pictures from home

Where is Jonathan?

A spring that has been a landmark for years
A rock quarry behind our house


My Dad

Happy New Year

Dedicated to our conversations the other night

"....I'll get better..." I love it.

Our trip to the Hall of Fame

My Dad wanted to do something cool with his boys while I was home so this morning we struck out (no pun intended) for the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown NY.

It was everything I thought it would be and it was great to be in the very footsteps of so many great players. The town itself is named after famed author James Fenimore Cooper and is a picturesque little village set on Lake Ostego. It was a nice little trip and I look forward to doing it again sometime.

Robert Redford's uniform from "The Natural"
The Iron Man's plaque

Home run records

Unfortunately there is no *

Clay Bucholtz's no-hitter is commemorated

"The" Hall

The Babe

The greatest ballplayer ever. Ted Williams

Slamin' Stan's locker
Sox memorabilia
Ted Williams and I.

quotes by Benjamin Franklin

A good conscience is a continual Christmas.

A countryman between two lawyers is like a fish between two cats.

A slip of the foot you may soon recover, but a slip of the tongue you may never get over.

At 20 years of age the will reigns, at 30 the wit, at 40 the judgment.

Be civil to all; sociable to many; familiar with few; friend to one; enemy to none.

God heals, and the doctor takes the fees.

Having been poor is no shame, but being ashamed of it, is.

He is ill clothed that is bare of virtue.

He that blows the coals in quarrels that he has nothing to do with, has no right to complain if the sparks fly in his face.

Merry Christmas everyone!

A Happy Birthday to my sister Jamin!

Home

Well, I made it safely home and I couldn't of been happier.



Christmas dinner at Grandma's
A Christmas pageant at church.
The new flags that were put up in my absence.

Click on logo

This was interesting to look at if you have a few spare minutes. It's a look at what USA Today thinks are the most defining sayings, objects, or ideas of the last 25 years.

Burst appendix spurs Navy cruise rescue

I thought this was a cool story, I couldn't imagine what this girl went through.

AHH snow.

I never would have thought I'd want to see it so bad.

I've got a roomate now.

I'm not that excited.

Chuck Norris facts

When Chuck Norris does a push-up, he isn't lifting his body up, he's pushing the world down.


The leading causes of death in the United States are:
1. Heart Disease 2. Chuck Norris 3. Cancer


Outer space exists because it's afraid to be on the same planet with Chuck Norris.

Chuck Norris is the reason why Waldo is hiding.

Chuck Norris is so fast, he can run around the world and punch himself in the back of the head.

Chuck Norris can win a game of Connect Four in only three moves.

There are no steroids in baseball. Just players Chuck Norris has breathed on.

I no longer have internet in my barracks so I am going to be handicapped as far as keeping up my blog every day. I have 5 days until I make the trip home Lord-willing, and am looking forward to seeing everyone.

Patriots Proud Of Defeating Whoever That Last Team Was

Well, it's over...

And we went 3-2 today and loss the championship game. So we rounded out the tournament going 10-2 and came in second place. We also received $25 gift cards to Applebees. Not bad.
Next up is volleyball, we'll have to see how that pans out.

Other than that, everything has been going well here. My daily routine of cleaning government buildings has been going smoothly and I am progressively becoming more adept at running floor buffers and dustmops. I guess someone has to do it, or so I'm told.
I am, however, greatly looking forward to returning to Vt. after being away for 5 months. And though I've been in a lot of interesting places and been able to meet people and make good friends, there is truly no place like home. Merry Christmas.

Happy Birthday Job!

To be honest, I'm really looking forward to seeing this bad boy....

Oops! Vt. school's No. 5 rank a mistake

It's every math teacher's mantra: Check your work.
Apparently, Standard & Poor's didn't........

We improved to 7-0 with two victories today.We are the only undefeated team, the second best is 5-2.

My day...

Cleaned, swept, cleaned again, swept again,took out some trash and oh yeah, cleaned again.
A Chief asked me today "What have you done for your Navy?!" I said, "cleaned"

No one know for sure why people hiccup. A hiccup is caused by the diaphragm going into spasms that change our normal breathing pattern.
As you take in more air in the diaphragm, your mouth and throat are trying to keep air from entering. It becomes a battle between the diaphragm and the mouth and throat. The rush of air hits your vocal cords and makes a "hic" sound. When the diaphragm settles down after a few minutes, breathing becomes normal again and the hiccups are gone.

On this day..

1719 - The first recorded sighting of the Aurora Borealis took place in New England.

"I'm shipping up to Boston"

-Dropkick Murphys-

I'm not a big fan of the screaming but the tune is alright.

The Patriots once again prove to the world that they are the best

34-13 over Pittsburgh, 3 more w's for a perfect season

Ninja Parade Slips Through Town Unnoticed Once Again

December 7th, 1941

" A date that will live in infamy......."

The flags flew at half-mast today.

Could it be?

In my time back at Great Lakes Il, I spent vast amounts of time at the local USO. Fine food, drinks and entertainment, all free. God Bless them. Anyhow, one time I wandered into their library and saw this poster hanging on the wall. It was of Navy Lieutenant Bulkeley and his wife on the porch of the Clarendon Hotel back in 1942. Now I don't know who this guy was but he seemed to be a rather prominent person by what they had about him to read there.

