Bill and I have joked that no matter what time we go to bed, there's going to be a train. We don't live anywhere near the tracks, or the train yard, and we don't hear the whistles at all during the day. But, it never fails, we sometimes hear them all night long.
When we went to bed Tuesday night the train whistle blew before we even got the light turned out. Emergency sirens started soon after, followed by night "touch and go" flights from the national guard at the closed air base. Our house just happens to be in the flight path! Add to this, it was a warm night and the cruisers with their loud music were out in force! It seemed like one noise would start as soon as another stopped.
Finally, finally it was quiet and we could sleep. But...before first light a little bird started to sing...in the hedge...outside the bedroom window. As the day dawned, a crop duster started flying, and then...a woodpecker! There are no crops planted yet so the crop duster had nothing to spray this early and they're not supposed to fly over towns anyway, but there he was.
We always say it's a good thing we're retired so we can sleep in...except for birds and planes. And who cares if we go to bed early, we just lay there and listen to the trains, planes, automobiles...and sirens.
Sleep is overrated anyway!
Friday, March 27, 2015
Tuesday, March 17, 2015
Sports - Boys vs. Girls
My granddaughter is on the high school softball team. They had a terrible season last year, but there's a new coach staff this year and the girls are more excited this year.
At her school, all of the sports teams, including gymnastics, all have a separate class hour...except for softball. Plus, they have to wait until the boys, whatever sport it may be, is done practicing before they can have the field house for practice.
This year it seems the school doesn't even care enough to make sure there is a person to run the scoreboard. It's kind of bad that players have to take turns in the booth and it delays the game to change players, if the player is in the broadcast booth.
The games are played at the city sportsplex, which is a very nice facility with several ball diamonds and soccer fields. It's probably a mile from the school, yet the school doesn't provide transportation to the field on game days. Most of these kids don't drive yet, or have a restricted license that only allows them to transport family members. I don't know if the boys baseball team is transported, but it wouldn't surprise me if it is.
Why, in this day and age, is there still discrimination between boys and girls sports? I thought that if a school took federal money for sports girls sports were to receive the same amount of funding as boys and were supposed to get the same treatment. Maybe I was wrong. But it seems to me, if a school is going to promote a sport, it should be supported by the school.
At her school, all of the sports teams, including gymnastics, all have a separate class hour...except for softball. Plus, they have to wait until the boys, whatever sport it may be, is done practicing before they can have the field house for practice.
This year it seems the school doesn't even care enough to make sure there is a person to run the scoreboard. It's kind of bad that players have to take turns in the booth and it delays the game to change players, if the player is in the broadcast booth.
The games are played at the city sportsplex, which is a very nice facility with several ball diamonds and soccer fields. It's probably a mile from the school, yet the school doesn't provide transportation to the field on game days. Most of these kids don't drive yet, or have a restricted license that only allows them to transport family members. I don't know if the boys baseball team is transported, but it wouldn't surprise me if it is.
Why, in this day and age, is there still discrimination between boys and girls sports? I thought that if a school took federal money for sports girls sports were to receive the same amount of funding as boys and were supposed to get the same treatment. Maybe I was wrong. But it seems to me, if a school is going to promote a sport, it should be supported by the school.
Sunday, March 8, 2015
Anniversaries
This week-end we watched as the march from Selma to Montgomery was symbolically re-walked for the 50th anniversary of the first attempt. This was a huge turning point in the civil rights movement. I get that.
But, today, Sunday, March 8, was also the 50th anniversary of our marines arriving in Viet Nam. And not one news report that I saw, not a single one, even mentioned that fact. Granted I have not watched every newscast on every network. But, I did watch local news, and national news this evening, and it was not mentioned. I saw it mentioned on Facebook of all places.
This event was also a huge turning point in our history and should have been commemorated. More than 58,000 young men and women lost their lives. Many more were wounded and scarred for life and came home changed forever.
I was a tween/teenager during this period. I remember the feeling of relief when it was announced in 1973 that all of our troops were coming home, mainly because I was engaged to marry an airman. The last troops left in March of 1973 and we were married in April.
My current husband served, in the marines, during those early days, when we were not officially in the country. He doesn't talk about it much and I don't push it.
So, on this 50th anniversary, I would like to thank my husband, Bill Haven for serving. I would like to thank my childhood neighbor, Lester Winslow, who came home a different man, and I would like to thank and remember another childhood friend, Kenny Walls, who didn't come home. And, for all of the other brave men and women who served in a war we could not win, thank you for your service.
But, today, Sunday, March 8, was also the 50th anniversary of our marines arriving in Viet Nam. And not one news report that I saw, not a single one, even mentioned that fact. Granted I have not watched every newscast on every network. But, I did watch local news, and national news this evening, and it was not mentioned. I saw it mentioned on Facebook of all places.
This event was also a huge turning point in our history and should have been commemorated. More than 58,000 young men and women lost their lives. Many more were wounded and scarred for life and came home changed forever.
I was a tween/teenager during this period. I remember the feeling of relief when it was announced in 1973 that all of our troops were coming home, mainly because I was engaged to marry an airman. The last troops left in March of 1973 and we were married in April.
My current husband served, in the marines, during those early days, when we were not officially in the country. He doesn't talk about it much and I don't push it.
So, on this 50th anniversary, I would like to thank my husband, Bill Haven for serving. I would like to thank my childhood neighbor, Lester Winslow, who came home a different man, and I would like to thank and remember another childhood friend, Kenny Walls, who didn't come home. And, for all of the other brave men and women who served in a war we could not win, thank you for your service.
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