Disclaimer

If you do not know me (I mean, really know me) then there is something you need to understand before you read this blog: I value the truth above everything else... except a good laugh. A good laugh will almost always beat the truth as far as I’m concerned. Everything you read on this blog will be true, somewhat true, or something I made up in an effort to get a laugh. Sometimes I will go on a rant that I don’t really mean (or only kind of mean). Sometimes I will mean what I write only to completely change my mind a year, month, or day later. Such is life. By reading this blog you agree not to get offended by anything I write (or, at the very least, you agree not to tell me or anyone else that you are offended). It is worth noting that my employer does not endorse my blog (or even read it, to tell you the truth). The Wife also does not endorse my blog (though she will read it from time to time). I am not paid to write this... it’s just my way of giving back to the community. I have, and will, touch on a wide range of subjects and will give my opinion on these subjects. Again, most of what I say is for laughs but every now and then I will say what I really think and feel (see my views on Westboro Baptist Cult). How will you know when I’m serious and when I’m trying to get a laugh? You’ll know. And if you don’t know, well... maybe this isn’t the best thing for you to be reading. So, sit back, read and enjoy. Leave comments if you want and don’t be afraid to publicly follow me.



Wednesday, August 31, 2016

You’re LAST CHANCE to donate in August!!!!!!!

Join Team I’m just sayin… in our Walk to End Alzheimer’s! If you would like to join or donate, just click on the Walk to End Alzheimer’s button above this post (if you are on your computer). Or, if you’re on your phone click here.


Today’s Pic

Me and Susie at Disney World

Never again will you have a chance to donate in August of 2016 to our Walk to End Alzheimer’s! Think about that for a second (but not too many seconds) and then go donate. You’ll thank me for it later. And I’ll thank YOU for it later, too.

Did you see the Charleston Southern game last Saturday? The Bucs went on the road to face #1 North Dakota State and they gave them a heck of a fight on national TV (ESPN). CSU ended up losing the game in overtime, but they left looking like they belonged with the best in the (FCS) nation. Hopefully they will be able to build on this and have another great season.

Tuesday, August 30, 2016

So… about Susie

Join Team I’m just sayin… in our Walk to End Alzheimer’s! If you would like to join or donate, just click on the Walk to End Alzheimer’s button above this post (if you are on your computer). Or, if you’re on your phone click here.


Today’s Pic

Me with my favorite Disney character of all-time.  Know what I said the other day about the look on Daniel's face making the trip worth it?  Forget it... me getting to see Donald Duck is what made the trip worth every penny!

Of all of my children… Susie is the LAST ONE I would have thought would break a bone. She doesn’t want to play any sports because she doesn’t want to get sweaty! So, it was somewhat surprising (to say the least) when The Wife called me last week to inform me that Susie broke her arm at school. From what I understand, a bull had broken loose from a nearby farm and was headed straight for the playground that was filled with children. Susie, with no regard for her own well-being, ran to get in front of the bull. Well Susie is small so, of course, the bull didn’t see her… therefore it never even slowed down. Picture it… a 5,000 pound bull running at over 70 mph (breaking, I must point out, the speed limit for that area) and there stood little brave Susie as the last obstacle between this killer bull and a playground filled with children. Without hesitation, Susie drop-kicked the bull right in the nose (little known fact, a drop-kick to the nose will stop a bull dead in its tracks) saving all of the children on the playground. Sadly, she landed funny and broke her arm in two places. So, long story short, she’ll be getting a hard cast put on it today or tomorrow. The school, of course, wanted to give her a medal and make a big deal over it, but Susie doesn’t like people making a fuss over her… so I told them not to worry about it.

Monday, August 29, 2016

Welcome… after 7 years

Join Team I’m just sayin… in our Walk to End Alzheimer’s! If you would like to join or donate, just click on the Walk to End Alzheimer’s button above this post (if you are on your computer). Or, if you’re on your phone click here.


Today’s Pic

The girls with Elsa



It seems we had a spike in readership last week due to some of you sharing my posts. I won’t go into the fact that I’ve been posting here for almost 7 years and you’re just now reading something worth sharing… I’ll just say thank you for all of the nice comments. If any of you are here because you saw a friend share my post about why I participate in the Walk to End Alzheimer’s and thought “I really like what this guy has to say”… well, don’t get your hopes up. There’s really no telling what I’ll talk about on here. I’m starting to think this is more like an internet journal for me to look back on one day and read. Within a few days last week, I told you what I thought my cat was thinking… what I thought about Alzheimer’s… and what I thought my godson was thinking. Like me, this blog is all over the place. So you are always welcome to stop by and read it if you’re looking to kill some time at work or school. Heck, you might even be interested in what I think about something. And if you’re not, I understand… no hard feelings. But still be a pal and donate to our Walk to End Alzheimer’s (the link is above).

Having said all of that… I just got around to watching The Martian, the 2015 documentary of when Matt Damon was stranded on Mars and had to survive for over a year on his own before being rescued. Now that I think about it, I’m not sure what genre of film this belongs in, but it looked real enough to me. Whatever it is, if you haven’t seen it yet it’s worth looking at. I thought Matt Damon did a great job.

Sunday, August 28, 2016

Who would you have dinner with?

Join Team I’m just sayin… in our Walk to End Alzheimer’s! If you would like to join or donate, just click on the Walk to End Alzheimer’s button above this post (if you are on your computer). Or, if you’re on your phone click here.


Today’s Pic

Susie and Mary Ruth getting to meet Anna

Have you ever gotten the question, “If you could have dinner with any 4 people ever, who would it be?” I’m not sure of the number of people, but I say “4”… because, well, I like the number 4. Anyway, like most questions like this, I cheat and pick way more than 4. For the purpose of this post, however, I’ll stick to 4. Maybe tomorrow (or at some later date) I’ll share my other list(s) of dinner companions with you. But my go-to list for a question like this is pretty easy:

PaPa: Mom’s dad who died before I was born. I’d love to get the chance to meet him and talk to him. And it would be nice for him to have a chance to meet his favorite grandchild.

Granny: Mom’s mom who died before Susie was born. It would be nice to let her know we named Susie after her and tell her about Daniel and all of my kids. Of course, I’d also have to let her know we’re building a house out on the farm.

Da: Dad’s dad who died when I was a sophomore in high school. The first thing I’d probably tell him is that I was the starting 2nd baseman on the team when we won State my junior year. I’d also let him know the Braves won the World Series the year he died. Then I’d tell him about The Wife and all of his great-grands.

MaMa: Dad’s mom who died a few weeks before we found out The Wife was pregnant with Daniel. I’d have to start by telling MaMa about Daniel. Don’t get me wrong, she loved Mary Ruth and Susie… but she always wanted me to have a boy. I’m sure she’d get a kick out of him.

