I was told by a former vet who took the same oath as I took. Upon enlisting now this vet served in different mos I just know mos military occupation is army no clue on the navy he was navy me I was infantry I chose it as I wanna test me as 17 year old . my kid brother married into a christofacist family and he is lost.

I swore oath to constitution back in 84 as kid did the defend America against all enemies foreign and domestic did I take it seriously that oath I’ll tell you now no. I just was so shortsighted in my youth to see if I could get it rise to the challenge osut infantry training 14 weeks a brown round in your asshole.



Then across post to jump school and black hats I almost caught recycled I sucked at on trainer 2nd week of jump school. I went to 82nd 2-325 airborne infantry and I was we all were ass and trash. I feel i gave up and became part of something bigger than I ever would have been as civilians.

And I discovered as kid at 18 I had brothers no race no prejudice. No rank on a a c-130 or 141. In the belly of aircraft we’re all equal no wops no pollocks or nigger we shared water we shared food c rats then mre. If you ever got hit we’re coming after you why were blood and I will never fail you.

This vet told me I was a traitor I laughed at him. I asked am I disgrace to Russian or Syrian or Turk army. I then added you I never would talk to fellow vet that way pimple.

Looking at this I’m like and my wife of 33 years calls me a hoarder. But it brought memories I made $824 a month a corporal and that was in mech infantry battalion west germany. No jump pay as I was taken off jump status I broke my ankle second ankle break army sent me from 82nd. To Europe I owed army time that $824 month pay I had $600 taken out and sent to my soon to be wife as she was carrying our daughter first daughter we were not married.

My wife at that time was attending Rutgers for teaching degree yet living with her parents. I figured out what my wife needed and I did not need and it’s life. I remember going to phone in first sgt Office and my wife crying calling me from the states I’m pregnant. She was sobbing then she speaks are you mad at me. She was 18 in college I was 20 in army I told her no look I’ll make this ok. No rude I at 20 never expected this nor did a 18 year old woman I slept with at time. I was on leave and met my wife through my sister in law they were at university together.

We were young summer I was on leave for 30 days my brother came up from his obligations from marine Corp camp lejeune beach house and booze. After the phone call from my wife you know hey I did not need much no rent meals were free i was single had meal card for mess hall. I’m going finance and sending my wife well we were not married then but sending her cash. I became a barracks rat stopped partying on economy no big deal a man has stand up.

Night time little sleep 30 hour days were the common were in Graf west Germany it was training area. Caught message maybe Red Cross all’s I remember it was cold we just ended company size live fire and I was told wild B your we all had nicknames is why I said it that way. You a father mother and baby are doing I asked can you tell me did we have a boy or girl. And the runner message runner said sorry bro you have a 7 pound baby daughter wild b her name is Heather.

My infantry brothers and I early morning snowing dark out drinking whiskey celebrating the birth of Heather In back of the 113 it’s a apc cleaning our rifles the m60 machine gun the ma deuce 50 cal. Joking wild b gonna be a lifer now joking as Grunts joke should kept that horse in the barn bro.

The army charged me $25 dollars I think for Heathers birth. Years later when our son was born in 04 his bill was I think it was $ 185.000. Young mister was 5 weeks neo natal he was preemie my teamsters Insurace paid it all. Today looking at him you could never tell he was premature. I’m 6 foot 150 he is 5-10 185 he and his brother lift weights where as I always been a runner in exercise I ramble all over a 33 year old leave earning statement.

A friend of mine Jess she’s a good kid she is in her last year of law school,her and my one son and I jam together at times. She came into some cash and with it she scored this beauty it was used. Tweaking the truss rod and tailpiece we found the action that she was comfortable with.

I said let’s plug in to this one watt black star I have in my work area sounded sweet but then my insanity took over hey let’s dime it out open it up. This 53 year old man needs to find out what this magnificent piece of craftsmanship or womanship sounds like.

To the work shed kiddo we plug it in to well first was the thunderbolt made two years before I was born. I cut a lot of grass as kid to buy that amp sorry I ramble my wife and and Jess bailed with our grandson to go get their hair done it’s lonely around the house.

The 58/15 pickups dam tonal beauty from picking with my fingers rolling the pots off for warmth to un palming the pick and rolling pots wide open to get into it. I said geez Jess you scored a beast but hold kiddo we’re gonna set up a back line so I strung carol ann head to cabinet a bass man clone I built and the supro thunderbolt.

Then like a 5 year old I ran back into the house and grabbed my tokai Les Paul reborn and my PRs sc 245 with 59/09 gotta do tonal comparisons. And we bounced riffs off each other I am so happy for her that she scored the guitar. I’m over my collecting phase at 53 and over the years I’ve picked up some awesome guitars all of them were used. And I’m so done impulse buying but I am truly happy for kiddo.

