Merry Christmas, and God bless us all!

Well, it is finally here! Almost. Christmas, not winter holliday, but Christmas! I am jazzed for it. I just finished decorating the Christmas Tree. A fantastic Noble Fir, donated to me by the fantastic folks over at BTN. I will not be blogging until probably after the new year begins. I am taking some time for personal reflection, family, friends, and to get centered and back on course with stuff in my life. I will most likely still be reading other blogs though. Anyway, here is an adaptation of 'Twas the Night Before Christmas, by a U.S. Marine who was stationed in Okinawa when he wrote this. So, as you are home, celebrating the birth of our lord and savior this year, please say a prayer and remember those who aren't home with their loved ones, because they are out protecting our freedom to celebrate our religious holiday. Merry Christmas to everyone, and God Bless us all!

To whom we owe much

TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS,

HE LIVED ALL ALONE,

IN A ONE BEDROOM HOUSE

MADE OF PLASTER AND STONE.

I HAD COME DOWN THE CHIMNEY

WITH PRESENTS TO GIVE,

AND TO SEE JUST WHO

IN THIS HOME DID LIVE.

I LOOKED ALL ABOUT,

A STRANGE SIGHT I DID SEE,

NO TINSEL, NO PRESENTS,

NOT EVEN A TREE.

NO STOCKING BY MANTLE,

JUST BOOTS FILLED WITH SAND,

ON THE WALL HUNG PICTURES

OF FAR DISTANT LANDS.

WITH MEDALS AND BADGES,

AWARDS OF ALL KINDS,

A SOBER THOUGHT

CAME THROUGH MY MIND.

FOR THIS HOUSE WAS DIFFERENT,

IT WAS DARK AND DREARY,

I FOUND THE HOME OF A SOLDIER,

ONCE I COULD SEE CLEARLY.

THE SOLDIER LAY SLEEPING,

SILENT, ALONE,

CURLED UP ON THE FLOOR

IN THIS ONE BEDROOM HOME.

THE FACE WAS SO GENTLE,

THE ROOM IN SUCH DISORDER,

NOT HOW I PICTURED

A UNITED STATES SOLDIER.

WAS THIS THE HERO

OF WHOM I'D JUST READ?

CURLED UP ON A PONCHO,

FLOOR FOR A BED?

I REALIZED THE FAMILIES

THAT I SAW THIS NIGHT,

OWED THEIR LIVES TO THESE SOLDIERS

WHO WERE WILLING TO FIGHT.

SOON ROUND THE WORLD,

THE CHILDREN WOULD PLAY,

AND GROWNUPS WOULD CELEBRATE

A BRIGHT CHRISTMAS DAY.

THEY ALL ENJOYED FREEDOM

EACH MONTH OF THE YEAR,

BECAUSE OF THE SOLDIERS,

LIKE THE ONE LYING HERE.

I COULDN'T HELP WONDER

HOW MANY LAY ALONE,

ON A COLD CHRISTMAS EVE

IN A LAND FAR FROM HOME.

THE VERY THOUGHT

BROUGHT A TEAR TO MY EYE,

I DROPPED TO MY KNEES

AND STARTED TO CRY.

THE SOLDIER AWAKENED

AND I HEARD A ROUGH VOICE,

"SANTA DON'T CRY,

THIS LIFE IS MY CHOICE;

I FIGHT FOR FREEDOM,

I DON'T ASK FOR MORE,

MY LIFE IS MY GOD,

MY COUNTRY, MY CORPS."

THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER

AND DRIFTED TO SLEEP,

I COULDN'T CONTROL IT,

I CONTINUED TO WEEP.

I KEPT WATCH FOR HOURS,

SO SILENT AND STILL

AND WE BOTH SHIVERED

FROM THE COLD NIGHT'S CHILL.

I DIDN'T WANT TO LEAVE

ON THAT COLD, DARK, NIGHT,

THIS GUARDIAN OF HONOR

SO WILLING TO FIGHT.

THEN THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER,

WITH A VOICE SOFT AND PURE,

WHISPERED, "CARRY ON SANTA,

IT'S CHRISTMAS DAY, ALL IS SECURE."

ONE LOOK AT MY WATCH,

AND I KNEW HE WAS RIGHT.

"MERRY CHRISTMAS MY FRIEND,

AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT."

