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previous ~ ~ ~ next So, my cousin Robbie is over in Korea, getting ready to be shipped out to Iraq in mid-August. This scares the hell out of me. I've already got two other cousins over there, Sean and Mike. Both are married, and they each have a child. I can't imagine being in the shoes of either of their wives right now. I just can't. Because the babies are pretty small. Little Jewelia just had her first birthday a couple months ago... I feel incredibly bad for Jamie because both her husband (Mike) and her brother (Sean) are over there. And she has a 15 (16?) month old baby. But of course, Sean and Mike do have people sending them care packages, etc. Robbie, on the other hand, is only 19 and not married, not dating anyone seriously, and his mom... well, his parents are divorced and his mom doesn't really seem to want too much to do with him. So, we're going to send him a care package. I just put a letter in the mail for him today, asking if there's anything in particular that he would like. In the meantime, I've started putting together a list (with the help of Ilsa) of things I'll probably put in the care package. I'm soliciting opinions on what else would be good and fun to send him. :) The list so far: -Comic books -Home-made cookies in a tin -Mad Libs -Fuzzy dice -Fun clothes for time off -Hygiene things--shampoo, deodorant, etc. -Junk food that won't spoil (or melt) in heat -CD's -DVD's (possibly--waiting to hear if they'd be able to watch!) -Beanie Babies (just to be silly) -Having the kids in class make something for him -Letter-writing materials -Snack-packs (cookies, crackers, etc.) So, Anthony used to be in the Navy and he said I should make sure to keep everything small because they don't have a lot of extra room. And non-perishable because they don't necessarily have access to a fridge. (Not to mention who knows what would happen to something that should be refrigerated while trying to get it there!) But I got the shampoo suggestion from both Anthony and Ilsa, and I heard from someone else that it's just a really nice thing to have. So, I'll probably see if I can find a small bottle of something nice. Honestly, though, if anyone else out there has been in the military, or if you just have good suggestions, I really want to send Robbie some stuff to make him smile. He's scared and bored, and that's really not a good combination. For anyone wondering what my political views are: I'm so very proud of my family members over there, and ALL the men and women in Iraq because they are making such a huge difference. Please, please, please don't believe what the media is smearing through TV, radio, and the internet. Jamie forwarded me an e-mail from Sean that talked about... actually, here: "The canned snacks and EZ cheese and stuff is just a treat for me. I do get to have food and water. Only once did we run out of water, but only for a day or two. No big deal, we had some on our trucks. Like a couple bottles. We don�t have bunkers to run to. There are bunkers at the checkpoints for people, but they are never in them unless taking a break. Also there are bunkers scattered around, in weird places, and tunnels under some buildings. I guess when you are a dictator, you gotta watch out for people killing you. We don�t have any sirens that go off either. We get mortared like every day and rockets shot at us. They suck though, they can�t hit shit. They get people with the VBIED�s. But never more that injuring a couple of guys most of the time. Just a couple have died so far. I don�t worry, if it is my time then it�s just that. I will try not to get blown up, trust me. I guess there are a lot of pro americans around and less anti americans. I feel there is hope for these people, but all the people that knew how to run a government are all dead or in jail for crimes. So there is not enough people that know what to do. We have to show them. Thank you for the EZ cheese and chocolate and stuff. I really like getting stuff. Oh, please don�t sent any more tootsie rolls, we have so many here already. Let mom and dad know too if you ever talk to them." Anyway, Jamie has also told me various things that both Mike and Sean have said, and basically, all the every-day people that they run into are so ecstatic to see them, it's mind-boggling to them [the soldiers] that people would say, or think, that we shouldn't be over there. The kids run out to grab at their pants because they're "American soldiers" and they mean safety. This is something I feel so very, very strongly about, I can't even begin to tell you. This place [my blog] has always been about me and what I'm trying to sort through, so I never wanted to turn it into a political forum. But this means so much to me and I can't stand to hear people bashing our soldiers or what they're doing or questioning whether or not they should be there. How many days until finals? What was one good thing that happened today? Miscellaney: Tell me what you think. Rick :: Rick's Site �::Rick's Comment(s)�:: Well said :) [2004-07-23 18:11:13] Tessa :: Tessa's Site �::Tessa's Comment(s)�:: Why, thank you, kind sir. :) I didn't say it nearly well enough, but at least I've finally put my opinion out there... [2004-07-28 09:21:17] Bras and Nylons ~ ~ ~ Nerves Most recent: The REAL surprise party - Monday, Jul. 11, 2005 Still not here - Wednesday, Jul. 06, 2005 Moved - Thursday, Jun. 30, 2005 I survived - Thursday, Jun. 23, 2005 Go see her. Now. - Thursday, Jun. 02, 2005 |
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