Brownie security was breached at approximately 1830 and annihilation complete by 0030 on Tuesday evening/early Wednesday morning.

I looked for the telltale signs smeared across my five year old's sleeping face and bow lips when I got home, but was informed by my Significant Other that the assault was clearly unit wide. Instigation of assault was never clearly assigned to a particular perpetrator. I don't blame them. I blame me for unsuccessfully hiding the pan of brownies from the rabble band. Picture above was sent to intended recipient and was met with a number of suggested creatively punitive retaliations.

I sent a lot of smaller packages this week. Letters are the backbone of support. I can swing them budget wise at anytime and I generally have something to rant aboutsay at a moment's notice. Yes. I know. That IS hard to fathom.

I was one heavy in the kid department this week. So I put her to work with the rest of the brownie pilferers packing nacho kits, pizza kits, cheese and crackers. When it's hot most of the time not only is dehydration an issue, but my adoptees aren't too hungry. It's too hot to eat and the food available doesn't do much for the appetite.

Sending protein dense food and anything that has a high caloric count is a good thing. Usually more pricey, but I have to say when I need more funds they tend to just show up. I refuse to worry about how I will be providing. As far as the fat content of some of what gets sent this time of year, I have never heard of a Marine or soldier coming back from Iraq or Afghanistan heavier than they were when they went so I make a point of getting food out that is palate enticing to them even if it is fat laden. Any kind of change of pace is generally the ticket. Nothing worse than getting pictures of adoptees thoughout a deployment and watching the weight drop. I'm sure it's estrogen related on my part, but I hate it anyway.

I think pictures like that motivated the whole kit type food sends I try to swing from time to time. When I told one adoptee I was sending pizza, they were really surprised. They couldn't figure out how that might happen. Frankly, I didn't either at the time I started making these kits, but yes, you can send pizza to the Sandbox. Bertolli makes great pouch sauce, pepperoni is shelf stable, as are the jars of grated parmesan cheese and the cans of olives or Portobello mushrooms. Finish it off with vaccum sealed ready to eat pizza crust and there you go. Pizza.

Nachos are a fun thing as well. I prefer local Texas tortilla chips and cans of Rotel. You vacuum seal the box of cheese though to prevent seepage. It's hot. Things might get runny, but a seal will keep it usable. Most of the time they just put the cheese in a fridge if they have one. Though I have had a picture or two of a Marine digging right into the box of cheese with a knife and chip and then smothering it with some K-bar opened Rotel right on the spot. It's not surprising. My own rabble here isn't much more dainty when it comes to food consumption, though I don't let them use a Kbar. lol.

I also had my rabble laminate whatever smart ass piece of art I could find for box or envelope alike this week.

Mail adornment started a long while back and noticed I caught hell when mail went out that didn't have a graphic on it so now it's kind of a tradtion for a lot of the adoptees. As with anything else though I do sometimes forgo that step if I'm slammed for time and instead my kiddos will go to town on the packages with a marker.

Here's pictures of half my rabble helping me get all of the packages to the post office. They were pretty darn proud of themselves it sure seems like.

These clerks are used to me and my horde descending down from the steppe several times a week. I can write custom forms in my sleep at this point. Even the five year old will ask me like he is asking down below very autoritatively, "Mooooooooooooooooom, do you gots the custuhm fohms? You do wiiiiiiight?" It gets him a lot of laughs with the clerks.

As most of you know, Wednesday and Saturday posts on Hope Radio are now military or military support-related in topic. Recently, I've decided to take this one step further and begin interviewing milbloggers who I have been encouraging all of you to read (in header links just above) and post the interview on Wednesdays.

It occurs to me some of you may wonder why military related topics would be important to me, especially if you haven't followed this blog for very long or are only able to read sporadically.

Military support, service and tradition has been a part of my family's life for a long time. My husband served, uncles on both sides of my family and my sister have all worn a uniform from grunt to general. At one point even I was OCS bound in the mid 80s.

