Wednesday, November 28

Wednesday Hero

Sgt. Antwan L. Walker
Sgt. Antwan L. Walker

22 years old from Tampa, Florida
2nd Forward Support Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division
May 18, 2005


Sgt. Antwan Walker was excited about coming home from Iraq to celebrate his 23rd birthday with his family and friends. His mother, Andrea Pringle, was busy planning the party when an Army official unexpectedly came to her house.

She said he told her Thursday that her son was killed the previous day by a bomb blast in Ramadi. The Department of Defense hasn't publicly confirmed his death.

Sgt. Antwan Walker, known as Twan to his friends and family, joined the Army in 2000. Pringle said her son joined to earn money for college.

"Twan had a lot of goals in life," She said. "He was very ambitious and very smart."

Sgt. Walker had been in Iraq for about a year. He called his family often but didn't want to talk about war. Instead, he talked about starting a real estate career and his three children.

"He was such a good dad," his mother said. "All he wanted to do was make a good life for his kids."

In April 2005, Walker wanted to talk about the fighting. He told his mother five soldiers he was traveling with were killed. His phone calls became more frequent after that.

Pringle said she had days when she couldn't eat or sleep because of her worries. But she never forgot to give her son her support.

"I always told him I'm proud and be safe".


Spc. Roger G. Ling
Spc. Roger G. Ling
20 years old from Douglaston, New York
Company C, 1st Battalion, 34th Armor Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team
February 19, 2004


When Spc. Roger G. Ling's Humvee was struck by a homemade bomb in October of 2003, he survived the attack and he worked to keep his superior officer, Lt. Matt Homa, alive. Spc. Ling was riding in the backseat of the Humvee when it was hit. It destroyed Lt. Homa's door.

"It almost killed me. From what I've been told, Roger helped keep me awake until my medic arrived." said Lt. Homa. "Ling was a good kid. You could count on him to do anything."

Spc. Ling was killed, along with Second Lieutenant Jeffrey C. Graham of Elizabethtown, Kentucky, when their unit came under fire from insurgents in Khalidiyah, Iraq. Only two miles from where he'd survived the attack just four months earlier.

Leona Ling said she was grateful her brother came home in August of 2003 just before leaving for Iraq.

"He had to have his tonsils taken out," she said. "It was a blessing in disguise because we got to see him again."

In phone calls home, the soldier spoke wistfully of returning to New York and going to college. "He wanted to hear about what was going on at home and all the latest family gossip," Leona Ling recalled.

Survivors include his father, Wai Ling, a U.S. Army veteran.




Army Spc. Eric S. McKinley
Army Spc. Eric S. McKinley
24 years old from Corvallis, Oregon
Company B, 2nd Battalion, 162nd Infantry Regiment, Army National Guard
June 13, 2004


An avid outdoorsman, Spc. McKinley worked as a baker at Alpine Bakery in Corvallis, Ore. Upon his return from Iraq, he hoped to open a juice bar in the college town to provide a drug and alcohol-free environment for young people. Friends and co-workers remember Spc. McKinley as a quiet, caring young man who dyed his hair, sported several tattoos and loved ska and rock music. His senior yearbook picture showed a grinning young man with spiked hair dyed red and green. In other 1998 yearbook pictures, he has purple and blue hair in a mohawk.

Spc. Eric McKinley was killed when a roadside bomb north of Baghdad detonated destroying two vehicles and wounded four other Oregon soldiers. They were identified as Staff Sgt. Phillip Davis, 23, of Albany; Sgt. Matthew Zedwick, 23, of Bend; Cpl. Shane Ward, 23, of Corvallis and Pvt. Richard Olsen, 23, of Independence.

Almost 500 people attended the memorial service for Spc. McKinley at Starker Arts Park in Corvallis. There was a mix of people dressed in either military or punk attire — including McKinley’s six-year-old cousin, who, in tribute, wore his hair in a bright green mohawk.

Coventry Pacheco, McKinley’s fiancee, sat in the first row at his celebration-of-life service. They hadn’t set a wedding date, but were planning to get married.

