Our Dead

Today we as a country have the opportunity to unitedly come together in remembrance of fallen soldiers.

These warriors, our warriors - are our past. Their deaths. They are ours. They are our victories, our defeats. Our voices of triumph, and of ultimate sorrow.

They are our future. They willingly sacrificed their hopes and dreams that we could fulfill our own. They have provided us the possibility of a great future.

They are my dead. Their sacrifices, never forgotten, never downplayed. The gaps left in families, friends, platoons, ships, brigades.....They are the history of everything good we as a country have ever achieved.

The expectation to uphold the united front they have fought and sacrificed for is our responsibility. We must remember that what we have is because of them.

Our fallen, my fallen have served our military, and found their demise because they did what our country asked them to. The ultimate choice. To give of oneself until you have no more to offer. Willingly our soldiers make that choice. Whether they faced it with dread, crying out for mercy, or with a battle cry of victory, who can blame them? Who can speak to what went through their minds? What they have experienced or why they chose to serve in the military knowing the ultimate sacrifice could be asked of them at any time.

What we have in this country is because of them.

Do not forget.

Hellloooooo Blizzcon! And - Paper Flowers

Only true geeks will understand the excitement I'm about to explode with! WE GOT BLIZZCON TICKETS!

I say we, but really, it was me. Cause I'm awesome.

You're welcome.

Tickets are/were being sold in two lots. The first lot went on sale Saturday at 10am Pacific. They sold out in one second. And I got 4! Pat, Me, Monique, and John are going to have a blast. I feel badly I couldn't get some for Matt, and Mom, and Nathan (Diablo details, and maybe the beta!!!), and others.

So you'll be seeing a lot of Blizzcon planning even though we're 5 months out. Really, the excitement can't be contained.

But we tried! Yesterday Monique came over to help me figure out tissue paper flowers. I was beyond lost, and after lovingly mocking me, Monique got a little lost too. Pat came to our rescue and helped us put together what I think are incredibly awesome decorations!!!

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Definitely going to be making these a standard party decoration! And will definitely be planning more craft days. We had a blast.

Maybe we'll take them to Blizzcon!

A Little Bit Alone

Pat is out, frisbee golfing somewhere a few hours away. Which means I have the house to myself. Have since 10. Before Pat left I was catching up on emails, reading twitter and forums, and making breakfast. Since he's been gone, I've been crazy busy, for a Sunday.

Other than a 45 minute break in WoW while making hard boiled eggs and relaxing after a grocery store run, I've been keeping myself pretty busy!

It's amazing the things I get done when Pat's not here.

I have washed my car, done 3 loads of laundry, unloaded the dishwasher, re-stocked the bathrooms, done some dishes, gotten groceries (AND put them all away thank you very much!!!). I also filled up my car with gas, filled up the mini-fridge, made hard boiled eggs to make egg salad for this week.

I took a break for food and lounging on the couch to eat and watch friends.

Now I'm catching up on online stuffs. Reading emails, and listening to the DisUnplugged podcast.

OH! I also updated my MP3 player, synched my Amazon Cloud Drive to what's on my home computer (I buy stuff sometimes at work, when a song I want to hear over and over pops into my head). Then I found the shirt I want to buy Pat, but since he won't wear shirts with writing on it, I can't buy it. *sadpandabee!*

I read/watched the Barnard commencement address, read some Cruise Critic forums and I really should go start at least two more loads of laundry - pants and sheets. But I'm feeling a little lazy. So I'm just going to sit here and listen to the Dis!

Happy Sunday all! We've got a 4 day week, a 4 day weekend, then another 4 day week! This is going to be awesome!!!

Not What I Expected

The announcement that a CIA led SEALS team in an operation in Pakistan was able to subdue, kill, and capture the body of Osama Bin Laden did not bring a sense of closure to me.

It brought a sense of worry, and frustration.

Worry because this could easily be the beginning of a long and endless war. The U.S. may feel this is "justice". His followers will not see it so, and as we've already found out, they're fanatical in their call to war against us as a country. And you thought the war was done now! It's not. I assure you, and it scares me.

Frustration because as I see people cheering, and tears of closure brought about by his demise over the deaths and chaos he caused during his life - it's clear many think this is now over.

I am both proud, and incredibly sad for our service members. The separation from their families in this long ordeal, their blood, their deaths, and for those that return - their lives.....This is not a fair trade. But I'll take it. Joyless as it may be for me.

It's not a fair trade of justice when someone attacks civilians in the gruesome scene we saw unfold over 9/11, and then lives 10 years to lead more attacks, kill more people, and incite crazy killers. But I guess we've all learned sometimes in this world the only justice we get is twisted, but it's all we can have.

I'm glad he's gone, don't get me wrong. But I only hope that we continue to be vigilant as a country against attacks. That we continue to support our service members and their families in their never ending struggle for freedom for our country. And that while we may take pride in what we were able to do as a country in this war - we remember it took 10 years to get this far, and it's not even close to over.

I am so proud to serve our Navy, and to help support our Warfighters - I wish I could feel a sense of closure now. All I feel is intense pride in our forces, and a small ball of fear deep in my soul.

And now it's time for my orthodontist appointment. So maybe part of that uncertainty I feel is simply stress from other things. I doubt it, but we'll see.