Coincidence or Destiny???

Coincidence…I’m not a big believer in coincidences.  I think we all have our own paths and things like coincidence and deja vu are just little ways of letting us know we are on the right road or maybe our subconscious working overtime in the background.  Anyway, I’ve done a little reading and found some pretty interesting incidents from the past.  So, here we go!  Hope you enjoy!

1.  Joseph Figlock, of Detroit, was walking down the street one day in the mid 1930’s.  Everything seemed in order and it was a day just like any other…until one incident proved that “the right place at the right time” was more miraculous than he could ever imagine.  Within moments a baby fell from a high window onto Mr. Figlock.  He, of course, broke the infant’s fall and both were unharmed.  And if that isn’t shocking enough…exactly one year later, the same child fell from the same window onto Mr. Figlock once again.  Both were unharmed as before.

2.  In 1914 a German woman took a photograph of her beloved son.  She took the film to a store in Strasbourg to be developed.  I didn’t know this, but during this time period film plates were sold individually.  She could not get back to Strasbourg due to the fact that World War I had begun.  She soon gave up hope of getting the picture back and thought it would just be discarded.  A little over two years later she bought a film plate in Frankfurt to take a picture of her new daughter.  As I understand it, that is over 100 miles from Strasbourg.  The film turned out to be a double exposure.  The weird part…the double exposure was the picture of her son from two years earlier.  She had purchased the exact film plate that she dropped off two years before.  It had not been developed and resold to her over 100 miles away!

3.  In 1975, in Bermuda, a man riding a moped was hit by a taxi and killed.  Exactly one year later, his brother was killed also.  The seemingly impossible similarities were that both accidents happened on the same day one year apart, it was the same moped, the same taxi, the exact same spot on the road, the same taxi driver and the same passenger as well!  Riddle me that one!

4.  In 1858, Robert Fallon was shot dead during a poker game.  The man at the table claimed that he was $600 by cheating.  None of the men wanted to sit in the unlucky chair of a cheater and dead man.  They found a new player and conned him into sitting in the seat to continue the game.  By the time the police had arrive, the stranger had turned the “unlucky” $600 into a whopping $2,200!  The police demanded the $600 to give to the next of kin of the victim.  As it turns out, the stranger was the son of the dead man who had not seen his father for more than seven years!

5.  Edgar Allan Poe wrote a book called ‘The Narrative of  Arthur Gordon Pym’.  It was about four survivors of a shipwreck stuck at sea for several days.  In desperation they decided to eat the cabin boy, Richard Parker.  Many years later in 1884, the yawl, Mignonette, foundered, with only four survivors stuck at sea in an open boat for several days.  The three senior members decided to kill and eat their cabin boy.  His name was Richard Parker…

6.  In 19th century Austria, a near-famous painter named Joseph Aigner attempted  suicide on several occasions. During his first attempt to hang himself at the  age of 18, Aigner was interrupted by a mysterious Capuchin monk. And again at  age 22, he was prevented from hanging himself by the exact same monk. Eight years  later, he was sentenced to the gallows for his political activities.  I’m not sure what these political activities were. But again,  his life was saved by the intervention of the same monk. At age 68, Joseph  Aigner finally succeeded in suicide, using a pistol to shoot himself. Not  surprisingly, his funeral ceremony was conducted by the very same Capuchin monk – a man whose name Aiger never even knew.

7.  In 1883, Henry Ziegland broke off his engagement with his girlfriend.  Feeling lonely and unloved, she committed suicide.  Her brother vowed revenge.  He hunted down Ziegland and fired a shot.  Believing that he killed Ziegland and got his revenge, he then committed suicide.  Ziegland, however, did not die.  The bullet only grazed his face and was embedded in a tree.  Years later, Ziegland decided to cut down this very same tree, which still housed the bullet.  The tree was so large he used dynamite to get it down.  The explosion caused the bullet to propel into Ziegland’s head, killing him instantly.

Vlad the Impaler

Vlad Dracula

1431-1476

In 1438 Vlad’s father, Vlad Dracul, betrayed the Order of the Dracul and formed an alliance with the Turks.  He even allowed Sultan Murad II to keep his two sons, Vlad Dracula and his younger brother Radu, as a type of insurance that he would not go against the Turks.  Keep in mind, at the time,  Turks were taking over.  In the winter of 1447 Vlad Dracul was assassinated.  Vlad Dracula was granted his freedom by being offered a position in the Calvary.  After his father’s death, almost ten years held captive, he took the position and escaped Turkey by being very cunning.  Radu decided to stay behind, favoring the Turks.