He was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star for meritorious service, a Purple Heart and the Oregon Distinguished Service Award. U.S. and Oregon flags were presented to his parents, Tom McKinley of Salem and Karen Hilsendager of Philomath.



Marine Lance Cpl. Nicholas R. Anderson
Marine Lance Cpl. Nicholas R. Anderson
21 years old from Sauk City, Wisconsin
1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force
March 13, 2006


Lance Cpl. Nicholas Anderson lost his life after the Humvee he was riding in rolled over as a group of Marines pursued a suspicious vehicle near Jalalabad, Afghanistan. He suffered head injuries in the crash and died as he was being transported to a hospital.

Nicholas Anderson joined the Marines in January 2005 and began a six-month tour of Afghanistan two months ago with the 3rd Marines Weapons Platoon, his father, James Anderson said.

"I just know that he died fighting for what he believed in," he said. "He wanted to be a Marine and even though it was a major risk he just wanted to go."

James Anderson said his son, a 2003 Sauk Prairie High School graduate, enjoyed riding his motorcycle, lifting weights, going fishing and hanging out with friends.

He joined the Wisconsin Army National Guard when he was 18, but an injured shoulder forced him to drop out. He then enlisted in the Marines.

"I was very nervous when he first joined the Marines because two words jumped into my head: Afghanistan and Iraq," his father said. "I just supported him and prayed that it would end before he had to go over."




These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your blog, you can go here.



I don't know--is it more shocking seeing them grouped together? I'll say it again- move on from blaming Bush for getting us into it, it's time to talk about what we're doing to support the folks we've already sent over there. Congress is talking about drastically reducing funding on TBI research. The numbers on fatalities in this war are lower because we can save people who in other wars would have been lost. Those people have Traumatic Brain Injuries, and will need our help and support for years if not their entire lives. How many homeless vets do we have now? Why is no one in Congress looking down the road ten, twenty years?

VOTE, people. Call your congressmen, or email them. Let them know this needs to be addressed.

Sunday, November 25

harder than I thought....

Although that my have had something to do with the choices offered. But it's what I've got in place of the Sunday Quizzez...

If I was a millionaire, I'd buy...




























Welsh Retreat



Welsh Retreat


Price: $470,000




Pay Off your Mortgage



Pay Off your Mortgage


Price: $400,000




Make a Low Budget Movie



Make a Low Budget Movie


Price: $200,000




100k Savings Account



100k Savings Account


Price: $200,000




Baguette/Sandwich Shop



Baguette/Sandwich Shop


Price: $170,000




Dream Fitted Kitchen



Dream Fitted Kitchen


Price: $100,000




Help Fight Cancer



Help Fight Cancer


Price: $100,000




6 Week Family Extravaganza in Seychelles



6 Week Family Extravaganza in Seychelles


Price: $72,072




Volkswagen Beetle Cabriolet



Volkswagen Beetle Cabriolet


Price: $40,040




Landscaped Gardens



Landscaped Gardens


Price: $40,000




Donate Towards Clean Water in Africa



Donate Towards Clean Water in Africa


Price: $40,000




Ikea/Habitat Spree



Ikea/Habitat Spree


Price: $30,000




Smart ForTwo Coupe



Smart ForTwo Coupe


Price: $25,540




Full Dental Work



Full Dental Work


Price: $24,000




Premiership Season Ticket for Two for 10 Years



Premiership Season Ticket for Two for 10 Years


Price: $20,600




Personal Trainer



Personal Trainer


Price: $20,000




14 Bed House for Christmas



14 Bed House for Christmas


Price: $12,000




Install a New Aga Range Oven



Install a New Aga Range Oven


Price: $11,000




Breast Reduction



Breast Reduction


Price: $6,300




Plasma TV Pioneer PDP 436XDE



Plasma TV Pioneer PDP 436XDE


Price: $5,600




Ultimate Computer Laptop



Ultimate Computer Laptop


Price: $4,998




Monkey



Monkey


Price: $4,000




Labradoodle



Labradoodle


Price: $3,000




Nintendo Wii



Nintendo Wii


Price: $600


Friday, November 23

Let's get Real, shall we?



Reality TV is the deep fried Twinkie of junk food TV.

