I was going to title this as another in the “Driving Me Crazy” series, but that was only a small part of the day.

Started out with the alarm bright and early this morning, the plan was to get up and do a three-mile bike sprint while TMBWitW got ready for work, then wake the little darling (MEG) and get going on the day.

Friday, after The O Word on BlogTalkRadio, we went to the chiropractor, went back home, I dropped off TMBWitW, MEG, and Logan, and headed for Mesa. I stopped at the church first to pick up my cargo trailer and arrived out at the rental place to pick up the twelve round tables, twelve round table clothes, three oblong table clothes, and the two eight foot tall roman pillars for the wedding on Saturday. I got the stuff to the church (not my church, a different church. long story) and when I pulled up there were tons and tons of no one there to help me unload. Or get into the church.

After leaving a message on the groom’s phone (he’s the one that arranged to meet me there at that time to unload the tables and stuff), I sat in the parking lot. I couldn’t leave for the next scheduled activity, since the trailer has a lock on it and only two people have the key – neither one of them is the groom. It was about 1130 and I needed to drop the trailer, hightail it to the house (twenty minutes) transfer to the other car (twenty minutes – we’re talking getting girls ready to travel here) and then head back over to the Mesa area (forty five minutes if traffic is it’s usual turtle pace at several choke points) for a 1300 appointment. I sat in the SUV, with the motor running (for the AC – it was over 110° at the time) until – the bride! The bride came ambling out of the church. I quickly backed into position (not knowing which door was going to be opened, i had no idea where to back in) and started running stuff into the church. After the two columns and the tablecloths were inside, the groom pulled up. With his mom, the bride’s mom, and the bride’s two sisters.

(where the heck were all the guys? i was under the impression that the guys would be there to help unload…)

Well – the two sisters and I got the tables rolled inside as quick as possible, and I parked the trailer in a remote corner of the lot. Then, I had to tear off to get home. It si very difficult to get home any faster than twenty minutes from that church, since I try to obey the speed limit at all times. It was about 1205, and time was getting shorter. TMBWitW was ready to go, but MEG had decided to nap out. Had to gently ease her into the car seat and then haul butt for the East Valley. Traffic was flowing pretty well, and I was right at the speed limit all the way there. We made it to the appointment in time, and then it was time to get back home, I had to switch vehicles again, TMBWitW and MEG had to head over for the rehearsal, and I needed to get to downtown Phoenix for a handyman job that I finally managed to get scheduled.

Whew!

I got the job finished, and headed for the church in time for rehearsal dinner. Swapped the tools into TMBWitW’s car, left the SUV parked at the church, and headed home.

Saturday was the wedding, but first a couple of females in my life needed to get their hair done. They had an appointment, but the hairstylist was running late. Good thing we took our good clothes with us. We changed at the church, and were ready in time for pictures.

I told you all of that so I could tell you this: I returned the tables this morning. People in the East Valley don’t know how to drive. They also don’t know what a turn signal is, either to use one or when someone else uses one. Can’t tell you the number of times I was cut off by those who don’t know how to use them, or forced to maneuver at the last minute because no one recognized the turn signal on the trailer as a legitimate expression of my intent. I am especially impressed by those bozos who consiously decide to speed up when they see a turn signal on a vehicle trying to get out of the “exit only” lanes on the 202 west bound.

So – how was your morning?

Thank you for stopping by, God bless you all, Time, Inc. is a bunch of weasels, listen to The O Word on BlogTalkRadio, Wear Red on Fridays, and support Warriors for Innocence!

Hard to believe that it’s been that long, and so much has changed.

I started out blogging on Blogspot just to put my family history in electronic form – that project is still in the works, as evidenced by the lack of progress behind the tab marked “The Wisconsin Cartters” at the top of this page.

Then I started a personal blog to take my rants off the family page. That led me to meet a wonderful bunch of people – most of them still hanging out on my blogroll, some of them having signed off, one or two having shed this mortal coil – but all of them worth reading and chatting with when I get the chance. Oh, sure – like any family, there are going to be instances where some members of my blog-family aren’t going to be getting along with other members, and that’s fine, we’re all human, and if we all got along all the time it would be downright boring.

