Little old people, accepting the obvious reality...

   Haven't written much here, nothing is happening. Yesterday we had big fat snow flakes falling and if you came out between storm clouds you had to put sunglasses on to adjust to the glare. I have less hair, and seemingly the exact same amount of fat that I had in December, and this is two months later, whose fault is that?

   At the YMCA, the old guys (just three of us now) we carried wooden stocked M1's and M14's before finishing our career service with ARs and as Sergeants Major.  We go to be able to talk to good looking ladies and laugh with others over some such foolishness somewhere in our worlds. No, I don't talk to good looking ladies, I just quietly admire them and sometimes am very pleased they can't read my mind... for a science fiction lover like me, I have always been glad women can't read my mind. Yes, especially my wife.

    One of the Y staff is way ahead of me on the bicycle for this month, riders get a dime a mile paid to the YMCA, so I got a free TEAM CAPTAIN shirt for my service, but the young woman told me that the often first place rider or second place one ahead of me - is actually a composite of riders just logging in under a long number - all the other riders that don't get serious about personal records just knock out a dime or a dollar for charity.  The staffer was building miles by laps on mostly flats, then she decided to do some of the really long rides.  I was on my personal 2017 goal of doing all rides at least once, finished that yesterday. So, the ride of the week, and all rides have fallen to my vigorous pursuit of World Acclaim, or is it just wanting to be part of something somewhere for the NSA to get just a little more digital trail of how a once dangerous man is barely moving?

   Not excited about income taxes this year, haven't even filed and the paperwork on my desk is just waiting for my attention, about two full weeks so far. I have broken my addiction to Facebook and FOXnews.  I like Tucker Carlson, The Factor, and The Five. One of those three doesn't have a repeat later in the evening.  But I would rather read about the Norman Conquest than watch commercials on Fox, I go to Fox Business for a change of commercials. Otherwise I look for cowboy stories... but I have seen most of them, or I watch old LAW & ORDER shows.

   The church continues to change, the part that makes me sad is when good folks decide they need to find another because of personal affront or church politics. But then, it could be how the LORD is using those good folks to make another church stronger or that family find a deeper relationship with their future.

   My wife is getting out and around a little more, but her foot is still a bit stiff.  We will be busting out of the rut come March,  I figure.  For anyone that read that bit about reading my mind, if you are a man you know we don't think much at all about women, just like we don't really pay attention to what they are talking about above a certain speed of transfer. And that data transfer acceptance speed is really slowing down.

Endangered species

     In 1973, a very politically active era, the Endangered Species Act showed up as the war in Vietnam wore out. It didn't protect the most vulnerable top predator, Man, from his follies.

     Go looking for Americans, American families, and American values.  They only appear by accident and are suddenly attacked by rude comments, snide remarks and deploying faces of disgust. Oh, black and white movies have many of them for review, and the Hallmark programming would like you to believe they have them, but don't look too close.

    I do wish you all the fun of rebuilding a great lifetime, remembering everything changes, including yourself, find some of those things that George Washington and Robert E. Lee thought worth fighting and perhaps dying for... they are also the only things worth living for, but then you should already know what you are living for. Don't you?

Ah, it is all over now....

   Tuesday morning there was an early wake up, make the coffee, prepare breakfast and wait for the youngsters to wake and pack out. Most of their packing was done the night before, so a light breakfast and moving stuff to the Caravan, I have been allowing my son to do all the driving on his cellphone with Wave for the entire time, he only asked if I recommended something or knew a better way around. 

    All too short, lots of new to me places in Tacoma and Seattle visited with the family, my wife didn't always tag along, she is still recovering from her last foot surgery. But she had them to prepare meals for and talk to and hug. We said good-bye to them twice before they got into the TSA inspection area, and then they were gone. 

   We rode back home, parked the car and then went inside to collapse in the empty. House so large suddenly and we are just rattling around in it. I am taking the children's channel off to get back to cowboy western movies or FOXNews... seems there is about to be a sudden collapse of the foolish, a quiet resistance of the smarter ones and a victory speech by the incoming President's supporters. I like to see work and results, thank you.

  Friday the pseudo-coronation, Saturday the Woman's Walk without the ladies and nurturing mother types (seems killing the unborn is supposed to be a right of women - just Huns with sabres - hoisting the dying almost infants in the air). I do keep noticing not enough love in the air, lots of sex and noise, but not enough love.

   Our youth group  is providing twelve competitors for Bible quiz, I am now supposed to help them study, all stuff I should know, but we will see - have have portions of the Preamble to the Constitution still memorized, I could do Bible verses.

