Repartee and Touche!

From the debate Monday January 21st 2008

I don't endorse either of these candidates (BLECH), but I must say that Obama thinks quickly on his feet. Hillary Clinton has been using her husband to get in the really dirty jabs lately.

HILLARY CLINTON: We're just getting warmed up. Now, I just — I just want to be clear about this. In an editorial board with the Reno newspaper, you said two different things, because I have read the transcript. You talked about Ronald Reagan being a transformative political leader. I did not mention his name.
OBAMA: Your husband did.
HILLARY CLINTON: Well, I'm here. He's not. And ...
OBAMA: OK. Well, I can't tell who I'm running against sometimes.

Snow Day!

We LOVE snow days...no school, no driving, a warm fire, hot cocoa, chili, DVD's and of course playing in the snow. Our yard is a beautiful winter wonderland. Marina and friends started a fort, but it morphed into a very hungry snow monster inspired by Calvin and Hobbes.

Nice necklace...um thanks, it's my husband.

I received an interesting email from Bill today as he departed South Korea for home - a two day trip. First some background: On December 1st, on our way to a squadron party, I asked Bill where he wanted to be buried. He looked at me and asked, "Where did THAT come from?" An hour later we were notified that my step-dad, Boyd, had passed away suddenly. It's been hard. I suppose Bill has been thinking about my question. So his email today read:

You asked me not too long ago what I wanted after my demise. This sounds like a neat idea…
http://www.lifegem.com/index.aspx?BannerType=QuigoText&BannerMessage=LoveLivesOn

I clicked on the link to LifeGem. I remembered reading about them a few years ago. They take your family member's ashes and create a diamond. We are, after all, carbon-based as are diamonds. ...I can just see it. "Debbie what a beautiful necklace." -pause- I smile somewhat sadly and reply, "Oh thank you, it's Bill." ...awkward. I wrote him back, "cool but creepy all at the same time...but then again, in the 1700's widows wore lockets with a snip of hair from their husbands." I remembered seeing Martha Washington's mourning locket in a museum with a snip of George's hair inside, so I guess LifeGem is the same tradition a step forward in time? I cringed and clicked on "The Process". WHEW! They have advanced their diamond technology. Now they can produce one from a lock of hair. Bill has plenty of that since he retired from active duty. I can handle hair!!!!

Just Another Day at the Office

A photo from an F-16D Fighting Falcon aircraft during a recent training flight over Kunsan Air Base in South Korea.

Bill will be the guy on the ground for two different trips this month helping the pilots become familiar with a communication system called DataLink. Bill left our house at 4 am on Friday of this week. I got a call from him today (Saturday) at 3:30 pm - he was just getting up and was still on his way to Kunsan! He had one last jaunt, a 3 hour bus ride from Inch'on to Kunsan AB. Weren't the Gilliagan's Island folks guaranteed a 3-hour tour? hmmmmm.... Kunsan is located on the coast of the Yellow Sea - just across the pond from China. (click on the map for a bigger picture)

Although he has retired from flying the F-15 with his hair on fire, being a military contractor is a pretty good gig.

The best part of Bill's job is that he is still around fighter pilots...

the worst part of his job is that he is...

still around fighter pilots.

Ow...My Eyes! A Huckabee Christmas?

Actual photos from this year's Huckabee and then Romney Christmas cards...

Um...what can I say?

What can anyone say?

Think hard.

Think real hard.

Which family would you like to see representing the United States of America?

The Huckabees?

or

The Romneys?