I started out with two blogs, and ended up with this one when I merged them in April of 2008. Having my own domain and full control over the blog is a comfort to me, being the semi-control freak that I am, and I have to thank Texas Fred and Robert for their help with getting this site set up.

I don’t remember who the first batch of contacts I made was, perhaps the gang over at The Notebored, a writer’s workshop headed up by Dee and her wonderful circle of fellow writers. I tried my hand at some writing projects over there, but there was something – I don’t know, missing? – and I just never really fully clicked. They are very welcoming there on The Notebored, but I don’t think I was ready for primetime. I do know that once I ran into Gawfer I ran into the best bunch of people I could call friends and a great variety of “conservatives” – from absolute white hat to situational conservatives, you can find a bunch of them on the blogroll now. Like I said, we don’t all get along all of the time, but we always have a great conversation.

I found Bill Whittle, a former liberal who started reading and thinking for himself (proof, by the way, that it can happen) and then using his talents as a writer to put our thoughts to “paper” and let us all read it and realize that “Yes, by thunder, that is EXACTLY what I was trying to say!” I still read him, when he publishes in between his super-glam life on the west coast and the movie deals and the screenplays… In fact, one of my personal favorite entries for I’m Thinking of the “O” Word was inspired greatly by Bill’s writing; specifically, my entry titled The Sheep, The Sheepdogs, and the Wolves was written after I had read his entry titled Tribes. I think it’s still relevant.

My wife, whom I refer to as TMBWitW, gave birth to our child, MEG, on December 30, 2006. I ran a babypool of sorts, and Paul at prying1 came in second while Just John (who, at the time, was going by Gunny John) came the closest in guessing the day and time for the momentous occasion. MEG is growing and running around and keeping the dogs on their toes now – the cats are not sure what to make of this little rosy-cheeked beauty that wants to pet them all…

And then in January of 2007 I read this entry on Jenn’s blog, and it just didn’t sit right with me. I started my campaign. Without funding. Trying to get a groundswell of support and momentum for a run at the White House. Trying, and failing. My feelings haven’t changed, especially now that we are guaranteed a liberal in the Oval Office, and I am seeing more and more signs of a revolution brewing to take this country back into the conservative hands of We The People. I do, however, plan to take another run at it in 2012, when the people of this country should be good and fed up with the liberal actions of the president and want to get back to being a sovereign country with absolute borders and absolute laws.

Now I have a BlogTalkRadio show called, appropriately enough, The O Word. Be sure to tune in on Friday mornings at 0700 Mountain Standard Time.

One thing about having a blog, and meeting (on line, of course, except in rare instances where you actually get to meet the fine people you blog with in person) other blog-owners – you will never run out of people to meet, and people who you want to link to, and people who may want to link back to you. Of course, having all these links is one thing, but being able to keep the connection going is another. I don’t always get to read all my links every day, but I sure try to stop in at least once a week or so.

Most recently, I was asked to join the gang over at Reject the UN and help spread that word. I don’t know how often I will be able to contribute, but I will be doing what I can when I can.

One thing that hasn’t wavered since I’ve discovered it: Wear Red on Fridays. I’ve got some way cool shirts that help spread the word, and I know that when service members see my red shirt they know they are being supported, prayed for, worried about, and generally appreciated for what they are doing.

A lot has changed in three years. I am so happy to have met all of you, and hope that you feel the same about me. We may not see eye to eye, but unless you break my commenting rules and totally disregard common courtesy, you will be welcome here. I know that there are a lot more people out there who deserve to be mentioned, and I will, on this Friday’s show. I’m sorry if I didn’t specifically mention you, but know that I think of each one of you often. Either to wonder what you are up to, or why you haven’t written anything lately, or to berate myself for not getting over to your site and leaving a comment. Tell you what – would you do me a favor, and just click on the “All Blogrolls Here” tab up there, and read through everyone who is making a difference in the blogosphere? Stop in and tell them I said hi, and I’ll be by later to chat.

