<P><FONT color=maroon>TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS,<BR>HE LIVED ALL ALONE<BR>IN A ONE BEDROOM HOUSE<BR>MADE OF PLASTER AND STONE.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT color=maroon>I HAD COME DOWN THE CHIMNEY<BR>WITH PRESENTS TO GIVE,<BR>AND TO SEE JUST WHO<BR>IN THIS HOME DID LIVE.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT color=maroon>I LOOKED ALL ABOUT;<BR>A STRANGE SIGHT I DID SEE:<BR>NO TINSEL, NO PRESENTS,<BR>NOT EVEN A TREE.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT color=maroon>NO STOCKING BY MANTLE,<BR>JUST BOOTS FILLED WITH SAND.<BR>ON THE WALL HUNG PICTURES<BR>OF FAR DISTANT LANDS…</FONT></P>
<P><FONT color=maroon>WITH MEDALS AND BADGES,<BR>AWARDS OF ALL KINDS…<BR>A SOBER THOUGHT<BR>CAME THROUGH MY MIND.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT color=maroon>FOR THIS HOUSE WAS DIFFERENT.<BR>IT WAS DARK AND DREARY.<BR>I FOUND A HOME OF A SOLDIER,<BR>ONCE I COULD SEE CLEARLY.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT color=maroon>THE SOLDIER LAY SLEEPING–<BR>SILENT, ALONE–<BR>CURLED UP ON THE FLOOR<BR>I! N THIS ONE BEDROOM HOME.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT color=maroon>THE FACE WAS SO GENTLE,<BR>THE ROOM IN DISORDER;<BR>NOT HOW I PICTURED<BR>A UNITED STATES SOLDIER.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT color=maroon>WAS THIS THE HERO<BR>OF WHO I’D JUST READ?<BR>CURLED UP ON A PONCHO;<BR>THE FLOOR FOR A BED?</FONT></P>
<P><FONT color=maroon>I REALIZED THE FAMILIES<BR>THAT I SAW THIS NIGHT<BR>OWED THEIR LIVES TO THIS SOLDIER<BR>WHO WAS WILLING TO FIGHT.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT color=maroon>SOON ‘ROUND THE WORLD<BR>THE CHILDREN WOULD PLAY,<BR>AND GROWNUPS WOULD CELEBRATE<BR>A BRIGHT CHRISTMAS DAY.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT color=maroon>THEY ALL ENJOY FREEDOM<BR>EACH MONTH OF THE YEAR<BR>BECAUSE OF THE SOLDIERS<BR>LIKE THE ONE LYING HERE.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT color=maroon>I COULDN’T HELP WONDER<BR>HOW MANY LAY ALONE<BR>ON A COLD CHRISTMAS EVE,<BR>IN A LAND FAR FROM HOME.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT color=maroon>THE VERY THOUGHT<BR>BROUGHT A TEAR TO MY EYE.<BR>I DROPPED TO MY KNEES<BR>AND STARTED TO CRY.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT color=maroon>THE SOLDIER AWAKENED;<BR>AND I HEARD A ROUGH VOICE,<BR>&nbsp;”SANTA, DON’T CRY.<BR>&nbsp;THIS LIFE IS MY CHOICE.”<BR>&nbsp;”I FIGHT FOR FREEDOM.<BR>&nbsp;I DON’T ASK FOR MORE.<BR>&nbsp;MY LIFE IS MY GOD,<BR>&nbsp;MY COUNTRY, MY CORPS.”</FONT></P>
<P><FONT color=maroon>&nbsp;THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER<BR>&nbsp;AND DRIFTED TO SLEEP.<BR>&nbsp;I COULDN’T CONTROL IT;<BR>&nbsp;I CONTINUED TO WEEP.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT color=maroon>&nbsp;I KEPT WATCH FOR HOURS,<BR>&nbsp;SO SILENT AND STILL;<BR>&nbsp;AND WE BOTH SHIVERED<BR>&nbsp;FROM THE COLD NIGHT’S CHILL.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT color=maroon>&nbsp;I DIDN’T WANT TO LEAVE<BR>&nbsp;ON THAT COLD, DARK NIGHT–<BR>&nbsp;THIS GUARDIAN OF HONOR,<BR>&nbsp;SO WILLING TO FIGHT.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT color=maroon>&nbsp;THEN THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER<BR>&nbsp;AND WITH A VOICE, SOFT AND PURE,<BR>&nbsp;WHISPERED, “CARRY ON, SANTA.<BR>&nbsp;IT’S CHRISTMAS DAY,&nbsp; ALL’S SECURE.”</FONT></P>
<P><FONT color=maroon>&nbsp;ONE LOOK AT MY WATCH<BR>&nbsp;AND I KNEW HE WAS RIGHT.<BR>&nbsp;”MERRY CHRISTMAS, MY FRIEND,<BR>&nbsp;AND TO ALL, A GOOD NIGHT.</FONT></P><FONT size=2>
<P>This poem was written by a Marine stationed in Okinawa, Japan. He makes the following request:</P>
<P>”Would you send this to as many people as you can? Christmas is coming soon and some credit is due to our U.S. service men and women for our being able to celebrate this and other holidays. Let’s stop and think of our true heroes who have sacrificed their lives or parts of their lives so that we may enjoy our many freedoms</P></FONT>

