The Difference

Veteran's Day 2007

What were you doing on 07/07/2007?

I was at the Armory, signing papers. Since then, I have spent one weekend a month with some of the finest people anyone could ever hope to be associated with - The Texas State Guard, 39th Regiment, Charlie Company.

This is a non-combat unit; our primary focus is civil affairs and disaster recovery. And it's totally voluntary - we don't get paid until/unless we're officially deployed, and we provide our own uniforms and gear. But this "fiscal disability" is also an asset when it comes to the rubber hitting the road; because everyone has his own gear, we don't have to requisition supplies and wait before we can mobilize. State Guard was on the spot at Katrina two days before the National Guard could arrive.

Why Texas State Guard? To quote the CSM before I signed: "State Guard is for those who are too old, too fat, or too slow to qualify for the regular military, but who still want to serve." (He was grinning as he said it - many of the Guard have prior military or LEO experience, or are currently LEOs who want to do more. Personally, though, I qualify under at least two of those descriptions.) The older I get, the more I appreciate the job that the military, of whatever service or branch, does. But I never thought I could ever qualify to be part of it, even in the slightest way.

If you'd told me a few years ago that I'd be wearing ACUs and attending drill (and loving it) I wouldn't have believed it. But I firmly believe that the Good Lord led me to this place, and that he wants me here for a while.

This morning I had the honor of marching in our Color Guard in the Veterans Day Parade. And it was a thrill to see just how many people locally honor our veterans, and respect what the flag stands for.



I'm proud to be an American.
I'm proud to be a Texan.
I'm proud and humbled to be accepted as "part of the family" in the Texas State Guard.

To all our Veterans, of whatever service, who have served this great country:

I salute you!

Random Silliness at work

Customer: What's the fee going to be?
Yours truly: A whopping $5.45.
Customer: Ouch! that's exuberant! *
I won't be able to feed my kid for a month!
Yours truly: Let me guess - your kid is a goldfish.
Customer: No, a chihuahua.

(*I think he meant "exorbitant" - but he was grinning the whole time.)

A Door, Opened

Tomorrow morning, we get up early to get our son to the bus before heading off to work ourselves.

He's been accepted into the Border Patrol Academy, and has already been sworn in during Orientation last week.

We're button-bustin' proud of him.