty will be secure, and the state of our Union will remain strong.
So tonight, with confidence in freedom's power, and trust in the people, let us set forth to do their business. God bless America.

Baby you can drive my car

Baby you can drive my car!! yes, when i am driving in my new car, i do feel like a star. this is the latest addition to my life. a 2006 chevy impala (don't worry, it's not the SS edition). i got a great deal on it, and i am looking forward to driving it for the next few years.

i just thought you might like to see some pictures so that you would be able to see what i am rolling around in. the car is in great shape, clean, and runs great. i cannot wait to drive down to charlotte to visit the fam while they are in town.

let me know what you think of the car, and anything else you want to know.

State of the Union

i am really excited for the state of the union address. i will post my thoughts after the address.

Benevolent taxpayers...

just to answer your question MO...the benevolent taxpayers of this fine nation pay the salaries of myself and those in command over me. those in command over me enjoyed the many days off over the holiday season, and wanted to carry that on through the new year.
but dont worry, it was also those wise taxpayers that purcheased the software that compiles the training database and allows me to log in while i am at home. so, even when i am at the house, i am still doing work from the office that i was unable to finish while at work.
i was hoping, however, to get a shout out for the title of my last post.

Working For The Weekend
by Loverboy

i mean doesn't anyone else feel like this?

Everybody's working for the weekend...

i am really glad that the weekend is finally here. next day of work is 4 feb.

8 hours

eight hours. tomorrow i get eight, uninterupted, dedicated hours to work. i don't think that i have ever been this excited. what kind of a nerd am i. the biggest excitement in my life is getting to work.
as i recall, i said appearent. i did not call it suicide. but L i agree. in the end the result is the same. but the end doesnt justify the means. when in rome. (i guess i just dont really understand the saying.)

what a day...

i dont think that i had 5 minutes of down time at all today. four day weekends are just too much time away from work...maybe i shouldnt tell you taxpayers that.

it seems to me that my life wasnt the only one that was busy. dow jones, the fed, and hollywood were all really busy. Today was the worst opening for the Dow Jones industrial average in quite some time; the federal reserve bank announced an early, and unexpected interest rate drop-to stave off an impending recession; and Heath Ledger's, in an appearent suicide, was found dead of an appearent drug overdose. what a day what a day. if this was the beginning of my week i can only imagine what can be expected of the end of the week. i have a full agenda all week, and another long weekend ahead of me. then i am off to learn how to tie knots and certify loads for sling-load transport. i am really excited about that.

hope that everyone is well, and i look forward to more posts from all of you. Mo-you might try to get uncle gil to start blogging, i think that he would really enjoy the routine.

Robert F. Kennedy's Statement on Dr. King's Death - Montage

I have a dream...

here's to dreaming...

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This
dream /drim/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[dreem] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation noun, verb, dreamed or dreamt, dream·ing, adjective
–noun
1.
a succession of images, thoughts, or emotions passing through the mind during sleep.
2.
the sleeping state in which this occurs.
3.
an object seen in a dream.
4.
an involuntary vision occurring to a person when awake.
5.
a vision voluntarily indulged in while awake; daydream; reverie.
6.
an aspiration; goal; aim: A trip to Europe is his dream.
7.
a wild or vain fancy.
8.
something of an unreal beauty, charm, or excellence. –verb (used without object)
9.
to have a dream.
10.
to indulge in daydreams or reveries: He dreamed about vacation plans when he should have been working.
11.
to think or conceive of something in a very remote way (usually fol. by of): I wouldn't dream of asking them. –verb (used with object)
12.
to see or imagine in sleep or in a vision.
13.
to imagine as if in a dream; fancy; suppose.
14.
to pass or spend (time) in dreaming (often fol. by away): to dream away the afternoon. –adjective
15.
most desirable; ideal: a dream vacation. —Verb phrase
16.
dream up, to form in the imagination; devise: They dreamed up the most impossible plan.
[Origin: 1200–50; ME dreem, OE dréam joy, mirth, gladness, c. OS drōm mirth, dream, ON draumr, OHG troum dream; modern sense first recorded in ME but presumably also current in OE, as in OS] —Related forms
dreamful, adjective
dream·ful·ly, adverb
dream·ful·ness, noun
dream·ing·ly, adverb
dreamlike, adjective
—Synonyms 1. Dream, nightmare, and vision refer to the kinds of mental images that form during sleep. Dream is the general term for any such succession of images. A nightmare is a dream that brings fear or anxiety: frightened by a nightmare. Vision refers to a series of images of unusual vividness, clarity, order, and significance, sometimes seen in a dream.
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.

