Gunfighter: A Modern Warrior's Life

Missing Your Child

Last Sunday, we took soccergirl off to Girl Scout camp. 

She will be there until this Saturday.

It's weird in the house without her.

The thing is, this is n't the first time that she has been away from home.  Last summer, she spent a week with her grandfather (my dad) and had a fine time.  While she was gone, Mrs Gunfighter and I spent some nice evenings together, just not being super-busy.  We were glad to have her back home, though.

This time it's different.  I can't quite explain it, though... it's just weird.  Sure, it's nice to spend a couple of days being able to have an uninterrupted grownup conversation, but... I miss her voice.  I miss her energy.  I miss her silliness.  I miss her presence. 

I know that she is having a good time.  She is riding horses, swimming, having camp-fires and sing-alongs... all that good stuff which survives in my own memory from my Scouting days... but I can't deny the selfishness (is that a word?) that lurks within.

I want her to be at home.

I am looking forward to seeing her in less than 48 hours.

Our house needs her back home.

14 Years, and I still love being around you

I think that somewhere along the line, I have told you all how I met Mrs Gunfighter as a direct result of Gulf War I... haven't I ?  Well, if not... it's true, we did.  That was in 1992.

On July 4th, 1994, we got married in the living room of the the house that we still live in today... and I couldn't be happier about that.

In the years in-between then and now, we have done some pretty cool things together... we have traveled, we have made really great meals, we have sat on the couch and read in companionable silence; we have laughed uproariously in bed about exceptionally silly things; we have worked on making our home a livable space where our family can continue to thrive; we have been and still are involved in state, local and national politics; we have cheered for successes in each other's careers; we have consoled each other after disappointments; we have nurtured a wonderful child; we have served our church and attempted to live our faith as best we can; we have fallen asleep on the couch when we could have been doing uh... other things.  We have held hands in the bookstore; watched MST 3000 together... and so many more great things that I can barely get my head around them.

It's been 14 years, and we have lived! 

We have lived lives made better for the presence of the other.

I'm a better man because of you.

Thanks baby.

My Dad

Reposted from Real Dads, June, 2007

My parents were divorced shortly I was six years old... Between my father's philandering, unholy temper, propensity for using his hands to express anger, and my mother's unwise use of chemicals, theirs was a match made in the depths of hell. As difficult as it was, their divorce, in 1969, was a blessing for the whole family.

After the divorce, my mother took us three children from California, where my dad was stationed (he was in the Air Force), to New Jersey where my maternal grandmother lived.

We were raised by my mom and (mostly) grand mom, and saw my dad whenever he was stationed somewhere nearby... in the early 70's, it was in central Massachusetts.

On school holidays, my father would drive from Westover Air Force Base, Mass., to our house in NJ, come inside long enough to say hello to my mother and to use the bathroom, and we'd be on the road! It was during these trips that my father first demonstrated his perfectly abysmal ability to tell jokes. My father told the absolutely worst jokes on the planet. He would tell a joke, and then roar with laughter... not caring if anyone else found them funny. My dad also told awful knock-knock jokes, like this one:

Dad:  "Kncok, knock"

Kids:  "Who's there?"

Dad:  "Emerson"

Kids: "Emerson who?"

Dad:  "'Em are some funky socks you got on!"

Kids:  "Dad... that's not funny!"

Dad:  "Bwaaahahahahahahahahahahaha!"

Jeez.

My dad and I formed a decent relationship, and after he retired from military service, in 1973, he went back to his hometown of Baltimore, Maryland. We (my older brother and sister, and I) visited fairly regularly, and after the older two graduated from high school and went out into the world, I continued to visit on my own... by this time, I had graduated to taking the train, which I thought was pretty cool.

I continued my visits with my dad (and his wife and their daughter, my half sister), until I graduated from high school and joined the service.

One of the best things that my dad ever did for me, is something he probably doesn't even think of now.

When I left home to join the service, my recruiter picked me up early in the morning, and took me to the processing point, in Newark (NJ, not Del.), where I had to fill out forms, get shots, etc... We were then put aboard a bus to the airport for flights to our basic training destination... in my case, Parris Island, South Carolina.

