Life During A Move.

So I decided to move to another apartment this summer when dealing with several shortcomings of my current abode. I started looking in August and found what I wanted this past October. Since my old lease wasn't up till January 1st, 2010, I had to wait to lease the new place, which put my move on December 19th, right in the middle of the holiday period.

So I've been slowly, and I must put much emphasis on SLOWLY, been packing up my things in order to move them to the new place. For some reason I am without any enthusiasm for packing boxes and sealing them up in preparation for the movers to come and get them. I find that if I can make myself load up a single box a day I am satisfied. I'm now down to about 12 days till the move, and I have about 20 boxes to go. I think it will take more than one a day to get the job done. Yet, I still do not speed up, I feel no sense of urgency, I cannot seem to motivate myself to get it done. I procrastinate, watch TV when I should be packing, or decide that after loading a single box that a nap is in order.

I cannot decide what exactly is wrong. I love the new apartment. I will have my very own individual garage to store stuff in. It has a pantry. It is upstairs so there are no loud feet walking across my ceiling at odd hours aggravating the heck out of me. It is five times nicer and better laid out than my current place. I am even EAGER to get out of my current place. Yet, I procrastinate anyway. I guess I am the type of person that needs that last minute crisis in order to get things done. I will wait till it is only five days before the move and then pack like a madman, and get it done with little problem, instead of getting it done in advance and being more relaxed. I need a more immediate deadline I guess, lol. Oh well, while it will be a pain in the ass, it does seem to work for me.

My new couch, love seat, and chair is also scheduled to be delivered this month sometime, and I am looking forward to it a great deal. I've not had a recliner since I was stationed in Puerto Rico with the Navy in the late 70's, and this set has TWO of them!!! I almost fell asleep in the store when I went to try them out they are so comfortable. When I have my large screen TV hooked up and my recliner love seat set up, I shall be in heaven for sure.

I can hardly wait.

Mac

Well, here we are again at the start of the holiday season, 2009. Thanksgiving is now history, and Christmas looms on the horizon.

My daughter Brittney turned 18 this past September, and Jeffrey is now 15. The fact that my older boys are now 30, 29, and 25 does not make it any easier.

Facing up to turning 53 this past October is just another day in the long line. Turning 50 didn't pinch as much as I thought it would, so a year or two in addition really hasn't added any deep concerns either. I still have a few years to go at the current occupation before I can retire, and I have to wait till I turn 60 in order to start collecting the Army retirement pay. So to say I am still in a limbo of waiting would be about accurate.

Sarah Palin is still giving the Liberals fits, as President Obama, Harry Ried, and Phoney Pelosi are doing for the Conservatives. It seems that everyone is more worried about who is doing what, instead of what they are actually doing. No one is addressing the actual problems we have, instead they are feathering their political nests at our expense. It does seem that we very well might need to throw the bums out! Start over with an entirely new crew, both Dem and Repub. Vote out every incumbent Representative, Senator, and President, and just start over. Wouldn't that be something to see?

Yeah, when pigs fly......

Mac

Well, summer 2009 is nearly past, actually, it is past. It was a wild and wooly one as summers go. No long trips, no adventures, just life.

My youngest son Jeffrey did come down and spend a lot of the summer with me, but he also spent quite a bit of time with his grandmother, my mom, which I was actually glad to see. My own grandmother, my moms mom, passed away a few weeks ago but don't worry, it was not all that sad. If I were to make a toast to my grandmother on my moms side, it would go something like this, "Here's to Geri Shicklegruber, and I call her Shicklegruber because calling her Geri Hitler would be just a bit over the top, but only just a bit."

It's a shame that some people live their lives in a total, all out effort, to make other people miserable. My grandmother should have things written about her concerning how loving she was, and how much she cared for her family and friends, how kind to kittens she was, etc.

But all that would be wasted words when it came to my grandmother. She was one of those way west Texas oilfield women who was tough as nails and as ornery as an old mule with a sore hoof. She went out of her way to cause chaos and mayhem in the family every chance she got, and took offense at every opportunity at the smallest and most insigificant incident of dissagreement or even just a personal opinion that didn't agree with hers. She was one of the most selfish and obnoxious women it was ever my misfortune to know and she treated my mother like crap her entire life.

I would say good riddance but that might be a bit harsh for a grandson to say about his grandmother. But I can't say she'll be missed by anybody, at least no one has owned up to it so far. And that is a very, very sad thing.

Farewell maama. I hope, for once, you are happy now. I truly do.

Mac

Oath Keepers

Well, I have found a site and organization that espouses the exact principles I've been advocating for some time now. With the new leftist government in place it has become increasingly obvious to many of us who are "takers of the oath" to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic, that we may very well be called upon to do just that.