How long have you been blogging?

I started my personal USMC81 blog site toward the end of 2006. In 1997 I started a website for the USMC Combat Helicopter Association (popasmoke.com) where for the past 12 years, have been bringing Marines, who served with each other in combat, together again. Blogging in a sense, that effort requires a lot of posting, correspondence, follow-up, and forum maintenance.

Why did you start?

In 1995 I started a website called "The Marine Guest Book" where former Marines could log their boot camp and tour details and be found by others. I believe that site was one of the first ten Marine Corps websites ever created. I initially started my blog as a place to archive good material for quick reference. My objective then, as now, is to facilitate information sharing for Marines.

How did you come up with the name?

In California, my jeep license plate was "USMC81" which means I became a Marine in 1981. When I moved to Connecticut in 1993, I ordered the same Veteran plate "USMC81" for my truck, which I still drive today. I also own usmc81.com and use usmc81 for my login wherever I can.

You were a former Marine as my husband Tony is, can you tell me how your service impacts your world view?

I believe I joined the Marines because of my views, not the other way around. I believe in America and that freedom isn't free. I also believe if necessary, I will be one of the last standing Patriots somewhere, some day. (Pic:USMC 81 as a young Lance Corporal in Japan)

Your role as a parent?

I think the discipline you gain from military service plays a big part in how you parent in general. The respect and responsibility experience also has its place in parenting. As a parent, I want my (six) kids to be well-mannered, patriotic, courageous, educated, successful, and loving. Many of those qualities are tied to military experiences for sure, but as an adult, we all grow mature in our thinking and actions as we drift far away from active military service. (Pic below: USMC 81 with 5 of his 6 children)

Your role as a husband?

That's a tough one. I'm pretty sure my role as a husband is based on disciplines I gained pre or post-military. In a partnership, you need to be open-minded, maintain a 30,000 foot view, be very humble, emotionally mature, and realize your job is to make your spouse happy. Well, that's my view.

Your kids' attitudes?

My kids have very little exposure to anything military other than myself. I always try to set the right example and ensure they have appropriate life lessons, which sometimes have a military story or tone. They are awful proud to have a Marine Dad though.

What's been the most rewarding aspect of blogging?

Witnessing from the driver's seat how the Internet and a few good people can positively affect the lives of so many.

Any regrets so far?
No Ma'am.

USMC81 flying over MCRD San Diego in a restored Vietnam-Era USMC UH-34D Helicopter.

What are the pitfalls for you?

Time is a pitfall. I also think proper content management and archiving limits potential. Most of us know what needs to be said, but the ever-changing technologies tend to fragment efforts. Short-term projects have short-term results. Improving on technology and content management is an ongoing struggle we all face.

I notice your twitter as well? What do you get from that that Blogger doesn't offer?

Part of understanding WEB 2.0 and now WEB 3.0 is knowing the social networking components well enough to utilize them effectively. Each of these new tools have strengths and weaknesses. What I get from Twitter that Blogger does not offer is the ability to bring a message to the people instead of bringing the people to the message. Folks like the convenient short-message core functionality of Twitter, which is like a maintenance-free limitless opt-in subscription service. Listen to who interests you and ignore the rest. It's very interesting to see how communities form on Twitter auto-magically.

How do you participate in mil support?

For active-duty troops, I coordinate the "Adopt-A-Shop" program (through popasmoke.com) where care packages are sent to deployed helicopter units. For veterans, there are many opportunities to assist families and loved-ones of vets through knowledge, support, or sometimes, just listening.

Any advice for those thinking about helping out your brothers?

IN THIS POST:

1. Mail updates.

2. Hope box wrestling and creating.

3. Batman and water gun reviews

4. A new request

5. The blog badge unveiling.

This post should have been up this morning, but I had a last minute call for some things to Afghanistan and I wanted to get them to the post office before noon.