As we were about to board the plane, I heard a shout across the terminal: "Billyyyyyyyyyyyy!" It was my dad, sprinting in my direction. He didn't even tell me he was coming! This was in 1981, and my dad was about three years older than I am now. He drove his little Toyota Tercel to the point where his engine completely gave up the ghost in the parking lot of the airport... just to get there to see me off. He gave me a hug and said: "I'm proud of you, son!... time to be a man, now. Take care of yourself, and call when you can"

He had driven nearly three hundred miles with a car whose engine was literally coming apart at the end of the trip, to spend about thirty seconds with me. It was then that I realized that many of the things that my mother had said about my dad for years, weren't all true. Somebody that doesn't give a shit about their children (which is what my mother never stopped telling us) doesn't do something like that.

Life went on, and my dad was a proud observer of my time in the service. Proud of my accomplishments, and of my promotions. He was even more proud when I came back from overseas the first time, speaking German even better than he does (an odd talent... my brother, father and I are nearly fluent in German... it drives our other relatives nuts!).

We didn't have a perfect relationship, but it was functional. As I grew into my thirties, and had a family of my own, I started thinking more about my dad, and had come to some unpleasant realizations about my own childhood. He sensed the growing tension between us, and wrote me a letter asking what it was all about. I answered him and told him that I wanted an apology. I wanted him to apologize for being a wife beater. I wanted him to apologize for not being around more when I was little. I wanted him to apologize for all of the things that I had to do alone in Scouting when the other boys had their fathers with them. He didn't see me achieve a varsity letter for throwing the discus, or sing in the school shows.

I didn't even know those things were bothering me, but they all came out in a rush of words.

I immediately felt like I had taken a load of bricks from my shoulders, and it felt good.

My brother and sister were pissed about what I said to my father, but that is a story for another time.

Anyway, it was time for Soccergirl's baptism, and he and I had a long talk in which he apologized to me for all of the things that I mentioned, and some that I hadn't mentioned.

From that day, six years ago, to this day, my dad and I have enjoyed a fantastic relationship.

I think I mentioned, over at my other blog that my father was largely responsible for my remaining in touch with my oldest child after my divorce. I called him the other day to thank him.

If you have any bad feelings with anyone, friends, remember that it is NEVER too late to try to reconcile with someone if both parties are still living.

ADDENDUM:  My Dad was the only member of my extended family who called me to wish me a Happy Father's Day.   Good thing I'm not bitter.

Gunfighter Gets Holy

 I had planned to post the "Shoot 'Em Up Friday" video that I filmed last week, but alas, the business of the church took precedent.

I am currently attending the Metro DC Synod assembly at Roanoke college, but will be back on Monday with many stories to regale (or bore) you with.

You all play nice together while I'm gone.

Oh, and write something nice about Dads, it might get you some free books!

Sometimes A Laugh Is Enough

As I mentioned earlier, my mother is very ill.  This illness will likely kill her, and sooner rather than later.

My mother and I have not had a great relationship over the past several years.  No.  That's not right.   We've never had a great relationship in my entire adult life (sorry, this isn't a time for soft-soaping).  I don't call her very much, because for the past several years, the conversations could get downright ugly.  All of this is a story for another time, but is relevant to what I want to talk about today.

Today, I want to talk about dignity for the dying.

Dignity.  It means a lot to people, doesn't it?  Well, it does to me, anyway.

My own contribution to my mother's dignity through her illness has been to talk to her.  Not to mourn her before she is gone... not to show my duty in the concern in my voice.  Just to talk to her. 

When my mother had exploratory surgery nearly two weeks ago, the surgeon removed her tonsils, as they were cancerous, too.  I waited a few days before calling, because I know that she needed to rest her voice.  Since then, I have been calling every night or so, just to talk about small things... but mostly, we talk about movies and television.  The last time I talked to mom, we shared a long laugh about a television  weatherman who we used to love to watch.  His name was Lloyd Lindsey-Young, and he was the on-camera weatherman for WOR channel 9.

