Snow in the Desert??!

For all those skeptics who may have heard that it snowed in Las Vegas about 2 months ago but don't believe it (yes, it is a desert)... Here's some pictures as proof!!!

Airman's Creed

During basic (aka boot camp), we were issued a big book full of pages about customs and courtesies and general things we had to learn about the military way of life. We also were given a few pages of stuff we had to have memorized toward the end of basic and then we were tested on it all, so you wouldn't be foolin anyone but yourself if you thought you could get by without studying and making sure you knew it all, lol. Well, one of the things we had to memorize was something called the 'Airman's Creed'. The thing that struck me the most about this is that it's supposed to be memorized by everyone in the Air Force, from the 4-star general all the way at the top making all the decisions, down to the airman without even a stripe to his name at the very bottom of the totem pole... Regardless of rank or title. I may not remember who the Secretary of the Air Force is, how many paces away you're supposed to be before you salute an officer outside, how many inches in bulk your hair can be before it's out of regs., or even how to do a proper facing movement it's been so long, but I do still remember this. You may call it brainwashing, you may call it anything you like, you certainly have the freedom to do that, but this is who I am, this is what I do, and I'm not backing down and I certainly don't regret one moment of it... I am proud to be who I am today. Enjoy!

'Airman's Creed'

I am an American Airman.

I am a Warrior.

I have answered my Nation's call.

I am an American Airman.

My mission is to Fly, Fight, and Win.

I am faithful to a Proud Heritage,

A Tradition of Honor,

And a Legacy of Valor.

I am an American Airman.

Guardian of Freedom and Justice,

My Nation's Sword and Shield,

Its Sentry and Avenger.

I defend my Country with my Life.

I am an American Airman.

Wingman, Leader, Warrior.

I will never leave an Airman behind,

I will never falter,

And I will not fail.

Just Live

Hey everyone! They say that life is what happens when you're looking the other way... Well I think this must be true. This was supposed to be my first post, just a way of introducing my new blog but before I realized it, a new year had rolled around all too quickly and it caught me sitting and staring at a blank page wondering what i could possibly write to put everything in perspective. I still don't know exactly what to write, but I know if I don't try to write something, I'll be stuck staring at this same page forever... lol. So, without further ado...

I think everyone has some kind of theme for their life, a word or phrase or thought that describes the way they want their life to be lived or the things they want fulfilled... Well my theme for right now I think is just what my blog suggests, one chance to live. Maybe that theme will change one day to something different, but it sure ain't gonna be right away because, well, let's just say the webpage expired several times with me just tryin' to think of the name for my blog (yes, it's that important, lol). But all kiddin' aside, for now, that is my theme. There are so many ways to say this i suppose, and i'm definitely not the first to try and put the thought into words. In fact one of my favorite songs by one of my favorite artists tried to capture the idea in a song, and it's not the only song like that. But it's certainly a thought worth mentioning. I know we've all heard this a million times or maybe even more, little sayings like 'stop and smell the roses', 'don't get caught up in the little things', etc. But it's so easy to forget and do just that, isn't it? It's so easy to lose track of the things that really matter and get all wrapped up in things we're not really capable of understanding or the things that are out of our control. It's so easy to feel sorry for ourselves and curl up into our little balls of familiarity and comfort, hide ourselves from the world, and forget that there's so much more to life, to living. If I could have a dime for every time I've spent my time worrying about stupid little things that were so insignificant instead of actually enjoying the ride or the adventure that went along with it, I could probably finish a few projects I'm working on and even start some new ones. I'm doing it even now, trying to make this post sound perfect and worrying so much about all the words being right, that I'm forgetting the whole point behind even writing this. Don't worry, I'll stop. Worrying I mean, not writing. Lol. But when was the last time that you told someone how much you appreciated them or commented on how nice they looked? When was the last you sat down as a family at the dinner table for supper, put aside your pride and told someone you were sorry when you knew you were wrong, thanked someone for something as simple as cleaning the bathroom or doing the dishes? Last time you put aside the pile of work you knew you had to get done eventually and spent the day with your kids or brother or sister or wife? The last time you stopped doing all the talking and just listened to someone? When was the last time you danced to a song that you really liked, even if you knew you couldn't dance, tried to count all the stars in the sky on a clear night, laughed so much at something you could hardly breathe, jumped in your car and hopped on the highway with no place to go and no idea how to get there? ...When is the last time you actually stopped to smell a rose? Now maybe some of those things sound downright silly, and maybe right now you're sayin 'just living' means different things to different people. And I would have to say that in a way, you're right. But my point is that it's the little things in this life that too many times we overlook that really make this life worth living. I know not everyday goes like we want it to, sometimes things just happen, and hey, that's just life, and as long as we're made of fur n' flesh and blood and bone and have breath in our lungs, we're bound to have bad days... But what if we could all just stop for a second, and just... Live. So whether you're staring life right in the face or lookin' the other way when it happens, and next time you're tryin' to balance the checkbook, trying to undo that rusty nut so you can change the oil on your car and saying a few things that you might regret later on that would curl the hairs on a frog, having to deal with that contentious and jealous co-worker who doesn't know how to keep out of other people's business and keeps trying to place all the fault on you, worrying about whether you're gonna make it to church on time so that by the time you get there you're so upset you can't even praise God, trying to change the baby's soiled diaper, clean the house for some visitors, and fix the broken kitchen sink, all while tryin not to burn the dinner you've got on the stove... Why not try just livin'? We've only got 'One Chance To Live' after all. ;)

"Life is not measured by the number of breathes we take, but by the moments that take our breath away."

Modern-Day Heroes

Your cell phone is in your pocket.
He clutches the cross hanging on his chain next to his dog tags.
















You talk trash about your 'buddies' that aren't with you.
He knows he may not see some of his buddies again.
























You walk down the beach, staring at all the pretty girls.
He patrols the streets, searching for insurgents and terrorists.
















You complain about how hot it is.
He wears his heavy gear, not daring to take off his helmet to wipe his brow.

















You go out to lunch, and complain because the restaurant got your order wrong.
He doesn't get to eat today.
















Your maid makes your bed and washes your clothes.
He wears the same thing for weeks, but makes sure his weapons are clean.




















You go to the mall and get your hair redone.
He doesn't have time to brush his teeth today.
















You're angry because your class ran 5 minutes over.
He's told he will be held over an extra 2 months.











You call your girlfriend and set a date for tonight.
He waits for the mail to see if there is a letter from home.


















You hug and kiss your girlfriend, like you do everyday.
He holds his letter close and smells his love's perfume.













You roll your eyes as a baby cries.
He gets a letter with picture of his new child, and wonders if they'll ever meet.




















You criticize your government, and say that war never solves anything.
He sees the innocent tortured and killed by their own people and remembers why he is fighting.
















You hear the jokes about the war, and make fun of men like him.
He hears the gunfire, bombs and screams of the wounded.

















You only see what the media wants you to see.
He sees the broken bodies laying around him.


















You are asked to go to the store by your parents. You don't.
He does exactly what he is told even if it puts his life in danger.













You stay at home and watch TV.
He takes whatever time he is given to call, write home, sleep, and eat.

















You crawl into your soft bed, with down pillows, and get comfortable.
He tries to sleep but gets woken by mortars and helicopters all night long.


































REMEMBER our Troops, and do not forget them LATER.
Lest we forget -

































































































































































GOD BLESS OUR TROOPS!