WRIGLEY!!!

I MADE IT!

Thank you, Lord. There will be a little something extra for you in the offering plate this Sunday.

Bleacher Bums, Ivy, Old Style (4 of them) and actually saw George Will the columnist. Swear.

Not to brag, but I also went to a White Sox game and aBears exhibition game. 3 Sporting events in one week, topped off by a marvelous dinner at Mike Ditkas restaurant. Try the pot roast, it will make you hunch.

This may have been the greatest trip of my entire life.

Knucksie & Mans Best Friend-Then and Now

Mans best friend and I attended a baseball game last Saturday night and I thought it would be a good idea if we had our photo made in front of Phil Niekros statue--(Phil Niekro is my favorite Pitcher of all time) We had a picture made there about ten years ago, but then I could pick Joe up and carry him everywhere. I didn't have to pick him up this time. The Braves got the stem winding dog mess beat out of them by the Diamondbacks, but no matter. It is a wonderful thing to go to a baseball game with your son. I think the book of Deuteronomy addresses it in the bible. And of course everything is better with Mans best Friend. I could even eat liver if Joe was with me. Looking at the photos make me wonder where all the time went...in ten years I hope he will still want to get his picture made with me with Phil.

I wish I could take him to Chicago with me next week.

Tired and out of gas

I read my magazine and took a nap today. Naps are a wonderful thing and I take one about every equinox. This is what I aspire to when I grow up or retire--nap.

9 Days and counting...

My quest for tickets to any of the Cubs/Brewers series the week I go to Chicago has been resolved. After having gone onto the Cubs website and clicking and pointing for no less than 578 times to find available seating, i then found an 800 number to call and purchase tickets. Even that was painful and the seats are 4 different rows and one behind the other-not that it matters. I received the tickets to the game on the 28th in the mail and now have them in my greedy little palm.

The standings today show the Cubs and Brewers both tied for first in their division, so these games will be important.

I totally forgot there's another team in Chicago called the White Sox, so we have adjusted our flight schedules so we can catch the 1:05 pm game on Monday. Haven't gotten tickets yet but will order this week. The Sox are not even close to being in a pennant race so tickets should be an easy find.

In the meantime I am also doing research on the good places to eat and drink in Chicago. I plan on giving my lower gastrointestinal tract a severe workout.

Only one thing potentially hangs in the balance, and that's Hurricane Dean.

Reading in bed...is it possible?

I don't know why I attempt to read in bed. Most times I am unsuccessful at anything if my body reclines past 60 degrees except snoring. But as is with most of us, the only time I can think about doing some reading is when I hit the sack. Not that I don't already have two bookcases filled to the max, but my bedside table now has several tasty titles--The History of American Beer, The Reagan Diaries, The Baseball Encyclopedia, Zemkes Wolfpack, Paula Deens autobiography, and several others....Its pretty pathetic. I rolled over the other night after having gotten sleepy from my reading only to see this "Mount Everest" on my nightstand, capturing the image with my cell phone camera for posterity.

Where for Art Thou, Mans Best Friend?

My Best buddy and teen aged son Joe I have not seen in three weeks.

Inasmuch as I had to go to Annual Training at Ft. Stewart, that took me out of the loop for two weeks. On Friday before I was to arrive home, Joe calls and tells me "Hey Dad, I'm going to Mexico Beach with Colton on Saturday and will be back next weekend."



Bummer.



That has left me stuck in a houseful of Women all week. Not that there's anything wrong with that. The girls have kept me busy and I have been able to show them a little attention. I finally found out what the youngest ones name is (Lyndsay) and what grade (6th) she is in. The oldest one I discovered is a pretty good cook and has done a good job seeing to keeping the house in a good state of police. I believe her name is Amanda.



Anytime one of our little chickens leaves the roost, I miss them. And the only time I can ever get a good night sleep is when I know all of em are under one roof. Makes me wonder whats going to happen when they all get grown and leave for real.


School starts on Monday. Summer for these guys is done. When their summer is over so is mine.


I am heartbroken for them. And me.

It is now Saturday and I am like the RCA Dog waiting to hear my masters voice.

Chicago Bound 27-31 August

Rejoice, Dear Hearts!

