Random Thoughts Random Thoughts

I was looking at the Blogs of Note and wondering if I would ever make it. I've decided I will not. For one thing I don't write something everyday or even every other day. Consistent blogging seems to be a key ingredient in being a Blog of Note. I know that I have in the past said I would write more but I'm beginning to think that I'm a procrastinator, but I will have more about that later. I'm also not clever. All the Blogs of Note have some clever or unusual aspect about them. Most times I'm lucky to get a coherent thought and on a really good day a complete thought. Pictures are also a key in many of the blogs and while I have pictures most of mine are more snapshot than some great photographic expression. 

So I'm going to keep blogging away in my own less than perfect style and hope that I find a voice and something that makes me want and need to write everyday. I'm taking more pictures and I'm working to find a style there also. Maybe I need a makeover. Thats it a makeover something that will clean out my closet of old and uninspired thoughts and images. A makeover that will ignite the fires of creativity, style, voice and inspiration. Yeah, I'll get started on that first thing tomorrow. Blog of Note here I come.   

Day 21 of the Deployment with Just Some Random Thoughts

Carter played his first soccer game last Saturday. His team, Blue Navy something that is hard for this old Air Force guy to root for, won 6-4 over the Rolling Red Thunder. Carter played well and had a good time but it was easy to see that something was missing for him. On Sunday we took him to his dad's house and watched movies. His dad called from Iraq and Carter and him had a good talk about the soccer game and how Carter played. After the call Carter was very quiet and subdued. At one point in the movie "Hollywood Chihuahua" when the puppy is lost in Mexico Carter looks at me and says I thought this was a funny movie. Lucky for us the movie did get funnier but Carter still snuggled in and stayed very close. Watching Pinochhio didn't help any either. Carter was really feeling lost and just a little left behind.

I worry for Carter because a 7 year old shouldn't have to worry about their dad being in a needless war. Carter, this time, knows how long 120 days is and he also has an understanding of the risks his dad is facing. On the news I see that while the troops are going to leaving Iraq they are instead going to Afghanistan, another needless war. In 2002 when we went into Afghanistan to get Osama bin Laden we were in reality fighting a war on terrorism and on terrorists. Then along comes Iraq and the focus was lost and the terrorists were allowed to melt away to continue their war of hate and extremism. Obama wants to bring the war back to Afghanistan but is getting told that the time for troops and warfare may be past. Also his plan doesn't get us any closer to Osama bin Laden. Obama knows this and so the fake outrage over the AIG bonuses. Move attention away from the needless war with outrage over something that is small in scale but does touch a hot button of sorts.

Every military power since Alexander The Great has been unable to defeat the Afghan tribal areas and people. We will lose also as they don't want us there or care for the ideals we are trying force down their throats. If they want to live in the 12th century let them. We can put a fence around them and let them have the life they want. We can monitor them and make sure the terrorists stay there and hope that sometime in the futrue the Afghan people will decide to move forward without the terrorists and then maybe we can help with a force of arms. For now bring the troops home so Carter and all the children like him can have their fathers and mothers at home were they belong. STOP THIS NEEDLESS AND ENDLESS WAR.

Deployment Day 16 You Can't Tell a Book by its Cover

The first soccer game for Carter and the guys will be this Saturday. We have been practicing and trying to learn the basics of the game. We are working on dribbling, passing and just running. I know, all little boys run but some are better than others. Carter, unfortunately runs like most Tangen men. He is slow and manages to look as if he is falling the whole time. At the end of every practice we have the boys scrimmage for the last 20 minutes. Once the boys start playing Carter's running skills don't seem to matter. He is right in the thick of it.

We start the practice with some stretching and then a run. One of the other boys skips instead of runs. He shuffles through the dribbling practices and just overall seems to be a hundred miles away. He is not disruptive or anything like that just totally uninterested. In the scrimmage he turns into a tiger. He is always in the thick of it. Running, kicking and trying to steal the ball from the opposing player. In fact he is the only boy that tries at every opportunity to steal the ball and make shots on goal. I said something to his mother about this and she was also amazed. He has never played a sport before and this competitiveness was something she had never seen.

Another boy runs like the wind and has good ball control skills. During the scrimmage he holds back by the goal and never really attacks the ball. I keep trying to get him to move forward but with little success. I finally discover that he wants to be the goalie because he hates to run. As the boys learn to play soccer I'm also learning some valuable lessons about kids, abilities and desire to win.

Deployment Day 14 More Soccer News

The first couple of soccer practices have been fun. The weather has been terrible, cold, wet, and just plain miserable. The kids loved it. Apparently playing soccer in the snow is a blast. There are several boys that have played soccer for the last two years and those, like Carter, that have never played before. Carter has the Tangen running gene, unfortunately. He looks like he is falling the entire time and is one of the slowest runners out there. So at the practices we do some running and we practice dribbling, passing and other ball handling skills. Their first game is this Saturday and I just hope that the weather is just a little nicer.

San Antonio, TX made me homesick

I was in basic training USAF. I was 20 recently married and Texas in August sucks.

My favorite line from 'Star Wars'

"Don't get cocky kid" Just describes my life.

Deployment Day 8 Assistant Soccer Coach

I can't help but think that if Rob had been here that this would not have happened to me. Carter is playing soccer this spring. He has never played an organized sport before and as far as I know he isn't all that competitive. Carter's mom called me last night and asked me to help as assistant coach for the team that her girl friend is coaching. I have never coached anything in my life. The last time I played soccer had to be at least 40 years ago. I'm not sure that I will do all that well with this. But then these are only 1st and 2nd grade kids.

I remember when Rob was in 2nd grade he played soccer. The team never won a game. They came close twice but were never able to score that winning goal. There was no real game plan, no outstanding players. Just a bunch of little boys in a large scrum with legs kicking furiously. I remember one game in particular. There was one boy that ran a little stiff legged and he didn't take off his sweats when the game started. About 5 minutes into the game at mid-field there was the large kicking cluster of kids. Suddenly there was a leg flying through the air and before you could even blink all the boys but one were standing with their parents. The one boy was sitting on his butt. The ref asked him if he was okay and he said he was. Then the ref asked if one of the kids had kicked his leg off and the boy says no it was his fault. He had a prosthetic leg and he had not tightened all the straps.

I'm sure that this coaching job will be fun, even if there are no prosthetic legs involved. I just wish Rob was the one doing it. Carter needs his dad to be there not his grandpa. My job is to root and take pictures. As for now I guess I had better go get a book or something on coaching soccer for little kids.

Deployment Day 6

I received an email from Rob today saying that he has safely arrived in Iraq. No info on what things are like but that may change when he gets his own Internet hook up in his room. He has his laptop with him so maybe he can be more candid about things than having to use the government computers. He got all the guys there in one piece so he should be feeling better now. He really put a lot of stress on himself over being in charge of getting them all there. He s a big worrier, I have no idea where he gets that from.

I have been to his house everyday since he has left. Put out the garbage cans and check on the mail. Saw Carter this weekend and he is doing okay. He was outside playing with friends. I know that the deployment is only 120 days and should be boring but I can't help but worry.