Author: gfielder

I am sitting on the couch in the living room next to the Christmas tree.  The fireplace is on, tossing gas-fired warmth into the room.  The radio is adding a holiday soundtrack.  My dog is curled up next to me on the couch, her head up on a pillow. . . I worked last night…

You know, we’ve freed over 27.5 million people from an iron-handed dictator known for building extravagant palaces for himself and using poison gas on his own people.  There was no freedom of the press in Iraq, and no journalism at all (except those working directly for the state propaganda apparatus) before we went in there. …

It seems like I’m working all of the time (just finished another seven days in a row), but I still have Christmas stuff to take care of.  Went to the post office today and took care of the holiday mailing.  Here’s something amazing : it costs less than a dollar to send a Christmas card…

Bonnie is a wimp.  She has cowered from vacuum cleaners her entire life.  At last, she meets one that doesn’t tower over her. [googlevideo=http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6073316465542974310&hl=en] I know it’s silly….. The Focus is gone.  The new owners picked it up today.  I hope they enjoy the little car as much as I did.  We drove the Explorer…

I’m kinda beat.  Yesterday, I finished up seven straight 12 hour shifts.  I have three days off and then I get to do seven more.  I had some time to catch up on some things today.  I’ve emptied most of the boat stuff from my car.  The sail bags are still in there, though.  I…

It’s Thanksgiving.  Time to think about all of the cool things that we have to be grateful for.  Some of the things that I am grateful for, in no particular order. I’m grateful for my family (including the new additions in South America), my good friends and especially my beautiful and charming new wife.  Monica…

Shopping is not my favorite thing to do.  I’m a guy.  I buy necessary stuff when I have to – it’s not something that I do for pleasure.  I won’t buy low quality stuff just because it’s cheap – I like value.  For that reason, I am mourning the loss of a really cool place…

Yesterday, I spent an hour or so outside with the Focus.  It seems that the heater stopped working sometime during the summer.  Of course, this event went completely unnoticed until just this week, when winter raised its ugly head.  I drove the little car to work and never got warm.  Okay, I know the drill. …

Those of you that know our dog are not surprised at the title of this article.  Bonnie is a Lhasa Apso – it’s in her breeding to be an “alarm dog”.  I’m okay with her being a scaredy-cat most of the time.  I am a lazy slob – unwilling to put in the daily grooming…

So much has happened. We’ve gone on a road trip. Our little house is shaping up – it’s really becoming cute inside. We’re learning how to sail.  We have a little sailboat. My beautiful Brasiliera wife continues her uphill struggle with our bureaucracy. Life goes on. I’m not going to sit here and write about…