On top of being held captive…his father was murdered, his brother choosing to stay behind, his older brother, Mircea, had his eyes gouged out and was buried alive.  Resentment and revenge had become a part of Vlad Dracula.  Dracula, still a teenager, realized the throne was occupied by the boyars (landowners).  Dracula took back the throne and began plans to “clean up” the mess.

His first term as Prince of Wallachia only lasted two months.  Hunyadi had regrouped and outnumbered Dracula’s forces.  He left the throne and stayed with the family of the Moldavian prince, Bogdan.  Bogdan was a member of Dracula’s mother’s family.  He stayed in Moldavia for three years until Prince Bogdan was killed.

Now, even though Hunyadi is his family’s enemy, he sought refuge with him.  Self-survival was his only reason for this.  Dracula was placed in charge of a fortress at Sibiu, in Transylvania.  While here, he heard Constantinople had fallen.  This hit Christians hard and marked the end of the Holy Roman Empire.  This city was constantly trying to keep the Pagans out.  Christians were now being impaled, churches were burned and crosses were used as firewood.

1456…Dracula, at 25 years old, regained the throne of Wallachia again by killing Vandislas.  He found out that Vandislas was the one who ordered the deaths of his family.  Therefore he wanted to kill him himself.  Legend has it that these two men met in a field, both wielding swords.  Dracula won by beheading him.  Vandislas’ men threw down their weapons and retreated.  This is when Dracula made the Dracula crest, a winged dragon embracing the Cross (symbol of Catholicism).  The crest went on everything…stamps, banners, coins, buildings, armor and his throne.  The “Son of the Dragon” had finally earned his name!

He then did away with the old ways of a ruler and decided to announce that he should be looked upon as a warrior prince, ruling his land as if under martial law.  He was the only decision maker!  He wanted complete order due to the fact that the Turks were still a major threat.  Now, at this time, the boyars had made their own laws, mandated prices, controlled merchandise, etc.  Vlad put an end to all this.  Anyone who disobeyed or retaliated would be punished severely.  Dracula had already killed those responsible for his father’s death and had gathered a group of strong allies.  Several of the boyars made complaints, verbally and in writing, about the new changes.  Dracula called everyone together for a huge dinner so they could vent their concerns and complaints.  After they all took turns he became suddenly enraged.  He told them that their ungratefulness would not be tolerated.  he ordered them to leave and to get out of his sight.  When they reached the courtyard, Dracula gave a nod to his guards.  The boyars were immediately speared and impaled outside the castle walls.

A short time later, on Easter Sunday, he ordered his soldiers to snatch up about 300 boyars and their families right out of the church pews.  They were forced to work on the castle by lifting heavy stones, digging a moat, etc. until their clothes fell off from wear and tear.  He then ordered them to work naked.

So sparked the “reign of terror”…1456-1462  Despite the bad reputation, a lot of his killings were against foreign and domestic enemies.  The severity of the killings struck fear in everyone.  He would impale his enemies, hang them, stretch them on the rack, burn them at the stake and boil them alive.  A total of 100,000 victims suffered at his hands.  According to many sources, Dracula would attach a horse to the victim’s legs and a stake was forced into their side.  The stake was usually oiled and not very sharp.  He didn’t want them dying to fast from shock.

Examples of his barbarism…

1.  St. Bartholomew’s Day-  He ordered 20,000 citizens arrested and impaled on the edge of the forest.  Men, women and children were to die slowly in his presence.  He even had a table set up so he could eat dinner while watching them die slowly.  One of his knights was holding his nose trying not to throw up due to the smell.  Dracula had him impaled high above the others so he “wouldn’t have to smell his company”.

2.  The Paupers Dinner-  Dracula extended his sympathy to the paupers.  He invited them to a delicious meal and after dessert was served his staff slowly exited.  His archers shot flaming arrows to ignite the treated curtains and linens.  They banged against the bolted doors while they burned to death.  Dracula’s remark…”The poor unloved creatures, it is best they leave this world now, on a full stomach.”