Presently I am scheduled to attend a Fiscal Law class in Chicago at the end of the month. I have opted to wait until I get to town to try and obtain tickets to the Cubs/Brewers series. I went on the Cubs site to order tickets and all that were available were single seats--having contemplated my possible dilemma with co-worker Jeff, he says they just HAVE to hold back tickets to be available on game day. That makes sense to me. After all, even though the hallowed ground of Wrigley certainly will be filled to capacity, but its the Milwaukee Brewers, for gods sakes. they are the "margarine" of baseball. I really can't say much as my Braves are currently on "sick call" their own selves.

I have been pretty fortunate in my quest to see the Major League Ballparks--I have been to Montreal, where the fans all hollar OUI, OUI! instead of HELL YEAH!; Camden Yards in Baltimore, where a guy who sat in front of me made the terrible mistake of wearing white pants while having a slight case of hemorrhoids....(cleansing breath)....Atlanta, of course (to include game six of the 95 WS win for the Braves--Veterans Stadium on Philly, and Dodger Stadium in LA. Bostons Fenway Park still eludes me insofar as game attendance, but i did get to tour the place. My pals Joe Joe Hoffman and Tim Britt called me from there during a game just two weeks ago, a trio I had to miss due to performing duty at Ft. Stewart. But with some good luck thrown my way, I will even the score by making it thru the turn styles of Wrigley Field.Once in Chi-Town, I plan to go "native", have a Chicago Hot Dog and pay homage to his holiness, Harry "HOLY COW" Carey.I may even attend that Fiscal Law class.

Wrigley Field. HOOAH! I get goose bumps just typing the words.

If I have to sell plasma or donate an organ, I will make it to Wrigley and have my photo taken therein. It is my destiny. GO CUBS!

I KNOW WHO I AM

Going thru some "artifacts" recently I came across some letters from when I got mobilized for possible deployment during the first Gulf war--the nephew of my best buddy, Guerry "Aquamarine" Bruner, then a wee little fellow, had taken the time to draw me a picture and sent it to me--in those days there was no Email and Al Gores Internet was still in the works. you had to rely on the U. S. Postal Service--and even then, getting mail in the California Desert was a monumental task--but it was what we all lived for.
Of course, Guerrys nephew is all grown up and probably has long ago forgotten this picture he drew for me. While I recently rediscovered the picture I have never forgotten the title. It is who I am. I remind myself of this from time to time when I get down or feel like poor mouthing. I ain't ever going to be rich or famous, but I won't starve to death. I am glad it is the Army, too. The rest of the branches are all well and good and I love em all, but its like my hero, and high school ROTC instructor SGM (Oscar Sapp, Jr) said--The Air Force gets the Glory, the Navy gets the Money, the Marines get the uniforms, and the Army gets the WORK.

Thats me.
George, the guy in the Army suit. I have always thought it would be a good title for a Book. Now, if i can only string enough words together to do that.

One Weekend a Month, Two Weeks a Year my @#$% !!

I recently completed our annual training at Ft. Stewart. One of the highlights to our two weeks was sling load training, whereupon we learn how to hook up pieces of equipments to be flown to another place on the battlefield. High mobility, fast, flexible, and it beats driving.

Our Training Officer had initiated this several months before when we were doing all our planning, and I had made a bet with him that he wouldn't be able to pull it off. Being a bit pessimistic I had thought that our aviators would have other missions for the birds, and we would be at rock bottom of the priority list. I had gone so far (letting my mouth overload my narrow a**) as to bet Bob that "If you do it I will kiss your a** on the middle of the Parade Field at Ft. Stewart"---

I didn't take a photo of THAT EVENT but here's a photo of our training the day it happened.

Bob and the boys in the OPs shop got their Kudos and the entire 148 "Wishmasters" Battalion knew of the bet--we all had a good time with it and I still owe everyone a photo of me "puckering up"....

They even let me take part and HOOK UP the HUMMVEE to the Chopper...the blast from the blades of the Chinook almost blew me out of the Hummvee, but one of the soldiers had me by my belt loops and yelled to me over the noise of the chopper "Don't Worry, Sir--I got your Back!"

Such is the way with all those wonderful soldiers I am allowed to serve-they are magnificent. I am just fortunate enough to have a window seat.