Life Under Construction

Posts Tagged ‘the war in Iraq’

Just A Common Soldier

(A Soldier Died Today)
By A. Lawrence Vaincourt

Our Country is in mourning, for a soldier died today.

I don’t often share poetry or quote songs, but this is one I’ve come to love that’s touched my heart.  My grandfather fought in WWII.  My uncle is a veteran of the Vietnam War.  A lot of the men and women I work with, have come to know and love, have served in the military.  And my husband, my best friend, is in Iraq right now.  He’s risking his life and mine for this country.  Soldiers and veterans deserve much more respect than they are given, especially veterans.  The men and women that came home, more often than not they came home changed.  Life is harder for them coming home than it would actually be staying at war.  It’s harder than most people realize.

So if someone in your life is a veteran, even if you aren’t close to them, let them know you’re thankful for the sacrifices they made.  You’ll never know what they lost to fight in a war.  You’ll never know what they lost to come home.  But try and brighten someone’s day, if you can.  It could be your friend, your brother or sister, a cousin or an aunt.  That uncle or grandfather that you’ve never thought of as a soldier is a survivor, and because of them you are too.

Thank you, to all the veterans in my life.  You’ve made the life I live possible, and your sacrifices haven’t gone unnoticed.

Walter posted a very important blog today, and I’d really appreciate it if all of you went over and read it.

Right now.

I can wait.

#me taps her foot, waiting.

Are you finished?

Good.

Now on with today’s regularly scheduled programming….

He’s such a bed hog.  I’m serial, every day I wake up and he’s all over the place!

I don’t have to drive Mike to and from work today since it’s his work from home day.  *dances*  So I’m lazily still sitting in my computer chair, where I’ve been for the last 2 hours.  I don’t generally like Tuesdays as a rule, but with less driving miss Daisy, and what with Monica bringing in some soup for my lunch at work (SCORE!), today should be pretty good.  I LOVE SOUP!!!!!!!!11!1

Sorry, I got a little carried away there….

I got to talk to Walter on the hello-phone last night.  I know I talk to him just about every day on the online, but it’s not the same.  I’m happy to be in touch with him as often as I am (you have NO idea), but actually hearing his voice is worth a million chats, blogs, or emails.  [/sappiness]  He called me this morning, but something with Skype makes him all garbled and hard to understand even though he can hear me perfectly, so I didn’t really understand anything he said except ‘good morning’ (with a lot of deciphering on my part).

I did something dumb on Sunday.  Walter had mentioned to me that he missed Quinasa, and in order for me to remember her child’s name I had to log into the Illa forums to search for it.  I thought I could just log out…. I mean it’s been over a year!  But alas, I faltered and fell into the abyss.  I posted a reply in the Off Topic forum, in a thread that will forever be a pathetic shadow of what How Do You Feel Right Now? used to be… and I am ashamed.

Damn you Illarion, with your hauntingly wonderful memories, your game quality gone to crap, and your community lower than dirt.  Damn you!  *fist*

If you know someone fighting the war in Iraq, let them know you’re thinking of them.
If you know someone who knows someone who does, let them know how important it is to be supportive.
Even just a few words can give a soldier strength.
Just a note saying ‘thinking of you and wishing you well’ can do wonders for someone’s spirit.
We often don’t think of how hard it is for them, being so far from everything they love, and how that can weigh them down every minute of every day.
So take that extra minute, send a card or an email.
Let someone in the military, know that you’re thinking of them.

Has anyone else noticed that the weather has gotten rather…. well, cold?  I mean… it’s summer.  It’s not supposed to be 59° if you know what I mean.  This summer has been really weird (weather wise) and quite short.  I hope it’s going to get warmer before it gets colder.

In just three weeks Walter will be here.

In the meantime I’m going to be praying to the weather gods to keep the sandstorms at bay so he can leave on time and his R&R isn’t delayed, and so that it’s warm when he gets here but not too warm since he is coming from the desert after all.

I’ll be taking two weeks off of work when he gets here, I’m not going to want to spend a minute without him if I don’t have to.  And once I go back to work after that I’ll only have a few more days until we’re laid off.  I’m actually not that worried about it anymore.  I still don’t know what I’m going to do, but I’m not stressing about it.  I don’t NEED to stress about it.

I’m almost at the end of season 1 of Greek (this show rocks) and season 3 just started so I should be all caught up by next weekend.  I’m in love with Cappie.