3.  Crime-free city-  A merchant, traveling through, had his money-box broken into.  When Dracula heard of this he demanded the merchant be brought to him.  He explained to the merchant that he runs a crime-free city and promised the thief would be caught.  He urged the merchant to leave his cart outside his hotel unlocked over night.  He promised the money would be replaced.  Sure enough, morning came and all the money was replaced plus one extra florin.  The merchant went to tell Vlad how thankful he was and offered to give back the extra florin.  Dracula smiled and told him to keep it.  He said he was a good man and had he not admitted the surplus he would join the impaled thief on his patio!

I wanna add that Dracula’s capital, Tirgoviste, was actually a very honest city with virtually zero crime!  And to prove this, he placed a golden cup on display in the village square.  The cup was NEVER stolen and untouched throughout his reign!

4.  The “lazy” wife-  To Dracula, women were only made for bedroom pleasure and the menial work that men shouldn’t have to do.  One day, he spotted a planter wearing an apron that was too short.  When asked why, the planter explained that his wife had become ill and was confided to bed.  Vlad, very furious at this, ordered her out of bed and impaled outside her home.  He said a woman’s duty to her husband came before her own health.

5.  Turbans?-  Emissaries were sent to Dracula to remind him that he was three years behind paying his annual tribute of 10,000 gold ducats to the Pope.  Dracula interrupted the men to remind them that they had not “paid him” due respect of removing their turbans before him and his court.  They calmly replied that it was their religious custom not to remove them in public.  With a snap of his fingers, Dracula had their hats nailed to their skulls.  This resulted in a battle.  The Sultan received the bodies of the emissaries and decided to ambush Dracula when he agreed to a meeting.  Dracula was no fool.  His rifles shot them to pieces!  Out-manned, he decided to make the road to Tirgoviste rough.  He put trees on the paths, burned bridges, poisoned wells and burned villages that might serve as shelter for them.

Dracula then decided to go one step farther.  To inflict tons of terror, he took 20,000 captives and impaled them up their backsides all around the walls.  When the Turks arrived they were shocked!  They stopped, stared, cried and vomited.  They fled screaming that they couldn’t defeat the Devil!

Radu, his brother, was the only one who didn’t want to retreat.  Radu made friends with some of the boyars who wanted Dracula gone.  He promised them no harm would come to them, their original power would be regained and that Dracula would be gone.  Vlad’s mistake…he never imagines his brother would “bare-face betray” him.  The boyars, with some Turks, attacked the Palace.  Radu sent warning that all within the walls would be impaled if he didn’t surrender.  Dracula’s wife, very scared, committed suicide by jumping off the North Tower wall.  Dracula retreated to the banks of the Arges, barely avoiding the Turks.  He found shelter in an abandoned castle near Dobrins.  He then headed to Brasov.  The King, instead of welcoming him, arrested him.  He would remain in custody for about ten years.  Radu, upon Dracula’s arrest, took over the throne in Wallachia.

The King arranged  a marriage between Vlad and Ilona Szilagy.  She gave him two sons, one named Vlad.  Back in Wallachia, Radu was a major disappointment.  He was more for the Turks than his deal with the boyars.

July 1475-  After 13 or so years, as a political prisoner, Matthias pardoned Dracula.  He stormed his way, with an army, to Wallachia.  Talk about patience and dedication!!!  Radu lost the throne due to his death.  As many believe…Radu was not killed.  He died from syphilis.  With 5,000 crusaders, Dracula began his way back to control.  By November 1476 he was on the throne again, for the third time.  Sadly, he would be dead within a month.

The boyars were still angry, remembering the murders of their loved ones.  The Sultan still gunned for Dracula as well.  With only 2,000 men, Dracula didn’t have an army anymore.  Dracula was to help invade Bucharest, yet no reinforcements came to his aid as promised.  No actual record shows how he died, but his mutilated body was found and identified.  The way his body was identified was the medallions and the princely vestments her wore.  Not much proof if ya ask me!  He was then decapitated and then his head was nowhere to be found.  It is said that his head was brought to Constantinople by the Turks and displayed above the city gates.

By the mid 1700’s the last of the Draculas was living in Transylvania.  Corvinus ruled until 1490 and Stefan Bathory ruled for some time.  Bathory’s great-niece, Elizabeth, is the one and only “Countess Dracula”!