   There are guns and ammunition back in the home, and we won a dollar on my wife's last purchase for five from the lottery.  About right for a government program.  Fifty percent of a dollar goes to winners, the other fifty percent is for the folks running everything.  Netflix.com is a better value.

Sunday is gone but the memory remains...

  Off to church, heard Pastor Frank tell me about tithing, I would tell him later that he missed one of my favorites - the one I always called the picnic tithe. No, I won't quote which book and verse it comes from, but it is old testament. Then coffee and doughnut, didn't get one of either, and off to Sunday school. Good Sunday school, I was given two new students that spoke no American English, and the Children's Pastor knows I have no skills in Korean. Although I did get to use the phrase for being very sorry about myself and actions. It wasn't for me, but one of the boys decided to surprise and bother the young lady writing PEACE on the whiteboard. He slammed into the board erasing the first part of the word and scaring the girl.
   Way to go, clod. He would feel miserable for the remained of the class. I actually got to give them a lesson in economics and jealousy of different nations for the success of others. Getting ready for Moses and the basket on the water.  We gave the two new boys names like Thomas and Jacob, which were close enough to their Korean names, but biblical for church. The shocked and frightened girl went back to drawing on the white board behind me, she put pictures of herself crying and someone being knocked out and luckily she wasn't drawing me with my lack of killing the little goof, which may have disappointed her.
   Christine had come in looking sixteen with make up and heels, I had to tell her she was trying to look too attractive and too old. Didn't cross the line telling her that old men would be thinking awful things about her, her mother had better. Rachael (her younger sister) copies everything she does, and the world is a fool place already. from ten to sixteen they all try so hard to look older and pretty. And then from twenty-eight to seniority they want to have that natural blossoming of sixteen to eighteen again...  I got to send them all off to rice and seaweed soup - no meat anywhere nor turnips either. I waited and talked to some of the boys from another class. One had seen me at the base exchange, he told me that Anthony's Pizza there is the best anywhere. We discussed the military, his father is serving, and I mentioned that my son was in the Navy and most of the old men of the church had been in uniform, too.  When you meet old guys it is often difficult to think they were ever young and played football. There was a really young boy throwing perfect spirals up to the boys on the playground tower - I was amazed, and hope he gets to keep it up.
    Back home and I watch two playoff games, Green Bay and Pittsburgh were my choices, but the games were great because we never knew who was going to win. New England for the whole thing, right?  We will see, ever notice they don't do polls on the people's choice for performance competitions? Cause it just doesn't affect the game. 

Light posting life is moving too quickly...

   I should not blame Face book for my lack of blogging, but admit when I am thinking away from the computer nothing sticks and I don't have an interesting point of view. If I have nothing to say I should just sit in the corner and keep quiet.

   But family has come to visit the Seattle Tacoma area and us'ns (grandma and papa) and they all move faster than the speed of elders.  Which is wonderful, imagine not having to sit quietly absorbing all the fears of monetary collapse and buy gold and silver now. Or the really critical stuff like which dress designers are going to be making a statement at the inaugural-ball, or the giant list of all those really important folks that are boycotting the event so they can hold up the economy and get the cows milked and horses harnessed and keep the coalfires burning.  There just isn't room for 300 million plus and media coverage is going to be spotty.

Trip to the zoo was great. Saw three tigers, two snow fox, one polar bear, two musk oxen, one reindeer, lots of fish and sharks, four red wolves and a peacock. And finally a rest area to slow down in.

I don't know that the problem is gun violence or immediate communications...

  So, a human male flies to a city, takes his legally carried firearm and ammunition out of his checked baggage loads the magazines and then the weapon and then goes hunting victims. The victims have been conditioned to cower or flee confrontation with killers, the stone age types that would throw stuff beat their chest roar and actually attack the Towering Goliath have been civilized into prey-upon-us targets, or as I said victims.

   There is communication, the public employees are called to handle the ripple in the national fabric of watchers not doers. The killer is disarmed and taken into custody, everyone gets to carry on, unless they don't want to pay the extra fee for carrying on... sorry, that was a poor joke. But as I understand it, the national news and the higher up the reactionary command chain are just getting the news while the wounded are being carted off --- someone says (it is reported) that gun shots are happening somewhere else we must go to lock down... But I don't think they should ever go to lock down. That means the terrorists won, they make the national media and the really important stuff of building a strong nation and community values is shoved off to the side because there is a story here, they have dead in the port.