He will be two next month trump was on tv news clip. I pointed to tv and said look Samuel trump pig our grandson he looked at me then tv and said umppig yea dude trump pig. I said Give me a hug young airborne and grandma disapproved of it she’s diehard democrat as I am.

Teb- I said dear he is now part of our resistance guerrilla cell

My wife - Really well who is all in this resistance cell

Teb- I said look since were married I’ll tell you but it is highly classified just boog the chocolate lab and the man I said were like the Josey wales boog is my Chief Dan George.

I’ll interpret for boog I’m fluent in lab

Boog - yea lady wag wag man says I cannot have a piece of Chief dan George’s hard candy. But you know that piece of danish on your plate looks yummy.

Boog was sitting on the couch drooling as my wife was eating. We’re still working out the team we have our issues.

Young mister he is 23 months was up around 03:30 talking to grandma and pap in bed carrying on a conversation, my wife said I’ll get up with you guys. We were waiting on the quiche to get done in oven. It is our thing pap and baby boy like breakfast music so we open up laptop. We have a wide variety of music from the blues to the scorpions.

And at times I’ll jam along and this morning pap was In Hendrix mood. So I introduced him to stone free I put on backing tract on lap top. And opened up my Greco Strat I had to give the child the history of the Greco.

Like the tokai Les Paul baby boy pap bought this tone beast in west Germany off a fellow G I. Who needed beer money 1985 or cash for hash I cannot remember , and these two beautiful guitars we have been together in a committed relationship longer than your grandmother and pap.

I said that because my wife of 33 years was having coffee with us at the table I got that raised eyebrow look from my dear wife replied really you had mention hash. I said look I cannot remember maybe he blew the cash in a whorehouse he was a known patronizer of house of the ill repute score for man high paw 5 boog. And she then responded god you’re just like your dog forever retarded in youth dam straight boog and man were puppies in our minds.

Kiddo made grandma and I smile with his dance moves as I was picking stone free. The dudes got moves and then I launched into villa nova junction and the funky moves kept coming. He climbed on top of the guitar case just shaking and moving and grandma joined in dancing she looked good in her pajamas.

And I said hey here is one of paps favorites. One rainy wish by Hendrix and mister was smiling hugging grandma and he loves this beautiful song as I do it reminds me when I hear it or play it of velvet cloth . So now breakfast is over young mister and my wife went back to sleep around 06:00 watching the movie hop.

Our sons and their friend bailed to the gym I declined this morning kid has his own vehicle now the boys have Gas ass. They’re mobile on the move.
Boog the chocolate lab we are on back porch now listening to our neighbors the coyotes on the mountain and the hoot owl.

I grew up in western Pennsylvania where football is a religion in the background smoke stacks of steel mills as we played high school football all of our fathers worked and provided for their families in those union mills back then after high school my plan was to go work after my enlistment was over in 87. And go into the industrial electrician apprenticeship as my father was industrial electrician. I remember the mill when they donated cash so we could get lights. And we then played our first of many evening games that was maybe 1981.

Our sons friend grabbed the bagel bag and at least 12 bagels hit the floor. So three dogs a chocolate lab golden retriever and a Newfie. Pushed us on their running game and our 4-4 D could not hold them. Boog the chocolate lab pulled a Rob Newhouse my childhood hero. Coming at us gonna bull through and get in that end zone full of bagels.

So this morning our one son and dad hit the pull up and dip bar this morning on back porch. Pushups and leg lifts mountain climbers jump rope. Then we decide bagels for breakfast yup that went sideways. All three dudes are excited they hitting the showers because we’re getting a 99 Toyota 4 runner this morning. Only 82000 miles I am buying it off a retired union road driver I worked with for years and he took care of this vehicle. And Japanese vehicles last my old 98 pathfinder got junked couple years ago with over three hundred thousand on odometer it could not pass inspection the body was rusted out.

And I am gonna let mister drive it as he passed his driving test. And we trust them all their fine young men they have sound judgment. So the guys now officially are no longer school bus commuters Monday they will riding to high school. Anyway on back porch because it takes forever for these three to triple s express. I was same at that age but then fort benning infantry osut taught me motivation finally I can now shower I told them. Fellas hold off will a hit the diner for breakfast then go do the 4 runner.

A ramble I had a lot off coffee so far. Rolled out bed around 03:00 fell asleep around 22:30 why I joke in saying at 53. I have over two million miles on my bladder driving union day cab junk for three decades. And of late the need to hit bathroom is waking me up.

So I go and check on the troops I have always done this. Even with our three daughters when they were at home. Coming home middle night from a linehaul run. I’d check on them it is just my way as a father.

This morning checking on the guys three of them as the boys close friend is here. I am thinking on back porch having coffee and pipe trying to get motivated to hit the pull up and dip bar. Thinking When our son came to us through foster program. It was all my wife’s idea out the blue she said we should enroll in foster program.