Sleepless in Seattle

OK, That headline is a little corny and cliche, but it really does fit what I did last Wednesday and Thursday. Last week I ventured north to spend some time in Seattle with my friend, Roberda. I had intended to make it a several day thing, but I had to be back early Friday to do some stuff at my unit. I arrived Wednesday evening around 7, well 7:30 by the time I found parking, I delivered her a table top grand fir Christmas tree courtesy of BTN and we headed out to dinner. After dinner we went to Capital Hill for some desert. If you have never been there, it is a hive of gay men, which makes the place really neat and clean. After desert we headed back to Roberda's place, and watched a movie. It was something like 3am or later when we finally got to sleep. Thursday, after breakfast, we hit up the bus system and headed toward the downtown area and Pike Place Market. The weather was absolutely amazing. Cold, but sunny and beautiful. We went to pioneer square, pirate's plunder, Uwajimaya, and then returned back to Roberda's 'hood for some lunch. We had some Pho (apparently pronounced: Fuh) and followed it up with some bubble tea, which is sort of a tea smoothie, that has tapioca beads in the bottom. It was actually quite good. We headed back downtown to hit up a huge mall just in time for the indoor snow storm. Roberda and I were going to take the monorail (Monorail!) to the Seattle center to check out the Space Needle, but the monorail (Monorail!) was out of service, so we had to bus it. We got to the Space needle and we were just going to go to the restaurant for a couple of drinks, but in order to do that one must first buy an elevator ticket to the top. So we did, and being my first time to the top of the Space Needle, it was actually pretty cool. We got to the restaurant for some drinks and we both ended up having Chocolate Martinis, which were quite tasty. On our way back down, a drunk guy invited us to a party on the event level, so we crashed that until it was obvious that we had been made by the greeting party as outsiders. Then it was closing in on time to head to the movie theater for the midnight opener of Narnia. We got to the theater to find not much of a line, so we decided to head off to find some Gyros sandwiches. We found some, which were probably the best Gyros I have ever had, and headed back to the theater. The movie kicked ass and I am sure that I will be seeing it again. After the movie it was back to Roberda's. We had gotten truffles the night before and decided in order to really enjoy them, we needed champagne. We walked out to the free parking to find my car still in tact, and headed to a store for some bubbly. It was after 2 a.m., so we were out of luck. We got back to her place around 3am, and decided that since I needed to be on the road around 7am for a four hour drive, I had best get some sleep.

Those were my short few hours in Seattle. It was the first time I have been there since I have been old enough to actually remember it. I had an absolute blast, and look forward to going back to visit again soon. We still had a few things on our list of stuff to do that we didn't see. Roberda was a gracious hostess, and a kickass tour guide. Here are but a few of the pictures I took:

Let us not forget

On this day, December 7th, 1941, the United States was attacked by Japanese forces while at rest for Sunday services in Pear Harbor Hawaii.

After the attack, which eventually would hurl the U.S. into World War 2 and change the world forever, then president Franklin D Roosevelt said:

Yesterday, December 7, 1941 - a date which will live in infamy - the United
States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air
forces
of the Empire of Japan.
The United States
was at peace with
that nation and, at the solicitation of Japan, was still in
conversation
with its Government and its Emperor looking toward the maintenance
of peace
in the Pacific. Indeed, one hour after Japanese air squadrons had
commenced
bombing in Oahu, the Japanese Ambassador to the United States and his
colleague delivered to the Secretary of State a formal reply to a recent
American message. While this reply stated that it seemed useless to continue
the
existing diplomatic negotiations, it contained no threat or hint of war
or armed
attack.
It will be recorded that the
distance of Hawaii
from Japan makes it obvious that the attack was deliberately
planned many
days or even weeks ago. During the intervening time the Japanese
Government
has deliberately sought to deceive the United States by false
statements and
expressions of hope for continued peace.

The attack yesterday on the
Hawaiian Islands has caused severe
damage to American naval and military
forces. Very many American lives have been
lost. In addition American ships
have been reported torpedoed on the high seas
between San Francisco and
Honolulu.

Yesterday the Japanese Government also launched an attack
against Malaya. Last
night Japanese forces attacked Hong Kong. Last night
Japanese forces attacked
Guam. Last night Japanese forces attacked the
Philippine Islands. Last night the
Japanese attacked Wake Island. This
morning the Japanese attacked Midway Island.
Japan has, therefore,
undertaken a
surprise offensive extending throughout the Pacific area. The
facts of yesterday
speak for themselves. The people of the United States
have already formed their
opinions and well understand the implications to
the very life and safety of our
nation.
As Commander-in-Chief of the
Army
and Navy, I have directed that all measures be taken for our defense.

Always will we remember the character of the
onslaught against us.
No matter how long it may take us to overcome this
premeditated invasion,
the American people in their righteous might will win
through to absolute
victory.
I believe I
interpret the will of the Congress and of the
people when I assert that we will
not only defend ourselves to the uttermost
but will make very certain that this
form of treachery shall never endanger
us again.

Hostilities exist. There is no blinking at the fact that our
people, our
territory and our interests are in grave danger.

With
confidence in our armed forces - with the unbounded determination of
our
people - we will gain the inevitable triumph - so help us God.

I ask
that the Congress declare that since the
unprovoked and dastardly attack by
Japan on Sunday, December seventh, a state of
war has existed between the
United States and the Japanese Empire."

Now, I could go off on a tangent about how the attack on Pearl, is similar to that attacks on 9/11, and how the people of 1941 never whined about pulling out mid race, but I wont. That isn't what this is about.

Pearl Harbor Duing the attacks: U.S.S. Arizona burning after a Japanese armor piercing bomb exploded in the powder magazine.

Pearl Harbor now: U.S.S. Arizona Memorial. Crew still aboard.

The folks that brought you this,


and this,

also brought you this,

and this.

All they got in return for their troubles was this,

and this.

Weekend in review

This weekend was a lot of fun for me. I had drill on Friday night, and most of the day on Saturday. We had a Class-A inspection, and our Christmas dinner event. It was fun, and I am happy to say, that I had zero deficiencies on my uniform!

Sunday afternoon some friends from Cascade Hills and I headed into the mountains for some fun in the snow. We got a late start, which hindered how far up the pass we could go, but we found a spot, and had a couple of hours of playing in the deep snow, and sledding on a hillside next to a snowed over road. It was a riot.

This week, I am heading to Seattle for a midnight showing of Narnia with Roberda. I am really pumped to see this movie! Unfortunately, this is also finals week. Luckily, as of Tuesday, all of my finals are done, and I can get on with my Christmas break until January.