Dad is Here, and this is all I have to post of him...

Aha.


So Dad is here (he flew in Sunday night) and we've had some great suppers (beef rib roast and Mom's flied chickie) and some great laughs (always plenty to be had with him) but no good pictures. In fact, he's been working his tail off since he got here.

Mostly for me.

Er...

completely for me.

Every Dad should be like him.

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I've included a couple shots I took today of Dad helping me put John's golf clubs on Craigslist. :) We're on the whole PURGE program ... and Craigslist is a great incentive. I mean, why not make $50? Or in this case, a little bit more?

SERIOUSLY. HOW did we accumulate so much stuff???

I cringe to tell you this - but since no one but close friends and family ever read this godforsaken cluster of my thoughts...I will go ahead and admit that I actually put dirty cat travel kennels on the curb the other morning and someone wanted to take them. She, maaaaaybe 22, sporting low ponytails, and adorably cute, jumped out of her little car and says:

"Ma'am?"

(At nearly 40, I suppose I should get used to this...)

"Um... are you going to use these? I mean, are these ok to take?"

**********

(People, I admit it...a little Devil on my shoulder wanted to just say "Go for it!")

....hmmmm.

....ahem.

...................................

{Sigh.}

In the end, I just couldn't. I had to tell her that one of the cats had tinkled in one of them.

I cringed...thinking she'd see me for the horrible old crazy Dr. Seuss "One-Fish-Two-Fish"-yellow-and-blue shorts and ratty-gray-tank-top-messy-hair-I-am-a-Saturday-garage-cleaner Lady I've become.

But she didn't.

Instead?

"That's ok! I'll clean it!"

Bouncy ponytails - Can-Do attitude.

There's hope for America, Folks.

Happy Birthday, Cuz!

Happy Birthday, Dahling Kari! :)

It's my cousin's birthday and she's...

Well, I won't say how old she is because I want to go to Heaven.

But anyway, here she is, in all her tan, long-legged, big-brown-eyed splendor. With me, the squinty-eyed, freckled, Pippi-Longstocking lookalike cousin. I've always wanted her legs, her eyes, her intellect, and her acumen...

It would be really easy to hate her, but I can't.

It's impossible because I love her.

Fiercely.

Happy Birthday, Kari - you're a great chick and a great example.

Signs we're home and Mom has been here

So Mom is here, and SO ARE WE! We're in Tampa for the next 3 weeks - with a trip to Jordan in between - and we hope to be home in mid-June for (basically) good.

I rode today and realized horses are something I just need. I am happier when I can regularly be around them. More pictures from the barn I found in Pinellas Park when I come back in June. The only thing(s) that would make this barn better is if I could have Max and Sterling there.

Speaking of horses, here's one of two little Korean horses Mom found (on a trip to visit me!) in Seoul. We had them refinished because they were so pitted and damaged.

Love the horses. (There are two, actually. This is just one.)

Despise the wallpaper.

Can't have everything. \

Mom always starts avocado seeds. I had a four-foot plant I had to give to my neighbor, Sandra, when we left Germany (I rue the day) - and everytime I'm in a house for more than 6 months, she starts more. I might actually have a chance for a tree in Tampa.

I love the red toothpicks!

...and here's our Cheju Man - from the island off the southern tip of Korea. I think he's great! I got a multi-colored one for Mom and Dad and a miniature, leaning one for Arms. They're good luck.

Might as well be by the Pool, then.

Cool little "found object" Mom unearthed from our yard while we were gone. I have no idea what it is, but I like it.

The "num-num" stone (this one we found in France) is filled.

So you know, Num-Num stones are an invention from the most unique grandmother of all grandmothers - my dad's mom, Peggy Craig. She had a whole bunch of these circling her porch in Massachusetts, and always filled them with leftovers for the birds and squirrels.

Anyway, a "num-num" stone is any big stone with a natural (or manmade - but the rule is, YOU can't have made it!) depression that is suitable for goodies for the little varmints who might frequent your yard...

I know you wanted to know all that.

...Asparagus Fern in my one pot from Grandmother Peggy's porch. (The same porch that held all those beautiful Num-Num stones!)

...and here's my favorite subject - the pup. (He was diagnosed with Rocky Mtn Spotted Fever the other day, for Heaven's Sake!)

Love that puppy. Love you guys, too.

New blog coming soon! Mid-April! :)

'member this?

Well, I do!

Here's Dad, and Spectre - saying Goodbye - at our house in Germany...

We are so close to getting a new website...the designer I'm working with says by the 23rd...I'll be posting as soon as she gives me the final design!

New Look for the Blog Coming...

This is an old picture - Max took it when we were in Afghanistan together last year, actually - but I posted it because I haven't yet, I think it's a cool picture of us, and I am limited to my stash on this computer...my hard drive is back at the office and right now, I can't transport it out of the compound.

Still, the real reason for this post is I wanted to let friends and family know that when I'm not working on normal "HhhhhhhARM-eeeee Trainin'!"...(think Bill Murray accent ...as in Stripes), I've been working on a cool new design for the blog. I love visiting Sara Janssen's blog (Heck, I just adore Sara - I think she's cool, she's unique and she's an inspiring person - check her out if you haven't found her yet...) and I contacted her blog designers to help me design our very own Little Slice 'a Heaven on this here World Wide Web.

It should be ready mid-April.

In the meantime, back to the picture:

John coached me on some cool Green Beret shooting techniques -

The Mozambique (I am obsessed with that shot group - criminals watch out...I will have my concealed carry before I return to Tampa in June...)

Slow is Smooth, Smooth is Fast

Muscle Memory counts for a lot

Reflex Drills - a shooter's bread and butter

and finally

Stance, Grip, Sight Picture, Sight Alignment, Breathing, Trigger Squeeze, Follow-Through, and Recovery...because...

Excellence is Doing the Basics to Perfection

I figure that last one can be applied to just about anything.

Marathon pics

Before...

And After! :) When I get the race pics, I'll upload them -

Yay, Mickey! We did it!

Would you like to see my Lemons?

My mom sent us some smoked salmon, capers, toasted bread rounds, onions, and two lemons...

Look at the size of those things!

Here's a better picture of one of the lemons...John thought it was a grapefruit - it's the size of a large one. Mom and Aunt Nan picked up a bag of these at a grove in rural Florida. I won't tell you how they got them to us, because I think it's illegal.

Yummy!

....put the onion on the salmon...

...sprinkle with capers and lemon juice....

...et Voilà!

Thanks, Mom! This was a touch of home in a place that sucks the life out of you.