Does it matter if it got mailed Monday instead of today in the grand scheme of things? Probably not, in a general or logistical sense, but it does matter to that Marine or soldier in the email I send of a picture of what they requested being packed or one of the kids holding it up and smiling with a thumbs up.

Yes, it sure does to them. A sense of time and space is something we here take for granted.

Good milsupport is Communication 101 and anyone can do it. I want to encourage anyone with a little time to not sell themselves short. Just taking on one service member through an outfit like Any Marine, AdoptaPlatoon or SoldiersAngels can have an impact. Mail is what matters-- not what kind. When they hear their name at mail call, or find something on their bunk when the come pack from a mission or long hours in a shop or guardpost, that envelope or package reminds them they are appreciated. You don't have to wear a uniform to value appreciation. It's a basic human need intensified when you are tired or far from home and all thing familiar.

So what have I done with your cash you ask? Well let's see. I bought a tower fan for one outfit. They are AC less in a 100-125 degree heat most days. I was pretty jazzed. Fans have remote controls now. Did you know that? Neither did I! I'm older than dirt for being so surprised. I didn't realize how old until I told my Marine about it and his reply to that was joyful and ended with "Dude, that is soooo SICK!" My 12 year old informed me sick is good. Noted.

Heee...well my box for the fan was sooooo NOT sick. I had to make one 'cause the size was so weird. I used a science board from this Spring's science project debacle and cussed cardboard and right angles all night Tuesday I think...I forget.

The mail clerk, who knows more about me than my family practitioner...laughed her ass off. "What. is. THAT!?" she said looking at my cardboard creation.

"THAT is going to Iraq. SHIP IT! I never want to see it again!!!"I said holding up a hand covered in bandaids. She just shook her head at me. She does that alot.
Another thing I did this week was stuff a full size Batman comforter into a banker box. That thing is in there so tight it'll double as ordinance when the recipient cuts the tape. Yeah...I warned him already. "Dude, I had to use my feet to get that thing in the box..."

Another box held bulkier stuff...This Marine wanted water guns and I had a lot of random room after I taped the H20 weaponry into the box so it wouldn't shift. With the careful application of wads of Walmart bags and various bracings I added bags of chips, stuff for nachos and magazines.

Little Guy REALLY recommended the double barrel, red, white and blue number with repeat action and extra resevoir.

My older boys are tradionalists and wanted to send Super Soakers, nothing fancy, but highly accurate and dependable, I was informed.

Now Michael has been requesting a Batman comforter--though I'm told as will he that he did nothing of the sort...and I'll be darned if I have not been able to find it. When I did this week, the collective oos and aaahs of my progeny clearly showed they were satisfied with my choice in commercial textiles.

A little birdie...er-- sorry, I mean enormous raptor with gleaming, razor sharp talons, sent me some pics of how some of his fellow Marines are getting by on UGRs (utililized group rations). ...a lovely repast guaranteed to plug you up or clean you out on a regular basis according to some in the field.

UGRs are like individual MREs (meals ready to eat) only for a group of people. They come with special chemical paks which create heat to warm them up. They are used in areas where large DFACs or chowhalls are not available.

Platoons or squads who are out on patrols or at smaller outposts guarding entry points, checking in with Iraqi police in more remote villages, following up on weapon cache leads and what have you, tend to have less access to the quality and comfort of a decent meal which as it does anywhere in or out of uniform, compromises morale.Just think about coming home from work to a good meal and what that does to your pysche. Now throw in heat, sand, the stress of basic survival and the vigilance levels which the job requires and how it would be to not find that same kind of respite and in it's place preboxed food.

So this leads me to my next request. Since the Coalition turnover, rules have changed such that supplies Coalition Forces still incountry need, must be provided for by Iraqi vendors. Thing is the price tag on a 4 slot reataurant grade toaster or a crock pot is 250 dollars. Did I mention that they want another 250 a pop to deliver them?

