RevGals Friday Five: It's Almost Christmas

RevHRod of RevGals writes:
I have debated with myself for weeks about today's Friday Five.
Self 1: It should be deep and theological.
Self 2: But it's almost Christmas, it should be fun and warm and sweet.
Self 1: But your last Friday Five was sort of silly. You should show your more serious side.
Self 2: You worry WAY too much!

So after consulting with my fourteen year old daughter, we're going playful, pals o' mine! I love stories, so I hope you'll tell some about your favorite Christmas memories.

~~

1) What was one of your favorite childhood gifts that you gave:

When I was 16 I found this beer stein that was a boot at a rummage sale for 25 cents, I have wrapped it and gave it to my father that Christmas.

2) What is one of your favorite Christmas recipes?
Peanut Squares
This is a catch all desert, good at anytime during the year. I think the recipe is cutting angel food cake into squares, add frosting to all sides, then add crushed peanuts to the sides. Done. It is like the best "guy" recipe.

3) What is a tradition that your family can't do without? (And by family, I mean family of origin, family of adulthood, or that bunch of cool people that just feel like family.)
I really have no idea. I will end up giving my sergeant some time to attend mass, then it is back to work.

4) Pastors and other church folk often have very strange traditions dictated by the "work" of the holidays. What happens at your place?
I may sing some carols until my sergeant can't take it anymore. Maybe a tad longer than that.

5)If you could just ditch all the traditions and do something unexpected... what would it be?
Visit another country.

35 Degrees

Fun with Navy Medicine, Part IV

Typing is a little harder to do with this thing on my arm/hand. So if it looks like the number of posts dropped from me, then a duh factor should be applied.

When I try to stray away from a politically comment, the following my be construed as one. It is not, it is an opinion.

I keep reading about universal health care for the US. I think it is a bad idea. In essence, I have universal health care while being in the military. Yes, I am seen when I have a problem, but I have learned to go when I really, really need to go see a doctor. Just because, I am seeing a doctor doesn't mean this doctor is a general practitioner, but he or she is a doctor of something. There are speciality doctors placed in the correct speciality, but to be seen in one, you have to go through "your" unit doctor and that means he or she may not think you need to go. That equates to fun. Also, in my opinion, every doctor I have seen seems to think everyone is a hypochondriac. So while you are telling your problems or showing or whatever, the care provider thinks you are lying. Yea. And God forgive you if you think you know what you need and tell the provider, because they will promptly let you know that they are the doctor not you.

I am just saying that I think universal health care is a bad idea. Let us think of something else.

Drifting

When growing up when someone mentioned drifting it was always during winter and it was always snow. Today, there has been some "light" drifting. While coming into work today the wind has picked up substantially but it isn't a sandstorm per se. Our temperatures here have been hovering the low forties for the first few hours and dropping down into the thirties at the peak of the night. While transversing to the chow hall for "lunch" it is always surprise going through the drifting sand.

Fun.

Cheesehead

For as much of a cheesehead that I am you must admit I have not been shoving football very much. This season I posted about what I wanted and it should have been what I needed. Then I ranted on the what "it" means and I don't think everyone was getting my dictionary like I did. Thanksgiving went well then the gift lists came shortly thereafter. I talked about the game another time about a week or so later, but that was it. The self-restraint has been crushing me. We only have 4 days until the greatest rivalry.

December's 300th Comment

CDP has made the 300th comment of the month. Congratulations!

You are now entitled to my imaginary snowflake droppings collection!

Day-in-the-Life

There are "Day-in-the-Life" articles that squadrons here have submitted and is posted on the following website by PAO (Public Affairs Office):

http://www.2maw.usmc.mil/forward.asp


A side note about the article about MALS-29: The pictures do not go with what that Marine does.

For my readers here I will do something similar within the next few days. (I will enclose some pictures too.)

Control

Sometimes I really hate my job.

My job has interactions with lots of people, who all want something.

My job is about control.

Actually, I hate this job most of the time. I hated this job before I received it. Now I am in it and I still hate it.

No one likes the guy in this job. No one likes this job.

It has been a long year.

Way Too Early For Christmas? Part II

We figured it wouldn't have lasted on the door.

Fun with Navy Medicine, Part III

It is probably a good thing I am not left handed. (Or am I?) Anyway, I lied (fourth time ever) to HotCup my day wasn't the same as the others. Today, instead of sleeping, I spent it will a bunch of other Marines and soldiers who had one problem or other that their unit doc couldn't figure out. The consensus of my problem was I strained some tendons or ligaments so I need to "immobilize" my hand. Ha Ha....Ha.

So what was done, was they, the army guys at the hospital here, casted my arm, cut it in half, and then put it back on using this stretchy wrap stuff. The idea is I can remove it for hygiene purposes. Makes sense to me.

Time of wear is supposed to be six weeks. Well, if the time table holds true( keep your fingers crossed) I will be stateside by then. Yea!

Sand Gets In Every Crack

Everyone keeps asking about the sandstorms and what it is like or what they look like, so here are some photos that I hope with answer most of your questions.

Now, like I have posted before sandstorms do not only happen during the day, they also happen at night. The big difference is at night there is no warning. It just happens. And pictures don't turn out like these did.

Side note: Bicycles do not like sand either. Bad sand. Bad. Bad.

Peanut Butter and Jelly

I love a PB & J sandwiches. A key ingredient is bread. I hate healthy bread. When someone offers a PB & J sandwich with healthy bread I take it and eat like I would normally, but I really enjoy it with white bread. I have had a jar of peanut butter and jar of grape jelly for about five months now. Every now and then I take a spoonfull of each and savor it. It would have been great to make a sandwich. I have no way to store bread for any length of time and there is no bakery down the hill so it isn't even a request that I can entertain. Just sometimes, I wish I could have a PB & J.