Lloyd Lindsey-Young was a frenetic and funny guy.  He told jokes, He had funny stories, and being the jovial guy that he was, he had a following.  His followers were usually older women, and he would regularly shout birthday greetings somewhere in his forecast.  While he was giving the weather in his own... special way, he would stop, and say shout:  "Helloooooooooooooooooooooooo NEW JERSEY!" and wish a happy birthday to a particular viewer.  The other night, my mother and I laughed so hard, while we talked about this guy, that I thought I might faint.

It was a nice conversation... mostly.

That, my friends, is my point (sorry I took so long to get to it):  My mother is ill, and will likely die.  I know it, and she sure as hell knows it, so why make anything worse ?  If having some normal conversation will allow my mother to keep some measure of dignity while everyone else around her looks concerned and wrings their hands, that's what I'll do.

It makes her feel better.

*  I was going to end with something deep and philosophical this morning... but truthfully, the words won't come. 

Girl Scout Night

I wrote this about a month ago. I had forgotten all about it until I sat down at my laptop at the dining room table shortly before 5 this morning. I really wish I was still asleep… and today is my day to take SG to school, so I could have slept until the lordly hour of 0615. As it turns out, I have been awake since 0345. Where is the justice in this world? I ask you?  So, here I sit on a(nother) rainy Virginia morning, telling you things about my life that you probably don't want to hear... but I am in a sharing mood today, brethren, and that's what friends do.  So listen.

 

It’s Brownie night… but only sort of. You see, instead of taking SG over to the church for their meeting, and nipping off to Borders to type and observe…. And instead of getting to meet one of my favorite bloggers, who is in DC for business, I am at one of the local middle schools with SG and three other Brownies from her troop who are attending their first Junior troop meeting.

You see, SG and ten other girls from her troop will be aging out of Brownies into Junior Girls Scouts in the fall, and this meeting is to give them the opportunity meet their new Troop-mates.

I was assigned to be their “chaperone” and take them to their meeting, and introduce them to the troop leader, and stick around in case they were shy, or nervous and needed a familiar adult face. Do you think that’s how it went? If you said: “Oh, hell no, GF!” you’d be right. Since this troop is fed by the same school that feeds SG’s Brownie troop, all four of the girls saw friends of theirs right away, and went scrambling to pal around with them, forgetting good ol’ Gunfighter immediately. Well, I’m man enough to handle that, so I went and introduced myself to S, who is the leader for this troop. I told S I was going to stay for the whole meeting, and would help in any way that I could… How do think THAT went?  If you said: “She (and the other troop mommies) gave you a blank, open-mouthed stare and said that you could just leave if you wanted to”, you’d be right.

Well, there is only so much rejection a man is supposed to take before he gets irritated and has to take active measures to stand up for himself. So that's exactly what I did.  In case you were thinking that I made a scene, be assured, I didn't... I dislike drama.  No, I did what people do when they are made these days, and don't shoot people because of it:  I went out into the hallway, found an electrical outlet, whipped out my laptop, and started to blog!

Pardon me for a moment while I fume… Someone help me out here…. Women complain that men aren’t doing enough of the parenting… we aren’t doing our share, and blah blah f***ing blah, ad nauseum, but I think that it’s all a front. I really do. Oh, I’m not saying that there aren’t men who aren’t pulling their weight in that department, I’m simply saying that I believe that there are many women who covet their roles as “gatekeepers”… controlling access and participation in their children’s lives.

Is it that far-fetched that a father would attend his daughter’s Girl Scout meeting and help out? Is it, really? For the love of merciful God… A woman is running for president, a black man is her rival for her party’s nomination, and at least their party isn’t blinking an eye over it, but if a Dad wants to help out at the girl scout meeting, I might as well have been a space alien for all the gaping stares.

Well guess what? Children need their father’s EVERY BIT AS MUCH AS THEY NEED THEIR MOTHERS! That’s right ladies, read that a second time, if it didn’t scratch the surface the first time. Finished? Good. Read it again, just to make sure. Who else is going to teach your daughters what a good, decent man is like? Who else is going to teach your sons how to be good men?

Alright... I'm done for now.

