As promised, here are some of the pictures from our most excellent adventure in North Carolina.  It’s a pretty big file and may take a couple of minutes to download.  Also, make sure your ears are on as there are tunes attached (courtesy of Clarice Rose.  Now go buy her record.) When it’s complete (or when you grow tired of watching - it’s pretty long) hit escape to get out of it.

North Carolina

And while you’re waiting for this to download, here are a few things we learned down there.

Well, there were no dead bodies and no drugs (I think), but this past weekend sure did have that “Big Chill” feel about it.  Sixteen people in a big beach house down in Nags Head, N.C.  There was so much laughter and friendship and food and drink and even an engagement (congrats to Barb and Donny, you crazy kids).  There was so much laughing.  Sheesh!  I damn near peed myself a couple of times!  And when we were cooking breakfast one morning and the Temptaions were on (Ain’t Too Proud to Beg, to be precise) and people were dancing and singing and cooking, well, it just doesn’t get much better than that.  And then there was the Italian Food Fest with lasagne and meatballs and sausage in sauce and flaming garlic bread (yes, flaming.  no, not on purpose) and Frank Sinatra was playing in the background...fantastic!  We met some great new friends and cemented relationships with some great old friends.  There will be pictures coming very shortly.  Most will be plenty boring to almost everyone, I’m sure, but there will be a few folks out there who should really enjoy some of them.  Stay tuned.  I just want to end this post by saying thanks to Cindy and Jesse, Kathy and Bob, Jean and John, Barb and Donny, Kathy and Bill, Clarice and Walt, Ian, Ricky and, of course, Pat for one of the best times EVER!  Let’s do it again next month!!  Ok, maybe next year.  I love you guys.  Oh, and by the way, everyone reading this should go buy Clarice’smusic.  She is really great! 

Quotes from “The Big Chill”

Michael: I don’t know anyone who could get through the day without two or three juicy rationalizations. They’re more important than sex.
Sam: Ah, come on. Nothing’s more important than sex.
Michael: Oh yeah? Ever gone a week without a rationalization?

Sam: I just dont know if anyone out there likes me you know?
Harold: Well you dont have to worry about that here...you know i dont like you.

I will be out of town for several days and will not be posting.  I know that you will all be wanting to read about the war (is it a war if they don’t fight back?), so I will leave you with this link.  This is important so pay attention.  Your children and grandchildren will ask you about this.  And they will truly be interested.  This is history.  No matter what your feelings are, right or wrong, left or right, it is history.  And it matters.  Take care of yourselves for you are all important to me.

If you’re feeling at all patriotic and would like to see some fireworks of a kinder and gentler nature than the one’s we’ve all witnessed today, here’s a link just for you.

Liberty

The massive “shock and awe” campaign that has been threatened by Washington has just begun.  We are gathered around our monitors watching it and everyone is reacting much the same way.  Shock and awe.  I have never seen anything like this before.  I guess no one has.  I feel so bad for the Iraqi civilians in that city that never asked for this and I can’t help thinking there, but for the grace of God, go I.  It is truly frightening.  It no longer matters who is right or who is wrong.  Hell has been unleashed and there is nothing we can do about it but watch and pray for family and friends who have put themselves in harm’s way. 

This is the first day of Spring.  It was supposed to be happy.

These are strange days for us.  As we sit and watch the war unfold on television (I can even watch it on my PC at work!) and listen to former generals tell us what’s next (is that really wise?), my mind wanders to the interview that I saw recently with an aged WWII veteran.  Imagine a war where you didn’t know who was going to win.  Unfathomable, eh?  Can you imagine not knowing if your enemy was going to take over?  Not knowing if they were going to “win”?  Can you imagine if we were losing thousands (thousands!) of soldiers in warfare?  Today, we basically know the final results of any of the “wars” that we engage in long before we set foot on foreign soil.  Which is, I’m sure, why we won’t let North Korea egg us into a fight, try as they may.  We know going into battle these days, that we may lose several soldiers to enemy fire.  Several more in mishaps (helicopter crashes, friendly fire, etc).  And we know that some unknown hundreds of enemy soldiers will die.  We also know that we won’t “lose the war”.  There’s no chance of that.  We are shooting tomahawk missiles at rock throwers.  Does the fact that it is an unfair fight mean that we should not engage an enemy?  No, of course not.  I would much rather do it this way than attack N. Korea’s million man army.  So would you.  I’m just saying that these are strange days indeed.

By the way, whether you approve of the actions we are taking in Iraq or not, support our troops.  Wish them health and Godspeed.  Exercise your freedom of speech but exercise it responsibly and in the right direction.  Our soldiers are doing what they must.  Don’t let your hatred or disgust of an administration turn you against our soldiers.  This is not their fault.  Those soldiers are over there for you.  Respect that.

