22 - Backwards and Forwards

It is Veterans Day, observed, here.  That also means Eric had a day off!

Good thing, too.  I had English lessons today and Ian is still home and feeling puny.  At 10:00 this morning, he told me, "I need to go to bed."

Well, OK!  And he did!!!  Eric said he went up to his room, shut all three curtains, climbed into bed and pulled his blankie over himself.  I went up, snapped this picture:

Right as he had finished coughing (thus, the silly look).  He opened one eye, looked me over and then rolled his head over and pulled his blankie over it.

A few minutes later, he was snoring peacefully.  And continued to do so for the next 2+ hours!

Seemed appropo that Dougie wrote 22 backwards - it was a backward kind of day: I went to work, Eric stayed home... Ian put himself to bed - and stayed there...  Eric had a holiday and the kids all went to school...

And I had many things to be thankful for regarding that holiday...


Working for a forward deployed ship in a foreign country gives a perspective in military life we would not otherwise be exposed to. This is not military life in the shipyard or in Kitsap county. Extended families and lifelong friends are not just available to help out when spouses are deployed. Housing is institutional and under-available. School choices are few.

But, people make fast friends and activities are plentiful. Japan is beautiful and completely inviting. It is also geographically near countries that have a history, some fairly recent, of being hostile towards the United States and/or its allies.

These ships, their crew and those that maintain them, have to get them all underway in a matter of days if they are called to duty. Not many days - a couple.  It adds to the respect I have had for our military and their technical support.  Being here, however, has given me a new-found respect for the support teams/families behind those military personnel.

So, thank you to all of the members of our military.  Thank you to all of you husbands, wives, mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters.  Thank you to the government employees/contractors keeping things in proper working order.  Thank you for your sacrifice for our freedom.  Thank you for putting your life on the line.  Every.  Single.  Day...


But, just like today, it did not matter what got put first, it still stays the same: "22".

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