  That whole story and background have been shelved until someone wants to change the law about transportation of firearms - not realizing that the arms aren't the problem, that killer (what ever his reason) is the problem. Highly educated and highly paid Senators were asking a job applicant about universal background checks today -- again like the government in its great efficiency could really decide in its wisdom which citizens are safe and sane enough to carry a weapon. Having studied History and noted the number of assassinations completed by the professional dedicated body guards and security forces, it isn't the weapon that is the problem. It is the human in every case.

   The message from immediate communications is that someone far away can make the best decision, and if the human isn't on the ground where all is happening, that human can't. They can make their best decision, but Monday morning quarterbacks have never won a Sunday game.

   I begin to believe that communications are driving the need to broadcast and make things happen, and it had better be fast as light, cause that is how fast we can accept the response. I have been many places that I wish the response had happened long before I was in it up to my butt in alligators. There are prophecies that come true, but they always come from God, our problem remains the same - humans will act for or against them, we often pretend that government is our local representative of God in all His Goodness... and that has never been true.

    Now all the people that aren't quivering in fear of terrorists or hidden assassins just waiting for a camera crew or a local with a smart phone with connections to record his killing blow - are having the best life they can, including traveling to destinations they have purchased tickets for, unless some fool government official's best answer is they must be run across the taxi way waving their hands in the air to show they aren't shooting anyone. Sigh, have you seen what is happening? The effect of the terrorist is magnified by the communications and the inept government response. Thank your first responders and medial evacuation teams - they got the victims to medical aid. That was something the government got right.

Birthday, again?

   Not having a school year, nor other timeline for time's passing it seems to come up quicker.

    I decided to pretend I am seventy, when only sixty-nine, because it is my seventieth year upon the planet.  There is too large a cake upon our table with a package underneath I only need the love that comes with the thought of giving me something in celebration, but because I don't need the food nor the gift - I will be happy I was so well thought of and treated, and I will pay the price in my future for their kindness. A hug and a smile always go farther for making my world better, cultural norms based on economic values are easy to measure - but a real hug and a real smile will always be beyond price.

   I am going to shift gears, when will that phrase be gone from conversation? Straighten up the desks and the bookcase in the Computer cave. Just so I have area to set more stuff down until I get it out to be boxed for future consideration. It has to start moving, being a perfection that wants more, the best and don't ever throw away the rest.  I have stuff, too much stuff.  Did I trade love for stuff? I have so much, stuff.   Pile it, catalog it, pack it up and out - to be considered another day, in another world.

    I have been promised a steak dinner, might even sneak a movie in - just because the memory is going to be so much better than more stuff. Happy birthday world, another year with Earl in your history.

   

Now where is that stufff...

  I was looking for something, and couldn't find it, asked for help and didn't find it. Then this morning, early, as I made coffee I found it, put on my reading glasses and read it. As I was shuffling papers I found the Porcupine Patrol patch, amazing, finding one thing after another.

  Went to Facebook and didn't find anything worth noting, seems that the fake news has over taken the national media, the political media, and Facebook is constantly generating fool stuff to check your level out against...

   So, breakfast, pack for YMCA and depart at 0758 because I have stuff to do and it just isn't getting done.

Coffee and contemplation... the final day of my 2016

  So I wake early, old man stuff, and go to putter around. It is cold outside, two bunnies on my walk, I post the bills from last night. And sit down to run through the future and the past, just me and my mind. Then I look at my home owners insurance that I didn't get a bill for, and I call 'Jake' from State Farm - it wasn't Jake it was Nadia and some other company - she has just a hint of an accent from New York metro, street level.  Very cool, professional and helpful, she worked with me and now we are correspondents, can I say I'm in a relationship?

  So much to be thankful for this past year, so much to look forward to in the next year. Having said that I can go to bed now instead of pretending what ever happens at midnight anywhere on the globe makes any kind of difference. But you all may party, celebrate, hug your loved ones and pray for peace - some of us have never stopped since the last New Year.

  Did write out the first two checks of the New Year, post dating them to the 1st of January, 2017. The most difficult task is to not write 2016 tomorrow, unless I am doing a biography.

   There has been a list of resolutions on my wall for the last several years - I was smart enough not to date it.  The three items with specific goals (in health, strength and speed) should be generalized to: good, able to lift body from recliner, and walk away without aid.

   The others are fine:

                 Go with God
                 Husband wife
                 Gentleman warrior
                 Be one that people look forward to meeting not hiding from
                 Cause more happiness than concerns
                 Love more, and more and more... practice making perfect

Pretty good, hope your list isn't too much longer, memory is in short supply. Take care out there and I will see you on the other
side, God willing and the creek don't rise.

Keeping busy, rebuilding the dwelling without touching the foundations...

