Random thoughts

Did you hear we're going to get a big snowstorm here in the northeast for April Fools Day? It also happens to be my Aunt Jane's birthday - Happy Birthday Jane! You old bitch.

Been talking to Christopher on the phone every day - the reception is so much better than the shitty quality he had in Afghanistan. He's very excited about coming home. I'm still wary and apprehensive. No sense in worrying about it till it happens.

I need to get my arse moving on cleaning out his room and painting and fixing the wall I put him through 3 years ago.

It will be 4 years in 2 weeks since my Dad died. I am still a lost wandering soul without him and it hurts just as much now as when it happened. I've just become better at ignoring the pain for longer periods of time so I can function.

I need to find a local vet that is good with Greyhounds and reasonable. Julieta needs her teeth pulled - bad! If it's going to cost me thousands of dollars I will have to put her down because I can't afford that. The prices vets charge nowadays and all the 'little' costs are absolutely outrageous and it disgusts me.

OK - back to work now. It's Thirsty Thursday - what will you be drinking tonight?

He's back on US soil!

After 328 days of deployment in Afghanistan my son is back on US soil at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. Unfortunately, I couldn't be there to welcome him home. He will be coming home to my house in a couple months to restart his life. Hopefully a man and with a much better attitude than when he was made to leave my home.

I'm very proud of him.

Welcome home Christopher!

Tá mo chroí ag teacht abhaile!

One day left.

Alice Cooper was on my train this morning.

Or maybe Slash just cut his hair?
Was interesting to see at 6:30 in the morning for sure.

20 pounds of cat in a 5 pound bag

Golf Co. End of Tour Awards Ceremony

2nd 320th Field Artillery Regiment received their End of Tour Awards. My son received an Army Acheivment Medal.

My boy is the one on the left in the above photo.

Do you know what a VBIED is?

It's a Vehicle Borne Improvised Explosive Device, basically a suicide bomber. My son was lead vehicle on a returning mission and was hit head on by one March 8th. They are all OK. His SGT. got a concussion and there was shrapnel in some kevlar. A civilian driving a "jingle truck" (Afghan tractor trailer) lost control when shrapnel hit his windshield and he rolled the tractor trailer in a ditch. He suffered a broken pelvis and two broken legs and was helicoptered out. There was a 30 Ft fireball and the M-ATV was destroyed. It did it's job - it's saved 4 lives.

My son's thoughts on being blown up "It was better than Superman at Sixx Flags! I want to do it again!"

Scary stuff. That happening with only a few days left of his deployment too.

The blast lifted the 33,000lb M-ATV off the ground. All they could see was orange through the glass and then the cabin filled with smoke. My son, soldier that he is, checked his gauges and then drove the truck out of the situation. There was one civilian casualty of which I have heard all the gory details and them only finding his lower torso and legs.

I could only find one small obscure post about the incident online and its "being investigated".

All I can say is - THANK YOU to Oshgosh for making the M-ATV that saved my sons life.

The M-ATV is officially my most favorite vehicle in the world.

Fort Campbell Courier Article on video below

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Most Dangerous Road in Afghanistan.mp4

My son, my soldier was driving the lead vehicle on this mission.

You see that counter over there?

The green one that says "Days of my Child's Deployment.......well........it's going to stop counting very, very, very soon!