GF

20 Questions With Mrs Gunfighter

Today we have a special treat for all of you.  Today, I am going to interview My lovely wife, special friend, and best pal:  Mrs. Gunfighter.

Welcome, sweetie!  I have wanted to do this for a long time, and I am really glad that you finally agreed to do this.

I guess I'll jump right in and ask you some questions… feel free to answer at length if you like, but since this is a written medium, I'll have to ask you refrain from giving me looks in answer to my questions.  Deal?   

Absolutely—My face will remain carefully expressionless—just like when I’m looking at food I don’t want to eat! [Hahahahahahah]

1. Why don't we start with some biographical information.  Tell the readers about yourself.

Well, just to refresh your memory, I’ve been married to you for almost 14 years and we have a 9-year-old daughter. I am a professional historian and I make educational films for one of the smarter government agencies, although I started out my career as a newspaper journalist. I love reading, type fonts, and my Amazon Kindle. I hate stupid people, beef, talking on the phone, and George W. Bush. Is that enough for a start?

2. Great... I have to ask this for the sake of the folks who only know you as Mrs Gunfighter.  Considering that you kept your family name when we got married, does it bug you at all that I refer to you on my blog as Mrs Gunfighter?  If it does, I'll be glad to call you something else.

No—that way I know you’re talking to me.

We had a child-free, soccer-free weekend, did you enjoy yourself?

Yes, I did, although I would have preferred a dry weekend so that I could do more planting.

3. It was your idea to go and see Iron Man (the second time, for me).  To tell you the truth, I was surprised, pleasantly, mind you.  What did you think of the movie?

I thought it was really good and since it only had cartoon violence, I didn’t even have to keep my eyes closed. Robert Downey Jr. was really good as Tony Stark—a first class performance.  Gwyneth Paltrow didn’t offend me as much as I thought she would, but her really high heels were a constant source of irritation. Tony Stark’s house was beautifully furnished and had a really lovely waterfall/staircase. I liked it a lot!

4. You are very astute, politically, babe… in fact, you are the Chair of our local Democratic Committee.  What do you think about the chances for Democrats in Congress this election cycle?  Do you think that we will achieve a working majority in the House and Senate?

Yes—I’m very optimistic. Even the least politically aware (i.e., the stupid) in the United States have to have noticed that things aren’t going well and perhaps it’s time for a change. There’s a very good NY Times article from last week by Tom Friedman called “Who will tell the People.” I highly recommend it.

 

5. Since we both Support the candidacy of Senator Barack Obama, and since this is your husband's blog, why don't you tell the readers what you think of the Senator and why you believe that he will be the next President of these United States?

Well, I’ve done some speechwriting in my time, and I think a great speech is really a thing of beauty. Obama is the kind of orator we haven’t seen since Bobby Kennedy. What a nation believes about itself is extremely important (“We have nothing to fear except fear itself”) and unless we have a leader who make us realize that we can fix our problems, the country is done for. Diverse groups who haven’t been active before are starting to look around and see themselves as part of a movement. [As an aside, in a funny way, popular tv always reflects the state of the nation’s psyche. I think that shows like Idol and Dancing with the Stars are a reflection of a desire for story where someone rises above and succeeds.  I don’t think it’s a coincidence that there are so many “reality” shows with this format.]

 

6. What do you think of the way Senator Clinton has run her campaign?  Have your opinions about her changed at all from her husband's White House years to now?

I’m really going to try not to let my feelings based on my personal experience with her color this answer…or maybe not! I’m disgusted with her campaign.  Honestly, before the campaign began, while I wasn’t about to crown her, I could see myself voting for her. Today—absolutely not. I was a Clinton supporter long before you were, and I’m so sad to see how far they’ve fallen. They have moved race front and center in their campaign—from the innuendo in South Carolina to openly discussing how “hardworking white voters” support her today. They’ve made that discourse acceptable and for that I can never forgive them--ever. As one commentator said last week, even Richard Nixon in his southern strategy never used the word “white.” The idea that she’s some sort of man of the people—while attending the same schools as Obama and having a career as a high priced lawyer—is such a joke. Someone should tell her that where I grew up, women didn’t do shots with beers…or should I say only skanky women did! Pathetic.

