More pictures for you!

Our stud-muffin,  Tuff! 

Our Princess, Tootsie! (She is all puffed up and
ready to attack in this photo!)

Both of our babies! Pooped after their walk. Dad, you would LOVE them. 

Kelly and I at a wedding in PA.  I am so proud of him!!! 

I'm tired of latte liberals and journalists

Pam S. sent me this and I immediately thought of you...It is so true. I love it and I know you will too... 

I'm 63 and I'm Tired"

by Robert A. Hall

I'm 63. Except for one semester in college when jobs were scarce and a six-month period when I was between jobs, but job-hunting every day, I've worked hard since I was 18. Despite some health challenges, I still put in 50-hour weeks, and haven't called in sick in seven or eight years. I make a good salary, but I didn't inherit my job or my income, and I worked to get where I am. Given the economy, there's no retirement in sight, and I'm tired. Very tired.

  

I'm tired of being told that I have to "spread the wealth" to people who don't have my work ethic. I'm tired of being told the government will take the money I earned, by force if necessary, and give it to people too lazy to earn it.

I'm tired of being told that I have to pay more taxes to "keep people in their homes." Sure, if they lost their jobs or got sick, I'm willing to help. But if they bought McMansions at three times the price of our paid-off, $250,000 condo, on one-third of my salary, then let the left-wing Congress-critters who passed Fannie and Freddie and the Community Reinvestment Act that created the bubble help them with their own money.

I'm tired of being told how bad America is by left-wing millionaires like Michael Moore, George Soros and Hollywood Entertainers who live in luxury because of the opportunities America offers. In thirty years, if they get their way, the United States will have the economy of Zimbabwe , the freedom of the press of China , the crime and violence of Mexico , the tolerance for Christian people of Iran , and the freedom of speech of Venezuela ....

I'm tired of being told that Islam is a "Religion of Peace," when every day I can read dozens of stories of Muslim men killing their sisters, wives and daughters for their family "honor"; of Muslims rioting over some slight offense; of Muslims murdering Christian and Jews because they aren't "believers"; of Muslims burning schools for girls; of Muslims stoning teenage rape victims to death for "adultery"; of Muslims mutilating the genitals of little girls; all in the name of Allah, because the Qur'an and Shari'a law tells them to.

I'm tired of being told that "race doesn't matter" in the post-racial world of Obama, when it's all that matters in affirmative action jobs, lower college admission and graduation standards for minorities (harming them the most), government contract set-asides, tolerance for the ghetto culture of violence and fatherless children that hurts minorities more than anyone, and in the appointment of U.S. Senators from Illinois.

I think it's very cool that we have a black president and that a black child is doing her homework at the desk where Lincoln wrote the Emancipation Proclamation. I just wish the black president was Condi Rice, or someone who believes more in freedom and the individual and less arrogantly of an all-knowing government. Like Bill Cosby!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He's fabulous and everything he says makes sense! Why doesn't someone convince HIM to run!

I'm tired of being told that out of "tolerance for other cultures" we must let Saudi Arabia use our oil money to fund mosques and mandrassa Islamic schools to preach hate in America , while no American group is allowed to fund a church, synagogue or religious school in Saudi Arabia to teach love and tolerance.

I'm tired of being told I must lower my living standard to fight global warming, which no one is allowed to debate. My wife and I live in a two-bedroom apartment and carpool together five miles to our jobs. We also own a three-bedroom condo where our daughter and granddaughter live. Our carbon footprint is about 5% of Al Gore's, and if you're greener than Gore, you're green enough.

I'm tired of being told that drug addicts have a disease, and I must help support and treat them, and pay for the damage they do. Did a giant germ rush out of a dark alley, grab them, and stuff white powder up their noses while they tried to fight it off? I don't think Gay people choose to be Gay, but I #@*# sure think druggies chose to take drugs. And I'm tired of harassment from cool people treating me like a freak when I tell them I never tried marijuana.

I'm tired of illegal aliens being called "undocumented workers," especially the ones who aren't working, but are living on welfare or crime. What's next? Calling drug dealers, "Undocumented Pharmacists"? And, no, I'm not against Hispanics. Most of them are Catholic, and it's been a few hundred years since Catholics wanted to kill me for my religion. I'm willing to fast track for citizenship any Hispanic person, who can speak English, doesn't have a criminal record and who is self-supporting without family on welfare, or who serves honorably for three years in our military.... Those are the citizens we need.

