and All the Ships at Sea!
Sarge is off duty for the next two days, courtesy of a VERY nice set of bosses.
I got to take The Boy out this morning on my little Xmas Eve tradition: The Last-Minute Shopping!! We hit two malls, five stores, and a coffee shop (for me, not him!), and got the last of the stuff.
I've a little bittersweet story to relate to y'all. Hardship that's going on, right here in the Homeland.
Our first stop this morning was Zany Brainy, the subsidiary of FAO Schwarz - which, by now y'all know, declared Chapter 11 or some such. The signs on the storefront had those dreaded five words: "Store Closing - Everything Must Go!"
Now, Folks, we've been faithful patrons of ZB ever since I discovered their store in Schaumberg, IL, while I was driving commercial trucks a few years past. I talked a while to the girls who were there this Xmas Eve, and theirs was a story of despair. NO ONE at any of the FAO branches got any warning, other than a teleconference informing them that pink slips with no severance pay were on the way for the holidays. Most of the staffs have quit already in disgust, but a few are hanging on until after New Years', hoping for the best, and that final paycheck.
The store has been ransacked; I'm told that's the way it is with all the other locations as well, as the warehouses are depleted. The Boy and I got what we could, at big cut rates, but it didn't seem like much of holiday shopping; more like picking a carcass, to be honest.
I gave the two ladies what encouragement I could, which even with me sounded lame, and The Boy and I went off in search of the rest of our list, spirits a little dimmed.
Just further proof that, things might look dark, but for someone else, it's worse.
A Major I work with in the Kentucky Guard came back from Afghanistan about a month back. Time for rejoicing? Not hardly; it was a Red Cross flight that got him back in time for his dad's eulogy. They've reassigned him stateside, close to family. Xmas wreaths shouldn't be black.
Ah, but there's also good things along with the bad, too. One whole company came back from Iraq and have officially demobilized - TODAY - and that's cause for lots of little parties all over the place.
All I was doing on watch last night, was transferring phone calls from overseas directly to their homes, so that it wouldn't cost the troopies their fingers and toes for the call. The voice on the phone makes all the difference.
FRiends, if you're travelling, be safe and careful, and get to where you need to be.
If you're where you aim to be this week, then knock youselves out with the best time you can manage.
And just remember: When you're busy supporting the troops, keep in mind that the troops love you, right back. We're not sacrificing anything, by being away from you this Christmas, wherther at war, or on watch. Doing this is an honor.
I'll write more to y'all later tonight!
SARGE
