Hard Soldier

Tis the season

Ramadan has come to the middle east and traditionally this is a time when US casualties go up. I have prepared for the festive Ramadan season by setting up my Ramadan tree and putting little Ramadan lights all over my tent and stringing garland made of bullets across my chest. Ah yes you gotta love the holidays. Ok so now I realize why Islamic nations are so angry and bitter this time of year and I gotta tell you folks I would be too. Ramadan is a month long fast and nobody is allowed to eat, drink, or smoke until the sun goes down. Islam just isn't the religion for me because those are three of my favorite things to do besides sh%t and sleep. Hey we all have our wacky religous beliefs though right? I'm catholic and some people think confessing is a little over the top, I call it free professional venting. Jewish people don't eat pork and wear yamika's but, funny little hats are fashionable in the polka world. Atheists don't believe in religion and I'm sure they all burn in hell, ok maybe not. Scientology has Tom Cruise and I mean let's face it the guy was in the movie Top Gun so you know they must know something, and Maverick was a badass that got the girl in the end. Are we really all so very different? I don't think so, in the end Muslims, Christians, Jews, Atheists, and even Scientologist are all about the same thing. Taking care of your family and being a good person, we just go about doing it in different ways but it all adds up to the same pile of mashed potatoes in the end. One of these days we'll understand each others differences and live in peace until then, Drink up baby! the sun's down and it's Ramadan! 

It's a dirty job but somebody's gotta do it

In the world today as competetive as it is employment and status is kind of a big thing in some circles and cultures. Who is the most important and who really takes precedence on the ladder of white or blue collar labor? A lot of the answer to that question one would suppose is what exactly does one do for a living? Take myself for example, I sure do get a lot of people telling me thank you for the job that I do but, I really don't think my job is the most important in the world. How about policemen and women? they protect and serve and firemen pull cats out of trees, now what would the lovely little old ladies in the world do without a strong fireman to pull their cats out of trees? Does a career of servitude to the people of America even constitute being important? How about the mechanics in America? They keep us driving and going to these important jobs that we must all be at. The corporate employee and CEO's ensure that stores and commerce stay open and without that we would have no luxuries right? SO who takes the cake for most important job in America? Guess what my faithful readers (all 3 of you) I have the answer to this question. Being that I am in the military and priveleged to top secret information I have been privy to documents containing the answer to this very question that has you with your face an inch away from the monitor buzzing with excitement, anticipating the answer. The drive thru employee at MC Donalds is the most important employee in America, and I will explain. That pimple faced 17 year old or 40 year old that has had a really rough life has one sole responsibility, and that my friends is to hand out bags of happiness and joy to the impatient and overworked employees of America. If this underappreciated professional does not get his job right every single time lives could be altered. What is more frustrating than getting home only to realize that there is no BBQ sauce in the bag for your golden delicious chicken mc nuggets? I rest my case. "S@#t! I told them no F*%king cheese!" you know you've said it and that's why your laughing. Remember folks it's the little things in life that make the world so much easier to enjoy.

"Curses"

There is no such thing as bad luck right? Well I have been hit by more IEDS and had more break downs and just overall bad luck than most in the company so much that people are starting to say that I'm bad luck. These guys have even given me the nickname "routes red". I don't know if I should be honored or just keep laughing at it. I mean it's my job to work in danger so I don't consider it bad luck I think it's all just part of the job but, these guys keep telling me I'm bad luck. Bad luck is a little more like pissing on your pants in the mens room on a date with Miss America, or sneezing and snot flies all over some female you are trying to hit on in a bar now that is bad luck. This, this is just part of the job and I think that's why I'm ok with it. Ok enough of the bad luck stuff before I jinx myself. My wife just sent me the video to the ultra sound! wow these things are high speed now I mean I could see her face and everything it was pretty neat. I am pretty excited about being a new daddy all over again. It has been some time since I raised a baby. My wife says she is so ready to have the baby, I feel pretty bad that I am not there with her but she is strong. Oh oh oh I almost forgot! So check it out I was walking to the PX the other day and guess who I run into? My recruits! I enlisted a bunch of the guys that are going home and are passing through, it was a trip because they were excited to see me and I was pretty stoked to see them too. It's not everyday you run into your recruiter in a combat zone. I'm surprised they weren't pissed at me for getting them in the Army.