When I told Daniel that I was ok with him taking this new job that would take him away for months at a time, I thought it was ok, that I could handle it. After all, it is a fantastic job, doing what he loves, and doing good things. Boy was I wrong, sorta. I am ok, for the most part, the nightly anxiety fits have settled down and I am sleeping better. But its the stupidest little things that get me to tearing up these days, like a couple kissing or hugging on tv, or tonight, driving home after a visit with a friend down south to an empty house. Just silly things. I know in the long run this will all settle down, and this is a good thing, but man, right now, this just SUCKS!
Ok, enough whining, got a funny one for you now. I had a root canal done this morning to hopefully repair things in my mouth so that when I eat sweets I don't start screaming a few seconds later (I'm a sucker for pain, so yeah, I have been eating them) Anyway, the doc is in there this morning poking around when he discovers a small cotton swab that had been left in there. Now, the only reasonable explaination we could come up with is that they intended me to have a full root canal 2 years ago when I returned to the states. But boy, it was funny and the freakiest weird thing that I think I have ever had happen to me. Mind you it didn't cause any harm and is common practice. I have one in there now until next week when I return for a permanent filling.
Otherwise, things are truely ok here, I have started sleeping ok at nights, save for when Lilith (one of my cats) crawls up on the bed with me and decides that my neck makes a great pillow LOL. I really think that they know that Daddy is gone right now, so they have wanted extra attention, especially Lil:) She's a snuggle bug that one is:)
Late here, so I am going to feed said animals, and nod off to merry land. I have Yoga in the morning so must be rested for that.
September 22, 2006
September 18, 2006
I'M AN AUNT
My brother and sister-in-law welcomed young miss Lily Elizabeth into the world yesterday. At a little over 8 pounds, she has definitly inherited their height as she is one long baby:-D I haven't seen pictures yet, but I've no doubt she is the most gorgeous baby in the world, after all she has gorgeous parents:-D
September 12, 2006
In for the long Haul
Well, after a wonderful weekend of having my husband home for 2 additional days (He flew in on Thursday night vs Saturday morning), I dropped him off at the airport this morning and his plane should be taking off right about now to take him to Iraq for three months. I am not doing too good right now, though I am at work to take my mind off the fact that I return home to a semi empty house. The two cats are a comfort but they aren't him. I am sure that in a few weeks I will finally adjust to sleeping alone, but it SUCKS! I'll be ok though, I promise. Aren't I always?
BTW in an update to the previous post, I just recieved my copy of the book, and it is fabulous. Certainly worth a look see. Matthew did a wonderful job compiling all of the blogs and putting in interesting information to go along with. Also in the back is a "where are they now" section that is pretty cool, so you see where they were when they blogged and then where they are now. I liked that:)
BTW in an update to the previous post, I just recieved my copy of the book, and it is fabulous. Certainly worth a look see. Matthew did a wonderful job compiling all of the blogs and putting in interesting information to go along with. Also in the back is a "where are they now" section that is pretty cool, so you see where they were when they blogged and then where they are now. I liked that:)
September 05, 2006
NEWS FLASH!!!!
This is a new book coming out that was compiled by a fellow blogger. I was honored in that he chose one of my blogs, one written shortly after my little blow-up for inclusion in the book, but there are many other bloggers in there as well with their own perspectives of the war. A list is currently posted on my sidebar. So without further ado, go buy the book detailed below:-D
( I would have a picture of the cover here, but Blogger hates me currently, I will post later when able to.)
THE BLOG
OF WAR
Front-line Dispatches from
Soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan
Military blogs have transformed the way we look at war and the military, says U.S. Army veteran and military blogger (“Blackfive”) Mathew Currier Burden, author of THE BLOG OF WAR: Front-line Dispatches from Soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan (Simon and Schuster; September 12, 2006; $15.00). Military blogs—milblogs, for short—give readers an uncensored, intimate, and immediate view of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. “Military blogs”, says Burden, “have been an experiment in putting lives that are on the line online.”