No one is sure where Dracula is buried…

Now, I know the reputation of Vlad Dracula is one of brutality and tyranny.  Romanians, however, still stand firm on the fact that he was the best ruler in history.  I know his methods seem harsh and inhumane, but you gotta admit that creating a crime-free domain is somewhat astonishing.  He used his title and power to make his people fear breaking the law.  Take a look at today’s time.  Thieves receive a slap on the wrist, rapists barely serve any time at all, murderers are let loose sometimes less than seven years into their original sentence.  Under Vlad, none of these crimes would’ve been tolerated at all.  I admit, that he looked at weakness, handicapped individuals and women in a bad light…but crime didn’t pay in his palace!

Music…the power it holds

Music…so many different kinds of sounds, beats, lyrics.  There are several genres out there that suit every individual specifically.  Music has the ability to reach deep down inside a person.  It can lift you up when you’re down.  It can make you feel strength when you’re at the end of your rope.  Feelings have a way of surfacing when music is involved.  Memories can come flooding back by a few simple lyrics.

Music can make you feel…

alive, free, confident, relaxed, fortunate, calm, frisky, love, enraged, sympathy, unique, perplexed, determination, bold, uncertain, daring… just to name a few!  Music can make you look at things in a different light.  You may be involved in a situation that leaves you feeling lost and alone and one song could show you another path or give you the strength to see it through to the end.  Some songs make you laugh, some make you cry and some songs make you scream out loud!

I’ve got a list of songs to share.  I just scrolled through my music so that’s why they are in alphabetical order and not in order of “favorites”.

American Trilogy (Elvis)-  This song makes me smile on those long rough days.  I remember my Daddy singing this song.

Bad Touch (Bloodhound Gang)-  This is definitely a giggle song!  I laugh out loud when listening to this.  It reminds me of my brother.  He sings this song with some purpose!  Haha  And he somehow knows all the words yet I get tongue-tied trying.

Bitch (Meredith Brooks)-  I know I know…this song is old and worn out!  But on those days when I’m having woman issues I turn this song up really loud and scream it rather than sing it!

Bohemian Rhapsody and Fat Bottom Girls (Queen)-  Funny songs that bring on a good laugh!

Born to Boogie (Hank Williams Jr.)-  This song brings back memories!  When I was little my Mom had this song on a record.  I would play it every Sunday night.  The best part about it was that I would drag my little brother upstairs and dress him up like a girl and then send him marching downstairs to put on a show for my parents!

Boys of Fall (Kenny Chesney)-  This one reminds me of highschool.  I come from a small town where highschool football was the highlight of Friday nights.  Several of my friends were on the football team and, as an athlete myself, we lived for game days and wearing our jerseys down the halls at school.

Cedartown, Georgia (Waylon Jennings)-  At first, this song was a funny one…well it still is but it never had a memory connected to it until I got married.  Right after my husband and I got married we said our goodbyes to family members and left in his truck.  This song is the one that was playing as we were pulling out of the parking lot!  I’m not sure if the Ipod was on shuffle or not (hahaha) but it made for one hell of a funny memory!

Elvira (Oak Ridge Boys)-  Another funny one shared between siblings!  My brother and I used to sing this one to the top of our lungs.  There is one part of the song we loved and would try to sing as low and we could…too hilarious!

Eye of the Tiger (Foreigner)-  Two things make this song one of my favorites.  My daughter loves this song.  She does her little rocker face whenever she hears it!  It is one of the cutest things I’ve ever seen.  The other reason I love this song is the feeling I get from it.  I always picture the Rocky movies, of course, and I get this “kick butt feeling”!  I feel like I can take on the world!

Fall (Clay Walker)-  This song makes me sit back and think.  It’s a song from a man to a woman.  He is letting her know that she can “fall” into him when she needs him.  He understands that women cry, sometimes for nothing at all, and feel strong emotions when things aren’t that serious…but sometimes all we need is a shoulder to lean on.  It’s one of those songs that makes us women feel better.

Four Rusted Horses (Marilyn Manson)- I’m not sure why but this song is awesome!  I like a lot of his songs, but this one makes me relax…unless I’m driving and then it makes me speed a little!

Georgia Peaches (Lynyrd Skynyrd)-  Well, I’m a Georgia Peach myself…so this song hits home with me!  There’s one line in the song that makes me and my husband laugh everytime…inside joke that I don’t wanna share!  Sorry!

Mama Tried (Merle Haggard)-  Oldie but goodie here!  I also think of the movie “The Strangers” every time I hear it.  Love love love that movie!