Thank you for stopping by, God bless you all, listen to The O Word on BlogTalkRadio, Wear Red on Fridays, and support Warriors for Innocence!

So, how was your weekend?

My Saturday post (just below this one) was written Friday afternoon, and set up for publication by way of the delayed posting ability in WordPress. Pretty cool feature. Almost worth paying hosting fees right there…

Speaking of hosting fees, don’t send any to StartLogic. They don’t seem to think that their users can and would be an accurate early warning system for impending failures. I can’t be nearly as eloquent as Texas Fred on this subject, so I will direct you to a post of his that really covers it.

I am really, really regretting going with them – even though it was on the word of a trusted adviser – since not just this site is on StartLogic, but also the site for the non-profit Black Canyon Railroad Corporation, of which I am a member and the webmaster. Down time can only hurt exposure, not help it.

Saturday the seventh was my Mother’s 80^th birthday. Happy Birthday, Mom.

Yesterday (Sunday the eighth), I had another migraine. This one hit hard and fast – right when I sat down after praise and worship, communion, and the offering (being in leadership, I was involved in all three). I tried to hide it, and just Marine my way through the service – but TMBWitW figured out real quick that I wasn’t praying silently but nearly writhing in pain with my eyes closed. She insisted we go home immediately. I took a migraine pill and went into hibernation mode – door closed, pillow over the head blocking sound and light – and slept for about six and a half hours. Woke up a bit groggy, but able to function.

For some reason, TMBWitW thinks that two migraines inside a week is cause for alarm, and that I should see the doctor about it. With a persuasive argument like that, I couldn’t help but be on the phone with the doctor’s office as soon as they were supposed to open. (0900) At 0915, they still hadn’t taken the answering machine off of weekend mode, so I left a message on the appointment line. Oh well. We’ll see where this goes.

OK – if you are eating anything while surfing this entry, you may want to either check out some blogroll activity, or go over to comics.com for a minute.

If you are still reading, then I am going to assume that you have a stomach that can handle what I’m about to write.

As my four or five regular readers know, I have five dogs. Lately, the weather has been warming up to the point where being outside after, say, 0730 is just uncomfortable. Not unbearably hot, but enough to make yard work unappealing. I haven’t been getting up and going outside early enough to get any yard work done before 0730 for about a month.

So – doing the math, my normal 1/2 – 3/4 bucket’s worth of yard apples has been building up a bit. Today I picked up four buckets, some of it still fresh, and I have more to go – but the rest will have to wait until tomorrow morning. I’m not going to deal with that stuff in the heat and direct sunlight if I can help it. The pick-up pattern is to stay just inside the shadow of the house as the sun rises, so you gotta move fast if you want to be efficient and stay out of the sun.

I’ve been hoping that the constantly rising price of gasoline would finally silence the liberals who say that we are in the middle east to steal the oil over there – but it doesn’t seem to be so. They are still claiming we are trading blood for oil – are they not seeing the prices going up, or are they still the clueless individuals they always were?

Never mind, rhetorical question.

Well, MEG is awake. The first thing she wanted to do was watch the “wawas”. Now she is watching Lilo and Stitch, and eating her morning waffle. I’m going to wrap this up now and start going about my business.

Ya’ll have a good Monday (if that is possible) and I will keep you posted on the migraine thing, OK?

Update:

I have an appointment for 0800 Thursday morning. Yes, Loon, I will be a good Marine and actually go to the appointment. 🙂

Thank you for stopping by, God bless you all, listen to The O Word on BlogTalkRadio, Wear Red on Fridays, and support Warriors for Innocence!

I know, it’s Tuesday. I had a weird Monday, is all.

And, being the lucky person you are, I’ve selected YOU to be the one who gets to hear about it!

It all started about the normal time – no, wait. Monday started Sunday afternoon, when, for no apparent reason, the left front tooth in TMBWitW‘s mouth chipped. Not a big chip, but enough that there was a rough little line at the bottom of the tooth. TMBWitW, being the tooth-conscious gal that she is, was very concerned.