Nothing is actually being rebuilt; just shuffling dust, cleaning corners, and moving more to a longer term relationship... it has been twenty-one years for some things.

   One of my projects today was to recover an undershelf light so it would work, first a bulb, then a starter, and then rebuild (I had to take it all apart), then take apart again because I got a bit out of order, put it all back together and now it is done and working. Looked like I was on a roll, so my wife tells me to take curtains down for cleaning (when ever I had some time), and I then decided that to really learn anything about my latest computer and Microsofts goodwill, I would have to collapses the laptop and store it...  All part of the reorganization of the dwelling.

   I have the older kindle, and now a kindle paperwhite - please remind me not to ever upgrade, especially as I never learnt all the things I could do on the earlier model, and now have a newer version with more to learn that I don't bother about - because for me it is the reading not the advantages. Sigh, kind of like getting new tools, firearms, automobiles and sexual partners -- just not worth the effort if you remember what you expect from the item.

  Rest time for today, still not finished but I can get those curtains down.
  

The clock glows 3:12, there are two of them...

   Allow me to make some coffee and get back.Okay, that didn't take long, about forty-five minutes, because I had a lamp to fix, the coffee to make, the weight to take, recording, blood pressure, a mask to make, some recycle to move, and many errant thoughts to gather as I grabbed the last piece of pie to share with coffee and the eight medicines and placebos.  I move the mouse mat to exactly where it should be for proper control of the mouse.

    There are two of them, electric radio alarm clocks on top of my chest of drawers. Two different alarms for two different working schedules - serving only one master - TIME. And I keep thinking as I wander the house, full of stuff that has served its purpose but remains exactly where we placed it almost twenty years ago, some change would be good.

   I thank the LORD for a very fine day yesterday, my wife slept a majority of it, between bouts of medicine inhaling and fussing. I spent it finding the top of  my desk and some other stuff that had been buried beneath my better ideas as I procrastinated, or I fooled around over a long past ignoring what I should do for all that I wanted to do. That wouldn't be a problem except that want to do list is like a bubbling volcano of more to come - ready or not - here it is!

   Stop! drink some coffee, lovely stuff, in the evening I switch to hot water in a black mug, because it is the symbolism not the coffee and the pot was emptied long ago. Microwaves, how was life before everyone had them? Oh, we spent time preparing breakfast, tea water, mixing pancakes from scratch, didn't know how much time we were using up. We took different parts of the day to make it better, sharing chores as the nation went instant and prepackaged.  Little craft, art nor love left in the common things - like sharpening knives.  I cleaned my newest pistol, which in current time, isn't new.  Everything you need is on the internet, documented in YouTube.  I am again, armed and so much less than dangerous. The pistol is to always be treated as dangerous. Springs and rods will always fly at the first failure to pay attention to them during maintenance. My machine gun comes to mind immediately. And there are springs behind stuff in many tool rooms.

   I note that time, which we measure and try to save for some reason, dribbles away. And family and love and life isn't hiding when you find that pile of daylight saved, you think it should be but it isn't. What was that phrase? Carpe Dium?  Don't you wish I learned Latin or how to spell? Carpe diem. Seize the Day! Make the most of what you have, at least love the memory more than the dream.

  Well, two hours to write five minutes of thoughts, about how I should have but didn't. There are plans, see the bubbling of more to come, for our near and farther future. But you would be bored listening as they keep coming and we aren't centering well, kind of like standing up and waiting patiently for your mind to move and catch up with the brain at the top of  the tottering fool.

   I wonder as I reread that last line, did I forget to put an r at the end of you to make it your, or did the computer decide I didn't need to say it the way I thought it?  You know I can never be alone in my thoughts, seems like there are four or five programs trying to improve my computer, my life and my loves.  They really don't know me, but they keep trying.  Be good out there, and I will do my best to be so here.  Love


 

Christmas Eve, past... there have been many...

   One I remember was during the Christmas truce in the Republic of Vietnam.  The radios were on, the chart tables had artillery red cloth covering them and were laden with goodies, all that wonderful stuff from back home, Stateside. That mythical place where someone loved us. I had added my mother's homemade fruitcake (which was never a brick like so many baked for shipping). She had soaked it with some of Dad's rum, then carefully wrapped it in foil with folds, but when I opened it I found enough to really wet my whistle.