i love lamp...

i think i am finished with a painting. it was inspired by an experience that i once had. the title of the painting is Al Hillah. it is oil on canvas. this week has been a tough one mentally, but the good news is that i am a government employee that is on a four day weekend. sometimes i get really tired of my job, and then others i cannot see me doing anything else. i ruined another painting experimenting with a technique. it was unsuccessful, so i will have to start over. oh well, there is no shortage of oil paint, and it will give me some more time to work on the entire series. i was rushing the painting a little bit.L-as per your request, i have included another pic of jack. he was a little tired, and wanted me to go to bed, but i had a post to put up. you can see my new painting on the wall behind jack. i dont think he understands the importance of his location. he is in the center of my studio/bedroom/gallery. he should feel really important.

i played the new video on your blog L, and jack perked up and looked sideways at the computer screen wondering how you were inside the little black box. i thought noah was adorable. i love you.

short work week ahead of me, and next week i will be in school all week. learning how to tie nots and certify loads for sling operations. ILY IMY SWAK

in·ex·tri·ca·ble
play_w("I0124300")
(n-kstr-k-bl, nk-strk-bl)
adj.
1.
a. So intricate or entangled as to make escape impossible: an inextricable maze; an inextricable web of deceit.
b. Difficult or impossible to disentangle or untie: an inextricable tangle of threads.
c. Too involved or complicated to solve: an inextricable problem.
2. Unavoidable; inescapable: bound together by an inextricable fate.

Logon...

i think it really aggravates me that i have to log on. i have one log on for my blog, one for my computer at work, one for my email, another for my work email, one for my yahoo, one for my xbox live, one for my credit card, one for my bank account, one for my other bank account, it seems like every place that i go they give me a new log on. don't they know that i have like fifty already.

I'm done logging on. this is crap.

OK so that is not really practical, but you get the point. when did our lives become so inextricably attached to technology, and why can't Microsoft, copyright, do some thing about this.

i think I'm getting carpel tunnel syndrome just from logging in to all of my accounts once a day.

Department of the army will be publishing the promotion point cutoff scores for the month of February this week, we are hoping for a drop to around 622, this is possible, and my points are higher than that. right now the points are at 798, and have been for the last 3 months. there are 725 soldiers in my job specialty that are eligible, and i want to be selected.

keep your fingers crossed, but no promises.

The struggles of the daily grind...

i cant remember the last time that i had time for a lunch break at work. it seems like everytime we catch up, our higher headquarters puts out another standard that sets us hopelessly behind. after talking with L, i have realized that this is the game of the army. the constant give and take, that being they give us more than we can take, is just the way that it rolls. COL McGee once spoke to me about the Law of Probable Dispersal, which states, "Whatever hits the fan, will not be evenly dispersed." i guess i just end up being at one of the major collection points, most of the time.

L & B's adoption progress is something of excitement for me. i am excited at the prospect of going to the horn of africa for the pickup day. little o has no idea what a wonderful family is waiting for her. i scream with joy-sometimes internally, sometimes externally-each time that i think about it.

P's ultrasound gives me the same amount of excitement. the little peanut that is soon going to be a walking, talking, reasoning child has no clue what is in store. the prospect is amazing.

i have started oil painting in full swing and that is why i have not been posting as much lately. however-i promised mimi and cobra that i would put at least one post a week, and i think i have kept up...dont sue me if i missed a couple.

little n is excited for mimi to visit chi-town. co-co, the name change will only be temporary, but i think little n's adaptation is still acceptable.

this is a picture of one of my current painting projects, but it is still in progress-so please be kind...