I'm writing again.

   Ok, here is a little secret that a lot of people don't know about me. In school, until high school, I never did very well in one subject. Lots of mediocre grades and the occasional "F". So what was the subject you ask. I'll tell you. In Math, I got all "A's", in Science "A's", everything was always "A", except in English. I hated it. I still do. What a technically complicated language. What? Did some lawyers sit around and draw this up? Goodness, makes my grey matter hurt.
   In High School, it was a much different matter. I breezed through it. Had I been struck by lightening and suddenly known what a dangling participle was? No, I still don't, to be truthful. You see, in High School, we weren't required to explain the usage of the language. Just read the classics. They were classic alright, Same classics that are force fed to every teen in America. This is only my humble estimation, but I think that only maybe 1 in 10,000 kids liked "A Tale of Two Cities", "Romeo and Juliet", or anything Shakespearean.
   It was just to deep, to involved for our minds at that time, but we were forced to read them and do the obligatory report on our "Feelings". Perhaps if we had been allowed to mature,and then pick up these titles at a later stage in our life. We just might have been able to produce a more honest evaluation of the literature, and quite possibly even appreciated them. As it was, my reports were filled from front to rear with so much fertilizer.
   Let me tell you, it was some high quality fertilizer, grade "A" material. My teachers, bless them all, encouraged me to write as I surely had a firm grasp of the English language. They didn't know my secret, and no, it wasn't the internet. Al Gore hadn't invented it yet. I read. I read a lot. I still do. Three or four books a month, anything and everything, true stories, fiction, text books. Everything except the "Classics" from those school years. With a great imagination, and having a feel for how a sentence, paragraph, and story were strung together, thanks to the hours of reading exposure, I was able to successfully BS my way through High School with straight A's.
   So where is all this leading, I'm writing again. Nothing majestic, just short stories, letters and such. For sure nothing I would share with the world at this point in time. And why now, at my age, some thirty five years after High school would I decide to pick up the metaphorical pen? Why the desire to create something that perhaps only I shall ever read?
   Perhaps, just maybe, there is a Voodoo Queen out there that has me under her spell, giving me inspiration, causing me to express myself in this small way. If she reads this I hope she knows I love her for it. She has entered my heart, mind, and soul to unlock things that have been hidden even from me for so many years. If this should in fact be true, I would surely like to meet with her someday to express my thanks personally.
    Enough of this. Or as they say in the writing world. The End. :)

ps. Please don't correct my punctuation, or grammatical deconstruction of the English language.
     Just enjoy it for what it is.
     Smile and be happy.

keeping my mind busy

   I have been busy with work during the days, the heat is a killer, 125 today. A real scorcher.
   In the evenings, I spend a little time with my friends from around the world, as we conquer the basics of Korean grammar. Learning is fun with them as we also learn about each other, our tastes in music, movies, and much else. Sometimes we have 15 people all logged in at the same time. Always a few folks there, chatting.
   I have begun to offer my "Grandfathers word of the day". I have already had a young lady (KC) correct my spelling. See we learn from each other. I am glad she corrected me so quickly, the lesson will stick. Many people say that, young people, have no respect. These young men and women are very respectful of one another. Their parents should be proud of them. :)

Just your basic update

   I would like to apologize to my followers for my lack of posts in the past week or so. Wait just a minute. I don't have any followers. Ok then, I apologize to those of you who will occasionally drop in to see what's up.

• The Korean study is going well.
• The CCNA study is going well.
• Work is not so bad every day. 
• I'm losing weight and inches. (horizontal inches)
• I exercise daily, eat better and less.
• And every day I close my eyes and let thoughts of a a "Petite Sonrisa" into my heart. :)

   So there you have it, my last week or so in a nut shell. No pun intended, You know, Me-Nut shell. :)

   I am also working on a small project for this blog. I'll post it when I finish.
 
   Here is a hint. Once upon a time, there was a land called America.......And then came the evil lords of the Senate.....And together with the Scribes of the Law they......Get the Idea?