   Since there were no H&Is scheduled I could sit my hammock and write letters to people that would write back and tell them I was thinking about them and wished them the best. I got all those done and still had time before the shift change, so I wrote President Nixon, everyone knows 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.  Same thoughts, same good wishes, same complaints that I couldn't be where he was... about three and a half weeks later I got an answer and a mention of his service in the Pacific in WWII. Someone, probably on staff, knew where I had spent Christmas Eve. We were already drawing down and allowing the Republic of Vietnam to continue the war. 1971

  Nineteen years later I was in the desert, waiting for Sadam to finish or get off the pot. The Saudi Arabian desert, they muted the celebration as much as they could, not wanting the host country to be offended. Quiet but I still got mail, the Armed Forces had to build up a massive mail delivery system, since they only do it when the personnel deploy.  My Dad had sent me Ken Burns' The Civil War, fine viewing for troopers that weren't sure about many things, time gives you a place to sit and stew about all the things you can never fix.  Awards would be given for people that managed to provide hot showers five days in a row.

   Like most celebratory times, where family and friends and frolic were the norm, we did a lot of watching each other to make sure no one got bad news from home, too quiet nor too aggressive. Christmas eve with a night sky that shows more stars beyond the ground lights, makes you know how small you really are, in the big scheme of things... just one biological being in a universe beyond our ken. Never saw so many sober soldiers around Christmas, unless they were on guard. Somewhere this evening are soldiers on guard, far from home, and normally under-employed (officers will do that to give them time to celebrate - even when they can't and have to wear a reflector belt and carry their personal weapon in gym clothes...) rules, got to have rules.

   Will say a prayer for them before I rest tonight, they deserve some company to help with the watch.

Moving well today, thank you... so happy you are, too.

    A few heavy days of watching the movies and news on my monitor, makes me really wonder what alien civilizations would think about us if they hadn't seen Ozzie and Harriet, I love Lucy, and Leave it to Beaver first...  They might have our problem with perceptions, everything that we can't relate to we pretend didn't happen differently.  In America, there has to be one person that is the main character to tell the story around. Life isn't like that, one person doesn't a revolution make, an empire build. Still we keep trying to keep it simple and it is complex and changing before the ink dries on the paper.
   Go back a couple of hundred years and preparation to celebrate Christmas was very different, some religions thought it shouldn't be a religious holiday at all, especially with heavy drinking and eating and those excesses celebration could cause. Quiet prayerful thoughts and calm thanksgiving somber dress and demeanor. Maybe some hymns, to lift to the LORD.
    Now there does seem a frenzy to give and get, to celebrate and pay it all in the next billing cycle, and wish everyone a happy new year, the old one being worn out and so few surprises left.

    I have checked the Lottery tickets, the news and the past, since it is Friday I have only this day to shop for my lover.  And no great idea what she needs or even wants that I can purchase, build or provide wrapped up in festive ribbons.

    Okay, I do know she would love me being healthier, my computer cave being cleaner and organized so she doesn't have to close the door if her friends visited.  She would love it if people she respected said fine things about us, didn't laugh at me, didn't ask why her husband doesn't do what all the other husbands do.

    I wish you all a fine holiday season, a merry Christmas, and that elusive happier New Year. Great things are going to happen when you and I start making our hearts pure, our vision clear and our goals founded on greater love.  God bless all our best.

ten pm. to all you ground folks, 2200 to all the Europeans and military masters...

  I have no wife tonight, she is out and about, she has life and relationships that are important to keep.  I do also, and I realize that marriage is different for her as it is for me, and we are always working it out. I do love her, she does love me (I always hope, and she continues to amaze me with) but really, we are not one in how we face the world, reality nor our love. It is fine as it is and all adjustments will be mutual.

  Just mention that because there are many Never Trump (for many reasons) out there, but he will become the President, pray that he and his fellows do well, and more important that you and I do well in our lives, because our lives have never ever depended on a leader that could mislead us, has it?

  I am watching something about the early Christians, interesting, although I always focus on the fact that current history about the past always pretends that they were just like us, somehow. But they weren't, they didn't live for a far away retirement, a mortgage, a personal automobile or two to get around and to fly off to far away places. Really, their lives were very different than yours and what they valued was also totally different.

Sorry, I have been having too much fun...

My wife says I killed it, but I counted the misses.

  Joined the indoor range so I may shoot in comfort once in a long while. But the YMCA calls me daily or almost so, I do like to write down the number of reps and the poundage, engaged in getting another digital trophy for stationary bicycle. Now that I sound heroic, remember I think of myself as just a fat old balding man in the back of the room.  I was responding to the greeter at a store this week and said I was fine (question was 'how are you?') and I noticed how really nice she looked - so I blurted out 'You are looking very good.' and scurried off to the gun department for some ammunition - wondering what kind of an idiot I was to say something nice to a strange woman. So unlike me, I normally would have just asked for a blessing in her direction, but never out loud. Hope I didn't ruin her day - but too much of a coward to go back and try to make it right, and I don't really know that I was wrong, I just felt so out of line... because of someone else's norm?

