68 posts from 2007 (page 2)

What is the best present you have ever given?
Submitted by quornflour.

The best present I have ever given was a present to a person in need.  I have participated in gift drives for less fortunate children.  I have also participated in food drives or glove and hat drives to provide a holiday meal or comfort to the less fortunate.  I think the best part of these gifts is that the giver and the receiver remain anonymous to each other.  The person receiving the gift knows that someone out there cares enough to offer a small touch of love during the holiday season.  The person giving gets the satisfaction of knowing they did something good for a person they do not know.  It is a good reminder of what the Christmas season is truly about.

I have found that I am not the only one who is getting irritated with two of my troops.  Numerous other supervisors and the support staff in the unit have voiced their opinions of one of them.  I have told a couple people that they missed a rather heated confrontation between that troop and me in the hallway of our squadron building.  I am still thankful our Chief did not come in as early that morning, because he would have probably intervened.

I admit, the incident leading up to it should have been handled a different way.  I was already frustrated with another troop and was not happy to learn that him and a few others had apparently blown off something they were told to do.  It should have been handled more professionally.  However, I will NOT tolerate one of my troops mouthing off to me in front of several other troops and giving me a very disrespectful attitude.  If he had a problem with what I said, then he should have done what one of the other troops did, and approached me in a more respectful and private manner.  If he wishes to start a public confrontation, that is fine.  I will end it just as publicly.

This confrontation came after I had to deal with another troop not doing what he was supposed to be doing.  I pull an exercise on this troop to prove a point that he needed to pay more attention to his surroundings.  While I am not surprised about the result of the exercise, I was very unhappy about how long it took him to react to it.  His lack of attention and common sense posed a great security risk.  I cannot have that.  I cannot, and will not, babysit this troop while he is on post.  I have other responsibilities and troops to keep track of.  He passed his evaluation, so there is no excuse for what he did.

On a better note, my insurance company decided my car was repairable last week.  I am hoping to hear back from the body shop tomorrow.  I really want my car back.  This decision came after the insurance adjuster told me the car was borderline totaled and would likely be officially totaled after his inspector took a look at it.  The accident caused $6,000 in damage.  I am assuming that my car is worth just over that.  I had just accepted the idea that I should start looking for another car when I was told it would be repaired.  One can imagine how happy I was.

Thanksgiving was a good holiday.  The Veterans of Foreign Wars brought food out to us, so we were well fed.  My friend, Khandi and I celebrated Thanksgiving on Friday.  I invited Rob, but he declined.

Tomorrow, I will be taking another of my troops to the hospital so he can have surgery on his foot.  I suppose I should be happy that he trusts me enough to ask for help.  I hope the surgery is successful.  My troop has plans for next year that will be jeopardized if the surgery does not go well.

I was the victim of a hit-and-run accident last week.  I was driving home from base after conducting some training with a couple of my troops.  A pickup truck pulled out in front of me from the parking lot of a Denny's restaurant.  There was no way I was going to be able to stop in time.  I t-boned the truck.  I think the only reason I remember that it was white is because of the paint transfer on the front of my car.  The female driver of the pickup fled the scene.  Two Good Samaritans that witnessed the accident pursued the fleeing driver and police were able to catch up with her.  I do not know why she fled the scene.  I do not much care at the moment, either.  I would not have minded the lack of insurance or driver's license.  The fact she fled the scene, though, is very upsetting and has left me somewhat traumatized from the accident, even though I suffered no injuries and there is a good chance they will be able to repair my car.

I do not know how the front bumper stayed on the car.  The passenger side front hazard light was disconnected, yet somehow stayed with the car.  I do not know how that worked.  The hood buckled slightly from the impact to the front bumper.  I am not sure if they will have it.  Something in the general area of the radiator is leaking.  I am not sure if it is the radiator itself or if it was something near the radiator.  Both airbags deployed.  The force of the passenger airbag deploying spider webbed the passenger side of the windshield.  I am thankful that I wear my seatbelt when driving my POV.

