Why I carry a gun

My old grandpa said to me son,' there comes a time in every man's life
when he stops bustin' knuckles and starts bustin' caps and usually it's
when he becomes too old to take an ass whoopin'.

I don't carry a gun to kill people.
I carry a gun to keep from being killed.

I don't carry a gun to scare people.
I carry a gun because sometimes this world can be a scary place.

I don't carry a gun because I'm paranoid.
I carry a gun because there are real threats in the world.

I don't carry a gun because I'm evil.
I carry a gun because I have lived long enough to see the evil in the world.

I don't carry a gun because I hate the government.
I carry a gun because I understand the limitations of government.

I don't carry a gun because I'm angry.
I carry a gun so that I don't have to spend the rest of my life hating myself for failing to be prepared.

I don't carry a gun because I want to shoot someone.
I carry a gun because I want to die at a ripe old age in my bed, and not on a sidewalk somewhere tomorrow afternoon.

I don't carry a gun because I'm a cowboy.
I carry a gun because, when I die and go to heaven, I want to be a cowboy.

I don't carry a gun to make me feel like a man.
I carry a gun because men know how to take care of themselves and the ones they love.

I don't carry a gun because I feel inadequate.
I carry a gun because unarmed and facing three armed thugs, I am inadequate.

I don't carry a gun because I love it.
I carry a gun because I love life and the people who make it meaningful to me.

Police Protection is an oxymoron. Free citizens must protect themselves.
Police do not protect you from crime, they usually just investigate the crime after it happens and then call someone in to clean up the mess.

Questions?

Little Haley

Haley is the daughter of a Chris and Shawna. Chris was one of my fire fighters in Julian. Haley has health problems with kidneys and related organs. This letter is what they went through just the other day. Thank God if you and your families have good health.

Hello, Haley had her procedure yesterday. here is what hap pend. We were admitted early in the morning. About 9:00 they gave her the versed. No IV needed thank God!!!! She was high as a kite for a while and really goofy. We were having so much fun with it. Her nurse was messing with her as were my mom and I. We took her to a procedure room to put in the catheter. As they inserted the catheter she started to cry. From that point on it all went down hill.

She started to get real physical and screaming a lot. It took 5 of us to hold her down in the x-ray room. She is a VERY strong little girl that's for sure. She was biting, screaming, hitting, punching, pulling hair, etc. After the procedure was over she wouldn't put her Pjs back on. So I suggested we wrap her in a sheet and just get back up stairs. It gets worse. I was holding her as they wheeled me in a wheel chair into the hall. She punched me in the eye and was scratching my neck so I said lets stop and put just her in the wheelchair because she was really hurting me. She then ran naked screaming bloody murder down the hall away from us. We gathered up all our stuff and chased after her. We barley got her Pjs back on her and we were just going to let her run. We thought the medicine had worn off, but it really hadn't. She was still having a hard time holding herself up and she just wasn't really there. A radiologist walking by grabbed her and we made a run for it up stairs.

For the next hour and a half we had her in the playroom away from all of the other kids and put her in a crib which has sides and a lid on it. She basically sat in there screaming until she came down off the medicine. They could have given her something to knock her out but that would have needed an IV and we wouldn't be able to hold her down to put one in. She finally started coming to her senses and negotiating with me. She said she wouldn't hit or scratch me if I would let her out. So I did and I held her for about 5 minutes. In an instant she was back to Haley. I offered her some cracker and juice and we went back to her room and she ate and fell asleep. We were released after about another hour and that was it.

During all of this we had to make some light of it so we were joking around amongst ourselves and laughing. We called her Emily Rose and were listing what we needed for the exorcism. She really seamed possessed. We also laughed about her running down the hall naked. We of course did not do any of this in front of her and it was really sad the reaction she was having. We were very comforting to her while it hap pend. i was talking to the on call Pediatrician and he asked me if she has ever acted like that before. I said no and then it clicked. Last year they gave her versed a couple of times during her procedures and she woke up violent, throwing punches and ripping out her IV. Her last 2 surgeries Chris and I asked them not to give her versed because it also made her sick to her stomach. I later spoke to her regular pediatrician and he said she is defiantly allergic to Versed and noted that in her charts. So at least we know that now.

I will send another email out once we get the results. Let me know if you have any questions. By the way, our little angel is back to her normal self. She was a little ornery all day yesterday, but today she is back to herself!!! YEAH!!!!!