Has anyone watched the new episode of Lie To Me yet?  It started on Monday and I haven’t watched it.  I’m glad that show is coming back, and that Castle is coming back too.  They’re two shows that started last year that I really wanted to see come back for more.

I’m ¾ of the way through The Time Traveler’s Wife and definitely going to see it this weekend at the movies.  I love going to the movies alone.  At Courtni’s urging earlier this year I went to see a movie by myself, so I could spend time with just me doing something I enjoy.  Well, I fell in love with me at the movies.  And every time I go by myself I love it even more.  It’s my thing now.  Every other weekend I’ll go to the movies, have a date with myself, and I know that no matter what I’m going to have a good time.  I’ll let everyone know what I think of the movie.

What are you up to today?
Do you watch Greek?  Are you more of a Cappie or an Evan Chambers kinda girl?

I LOVE… that Walter had ONE MINUTE left on his calling card, and called me this morning to tell me that he made it in OK and that he loves me.  I don’t just LOVE it.  I’m grateful for it.

I LOVE… sending Walter letters, but not packages too much because the ordeal at the post office is ridiculous just to give someone a birthday present.  Eff customs.  Eff Iraq.  Next year I’m giving him his birthday present in person.  Take that, Iraq.

I LOVE… Mikey Pop.  I miss him when he’s far away in stupid Washington with mountains and Harry Potter but not me.  *pout*  He always makes me feel better when things are bad, and things haven’t been very good lately.

I LOVE… that Jeff is going to DJ my mom’s wedding at the end of the month.  I love Jeff.  I love that I’ve known him for about two years now, maybe two and a half, and he thinks that’s “a long time”.  He so cute.

I LOVE… taking pictures of myself on dailybooth and putting them in my blogs every day.

I LOVE… watching movies with my nephew.  Thomas and the Magic Railroad is a good one.

I LOVE… that last night Sarah and I watched my favorite episode of Dr. Quinn ever, it’s what I call “the Boston episode”.  I was so bouncy on the bed and I had to keep stopping while I was knitting because I was so excited (I KNOW!!!)!  And Sarah wanted to stab me for being too excited and giving stuff away the whole time.  I used to know all the words to this episode, and while I still remembered a lot of ‘em, there’s also a lot of ‘em I forgot (my mom had it on a VHS tape from when it originally aired, and I used to watch it all the time).  I didn’t even know that episode was coming on so soon in the series, I was so excited and surprised!!!!  I’m a dork, shut up.

I LOVE… that I’m a dork.  :D  *waves from high up in the great kingdom of Nerdom*

I LOVE… the way the series finale of Eli Stone ended.  It was so positive, and much better than I expected.  I’m not too happy that it had to end though.  Stupid ABC.

I LOVE… Artisteer 2, the program I recently got for WordPress blog design.**

I LOVE… Dead Like Me.  I recently started watching it, and I think it’s a great TV show.

I LOVE… the dress I’m wearing to my mother’s wedding.  It’s the same dress I wore to Drew’s wedding earlier this year in Mississippi.  It’s yellow and sparkly.

I LOVE… my mom.  I don’t say it much, not on my blog, but I love her (and don’t worry, I tell her so every time I talk to her).  Even though she’s stressful and difficult and the hastiest person I know, I love her because she’s my mom.  And she’s getting married.  And I actually get to go this time instead of getting left behind!

**On Monday my blog will have an entirely new look and feel!  Call it a makeover, if you will, but it’s a necessary makeover.  Now that I have this blog design program I can make my blog look just the way I want it to.  I’ve been struggling with finding just the right layout since PQ gave me my own blog page back in September, and with this program I’ve been able to create it myself!  So come back on Monday to see just what I’ve done to the place.  Oh!  And before I forget… there’s going to be a surprise too!

Happy Friday everyone!  What do you love today?  :D

HA HA HA!  I so funny to myself.

So yeah.  This morning has been hectic.  Not that Mondays are usually relaxing, of course.  It was just unexpectedly hectic.

I had my nephew this morning because Sarah’s grandmother couldn’t watch him today, and she forgot so I didn’t know, so she came back to the house with him to drop him off with me (and my lazy butt was still in bed but it was only 8:25 so it was still early), she was probably most likely late for work, and then she had to leave work at 11:30 because I had to go to work.  AAH!