Clock

Same clock, same place.

Is it strange that it changed or that I took a picture?

Nerd

Originally saw this at IdentityMixed's blog and figured what the hell. Who knew?

Preferred Mode of Travel

This is my mode of travel throughout most of the base here. The headlamp and reflective belt are mandatory items for night riders such as myself. The rear lamp in my opinion is a must for night riders. Your day gets progressively worse if you are run over by a convoy of 7-tons (big truck that weighs seven tons empty and with no armor) or water trucks.

The next souls to occupy the base will need to buy some new bikes. I have been through eight front wheels, three frames, four back tires (repacked the bearings twice), six pedals, and two seats. Parts have become hard to come by. I have modified a few parts to get me to the end of this deployment and I would be happy to get five bucks out of it by the time I leave. Rear tires are the scarce piece, so if you would be coming this way I would bring two back tires from a junk yard, so you could keep one for yourself and trade the other for the rest of the bike.

I am sure I look funny when riding down the boulevard with my interceptor vest(the "bullet proof" thingy) and Kevlar (helmet). There are few of us that travel with bikes.

Christmas for Everyone

If in the giving mood to a soldier, Sailor, airman, or Marine please consider donating to one of the charities on my sidebar.

USO (United Service Organizations)
Soldiers' Angels
Operation Gratitude
Any Marine

There are many more but I am partial to these, since these are the ones that brought home to me and my Marines while we have been deployed.

12 Days of Christmas

I had some down time today, so being the curious person I am, I researched what are the twelve days of Christmas are and what was so special about it that someone wrote a song about it.
Well, turns out there is a lot of stuff going on about it. I know all of you can look it up for yourselves via Snopes.com or HowStuffWorks.com or Wikipedia and find all sorts of stuff. I am including what I thought was interesting, the symbolism of each day. Enjoy.

A Partridge in a Pear Tree - Jesus Christ
Two Turtle Doves - The Old and New Testaments
Three French Hens - The three virtues of Faith, Hope and Charity
Four Calling/Collie Birds - Four gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John
Five Golden Rings - First five books of the Old Testament
Six Geese-a-Laying - Six days of creation before God's rest on the seventh day
Seven Swans-a-Swimming - Seven gifts of the Holy Spirit
Eight Maids-a-Milking - Eight Beatitudes
Nine Ladies Dancing - Nine fruits of the Holy Spirit
Ten Lords-a-Leaping - Ten Commandments
Eleven Pipers Piping - Eleven faithful disciples
Twelve Drummers Drumming -Twelve points of belief in the Apostles' Creed

Hypothetical Solution to Everything

I have solved the problem with government. Selective service. Everyone 18 or older will be put in a hat, then once every two years a new name gets picked for each respective position.
The beauty is everyone gets to fuck up the country, an equal opportunity environment. I figure there is no difference with what we have now and since opinions are like assholes this will work well. The people who say 'you can't let so and so run the country' there is an opposite person named so and so who also say the same thing about the first people. A + B = C and B + A = C

Think about it like this, the person who is a president for a village board for some town in middle America has what qualifications. Probably has a steady job and once a month meets with others like him who were elected to "run" this town for like an extra two grand a year. Probably not a lawyer and most of the people in this town probably don't even know what he looks like. This guy doesn't do it for the money, he does it because he thinks he can make a difference in making lives in that small town better for everyone.

Why is "big" government not this way?

Power Curve

While I write about little things in life that are not always important and I throw my humor into almost everything I write, I always feel I am behind the power curve somehow.

The world I live in has free people, they are walking around everywhere. And you've guess it men and women. You could say it is a lottery winner bonanza. Everyone here has won.

Okay, so you are saying the world has free people in it? I am saying Americans are free, so not to confuse the audience, in this post I am referring to the good ol' American public. So now that is out of the way let us continue.

In the area I work in, there are lots of tough times that require some tough calls. Nothing is personal but feelings can get hurt if you are not a thick skinned individual. I grew up in a world of sarcasms, so if you would meet me and I come off as an asshole, I probably am. I didn't join to make friends.

Often while viewing others thoughts via the web I get an impression that that I don't live in a free society and then I feel bad. Why would I, the asshole, feel bad you may say. Well my job is directly related to the free America.

I have been trying really hard to "enjoy" the holiday season, but it seems when looking to the states for news and encouragement, all I get is resentment and distaste.

RevGals Friday Five: Rejoice

Mother Laura for RevGals writes, Can you believe that in two days we'll be halfway through Advent? Gaudete Sunday: pink candle on the advent wreath, rose vestments for those who have them, concerts and pageants in many congregations. Time to rejoice!
Rejoice in the nearness of Christ's coming, yes, but also in the many gifts of the pregnant waiting time when the world (in the northern hemisphere, at least) spins ever deeper into sweet, fertile darkness.

(Side note: I have no idea what Mother Laura is talking about I just go with the flow on these.) (Side note to the side note: I may have a little idea, but my knowledge on these matters has lots of cobwebs.) (Side note to the side note of the original the side note: I have cleaned up most of the cobwebs by regualr field day but I am not the expert.)

What makes you rejoice about:
(Let me do a word game with this, I am going to put down the first word or phrase that comes to mind.)

1. Waiting?
Really?, How about...Surprise!

2. Darkness?
Peaceful

3. Winter?
Calming

4. Advent?
Billboards
(I still have no idea about advent, I would have to say that since I have researched it and have read some explainations, none of them have really stuck in my head.) (Heathen.)

5. Jesus' coming?
1975 and going strong.
(Don't expect anyone to get this, but if you do your brain probably works like mine.)