 

7. Enough about politics…. Tell the readers, if you would… how cool is it to be married to Gunfighter?  I mean it has to be a major rush all of the time, right?

24/7. I don’t even have words to describe how thrilling it is to throw your dirty clothes in the hamper. Although you are a terrific cook and a pretty nice guy (for a trained killer)!

 

8. Thanks, babe... I think.  I'll work on that clothes issue (I hope that you liked your dinner last night)  Changing the subject… you have rather eclectic tastes in music.  Care to tell everyone about the music that you like.

Well, my musical tastes aren’t static!  At home I like to listen to jazz, blues, Frank Sinatra (fabulous!) and global fusion music. At work on my desk, I’ve got Pink, Jane Monheit, George Michael, and the sound track of “Man of La Mancha” because Richard Kiley is the best Broadway baritone ever. Having said that, when I’m in the car I always listen to XM’s 20 on 20, because I like new music.  At the moment, I like Timbaland and Chris Brown. The new Madonna song (I never bother to learn their names, as you know) isn’t bad, but I can’t stand Mariah Carey’s new one. I just think her music is insipid and she doesn’t look very smart to me… My favorite song of all time is Bob Marley’s “Redemption Song.”

 

9. How about when I play my head-banger music… does that bother you?  and tell the truth, Ozzy Osbourne has buckets of talent, doesn't he?

Yes, I hate screaming guitars and often choose to find something to do upstairs. Ozzy’s slow songs are lovely—he’s an interesting person.

 

10. Moving on… you are a prolific reader.   What is your favorite genre of books?

That’s a tough question. I mostly read nonfiction. I feel in love with history when I was in elementary school.  My favorite personage was Cleopatra because, well, she was one of the few women who got a starring role. I’m totally thrilled that—without prompting or any suggestion from me—Soccer Girl has checked out all of the Cleopatra books from her school library. Today, I mostly read whatever interests me at the moment.  I’m currently in a major China phase.

11. Who is your favorite author?

I’ve got different ones:  Dorothy Dunnett for her wonderful House of Niccolo and Lymond Chronicles, the best historical fiction written ever. While I prefer Nicholas, both series are fantastic. (That’s in case you have any Dunnett fans in your readership. We always have to state our allegiance up front.) I also love Wilton Barnhart’s “Gospel”, a modern day story about the ancient church—it’s actually much better than it sounds—and Lisa See’s “Peony in Love.”

In mystery, I enjoy Elizabeth George for her finely crafted Lynley series (the books not the tv series) and Lisa See’s detective series. As an aside, I spent a lot of time in the rather run down English seaside town that was the setting for one of George’s books, and she had the feel of the place absolutely perfectly.

In history, you can’t do better than “Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire.” Seriously. Gibbon’s footnotes are very witty and a real treat.  Okay, maybe’s it’s an acquired taste…

12. Now, I'm going to open the floor for a moment.  You are quite the enthusiast on home design.  As a matter of fact, you are in the middle of transforming our home into your new vision.  Why don't you tell us about that?

I’m very visual and so the way that things look is important to me. I think your personal style has to reflect who you are (your junk), fit your lifestyle (easy to clean), and look good (lots of books). Our living room/dining room/kitchen is in the process of transformation into a global fusion style with Chinese accent pieces from my trip to Beijing. I think a totally Chinese room would look forced, but a bench, a canvas, and a Buddha are enough. I have a friend who did her living room Chinese (you know who I mean) and it didn’t work at all. Our new red kitchen is going to be fabulous. I decorate rooms the way they strike me—that’s why our bathroom is a salute to the French Fauvists, the downstairs bathroom pays homage to Britain, and our bedroom is going to be a sort of Danish modern salute to the 18^th century.  I can’t wait to put up the giant wall map of Rome! My mother hates every single room in our house!!!!!

13. "My mother hates every single room in our house!!!!!"  Baaahahahahahahaha!  She does, doesn't she?  Well tough shit for her!  That's what I say.  Sorry... I had a moment.   Tell everyone about your love of paint.