I spent most of the morning playing around on this blog design program.  For a while now I’ve been wanting to design my own blog theme, and I think I’ve found the perfect program for me!  So sometime soon my blog will have a whole new look and feel!  I’m not moving URLs or anything, I’m staying with the PQ Nation (it’s home to me :D), but it’ll be prettier and way more me.

My weekend was good.  On Saturday I went to lunch with my friend Crystal, whom I haven’t seen in years or hung out with since high school.  We totally talked for an hour and a half, and I didn’t even notice the time flying by!  But we’re going to hang out again soon, ’cause she so awesome!  On Sunday I got Walter’s address in Iraq (FINALLY!! HOORAY!!!!) and today I’ll be sending him his first set of letters along with some of my blogs printed up and his birthday present.  His birthday is next Tuesday, I hope it gets there on time.  But I’m not worried about it.  He’ll get it when he gets it, as long as he gets it!

Get it?

I don’t think I’m entirely “with it” this morning.  Can you tell?

Mark your calendars, ladies and gentleblokes: my birthday is in 307 days (♥ May 17 ♥)!

How was your weekend?
Did you do anything exciting?
ARE YOU EXCITED FOR HARRY POTTER ON WEDNESDAY?!!!!!

I’ve played quite a few games in my time.  Quite a few indeed.  So when I announced that I was going to start playing WoW, I was irritated at all the negative feedback I got.

I heard a lot of “We’re never going to see you again”s and some  “See you in a few months”s along with quite a few “We all know where THIS is going”s.  Equip each statement with a massive eye roll and there you have it: the reaction I got from just about everyone that doesn’t already play.

I ignored it, and laughed it off.  I’ve been a gamer since I met D in high school.  I’ve been hooked on MMORPG’s (for any of you non-gamers that stands for Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game) for a good five years now.  I’ve played Oddessy, Runescape, Diablo2, Meridian 59, UltimaOnline, EverQuest, Lineage, World Of Warcraft, Endless Online, Guild Wars, Vanguard, R.O.S.E. Online, Fly For Fun, Ragnarok, and probably a few others that I’m completely forgetting.  So I’ve been around the gaming world.  I know how it is.

I know.

I don’t need people rolling their eyes at me, telling me they’re disappointed in me and telling me how it’s going to be.

Um, if you know me then you know I’m not like that.  I’m a big girl, and not everyone falls into that stereotype.

Or better yet, if you’ve known me long enough, you should know I’ve been down that road and that I learned my lesson.  Because of all the games I’ve played, no game was more addicting or life consuming than Illarion (before you click the link, remember that it was far less developed 5 years ago than it is now).

This is Illarion.  You’ll want to click to see the full images.

Illarion is a free MMORPG.  An isometric free RPG where you can only walk at one pace and all the character avatars look exactly the same, no matter what they’re equipped with.

To say that I loved this game would be the understatement of the century.  I lived this game.  I used to eat, sleep, breathe, and BATHE this game.  It dictated when I slept, when I worked, when I ate (which was rarely), and everything else I did or (more likely) didn’t do.

Probably the longest period I went without having a boyfriend was while I was playing this game.

It’s not just an MMO, it’s actual role play.  To have and keep a character you need to, like D&D, come up with a personality and character description as well as a back story, and then you need your character to blend in with the world around you and interact with other characters.  With the old account system (there isn’t one now) you had to actually apply for an account and not only answer questions, but complete a story in a few sentences to play.

There was no questing.  Power gaming was frowned upon.  All the characters looked the same with our names (and numbers!) over our heads.  85% of your in game time was spent actually role playing, not gaining skills.

It. Was. AWESOME.

For a while.  Then it started to become unfun.  I had this whole life in game.  A husband and a profession, a whole LIFE.  And when it started to get unfun, it leaked into my real life.  My unhappiness spilled over into my everyday activities.  And even then I didn’t quit.  I took it too seriously to quit.  I took it so seriously for so long that I was afraid to leave, even though I was completely miserable.  I needed the game.  It kept me awake at night.  I played for a long time this way before I finally quit.  And I quit twice.

The first time I quit, I went back after a few months thinking that all I needed was a break.  But no.  It was far worse than that.  And I played for a few more months before I quit entirely.  It’s been hard.  I’ve since even stopped going to the forums because I get sucked in that way too.  And I know better.

So when I say I know how it is to be addicted to a game, I’m not kidding.  I know how it is.  I’ve been down that road.  I’ve seen the Dark Side (they don’t really have cookies, don’t let them fool you).  It took a lot of repairing to get my life back into shape, but I’ve done it and I won’t do that to myself again.

