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Praetorium Honoris

Saturday, September 30, 2017

A Birthday of Note

All of my tribe and a big chunk of Big Time's tribe
Not much of a post today. I'm feeling a bit lazy and there is a birthday to celebrate.

Joe asked yesterday if there was someone I had forgotten to mention. Well, yes. (And the mention of her magic in the kitchen didn't really count.)

Today is the birthday of the one who has marched by my side for over forty years. (As husband and wife exactly 40 come January.)

She is my raison d'être, she is as important to me as the air I breathe. Without her, I am nothing. With her, I am everything.

She doesn't like the limelight, yet she is the reason I stayed in the Air Force all those years, she inspired me to stick with it and make it a career. She urged me to finish my degree and then spurred me on to get my master's degree.

While in college, she took care of the kids. When I was away on deployments, she took care of the kids. When I was working 12-hour days, she took care of the kids.

Truth be told, she was taking care of me, always. Her biggest baby really, for that's really what we husbands can be at times.

While I faced the world, she had my back.

She inspired the kids to go to college, to work hard and prosper. I think she did well.

She will fly out to California to watch our grandkids without a second thought.

I wore the uniform, but we both served.

She truly is, the wind beneath my wings.

Thanks babe.

Love you...



Friday, September 29, 2017

Things I Cherish

Maine
I complain too much, I don't want you all to think I'm this cranky, er, I mean, grouchy old guy who just likes to sit around whining about stuff. There's lots of things I like, one might even say, love. Here are a few. In no particular order.

Being on the water (The Nuke and Little Bit)
My granddog Bear
My granddog Kodi
Dusk
Aircraft Carriers
Things that go fast (that's my son The Naviguesser)
Dancing because it feels good! (That's L'il Sweetie and Little Bit)
Christmas
Candles on a dark night
Sailing ships and boats
My cat Anya
My cat Sasha
Clouds
Daughters (The WSO and The Nuke)
Jets!
Fall in New England
Fish and chips at Aidan's Pub (not to mention the Guinness, For Strength!)
Narragansett Bay
Moonrise
Remembering absent friends
Coming home (The Owl and her brother, Big O)
Flowers
More jets!
The Missus Herself's pot roast!
The view from the Mt Hope Bridge while stuck in traffic
The Lord
Gaff rigged schooners!
Our garden
Sunrise
Sunset
Visiting Sandy Eggo (as seen from the flight deck of a carrier)
The Sea
Okay, I really like the view from Mt Hope Bridge
Learning how to sail
Winter in New England
A good porter
Hanging out with friends, on the hangar deck of an aircraft carrier...
Being goofy with friends, on the hangar deck of an aircraft carrier...

But wait, there's more!

Books!
Hanging with family
Telling sea stories - me, LUSH, Bubbles, and Mrs. Bubbles
Heroes
The Ma Deuce
(Okay, I don't cherish the M2, but it is pretty cool.)
Walking the flight deck with LUSH
Hanging with friends - me, LUSH, and ORPO
Jets!
Trying to look cool... (in the VFA-2 Ready Room aboard USS Ronald Reagan)
I try to remember, life has been good to me. I am blessed.

Oh, did I mention how much I like music?



Happy camper, c'est moi!



Thursday, September 28, 2017

TIFPA IV

(Source)
I find it somewhat surprising that I haven't had another post in my series (drum roll please) Things I Find Particularly Annoying, or TIFPA (pronounced just as it's spelled). As you might guess, if'n you know your Roman numerals, this is the fourth installment of this ground breaking...

Actually, it's just me whining about stuff. First installment is here, the second here, and the third here. Just in case you wanted some background whining, er, I mean, material. Y a know, put my whining in context. So to speak.

Anyhoo, here we go, Part IV of Things I Find Particularly Annoying. Oh, and for what it's worth, these things always seem to occur on Thursdays. The posts that is, the things I find particularly annoying occur on any day of the week. Just thought I'd mention that.


Cell phones are a wondrous invention which provide a) the ability to communicate with anyone in the world, b) the ability to instantly look stuff up on the Internet, and c) the ability to annoy the piss out of everyone around you who isn't on a cell phone.

People driving down the road, cell phone pasted to one ear, one hand waving in the air to illustrate some point (hhmm, unless it's a video call, the other person can't see the hand), one hand on the wheel, sort of, and the operator's gaze on the road, but not really focused, ya know.

There's a reason why many states have mandated a hands free rule for cell phones. On most military bases cell phone usage while behind the wheel is streng verboten. There are reasons, like running into stuff while talking on the cell phone.

There are people walking around everywhere on their phones, what the heck are they talking about? It vexes me.

Guys at work (it's always men, women have more sense in these matters) with the little ear bud are walking back and forth in the hallways having "important" conversations with other business wienies. And they are totally oblivious to their surroundings, they're a hazard to freaking navigation I tell you!

I am seldom on my phone, normally only to answer a call from The Missus Herself or one of the progeny. I call my Mom, not enough, it's a guy thing, again women have more sense in those matters, and I will occasionally order pizza using my phone.

Those maroons in the hallways at work drive me nuts.

Back in my smoking days (almost five years now, smoke free) a number of us would gather in the courtyard at work for a smoke. This one troll would wander out at least once a week, talking on his cell phone and barge right into our group.

After a moment or two, while we kept talking, he paused in his inane conversation and said, "Do you guys mind? I'm on the phone."

Grrrrrrrrr....

No, he didn't die, but it was close. If looks could kill they'd still be scraping him off the sidewalk.

I will occasionally see the following scene in my head whenever a wandering cell phone minstrel impedes my progress...



Yeah, I'm the samurai, the guys in suits are the cell phone dorks.

Note: when you are a samurai, that's the only time "man buns" are cool. And technically, it's a top knot, not a man bun.

Wakarimasu ka?