That’s right… of all of the people in the history of the world, I’d like to have a meal with my grandparents. Why not? They are the 3 people I’d love to see one more time along with the one person I’ve always wanted to meet.

Saturday, August 27, 2016

The mind of Ethan… as seen through my mind

Join Team I’m just sayin… in our Walk to End Alzheimer’s! If you would like to join or donate, just click on the Walk to End Alzheimer’s button above this post (if you are on your computer). Or, if you’re on your phone click here.


Today’s Pic

One of my favorite pictures of Daniel... This was his first time seeing the "real" Mickey Mouse.  This was worth every penny of the trip.

Ethan came over last week and I was able to get a few pics of him "talking" to Susie (and, of course, one with me).

"So, Susie... There I was, and a Dinosaur was coming to get me..." 

"...and I said, 'Go away dinosaur! You can't get me!'"

"I shit you not!"

"I'm sorry I said a potty word."

"So I grabbed the dinosaur..."

"...and threw it down!"

"I know! How great was that?!"

"Ah... I love you Susie."



Friday, August 26, 2016

Old news…

If you are here because my sister or aunt sent you here from Facebook... Welcome!  You are, of course, more than welcome to read this post or any other post, but the post they sent you to read was this one.

Join Team I’m just sayin… in our Walk to End Alzheimer’s! If you would like to join or donate, just click on the Walk to End Alzheimer’s button above this post (if you are on your computer). Or, if you’re on your phone click here.


Today’s Pic

Me and Daniel

I know this is old news, but I never got around to posting about it and I can’t stop thinking about it… so I’m going to get it off my chest.

Do you remember back in June of this year when the House Democrats conducted a sit-in to demand legislative action on gun violence? If my memory is correct, I don’t think anything came of it and they ended it after a day or so (though I could be wrong… honestly I can remember much about this other than what I’m about to talk about). There were a couple of stories in the media around this time like this one talking about the Senate Democrats bringing food to support their House Democrat friends. Go ahead and click on the link to see pictures of some of the food that came in… candy, pop-tarts, cookies, pizzas, soft drinks, donuts…

Think about this for a minute. Congressional Democrats… DEMOCRATS… D-E-M-O-C-R-A-T-S… and the food they chose were candy, pop-tarts, cookies, pizzas, soft drinks, donuts… not exactly known as “healthy food” (outside of my house). So, I don’t follow politics as closely as I probably should… but even I can tell you that the main “cause” (or at least one of the main causes) of our First Lady (Michelle Obama), who I believe is also a Democrat, is childhood obesity. Now, I grant you that her cause is CHILDHOOD obesity and the story I’m talking about is dealing with adults (who often act like children), but still. I mean, come on… a big part of her message is about eating healthy. So here are the Democrats in Congress, men and women in her own party, and they couldn’t last a day or two with just having healthy food?!?! Really?!?! If it had been Congressional Republicans doing it, I would have just assumed it was a friendly middle finger pointing at the White House, but the fact that it was Congressional Democrats blows my mind. Come on guys! And they TWEETED about it?! At least when Republicans back in the ‘80s were doing drugs, they didn’t tell the world about it. Why? Because they had enough respect for the White House that they weren’t going to crap all over Nancy Reagan’s “Just Say No” campaign.

Thank you for letting me get that off my chest. I feel better now.

Thursday, August 25, 2016

Charleston City Paper Ad…

Join Team I’m just sayin… in our Walk to End Alzheimer’s! If you would like to join or donate, just click on the Walk to End Alzheimer’s button above this post (if you are on your computer). Or, if you’re on your phone click here.


Today’s Pic

Scooby... after going a day without seeing The Wife



Our Ad in the Charleston City Paper

As I told you on Monday, I was asked a few weeks ago to provide a picture and a few lines on why I walk to the Alzheimer’s Association for them to use in an advertisement they were going to run in the Charleston City Paper. And like I told you on Monday, this wasn’t as easy a thing to do as I thought it would be. The picture was easy… I had a good team picture from last year and while my cousin Susan won’t be joining us at the Walk this year, she did donate this year so I had no problem including her. But the question of why I walk kind of threw me… because I’d never really thought of why I was doing this. And let me go ahead and say that they asked me why I walk, but I turned it into why my team walks… so I spoke for the team without really asking any of them their opinion, but hopefully they are fine with what I said. I feel I should also tell you that the more I thought about it, the more I realized the hard part might not be coming up with a few lines… the hard part might be coming up with only a few lines. I was limited with what I could say to them due to space, but there is no such limitation here. Therefore, today I would like to expand somewhat on why I (and possibly my team) participate in the Walk to End Alzheimer’s.

If you go to enough weddings you’ll realize that 1 Corinthians 13 is used in nearly all of them. It’s a great chapter and possibly one of the best parts of any of Paul’s letters, but I fear that it is only thought of as a “wedding” chapter. We read it at weddings and maybe dust it off for anniversaries, but never really think of it at other times (or in ways not marriage related). By the way, before I forget, I know different versions of the Bible have different words, so for the purpose of this I am thinking of the NIV. Anyway, the whole chapter is great… but one of my favorite verses in the Bible is 1 Corinthians 13:13 “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” And so when I was asked to share why I walk and was having trouble figuring it out… I decided to pray about it. The more I prayed and the more I thought about it, the more I kept thinking of this verse. Maybe it’s just because the Olympics have been going on, but I kept thinking love is the main reason… but faith and hope are also on the medal stand. Know what I mean? Just because Love gets the gold doesn’t mean Faith and Hope should be forgotten… they are still important. And so that is where I started.

Faith. As I told you before, this will be my 10th year participating in this Walk. Back when I started, it was called the Memory Walk and at some point (it probably took me a couple of years to notice) it changed to the Walk to End Alzheimer’s. Ten years is a long time. It’s longer than I’ve held any one job. It’s way longer than a lot of marriages. I don’t think you do something this long for shits and giggles (as the kids say… not my kids, but your kids [with their potty mouths]). Why am I still doing this? Because like George Michael, I gotta have faith-a-faith-a-faith (though I feel our faiths were for different things). Yes, I have faith that this is making a difference. I have faith that the money I raise matters and that maybe, just maybe, someone will see me doing this and think “What’s all this Alzheimer’s stuff about?” and they will learn about it and they will start focusing on it. I don’t know… maybe they will see one of the 50 or so pictures I’ve posted here or on Facebook and like it and talk about it at home and their children will hear it and decide they want to grow up and be a doctor or scientist and years later they will figure out the cure. That’s crazy, right? What are the odds? Well, Al Michaels once asked me if I believed in miracles… and like Al Michaels I yelled “YES!” Maybe it is crazy… hell, maybe I’m crazy, but I haven’t been doing this for this long for nothing. I would love for this to be my last Walk. I would love for a cure to be found before the Walk next year… but if that doesn’t happen, I’ll be back next year doing it all over again.