So I ask you to please keep your snide comments to yourself.  I don’t want them.  I started playing WoW because Walter has gone to Iraq and I need something time consuming and enjoyable to do so that I don’t spend all my time worrying about whether or not he’ll come home at all.

Don’t assume anything about me based on the short-comings of other people.  I am NOT other people.  And I’ll freaking play World Of Warcraft if I want to.  So get off my case.

Someday when I am grown up and I have my own house I am going to buy a refrigerator sized freezer, and in it I will keep a titanic supply of Rocky Road ice cream and Nutty Buddies.  And they will all be for me.

I could really go for a Nutty Buddy right now.  Ice cream for breakfast is my favorite.

(After chocolate milk, of course.  And cereal.)

Why hasn’t there been a new Superman movie out yet?  I thought Brandon Routh signed a three movie deal.  I want more Superman movies.

I woke up today in a quiet, introspective kind of mood.  I feel like I want to keep to myself, have little contact with other people, and spend all my time thinking about the things that make me feel good.  I look forward to going to work, but only to sit in MY cubicle, MY space, with MY things, and be quiet and content with my thoughts.

I miss Walter. That’s the thought that’s dominating my day brain today, taking up most of the space in my conscious (and probably subconscious) mind.

I’m not allowed to be friends with someone anymore that’s been my friend for 11 years.  I understand why, but that doesn’t make it hurt any less.  Not that that friend would ever read my blog, but I want him to know that even though we’re not allowed to interact I will always be here for him if he needs anything.  His family is always going to be my family.  We may not talk for 20 years, but if 20 years from now he needs anything, I hope he knows he can call on me and I’ll do whatever is in my power to be there for him.  I understand, but I don’t like it.

I started drawing something two weekends ago, and I haven’t touched it since.  I’m lost as to what to do with it anymore.  I wanted it to be a full page drawing.  Maybe I’ll work on it some more next weekend.  Maybe.

The weekend was pretty OK.  My birthday wasn’t the best ever but that’s alright.  They can’t ALL be fabulous all the time, right?  I spent all of Saturday and most of Sunday being lazy.  Did 4 loads of laundry, watched Castle and Lie To Me, and went to the movies alone.  Talked to Walter twice on Saturday.  Went to dinner at 7 Moons (finally) with Erik and Mike, and I brought home a ton of leftovers.

Speaking of which, I hope I don’t forget to bring the leftovers to work with me today.  I have Mike’s in the fridge, and he’ll need that.

Mike and I have been talking about going to 7 Moons for two years now.  o.0  Hooray for finally going!

364 days until my birthday.

Ghosts Of Girlfriends Past is a crappy movie.  Don’t see it in theaters.  I wouldn’t even suggest you see it when it comes out on DVD, it really was that lame.  It’s probably the worst movie I’ve seen since I saw Good Luck Chuck, which was a bad movie.

Christina and I are going to the mall next weekend.  I need to do some heavy duty book shopping.  I’ll probably start reading the Harry Potter books next week and I’m sure I’ll breeze right through them.

Once I get my TV fixed I think I’m going to sign up for Netflix.  Maybe.  It’s a thought.

I miss Walter. I think I’m going to spend some money and go see him again for three days before he leaves for Iraq in June.  They’re sending him home for 4 or 5 days before he ships out.  If I thought 8 days was not enough last month then 3 days is definitely not going to be enough this time, but I think of it this way: I’ll take what I can get to hold me over until he comes home.  I’m still thinking about it though.  Leaving last time was really hard.

I’m giving my NKOTB tickets to CooCoo.  I can’t go anymore.  My little brother’s graduation is the same night, and while I love my New Kids On The Block (wicked hard) I really can’t miss Robert’s graduation.  Family comes first.  In 13 days he’ll be 18 years old.  A month from today he’s going to be graduating high school.  And this fall he’s going to start going to college.  He may be like 5′10” or something ridiculous like that, but he’ll always be my baby brother.

I don’t feel hungry at all.  Is that a bad thing?  I haven’t eaten in 14 hours, shouldn’t I be even a little bit hungry by now?  I’m going to eat when I get to work whether I’m hungry or not, because that’s what I do.  I eat to pass the time.  And to fend off boredom.

Today is definitely going to be a Write In My Journal day.