Yeaaah...so. I was hoping that I could enlist some people to help me get 10 toasters and 10 crockpots sent to my little bir---er I mean one of my lethal birds of prey post haste. Other appliances in outposts like this mean the Marines there have better access to a greater variety of meals and can use these appliances for what foodstuffs they are being sent from family and friends as well.

Email me or leave it comments that you are interested and I'll fill you in. It doesn't matter if the equipment is used or not. If you have a contact for me in the toaster or crock pot getting business that would be cool, too!

Barring that, if you can link this post I'd be grateful. If you can't help personally, it may be you know someone that can!

Now...for the unveiling and created by a blogger friend of mine, USMC81. Here is the new badge he made for donators and supporters of what Michael named Letters to Leathernecks.I needed a name for my Paypal account and "What the Hell Has Hope Got Herself Into This Time?" wouldn't fit in the little name box thingie.

Throughout today I'll be forwarding the badge to the people on my list from our June drive. If I missed you, puuuuhleeze forgive and give me poke. It's Little Guy's birthday weekend and so I have several irons in the fire.

Pretty damn cool, eh? And geez this man was fast! He jumped on the project in nothin' flat and had several versions to choose from. Needless to say I heart USMC 81.

<--- I crashed Dark Stormy heres meme today...though I could have actually been an odd numbered comment in his comments and so thereby legitimate in my meme anointment...not sure. See, I didn't actually count. First, I just noticed that this meme fits great with doing a military support blog post for Wednesday--not really--first I noticed holy cow that guy gets a lot of chick comments and THEN I jumped on the post idea.

Anyway so the meme says to go to the first folder in your pic file and post the tenth picture in it.

It would have it that the first folder in my pic file is 'Burke'. All the photos that go into Castra Praetoria, or that he sends in general, go in there. Here's the tenth pic.

I posted a blown up version too, so you could see the expression on his face...You know how extra funny something is, if you know the person in the story so you can flesh it out with the expressions, curses and exasperated sighs which ensue? HAHAHAHA!!! When I got this pick I was howling I tell ya!! He probably heard me all the way on base in Iraq...I hit dead center from 7000 miles away? Hey! Where's my expert marksman badge?! Huh? Huh? I want it! It's mine, dammit.

*deep, satisfied exhale*

If I smoked, I'd need a cigarette right now.

Ok. I'm through gloating reminiscing, I'm supposed to explain the photo..HeeHee. Gladly. Seems Marines, my own at home did this when we were dating, incidentally, are reluctant to share the date of their first arrival into the world for fear of public reprisal and or good clean fun at their expense.

I learned this the hard way during the early months of milsupport, but that is for another post. So anyway, being the warm, generous, thoughtful human I am, (notice I did not strike through any of those), I post to Castra Praetoria, I have keys to the blog being it's architect, wishing America's 1st Sgt many happy returns. I thought it would be nice if we could get an online party for the birthday boy in comments from his readers, too. I know. *SIGH* I'm such a giver.

Well turns out his Sgt Maj, the senior non-commissioned officer for his Battalion, (read here: about 1,000 to 1200 of his closest friends), reads Michael's blog and decides to share the news in a well worded, early morning, all hands kinda greeting which went like this:

To: AA_TFMP_3/3_ALL_HANDS
Subject: America's 1stSgt's birthday: 4 June

UNCLASSIFIED

Yes,

Contrary to public belief and rumor (most started by the 1stSgt), he was actually born of mortal woman on the 4th of June. He did not just appear in full combat gear with sharp objects in his hands.Remember to say Happy birthday to the legend in his own mind!

SgtMaj, Task Force MP (3/3)Al Asad, Iraq

Then there's the ambush birthday greeting party that awaited Burke outside of the chowhall after lunch replete with bullhorn, singing and much commentary on his impending decrepitudes special place in their hearts.

The aftermath you can read here.

