Time passes by...

I must admit...time is going by a lot faster now than it once was.  I cannot believe that it has been almost 2 weeks since my last post on here.  That is truly amazing.  I am trying to get some pictures to post on here of today's events.  No, no major trauma or anything like that....we did have to call for backup though.  Are you worried?  Do you think I'm about to tell you of some major fight that we were in?  WRONG!!!!  There was a 4 ft. monitor lizard in one of our buildings!!!!  Yep, I've seen pictures of him and even a video tape of them capturing him.  Ok, so maybe it sounded a little more fierce when I first started telling the story, but that thing was big.  I would have loved to have seen it up close, but I was still sleeping.  I have been getting a better "routine" down here lately.  I had my better half coaching me on it and she was able to help me get a better sleep pattern.  I'm not even taking Ambien anymore to help me sleep.  I'm feeling much more rested than I was, feeling much more energetic during the day, and going to the gym twice a day for 1 1/2 - 2 hrs. each time.  Its just amazing how great I feel compared to a couple of months ago.  Plus, I need to add that I will be experiencing the comforts of home beofre too long....yeah!!!!  Soon it will be time for some R&R. 

I would also like to take this time to thank the elementary school students who sent us the pillows.  They are from Grand Rapids, MI.  Thank you all so much for the wonderful pillows that had some great artwork on them.  The students took markers and drew patriotic pictures and notes of love to us.  I have one on my bed right now.  I still use the memory foam that I had already, but the pillow these children sent is fantastic as well.  Thank you all so very much....teachers, students, and faculty.  I am still receiving messages of support from family, friends, and supporters from all across our wonderful nation.  Obviously, we all know where most of it comes from.....thank you honey.....but the amount of support we receive from our fellow Americans shows why our nation is as great as it is.  Sure, we have election/campaign battles going on right now, we have murder, drugs, and numerous other crimes being committed.  There are some obvious flaws in some of the things that we do as a nation, but by God we're the best of the best and we stick together.  I was thinking the other day of an old Charlie Daniels Band song called "In America".  Regardless of whether or not you listen to country music, you will still enjoy some of the words he says.  Take these words (written after the Vietnam War while we were in the Cold War with Russia) and apply them to our situaiton today.  Just think of it and it will make you proud to be an American.......

"The Eagle has been flying slow, and our flags been flying low, and a lot of people say that America is fixing to fall...." - (How man of you feel that way today?  Really, look at where we're at as a nation....20-25 years later and we're still saying these same things)

"And you never did think that it ever would happen again...In America....You never did think that we'd ever get together again....but we damn sure fooled ya, we're walking real proud and we're talking real loud again.....In America......"

"....and we may have done a little bit of fighting amongst ourselves, but you outside people best leave us alone...cause we'll all stick together, and you can take that to the bank....thats the cowboys and the hippies and the rebels and the yanks...you just go and lay your hand on a Pittsburgh Steeler fan, and I think you're gonna finally understand...."

Then he repeats the chorus a few times. 

As I sat there thinking of this song, I couldn't help but laugh a little.  I mean, this is where we are today.  Sure, we'll bitch, gripe, moan, and complain about each other, but no one else better get near us.  Reminds me of my days in the Marines.  Us grunts would fight each other, cuss each other, just want to kill each other....then, next thing you know, that Marine that you were punching a couple of days earlier is in a bar fight and what do you do......you go jump in and start swinging with him, fighting off the people he is fighting with.  Thats just the way it is.  Its kind of the same thing with our nation.  We can do our complaining and fighting with each other, but if someone else messes with us, you'd better watch out!!!!!  We WILL come together and WE WILL seek justice...whatever that may be.  But I also feel that our country is losing focus.  Sure, these wars are costing the tax payers a lot of money, and we're seeing rising gas prices, rising everything prices, but haven't we always bounced back and come out better than we were?   What.....so this is the end, we're not going to bounce back from this period???  Yeah right, come on people.  So many people say, "Well I support the troops but not the war."  That is why the troops are here fighting the war....so you can say that.  You can express your opinion and live your life freely.  Please talk to your friends and neighbors.  Lets stay in this fight TOGETHER!!!!!  I remember 9/11.  It didn't matter if you hated someone....as tears streamed down your face, you looked at them like they were your family.  You actually felt sorrow for those you had never met before.  I was there with you.  I had tears streaming down my face...I wanted to load up my guns and go on a manhunt right then and there.  However, now here we are 7 years later and America's patience is wearing thin with these wars.  I don't understand everything that we're doing in Iraq and Afghanistan.  However, I have faith in our leaders and in the American people, in our system, our way of life.  Stand together fellow Americans.  Pass this onto as many people as you want.  Hell, start a damn chain email for all I care, but we have got to stick together and win this fight together.  Of course that is like preaching to the choir by telling you all that.  You are sticking together or you wouldn't be on this website.  You aren't the ones who need to hear this, its those who aren't supporting their nation, their troops in harms way....those are the ones who need to find faith.  Faith in God, Faith in the system, faith in something....you can't just live life without having faith.  I will step down from my soap box now and let you get back to your lives.  I hope you enjoyed another episode of "Eric rallies the homeland troops"....lol.  You all take care!  Until next time...SSG Jeffries "out".  Please see below pics of the pillows sent by the children.

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