The Bachelor is such an appalling show. People are up in arms because the latest guy declined to choose in the last episode, taking a pass on both of the "heartbroken" women.

Right.On.

What is wrong with these women? How can one human being be such a vapid ball of quivering need? They are crying in the limo on the first episode, because they went home in the first round. They don't even have the ovaries to say they are embarrassed to be rejected in the first round, they were hoping to buy themselves a new pair of tatas from their fame, and now no one will know who they are. No, they sob that there had been a real sense of connection when they chatted at the cocktail party.

Even if you DID make it to the final round, what in the fucking hell is wrong with you that you think six weeks or SIX MONTHS in front of TV crews is going to establish a long and lasting relationship? How many of these have there been? I think there has been one successful couple? These women are so screwed up in their priorities. Where is some pride? Some...dare I say it... common sense? Where is the grandma who, on the home visit, says her granddaughter is acting like a damned fool over a guy she just met?

(See what happens when I accidentally log on through AOL?)
All of the trailer park commentors talk about how eeevil this guy is.

He's a tail chasing dog--who ever thought anything else about a man going on reality TV to find a mate? If anything people should give him props for saying upfront that he's not interested, instead of faking it for the six weeks after the show finishes so ABC gets to pretend it was a love match.

The girls are always horrified to learn that he was kissing another woman the same way he kissed them. The junior high lesson in social diseases should tell you that you have probably (in effect) kissed every girl in the house--since this isn't one of "those" blogs, we won't talk about what else your little microbial community may have shared.

The fact that they televise this shit so some little girl whose parents aren't paying attention will soak it all up like a sponge and think that life is like this....ack. Probably the same little girl who's wearing the Bratz line of pre-teen thong underwear. sigh.

I want to get the Honey cable for Christmas. I do. But then Little O will be soaking up whatever that sweet sixteen crap is on MTV. Say what you will about telling your kids "no" and controlling their TV viewing, but if it's on, they will FIND a way to watch. Don't kid yourselves.

PLEASE lord tiny baby jeebus, give me the ability to teach my daughter to THINK. I see the Honey's nieces dumbing themselves down the older they get, and it KILLS me. At least three of them would sell a kidney to go on one of those shows. Maybe not their own, but hey--that's what parents are for, no?

Thursday, November 22

Thankful, you say?



How could I NOT be?

Look at them.
(Has it really been almost two years since I took this photo?

We are all healthy.

The honey misses his dad terribly at times like today, and mine may be miles away, but I know he's there with just a phone call. Both of my parents are.

My nephews are in uniform, and are safe (for now).

I have the best friends, in life AND a la blog.

Short of pulling a Pakistan, Dubya only has one more year.

I live in America, in the twenty first century. We have modern medicine, clean water and fucking drive thru Starbucks, for pete's sake.

Driving home from the SIL's last night, my kids warm and cozy in the back, the Honey with his hand on my knee, we drove past a corner bar with people spilling out. Seven or eight years ago, that would have been me, trying to get away from the misery that was my marriage. All I could think as I drove by was how empty that life seemed.

Of all the dog shifts this holiday season, I got the one that pays OT. So I have to go jump in the shower, and drag my butt into work-and you know what?

I'm thankful.

Monday, November 19

admission

I am not one to ogle the boys. My lifelong fear of being a Big Maaaaan Hungry Girl far exceeds any need to wolf whistle as the hot but pretty dense painter goes shirtless at work. It was nice, but eeww--the girls at work were stalking him. I also get pretty skeeved out when they send the beefcake emails at work--#1, because we're at WORK, people, and #2, well, eeew.

This weekend we watched the new Bond film, after several of you recommended it. I was, um, deeply appreciative. Blue eyes and blond hair? Soooo not my thing. Giant ears? Again, sooo not what works for me. But I've been watching bond films my whole life, and this one was GOOD. Big O was bummed there were so few gadgets, but I think the lack of Supa-cheese made it much better for me. There were still ridiculous things goin' on, but it worked. Okay, Daniel Craig was workin' for me, too, but the FILM, people. The FILM worked.

Damnit, my name is jennifer, and I am a big maaaaan hungry girl. eew.