<P>A bunch of Democrats are all excited about the Howard Dean endorsement by AL Gore, while the 90% of mainstream democrats are shaking in there boots realizing that he has about 1 chance in a million of winning and yet he will take over the DNC. The Democrats have blew it before they ever stepped out of the starting gate..</P>
<P>#1 Reason why Howard Dean will not win he opposes the war on terror and seems to forget that thousands of Americans died on 9-11</P>
<P>#2 He is ahead because the Democratic Old guard is simply that OLD and BORING</P>
<P>#3 The Clinton’s will loose control of the DNC and loose the election but Hillary will run in 2008 I am sure the rainbow coalition will be happy when she runs</P>
<P>Howard Dean will not win he will become another obscure politician that talked a lot of smack and got beat by George Bush I have no doubt that George will win again God Help us if he looses as this country will be totally screwed. Howard Dean does not have the fortitude to do what is needed because he can not handle the truth meanwhile he continues to manipulate a portion of the country that do not really do any research and are blindingly willing to jump on a locomotive that they know is going to jump off the track. He;’s done put a fork in him…</P>
<P>God Bless America and God Bless President Bush </P>

Yesterday is one of those I would rather forget sometimes life throughs you a curve ball and you get hit smack in the face.

Well we are a little over a month away from the delivery of the newest member of our family and Shoko has went into what is refered to as the nesting mode. Getting house and rooms ready for the little one. Still working on the name but hey it’s a important decision.

<P>Sometimes I would just like to smack some people in the head. Last Friday I provided very explicit instructions on what I needed for my upcoming road trip. The request was simple get visit request out to some respective parties so that I could get through there front door when I arrived. Well it is Thursday and it hasn’t been done and I have a meeting scheduled in the morning that requires this paperwork to be submitted. I am at 30,000 ft and having to wait till I land to call and start screaming at someone has me frustrated.</P>
<P>Why are people such boneheads sometimes…</P>
<P>Anyway in other news my mom is in surgery for a planned procedure and that has also added to my frrustration well such is life and I am sure she will be fine…</P>

<P>What a vacation, terrific visit with the family and we spent some time traveling in the tri-state area of Michigan, Indiana, Ohio plus we went an spent some time in Chicago. It was terrific to unplug from the Internet and spend quality time with the kids. On a sadder note my grandmother sight continues to get worse and I am afraid that she could be totally blind at some point. Both of my grandparents on my mom’s side of the family are in there 90’s and I guess I should be thankful that they are as in good shape as they are. The hearing aids that my grandfather got has actually allow him to hear things he has been missing for years. I am hopeful that they get some domestic help to do some of those things around the house that have begun to slip. Makes me feel guilty being all these miles away and not being able to help. My Dad’s parents are in pretty good shape considering the problems they have had.</P>
<P>Getting older is a bitch and as I look in the mirror I am not getting any younger. I guess it goes without saying you better do your best the first time around. I am hoping that by the time I am 90 we can just plug-in and download the gray matter between our ears. Otherwise I am not hedging my bets.</P>

<P>Back home at last and finally a real vacation is just around the corner. With Shoko almost 6 months pregnant we are excited to get away before she gets to the point where she will want to stay close to home. This is the first real vacation we have had in 5 years I am keeping the kids out of school and taking them to see the Grandparents, my sister and her kids along with the Great Grandparents. My sisters husband is currently deployed in Japan and my sister will be joining us in Hawaii and getting her house setup prior to his arrival off of deployment. I on the otherhand hopefully will be home for a spell and will actually get to enjoy my house. I have only been home 7 days since early May and I am ready to sleep in my own bed and get caught up with my kids.</P>
<P>We are going to hit Chicago and various other venues in the greater Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Illinois area. Although only 20 days long we will try and stay busy. But anyway I have not posted to this site in some time as I have just been to plain busy with Geek News Central it’s success has truly astounded me. Will update you on what is happening when we get back.</P>

<P>It has been quite a long time since I have posted anything to this site. I have been as busy as one could be. Having wrapped up what I was doing in Texas and then only being home a week and back on the road again it has been a very full summer. I am really looking forward to the vacation I am going to be taking in September. I will be going to my class reunion and seeing old friends plus I am going to be scouting out Pensacola as we are thinking about trying to get orders there next. I have to make a decision on what I am going to try and do by November. Some very deep soul searching is going to be needed. I can go 2 ways I can go overseas to a demanding short billet or I can come back to the mainland and be an Instructor. Or find a desk job that is easy and finish my degree and get ready to retire and start on another carreer</P>
<P>The Navy has been good to me and at best I have 6 years left before I will be put out to pasture. The past 5 1/2 years have been the most rewarding of all and words cannot describe what I have accomplished and seen. But a decision will have to be made soon and hopefully it is the correct one. With guidance from those above me I will work it all out.</P>

The hulk is really a Hulk imagine you win a Hulk doll at a fair give it to your daughter she takes it home to join the shelf with her Barbies etc. Now imagine she is wondering why the Hulk shorts are a little tight. You guessed it [<A href=”http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2003310256,00.html”>SUN Online</A>] I think I will be checking any dolls we may pick up as it looks like Manufactures have lost there minds.

Hi all well I have been laying low lots of things happening and I have been working like a dog. I guess it comes with the territory not complaining happy to do the job. Looking forward to getting back to Hawaii here at the end of the month. Hotel living is getting old.