Why do I walk? Because I have hope that a cure will be found soon. Hope is a powerful thing. It’s a good thing. A great example of this is Winston Churchill in the early days of WWII when many around the world had lost hope and it looked like Nazi Germany was going to conquer everyone. It’s easy to look back now and think well of course Churchill said those things, the Allies crushed Germany. But think back to May 13, 1940 when German forces were doing whatever they wanted with little to no resistance… The US was still sitting on the sidelines… and Churchill in his first speech as Prime Minister says,
“I would say to the House, as I said to those who have joined this Government: I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat. We have before us an ordeal of the most grievous kind. We have before us many, many long months of struggle and of suffering. You ask, what is our policy? I can say: It is to wage war, by sea, land and air, with all our might and with all the strength that God can give us; to wage war against a monstrous tyranny, never surpassed in the dark, lamentable catalogue of human crime. This is our policy. You ask, what is our aim?

I can answer in one word: It is victory, victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory, however long and hard the road may be, for without victory, there is no survival.”
A lot of people were wanting to give up… and Churchill starts talking about victory?!?! Less than a month later, after a defeat so bad that the fact that they were able to rescue part of the army from Dunkirk was seen as a huge victory, Churchill again gets on the radio and says,
“Even though large tracts of Europe and many old and famous states have fallen or may fall into the grip of the Gestapo and all the odious apparatus of Nazi rule, we shall not flag or fail. We shall go on to the end, we shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender.”
Again, at this point in time it wasn’t a matter of if Germany would defeat Britain, but when. If ever there was a time of “no hope” this was it… and there stood Churchill figuratively (and quite possibly literally) shooting the bird at Germany. Why is this important? Because it gave people hope. It let them know that all was not lost. It’s easy when dealing with a disease like Alzheimer’s that, so far, has no cure to lose hope. It’s easy to give up and think a cure can’t be found. But I walk because I have not lost that hope. I walk because I will not lose that hope. Hope, in a way, goes hand in hand with Faith. I know a cure will be found. I have faith a cure will be found. My Hope is that it will be found soon. But even if it isn’t found today or tomorrow or this year… I will not lose hope that this next experimental drug will be the one. I have seen people in clinical trials lose hope because the drug that was being tested “failed”. What I wanted to tell them, but never had the nerve to do it is “DON’T GIVE UP!” This is a short-term failure, but it still moves us one step closer to a cure. We can now scratch that one off the list and move on to the next theory. I go back to Winston Churchill (whose words I love reading almost as much as I love reading Paul’s) and his quote that “Success is going from failure to failure without a loss of enthusiasm.” Jimmy V may have been talking about fighting cancer when he said this but it’s true for Alzheimer’s, too… Don’t give up… Don’t ever give up. It is this hope that a cure is right around the corner that keeps me walking.

And now these three remain: Faith, Hope and Love. But the greatest of these is love. And so it is. Like the Dream Team in ’92, Katie Ledecky in the women’s 800-meter freestyle or Usain Bolt in a race… Love crushes the competition. Don’t get me wrong… Faith and Hope are important. Like I said, they’re up there on the medal stand. But they were always fighting for the Silver Medal. Love had the Gold locked up before the competition even started. Love, you see, is what keeps my faith strong. Love is what keeps me from losing hope. I have lived what you could call a lucky life. I’ve been very fortunate for many reasons (too many to talk about right now)… one of these is when I got a job working in an office that focused on Alzheimer’s research. Here’s the thing, I wasn’t looking for a job in Alzheimer’s research. I was just looking for a job (any job) with this organization. It’s not that I had a bad job at the time. I actually had a very good job, but it was in retail and I was ready to move away from retail. So I decided I wanted to work at this other place and I started applying for every job that looked interesting to me. It probably took about 5 or 6 months… along the way I had an interview or two here or there but nothing ever came from it. Then one day I interviewed with a couple of ladies and thought it went great. I waited a few days and then one of them sent me an email letting me know that they really liked me… but I didn’t get the job. She went on to tell me that she knew of a position opening up that she thought I would be good for and that I should keep an eye out for it and apply. Well, a few days later two very similar positions opened up so I applied for both of them. A couple of weeks later I got a call asking me to come in for an interview. To make a long story short, I was too embarrassed to ask which job I was coming in to interview for… so it wasn’t until after I got the job that I realized which one it was. (I found out years later the main reason I got the job was that the lady who interviewed me had trouble hearing and of all the people she interviewed for the job, I was the only one who spoke loudly and clearly enough for her to hear and understand what was being said!). Anyway, I was hired as a Fiscal Technician II for this group that did Alzheimer’s research. Fiscal Tech… I was a numbers guy working with numbers… getting away from people because people (especially people I don’t know) can bother me (often through no real fault of their own). Well… my desk in this new job was near the front of the office (by the waiting room). At times I was given the task of sitting with Mr. or Mrs. So-and-So while their caregiver was taken back and interviewed as part of the study... You see, Mr. or Mrs. So-and-So were so far along with Alzheimer’s that there was fear they may forget why they were there and simply get up and leave. Sometimes I was sent to sit with them because they had driven to our office on their own without their loved one knowing about it. So my task was to sit and talk with them until their caregiver could come pick them up. Do you understand how hard that is to do for someone who can’t stand talking to strangers?! For some reason, though, I seemed to be good at it. I can’t explain it… fact is I decided early on not to question it… I just accepted it. These were nice people, to me at least. I know odds are some of them were probably a-holes at some time in their life, but as we sat and talked, they were nice people. They just wanted to tell me about their children or grandchildren or brothers and sisters or parents and grandparents. They would talk about long-gone relatives as if they had just seen them and would get frustrated when they had trouble remembering the names of some of their closest friends… but all in all they were just happy to have someone to talk to. I usually wouldn’t say much (I didn’t really trust myself to say the right thing… and by that, I mean I was scared I’d say something like: “I’ve got a brother who didn’t talk for the first 22 years of his life. No kidding… when I found out he was engaged I said ‘B-llsh!t… he’s never said that many words [will you marry me] to one person at one time in his whole life!’” I still think that would have gotten me a laugh, but I didn’t think it was appropriate for some reason) just enough to keep them happy and talking. If push came to shove, I would pull out a picture of Mary Ruth (and later Susie). She was a cute baby and people in general seem to like looking at pictures of cute babies. Mind you, I wasn’t called on to do this a ton of times, but I did it enough that I was able to see the love these people had for their friends and family and the love their caregivers had for them. Along the way I guess I developed a love for them as well. As I’ve said before, I’ve lived a lucky life and part of that (which I hope to talk about another day) is that I had a chance to know 3 of my 4 grandparents. Not only that, but I loved them all. A lot of people, I’ve found out over the years, never knew any of their grandparents. So when I see a person with Alzheimer’s I not only think about them and their spouse and their children… I also think about their grandchildren. My God… What would my life be like now if I hadn’t had a chance to hear Da’s stories when I was growing up? What about all of the times me and Louis spent the night with Granny (at Aunt Sister’s house and later at her apartment)? Where would I be now if I hadn’t been lucky enough to spend time with MaMa? Are you kidding me? I can’t even think about it. My life without them in it would be completely different (and not in a good way). So I walk so that other grandchildren will have a chance to know their grandparents the way I got to know mine.