And that is how young mister came to us. He was burned out scarred by years of bouncing from home to home. His mom has been in the wind and his father made some bad decisions and those choices took him to penitentiary.

Then he was so quiet he watched observed us he had trust issues from previous experiences. It used break me when he would ask for something from fridge I said you never ask just get it. And young mister and our son became tight real fast real quick. Example it was sixth grade these kids at bus stop called him a Oreo a half breed and my son and young mister got into with them.

Sitting in the school office with my two three year ago I got the rundown on what happened. And I said ok don’t worry about it you two hung tight. I tell my guys never start any trouble but handle it when it comes your way. Better to be a wolf than a sheep. I remember after that he asked me am I black or white dad I said am I polish or Ukrainian were human man.

And our public school district is awesome. Our son was having troubles in beginning and we sat down with his teachers in sixth grade. And I explained this child has bounced around in foster care and has I think by then he attended four different school ours the fourth.

He never had stability and he wasn’t learning disabled he needed solid. And his math teacher took time out in her day free period and instead of study hall she tutored him in math now that is dedication on the young educator.and by seventh grade he landed honor roll with his brother all to his teachers dedication.

This morning checking on the troops I cover them all up kiss them as they sleep now they are young men all three whiskers at fifteen and sixteen I smile. The day the adoption was final I told him you were always part of the tribe but now it’s official. As you now have become the first African American in the platoon with a Eastern European last name.

And at supper yesterday our other son goes mom dad. I wanna go to Berklee guitar program this summer. I have $ 3900 saved from my two summers of work the program is like $5000. It is a five week course I told him will cover the difference.

Last night jamming with my son and his friend we were bouncing off fretboard and these two our one son and friend are getting beyond light years compared to me at that age true fire online you tube guitar class at school fathers school of blues . I went to start up the wood stove and he feels it the nuance the slight bends.My playing has always been from finger picking to a pick for attack then palm the pick and our son is there now as well. Later they both were figuring out blue sky Allmand brothers they were dialed in.

Well the troops are up one son and friend already jamming in front room now we use one watt tube amps awesome for home jam. I started this post around 04:00 but got involved in watching Lawrence O’Donnell and Nicole Wallace i dvr them. just asked our other son hey the old man needs a partner to workout he’s in.

He’s eleven or as boog the chocolate lab says eleventy. Our golden loves us all but he especially loves my wife and it so cute . I tell people I have not cuddled my wife in bed or sat next to her for eleven years. So I just got home from work and mixed up dinner tonight Rachel rays chicken parmigiana patties.

Anyway I had help from boog and our golden retriever as I was getting dinner on standby. I then started walking into the family room and golden brat races by me and jumps on couch with the love of his life my wife. He then sprawls out and gives me that look you lose man.

So now its time for psy ops I go on the offensive. It is personal I gotta get inside golden boys decision cycle.

He then starts licking my wife’s hand so I grab her hand and start licking her arm. And mister golden boy is giving out moans and grrr not mean just what the biscuits man. So I then move him and sit between him and my wife kissing her and he looses it starts yapping pawing frantically jealous what are you doing. Stop soiling my mommy she’s pure man.

So I stand up and he immediately moves in oh mommy he soiled you. So I went to kitchen cut a piece of pie and now he’s looking at me. Hey remember man sharing is caring I gave boog and the golden brat last bites.

In Delaware doing a delivery I go inside and guy in receiving asks me. Hey man your company is Union as this customer is union also. I said yup we’re Union I myself have held a card for 32 years ,he just bumped me in front of 8 other trucks it’s first come first serve. He said brother back it in to the unloading area it’s flatbed they gotta take off piece equipment.
I said hey man no hurries I’m on clock but I’ll take it.

He tosses man under the bus unintentionally. Boog is down to 79 pounds as he cannot be active as he used to with his hip issues. And my wife and our sons have played a big part in this. So today feeding him and our golden retriever dinner. I hooked em up I put in instant spuds and gravy from a pot roast from weekend in their dishes with dry dog food.

So I head out to get our sons from after school weight lifting as I give the furry boys dinner . And my wife calls asking me what all I fed the dogs. Instantly I smell a perjury trap I’m like ok deflect.

Man - on blue tooth huh what did you say dear wife kind like I did as kid in army with this one lieutenant
Seriously one time the LT called over radio for us to dig a 50 cal in and it was like 12 below out. And the four dudes on the apc looked at me what are we gonna do corporal. I said relax we ain’t digging in the ma deuce he’s a moron. So I’m trying what worked in 86 with my wife.

Wife- so you gave them potatoes how did she know she informed me my boog climbed on couch with her. And the Golden was cleaning potatoes off the boogs muzzle. You know what the vet said about watching his weight and his hips. I owned up I said I know but he gives me that look.

She then laughed and said he is your Rudy I said thanks boog as she was on speaker phone. I got a wag wag she said hey lady how does the man get in your phone.