I adore paint and will happily spend hours and hours thinking about it!!!! I currently recommend Benjamin Moore’s new Aura line, which is possibly the best paint ever.  We tried a sample on a wall that’s never been painted (except by the builder) and it covered perfectly on the first coat without being absorbed into the dry wall. Paint is fab! Fan decks are always thoughtful gifts.

 

14. If we can silly for just a moment, I'd like you to talk about some of your choices for television viewing.  I mean, I get the design shows, both for home and clothing, but you also watch, with some intensity, Flavor of Love, Rock of Love, and that show with Tila Tequila…. What's that all about?

Can I be snobby for just a minute?  I have a Ph.D. and I spend all day with a bunch of other Ph.D.s. I don’t watch tv to enhance the intellectual part of my resume.  If I want intellectual, I’ll read a book not watch PBS. Basically, all tv is kind of crappy, but there’s nothing wrong with that. I love “Rock of Love” because I don’t know any people in the real world who think that prowess on the stripper pole should play a big part in the selection of a life partner! I also continue to watch because I want to know why someone can’t get Brett a better weave. Flav—an idiot, but every once in a while there’s a flash of a real human being. And Tila Tequila—well who didn’t think Danni was way too good for Tila and was secretly happy she chose that doofus instead? I just admit to watching what people really watch but are too weak to own up to!

 

15. Wow.  Just… wow.  Um, Ok… let's talk about your DVDs.  You have quite a few, which is really an understatement.  How are things working out now that you have those brand new DVD storage racks that I covered the wall of our office with?

Excellent!  I just have to do some organization. I don’t even know how many I have.  Maybe 500?

 

16. Tell everyone about your enjoyment of tabloid magazines.  Do you have a favorite in the conflict between Lauren "LC" Conrad and Heidi Montag?

Even I won’t watch “The Hills” because it’s just too stupid. If I HAD to pick, I’d probably go with LC. Heidi is just such a shameless publicity whore. Wasn’t it ridiculous when John McCain said that he watched this show???? Tabloids are great for looking at all the clothes and, well, who doesn’t want a front row seat the next time Ms. Spears goes off her rocker?

 

17. Summer is coming, and we are planning to send Soccer Girl to a variety of day camps and sleep away camps.  Do you want to talk about that?  Tell us the benefit of a busy summer for a child in the suburbs.

Soccer Girl is very social and she loves to be outside—two things I hate, so even if I was a stay-at-home mom, I’d still send her to camp. She’s looking forward to “horse camp,” and I’m happy to let her explore her independence a little. I think there are two main benefits for us. When she goes to day camp she comes home super tired, so we don’t have to haul her to the pool every night. Secondly, we might be able to get our long postponed trip to Water Country in while she’s gone. Pinky swear not to tell!

 

18. So, we're going back to Georgia and Florida in August.  I am sure you are looking forward to it as much as I am.  Tell everyone what you like most about our summer vacations.

I actually enjoy the preparation most of all. When I was a kid, I loved the anticipation and I still do. Of course packing is my single greatest skill, so I’m always looking for ways to top my previous personal best!

 

19. Of course, Disney World is very much a central part of what we do when we are in Orlando… do you ever get tired of that place?

Never. When I was very small (maybe 5), I had the measles. I remember laying on the couch and trying to watch tv, which was very difficult because the light hurt my eyes. But I kept them open because I was watching a Mickey Mouse Club rerun about the opening of Disneyland. I was entranced and never stopped thinking about what an amazing place it must be. We went to Disney World the year is opened and that sealed the deal for me. I don’t really care about characters, but the dimensionality of the place continues to fascinate me. When Soccer Girl was very small and she would nap in her stroller, I never minded just walking around for hours.

 

20. I concur.  I suppose I could get tired of that place, but don't expect that to happen before 2097... when I am 134 years old.  We have covered a lot here, today, babe… I'm going to end here by opening up the floor for anything that you would like to say in closing, so take it away!

This was fun—I’ve enjoyed meeting all of you!  Thanks for the ink/pixels.