Sadly, I know people with this disease. I know people who are caring for loved ones with this disease or have lost loved ones to this disease. So I walk for the people I love. Those with Alzheimer’s and their spouses, siblings, cousins, children, grandchildren and, of course, their friends who love them like family. Faith, Hope and Love… These, my friends, are why I walk.

Wednesday, August 24, 2016

The mind of Gertrude… as seen through my mind

Join Team I’m just sayin… in our Walk to End Alzheimer’s! If you would like to join or donate, just click on the Walk to End Alzheimer’s button above this post (if you are on your computer). Or, if you’re on your phone click here.


Today’s Pic

Susie... showing me how hard it was to suck her fingers on her non-finger sucking hand while she was in the hospital.


I will now give you a glimpse into the mind of Gertrude by using pictures (which are worth a thousand words) and my words (which are worth a thousand dollars).


"Hey, don't come over here... I'm doing something with Daddy".

"Get the kid out of our picture".

"Oh crap... the boy is a hippie.  What have I gotten myself into?"

"Ok, now where was I? Oh yeah..."

"I have been told that my name is Gertrude (though Scooby calls me 'Ugly Puppy') and that I am an outside cat..."

"...so I guess that means this is 'outside'".

Tuesday, August 23, 2016

Olympic Review

Join Team I’m just sayin… in our Walk to End Alzheimer’s! If you would like to join or donate, just click on the Walk to End Alzheimer’s button above this post (if you are on your computer). Or, if you’re on your phone click here.


Today’s Pic

The first of 3 "Susie in the hospital" related pics.  She was feeling better at this point...

With the Olympics now over, it’s time to look at what I noticed about the 2016 Summer Olympics. Note, I did not make it a point to watch the Olympics this year. It’s not that I tried NOT to watch… I just didn’t make it a point to watch. Still, I was able to catch some good stuff live (or live-ish) and that’s about the best I could do this go around. I would try to rank these, but I just don’t have time to really process it all. So this is in no real order…

*The US won the Gold (Brianna Rollins), Silver (Nia Ali) and Bronze (Kristi Castlin) in the Women’s 100-meter hurdles.

*Usain Bolt proved (again) that he’s the fasted person alive. Why do I say that? Because I have a TV (and internet), so I can tell you Bolt got the triple-triple this year when he won a gold medal for the 3rd consecutive time in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay. Not to discount the other guys on that relay team, but I’m pretty sure I could have been one of the 4 and he’d still run fast enough for them to win.

*Michael Phelps is like a fast shark.

*Katie Ledecky… wow! I watched her swim in a race that was roughly the same distance as swimming from Folly Beach to Cuba (and back) and she won by so much that I thought she might lap the other people in the pool. Honestly, these were other Olympic Athletes in the pool with her and she CRUSHED them.

*I saw Simone Biles run and jump and then spin and twist and do things that made me think maybe gravity doesn’t have the same pull on her as it does the rest of the people competing. One girl who won the Silver even said that she won the non-Simone Biles division.

*The US crushed in the medal count with 46 Gold Medals, 37 Silver Medals and 38 Bronze Medals for a total of 121 medals. Yay USA!!!!!

*Local sports hero Raven Saunders came in fifth in the Olympic Shot Put. While she didn’t get a medal, she did her best (personal record of 19.35 meters) and made the Charleston area proud. Maybe we’ll be able to see her get a medal next time…

*The next two things I’ll remember from these Olympic Games aren’t really related to any sporting events… Ryan Lochte’s pants burned up after the big lie he told about being robbed at gun point. As someone who has been robbed at gun point, I was highly offended. Ha! Just kidding (about being offended… I really have been robbed at gun point). I just think he’s a dumbass.

*Brazil’s women’s synchronized diving pair split up after one of them had a “marathon sex session” with canoeist Pedro Goncalves the night before their event (they came in dead last in the event).

Monday, August 22, 2016

HAPPY Birthday Marie!!!!!!!!!!

Join Team I’m just sayin… in our Walk to End Alzheimer’s! If you would like to join or donate, just click on the Walk to End Alzheimer’s button above this post (if you are on your computer). Or, if you’re on your phone click here.


Today’s Pic

Me, Coach Hatley and Sonny at The Wife's wedding reception

Today I’d like to wish Cougar’s older (but younger looking) sister Marie a VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!!! We hope she has a GREAT day!

A few weeks ago, The Wife and I went to an event hosted by the Alzheimer’s Association for Team Captain’s (and their guest). While there, I was approached and asked if I would be interested in being part of an Ad campaign the Alzheimer’s Association was running in The Charleston City Paper leading up to the 2016 Walk to End Alzheimer’s. I was told someone would email me and all they would need from me was a picture and a short (3 – 4 lines) of why I walk. Sounds pretty simple, right? As we left, I realized that while this will be the 10th Walk I’ve participated in (back when I started, it was called the Memory Walk), I really had no idea why I walk. I’d never really thought about it. I started because people in my office were doing it (back then I worked in an office that did Alzheimer’s research) and it just clicked for me. I’m not sure when the Ad will be in the paper (sometime within the next few weeks), but when it is I’ll be sure to share it on here.

Sunday, August 21, 2016

Be a Champion…

Join Team I’m just sayin… in our Walk to End Alzheimer’s! If you would like to join or donate, just click on the Walk to End Alzheimer’s button above this post (if you are on your computer). Or, if you’re on your phone click here.


Today’s Pic

Our State Championship ring from my Freshman year


…Support our Walk to End Alzheimer’s.

Saturday, August 20, 2016

Last College Football-less Saturday for a while…

Join Team I’m just sayin… in our Walk to End Alzheimer’s! If you would like to join or donate, just click on the Walk to End Alzheimer’s button above this post (if you are on your computer). Or, if you’re on your phone click here.