The first milblogs came after the invasion of Afghanistan, when the U.S. military gave soldiers internet access. Blogging became the perfect way for soldiers to stay in touch with and to tell their stories to their comrades-in-arms, their friends and families, and even the public at large. Milblogs were ideal for filling in the gaps that both the media and the military left out of the war. For the first time in the history of warfare, the public had access to an immediate, uncensored bird’s-eye view of what was really happening on the ground.
Unfortunately, the U.S. government is now trying to shut down these blogs and otherwise censor them. THE BLOG OF WAR could very well be one of the last real-time records of the war told by our troops as they risk their lives.
After the death of a friend in Iraq, Burden started his own blog, Blackfive.net, in mid-2003 to support the troops fighting the War on Terror and tell their stories. Blackfive.net quickly became one of the most visited and linked blogs and has won consecutive “Best Military Blog” honors in the Weblog Awards. Now, Matt Burden has collected some of the most riveting and insightful work by other bloggers in THE BLOG OF WAR.
In it you will meet:
The Warriors. Each day they must go into battle “to fight the dragons.” Readers who have never heard a shot fired in anger will come closer to knowing what it’s like to enter a known terrorist safe house or patrol the streets of Baghdad.
The Leaders. Combat leadership can be the toughest and loneliest job in the world. “Seldom is the average American subjected to decisions of right and wrong where consequences result in death,” says one soldier.
The Healers. The medics who staunch the blood and patch the wounds of their fellow soldiers on the wretched expanses of the battlefield, working feverishly between the next bullet and the nearest hospital to keep their buddies alive.
Heroes from the Homefront. Having a loved one in harm’s way is a very stressful and trying experience. Some relatives get help from friends, family, and neighbors. Many others, however, especially those on bases or in neighborhoods where everyone is deployed, can find themselves struggling alone.
The Fallen. Not everyone makes it back home: bloggers pay tribute to those who have fallen in defense of their country – spouses mourn their husbands, soldiers mourn not only their comrades but their Iraqi friends as well, and heartbreaking last letters home are shared.
Homecoming. Soldiers share their poignant accounts of homecoming. Some soldiers have been injured and others have wounds that can’t be seen. Words can’t really describe what it is for them to come back in one piece and be reunited with their loved ones, but THE BLOG OF WAR conveys these emotionally charged moments as few books ever have.
Military bloggers offer the public unfettered access to the War on Terror. The public does not have to wait weeks or months to hear what’s happened, nor settle for the government’s approved messages. In the past, there were only three sources from which the public could learn about a war: Combat correspondents, who sometimes wrote in the midst of action but just as often did not; government reports, which were often a mix of truth, propaganda and even disinformation; and soldiers who gave their own accounts of what they witnessed in letters to friends and family, accounts sometimes censored by the military, and always written and received well after the fighting had subsided.
THE BLOG OF WAR is a remarkable account of men and women as they actually experience the trials and tribulations of war on the battlefield, where our soldiers must daily test their humanity against harrowing episodes of the horror and fear. Readers are certain to have a better understanding and a greater respect for those who risk their lives for their country in these most turbulent times.
About the Author
Matthew Currier Burden enlisted in the military when he was seventeen. He left the military as a major in the U.S. Army Reserve in July 2001. He has a Master of Science degree in computer science from the University of Chicago and works as an IT executive in Chicago.
About the Book
THE BLOG OF WAR
By Matthew Currier Burden
Published by Simon & Schuster
Publication Date: September 12, 2006
Price: $15.00
ISBN: 0-7432-9418-1
( I would have a picture of the cover here, but Blogger hates me currently, I will post later when able to.)