The Clarendon Hotel is a large structure with a rather Victorian-era flare about it. Although now it is little more than a warehouse for antiques, back in it's day it was the place to stay at if you were a well-respected or prominent person.


I have tried to do some research on whether this is the hotel listed on the poster but to no avail. If it indeed is I find it rather ironic to find one's hometown in a place so far away.

The Clarendon Hotel

Well, we improved to 5-0 with 3 wins today. Tuesday is the championship. Bring it on.

Well, my predictions were wrong on the dodgeball tourney, although they weren't entirely baseless. Only 1/2 of my team actually showed up to play and we were combined with another team that were short of their players. We played two matches and won them both so we go into tomorrows quarterfinals 2-0 and as the team to beat.

A dodgeball tournament

We are having a barracks dodgeball tournament starting tomorrow. It is one of those "volounteer/mandatory" events. With the team I'm on, I doubt we'll make it out of the 1st round.

On this day..

I haven't done this in a while....

1775 - John Paul Jones hoisted the first seagoing American flag.

1967 - In Cape Town, South Africa, Dr. Christiaan Barnard performed the first human
heart transplant, on Louis Washkanski. Washkanski lived 18 days with the new heart.

This passage struck me this morning as I was reading it, verse 5 and 6 have been especially helpful to me in the last year.

Proverbs 3
1 "My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments.

2 For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee.

3 Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart:
4 So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man.

5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

7 Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil."

In fits of boredom.....

......I took pictures today....

Two of Ireland's Finest.....

Tomorrow morning at 2:30 A.M, I will be leaving Great Lakes,Illinios for Norfolk,Virginia. I am glad to be leaving this place but am also preparing for what I will face down in Va. Thank you all for your prayers and support. The next time I post will Lord-willingly be from somewhere in Virginia.
The picture is what came up when I googled images for Norfolk.

Happy Thanksgiving

I think it is rather cliche to say that in America we are very blessed. However, it is the truth.
I have been given life, a free country to whom I am in service too, a wonderful family who I would not trade for the world, and the King who laid down his life for me so that I could be truly thankful.
This year, my circumstances have changed and I cannot be home, I have been taken in by some people who I don't know. I will be sure to report on that later. Thank-you everyone who I know that has played a role in my life. Have a Happy Thanksgiving.

For Mom

Americans Announce They're Dropping Out Of Presidential Race

......

"....Peck, there are several different looks that a woman can give you."
"First, there is the quick glance that lets you know that she is taken and she hardly noticed you at all."
" Then there is the quick sideways glance that lets you know that she noticed and she shoots you another one for good measure."
" Then there is the one that tries to act like she didn't notice you but to no avail, you can see her looking underneath her eyebrows."
" Then there is the look that she can't take her eyes off of you,they are locked on, that's when you strike."
"You see that look Peck, and it's over, you go get her! Don't wait!"

Words of wisdom from my buddy Mckelvin, while on an excursion to Evanston, a comfortable suburb of Chicago.

Hi MOM!

We sang this in church this past Sunday, It never ceases to amaze me.


When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.

It is well, with my soul,It is well, with my soul,It is well, it is well, with my soul!

How I spent part of Veterans Day

Shooting pool with my buddy Rottinghaus.

We had gone into Chicago and visited some of the spectacular museums they have down there free of charge to military members but my camera didn't save any of the photos due to low battery.

This song has always brought me back, like a cold glass of lemomade in the summer......

I am out of school and officially on hold.
I wax floors and clean all day now.
Your tax dollars at work my friends.

Tomorrow, lord-willing, this particular school will be a memory.

I woke up this morning,stretched,shaved,woke up the guys, turned on the Herald online, and guess what I saw....

Pico, Baby!

It looks unbelievably good.

It's that time of year again

The Boston Red Sox finished strong and brought the World Series trophy back to Beantown. They did it once again in dramatic fashion with a stunning repeat of the sweep they did 3 years ago. Although I am happy that they won, it's once again that time to put the sport to rest for another winter, anxiously anticipating pitchers and catchers in February and watching the trading deals.

Yes, the last baseball game of the year always puts a lump in my throat, but the Sox finished as best they could and for that, I am glad. So here is to the greatest game ever played......many thanks for the hours of entertainment on many a lazy summer night, to those games that I had to miss, periodically checking scores. To the friendly jesting between friends, and the best thing ever....

The promise that it will all happen again next year.

Some reading that might be beneficial

Can I have a witness? by Job Tate

New England beats Washington 52-7 to stay unbeaten yahoo.

Sunday, October 27th, 2007

Vs.
Any other day a Redskins win would bring joy to my heart.

Except for today.

Patriots 38-17

Watching the game in the barracks.....

Saturday mail call........

Wayne's World 1&2

Candy bars

Twizzlers

Cookies

Brownies

Rutland Herald

Mixed nuts

all with love,

from the 802.

5203 creek rd.

I recieved one of the best things today...

A banana box filled to overflowing with my civilian clothes, laptop, shoes, camera and most of all....my mp3 player. My cup is fill.
Except for the fact that I got a horrible haircut today and I'm glad you can't see me.