It is my deepest nightmare that this government, run by neo-socialists and wanna-be fascists, could very well one day order me and my fellow officers to take actions against the American people that are in direct conflict with the Constitution, and I have vowed I would not follow such orders, no matter the consequences for me personally. Now it turns out there is an organization of others, like myself, who feel the exact same way.

"Oath Keepers"

( http://oath-keepers.blogspot.com/) has the following on the ten orders we will NOT obey:

Declaration of Orders We Will NOT Obey:

Recognizing that we each swore an oath to support and defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic, and affirming that we are guardians of the Republic, of the principles in our Declaration of Independence, and of the rights of our people, we affirm and declare the following:

1. We will NOT obey any order to disarm the American people.

The attempt to disarm the people on April 19, 1775 was the spark of open conflict in the American Revolution. That vile attempt was an act of war, and the American people fought back in justified, righteous self-defense of their natural rights. Any such order today would also be an act of war against the American people, and thus an act of treason. We will not make war on our own people, and we will not commit treason by obeying any such treasonous order.Nor will we assist, or support any such attempt to disarm the people by other government entities, either state or federal.
In addition, we affirm that the purpose of the Second Amendment is to preserve the military power of the people so that they will, in the last resort, have effective final recourse to arms and to the God of Hosts in the face of tyranny. Accordingly, we oppose any and all further infringements on the right of the people to keep and bear arms. In particular we oppose a renewal of the misnamed “assault-weapons” ban or the enactment of H.R. 45 (which would register and track gun owners like convicted pedophiles).

2. We will NOT obey any order to conduct warrantless searches of the American people, their homes, vehicles, papers, or effects - such as warrantless house-to house searches for weapons or persons.

One of the causes of the American Revolution was the use of “writs of assistance,” which were essentially warrantless searches because there was no requirement of a showing of probable cause to a judge, and the first fiery embers of American resistance were born in opposition to those infamous writs. The Founders considered all warrantless searches to be unreasonable and egregious. It was to prevent a repeat of such violations of the right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects that the Fourth Amendment was written.We expect that sweeping warrantless searches of homes and vehicles, under some pretext, will be the means used to attempt to disarm the people.

3. We will NOT obey any order to detain American citizens as “unlawful enemy combatants” or to subject them to trial by military tribunal.

One of the causes of the American Revolution was the denial of the right to jury trial, the use of admiralty courts (military tribunals) instead, and the application of the laws of war to the colonists. After that experience, and being well aware of the infamous Star Chamber in English history, the Founders ensured that the international laws of war would apply only to foreign enemies, not to the American people. Thus, the Article III Treason Clause establishes the only constitutional form of trial for an American, not serving in the military, who is accused of making war on his own nation. Such a trial for treason must be before a civilian jury, not a tribunal.

The international laws of war do not trump our Bill of Rights. We reject as illegitimate any such claimed power, as did the Supreme Court in Ex Parte Milligan (1865). Any attempt to apply the laws of war to American civilians, under any pretext, such as against domestic “militia” groups the government brands “domestic terrorists,” is an act of war and an act of treason.

4. We will NOT obey orders to impose martial law or a “state of emergency” on a state, or to enter with force into a state, without the express consent and invitation of that state’s legislature and governor.

One of the causes of the American Revolution was the attempt “to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil Power” by disbanding the Massachusetts legislature and appointing General Gage as “military governor.” The attempt to disarm the people of Massachusetts during that martial law sparked our Revolution. Accordingly, the power to impose martial law – the absolute rule over the people by a military officer with his will alone being law – is nowhere enumerated in our Constitution. Further, it is the militia of a state and of the several states that the Constitution contemplates being used in any context, during any emergency within a state, not the standing army.The imposition of martial law by the national government over a state and its people, treating them as an occupied enemy nation, is an act of war. Such an attempted suspension of the Constitution and Bill of Rights voids the compact with the states and with the people.

5. We will NOT obey orders to invade and subjugate any state that asserts its sovereignty and declares the national government to be in violation of the compact by which that state entered the Union.

In response to the obscene growth of federal power and to the absurdly totalitarian claimed powers of the Executive, upwards of 20 states are considering, have considered, or have passed courageous resolutions affirming states rights and sovereignty.Those resolutions follow in the honored and revered footsteps of Jefferson and Madison in their Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions, and likewise seek to enforce the Constitution by affirming the very same principles of our Declaration, Constitution, and Bill of Rights that we Oath Keepers recognize and affirm.Chief among those principles is that ours is a dual sovereignty system, with the people of each state retaining all powers not granted to the national government they created, and thus the people of each state reserved to themselves the right to judge when the national government they created has voided the compact between the states by asserting powers never granted.Upon the declaration by a state that such a breach has occurred, we will not obey orders to force that state to submit to the national government.