THE BLOG
OF WAR
Front-line Dispatches from
Soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan
Military blogs have transformed the way we look at war and the military, says U.S. Army veteran and military blogger (“Blackfive”) Mathew Currier Burden, author of THE BLOG OF WAR: Front-line Dispatches from Soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan (Simon and Schuster; September 12, 2006; $15.00). Military blogs—milblogs, for short—give readers an uncensored, intimate, and immediate view of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. “Military blogs”, says Burden, “have been an experiment in putting lives that are on the line online.”
The first milblogs came after the invasion of Afghanistan, when the U.S. military gave soldiers internet access. Blogging became the perfect way for soldiers to stay in touch with and to tell their stories to their comrades-in-arms, their friends and families, and even the public at large. Milblogs were ideal for filling in the gaps that both the media and the military left out of the war. For the first time in the history of warfare, the public had access to an immediate, uncensored bird’s-eye view of what was really happening on the ground.
Unfortunately, the U.S. government is now trying to shut down these blogs and otherwise censor them. THE BLOG OF WAR could very well be one of the last real-time records of the war told by our troops as they risk their lives.
After the death of a friend in Iraq, Burden started his own blog, Blackfive.net, in mid-2003 to support the troops fighting the War on Terror and tell their stories. Blackfive.net quickly became one of the most visited and linked blogs and has won consecutive “Best Military Blog” honors in the Weblog Awards. Now, Matt Burden has collected some of the most riveting and insightful work by other bloggers in THE BLOG OF WAR.
In it you will meet:
The Warriors. Each day they must go into battle “to fight the dragons.” Readers who have never heard a shot fired in anger will come closer to knowing what it’s like to enter a known terrorist safe house or patrol the streets of Baghdad.
The Leaders. Combat leadership can be the toughest and loneliest job in the world. “Seldom is the average American subjected to decisions of right and wrong where consequences result in death,” says one soldier.
The Healers. The medics who staunch the blood and patch the wounds of their fellow soldiers on the wretched expanses of the battlefield, working feverishly between the next bullet and the nearest hospital to keep their buddies alive.
Heroes from the Homefront. Having a loved one in harm’s way is a very stressful and trying experience. Some relatives get help from friends, family, and neighbors. Many others, however, especially those on bases or in neighborhoods where everyone is deployed, can find themselves struggling alone.
The Fallen. Not everyone makes it back home: bloggers pay tribute to those who have fallen in defense of their country – spouses mourn their husbands, soldiers mourn not only their comrades but their Iraqi friends as well, and heartbreaking last letters home are shared.
Homecoming. Soldiers share their poignant accounts of homecoming. Some soldiers have been injured and others have wounds that can’t be seen. Words can’t really describe what it is for them to come back in one piece and be reunited with their loved ones, but THE BLOG OF WAR conveys these emotionally charged moments as few books ever have.
Military bloggers offer the public unfettered access to the War on Terror. The public does not have to wait weeks or months to hear what’s happened, nor settle for the government’s approved messages. In the past, there were only three sources from which the public could learn about a war: Combat correspondents, who sometimes wrote in the midst of action but just as often did not; government reports, which were often a mix of truth, propaganda and even disinformation; and soldiers who gave their own accounts of what they witnessed in letters to friends and family, accounts sometimes censored by the military, and always written and received well after the fighting had subsided.
THE BLOG OF WAR is a remarkable account of men and women as they actually experience the trials and tribulations of war on the battlefield, where our soldiers must daily test their humanity against harrowing episodes of the horror and fear. Readers are certain to have a better understanding and a greater respect for those who risk their lives for their country in these most turbulent times.
About the Author
Matthew Currier Burden enlisted in the military when he was seventeen. He left the military as a major in the U.S. Army Reserve in July 2001. He has a Master of Science degree in computer science from the University of Chicago and works as an IT executive in Chicago.
About the Book
THE BLOG OF WAR
By Matthew Currier Burden
Published by Simon & Schuster
Publication Date: September 12, 2006
Price: $15.00
ISBN: 0-7432-9418-1
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