More I Drink (Blake Shelton)-  Definitely a song that reminds me of my husband!  He is such a hoot, especially after a few drinks and he gets on a roll!  Love it!

Nothing Else Matters (Metallica)-  I hear this song and I think of my husband.  I think about our marriage and the fact that he is the best friend I have ever had.  When the world doesn’t seem fair and stress seems to take over, nothing else matters but us and our love for each other.  I feel calm and secure when I hear this song.

Psycho Killer (Talking Heads)-  Ok, I am laughing while trying to type this!  This song makes me laugh out loud and I have no idea why.  It turns my mood around in a second!

Smoky Mountain Rain (Ronnie Milsap)-  This song brings back a memory about my Mom.  I remember being little and dancing around the living room with her.  She would put this on after my nap or while cleaning the house and we would dance and laugh together.

Stand By Your Man (Tammy Wynette)-  This is just one of those songs that my husband and I share.  Take a listen and see what ya think.

Summertime (Kenny Chesney)-  I love this song!  I immediately think of summer, 1999, beach trip to Florida, acting like a fool teenager and having the time of my life!

Well, I think that list is long enough!  I love music and I wish more people would focus on the lyrics and the feelings they bring.  Instead of blaming music or musicians for bad things, I think everyone should lean on music sometimes and see what it really has to offer.

Bonnie and Clyde

Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow are perhaps the most famous criminal couple in history.  They robbed and hijacked their way to fame…and their death.

Hmmm…where to start with this couple?!?  Both Bonnie and Clyde dealt with some negative sides of life before they met.  Clyde had already been in trouble with the law for burglary and Bonnie had been married to a man who was serving time for murder.  The two met in Texas in January of 1930 I believe.  The first time Clyde came to see Bonnie he was arrested for burglary and car theft.  Bonnie smuggled a gun into the jail for him.  He escaped but was captured within a few days and handed a sentence of 14 years.  It was here, at Huntsville Prison in Texas, that he committed his first murder.  The man he murdered had supposedly sexually assaulted him.  He was transferred to Eastham Prison Farm where prisoners were worked extremely hard and beaten.  He persuaded a fellow inmate to cut off two of his toes with an axe in hopes of getting out of doing any hard labor.  This desperate attempt to get outta hard work and be transferred is the reason he walked with a limp for the remainder of his life.

After a short time, Bonnie and Clyde ran off together following his parole in February of 1932 and began their crime spree all across Texas.  The robberies they committed were never very large, but they left a ton of rubble along the way.  Within a year the couple’s life of crime was well-known.  It was at this time they joined up with Clyde’s brother Buck and sister-in-law Blanche.  They killed two police officers shooting their way out of an apartment soon after.  Bonnie was badly burned on her leg after a car accident and the group had to take shelter with a farmer.  The farmer called the police after figuring out who they were.  The gang, once again, had to shoot their way out of the situation.

Running out of places to hide, the group really started to feel the tension and stress of life on the run.  Rumor has it that Blanche began heated arguments amongst the group and Bonnie longed for a more civilized life with no more running from the law.  The group was resting at a camp in Iowa when they found themselves once again in a pickle.  They were heavily surrounded and a fire fight broke out.  Buck was killed and Blanche, blinded in her left eye by shards of glass, was taken into custody.

On May 23, 1934 Bonnie and Clyde were driving down Highway 154 in Louisiana.  Little did they know that a posse was waiting to ambush them.  Clyde slowed his car down to stop and help a broken down motorist, Mr. Methvin (a supposable friend of Bonnie and Clyde).  Mr. Methvin had contacted law enforcement and worked out a plan to murder the duo.  More than 130 bullets rang out striking Bonnie and Clyde.

At the time of their death they were accused of 13 murders and several robberies.  They had a habit of kidnapping law enforcement officers and driving them around for hours only to release them hundreds of miles away unharmed.  A few of the crimes were the murder of two police officers in Joplin, Missouri…kidnapping a man and woman in Louisiana…murder of a man in Hillsboro, Texas…murder of a sheriff in Stringtown, Oklahoma…kidnapping a deputy in New Mexico…and several more.

Bonnie and Clyde lived out of their car and never got much money in the robberies.  Bonnie wrote poetry that captured the hearts of many!  In my opinion, these two were sort of destined to be together.  I know that sounds bad but, looking at the history of these two, they were two bad seeds that went together well.  Clyde seemed to always be in trouble with the law and Bonnie always went for the bad boy.  Their two-year crime spree was bloody and messy but it was also a romantic story of two people who just happen to be going down the wrong road.