6. We will NOT obey any order to blockade American cities, thus turning them into giant concentration camps.

One of the causes of the American Revolution was the blockade of Boston, and the occupying of that city by the British military, under martial law. Once hostilities began, the people of Boston were tricked into turning in their arms in exchange for safe passage, but were then forbidden to leave. That confinement of the residents of an entire city was an act of war.Such tactics were repeated by the Nazis in the Warsaw Ghetto, and by the Imperial Japanese in Nanking, turning entire cities into death camps. Any such order to disarm and confine the people of an American city will be an act of war and thus an act of treason.

7. We will NOT obey any order to force American citizens into any form of detention camps under any pretext.

Mass, forced internment into concentration camps was a hallmark of every fascist and communist dictatorship in the 20th Century. Such internment was unfortunately even used against American citizens of Japanese descent during World War II. Whenever a government interns its own people, it treats them like an occupied enemy population. Oppressive governments often use the internment of women and children to break the will of the men fighting for their liberty – as was done to the Boers, to the Jewish resisters in the Warsaw Ghetto, and to the Chechens, for example.
Such a vile order to forcibly intern Americans without charges or trial would be an act of war against the American people, and thus an act of treason, regardless of the pretext used. We will not commit treason, nor will we facilitate or support it."NOT on Our Watch!"

8. We will NOT obey orders to assist or support the use of any foreign troops on U.S. soil against the American people to “keep the peace” or to “maintain control” during any emergency, or under any other pretext. We will consider such use of foreign troops against our people to be an invasion and an act of war.

During the American Revolution, the British government enlisted the aid of Hessian mercenaries in an attempt to subjugate the rebellious American people. Throughout history, repressive regimes have enlisted the aid of foreign troops and mercenaries who have no bonds with the people.

Accordingly, as the militia of the several states are the only military force contemplated by the Constitution, in Article I, Section 8, for domestic keeping of the peace, and as the use of even our own standing army for such purposes is without such constitutional support, the use of foreign troops and mercenaries against the people is wildly unconstitutional, egregious, and an act of war.

We will oppose such troops as enemies of the people and we will treat all who request, invite, and aid those foreign troops as the traitors they are.

9. We will NOT obey any orders to confiscate the property of the American people, including food and other essential supplies, under any emergency pretext whatsoever.

One of the causes of the American Revolution was the seizure and forfeiture of American ships, goods, and supplies, along with the seizure of American timber for the Royal Navy, all in violation of the people’s natural right to their property and to the fruits of their labor. The final spark of the Revolution was the attempt by the government to seize powder and cannon stores at Concord.

Deprivation of food has long been a weapon of war and oppression, with millions intentionally starved to death by fascist and communist governments in the 20th Century alone.Accordingly, we will not obey or facilitate orders to confiscate food and other essential supplies from the people, and we will consider all those who issue or carry out such orders to be the enemies of the people.

10. We will NOT obey any orders which infringe on the right of the people to free speech, to peaceably assemble, and to petition their government for a redress of grievances.

There would have been no American Revolution without fiery speakers and writers such as James Otis, Patrick Henry, Thomas Paine, and Sam Adams “setting brushfires of freedom in the minds of men.”
Patrick Henry: "Give me Liberty, or Give me DEATH!"

Tyrants know that the pen of a man such as Thomas Paine can cause them more damage than entire armies, and thus they always seek to suppress the natural rights of speech, association, and assembly. Without freedom of speech, the people will have no recourse but to arms. Without freedom of speech and conscience, there is no freedom.

Therefore, we will not obey or support any orders to suppress or violate the right of the people to speak, associate, worship, assemble, communicate, or petition government for the redress of grievances.— And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually affirm our oath and pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor. Oath Keepers

The above list is not exhaustive but we do consider them to be clear tripwires – they form our “line in the sand,” and if we receive such orders, we will not obey them. Further, we will know that the time for another American Revolution is nigh. If such a revolution comes, at that time, not only will we NOT fire upon our fellow Americans who righteously resist such egregious violations of their God given rights, we will join them in fighting against those who dare attempt to enslave them.

NOTE: please also read our Principles of Our Republic We Are Sworn to Defend

More About Oath Keepers

Oath Keepers is a non partisan association of currently serving military, veterans, and peace officers who will fulfill our oath to support and defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic, so help us God.
Our oath is to the Constitution, not to the politicians, and not to any political party. In the long-standing tradition of the U.S. military, we are apolitical. We don’t care if unlawful orders come from a Democrat or a Republican, or if the violation is bi-partisan. We will not obey unconstitutional (and thus unlawful) and immoral orders, such as orders to disarm the American people or to place them under martial law. We won’t “just follow orders." Our motto: “Not on Our Watch!” or to put it even more succinctly, in the words of , "NUTS!" There is at this time a debate within the ranks of the military regarding their oath. Some mistakenly believe they must follow any order the President issues. But many others do understand that their loyalty is to the Constitution and to the people, and understand what that means.The mission of Oath Keepers is to vastly increase their numbers.

