To get our story started, I will tell you that James broke yet another set of my sunglasses. He is a destructo! I bought some sturdier glasses and tried to scare James out of touching them. We will see!
Jay Allen had his bowling birthday party Monday. All the kids had a great time and did a great job bowling. Carlie had the high score, smoking the boys. Jay Allen and Timmy tied for the high score for boys, but fun was had by all, even Robert who fell down and Thomas who shot-putted the bowling ball.
Carlie went to dinner in a limo! Our neighbors won some kind of VIP promotion from a local Japanese restaurant and invited daughter to go with them. Part of the deal was a limo ride to the restaurant. None of the kids knew about the limo and pandemonium broke out when it pulled up. Their son, Steven, yelled, “there’s a limo outside!” and ran out and jumped in! The rest of the family followed and had a great dinner. Carlie ate a lot of shrimp (her favorite) and gave us a full report! Thanks to our neighbors for their hospitality.
The day I was leaving on a trip, James just produced some horror movie quality projectile vomit. So, we had to have a re-do on dinner. He sprayed chocolate milk on our subway sandwiches, though I tried to convince the big kids that a few chips survived the blast intact. I also tried to convince Jay Allen that his white milk would be ok as second-hand chocolate milk, but he wouldn’t buy it. My little man was not pleased that we all laughed (and gagged) at his hurl-a-thon.
On a different note, Angie found my Carolina hat. Angie and her crew brought it back to me when they came to visit a week or two ago. On my flight home from Atlanta today, I found myself sitting in front of an infant who was completely fascinated with my recently recovered Carolina hat. There was a delay taking off, so I had to hear commentary on every plane landing and taking off, too. “There comes another one. They have us over here and the planes are taking off over there. Where are they going to put all of these airplanes?” And that was not coming from the infant, that was from the old lady sitting a row back. She especially cracked me up when she yelled, “BUCKLE UP!” just before we began our take-off. I guess she missed the safety brief and forgot that everybody was buckled. The infant boy was virtually silent during the flight and he and I became fast friends. I put my Carolina hat on him and he spun his hands and squealed in delight. I regret that I had no Crimson Tide wear to share with that precious little Yankee baby. I am afraid he is doomed to become a Michigan State fan (according to his mother), but maybe the Carolina hat made enough of an impression to save his fanhood!
We had the meanest flight attendant I have ever dealt with. She tried to stop me from helping a lady put her luggage in the overhead because “I was not insured”, but I assured her that as a government employee that the bag stowage would not be the most dangerous thing I had done recently (though arguing with her may have been). She also sent an elderly gentlemen back to his seat when he got up to use the bathroom. He flagged down the other, kinder, gentler flight attendant and told her, “I HAVE TO USE THE RESTROOM AND THE SEAT BELT SIGN IS ON!” The compassionate flight attendant told him to just go, not understanding why it was such a dilemma. He explained, “I tried and she (pointing to Attila the Hunette) sent me back to my seat.” The kind flight attendant sent him to the forward lav. I am glad he made it through that ordeal without any accidents! After witnessing this event, there formed a substantial line at the forward lav and a conspicuous absence of a line at the aft lav. I may have to change airlines if I have to fly with Attila the Hunette again. She is scarier than Drill Sergeant Rios from my basic training twenty years ago!
Twenty years ago! I am getting older. For the past few weeks, God has made me confront the fact that there are some days that I can not do all that I could when I was young. I had to skip the Army Ten Miler because I had just gotten over the flu – that would not have stopped me ten years ago. I had to lighten up my workouts because I just could not push quite as hard. I was dog tired each night after work. I just had to face the fact that I have new limitations. As I had come to grips with this, I got a call from one of my dearest old friends who is a cancer survivor – I will withhold his name so as not to embarrass him with this written display of affection. He had been dealing with his new limits as a result of his cancer treatments and associated side effects. First, I told him that I was just very thankful to have him around to suffer side effects from treatment. Then, I shared my new found wisdom with him and told him to focus on what he could do and not on his limitations. I think my friend appreciated that and I hope to have him around for a long, long time, side effects and all. His situation also put my struggles into perspective. I am thankful for the life God has given me and my friends and will always try to focus on what we can do with it instead of what is beyond us.
One of the new talents my friend may have due to a “lazy eye” is shooting around corners. I sure wish he had that talent when we served together at Fort Polk! It would have been very handy in shooting at BLUFOR from Shughart Gordon! He says his right eye can read billboards off the side of the road while his left eye is trained straight on the road ahead. That sounds sort of SUPER-HERO ish to me. All of the Geronimos I served with are Super Heros and some are still getting new powers, so no surprise there.
I had the opportunity to participate in Rick and Bubba’s sponsor drive for World Vision on 15 October 2009 via telephone. It was a great event and I was personally honored to have part in it. Because I was on government business and travelling, I had to call in from a hotel room. I used the hotel phone because the only cell phone I had was a government phone and I did not want to mis-use government equipment or even give that appearance. World Vision is actually a Combined Federal Campaign charity, making the phone call acceptable, but I still wanted to be extra diligent with the tax payer’s funds.
When I went to check out, I asked the concierge to take that phone call off my bill and let me pay that separately. I asked how much the call was and could not hide my sticker shock at the price of $17. Wow! I told him that was OK, just more than I expected. He did not understand why I wanted to pay it separately, so I explained to him that I had called the Rick and Bubba show to talk about World Vision. The concierge was from Alabama and a fan of the Rick and Bubba show. He also asked me about World Vision and gave me a chance to share their great work with him. He took a brochure and an ink pen and took the $17 phone call off my bill entirely – on the house! I count that as multiple victories and feel that God created that situation by making me uncomfortable using my government cell phone to call in. He truly moves in mysterious ways.
More fevers and puking at our house upon my return! I took immediate action and turned all the chairs at the table out so if any of the kids spew again, it won't go on our dinner! Carlie and Jay Allen are feverish and James is recovering. Cammie and I are still standing, but feeling the effects of all the sickness in the house. That is what’s going on with the Benefields for the moment. More later…
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