Geek Habitat

The Olympics brings us many time-honored truths and ritualized behaviors, one of which is near and dear to my heart:

You can NEVER have too many cameras or lenses!

If an athlete shouts, “Show me the money!” the photographers just need to point in unison at their assembled camera gear.

If a big bag o’ money fell out of the sky, I’d really have to fight with the devil on my shoulder not to run to buy at least one new camera body (while I’m dreaming so vividly, it would be a Canon 1D Mark II).

I’m so ready to sell my Canon D60 for something newer — I’ve had it far long enough to discover all its little quirks and personality issues, and unlike a marriage I didn’t commit to spending a lifetime with it!

In a very roundabout way, as is the nature of the Net, I was introduced to SOCNET — a website by and for the Special Operations community (the elite; the soldiers all other soldiers hold in highest regard — Special Forces, Rangers, etc.) “Civs” — ordinary civilians like me — are merely tolerated on the forums, and for good reason. We don’t get it, and even if we try, we foul it up with political correctness and assorted B.S., part a fault of Hollywood and part a fault of just living in a different world than these men.

Anyway, the reading is not for the faint of heart and you can expect to be made uncomfortable at some point. But I recommend reading it, or bookmarking it for future reading. I don’t know many soldiers, save those I’ve worked with in corporate America (who don’t brag about their service but do speak of it with a certain pride/reverence, and who in word and deed are clearly the real deal). I’ve been reading SOCNET because I appreciate the window into a bit of their world. It should be required reading for all Americans, imho, but most Americans don’t read more than the FOX News ticker or the latest spam in their email box.

Does it help me understand war? No. But it helps me, just a little bit, appreciate soldiers more… the good, the bad and the gut-wrenching ugly they deal with, even as I know it’s not even the half of it. The diversity of people that go in, and where different types of people gravitate. Obviously, a Special Ops guy or career military person is going to have a different experience than someone who goes in for a short stint, but they each have a role to play. That sense of purpose, coupled with the sense of brotherhood, are common themes — and ones corporate America is endlessly trying to replicate (to greatly varying degrees of success/failure).

So, add the Special Operations.com Bulletin Boards to your reading list. Read the FAQs or the thread on What they miss, when they move on (roughly 85% of which will make little sense to you or I, but gets the bond and depth of shared experiences across, just the same.)

Real war is known only to those who experience it, rather than what the media (and that includes the military communications machine) package up and broadcast to the masses. History remembers one thing, the people who lived through it remember the real deal. I prefer reality to fantasy, and I guess that’s why this is compelling reading for me. That said, it’s not something I could read daily and that’s just one of the many things that separates me from a soldier.

You’re still here?

I haven’t been in a blogging frame of mind thanks to a raging toothache and allergies. Instead, I’ve found myself living in Beyond Compare (programming tool for comparing different versions of the same file/folders) as I work to update one of the primary apps I run on another site. Allergies and a toothache don’t really mesh well with coding, but I’ve been slogging through just the same. Tomorrow, I’m going to call the dentist — it’s to the “Cannot delay any longer!” stage, now. The annoying thing is I saw the dentist months ago for the particular tooth, and he just buffed out a rough edge on the old filling and sent me on my way. I gave him the benefit of the doubt that the occasional pain it was giving me was just irritation, not a cavity. Sure enough, it’s a raging cavity. I can tell this one’s going to be a root canal by the way the pain spikes and subsides to a dull, background sort of pain.

Justin and I had a fun evening planned on Tuesday, but those plans were hosed when the rental aircraft we were going to use became unavailable. Of course, the flight center didn’t call Justin to let him know beforehand; he and a co-worker wasted time and energy getting out of work slightly early, only to have the flight scrubbed. So much for “customer service”!

Here’s to better days and less pain all around…

No updates until Sunday or so. We’ll be on the road tomorrow after morning rush hour, heading to Houston to visit Brazos Bend State Park and other sights. I’ve been keeping really odd hours (even for me) lately, and my wrist has been killing me for the past week, so this is a good time to get away from computers and desk-bound work for awhile. Of course, I trade a keyboard for a camera with a heavy lens, so it’s not like my wrist truly gets a break! Really, when you think about it, I’m not sure *what* hobbies don’t potentially cause wrist (or elbow, shoulder or neck) strain when done frequently. Sleeping, perhaps, but that hardly qualifies as a “hobby” (unless you’re a CAT!)

‘Til later…

Words We Should Say Every Day
* “Thank you!”
* “How was your day?”
* “I love you.”
* “I love the way you… [fill in the blank]”

Anyone who knows me knows I am an introspective, introverted person. To those who don’t know me, I come off as shy, at best, aloof at the worst. I’ve worked hard to “open up” over the years, but in large part I am content with who I am. I’m just built this way, and would no sooner change my personality dramatically than I would go and get cosmetic surgery.

One thing I do actively try to do is be grateful for what I have every day of my life. By most standards, I’ve led a privileged and easy life. I was blessed with two wonderful parents who love each other and their children very much. I was equally blessed with an intelligent, inspired younger brother. I have a few close friends that have known me for a decade or more, and a few former co-workers I’ll always consider good friends for the times and trials we shared together. Above all, I’ve been graced with a partner whom I’ve loved since before I really knew the full depth and breadth of what Love is. He’s inspired me, supported me, comforted me, made me laugh when every fiber of my being wanted to sulk and scowl. He’s the one to whom I confide all things, and his presence in my life has made it golden. Of course, that person is Justin — my husband of 6 years as of this December and my best friend since 1988 when we met online. When Hollywood uses a line, it tends to cheapen it, but Justin does truly “complete me”. I’ve never imagined a life without him in it, and I have no reason to do so.

Everything in this life is ephemeral. It can be gone in the blink of an eye, as so many events of the past 5 years have affirmed repeatedly. Love endures many things, but it still needs to be tended to like a long-burning fire. There are embers that are always warm, sheltered beneath the stresses of daily life and the conflicts of the wider world, and its those that need a loving breath now and then to spark anew.

I’ve often said I wish everyone in the world could feel as I do. It doesn’t make me a better person. I still have my “off” days, curse under my breath a bad driver who’s nearly side-swiped me, snap at the man I love or just generally behave immaturely. But it provides a perspective I value immensely. “Is this worth it? Is this how we want to spend today?” The answer’s always a resounding, “No!”

Love is work, no mistake about it. It’s also the wildest and most rewarding ride you can ever take, short of perhaps having kids (that I wouldn’t know about, yet).

Love you, Justin. Thanks for the decades, the love, the friendship and for being you — always, for being you.

Reading a soldier’s account of yesterday’s battle in Mosul, Iraq, reminds me of something — our soldiers, the folks most in need of a real vacation, are dealing with some serious shit. The more tired, stressed, scared and battle-weary they get, the more danger they’re in. And what are we accomplishing? We “handed over Iraq to the Iraqis,” but we can see how well that’s working out.

“End of hostilities?” Tell that to a soldier and see how many seconds it takes before you get shoved on your ass!

Addendum: Honor the Fallen — an ongoing tribute to those who fought & died in Operations Iraqi Freedom & Enduring Freedom (From MilitaryCity.com)