I did get a very nice email which, when translated to civilian went something like this"Gosh, sis, that was so thoughtful and hey, thanks for all the presents, too. My loving Marine family went out of their way to make it special. Really. You do TOO much.

Here's the untranslated version of thanks from my favorite 1st Sgt:

"You will pay."

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

If you haven't been reading much on the election aftermath in Iran and want to catch up, hit here for how to help, especially if you Twitter. Precautions for keeping Iranian tweeters safe are included. Hit here for an opinion of what the US should do next and here for a piece on thinking past the emotion of events unfolding and taking a look at the two men who vied for the Iranian Presidency. I have no opinion yet of Abadinejad or Mousavi, but I do believe, the people of Iran had a right to an honest elective process.

I left a bunch of links from the weekend and the Iranian election in this post.

USMC 81 is working on a blog badge for supporters who sent in donations or supplied links for the last drive for shipping donations to get things out to our Marines and soldiers in Iraq. I should have it ready for unveiling on Saturday along with pictures of what's been going on this week.

Susan, thank you for the box of goodies, it is labeled and headed out soon to Afghanistan. Lisa and Chris, the magazines are headed to Iraq. Hey Amy and Mel, I found the twenty you slipped in my desk drawer for a couple of boxes. I used it today to send popsicles and bedding. Love you guys!

hope, out.

This post is definitely a compilation, but the night has gone so fast it was the best I could do! lol. I've been watching things unfold all night via Twitter, Facebook and numerous military and political blogs and so prose gave way to getting the information I have come across out to others. Please take a look at this and watch the people of Iran lift their voices and demand what is their right: A vote and self determination.

You will find articles, links, pictures, video footage and dialogue as well as access to real time dialogue from those experiencing the Iranian election and aftermath.



Last night, while CNN covered the threat of disgruntled vets flocking to bell towers; the family dynamics of Orange

County Chopper and the OCC gang's take on John and Kate; the drop in the porta potty business and whether the Right really is out to get Obama as the night's great debates, other news outlets like the BBC and Washington Notes
turned east to the history making events in Iran as protesters took to the streets in response to suspected ballot count misrepresentations.



This was the first time I truly understood the impact of social media on political movement and resistance. A little while ago (it's about 4am now on Sunday) one Tehranian on Twitter named Hamed wrote:

"the Internet speed is too low that practically it's impossible to do anything but tweet."

another Tweeter, IranNewsNow wrote: As an Iranian, I want to thank all tweeters that stood by my compatriates today. Thank u. Your voices have touched our hearts.


I and the owner of World on Terror News have been sharing what information and links we have found tweeting since dinner time last night and it occurred to me as MSM sources ran in the background on TV here, how much more I learned about this rapidly unfolding event simply tweeting and following my normal blog sources versus hoping MSMs like Fox could stop gushing about Carrie Prejean long enough to give such a monumental time in Iranian history the attention and in depth reporting it deserved.

Instead CNN paid out the big bucks to four attorneys for their scintillating analysis of just what depths of caca David Letterman was in for his Palin family jokes. Was he in fact an ass or just cad? Let's get in asharing circle and discuss.

But enough about MSM letting the public down...there's certainly no news in that.

My friend at World on Terror News put it fairly succinctly without the spin and with far less minimization than our government did as they "closely monitored the situation".
Says WOTN: "Iran is at a major crossroads. If momentum can be maintained, freedom. If it stalls, oppression."



And I do contend that if this momentum can be maintained it will be in part because of social media. Iran went to great lengths to cut communication, be it internet, cell or land line phones as the rest of this blog post will show, but her citizens were still able to tweet as the first quote demonstrates.



I'm a little sheepish as to how little acknowledgement I gave Twitter even a few months ago. I thought it technological frippery. If you want to look at what is going on in real time via twitter with Iranian citizens and how the election is impacting them just hit the bold face. NO frippery there.