For now, I am in a rental car.  Rob has a friend who has an extra car that he is willing to let me borrow should I feel the need to.  The insurance agency and body shop have not given an estimate of the damage on my car yet.  They said I might have the estimate by tonight.  I also need to get the police report.  I would like to see if there is information on there as to why the driver fled the scene.  I also would like to see if that person has insurance.

And in the midst of all this, I have two troops trying to walk all over me and one more that has been relieved of duty for something beyond stupid.  I think that troop is just trying to take what they view as an easy way out.  I think he will face some interesting charges if they find the troop's claim to be false.  As for the other two, they failed their evaluations earlier this month, so they are not in a good position to be pissing people off, and I know I am not the only one that is irritated.  I told two sergeants yesterday that if their behavior did not drastically improve, they would find themselves redoing the entire evaluation, not just parts they failed.  I have to turn in the paperwork, and I am not turning it in if I do not feel they are ready.  If they fail again, it could come back on me.  I will NOT let that happen.  I think I will be having a "Come to Jesus" meeting with both of them.  I am not really looking forward to it.

It has been a while since I last posted my thoughts on things I find interesting in the news.

I was wandering through CNN.com when I found an article about 'Roe vs. Wade for Men' being rejected by a federal appeals court.  Apparently, a man in Michigan argued that if a woman could chose among abortion, adoption, or raising a child, then a man involved in an unintended pregnancy should be able to decline the financial responsibilities of fatherhood.  The man also argued that paternity laws in Michigan violates the U.S. Constitution equal protection clause because it does not extend reproductive rights to men.  Okay.  First, if people do not use some form of protection while sharing intimacies, then they should not be surprised at the possibility of a pregnancy.  Granted, according to the article, the woman involved told this man she could not get pregnant due to a medical problem.  I will not assume she lied to the man, but the man should have taken precautions just in case.  Second, if the woman decides to keep and raise the baby, and she is responsible and capable of properly caring for the baby, then I believe the baby's father should provide some support for the child.  This support should be within the man's financial means, of course.  I believe both parents should be held responsible for the child.  This means that the father should be involved in the child's life, whether he planned to have a child or not.  Of course, this would mean that the parents need to have a somewhat decent relationship, if for nothing else but the sake of the child.  It takes two to have a child.  It should take two to raise the child.

Another interesting article I found was about a grave robber in New Hampshire.  The body of a woman who died in 1821 was stolen from her grave on Halloween.  Investigators are investigating all angles of the grave robbery, including that of witchcraft.  They say it appeared too neat for a grave robber interested in looting the grave of any valuables (jewelry).  The article even added a tidbit about some people believe that if a skull is taken on Halloween, it will grant powers to the one who holds it.  I found it interesting because I do not see articles about grave robbers or witchcraft too often.  I wonder if the article hold any truth.

I have three cats.  They are Colby, Cheddar, and Chantico.

Colby is a orange cat with white on his chest, tummy, and paws.  Cheddar is all orange.  Colby and Cheddar are litter mates, thus I dubbed them 'The Cheese Brothers' shortly after I adopted them from the nearby animal shelter.  I decided to keep the names the shelter had already given them.

The shelter preferred that more than one pet was adopted, so they offered a pretty good price for the two litter mates.  I was looking for two cats.  This was because I work long hours, so I figured it would be better to have two cats so they did not get lonely.

I had long wanted to enjoy the company of felines again, especially since I grew up with a house full of cats.  The base dorms do not allow pets.  While some people may disobey this rule, I did not.  Thus, I was quite ecstatic when I finally moved off base and was able to adopt cats.

Chantico is a chocolate point Siamese.  She is named after a very rich chocolate drink that Starbucks used to offer.  Rob likened this drink to drinking a brownie.  I bought Chantico from a breeder.  She is the second Siamese that I have had.  I was impressed with how quickly Colby and Cheddar adapted to her presence.  They had not been so kind to her predecessor.  It was quite entertaining to see two big orange cats being chased around by a little white cotton ball of a kitten.

My first Siamese was named Chaos.  I realized after tracing Chantico's lineage that Chaos was an uncle of hers.  Chaos was the runt of his litter.  I thought it would be best to have another male, and he was the only one left, so I chose him.  It turned out that he has some serious health problems.  He died a month after I bought him.  He had a knot or fold in his digestive tract that prevented him from digesting food properly.