Chat, Chat, Chat

Today was cool,
I had fun as I studied Korean today, Worked on my vocabulary a bit and then went to my favorite site for studying Korean, Talk to me in Korean .com, and hung out in the chat room. Mostly it's young folks there learning from each other, but they make accommodations for an old man. I'd like to link up with some of the older folks there when I can, then I won't feel like I'm intruding on the young ones. But for the most part they are really helpful. Not only are there foreigners there learning Korean, but a lot of younger Koreans brushing up on their English.

Beating the heat in Iraq, Studying Korean (Again)

Here it is a new month already, August 2011. As you know I am currently in Iraq working for the US Armed Forces. I love my job and the folks I work with, really great people. Of course I have a military background myself so we understand each other well and get along great. The daytime temperatures here have been hitting 120+ in the shade this week. I have been drinking gallons of water to keep hydrated. I shifted my work schedule to nights to beat the heat, now I only have to deal with 100 degree weather.

Our pride and joy, graduated from Duke University in May with a Masters in Nursing Science, she has just completed the first of two required 300 hour clinical programs that will qualify her to take the Nurse Practitioner exam in NC. She will be licenced for both primary and acute care. Way too cool, she is a hard worker and we are especially proud of her and her hubby, Chuck.

As I have said, I wish to someday return to Korea to work, or possibly live. Although I speak the language, I don’t speak it as well as I should. So, I have added that little activity to my list of things to accomplish before the end of the year. I found a great web site  that is really great for beginners to learn to read, write and speak the Korean language. They also have a community page where “students” can chat and share to help each other along with the curriculum. Awesome, I recommend them for anyone interested in learning a foreign language, well Korean anyway.

Love to stay and chat but duty calls. My boss has this thing about me working while I’m here, sort a requirement if I wish to get paid. 

My belly is full, and I have a smiley face.

The mail from America is often slow to traverse the world of military post offices as mail in whatever form travels space available (stand by) on military aircraft. I have a package from the Mrs that has been on the way for a  week now. It isn't a surprise package, I know exactly what's in it. Food, or more specifically, Korean food and ingredients I can use to make Korean dishes. I may be American however, I have been a part of the Korean American community for 35 years. I like Korean food, I miss Korean food, I will have Korean food. It may not be the good stuff like my wife makes, but I can knock out a pretty good imitation.
I couldn't wait any longer. Throwing together the final remnants of ingredients from my food locker, I managed to put together a meager feast and share it with some friends here in the desert wonderland that is Iraq.

Our meal consisted of;

1. Naeng myun 냉면, Cold buckwheat noodles, resting in an iced (slushy) and spicy beef broth, topped with pickled cucumber slices, shredded carrots, shredded radish and sliced boiled eggs.
2. Bi Bim Bap 비빔밥, sticky rice with pickled fermented cabbage 김치, sesame oil, sesame seeds, and fermented pickle slices 오이무침. 
3. Kim Bap 김밥, rice rolled in seaweed, stuffed with strips of beef, cucumbers, carrots, and radish.
4. Sweet barley tea 보리차, for drinking. 
5. Wasabe 와사비(Japanese horseradish), and a soy sauce 간장 based dipping sauce.

Too Good, can't wait for my package to arrive. I only wish she could ship octopus, squid, mussels, .......

Would you like to see what it really looks like? See the photos below. To see a lot of variations of these items, do a Google image search. Just cut and paste the Korean names into the search box.
If you would like to know what it tastes like, try your local Korean restaurant or market.

 김밥

 김치

 냉면

 비빔밥

오이무침

Enjoy the experience, experience the joy.

Today, I erased some people!