Countess Elizabeth Bathory

Elizabeth Bathory is known as the most famous and gruesome female serial killer in history.  She was accused of murdering more than 600 women and children.

Elizabeth Bathory came from a very distinguished family in Hungary.  She was married by the age of 15 to Count Nadasdy.  She was alone a great deal of their marriage and had no children.  She had a nurse, Ilona Joo, who was considered a black witch.  As time passed by she became more and more curious about the black arts.  After several years, she kept company with alchemists and witches.  She eventually had four children.  Her husband was killed when she was 41 years old and through the midst of her grief she began to devote all her time to the black arts.

As time went by Bathory began behaving even worse.  There were reports of lesbian orgies, torture, kidnapping young women and various sexual acts considered perverse.  Many people referred to her later on as the “Blood Countess”.  The fascination with blood began with a servant girl who served Bathory.  Feeling that she was disrespected, Bathory slapped the servant in the face.  The slap was so hard she drew blood.  She later noticed that her skin was more smooth and vibrant where the blood has landed on her hand.  She consulted Ilona Joo about the way the blood seemed to rejuvenate her skin and they came to the conclusion that virgin blood was needed.  Now comes the roller coaster ride…

Her little horror group began kidnapping and tricking young women and children into the castle.  Bathory had chains and such put up in the dungeons to keep them locked up tight.  Bathory tortured and bled them to death.  Rumors began to fly about the tortures these girls endured.  It is said they were hung upside down and bled to death, bitten, used in sexual acts and their bones were used in rituals.  After a few years she was unhappy with the results so she set up a type of boarding school for the noblewomen.  She felt that the blood of the upper-class would better suit her road to perfect beauty and immortality.

Within a short time frame the rumors reached the royal court.  The Prime Minister, her cousin, had no choice but to investigate the matter.  The castle was raided and taken by surprise.  Bathory was supposedly found in mid orgy with dozens and dozens of dead girls lying all around the castle.  Most were drained of blood and some were still shackled to walls bleeding out.  Bathory’s entourage was arrested and tortured until they confessed.  They were charged with the murders of the 80 victims actually found dead inside the castle walls.  Ilona Joo was burned at the stake and many of the others were beheaded within a short time.  Bathory was accused of murdering over 600 girls.  Due to her title, death was not handed out as her punishment.  She was bricked up in a small room at the top of the castle.  There were small holes for air and one for food to be passed through, but that was it.  They estimate her death as August 21, 1614.  Food trays from that date were not touched which led them to believe she had passed away the night before or that morning.

Deployment…what to say to and/or do for your soldier

I’ve been getting a lot of questions about deployments lately.  What to say or do for the soldier before he leaves seems to be two most asked questions.  So here goes…

What to do for your soldier before he deploys?….Look, the best way to approach this is to try to put yourself in his shoes.  Look at where he is headed, how his life will change, the “normal” things he won’t have access to anymore, the environment, not seeing you or any other family members for a long time…..the list goes on and on.  He won’t be able to come home and take his boots off.  He doesn’t get a cold beer in the evenings.  He may have a can of coca cola but no ice.  He probably has to walk a little ways to get to the bathroom, not to mention in complete uniform no matter what time of day it is.  No comforts that we take for granted…no heating and air control, no comfy bed, lousy food, no long hot showers, etc.  So, what do you do for him before he deploys???  Make him as comfortable as possible.  If he wants to spend the weekend kicked back watching movies and taking naps, tell him to go for it!  Eat out at his favorite places.  Go on little weekend trips.  Take tons of pictures!  Have cookouts on the weekends too so him and his buddies can sit back and relax.  Keep in mind that this is no time to be selfish.  He won’t have all these freedoms for a year.  You will.

What to say to him?…My best advice to is to reassure him that you love him.  Tell him that you will be thinking of him each and everyday.  Make plans to send him care packages full of goodies.  Let him know you will be right here when he gets back.  Don’t talk about the dangers he will face.  Don’t dwell on the time apart.  He probably won’t want to talk about those things.  If he wants to talk about that stuff he will, but don’t force it.  Write a letter and sneak it in his bag too.  And make sure to write letters during the deployment too.  A handwritten letter holds a lot more than a phone call.  Reassure him that you and the family will be ok.  It’s important that he not worry about his home and family while he’s gone.  He’s gonna have so much on his mind and will need to stay focused.