Saturday, November 17

Shut up, Scary Mary! SHUUUUUUUUUUUUUT UUUUUUUUP.

'Kay, I am not a fan of things that start on their own. If I want to hear it, there is a "Play" button conveniently located. Mary is annoying the shit out of me on my own freaking blog. So Wrong.

So, it's just meh. Yes I had a quiet family dinner the night before my birthday, but upon further reflection, I made dinner and I got us all there, and that was a present to myself. The honey was an ass last night, and if I enjoyed listening to him puke, well, it still doesn't count as a present.

I feel stupid and childish that I am completely butt-hurt that my parents didn't call on or around my birthday. I am 37 years old, it's not like I doubt that they love me, so I feel whiny and needy. My brother called me from Disneyland (Okay, my birthday is also his anniversary, so it's hard for him to forget), my uncle, who I never talk to, emailed me. It's been almost a week and I have not heard anything from my mother.

I hate being whiny and feeling stupid. Hate it. I feel greedy and stupid for wanting the honey to get me a present--but would it kill you to show the foresight to get me a card? To figure something out BEFORE my birthday? I am wallowing here, and I cannot stand to be in my own head. But he was a complete ass last night, so it just unleashed the flood. Resentment and long term grudge, thy name is Jennifer.


This has been another whiny self pitying post by jen. I should probably have some Bon Jovi playing.

Wednesday, November 14

Happy Birthday, Rosanna Huffman!

Where ever you are....
 
Rosanna was my best friend in the first grade, and our friendship was cemented when we learned our birthdays were only two days apart.    Years later I found Rosanna at the local JC and you know what?  I may have been bitter, and slightly baked, but Rosanna was still a neat person that I could have hung with (had I not been completely wrapped up in my loser stoner boyfriend).  I think of her every year.


********

Everyone send fabulous recovery vibes to Chuck, who's having her lady parts *ahem* reworked. See, now it sounds like she's having plastic surgery, instead of having them rip it all out. sigh. I have no tact, but I'm thinkin' of ya, Chuck.

Tuesday, November 13

 


HA! The homemade birthday card from my son.

I did not do a Veteran's day post, because I couldn't top Queen of Dysfunction.

Pray for her dad, pray for my nephews, and vote for the candidate who talks about taking care of our boys when they come home.
Posted by Picasa

Monday, November 12

bliss

It's my birthday, and I got pie at work--yay!
 
I actually got what I think is about the best present ever last night, in that my whole little family sat down at the table and had a lovely home cooked meal, right down to bread in a basket getting passed around.  I know it doesn't sound like much, but we have never really utilized our dining room table for anything but storage, and I have wanted to change that.  So we did!
We lit a candle, we all sat down, the Honey muted the TV, and only kinda watched the football game.  There was a little quiet music playing on the computer, and we were all eating THE SAME THING.  No special kid food, just loaded Little O with peanut butter that afternoon so I wouldn't get all psycho about the lack of protein on her plate.
 
Ahhhhh....
 
I am really striving for more nights like that, but it was lovely that the first night I really pulled it off without feeling frazzled was my birthday eve. 
 
 

Sunday, November 11

no quizzes, just a thang.

cash advance

I stole it from Hip Suburban White Guy. He's right over there in my links.

I am soooooo damned lazy today.

purr

I like it!

Thursday, November 8

Okay, Seriously

blah blah blah, another country with civil unrest...blah blah blah.
 
Okay, wait a minute.  The president of Pakistan has ordered the arrrest of all the lawyers?  ALL of them?  Judges thrown into jail?  So basically ANYONE who knows what the rights of the people are, and what the responsibilities of the government are, is suddenly a criminal? 
 
Holy Shit.  No, seriously--can you even imagine that happening here? 
 
Shall we throw in the fact that they have nukes?  That they are probably currently hosting our al-quaida friends?
 
Chuck, you are my expert on all things terrifying, is this as scary as it seems?
 
 

just a brief bitchy CMA moment

Sara Evans had either be pregnant or the new spokewoman for Pepto, doing the upset stomach/diarreah dance.