Ok, I didn't erase them literally, I just cleaned up my Face Book (fb) page. I haven't visited the site in over a year. When I opened it, It was just as I remembered. Seventy some odd friends (Some of them really odd) and postings ranging from chocolate infatuations to visits to the zoo. There were maybe 15 that I could identify with, and less than that that I cared about. I'm not being vain, I'm sure their posting were meaningful to them and had I been posting there regularly, mine wouldn't necessarily impress them either. We lead such varied and often opposing lifestyles. My biggest problem with fb is wading through the pages of irrelevant postings, the game notices, invitations to join worthy causes, or down load applications that can "help me" with everyday functions like telling what time I logged on to the computer. Not a problem, if I have a need to know that I'll check my watch.
So what to do? First I went through the eighty or so invitations to join or  play various games, and blocked them. Then I blocked all of the cutesy application offers. Finally I took the giant leap and deleted a lot of my "e-friends" and even the majority of my extended family. I am now down to nineteen "friends", After deleting some of them that may in fact be a literal statement", but life goes on. I now have my nineteen hand picked  "friends" 14 of which are immediate family, four are actual real life friends that I have known for years, and one is an "e-friend" that uses fb as a medium to help others learn Korean. Which was my motivation to re-enter the world of social networking. So it is official, I am once again a geek, glasses, pocket protector and everything. As in "My geeky friend on face book". I know, I'm pathetic, fourteen friends in this day and age. It had to be done. In the state it was in, not even Capt J.T. Kirk would have ventured there, and if he had, Mr. Spock would have had a mental breakdown.
See you there "Friend".

Chat, Chat, Chat

I have been busy in my down time chatting with folks from around the world at Talk To Me In Korean, (TTMIK) the site I use to study Korean Language (한굴). I've encountered some really interesting people from Korea, America, Malaysia, Japan, China, England, Poland, and Germany. I was amazed at the number of people out there that are interested in reading, writing and speaking the Korean language.
The people I chatted with are of varying ages, backgrounds, religions, and genders. They also vary in their level of competency with the language. They range from "I just started today." to "I've been at this for years.". The diversity of their skills is really helpful in the learning process, and their human diversity helps to give a fresh perspective on the worlds cultures.
There does seem to be one common thread that ties the majority of them together, and that would be their fascination with the Korean pop culture (KPOP) and Korean dramas. Some of us are into learning the language solely for academics or as a precursor to visiting or working in Korea. It really makes for an interesting mix, and I really enjoy chatting with the folks over there.

So, you ask me. Is there a down side to all of this chatting stuff? Of course there is. Where would we be with out a few detractors in life. Aside from my internet service not being the greatest in the world, there are the "children". You know the ones, that come in a variety of ages etc etc. They consider the internet, and especially interactive applications like blogs, chat rooms, and other social gathering sites as their own little playroom where it is alright to tease and irritate others to fill some void in their life.

In the world of interstate trucking, we call these individuals "Radio Rambo". They like to sit behind the microphone of a CB radio and try to aggravate drivers that have already had a hard day. Just to see if they can get a rise out of them. they think that because they are hiding behind a radio, they can't be found. I've seen some that have been found, and witnessed the aftermath. I felt no compassion for Rambo, as he got his backside thoroughly whipped by a couple of burly truckers. And no, I didn't try to intervene on Rambo's behalf, or even offer a band aid. He (Rambo) got what he asked for, albeit possibly more than he deserved.

We had one of those in our little chat room as well, it took a lot of personal restraint not to match wits with him. I didn't do it because of a personal rule not to match wits with an unarmed opponent. I so felt the need to give him a little medicine. I have a sarcastic streak, and have no doubt that I could have literally brought him to tears. I've done it before. Ask poor Rambo.

I have to remind myself when I run into these types that;

• It's not their fault, they are merely putting on display, for the whole world to see, how poor their parents child rearing skills were.
• They are advertising to all they encounter, their lack of education, their inability to interact with others on an adult level, and above all their personal inability to achieve.
• When they reach the end of their life here on earth and look back at all of their achievements, it will be a woefully short list.
• Generations from now, when their progeny ask, "What did my ancestor do?", They will be rewarded with a blank stare.
• I say this with care because my own list of "meaningful achievements" may also be a short list, but there will be a note on the page that reads "It wasn't for lack of trying".