There you have it, friends.  An introduction to the best person that I have ever known.  This wonderful woman who supports me fiercely, who loves me (and I'm not easy to love, if I'm going to be honest here).  This perfectly complex, super-smart, unassuming woman, sexy woman, has been my best pal since our first date... you can see why I love her so much.

Thanks for sharing, babe.

GF

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to all of you moms that happen to read this.  Simply put, I hope you all realize how important you all are to our society.

Happy Mother's Day to a particular mother... the one I have been blessed to be married to for almost 14 years.  As mouthy as I usually am, I find my self in the very unusual position of being bereft of sufficient words to tell you how much I appreciate the role you play in our child's life.  All I can think to say is that I think that you are the best... and I am, certain that Soccer Girl feels the same way.

I wouldn't trade you for anything.

GF

Live - From Starbucks on Capitol Hill

I have to attend our odious weekly senior staff meeting this morning, so I figured that since this meeting is likely to be fraught with contention, I would fortify myself with some high-end caffeine.

The Starbuck's I am in, now, is that same place where I talked to Dan Rather a few weeks ago.  I suspect that today will be different, though.  There won't be any celebrity sightings... instead, we will be taking a ride on the Crazy Train.  I chatted with a animated young woman that works in the basement library of congress, who was determined to sit at one of the outside cafe tables, because she sees so little natural light during her day.  That isn't the crazy part, but I thought I would give you just a little it of the normal before we go completely off of the rails. 

So I sat down with my Venti Hazlenut Latte (a manly drink  if ever there was one), at a table with a view of the intersection of Third and Pennsylvania, so I could watch the people on their way to their different pursuits, and while I watched them, I took note of the other people around me.  On my right are the two store managers, having a meeting about goals and schedules for the coming week.  On my left is a Chinese woman of a about 35 years, who is animatedly talking to her bottle of Vitamin Water in a mixture of Chinese and English, about American foreign policy in Asia.   Wait, Now she is shouting at the botltle!!!!   That's it.  I'm losing it, here.  The other patroons, are, of course, more mature than I am.  They are sitting quietly an pretending the crazy lady isn't here, keeping their faces a mask of neutrality.  Not me... I am laughing so hard I can barely type this.... She just screamed that GW Bush is a pimp.  Bwaaahahahahahaha!

Have I ever mentioned that I love this city???  Even the crazy people are political!

From my little perch, here  I can see Library of Congress Lady, still chatting with her pal at the cafe table... she smokes.  That's a shame.  There is also a Capitol Police officer sitting in his patrol car, writing a parking ticket.

(that is animated young woman, on the lower left, facing the camera)

Now Crazy lady looks at me.  She smiles (she is very pretty)  Then she threw her head back and laughed maniacally!  A little scary, but I'm three times her size, so if she gets stupid, I'm pretty sure I can take her.  On top of that, I have a gun.... on second thought, this being the District, she probably has a gun (or two) as well.   The guy in the Dan Rather Chair just looked up from his very cool, paper thin Mac, looked at CL, and then at me and rolled his eyes.

Oh, here comes a young woman, probably 25, and she is already complaining of the humidity.  She must be new in Washington, because today is beautiful, if slightly sprinkly.  This brings me to the point that I have to talk about fashion for a moment... what is it with the designer Wellies, these days?  I never would have considered Wellies to be fashionable.  This young woman's Wellies are pink and black, and they match her skirt and blouse.

The lady sitting directly across from me is trying to read the Washington Post Arts section, but she is being distracted by you-know-who.

"We are Stardust, We are Golden, we are billion year old carbon,and we've got to get ourselves back to the garden...."

Sorry, musical interlude (it' what is playing on the Starbuck's sound system).  I'll bet some of you are too young to even remember that song.  Dude.

Again on fashion, have any of you Washingtonians ever noticed that people that work on The Hill tend to dress better than those who work in the executive branch agencies??? (middle aged lady left while I was typing that)....

Well, as much as I would like to continue sitting here and talking to you fine people, I have to go to this meeting.

Have a good day.

GF

Gunfighter Geeks Out, Big Time!

Off to see Iron Man!!!!!!!!