Twitter, I stand corrected.



And because I am corrected, here are items and resources I was able to find or that were passed on to me which helped widen my perspective. I was especially taken with the two Twitter dialogues I post at the end of this piece which show the progression of thought and realization for two Tehranians experiencing, as my WOTN friend described, "a momentous" time.



Also take a look at Amir Sadeghi, who blogs daily photos from Tehran at his blog Tehran 24 His work gives windows to the rest of the world into Iran with striking clarity.

This posted at 10:39 last night (as the elections aftermath progressed) at the site for Washington Notes. Concern for what is or could be happening to Ahmadinejad's opposition played out much during the night as was described.


Saturday, June 13, 2009

Stealing the Iranian Election
Top Pieces of Evidence that the Iranian Presidential Election Was Stolen

http://tcoverride.blogspot.com/ Great bunch of links and a refutation for those who insist on comparing the US 2004 elections with what is occurring in Iran right now...


If you want to look at what is going on in real time via twitter with Iranian citizens here's the link.

Young Iranians Tweeting History: Their Dialogue:


Name Abdul-Azim Mohammed
Location Tehran
Bio Student living in Tehran
It is 4:00 am here and people are filling the street. about 5 hours ago from web

The TV has been reporting a national victory for Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. about 5 hours ago from web

I'm filming the street with my camera about 5 hours ago from web

I'll post it when I can. about 5 hours ago from web

Several other cities are reporting voter fraud. about 5 hours ago from web

The police are telling people to get off the street and go home. about 5 hours ago from web

On my street, the crowd is pushing the police to the side. about 5 hours ago from web

My brother just got home and he told me riots are starting in northeast Tehran. about 5 hours ago from web

Right now things are peaceful in my street. about 5 hours ago from web

The people and police are just talking. about 5 hours ago from web

Normal internet access and phones are still out. about 5 hours ago from web

My uncle tells me that throughtout most cities Mahmoud Ahmadinejad people had ballot boxes burned. about 5 hours ago from web

They were told to do their jobs and speak nothing. about 5 hours ago from web

sirens are now heard....now sure what they are. about 5 hours ago from web

The government has turned the power off in many locations claiming we need to fix some grid ??? Yeah, right! about 5 hours ago from web

The TV is still playing Mahmoud Ahmadinejad victory clips. about 5 hours ago from web

Holly shit, be back in a second. about 5 hours ago from web

My Father has a truck load of ballot boxes that were to be burned in the back of his truck. about 5 hours ago from web

I'm looking out my window and people are starting to fill the street.I have to shut down for a bit, the police are looking for satellites.
about 4 hours ago from web

Name:Farhad (assumed to be Tweeting from Tehran)

@LovLesmile Internet access in Iran is based on land lines not sat dishes!about 4 hours ago from web in reply to LovLesmile

Major General Jafari, commander of IRG said he will not let mousavi's green movement to harm Islamic revolution's ethics #iranelectionabout 4 hours ago from web

Ahmadinejad & his supporters will celebrate their victory today at 5pm local time in Valiasr square & we will try to ruin his party!about 4 hours ago from web

@matthew951 we're using twitterfox! thanks for the note!about 4 hours ago from web in reply to matthew951

6:47 am, police is speaking with students inside dormitory buildings of university of Tehran with speaker. #iranelectionabout 4 hours ago from web

all cellphones now read: Emergency only - No Service! #iranelectionabout 4 hours ago from web

7am news, still nothing about protests & clashes on TV. #iranelectionabout 3 hours ago from web

black riot guards with black vans, it's my first time seeing this people, no badges! probably Intel ministry #iranelectionabout 3 hours ago from web

they are joining with police motorcycles in front of student's dormitory buildings firefighters are leaving the area right now #iranelectionabout 3 hours ago from web