Even with having to deal with this one bad apple, I enjoy the sessions with all the others that share a common goal in regards to learning Korean via TTMIK. I'm looking forward to this learning experience.

Under The Weather

It has been one of them days. I woke up at 02:30 this morning and was at work around 03:00, back in bed by 07:00 with a splitting headache and upset stomach, feeling pretty weak. Got back out of bed around 11:00, puttered around a little, still not feeling 100%. Took the laundry and dropped it off, then went to the mess hall for some fixins. Have you noticed that, even though everyone swears by chicken soup when you are feeling down, we all have our own special comfort foods that magically make us feel better? Mine is soup, but not just any soup, I like hot spicy make you sweat buckets soup. I of course have a certain recipe that I prefer (Korean) but when in a pinch and the right ingredients aren't to be found, you do what you must.

This is how I made my soup;

I went to the mess hall and using a large  "take out box" I rounded up the following;

2 hamburgers, 1 polish sausage
2 cups of stewed tomatoes
1/2 sliced onion
3 sliced jalepenos
2 sliced carrots
big handful of bak choi, and I have big hands.
2 medium baked potatoes.

Once back in my room, I fired up my rice cooker, which I primarily use for a soup and noodle cooker, added a drizzle of sesame oil, splash of dark soy sauce, 2 Tbs of ground red pepper and the onions. Let that simmer for a few minutes and then dumped in everything else except the potatoes. Added a couple or three cups of water and began the wait. Since all the ingredients that require cooking had been pre-cooked, it was a short wait, maybe 15 minutes. I chopped up the potatoes and added them, l letit simmer a little more and dug in. I already feel better.

I already had a large bowl of it.

This is the real recipe I would have followed if I had been home.

Super Chicken Soup

Ingredients;

Ø  2 ½ lbs of chicken pieces with the skin on.  I prefer thighs.

Ø  ¼ cup of vegetable or olive oil

Ø  1/4 cup of sesame oil. Asian store or Wal-mart

Ø  Salt to taste

Ø  Black pepper to taste

Ø  1 cup of ground red pepper.  Asian store, not pepper flakes. You could probably use cayenne.

Ø  4 large potatoes cubed

Ø  1 Large Asian radish cut in half length-wise and then sliced into 1/4 “  pieces.

Ø  1 Large Onion sliced in half, end-to-end, then sliced into strips.

Ø  2 or 3 cloves of garlic crushed. You can substitute with powder, but why would you.

Heat ¼ cup of vegetable oil in a heavy skillet and add the crushed garlic, add the chicken skin side down then place a large pot of water on top of it to hold the chicken down in the frying pan. You don’t need to check the chicken, or bread it. Cook the chicken like this for 10 minutes on medium high heat. Turn the chicken and then replace that pot of water on top of it. Cook for another 5 minutes.

* This method of frying chicken is called “Chicken Under a Brick” I guess because you could use a clean brick instead of a pot of water. Works well for regular fried chicken also. Notice you use much less oil?

While the chicken is cooking get your next pot on the stove, large enough to hold all the other ingredients and some water.

Heat the soup pot and put in the sesame oil. When the oil is hot add the onion and cook on low stirring occasionally till the onion begins turning transparent. Add the red pepper and stir constantly for a couple of minutes. When your arm gets tired, add a cup of water and cook on med-high to get the flavor of the pepper and oil mixed.

Chicken should be done. Add it to the soup pot. Don’t be bashful add those scrapings off the skillet to.

Add all the other vegetables and water to cover by at least 1 inch.

Cook over medium heat until potatoes and radish are fork tender, salt and pepper to taste.

Yummy.

Ok here is the deal about this recipe. The two ingredients that really set it off are the chicken cooked this way and the sesame oil.

All the other ingredients can be left out or exchanged with other vegetables that you like. I really recommend fresh vegetables for this recipe. The frozen or canned stuff just doesn’t cut it.