Today’s Pic

Me and my OG (original godson) Lucas hanging out at a baseball game (a few years ago)


College football is right around the corner… It’s a great time of the season when fans can still have high hopes and dreams for the upcoming season. I can’t wait to see how Clemson, USC, CSU and THE Military College of South Carolina do this season. It would be nice to see all four have a great season.

Friday, August 19, 2016

HAPPY FRIDAY!!!!!!!

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Today’s Pic

A nice pic of me and my buddy Michael from when he came by to see me as I camped outside St. Luke's so I could get the twins in there.


Area high school football gets kicked off tonight (at least for my favorite high school team) when James Island hosts St. John’s at 7:30pm. Will the Trojans bring home a State Championship in football to James Island? I hope so…

Thursday, August 18, 2016

Still raising money…

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Today’s Pic

I love this picture of Susie as she got ready to go to her first Girl Scouts meeting.

So, there was a lot of talk on the social media recently about Gabby Douglas and what she did (or didn't do) during the National Anthem during the medal ceremony.  It's times like these that show the down side of social media.  I've seen the picture everyone is using to judge her and... while it's not the best look, it's also not something that would cause me to shame her on Facebook and say she hates 'merica.  Had she sat down or turned her back to the flag, then I could see the issue.  But she didn't.  The great sin she committed (based on most comments I saw) is that she didn't have her hand over her heart. As someone who has played in and watched more sporting events than I can count, I can tell you not everyone puts there hand over their heart during the National Anthem.  And, I would guess, most (if not all) are not trying to be disrespectful to the US of A.  My takeaway from this is that some people on the Facebook and sites like it need to get over their self-righteous-high horse-better-than-everyone-else self and stop looking for things to complain/hate about.  Also, realize that just because someone puts something on a picture (like Gabby Douglas hates America... Share if you love America) doesn't mean you have to share it.  Share funny stuff... not stupid stuff.

Wednesday, August 17, 2016

First Day of School Pics

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Today’s Pic



The Kids started school this past Monday. This is a big year in our house as this is the first (and only… I hope) year that all 3 kids will be at the same school. It’s also a big year because they have left Spann and are now at Knightsville (preparing for our [near?]future move). Below are some pictures from the big first day…

Daniel (K), Susie (1st) and Mary Ruth (5th)

Susie in her class

Daniel in his class
There's no picture of Mary Ruth in her class because she wouldn't let The Wife follow her in...

Tuesday, August 16, 2016

A painting from Daniel

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Today’s Pic

Daniel and his Owl painting


Monday, August 15, 2016

Gertrude Training Video

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The Final (for now)Know Your Medal of Honor Recipients:

Sergeant William Shemin (US Army) received his Medal of Honor for his actions on August 7-9, 1917, in Bazhoces, France. His citation reads:

Sergeant William Shemin distinguished himself by extraordinary acts of heroism at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a Rifleman with G Company, 2d Battalion, 47th Infantry Regiment, 4th Division, American Expeditionary Forces, in connection with combat operations against an armed enemy on the Vesle River, near Bazoches, France from August 7 to August 9, 1918. Sergeant Shemin, upon three different occasions, left cover and crossed an open space of 150 yards, repeatedly exposing himself to heavy machine-gun and rifle fire, to rescue wounded. After officers and senior noncommissioned officers had become casualties, Sergeant Shemin took command of the platoon and displayed great initiative under fire until wounded on August 9. Sergeant Shemin's extraordinary heroism and selflessness, above and beyond the call of duty, are in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, with G Company, 2d Battalion, 47th Infantry Regiment.

Private William Henry Johnson (US Army) received his Medal of Honor for his actions on May 15, 1918, northwest of Saint Menehoul, France. His citation reads:

Private Henry Johnson distinguished himself by extraordinary acts of heroism at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a member of Company C, 369th Infantry Regiment, 93d Infantry Division, American Expeditionary Forces on May 15, 1918, during combat operations against the enemy on the front lines of the Western Front in France. In the early morning hours, Private Johnson and another soldier were on sentry duty at a forward outpost when they received a surprise attack from a German raiding party consisting of at least 12 soldiers. While under intense enemy fire and despite receiving significant wounds, Private Johnson mounted a brave retaliation, resulting in several enemy casualties. When his fellow soldier was badly wounded and being carried away by the enemy, Private Johnson exposed himself to grave danger by advancing from his position to engage the two enemy captors in hand-to-hand combat. Wielding only a knife and gravely wounded himself, Private Johnson continued fighting, defeating the two captors and rescuing the wounded soldier. Displaying great courage, he continued to hold back the larger enemy force until the defeated enemy retreated leaving behind a large cache of weapons and equipment and providing valuable intelligence. Without Private Johnson's quick actions and continued fighting, even in the face of almost certain death, the enemy might have succeeded in capturing prisoners and the outpost, without abandoning valuable intelligence. Private Johnson's extraordinary heroism and selflessness above and beyond the call of duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, Company C, 369th Infantry Regiment, 93d Infantry Division and the United States Army.

Captain Florent A. Groberg (US Army) received his Medal of Honor for his actions on August 8, 2012, at Asadabad, Kunar Province, Afghanistan. His citation reads:

Captain Florent A. Groberg distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a Personal Security Detachment Commander for Task Force Mountain Warrior, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, during combat operations against an armed enemy in Asadbad, Kunar Province, Afghanistan on August 8, 2012. On that day, Captain Groberg was leading a dismounted movement consisting of several senior leaders to include two brigade commanders, two battalion commanders, two command sergeants major, and an Afghanistan National Army brigade commander. As they approached the Provincial Governor’s compound, Captain Groberg observed an individual walking close to the formation. When the individual made an abrupt turn towards the formation, he noticed an abnormal bulge underneath the individual’s clothing. Selflessly placing himself in front of one of the brigade commanders, Captain Groberg rushed forward, using his body to push the suspect away from the formation. Simultaneously, he ordered another member of the security detail to assist with removing the suspect. At this time, Captain Groberg confirmed the bulge was a suicide vest and with complete disregard for his life, Captain Groberg again with the assistance of the other member of the security detail, physically pushed the suicide bomber away from the formation. Upon falling, the suicide bomber detonated his explosive vest outside the perimeter of the formation, killing four members of the formation and wounding numerous others. The blast from the first suicide bomber caused the suicide vest of a previously unnoticed second suicide bomber to detonate prematurely with minimal impact on the formation. Captain Groberg’s immediate actions to push the first suicide bomber away from the formation significantly minimized the impact of the coordinated suicide bombers’ attack on the formation, saving the lives of his comrades and several senior leaders. Captain Groberg’s extraordinary heroism and selflessness above and beyond the call of duty at the risk of life are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect credit upon himself, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division and the United States Army.

