It has just occured to me (and to D too) that we will, in 6 weeks,begin preparations to part ways again. It doesn't seem right.  We're still trying to get used to living together again; we're still dealing with the aftermath of a year apart.  It doesn't seem right that we should have to prepare to be separated again. But, war has no respect for relationships. It does not recognize anniversaries and birthdays, it does not differentiate between holidays and any other day of th...

I don't think I can handle another night like last night.  It started when he fell asleep around 9 pm (has to be in to work early this morning - 5am, to be precise). He nodded off on his side, facing the TV.  I was watching "Law and Order", and I had to turn the volume up because I couldn't hear the dialogue over his snoring.  I'm really surprise he didn't wake himself up, he was that loud. I didn't want to disturb him - he can be venemous if you wake him from his sleep ...

...how pathetic and sad I must seem to other people. Because of my hobby/pastime....my passion for knitting. I found a knitting supply store in my area and I got so excited over it I called not only the store to tell them I was excited but my mother, my husband and my mother-in-law too. This store is the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow for me...now I won't have to make do with whatever WalMart or the generic craft store carries, I can go hog wild with mohair and wool/cotton blen...

Today is the day D goes to work as an E-6.  I have to say that the extra stripe on his arm looks...well, comfortable, I suppose.  Like it belongs there. As for me, well...I quit my job last week.  It had served it's purpose...it gave us a little extra for the holidays, and that was really what mattered.  It was by no means a career choice for me.  So, today, after the kids and D have departed and I've done the cleaning, I'm going to sit with my needles and turn out a ...

I'm toying with the idea of selling my knitted goods this year.  I'm thinking that hats and headscarves for adults and kids will be my main product, because I can knit them well and fairly quickly.  I'm also going to try using some more natural yarns like alpaca wools and a hemp-cotton blend....my styles have a hippy-boho feel to them so if I made them in a more natural material....they might be more appealing. The thing is, I don't know where to start.  I don't want to sel...

As an act of goodwill, I have decided to rescind my decision to allow only registered users to respond on my blog.  It's open for all....anyone who wishes to comment may do so. I have made my peace with those I formerly described as trolls, and they are welcome here.  I stand by my 'zero tolerance' policy....any troll-esque remarks will still be deleted, but I honestly don't expect too many now.  May 2005 usher in a new era of understanding and mutual respect.  Let...

Link A 67 year old retired Romanian university professor is expecting twin girls in February.  She concieved the babies after 9 years of fertility treatment to delay menopause. WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH PEOPLE???  What kind of a life are these babies going to have?  Who's going to look after them when their mother dies - which will probably happen before they turn 20.  How can this woman expect to keep up with caring for one newborn, let alone two?!!!! I thought...

*this is slightly jumbled - i wrote as it came to me.  Hopefully it makes sense...if not ask and I'll try to clarify* Does my telling you things about myself mean that you know me? Does my telling you negative things about myself, things that I'm ashamed of....does that mean that you know me? Could it be that I'm playing my cards close to my chest?  That you really don't know me at all....you just know what I choose to show you?  That I'm playing the hand that I've been d...

...and the Commander shook my hand and told me "good job!" D had his promotions ceremony this afternoon.  The Shirt, commander, the Ops Officer and Superintendent were all there, as were the guys D works with and for, about 20 people in all. D chose me and his supervisor to 'tack' on his stripes for him.  Basically, they put tape on the back of the stripes, and each tacking designee gets to puch the stripes on to the promotees arm. I gave him a good right....so good that the r...

I had written a whole long piece about how I'm angry and why I'm angry...... ...then decided to delete it all.  Fuck it.  It's not worth it.  Oh, and fuck you.  Yeah, you.  You know who you are.   I'm going to go chant you away now.  You no longer exist in my world.  You have joined the ranks of non-entities.  You'll be in good company there.

Here at JU we are incredibly fortunate to have amongst us some real American heros.  Men and women who give of themselves every day to protect this great nation.  This blog is a tribute to them and what they do. Hyperborean Wanderer Link and Life Happens Link (I'm going to include their S.O's, they support this country as well): HW is in Iraq right now.  His blog has some pretty graphic accounts of life over there...including car bombings and shootings.  LH, his ad...

According to the dictionary, I'm a heathen.  I don't believe in the monotheistic God of Christianity or Judaism or Islam. However, my 'heathenhood' does not mean that I am devoid of morality or compassion.  I don't worship Satan, I don't sacrifice lambs on altars, and your children will not be magically corrupted just by being in my presence. I'm a practicing Buddhist.  I try to adhere to the four noble truths  Link and the eightfold path Link . Those precepts ar...

Fifty-two thousand is the death toll in Asia this afternoon, and according to sources it's only going to get bigger. Can you imagine?  That's the size of the entire town I live close to. All those lives, all those people...gone.  Those were all someone's family or someone's friend....it's mind-boggling the far-reaching effects this is having and will continue to have. Even those who weren't killed outright by the tsunami are in danger of dying now.  There's no clean dri...

I just scored me a sweet ass T shirt on eBay.  It looks like this: Hey, if Madonna can wear 'Mary is my homegirl' and 'Kabbalists do it better' T's then I can sport a 'Buddha is my homeboy'....right? I had stopped telling people about my chosen path.  I had some negative reactions at one point, and I stopped telling people because I felt that it made them uncomfortable. Then I thought about it....and thought about it some more....and decided I'm not going to hide wh...

My big brother's coming to St Louis on business next month sometime....which means I get to see him for the first time in 10 years!  Yay!!!!! He's a corporate private investigator, and he contracts with a few companies in the US, Budweiser being one of them (along with Jack Daniels, Phillip Morris, Waterford Crystal, Rolex, Ralston Purina etc etc...).  Budweiser's head office is in St Louis......so he's taking a day off to come and see me!  (Even if he didn't take a day off I'd...