I hate talking about war.

Never, never, never believe any war will be smooth and easy, or that anyone who embarks on the strange voyage can measure the tides and hurricanes he will encounter. The statesman who yields to war fever must realize that once the signal is given, he is no longer the master of policy but the slave of unforeseeable and uncontrollable events.
Sir Winston Churchill (1874 - 1965)

Loyal reader Laura S. sent this to me this morning and I thought I would share it with the rest of the class:

By Dennis Miller

All the rhetoric on whether or not we should go to war
against Iraq has got my insane little brain spinning
like a roulette wheel. I enjoy reading opinions from
both sides, but I have detected a hint of confusion
from some of you.

As I was reading the paper recently, I was reminded of
the best advice someone ever gave me. He told me about
the KISS method ("Keep it Simple, Stupid"). So, with
this as a theme, I’d like to apply this theory for
those who don’t quite get it. My hope is that we can
simplify things a bit and recognize a few important
facts.

Here are 10 things to consider when voicing an opinion
on this important issue:

1) President Bush and Saddam Hussein.....Hussein is
the bad guy.

2) If you have faith in the United Nations to do the
right thing, keep this in mind:
They have Libya heading the Committee on Human Rights.
They have Iraq heading the Global Disarmament Committee.
Do your own math here.

3) If you use Google Search and type in “French
Military Victories,” your reply will be “Did you mean
French Military Defeats?”

4) If your only anti-war slogan is “No war for oil,”
sue your school district for allowing you to slip
through the cracks and robbing you of the
education you deserve.

5) Saddam and Bin Laden will not seek United Nations
approval before they try to kill us.

6) Despite what some seem to believe, Martin Sheen is
NOT the President. He just plays one on TV.

7) Even if you are anti-war, you are still an
“Infidel” and Bin Laden wants you dead, too.

8) If you believe in a “vast right-wing conspiracy,” but
not in the danger that Hussein poses, quit hanging out
with the Dell computer dude.

9) We are not trying to liberate them.

10) Whether you are for military action, or against
it, our young men and women overseas are fighting for
us to defend our right to speak out. We all need to
support them without reservation.

I hope this helps.

We are at war.  It really truly is happening.  The past couple of months there was always the hope, no matter how small, that somehow this might be avoided.  Somehow.  That hope is now dashed.  My hope now is for quick resolution (is one day asking too much?  Ok, how about two?) and minimal casualties (is zero asking too much?  Ok, how about one?). 

God, I hope we are doing the right thing.

It is well that war is so terrible, or we should grow too fond of it.
Robert E. Lee (1807 - 1870)

My wife knows everything.  Anyone who know her will validate my claim.  She read my post and said ”Why can’t you put the little squiggle over the ‘n’”?  And proceeded to show me.  Look.  ñ.  Cool, huh?  I truly dig her.

We are now on the brink of war.  We may have even started already.  There’s apparently fighting in Basra and some dozens of Iraqi soldiers are already looking for someone, anyone to surrender to.  But I don’t really want to talk about the war.  There’s plenty of places you can go to read about that (check out asmallvictory.net or oliverwillis.com for two of the best on that topic).  No, I’d rather talk about… whiskey.  Pat is sitting next to me laughing at one of the kids blogs and sipping on some Gentleman Jack and I’m nursing a wonderful snifter of Glenfiddich single malt scotch.  Mmmm, deeelish!  This is what we’re fighting for ladies and germs.  The ability, nay the RIGHT, to sit in our comfy houses drinking excellent scotch whiskey.  The drinks tonight seem to be hitting us just right.  Pat had a particularly rough day today and is truly enjoying her G-Jack.  My day was just normal, but I still think I can justify, nay DESERVE, my glass of scotch.  Oh, and while I’m on the topic of alcoholic beverages, let me tell you about the most wonderful tequila that we’ve discovered.  We’ve always been fond, nay VERY FOND, of Cabo Wabo (love ya, Sammy!), but we found a tequila that may be even better.  It’s called Don Eduardo anejo (I wish I could put the little squiggle over the ‘n’.  Damn!) and it is very very smooth.  Go ahead.  Sip it neat.  No ice.  Mmmmm.  Now don’t you feel better?  What?  You’re at work?  Ok, well maybe later then.  Oh, and don’t drink and drive!  See, I’m responsible.  Ok, I guess that’s it for now.  Take a minute and pray for the troops.  To them in harm’s way I say, Godspeed and please come back to us.  We are proud of you.

Giving money and power to government is like giving whiskey and car keys to teenage boys.
P.J. O’Rourke