Karen’s Place

We lost another great comedian Thursday with the passing of Harvey Korman.  I’ve been all over youtube looking at old clips of his work.  I can’t believe I’d never seen this one.  I think I laughed harder at this then at anything I’ve seen recently on current television…check it out-

Rest in peace Harvey, you will be missed!!

I’ve been asked by someone at work to do portraits of her and her kids before her daughter goes off to college. Using my Goddaughter as a guinea pig I set out today to get some practice.

When I asked for her help it was fairly cool and even somewhat rainy out. Not so much today! It was sunny, hot and extremely humid. I think it may have come close or even surpassed 90 degrees. She was a trouper though. I think they turned out pretty good for the most part. Her Mom and I compromised on which ones should be posted-take a look.

Oh yeah, the blue tongue?  Blame it on ‘Ocean Water’ from Sonic.

Friday I was to have a date with my new guy. We were supposed to go to dinner at a fairly new entertainment area between his house and mine. When I got off work I received a text message from him asking me how I would feel about going camping at an area lake instead. I sent back a message asking if he was kidding, I would LOVE to go camping! It was a beautiful day and due to be a gorgeous weekend. I threw some clothes in a bag (he told me he would supply everything else) and after dropping my dog off at a friend’s house, I headed to his place and together on to the lake.

Mother Nature did not disappoint us-

This was our view when we were all settled in:

Here are some more pictures from the weekend:

It doesn’t get any better than this!!!

This has been such a busy few weeks. Whew! I don’t even think I can put it all into words. I’m sure this blog will be scattered all over the board, but hey what else is new, right?

Let’s start with something that will probably come as a complete shock to my family unless my sister spilled the beans, which I doubt. I’ve been seeing someone for the past few months. I’m talking about it now, because It’s about to end. I think this is the first time I’ve ever been in well, whatever this has been that hasn’t ended by either my choice or his. I’ll explain a little.

I met this really great man. After meeting him I found out he was in the army stationed at the army base not far from my house. This was just prior to my trip to Virginia and North Carolina. We decided we wanted to go out and get to know one another better, but I was leaving for my trip in five days and he was leaving for Iraq in the same amount of time. His current job was to travel back and forth for short time periods and do evaluations. He’d be gone for six weeks, oh-but he’d have email that he may or may not have time to checkJ. Between our schedules there was one day we mutually had available. I honestly believe it was one of the best dates I’ve had in my entire life, and trust me I’ve been dating so long I’m exhausted (as paraphrased from Charlotte in Sex and the City)! We had a couple brief phone conversations after while I was out of town then he was gone, and gone and gone. I was left with all my stupid chick insecurities as to whether or not he would remember me, was I emailing him too often? Blah, blah, blah…He FINALLY came home and sure enough he called…to tell me 1) In five days the Army would be sending him to Texas for 10 days. And 2) at the end of May he would be transferred to Ft. Bragg permanently…

What to do?? We had another wonderful date during the one weekend he was home between trips. Was this a mistake, knowing he was only here a short time? I had friends whispering in my ear to make sure I was still working on my “plan B”-meaning keep my options open. Well, right or wrong the decision I’ve made is to spend as much time with him as possible while he’s here. I can’t help it, I like the guy. When he came home from his Texas trip he had even more information. In December he is being deployed for a year to Afghanistan for his third tour. Now am I really being an idiot for not cutting all ties with him knowing any kind of future with him is out of the question at least for the next year and a half? My heart says no. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t love him. I haven’t known him long enough to make that kind of proclamation. I do care about him, I will worry about him and I will miss him-a lot. I hope he will miss me too. Then in 18 months…who knows.

This is the final weekend I have with him. Tuesday he’ll leave to collect his two little girls from his ex-wife and bring them here for a week or so while he’s on leave. I’ll be doing some family portraits for him, something for him to take with him over seas. After that, he’ll be gone.

Oh, but he wants me take his fish! Ugh! His fish??? Oh Lordy! I can’t keep a plant alive, let alone fish! Aunt Nancy, if you’re reading this, do you feel like fostering some fish? I know I’m not asking my brother and sister in-law. How many Bobby the fish have come and gone through that house??? Just sayin’! So yeah, I’ll probably end up with some fish. I don’t know anything about them so don’t ask. I’m not even sure he does. All I know is that they are fresh water, tiny and silver. In fact when I first saw them I accused him of keeping minnows in his fish tank. Ha!

So there you have it. My secret life out in the open. I’ll be sad for a while, yes. But in the long run I know I won’t have regretted one minute of these past few months.

Now, on to work-

The past two weeks I’ve been working ½ days at both my old job and my new job. Last week it was a disaster. This week was much better. Last week I had a meeting with my new department to go over what my responsibilities would be. All of a sudden almost every person in that department pipes up with the fact that they do their job all by themselves and that MY job should be to back them up. WTF? I keep my composure and sit there quietly and let them continue to bounce ideas around, after all I am the new person here. The new boss is still brainstorming, but all be damned the meeting ended with this crew actually wanting me to not only be each and every one of their back-ups, but they also want me to do all the crap work in this department. Not only no, but uhm..hell no!

I left that meeting so discouraged. I went straight into my current manager’s office, she saw I was upset and asked what was wrong. I told her I thought I had buyer’s remorse. She asked what I had bought. I said, I new job! She laughed and asked if I wanted to come back. I told her I couldn’t she’d already replaced me. She gave this little smile and said never say never…It seems she and my director are cooking up something. My suspicions were confirmed yesterday when my director sat himself down at my desk yesterday for no apparent reason except to small talk. He was giving me the sad puppy dog eyes he’d been flashing through this whole transition process. I told him he had six months to work something up. He said six months, huh? What’s that? November? December? I said yes-but you better make it good they’re going to be really mad at me if I leave them just to take my old job back…He just nodded his head. I’m curious what exactly may be going on in those two’s heads.