    We are just getting around to making the home seem like Christmas, my wife's wound on her foot has kept her in a chair and making stuff, while she talks on her phone with other ladies making similar things where they are.

  Plus, when we open the blinds there is snow (a light dusting) on the yard outside, but not enough to cover the road or walkways. Melted right off.

   I have found satisfaction in watch Japanese Public Broadcasting for world news and weather instead of the false news sources in the United States. I once used BBC shortwave when I was deploying worldwide in a life long ago and far away. Really, there doesn't seem to be much on 'merican media worth paying to hear.  I ran across this today. Happy Holidays!

   If thinking doesn't get positive I could just stew depressed all day... but then I do have friends, children and stuff to do that aren't going to make the evening news, the daily rants and fool commentary.  This retired retiree stuff is tough but someone has to do it.  I did see another Help Wanted sign at the gun store and several businesses along the way, a very good sign for the future of the hard working folks.  Y'all have a wonderful Winter to Wonder through, Spring can't be far behind.

What to do next...

  Seems like I have too much to do, too little to do, too little time and resources to do it well. So why do it?  Drive on! It don't mean nothin' 
   Christmas is coming, a good thing, the world is waking from a long peace to find fools have been starting brush fires all over like they knew what would happen... and even the brush fires got way out of control.  What is going on? Do we know any longer? Are we concentrated on our connections to the point we don't see what is happening around us. I would say yes to that, I would say so.

    There isn't enough thought shared, or even thought about. Certain words strike fear, and the fearful seem to think if they fear something, we all should. But truth is, we don't all have the same vision, wish list, nor the 'to do list'.  We are not united, but then we aren't as divided as those so fearful want, they seem to be the ones divided.

   As I watch and wonder, I see projections from one group being laid upon another group, without understanding nor care.  If we built homes and buildings the way the politicians tried to gain and hold power over masses - nothing would stand.  Focus on making things work, fit, and still flexible.  Change will come, things happen, and drive on, it don't mean nothing.

   For without love.... there should be some Bible verse about that somewhere.

Words, to thoughts, to trouble or triumph... words...

     I have a normal American education: home, public school system and college.  I was a soldier and went through many schools and attitude adjustments while in uniform. I have visited, worked in and lived in other countries and cultures and driven as quickly as I could through some of them (don't remember ever stopping in Belgium). I have talked with foreigners in their home country, in their language (I did it badly, but I did try) and I do know that in their country in their language they aren't the alien, I was. I am so thankful they were kind and had courtesy, when faced with my presence.

   I read a lot, and spend too much time on Facebook but I have noticed there aren't a lot of really nice people writing nor contributing on it, and the ads are really slowing my addiction to it.  But they don't need me for anything.  There are good people, with real lives, families and good friends and I like to see them and see what they share. I haven't gotten to the point of blocking, dropping or abandoning the Facebook feed.  But really, all I have to do is go to the YMCA, Church, or shooting range (I have a new one for me The Marksman , just down the road), and whatever flows on the internets will not affect me. Thank you for choices.

   Coming back from Vietnam in 1971 with bad habits and stupidity, I was telling a war story (and I do not remember the story) in my mother's living room, with family around and the F-word flowed easily from my lips and my mind went into alarms, flashing lights and screams from my nicer side. You couldn't have told it from my story - I just rolled right on over good manners, honor and decency. No more foul language came out but there was a burn scar in my mind over that word and using it right there in front of my mother, and family. I have used the word since, but only in moments of romantic passions.... believe that and I will sell you a swamp by the Potomac River. But I don't use it much at all, although I do understand all the possible correct ways it could be used, is used by others, and all the evil and terrible ways it is used by others. So I believe word choice always matters, it tells me a lot about the person using the word.

   The other night, I wrote something about being a staggering drunk and taking off my gun, which sounds like good sense in one way, and acceptance of stupid behavior another. Well, it wasn't true, I was trying to sound like I had a life.  The reality of changing into my bedtime Mickey Mouse pajamas is not the romantic heroic adventurer - I was about to close out on Facebook.  If I were totally honest I would say 'Earl, just a retired old fat man' and allow the world to paint its own picture of me... I don't have a problem with being old and so near death (knowing the future is shorter than my past is near to death).  But lovely words, can make our lives fun, loving, caring and happy, lovely words work. So do all the words used to convey ugly... there are many. The political season and human hen pecking bring all kinds of ugly labels, words and bad choices.