Internet barely works, Speed is near 2kbps #iranelectionabout 3 hours ago from web

no reports from any other part of Tehran, we're all waiting for a move from mousavi or karoubi. #iranelectionabout 3 hours ago from web

there were more troops inside the vans and now starting to create a line in front of the only entrance of the building #iranelectionabout 3 hours ago from web

I'm currently on rooftop with my laptop, most of the city is now looking calm except university of Economy building. #IranElectionabout 3 hours ago from web

I guess the Intel ministry guy is trying to convince university's security to open the gates #iranelectionabout 3 hours ago from web

my brother thinks they are after a student council activist. the council known as Tahkime Vahdat and belongs to president era. #iranelectionabout 2 hours ago from web

they are starting their motorbikes now. I can't see where they are going. #iranelectionabout 2 hours ago from web

just receive http://bit.ly/17SDk4 from a friend. can't check it out myself. hope it's not fake. #Iranelectionabout 2 hours ago from web

http://twitpic.com/7c85l #iranelectionabout 2 hours ago from web

Police is trying to stop people from gathering around while Intel guys still holding a line in front of the gates #iranelectionabout 2 hours ago from web

from the looks of it they are waiting to arrest all the students! it's also explains the vansabout 2 hours ago from web

some people are now parking their cars in middle of the street trying to block the vans. #iranelection about 2 hours ago from web

This is the aftermath of a table crammed with supplies earlier in the week.

Prior it looked more like this: and like this:The kids loved the bounty at first.
Not because they got to pick out the requested water guns with the authority of a seasoned Range Master, or 'cause they got to lovingly caress bags and bags of candy, no, but instead because
if the table was covered in supplies, they assumed that meant they could eat in the living room. Dude.

Not.
a.
chance.
But thanks for playin'!

Give you the water guns back you say?
HA!
Guess what?
Not.
a.
chance.

Heh.
I have had corralled them in the kitchen and at the bar with their sustenance lest it would look and begin to smell like my house is overrun with ferrets.
They were not amused.

Yesterday morning Matthew woke up to the smell of brownies and was sure he was in some parallel universe where moms serve brownies for breakfast with a forty pound side of bacon and a can of frosting.

"MMMM Mom? you makin' browneees for bekfas? Yes?"he asks hopefully, in that I'm pretty much not going to get much more adorable than this in my whole life voice. He didn't wait for me to burst his bubble.

Instead, he, being the brownie "troll" (scroll down on that post) he is, lived his sleepy-eyed delusion a bit more 'til he saw the white chocolate and then he decided a Belgian waffle with a couple strips of bacon and a glass of juice would be an adequate substitute and I could get it all ready while he went back to bed if it was all the same to me.

"K mom?"

He took my whoop with him, too, the little.... Yeah, he wasn't sore about the brownie thing at all.

I bake alot.

The rest of the loot aside from what went to Al Asad is headed out to some outpost in Iraq. My point of contact there is a 21 year old Marine named Byron. Seems he's been in the Corps since he was 17. He volunteered for this second deployment as he became very sick the last time he was incountry and left early. He said he needed to get it right. Him being there meant one of his brothers didn't have to be.

His treasured possesion, a guitar, is his relief in the "suck". He teaches it to other Marines when the have the time. He asked me via IM if I had seen "I am Legend" and did I remember the dialogue about Bob Marley and music keeping people human?

It took a little time and due to OPSEC, I'm still unsure of where he is incountry only that it is remote since there's no DFAC, (civilian cafteria and other creature comforts) found on bigger bases. He is a radioman and communicates over the unsecure airwaves so extra care is taken when we speak via IM. Anyway Michael talks about what I suspect it is like for this Marine too and about UGRs if you want a better idea of what the food and environment is like.

With some some "don't make me come over theres," I wound up with a pretty decent list of things he would like. A common thread in all of it wasn't the cost of the items as much as it was items that would help with monotony of tasks and in offering some variety in their diet.