Bright and early Monday morning, the dentist was called. Actually, the receptionist was called. She could be worked in at 1015, and it would be the other dentist, not her regular one. Meanwhile, a certain blogger husband of hers woke up with a dull pounding in the back of his head. TMBWitW started working on the computer, getting done what she could without going into the office. For whatever reason, MEG slept until 0900. Blogging husband, not sure what was going on with his head, decided to take two Tylenol and sit quietly so as not to bother his head. He thought to himself, “This is why I quit drinking; why go through all that expense and sloppiness when I can get the hangover headache without even trying?” He took two Tylenol and sat at the breakfast table, reading the morning paper.

Once MEG woke up and had breakfast, she was quickly dressed and the entire crew was off. Not sure if numbing methods were going to be used, TMBWitW requested a back-up driver, just in case. Not sure if he would live until the end of the driveway, the husband took two Tylenol and said “Sure!” with a cheery grin. Relieved that TMBWitW wanted to drive, the husband sat in the back seat and gave the appearance of entertaining MEG while secretly wishing he had taken the entire bottle of Tylenol with him, as a snack for the road.

At the dentist’s office, it was determined that it would not take very long at all; in fact, by the time MEG had walked her father from one end of the compound to the other, climbed and descended two sets of stairs, discovered a pigeon nesting on a landing, played in three of the eight fountains in the courtyard and determined that there was a fountain under repair, TMBWitW was finished and waiting for the return of her support crew.

No numbing methods were used, as it was only an edge fill.

It was decided that lunch was in order, so TMBWitW headed home. (quick side note here – TMBWitW, pre-baby, had an unerring sense of direction. now that she is a mommy, she needs maps and directions to anywhere that is not work or a mall. the trips to and from the dentist office were amusing – or at least, I would assume they were amusing – due to the fact that the person giving directions had a forty five piece drum corps playing in his head during the entire ride and directions were monosyllabic at best.) Once there, a quick lunch was generated, TMBWitW went back in the office, and once MEG had finished her repast she was laid down for a nap. At that time the husband decided it would be a good time for a nap, also, so he took two Tylenol and laid, gently, on his side with a pillow covering one ear and blocking most of the light.

There was a huge ruckus, and the husband was jolted awake almost as soon as he had laid his head down, or about two hours later. TMBWitW needed to go to her chiropractor visit, and would be taking MEG with her, would the husband like to take a migraine pill? No, no – too late for that. He’ll settle for a couple of Tylenol and maybe a bit more of a nap before the HOA board meeting that evening.

Pizza was ordered for dinner, and consumed. The husband operated in a slight fog, and decided to forego the meeting; what use would he be if all he could say was “Turn off the light, it’s too bright”?

Husband decided that in order to sleep off the nagging wisps of migraine still clinging to his skull fragments, he would need to take a small sleeping pill. Sleeping aid acquired, he promptly lay down at 2030 and discovered that his mind was now wide awake and not nearly as pained as it was earlier in the day. Instead of tossing and turning fitfully, he decided to do something constructive that would make his mind shut down so he could sleep.

Ninety three expert games of Minesweeper later, he decided that wasn’t going to work, and maybe laying down would be OK after all. Going back to bed at 0245, he promptly fell asleep. At 0635, he awoke with a start, thinking that TMBWitW had left without a word, taking the baby and the dogs, leaving him to fend for himself with the cats.

I hate migraines that sneak up on you. I hate drugs that affect you in ways they aren’t designed to. I love Tylenol because my body know what to do with it. I need someone to research me and figure out why my threshold for pain and drugs is so weird.

Thank you for stopping by, God bless you all, listen to The O Word on BlogTalkRadio, Wear Red on Fridays, and support Warriors for Innocence!

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

I, Cary Cartter, do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God.

In Flanders Fields

John McCrae, 1915.

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

To all who have served: Thank you. May this day help us all to remember those who have given everything in defense of the ideals that is the United States of America.

And thank you, Dad, for instilling in me the morals and ideals that I needed to become the man I am, no matter how painful it was at the time. I miss you.

Thank you for stopping by, God bless you all, listen to The O Word on BlogTalkRadio, Wear Red on Fridays, and support Warriors for Innocence!