Just in time for Thanksgiving

Found it on T-P. Got to love it

CLASSLESS FUCKS

The pic comes to us thanks to the "Library Chronicles" blog. The title, was the first thing I thought when I saw it. And I believe the title was mentioned in one of Ashley's blogs a couple of years ago.

Pretty much sums it up

It's almost as bad as the bears behavior last year.

I haven't disapeared

I've spent the last week with walking Pnemonia. I'm still sick so this will be short. I'm feelin better and I promise I am not slacking.

Musings

I graduated last December,my bachelors degree. My sociology professor was a New Orleans evacuee. He had lived in New Orleans for five years before Katrina struck. My first day of class I had a UNO tshirt on. He came into the class and said he loved my t-shirt. He had been a professor there. He has this habit of saying "yeah you right" I always found it funny because you never hear it from anyone. I have to admit I would kinda roll my eyes when he would say it. Its a saying New Orleanians are known for but you just don't hear it from life long locals. In fact at graduation my family drove up. I introduced my family to him. Somewhere in the conversation he said"yeah you right" and my dad whispered to me, "he's not originally from New Orleans is he" I giggled. But I really shouldn't have. He has a passion for New Orleans. He is more New Orleans than many life long locals. He has the kind of enthusiasm than New Orleans desparetely needs right now. It's people like him that will keep the culture alive local or not.

I guess the poiint of this whole thing is to suggest that some people take New Orleans for granted. New Orleanians need to remember what makes New Orleans so great, to embrace it and foster it. Maybe they need to do what my professor does. View it with fresh eyes, get excited and passionate about the things that make us unique.

When I was in my 20's I said I wanted to get out of New Orleans. I got my wish (and my husband has had to endure my enless comparisons to New Orleans) and the rest of the country, to me, seemed like a whole other country. You never realize what ya had till its gone. Being away from home reminds me everyday of what I am missing out on. When I get home I am going to do my best not to take it for granted..... and oh, "yeah you right".

Marine 1

Well Bush is in Crawford. I was drivin home from work today and what do I see in the air... not just one, but two Marine 1's. Thank God he's not giving a speech at Ft. Hood. Last time he did a lot of people slept thru it. These guys were forced to get out there first thing in the morning and sit in the heat (for hours), in a field until Bush showed.

And this brings me back to my rant on the state of this war. If you've read my post you know I am anti war. I live on base and I have come to know many soldier. First and formost my concern is for them. Most soldiers in the military are seeking security, job security and income security. They have families to support. Right now soldiers are being pushed to the brink. 15 month deployments with short durations home. The first things I have noticed are the psychological effects on them, Depression,anger, PTSD. It's a struggle to have the patience and understanding to deal with it. Your husband comes home and suddenly he's emotionally unpredicable. It takes a toll on the family. The kids really suffer too. Kids act out at school whether its a matter of being unable to express such complex feelings they are experiencing or a need for attention and direction. In the military, contrary to what the military claims, families come last. The war effort is job 1. In fact my neighbors are a dual military family. (Both of them are military) They are in the same unit and are being deployed together. They have a five month old baby. The baby is being sent to an Aunt. She is devastaated. She has asked to be moved to another unit, alas it has fallen on deaf ears. She's willing to deploy. However, she would rather she and her spouse alternate deployments. Her command has refused. It would not be hard to make these arrangements but the war comes first. Many families are in this same situation. In fact I recently read an article where a dual family was deployed at the same time. Their 17 year old child, a high school senior is raising their three children while they are gone. In my view this kid is being forced to grow up at a time when she should be going to prom. The military celebrates this. It actually encourages these types of arrangments. I was stunned.

It's a sad situation where the military is pushing its personel to the brink without much thought the the consequences.

VETO THIS!

The house and Senate have overridden Bush's veto of the water bill! This bill allows for full funding of levee protection for the 100 year flood and it closes the Mr GO canal! This funding definitely makes a lot of us feel better about moving back home. Now all we need is full funding for a Cat 5 levee protection.

Congress also passed a bill which dedicated 3 billion to Road Home. It's in a bill that funds the military so I would be surprised if it receives a veto. One would hope it passes so many New Orleanians aren't deprived of road home funds.

Aimin for Home

Well my husband has been offered a military contractor job. We hope we'll end up in Alabama, the closest location to New orleans this company has. It'll only be a five hour drive. So we are slowly , inch by inch, headed home. Hopefully in two years well have enough saving to come home.

Military Halloween

One thing about living on a military base, there is no shortage of kids. We spent about seventy five dollars on candy and had about 200 kids. We ran out of candy with half an hour left to go on trick or treat time. (Yes, on bases the military determines when trick or treating will happen.) Trick or treating was from 6 pm to 8 pm.

I can't complain though we love giving out candy and its better than having no kids.