Chief Edward C. Byers, Jr. (US Navy) received his Medal of Honor for his actions on December 8-9, 2012, in Qarghah’i District of Laghman, Afghanistan. His citation reads:

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as a Hostage Rescue Force Team Member in Afghanistan in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM from 8 to 9 December 2012. As the rescue force approached the target building, an enemy sentry detected them and darted inside to alert his fellow captors. The sentry quickly reemerged, and the lead assaulter attempted to neutralize him. Chief Byers with his team sprinted to the door of the target building. As the primary breacher, Chief Byers stood in the doorway fully exposed to enemy fire while ripping down six layers of heavy blankets fastened to the inside ceiling and walls to clear a path for the rescue force. The first assaulter pushed his way through the blankets, and was mortally wounded by enemy small arms fire from within. Chief Byers, completely aware of the imminent threat, fearlessly rushed into the room and engaged an enemy guard aiming an AK- 47 at him. He then tackled another adult male who had darted towards the corner of the room. During the ensuing hand-to-hand struggle, Chief Byers confirmed the man was not the hostage and engaged him. As other rescue team members called out to the hostage, Chief Byers heard a voice respond in English and raced toward it. He jumped atop the American hostage and shielded him from the high volume of fire within the small room. While covering the hostage with his body, Chief Byers immobilized another guard with his bare hands, and restrained the guard until a teammate could eliminate him. His bold and decisive actions under fire saved the lives of the hostage and several of his teammates. By his undaunted courage, intrepid fighting spirit, and unwavering devotion to duty in the face of near certain death, Chief Petty Officer Byers reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.


We have now highlighted all of the Medal of Honor recipients on here. As new heroes receive this medal, we will highlight them on here.

Today’s Pic

Susie and her Owl painting



Getting Gertrude in shape to be an outside cat…

Sunday, August 14, 2016

Our last Ethan pic… kind of

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Know Your Medal of Honor Recipients:

Staff Sergeant Melvin Morris (US Army) received his Medal of Honor for his actions on September 17, 1969, at Chi Lang, Vietnam. His citation reads:

Melvin Morris is being recognized for his valorous actions on Sept. 17, 1969, while commanding the Third Company, Third Battalion of the IV Mobile Strike Force near Chi Lang. Then-Staff Sgt. Morris led an advance across enemy lines to retrieve a fallen comrade and single-handedly destroyed an enemy force that had pinned his battalion from a series of bunkers. Staff Sgt. Morris was shot three times as he ran back toward friendly lines with the American casualties, but did not stop until he reached safety.

Sergeant Juan E. Negron (US Army) received his Medal of Honor for his actions on April 28, 1951, at Kalma-Eri, Korea. His citation reads:

Sergeant Juan E. Negron distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a member of Company L, 65th Infantry Regiment, 3d Infantry Division during combat operations against an armed enemy in Kalma-Eri, Korea on April 28, 1951. That afternoon, Sergeant Negron took up the most vulnerable position on his company's exposed right flank after an enemy force had overrun a section of the line. When notified that elements of his company were withdrawing, Sergeant Negron refused to leave his exposed position, instead delivering withering fire at hostile troops who had broken through a road block. When the hostile troops approached his position, Sergeant Negron accurately hurled hand grenades at short range, halting their attack. Sergeant Negron held the position throughout the night while friendly forces organized and launched a counterattack. The next morning, after the enemy had been repulsed, friendly forces relieved Sergeant Negron and found the bodies of fifteen enemy soldiers surrounding his position. Sergeant Negron's extraordinary heroism and selflessness above and beyond the call of duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit and the United States Army.

Sergeant Alfred B. Nietzel (US Army) received his Medal of Honor for his actions on November 18, 1944, at Heistern, Germany. His citation reads:

Nietzel is being recognized for his valorous actions in Heistern, Germany, Nov. 18, 1944. When an enemy assault threatened to overrun his unit's position, Nietzel selflessly covered for the retreating members of his squad, expending all his ammunition and holding his post until he was killed by an enemy hand grenade.


This is the last picture of Ethan that I plan to use for “Today’s Pic”

Today’s Pic



I found a new app on my phone (it’s probably not new, but I just noticed it and started playing with it for the first time). The following is what resulted in my having some extra time on my hands one night…


Saturday, August 13, 2016

Pics from the beach

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Know Your Medal of Honor Recipients:

Private First Class Salvador J. Lara (US Army) received his Medal of Honor for his actions on May 27-28, 1944, at Aprilia, Italy. His citation reads:

Pfc. Salvador Lara was bestowed the Medal of Honor to recognize his valorous actions in Aprilia, Italy, May 27-28, 1944. During the fight, May 27, he aggressively led his rifle squad in neutralizing multiple enemy strong points and inflicting large numbers of casualties on the enemy. The next morning, as his company resumed the attack, Lara sustained a severe leg wound, but did not stop to receive first aid. Lara continued his exemplary performance until he captured his objective.

Staff Sergeant William F. Leonard (US Army) received his Medal of Honor for his actions on November 7, 1944, at St. Die, France. His citation reads:

Private First Class William F. Leonard distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a Squad Leader in Company C, 30th Infantry Regiment, 3d Infantry Division during combat operations against an armed enemy near St. Die, France on November 7, 1944. Private First Class Leonard's platoon was reduced to eight men as a result of blistering artillery, mortar, machinegun, and rifle fire. Private First Class Leonard led the survivors in an assault over a hill covered by trees and shrubs which the enemy continuously swept with automatic weapons fire. Ignoring bullets which pierced his pack, Private First Class Leonard killed two snipers at ranges of fifty and seventy-five yards and engaged and destroyed a machinegun nest with grenades, killing its two-man crew. Though momentarily stunned by an exploding bazooka shell, Private First Class Leonard relentlessly advanced, ultimately knocking out a second machinegun nest and capturing the roadblock objective. Private First Class Leonard's extraordinary heroism and selflessness above and beyond the call of duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit and the United States Army.