So there you have my work life. I start my new job full time on Monday. I realize I do need to learn all jobs in the department, however I was recruited for this position and in my interview it was explained to me specifically why I was wanted. The duties outlined in that meeting were not it. I’ll have to keep an open mind and see where this goes.

Have a great weekend everyone-

I just came from watching my Godson’s Cub Scout spring campout where I watched him move from a Webelo I to a Webelo II. It seems like 5 minutes ago he was a tiny little tiger scout. Now in 9 short months he’ll be a Boy Scout. Again, it’s a good thing I don’t age as fast as the kids do!

Each year at the campout the scouts have a flag retirement ceremony. It’s long, but I get choked up each and every time. I think it’s worth reading the following dialogue and remembering again exactly what our flag stands for.

Remember Me? Yeah, that’s right, red & white stripes, fifty stars on a blue field in the upper left corner, I am your Flag, but I’ve also been know by “Old Glory”, the “Stars and Stripes”, and the “Star Spangled Banner”. Whatever you call me, I am the flag of the United States of America.

I remember years ago that people used to honor me, fly me with pride outside their homes and at work, and children in school would pledge their Allegiance to me every day. They would carry me in parades and people would watch and salute me with pride as I passed by, proudly waving in the wind.

When men and woman saw me coming, the men removed their hats and placed it over their hearts and the women placed their right hands over theirs. And their children were taught respect for the flag, and what to do as well. Now I’m lucky if they even recognize me, or even notice me at all. Now, the young boys and girls make fun of those who carry me, and call them names. They haven’t learned, or don’t remember about the thousands of men and women who gave up their lives for me. People who knew the meaning of Freedom, Liberty, Justice, and Peace.

Why has this happened? I’m still your American Flag. I haven’t really changed that much… just added a few stars over the years, been a whole lot more places, and through it all, stood strong by you. Why don’t people respect me the same way they used to? A lot of blood has been shed since those parades of long ago. A lot more men and women have died defending me. When you honor me, you honor those men and women who gave up every-thing for your freedom. When I am flown, I see people not notice. When I am in a parade, I see people just stand there, with their hands in their pockets. I may get a small glance, but then you look away. Next time, please notice and respect me. Next time stand and be proud to be an American Citizen!

I see the young children of today running around and not being taught how to act when I’m around don’t the parents of today care? Don’t they know how to act? I saw one man start to take off his hat and looked around and saw no one else doing it, so just put it back on. I saw some kids calling the Boy Scouts who were carrying me names and making fun of them. I saw many just sit there as I passed by, talking with one another like I didn’t even exist. Is it now wrong to be patriotic? Have today’s Americans forgotten what I stand for and where I’ve been?

If you don’t care, who will? If you don’t teach our children what I stand for, and how to act around me, who will? If our children don’t learn how to respect our flag, what it means to defend our country, and how important Freedom, Liberty, and Patriotic Duty is, what future does our mighty country have? So, when you see me; stand straight, think about what I stand for; think about all of the Americans that have died for our country, and place your right-hand over your heart or salute to honor me. I’ll be saluting you back by waving strong and proud in the wind. And I’ll know that you remembered me.

I am your Flag. I was born on June 14, 1777. I am more than just a piece of cloth shaped into a colorful design; I am the silent sentinel of freedom for the greatest sovereign nation on earth. I am the inspiration for which America patriots gave their lives and fortunes; I am the emblem of America.

I have led your sons into battle from Valley Forge to Vietnam. I have been there though the Civil War, Two World wars, at Gettysburg, Flanders, Korea, the Gulf War, all of them. I was there with George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, and I here with you now.

I have flown through Peace and War. Through strife and Prosperity, and amidst it all, I have always been respected. My red stripes symbolize the blood spilled in defense of this glorious nation. My white stripes, the burning tears shed by Americans who lost their sons in battle. My blue field represents God’s Heaven under which I fly, and my stars, clustered together, unify the fifty states as one for God and Country.

I am “Old Glory” and I proudly wave on high. Honor me, respect me, and defend me with your lives. Never let our enemies tear me down from my lofty position, lest I never return. Keep alight the fires of patriotism, strive earnestly for the spirit of democracy, and keep me always as a symbol of freedom, liberty, and peace in our country.

When it comes the time when I am old and faded, do not let me fly in disrepair, rather Retire me from my duties only to replace me with a new flag so that I may continue to symbolize our country. With this, renew your commitment to what I stand for and pledge your allegiance to me one final time:

“Scout Salute! To the audience: Please join me in the Pledge of Allegiance:”

**”I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic, for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and Justice for all.”

As you can see, this banner of freedom before you is worn, tattered, and soiled from use and age. Her broad stripes are no longer a fiery red & pure white, but faded and worn out. The stars and blue background are no longer vivid reminders of our blue skies and great land, of the purity, vigilance, and justice she should represent. She has flown proudly over the years and has done her job well, but now she must be replaced with a new flag to properly represent this great Nation of ours.

Retiring the Colors: (Repeat as needed)

The flag of our Nation should always be a strong, vivid symbol of our land and fly brightly in our minds. Our flag is a symbol of our people, our freedom, and our strength. So it is now that I commit this flag, which no longer can fulfill these duties to the fire so that we may replace it with a new flag to properly symbolize our Nation. May the spirit of this flag be born again in the new flag we will now fly.”

“Scouts Salute”