Love, Shawna

Don't be Scared

All this 'pandemic' talk is way over the top. I remember the last time back in the 1970's, when the scare was another swine flu. One, ONE person died from it. A whole lot of other people died when government hurried to make a 'shot' to protect us from the flu. Guess what, people died from the shot. Hundreds had bad reactions to the shots.

Look, if you think you or someone in your family has the flu. See a doctor. They can help, really.

Toppin' 100

It was nice at 5:30 this morning, watching Jessie get ready for, I took Guinness out for the morning pee. The sun was climbing up the other side of the Gila Mountains as dog and I walked around the desert. We came home and I eat my cereal and made a cake. Tequila cake with a glaze of brown sugar and tequila and grand marnier. Sure smells good, but I'm waiting for later.
Then I went to work on Rob's car. Not new, but 99 Honda Accord, I changed the spark plugs, easy as 1,2,3,4... then I attacked the cabin air filter, well that was a challenge. But I managed to get it done and I'll tell you, it has never been changed before. Then came.... the dog groomer. Right to our house. And Guinness was none to impressed. But he sure does look cute now. Not that he didn't look cute before. He is not a good patron.

Last but not least, no pun intended, what is up with Burger King and those sponge bob adds? It's true, the liberals are in charge and I can not lie. Please, don't go to that joint, until they clean up their act.

Tax Day Tea Party

What better way to send April 15th than sitting around the court house waiting see if they want you on a jury. Well, I got picked. So far any how, they aren't done asking questions. I figure tomorrow will get that finished. Then we will see.

After that I met Jessie and we went to the Tea Party by the Ocean to Ocean Bridge along the Colorado River. They figured perhaps a couple hundred people would show for the event. Looking around the area it was more like 2,500. We didn't stay for the entire thing as Guinness was home alone and he hates that. It was nice to see that people are fed up with that club in Congress. They had Fox News on the tv in the jury room, so we all got to follow it around the land today. Funny don't you think that the LA Times called anyone going to a tea party an idiot. Not surprise, them being a progressive paper and all. CNN berated someone on air, Keith Olberman of MSNBS did much the same. Once someone starts calling you names, you have won the arguement. That is all I have to say on that.

Most importantly, on my drive home tonight, my son Mark called me and said he will be a father for the first time. Hahahaha, this will be an eye opener! I hope they are ready. My father was very happy about the news. He is going to be 81 this year on Christmas, the baby is due December 19. I hope they get to meet.

Night Out

Yesterday was a quite day, but that was because we had tickets for a concert last night. It has been a long while since we had a night out on the town. A new casino open this month in Winterhaven which is on the way to Mexico. We had not gone there before this because every single snow bird did. We went a little early to check out the place and Jessie loves to play the slots. No me though, poker is my game. I never have any luck on those machines. Well, having said that, I had two $5's, and 3 $10's in the wallet, I got a players card and they game you $5 for signing up. I put it in the machine, lo and behold, $554 within 10 spins. I took the winning ticket and cashed it in. I gave 20 to Jessie, and I put 20 back into another machine, lo and behold, $155. Cashed that in too, bought a fork, and I was done. We went to dinner on that note. Then we waited to get in to a Dwight Yokem concert. Good old hillbilly style muzack. Louder than I could take. Our ears and eye rang long into our sleep. RIIIIIng, 4:30 a.m. the alarm is going, snooze or you looze. Twice more, then up because Jessie had to work today, bummed about that.

On a side note, our neighbor told me he was selling his Honda Accord, and it is in great shape. I phoned Rob and talked to Jessie, and we did it. Rob now owns a 1999 Accord. We will keep it here until he can get it. Needless to say, he is stoked!

Monday April 6, 2009

Today Jessie and I drove Rob to San Diego Airport. He is heading for Ft. Riley Kansas. We don't know how long he will remain there, because the chances are good that he will get deployed to Afghanistan. Needless to say, it was a hard good bye. We don't know what will happen, but we hope and pray. We don't talk about what might be, it would do no good. But I could see in Jessie's eyes the fear for her youngest son. We waited in the terminal and said good bye. Hard for us to leave there. Rob looked back twice, I remember that vividly. I saw some longing in that look. Not knowing what he was going into, I'm sure he is afraid. A new fort, knowing no one, wanting to do good. 20 years old! Where were you then? What was your biggest concern? Would I be alive by the end of the year? These days will be long.....