Staff Sergeant Manuel V. Mendoza (US Army) received his Medal of Honor for his actions on October 4, 1944, at Mt. Battaglia, Italy. His citation reads:

Staff Sergeant Manuel V. Mendoza distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a Platoon Sergeant with Company B, 350th Infantry, 88th Infantry Division during combat operations against an armed enemy on Mt. Battaglia, Italy on October 4, 1944. That afternoon, the enemy launched a violent counterattack preceded by a heavy mortar barrage. Staff Sergeant Mendoza, already wounded in the arm and leg, grabbed a Thompson sub-machinegun and ran to the crest of the hill where he saw approximately 200 enemy troops charging up the slopes employing flame-throwers, machine pistols, rifles, and hand grenades. Staff Sergeant Mendoza immediately began to engage the enemy, firing five clips and killing ten enemy soldiers. After exhausting his ammunition, he picked up a carbine and emptied its magazine at the enemy. By this time, an enemy soldier with a flame-thrower had almost reached the crest, but was quickly eliminated as Staff Sergeant Mendoza drew his pistol and fired. Seeing that the enemy force continued to advance, Staff Sergeant Mendoza jumped into a machinegun emplacement that had just been abandoned and opened fire. Unable to engage the entire enemy force from his location, he picked up the machinegun and moved forward, firing from his hip and spraying a withering hail of bullets into the oncoming enemy, causing them to break into confusion. He then set the machinegun on the ground and continued to fire until the gun jammed. Without hesitating, Staff Sergeant Mendoza began throwing hand grenades at the enemy, causing them to flee. After the enemy had withdrawn, he advanced down the forward slope of the hill, retrieved numerous enemy weapons scattered about the area, captured a wounded enemy soldier, and returned to consolidate friendly positions with all available men. Staff Sergeant Mendoza's gallant stand resulted in thirty German soldiers killed and the successful defense of the hill. Staff Sergeant Mendoza's extraordinary heroism and selflessness above and beyond the call of duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit and the United States Army.


Today’s Pic



The Wife took the kids to the beach last Saturday (with her mom) while I was working. Here’s a couple of pics from their trip.



Friday, August 12, 2016

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SUSAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Know Your Medal of Honor Recipients:

Sergeant Candelario Garcia (US Army) received his Medal of Honor for his actions on December 8, 1968, at Lai Khe, Vietnam. His citation reads:

Sergeant Candelario Garcia distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty while serving as an acting Team Leader for Company B, 1st Battalion, 2d Infantry, 1st Brigade,1st Infantry Division during combat operations against an armed enemy in Lai Khe, Republic of Vietnam on December 8, 1968. On that day, while conducting reconnaissance, Sergeant Garcia and his platoon discovered communication wire and other signs of an enemy base camp leading into a densely vegetated area. As the men advanced, they came under intense fire. Several men were hit and trapped in the open. Ignoring a hail of hostile bullets, Sergeant Garcia crawled to within ten meters of a machinegun bunker, leaped to his feet and ran directly at the fortification, firing his rifle as he charged. Sergeant Garcia jammed two hand grenades into the gun port and then placed the muzzle of his weapon inside, killing all four occupants. Continuing to expose himself to intense enemy fire, Sergeant Garcia raced fifteen meters to another bunker and killed its three defenders with hand grenades and rifle fire. After again braving the enemy’s barrage in order to rescue two casualties, he joined his company in an assault which overran the remaining enemy positions. Sergeant Garcia's extraordinary heroism and selflessness above and beyond the call of duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit and the United States Army.

Sergeant First Class Eduardo C. Gomez (US Army) received his Medal of Honor for his actions on September 3, 1950, at Tabu-dong, Korea. His citation reads:

Sergeant Eduardo C. Gomez distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty while serving with Company I, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division during combat operations against an armed enemy in Tabu-dong, Korea on September 3, 1950. That afternoon, while conducting combat patrol, Sergeant Gomez’ company was ruthlessly attacked by a hostile force which moved within seventy-five yards of the command post before it was immobilized by rocket fire. However, an enemy tank and multiple enemy machineguns continued to rake the company perimeter with devastating fire. Realizing the tank posed a serious threat to the entire perimeter, Sergeant Gomez voluntarily crawled thirty yards across an open rice field vulnerable to enemy observation and fire, boarded the tank, pried open one of the hatches on the turret and dropped an activated grenade into the hull, killing the crew. Wounded in the left side while returning to his position, Sergeant Gomez refused evacuation. Observing that the tripod of a .30 caliber machinegun was rendered inoperable by enemy fire, he cradled the weapon in his arms, returned to the forward defensive positions, and swept the assaulting force with withering fire. Although his weapon overheated and burned his hands and his painful wound still bled, Sergeant Gomez maintained his stand and, upon orders to withdraw in the face of overwhelming enemy superiority, remained to provide protective fire. Sergeant Gomez continued to pour accurate fire into the enemy ranks, exacting a heavy toll in casualties and retarding their advance. Sergeant Gomez would not consent to leave his post for medical attention until the company established new defensive positions. Sergeant Gomez’s extraordinary heroism and selflessness above and beyond the call of duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit and the United States Army.

Private First Class Leonard M. Kravitz (US Army) received his Medal of Honor for his actions on March 6-7, 1951, at Yangpyong, Korea. His citation reads:

Private First Class Leonard M. Kravitz distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty while serving as an assistant machinegunner with Company M, 5th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division during combat operations against an armed enemy in Yangpyong, Korea on March 6 and 7, 1951. After friendly elements had repulsed two probing attacks, the enemy launched a fanatical banzai charge with heavy supporting fire and, despite staggering losses, pressed the assault with ruthless determination. When the machinegunner was wounded in the initial phase of the action, Private First Class Kravitz immediately seized the weapon and poured devastating fire into the ranks of the onrushing assailants. The enemy effected and exploited a breach on the left flank, rendering the friendly positions untenable. Upon order to withdraw, Private First Class Kravitz voluntarily remained to provide protective fire for the retiring elements. Detecting enemy troops moving toward friendly positions, Private First Class Kravitz swept the hostile soldiers with deadly, accurate fire, killing the entire group. His destructive retaliation caused the enemy to concentrate vicious fire on his position and enabled the friendly elements to withdraw. Later, after friendly troops had returned, Private First Class Kravitz was found dead behind the gun he had so heroically manned, surrounded by numerous enemy dead. Private First Class Kravitz's extraordinary heroism and selflessness at the cost of his own life, above and beyond the call of duty, are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit and the United States Army.


Today’s Pic



I’d like to wish my cousin Susan a VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I hope she has a GREAT day!!!! While chances are you can’t have a birthday today like Susan (sorry, it’s only for her), you CAN donate to our Walk to End Alzheimer’s like Susan has done. That’s probably the only thing she wants from you for her birthday… so be a pal and help Susan have a HAPPY BIRTHDAY by donating today!