The girls who sing the boondocks song? The brunette should be slapped for her leather shorts, and the blonde had hair that looked like Mrs. Roper. I am a walking hair disaster, so I have a little sympathy, but...but...you can pay professionals, and they will HELP you before you appear on National TV.

Dwight, I love you, but it is 2007, and we know you're bald. It's okay to remove your levi's jacket, maybe even get a new pair of jeans, and cut your hair. Leave the hat on if you want, but cut the lunatic fringe in the back.

Dammmit, I missed someone else who was bugging me! Must.Go.to.Work.

Wednesday, November 7

The Dorkville Meme

The rules are:
Answer the questions as realistically or unrealistically as you want.
Copy the rules into your meme post.
Link back to the person who tagged you.
Tag 5 others
 
1. Where would you live?
Having recieved this assignment from Mert, I would say that Dorkville is the town for me! I would have a house on the corner of Padawan Way and Kenobi Ct in the new Star Wars Subdivision, Empire Acres.  You haven't SEEN a crazy HOA until you've seen men in white plastic stormtooper costumes writing citations for flying a Federation flag in a Star Wars only zone...

2. What would your job be (or if unrealistic) what would you do all day?
I would be that guy who always runs for office, even though no one will ever elect them.  I will be a professional candidate, featured every four years as the giggly human interest story about the little candidate that couldn't.


3.  Who would you spend your time with? Doing what?
Mert is my inspiration for all things dork.  I would spend the time with my fellow guild members.  What Guild?    Why the Mos Eisley Players, Of course!  We re-interpret Star Trek episodes, set it into the Star Wars Universe, and then convert THAT into the shakespearean cant, to bridge the gap and end the terrible strife between the Trek and Lucasian camps.  It's tearing the Dork world apart, people!!!! (sob)

4. What kind of holidays/vacations would you take?
January--we take the enitre month off to celebrate the gods of sci-fi and fantasy.  Asimov, Dick and Tolkien have entire days that are exclusively theirs.
February we dress as our favorite TV character every 22nd.
March has the Day of Secret Collections, when you reveal your bad collection of (fill in the blank) to the world.
April is the annual Dork Pride parade.
May 1st all of the Rennaisance Faire (don't forget ye olde "E") folks dance around the maypole.  The Beavis contingent then laughs (heh heh, they said pole).
June is reveal your pasty white legs to the world day.
July 5th has free burn treatment at the ER.
August has bring your drinks to work day.  Followed quickly by "avoid eye contact with smokin hot co-worker you may have shared a little too much with the previous day" Day.
Ah, September.  When all the Dork moms don thier pictish blue face paint and brave the school drop offs to get their first day of back to school freeeeedom!!!!!!
October remains unchanged, because who could top Halloween for letting your Dorkk flag fly?
November sees the vokda based slushy drinks wedged into the snowbanks, in a grand evening involving bonfires and the occasional naked snow angel.
December is the Twelve days of Christmas Cookies.

 

5. What luxury items would you own?
I would have a woman that came to wash my hair, like at a salon.  I would also have a mute buddhist monk to cust my hair in absolute silence.  No fake chit chat.   

6. What charities would you support or represent?
I would support the Zamphir School of Asshole Management and Rehabilitation, and one of their shock collars would have a  little brass plate with my name on it as a donor. 
 
I tag any dork willing to play, and we'll repost them over at dorkbloggers if you tell me you're playing.

Tuesday, November 6

yup


DSC01258
Originally uploaded by supa_jen_10.

We were supposed to be Delta Mermaids, so we were covered in trash, and I reeeeeally wanted cigarettes hanging from our mouths and those tattoo shirts where it looks like you're bare but covered in tats? anyone? bueller? Unfortunately the trash doesn't show in the photos very well... I had a pic of me NOT smiling, but I can't help it. It's my nature. I'm smiley.

Sunday, November 4

Halloween


collage
Originally uploaded by supa_jen_10.

What were we?

Friday, November 2

haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

Favorite SIL & her daughter came over for Halloween.
 
Love them.
 
My favorite thing said by Smart-assed niece?
 
When someone's skirt is too short at her high school, they tell the girl in question that no one wants to see her "Britney."
 
Cracks me up.