All in all, just live in the moment.  Have fun.  Don’t stress too much (I know that’s hard as hell to do).  This is his job.  Deployments are rough but they do end.  Tell him how you feel and let him know how important he is.  Take the time to send him things that remind him of home.  Don’t bog him down with drama from home.  He calls or gets online to escape the deployment.  Those few minutes of a phone call or online chat are his little vacations.  Make him laugh and reassure him that things are alright.

Super Nintendo days with my Brother!

I got a text message from my brother this evening…reminding me about the “oh so early days” of playing Super Nintendo games with him.  I had to take a minute before I could text back due to my endless attack of the giggles!  The memories that came flooding back were awesome!  I gave my brother hell growing up.  The things I used to put this kid through…it’s a miracle he is still alive and kicking!  I’ll go into those days in another post soon.  But playing games with me was nothing short of an all out battle royal!

We used to play games like Star Fox, Mario Kart (sp), Mario Brothers, Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat, etc.  I remember us playing these games on the weekends, early in the mornings while our cereal went soggy.  Those rainy days when Mom probably wanted to pull her hair out…yea, we were in the living room acting like rabid animals over these games.

The funniest part about playing these games with him was the violence!  I was one violent chick when I lost a life on Mario Bros.!  I would accidentally fall into a hole or die from one of those lil’ turtle thingys and just as soon as that music would play…the death tune!…I would turn and punch or frog him right in the arm!  Poor thing would immediately flinch at the sound of that music!  HAHA  I was horrible!

Street Fighter was one that he CHEATED on all the time!  Yes, you know you did Brother!!!  He would say, “Ok, ok…wait a minute.  You go to the right side over there and I will go to the left side so I can practice my moves.”  He would practice his “moves” for about 20 seconds and then ATTACK THE HELL OUTTA ME…WITH NO WARNING!  He would whoop me every time that way.

The last one I’m gonna mention is Star Fox…this guy aggravated the shit outta me during this game.  He never hushed and then, without warning AGAIN, he would cover my eyes!  I crashed left and right on that game!  I think I was the froggy one on that game.  It doesn’t really matter since I never lasted more than a minute or so!  Haha

Anyway, I LOVED playing these games with my brother.  Some of the funniest memories we share involve the Super Nintendo.  I hope we share many more game playing battles!

Jason Voorhees

Well, I was informed last night, by my horror master husband, that Jason Voorhees should have come before Michael Myers. Hmmm…

Jason Voorhees is a complicated character to me…well, maybe he’s so simple it’s kinda complicated. Not sure if that makes much sense! Anyway, the Jason character gets his start as a deformed and mentally challenged child. His mother was a cook at Camp Crystal Lake and, due to not having a sitter, she had to take him to work with her for the summer. The other children bullied him and called him names. One day, out on the dock, the kids were picking on him and he fell in the lake and drowned. The camp counselors were not watching the kids because they were off somewhere having sex. Jason’s mother became outraged and took revenge on the counselors. I’m not sure how many she killed but she was one mad mama!

Years later Jason emerges again…after we all thought he was dead! He is living in the woods at Camp Crystal Lake in a small shack. The camp is reopened and given the nickname Camp Blood, I believe. He starts out wearing some kind of potato sack thingy over his head and begins killing all the counselors…especially the ones who are engaging in premarital sex. He finds that to be a big no-no! He stalks through the woods with a big ol’ machete hacking up teenagers every summer.

I think the thing that kinda aggravates me though is the fact that he is pretty much immortal. All the other “bad guys” seems human even though they all seem to possess unique skills. You can drown this guy, chop his head off, grind his head in a grinder…he just keeps coming back!

All in all, this guy has created fear for anyone deciding to go camping, walking through the woods at night and any of those little bumps in the night that occur while you’re trying to convince yourself it’s just the house settling!

Drama among Military Wives…housing inspections

Ok, last week I saw a post concerning housing inspections on and off post.  The woman said that her husband had informed her that there was an incident within his unit that required a housing inspection due to health and welfare reasons.  So, basically, instead of inspecting that one soldier’s home, the entire unit was to prepare for inspections.  She was a bit upset about this.  She said she didn’t want them coming in and looking through their stuff and claimed it is an invasion of privacy.  Now…there were SEVERAL responses to this post.  Some said that inspections off post could take place.  Some said the off post inspections weren’t legal without a search warrant.  And some said it really doesn’t matter either way.  The official regulation was brought into the matter and still there was a thickness in the air about this subject.