It pretty much reaches in with a bare fist and removes my spleen every time one of our adoptees relates how much simply saying hello to someone at home and knowing mail is coming can lift their spirits. It just never seems like I am doing that much to warrant the appreciation, but I'm all for giving anyone something to look forward to.

Currently, fyi, at just at one milsupport organization there are over 800 Marines, soldiers, sailors and airmen waiting for a sponsor here in the states. Seems like given the population of the US being over 300 hundred million, we could scare up .00026% of the population to cover these folks huh? If you are so inclined, go hit up http://www.soldierangels.org/

So here's what else was sent this month. Mind you I also sent some cooler PT gear in the way of moisture wicking socks, shorts, countless brownies, 4 for $20 movies from Blockbuster...(used first runs are a pretty good deal), nuts, specialty magazines and a blur of other stuff I didn't take pictures of because at the time it didn't occur to me to provide better accountability or that it might please other people to see how they are impacting lives there. Thanks also to Coffeypot for sending the Monster Milk to Michael, my sis for the peppermint foot lotion, toys and pillows, Sarah (where's your link mama?) for the brownie mixes and all the folks who linked up to spread the word:

Travis

Southern Insanity

Another Suburban Mom

Hot Dads

Bond

Nytebird

Sage

Hubman

Wishful Writer

(I know I'm supposed to link this, but I had to pick between leaving out the acknowledgement and putting it up without being late for a coule of other things going on right this minute. I'll fix the links asap though or you can look for them on my blog roll.)

I figured I was the only weirdo out there, but who am I kidding? You people know who you are.

On the horizon, planned or currently being facilitated:

Working out an email bug with AOL. If you are getting bounce backs when you mail to hstrueby@aol.com please let me know. try me at skyblue812@gmail.com

Seems a blog template with more than one text body (so I could milblog one side and personal blog the other, would code wonky so I've decided to blog milsupport a couple times a week (Wednesdays and Saturdays)to let you know what is going on. I'll keep a running total of the funds in one widget at left and and another one set up that tracks those who did not request blog anonymity when they sent support.

I also got in touch with some other bloggers willing to be privy via an oversite board to what we are raising so we have some, as Red called it, "transparency in accounting".

This morning I was shipping more stuff out, burning CDs and TV, talking smack on Facebook and mastering the art of loading pics from my Blackberry en masse. All of this is definitely NOT rocket science by any means, I know, but throw in assorted comments beginning with

How many times will I have to:

and ending with:

-ask you before those dishes are done? (5 it would seem),

-tell you to brush your hair before it dries in knots ? (my eyes glazed over aftr 7)

-yell in rapid succession: "Don't wipe that there! Don't wipe that there!(that remains undeterminded 'cause it GOT wiped)

and apparently a baccalaureate degree ain't cuttin' it. After I warned my significant other of their imminent demise casually suggested the children go along with him to his mom's house this morning, I wrapped this post up and got some stuff ready for the beginning of next week and took the last of these pics so you can see ongoing what happens here as well.

Some funds are used to buy supplies
Blank CDs and DVDs, colored paper to cut monotony--though if they are out in the sticks I tend to NOT send neon-- ha, sleeves to protect the digital media, tape to laminate silly pictures on the fronts of packages and letters, printer ink and assorted sizes of envelopes.

I like to get something out at least twice a week and bigger stuff about twice a month or more if there is a request. The heartbeat of support is in having something headed over consistently.

The donations help me get large envelopes with good boot insoles or music, or tv, silly pictures, drink mixes, gum, cheerleaders, a magazine or a paperback sent for usually less than a couple of dollars. Single letters in a greeting card are even less expensive about a dollar and will hold a 10 count of drink mixes, a pack of gum, pictures or

movies, popcorn,tv or music. With a scale here at home and the USPS website these types of mail I can usually measure and get out straight from my mailbox.

So there you go folks. This is what you have enabled me to do this month and I appreciate every last dime.

You did well.

Real well. ;)