   Going to a Southern Korean Baptist Church where the majority culture, language and religious experience is based on Confucian relationships - I once noted that I felt like a benignly oppressed minority (being a paleskin American) and my darker skinned Baptist Brother said, yep, he had been that way all his life.  I can't be concerned about being a minority, I have been the only American soldier in a village in Germany, and in Korea and in Vietnam... the children look at you like 'what a strange looking, acting and what is he going to do next???' from around the corner of a building - built of bamboo, packed clay, or timber frames or bricks.  Well, the only thing I could do, of course, was to smile gently, don't step on anything and continue along going my way... survival mode level one.

   For sure, I will be labeled many things by people that don't know me, and by people that kinda
know me, and by friends and family that do know me... except the last normally just call me Earl, which has for many years explained it all.  You wouldn't want to hear our wives tell each other laughing about Dungey men as husbands - but it has always made me think that genetics might be more difficult to hide than environmental molding.  What I do know, is that I never have to accept anything I don't feel is true - especially words that I won't use and don't understand... so all those times I am supposed to feel terrible because sticks and stones and names left marks - just makes for my thicker skin, and I remember that the young ladies practicing their bullying on my mother, who had no idea what foul words were in English when she came to America as a teenager (words her parents never taught her) like water on most ducks backs - just rolling off... no acceptance.

Truth is, as Americans, we can do anything we are willing to fight about.

  Thanksgiving Day, thank you LORD, for all our blessings, the challenges and work you have set before us, and the strength and skills to work for your glory.

  It is a day to remember, and I have spent too much of it on Facebook and photos this morning, the Hallmark Yule Log is burning on my monitor with various singers adding to the holiday spirit, wrong holiday but like Greater California it will all merge on I5 one day.

  The family friends memories are enough, I can still taste warm rolls with melting butter from many of my childhood festive tables. Hope your holidays are brighter than the media, you certainly are brighter in love and life than they will ever be. God bless all your best and give your fears a rest.

Unpacked and cleaned up the Caravan...

   Washed all the clothes, repaired the demonstration rifle I always bring for demos. Looking at a better mounting of the laser pointer, although that laser bore sighter doesn't look too expensive. I did like it that Will had one we could borrow. Stepping right up, Will!


   So my final Appleseed of the year 2016, is in the history books. I had signed up for only one day, thinking that I had to get back for Sunday school, then the church decided to have combined service for Thanksgiving on the 20th, and that eliminated all Sunday schools. Okay, I get one more day on the range.

   The wind was interesting, the rain not very testing, but the threat was always there. All instruction given, there were some repeat Appleseeders in the line, good for them, and there were brand new to shooting to listen and learn. What didn't seem to happen was converting what we instructed to improved performance in target engagement.... our bad. But the foundation is laid, and will get filled in with study, dry practice and study. See you all on the range again, in another Appleseed event.

   Nice meeting you Frankie, I like the M1 carbine better after seeing you trying to master it. My father brought one back to the Continental United States, because he saw its potential in WWII in the Pacific, but then the idea of getting home and getting back into civilian (read 'real life') life loomed and he dropped it off in the amnesty box, because. You did better with the AR, but really, it will always be the shooter not the rifle that makes the difference.

   Rebekah, thanks for coming and trying all the positions, so remember next time, you can shoot all you want from whatever works. And I hope you get free of the pains.

   Curtis, lots of work on positions, six steps of the shot and NPOA, when the shot is right, squeeze and follow through... practice without bullets. They only add distraction.

   The two flankers, Will and Eric, sorry you were on a hillside, but that does happen sometimes. Eric practice both sides, a little more two eyes open pistol and shotgun practice. But you are left handed, shoot that way, practice both ways but always all six steps to make the shot, every shot.  Make everyone of them count.

  Trevor and Jerry, thanks for coming and trying to catch all that we offered.  More practice and more relaxing into your position (gravity rules) and your sling.

   Steve Cz, you will do better and better, you have a great attitude.  Movses you were working hard to do everything we taught, more practice and study and come on back, it really does work after a bit.

   Karl, thank you for the day you spent with us, come on back and thank you for the email that was posted to the AAR by Kimber Custom.  It does mean so much when our shooters speak up, write about the program and think that they will be better prepared next time.

   Robert, outstanding shooting, don't you think you are sandbagging now? There is an orange cap waiting for you.  Read Paul Revere's Ride and get excited about Liberty. America would only be Canada without it.. not that Canada isn't a fine country, but they aren't the same.

The weekend away...