I'm tired of latte liberals and journalists, who would never wear the uniform of the Republic themselves, or let their entitlement-handicapped kids near a recruiting station, trashing our military. They and their kids can sit at home, never having to make split-second decisions under life and death circumstances, and bad mouth better people than themselves. Do bad things happen in war? You bet.. Do our troops sometimes misbehave? Sure. Does this compare with the atrocities that were the policy of our enemies for the last fifty years and still are? Not even close. So here's the deal. I'll let myself be subjected to all the humiliation and abuse that was heaped on terrorists at Abu Ghraib or Gitmo, and the critics can let themselves be subject to captivity by the Muslims, who tortured and beheaded Daniel Pearl in Pakistan, or the Muslims who tortured and murdered Marine Lt. Col. William Higgins in Lebanon, or the Muslims who ran the blood-spattered Al Qaeda torture rooms our troops found in Iraq, or the Muslims who cut off the heads of schoolgirls in Indonesia, because the girls were Christian. Then we'll compare notes. British and American soldiers are the only troops in history that civilians came to for help and handouts, instead of hiding from in fear.

I'm tired of people telling me that their party has a corner on virtue and the other party has a corner on corruption. Read the papers; bums are bipartisan. And I'm tired of people telling me we need bipartisanship. I live in Illinois , where the " Illinois Combine" of Democrats has worked to loot the public for years. Not to mention the tax cheats in Obama's cabinet.

I'm tired of hearing wealthy athletes, entertainers and politicians of both parties talking about innocent mistakes, stupid mistakes or youthful mistakes, when we all know they think their only mistake was getting caught. I'm tired of people with a sense of entitlement, rich or poor.

Speaking of poor, I'm tired of hearing people with air-conditioned homes, color TVs and two cars called poor. The majority of Americans didn't have that in 1970, but we didn't know we were "poor." The poverty pimps have to keep changing the definition of poor to keep the dollars flowing.

I'm real tired of people who don't take responsibility for their lives and actions. I'm tired of hearing them blame the government, or discrimination or big-whatever for their problems.

Yes, I'm tired. But I'm also glad to be 63. Because, mostly, I'm not going to have to see the world these people are making. I'm just sorry for my granddaughter.

Robert A. Hall is a Marine Vietnam veteran who served five terms in the Massachusetts State Senate.

Fall reminds me of you

Hey there! How are you daddy?! I know it has been a while since I have wrote last. However, don't think that means I don't think about you all day, every day. You are still always on my mind with whatever I do. I am currently up in Philadelphia for a class and I really wish I could pick up the phone and call you. I thought about that earlier today, I miss the days when I would call and talk your ear off while I was battling the 95 traffic home. September is here and that means summer is winding  down and the fall of the year is knocking at the door. Fall reminds me of you, mainly because of the weather and football season. I know how much you enjoyed the break from the humidity and the colors of the fall leaves. Not only that, but I know how much you loved to sit down and watch a good football game. I can honestly say I have little interest in watching a Skins game anymore. It just is not the same without you to walk me through every play that they make. I started working at Bobby McKeys again and every Saturday from September to December is football jersey night. I wore my Clinton Portis jersey into work a couple weekends ago only to find out later that evening that he is no longer a member of the team. FML. I have 3 Portis jerseys, go figure. Oh and get this, the following Saturday (which would be last Saturday) I went to a buy a new one and I purchased a McNabb jersey, come to find out....he is now a Viking. No wonder the jersey was on sale... If you were here, I would have known what jersey to wear/not wear. I know you were looking down and laughing at me when I was in line buying the McNabb jersey! As you always said, deeedley-dee, Ash! 


I am sitting in my hotel room and I feel super lonely without the pups here with me. I am so attached to those little guys, they are my saving grace while Kelly is overseas. They keep me company and whenever I get upset, it is like they know because they always run up to me and lick my tears away. I won't get into the whole Kelly being away thing because I will get too upset. We miss each other so much and it honestly sucks, I hope that we never have to go through something like this again. UGH. It does give me comfort knowing that he will be coming home, we just have to be patient and make the best out of the time apart and the whole situation (there is my optimism for the day, lol...) We are counting the days until he can come home. I am planning a trip out there for the Christmas/New Years time frame, so I am hoping the time until then will fly by....and of course I hope that the rest of the time he is out there will fly by too.   


Also, I just wanted to let you know that I paid off the last of my college loans today. I want to say thank you to both you and mom. I really appreciate all the help you guys gave me along the way. I could not have done it without the help of you both. It is good feeling to have something so important paid off. So thank you and mom for all of your help!! I am very lucky to have 2 amazing parents. I love you both very much. 


Well daddy, I am going to get ready for bed. Know that I miss you so much and I wish you were here to help me through this hard time...but I know you are up there helping me in the best way that you can.  I am going to attach some updated photos for you to look at. It has been a while since you have seen any new pics! 


Love and miss you more with each passing day, 
Big

My first tattoo, on my right wrist.
It is my DaddyJ butterfly!

I got another one..."Live for today"
on my left wrist. A little bit of inspiration
for the difficult days.

Your two girls out in the mountains, HIKING!

Your two black grandbabies! 

Kel and I before he left :)