Anyhow, I bought a couple of new pieces of cat furniture to replace the scratching posts they have effectively shredded.  They have been enjoying them quite a bit, so far.  I bought them some fuzzy mice, too, but they seemed more interested in eating those.  I do not want them eating those.  They tend to be bad for the digestive tract.  Colby ate two before they came back up.  Cheddar attempted to eat two more, but I managed to stop him.  I will think of some better toys to get them, I guess.

If it is not one troop I am having issues with, it is another.  I am hoping the one I am referring to today made his appointment.  If he did not, he will be facing paperwork, and it might be coming from higher authority than me.  He had better show up at the Training building today, too, otherwise, he will be facing paperwork for failing to obey a direct order.  I am getting tired of him not listening, so maybe paperwork will give him the hint he needs.

On another note about another troop, I had another supervisor offer to take my other trouble troop off my hands.  On one hand, I have seven troops, and I am acting supervisor for at least three more, and I am beginning to feel the burden of supervising so many at a time.  However, I think handing off my troublemaker is a bad way to get rid of a problem.  It makes me feel somewhat incompetent, and I do not want to burden the other supervisor.  If they give me the paperwork to sign him over, I will have a chat with my supervisor about it.  I do not see a problem handing off a couple troops, but I do not want to burden another supervisor with a troublemaker, especially when said supervisor is lower ranking.

I have three troops doing their initial job knowledge evaluations tomorrow evening.  I am hoping they show up on time.  The three that I am acting supervisor for are also being evaluated.  It is enough to make me more than a bit anxious, but I will get over it.

Anyhow, I am off to base to get a Tuition Assistance form filled out so I can start the next round of classes next week.  I am looking forward to them.  ^_^

Film & TV writers are on strike, which means everything except reality TV could halt production.  Do you support the strike?  Are any of your favorite shows in jeopardy?

I feel that if the writers are not getting the money they deserve for their work, then yes, they are right to be on strike.  From what I have read so far, certain areas of technology and media are not covered in their contracts, including downloads and the internet.  And production companies have not acknowledged their writers' opinions or complaints on that issue, so this should be a good way to get their attention.

As for my favorite shows being affected, I am not sure.  I think they will be if this strike is prolonged, but I think they are safe in the short term.  I am definitely hoping this does not last long, because I do not watch reality TV.

Show us a book that scared you as a child.

I remember reading these books as a kid and being rather terrified of the dark for a little while afterwards.  Good times.  I wish stories like these scared me so easily, still.  The things we lose as we grow up...

Today begins Día de los Muertos.  What are your rituals or occasions when you remember loved ones you have lost?

There are two days of the year where I remember the loved ones I have lost.  The first is October 11th.  A friend of mine drowned while scuba diving in 1997.  The second day is November 2nd.  My grandfather died on this day after several months of suffering and pain.  I reflect on how they affected my life and remember the good times I shared with them on these sad anniversaries, as well as throughout the year when something reminds me of them.  I do not really have any rituals to remember them by.  I feel just remembering the times I shared with them is good enough.

I honestly think I will be seeing the commander again with one, if not more, of my troops.

My supervisor just about nailed one of my troops the other night after he saw the kid walking around without gear or a weapon.  This is the same kid that was recently reprimanded after accidentally discharging his weapon.  The last thing he needs to be doing is pissing off my supervisor.  It was the third time in two days that I have had to talk to my troop about his behavior.  He just does not seem to have common sense.  I hope he turns it around, but I am beginning to think that he is going to be my first real problem troop.

Another troop ended up in my cross hairs after he gave me some attitude.  The troop mentioned above evidently left his gear in this guy's car and never thought to get it out, despite the fact it is getting colder at night.  I told him after shift the other morning to make sure the other troop got his gear back.  This kid decides that he does not want to and tells me that if the other troop is not smart enough to retrieve the gear, then it is not his problem.  I reminded him that I was not requesting that he give the other troop's gear back; I was telling him to, or giving him a direct order to.  I find out tomorrow night whether or not it actually happened.  We will see.  I have a feeling this troop will be a handful if he continues to think he can say and do whatever he pleases.