   I went to Port Townsend to work on an Appleseed event, like I have done often enough in the past. It was one of the best Appleseeds I have ever attended, lots of great shooters, listening asking and paying attention to advice - then going and doing even better than we could expect.  Solid, yes I had met and worked with some of them before - but that is like working with the crew that joins you to put on the instruction, the set up and the clean up after.  You would hate going to the range all by yourself and friends and family always can make your experience much better.  Saw two shooters using their sling over their shoulder and back, seems to be something the modern military might teach, it did work.

Picture from a range long ago not in this post

    I had enough persistence to keep suggesting to Bob to use a loop sling, which he finally did and then watched his wonder that it made his groups smaller.  I think he figured using a .308 would make up for accuracy, but he is learning.  I hope to see him in February and find out if he used the dry practice to become even better when he uses bullets on paper.

   I enjoyed Alex and Robert on the far left of the firing line, just outside of the canopy coverage and directly under the rain pelting down. It just made them wet, they drove on not worrying about the little stuff.  Since on day two they were awesome and made Rifleman, that concentration in difficulty will be added to my next training day, a guy kind of thing.

  Colin brought, Beau, Garret and Indy, and they were having too good a time, but they came to shoot. I couldn't figure out why Garret could shoot so very well on Stage 1, until Colin mentioned he was more of a shotgunner, then it made sense. But I was very happy when Indy made her 228 Rifleman score, so was the shoot boss, Janer.

   Aaron was quiet, but taking notes for self, and using his AR like he depended on mastering it. He made Rifleman and promised to drag some of his reluctant friends to another one! Seems folks are still hung up on media myths about firearms, groups that quote Revolutionary War history, and teach rifle marksmanship... well, I have been doing this for eight years and except for slowly falling apart and then recovering (which has nothing to do with the organization or my interest) I do so like being rewarded by smiles and thank you from newly inspired Americans to find out more, this isn't a militia organization.  This is marksmanship and history, glad I could help.

There are some great ideas generated by the campaigns that neither candidate will live up to...

   I was teaching something in Sunday school, first word I used they wanted a definition for (fifth graders) Affluence, and I spelt it wrong. But I was amazed they didn't have it as a base word in their vocabulary... they see daily, just going through their backpacks and parents' automobiles, they know affluent and affluence.

   Then I was also teaching about the tower of Babel, and stressed how important it was that they learn a second language.  He who does not know foreign languages does not know anything about his own. ~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Kunst and Alterthum. Sounds so much better in German, or Deutch. :)  

  This isn't about the election, it is about America.  And no matter what the NRA says, the cause is Liberty not freedom, and they aren't the same word. America was founded by breaking away from England, keeping the language with rights to change it, and some some love of law, from, by and for the people.  Immediately, there were power grabs and defaults of debts and responsibility.  But we are better than that.  Most of us down here in the fly over country (and everywhere is flyover country anymore) have much higher values on life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness - but the government seems to taint, corrupt and find convincing ideas to make all of us miserable.  Wondering how it could be so wrong, not seeing the people behind the bad and stupid behavior of our, OUR elected representatives.


   Well, I am convinced that government, an institution, does not love the people.  Maybe governments can't have love for anything. The governments do seem to have survival instincts.  And they want to grow, and be more powerful and definitely in charge and paid attention to... I still remember Microsoft getting the treatment from Congress, cause Bill Gates and company hadn't bowed down and sent gifts. I always thought Mr. Gates should have called for inspection of all the government computers and found all the unlicensed copies of Microsoft programs on government computers... it would have been interesting.  My point is government is about power, centralizing it and holding it against all others.

  And the folks working for the government hardly ever have a great idea, they always fall back on force to make sure things go the way they want them to, and the people hardly ever know the people behind the need to make things happen. A layer of underemployed but overpaid lawyers and former public servants muffle any outcry of complaint about somethings that stink at the local level but are too far away from the media and the powers that be enriching themselves.


   So tomorrow, people will be elected to offices, and none of them are leaders - they could be leaders, but most Americans will go their own way always.  Serving in office means just that - serving.  Not ruling, there isn't any ruling without nobility and kings, there is service, and it is supposed to be public service.


   I would love to have: government out of the way of progress, Americans will invent a better way. Government regulations hardly work, because smart folks are paid well to get around the stupid obstacles in the way of progress. 


   I want the same classification on the government forms that the IRS demonstrates so well. There is no block for racial identity, because money doesn't care.  Should be the same on everything else the government does... no block on racial id.

Stronger together is true, and only those that want to divide us, are looking to control our participation. Do your own thing, liberty demands it.