Thursday, August 11, 2016

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE WIFE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Know Your Medal of Honor Recipients:

Sergeant Santiago J. Erevia (US Army) received his Medal of Honor for his actions on May 21, 1969, at Tam Ky, Vietnam. His citation reads:

Specialist Four Santiago J. Erevia distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a radio telephone operator in Company C, 1st Battalion (Airmobile), 501st Infantry, 101st Airborne Division (Airmobile) during search and clear mission near Tam Ky, Republic of Vietnam on May 21, 1969. After breaching an insurgent perimeter, Specialist Four Erevia was designated by his platoon leader to render first aid to several casualties, and the rest of the platoon moved forward. As he was doing so, he came under intense hostile fire from four bunkers to his left front. Although he could have taken cover with the rest of the element, he chose a retaliatory course of action. With heavy enemy fire directed at him, he moved in full view of the hostile gunners as he proceeded to crawl from one wounded man to another, gathering ammunition. Armed with two M-16 rifles and several hand grenades, he charged toward the enemy positions behind the suppressive fire of the two rifles. Under very intense fire, he continued to advance on the insurgents until he was near the first bunker. Disregarding the enemy fire, he pulled the pin from a hand grenade and advanced on the bunker, leveling suppressive fire until he could drop the grenade into the bunker, mortally wounding the insurgent and destroying the fortification. Without hesitation, he employed identical tactics as he proceeded to eliminate the next two enemy positions. With the destruction of the third bunker, Specialist Four Erevia had exhausted his supply of hand grenades. Still under intense fire from the fourth position, he courageously charged forward behind the fire emitted by his M-16 rifles. Arriving at the very edge of the bunker, he silenced the occupant within the fortification at point blank range. Through his heroic actions the lives of the wounded were saved and the members of the Company Command Post were relieved from a very precarious situation. His exemplary performance in the face of overwhelming danger was an inspiration to his entire company and contributed immeasurably to the success of the mission. Specialist Four Erevia’s conspicuous gallantry, extraordinary heroism, and intrepidity at the risk of his own life, above and beyond the call of duty, were in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.

Sergeant Victor H. Espinoza (US Army) received his Medal of Honor for his actions on August 1, 1952, at Chorwon, Korea. His citation reads:

Corporal Victor H. Espinoza distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty while serving as an Acting Rifleman in Company A, 23d Infantry Regiment, 2d Infantry Division during combat operations against an armed enemy in Chorwon, Korea on August 1, 1952. On that day, Corporal Espinoza and his unit were responsible for securing and holding a vital enemy hill. As the friendly unit neared its objective, it was subjected to a devastating volume of enemy fire, slowing its progress. Corporal Espinoza, unhesitatingly and being fully aware of the hazards involved, left his place of comparative safety and made a deliberate one man assault on the enemy with his rifle and grenades, destroying a machinegun and killing its crew. Corporal Espinoza continued across the fire-swept terrain to an exposed vantage point where he attacked an enemy mortar position and two bunkers with grenades and rifle fire, knocking out the enemy mortar position and destroying both bunkers and killing their occupants. Upon reaching the crest, and after running out of rifle ammunition, he called for more grenades. A comrade who was behind him threw some Chinese grenades to him. Immediately upon catching them, he pulled the pins and hurled them into the occupied trenches, killing and wounding more of the enemy with their own weapons. Continuing on through a tunnel, Corporal Espinoza made a daring charge, inflicting at least seven more casualties upon the enemy who were fast retreating into the tunnel. Corporal Espinoza was quickly in pursuit, but the hostile fire from the opening prevented him from overtaking the retreating enemy. As a result, Corporal Espinoza destroyed the tunnel with TNT, called for more grenades from his company, and hurled them at the enemy troops until they were out of reach. Corporal Espinoza's incredible display of valor secured the vital strong point and took a heavy toll on the enemy, resulting in at least fourteen dead and eleven wounded. Corporal Espinoza's extraordinary heroism and selflessness above and beyond the call of duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit and the United States Army.

Private Joe Gandara (US Army) received his Medal of Honor for his actions on June 9, 1944, at Amfreville, France. His citation reads:

Private Joe Gandara distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty while serving with Company D, 2d Battalion, 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 17th Airborne Division during combat operations against an armed enemy in Amfreville, France on June 9, 1944. On that day, Private Gandara's detachment came under devastating enemy fire from a strong German force, pinning the men to the ground for a period of four hours. Private Gandara voluntarily advanced alone toward the enemy position. Firing his machinegun from his hip as he moved forward, he destroyed three hostile machineguns before he was fatally wounded. Private Gandara's extraordinary heroism and selflessness at the cost of his own life, above and beyond the call of duty, are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit and the United States Army.


Today’s Pic



I would like to wish The Wife a VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!!! Just think, it was 6 years ago today that The Wife came on here as a guest blogger (our only one so far) and announced that we were going to have another baby. Time sure has flown since then. Now she is busy building a business, running a ministry and building a house (all while taking care of our children and trying to save every animal that comes near our house). I’m sure it doesn’t show on here (or in real life), but I love her very much and my life is a thousand times better because of her. I’m pretty sure she will have a nice birthday because I went on Amazon and bought her what she wanted the minute after she told me what she wanted. God bless Amazon and smartphones. And HAPPY BIRTHDAY to THE WIFE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I’m going to do something a little different today and post 36 pictures of our children in honor of The Wife’s birthday:

Our sweet first-born Lucy

The Wife's first "baby", Maverick

Lucy and Mary Ruth... Lucy wanted to be alone in the chair, but loved Mary Ruth too much to push her out.

The love of The Wife's life... Scooby

Susie... still trying to recover from Splash Mountain

Daniel liked the ride more than Susie did...

Mary Ruth and Susie

Daniel in the hospital

Mary Ruth, Susie and Daniel (Susie's 2nd Birthday)

Lucy and Mary Ruth

Susie's Disney Birthday

Mary Ruth got a chair that said "Princess" on it... Lucy thought it was her chair.

Scooby at his best... sleeping

Daniel seeing Mickey Mouse

If I remember correctly, Susie wanted to help wake Daniel up

Scooby with The Wife's newest baby... Gertrude

Momma's boy Daniel

Susie in the hospital

Susie after noticing a shark was about to eat her...

Mary Ruth with her favorite Disney princess

What made the Disney trip worth it was seeing Daniel's reaction every time he saw Mickey.

The Wife and Mary Ruth

The whole family on the way to Magic Kingdom

Daniel seeing the real Mickey Mouse for the first time

Susie on "our" ride

Susie and Daniel ready to fight in the next Star Wars movie

Mary Ruth helping a little friend

Mary Ruth about to lose her head...

Susie meeting a new friend

Daniel happy to see a turtle

The Wife and Mary Ruth

The girls with Elsa

Daniel drawing a picture for Mickey Mouse

Our little monkey Daniel

Susie with her gorilla face

The Wife with the kids getting ready for Magic Kingdom to open