Feel free

to be as political and religious as you want. If nobody were much of either of those our world would sure be in a sorry state.

And yes, I'm excited for the middle of the semester also. Especially because 2 of my 3 classes decided not to have a midterm. Woo who!

Andrew, I forgot and posted a bit about your ebay experience over on my blog instead of here, so you can go there and sort through the rubble of my collapsed writing skills to find that bit if you want to. I'm such a messy person, leaving replies to comments and questions all over the ether. But at least I shower daily. That's a good thing, don't you think? And I try to keep my car clean (shove all my junk into the trunk on a regular basis).

Now to work on the drumline show for this winter. If I don't, Billy will hit me with a fist on my face. Shoot English grammar with a rifle. That's what I just did there. And it wasn't even a clean shot, either.

I'll quit before I get further behind.

quote of the day:

Understanding Soldiers from Iraq

People think they understand
(but they really have no clue)
the life of a soldier
and what it is we have to go through:
Crying families, crying children,
“Daddy, please don’t go away!”
Smiling, you say, “Things will be fine,”
while inside you’re crying, praying to see another day,
fighting for those who cannot
and for those who burn what you swore to defend,
constantly questioning life’s purpose,
hoping it will all make sense in the end.
There’s no one to talk to
except the angels that guide us through the fire,
frozen in a silent scream,
being led by God’s divine power.

I have nothing to do
but wonder why I am here.
Is it out of pure patriotism,
or is it strictly out of fear,
the reasons why I do this?
For faith, sacrifice and love,
and to defend our nation?
When push comes to shove—
hunger, homesickness, anger, sadness, fear,
thirst, exhaustion, loneliness, and disgust—
sometimes I feel small, helpless, and alone,
in a world hard of finding trust,
with nothing to do
but wait for another day.
God is my refuge,
and to him I always pray.

We are soldiers; men of honor
holding steadfast and strong without fear.
Even though most of us soldiers
are not yet old enough to have a beer.
Even so, we will be haunted
by the images left in our heads,
by the phantoms, the ghosts
and the nightmares we will have in our beds.
You will look upon us as a child,
but men we are—more so than some,
and we will continue to grow
even when the fighting is done.

Always being asked:
“Why put yourself through that?”
If only I had an explanation;
If only they could think back
to a time long ago
when a Man suffered for all our sins…
Are we as soldiers
any different from Him?
Maybe then
their understanding may begin.

This goes out to Josiah Halverson, mostly. I think he's currently in Japan with his girlfriend visiting her family, but he was in Iraq. Ok, so, vote for Bush (yeah, he's not perfect, but at least he is doing something to try to prevent more 9/11 type terrorism, which Clinton didn't and Kerry prob'ly won't - and Bush won't pull out of Iraq and leave a power vaccuum that would only be filled by another Sadaam, because then it would be Kerry that wasted the lives that have been given, where Bush is making the tough call to sacrifice them for a good cause... now I'm being political), eat your vegetables, don't forget to brush your teeth, wear sunscreen, and please, please, don't play on the freeway.

Peace