Well, this is probably my longest post to date on this blog. I took the above orders directly from the Oath Keepers blog and I credit them with it throughout. I know that many who read this will have the reaction, "Oh please!! Like any of that is going to happen here in America!! Give me a break!!"

I certainly hope and pray that you are correct. But if you are not, YOU certainly hope and pray there are enough individuals like me who will NOT abrogate your rights in order to achieve a political end.

I swear.

Mac

Oh well.

You know what they say about the best laid plans of mice and men, right? It is only too true. All my plans for this year so far have been either changed or cancelled. My "ride" to Vegas turned out to be a "drive" instead, and Sturgis is an out and out cancel.

Why, you ask? Well, I decided back in February to investigate the possibility of getting Lazik surgery on my eyes to correct my near sightedness and eliminate my glasses and contacts, finally!! So I made appointments to first get my eyes checked and my current prescriptions updated (got new glasses and contacts) and then I started making the rounds of some doctors that had been recommended to me for Lazik checkups.

Lo and behold, the very first doctor I went to for the Lazik found a problem. Back in 2000 I had a detached retina in my left eye. It was repaired in high fashion by a very prominent eye surgeon and life went on with no problems. Or so I thought. The eye doctors found that since that surgery in 2000, scar tissue had built up and needed to be removed or it was going to cause my vision to degrade more and more.

So, off to the races we went. I was under the care of one of the more eminent eye surgeons in Houston and everything seemed to be going swimmingly, lol. The first procedure seemed to go fine, and for the first month I was thrilled with the improvement I saw in my vision, even though they had some kind of silicon oil in my eye to increase pressure on the retina while it healed, and that had my vision pretty blurry. The 1 month followup visit went well, no problems, and then one week later things started to go to crap.

I developed a dark area near the top of my vision all of a sudden and called it in. They immediately set me up for another appointment where I was told they were going to have to go back in. It seems that as my eye healed, it pulled another area of the retina loose and it is not uncommon to have that happen. Easy for THEM to say...lol.

So back in they went. It was just too much fun, let me tall ya. Then, a week later, I went back to have it looked at, the routine followup after the procedure, and here we go again. It seems that I have developed a lot of liquid pooling behind the repair, and it had to be taken care of. So BACK IN we go. Another operation on my poor eyeball. But, it had to be done.

So now I've had three operations on my eye, instead of the two originally planned, and I still have one more to go. So far, so good though, I made it through the one month followup on this last one, and I have two months of healing to go before they are satisfied it is good to go and they can remove the silicon oil from my eye, the final procedure. Hopefully, that will be the end of it.

As a result of all this, I was unable to ride my motorcycle to Las Vegas, but at least I was still able to go, even if I had to drive the Jeep. But Sturgis is out. I won't be back on the bike till late August at the soonest, or September at the latest, IF everything goes as planned. Like the title says, oh well.

But, as we all know, things could be worse. So as long as things continue to progress as they are, I'm not going to complain, I'm just going to try and lug it out.

Hey everyone, just a quick message here to talk about future plans. I'm planning to ride to Las Vegas, Nevada, in May, and Sturgis in August. It ought to be some good riding either trip and I am really looking forward to both. I recently had to have some work done on my left eye to correct some problems that have resulted from an old repair of a detached retina back in 2001. So that means I'm not riding right now as my left eye is not 100%. Once it is though, I am going to be ready to go for a long, long trip. Now if the money available would just match the need to ride, I'd be set, LOL.

But, I'll fit in what I can afford, and maybe even stretch that just a bit in order to maximize my ride time. The bike is in good shape, except for being dirty, which never bothers me anyway, and it's ready to roll. I'll try to remember to drop in and update this thing more often to keep the world in touch.

Mac

Here we are.....

Well, here we are, in the year 2009. Who'd have thunk it, eh? LOL.

A year from now it will be 2010, and another year will have passed. What will we have accomplished by then? Will we let another year go by, simply pass, without anything real having come of it? What is your intention for 2009 that you could talk about in 2010 and be proud?

Sometimes I think it just becomes too easy to ride the waves and make no headway. In addition, we have things happen to us that set us back, and we fail to recover and keep on keepin' on.

One of my friends has had one of the worst years ever, but she has kept her head up and has had faith that things would turn out okay, and they have for the most part. I admire that a great deal and can only hope I'd face similar circumstances with as much fortitude. But then, sometimes we forget our own bad times and forget that we have, in fact, stood strong and made things better for ourselves and those around us. We did what needed to be done, regardless of our own discomfort or sacrifice.

So what are you going to do with your 2009???

Mac