Now you know I’m gonna throw in my two cents worth on this one!!!

First… an active duty soldier gives up certain rights when he joins the Army.  That is a fact.  You don’t have to like it and you don’t have to agree with it.  But as the spouse, you DO have to grit your teeth on some things and just realize it’s the way things are.  Like it or not you married into this type of lifestyle and you have the choice to get out of it.  I do not care one way or the other what the regulation says on this particular matter.  I would just roll with it!  It’s not that huge of a deal!  They just take a look around, from what I have been told, to be sure the living conditions are suitable.

Second thing… one of the responsibilities when leading a unit is the health and welfare of the soldiers.  The Commander of a unit does not just tend to one soldier when there is a complaint or a situation that is brought to light.  He/She looks out for the unit as a whole.  Every soldier’s health and welfare should be a priority.  I’m not saying everything is as it should be or that everything is perfect…believe me.  But this one incident involving the welfare of a soldier could lead to 4 more incidents.  Upon doing the inspections 4 more homes may be found that should be addressed.  And think about the possible children in those homes.  Had the inspections not been done, those children would have suffered longer do to improper living conditions.  At least that’s the way I look at it.

Third thing… keep your damn house cleaned!!!  If you are raising hell about chain of command doing searches you either live in filth or have something to hide.  JUST MY OPINION!  And I don’t wanna hear the excuses either.  You may work a full-time job and have three kids, but your house can still stay in decent enough order.  You could have a friend help out.  You could give your children a chore list so that their toys and dirty clothes stay picked up.  Hell, there are several cleaning services offered around that have affordable prices.  There is really no excuse for your home to be in such bad condition that you fear inspection.

Last but not least…a lot of spouses need to keep in mind that they are SPOUSES…You are NOT a soldier, you are a spouse.  You don’t get a say in the matter.  You didn’t raise your hand and take the oath.  You don’t wear the uniform.  You don’t serve in the Army.  His chain of command is not yours!  They don’t care if you agree or disagree with rules and regulations.  The job of an Army wife is difficult, trust me.  You are the glue at home and you deal with so much crap on a daily basis and this life would make most civilians go insane.  But you are not the soldier.  Please keep that in mind.

With all that said…I’m not saying this woman lives in filth or that she has something to hide.  I do, however, think most people who complain about this issue have dirty houses or have things to hide.  She basically stated that the invasion of privacy was her issue.  My advice to her, although she may not want it!, is to just let them take a look around.  It’s really not a big deal.  I highly doubt they will begin going through your things and turning over furniture.

Michael Myers

 

Just a little countdown to Halloween…I’ll be picking some movies, characters and paranormal subjects throughout the month that interest me!  Hope you all enjoy!

And now for the first on the list…

Michael Myers

This guy scares the hell outta me!  I’m usually the one during or after a movie analyzing how the victims should have handled the killer’s stalking and such.  But with this guy, naw…  I can’t think of anything to do if he enters my house.  I would scream like an idiot and hope he just got annoyed with me or decided I wasn’t worth the effort!  LOL  He is so good at what he does.  He doesn’t need a fancy weapon…just a good ol’ kitchen knife will do.  He doesn’t need to scare you with dreams, knives for fingers, a chainsaw or Pandora’s Box!  This guy just walks into a room, gives you “that look”, and proceeds to stalk the shit outta you until he gets you with the knife.  Running never seems to help, shooting him doesn’t do any good and pleading for your life doesn’t work either.  He doesn’t speak or grunt or anything.  Myers is definitely one of the most scariest characters I’ve ever seen.

Now that I’ve expressed my ultimate fear of this guy I should tell you that my husband is a huge horror fan.  He has the small figurines, the pictures with autographs, the masks and lots and lots of other horror memorabilia.  But the one item he has that kinda takes the cake is the life-size Michael Myers in our friggin’ living room!  Yep, Myers lives in our house.  He is voice and motion activated.  Ugh!  Gotta love the fact that his knife moves, his head follows you around the room and even his eyes move as you walk by!  My husband loves to position him around the house so I get scared shitless from time to time when I walk in the door.  Welcome to my world!  Haha!