Frozen or fresh corn on the cob is great here, just cut into 1 ½ inch sections

If you have them add a really big handful of fresh spinach or other leafy greens just a couple of minutes before the soup is done.

If you don’t like the heat of the peppers, don’t use them or just use a couple tablespoons of cayenne instead.

Don’t slurp, use a napkin, and yes you can drink out of the bowl.

Rusty’s Kitchen

As a side note, this recipe is also great when made with shredded beef instead of chicken. I always feel better after eating any hot (spicy) soup.

I don't want to be alone.

I hate being alone, by myself.
Sometimes, I am alone even when others are present.
Times like these are worse than isolation.
So we reach out to see what fate will provide for us.
Someone with whom we can talk.
Freely, openly, with no reservations.
They are there, waiting, searching.
Reach out to them.
Let your destiny unfold.

Finding Myself

I often hear of people taking time off from life to "Find themselves".
If I should ever find myself, I'm pretty sure I'll like me.
If by chance I'm wrong, I'll send me to the store for milk and then,
I'll pack up and leave before I get back.

Farewell to, "Idaho, Country, Scraps, Tex, Tank, and Tap" Been a pleasure.

We lose our contingent of National Guard Soldiers today. They have completed their tour and will be heading home to Idaho. I wish them well as they return to their interrupted civilian lives. I am glad they are all getting out of here safe, hope they are better men for the experience, and although I would like to see them again, hopefully it won't be under the same circumstances. Sleep well America, these "Citizen Soldiers have got your six".

For those of you that "Have their six, by keeping congress in line". Thank you.
A special thanks to all of you who actually support your troops in more ways than just putting a sticker on your car. For some, I realize that is all you can do at this time.
For those of you that sent them the occasional care package. Thank you.
For the loved ones at home proudly proclaiming the sacrifice your loved one was making, while secretly fearing that "knock on the door". Thank you.
Keep in mind that there are still thousands of young Americans stationed at remote locations around the world, some in war zones, some not, that still require your support. Even a small handwritten note that lets them know you care goes a long long way in boosting their moral.
Address it to "Any soldier, APO AE, Afghanistan  or Iraq. They'll get it.
And above all I would like to thank those brave young Americans that serve to guard our way of life.

A side note for all the loved ones out there. keep in mind that your Father or Mother, Son or Daughter, Sister or Brother, Husband or Wife is not alone. They are surrounded by professionals that have dedicated their lives to watching over soldiers. Thanks to all the Platoon Sergeants, First Sergeants, Command Sergeants Major, and Commanders at all levels.

Russell W. Hoskins
1SG, USA
Retired

More later as time permits.

I couldn't let it go. A special thanks to all of those of you that have taken it upon yourself to be "Active Watchdogs" over our three branches of government.

Luckiest Dogs on Earth

Hey there, I have mentioned the wife and daughter, thought I might introduce you to the rest of the family. These guys all just wandered onto the farm at various times and used dog magic to infiltrate our family. They now pretty much own us as the saying goes. There have many dogs in our lives over the past 30 odd years and we still think of the ones that are no longer with us, Puppy, Bones, Spot, Jane, Brutus, Tater, Tommy, Herra, and Mama. There have been a few wanderers that will occasionally stop in for a few days or just a quick meal also, most notably, Neighbor-Boy and George. So here they are with their short biographies.

Susie. 

She wandered in one day with 8 puppies in tow, apparently the nice illegal Mexican family had moved and she was abandoned. She still shows some signs of abuse in the way she acts around people, not aggressive and not overly loving to strangers. She has her good days and loves to get her head rubbed and scratched. Very protective of any treats she may get, she generally runs off to enjoy them in peace then returns for seconds. She is a good girl.

Grace. 

She wandered in as a puppy probably just 7-8 weeks old. She knows she is the boss of the two legged animals on the farm. Really knows how to get dirty, hates bath time, loves finger food and getting a rubdown with a towel. All of them love this pastime, cooling off in the ponds.

Hobo.

Quite possibly the ugliest colored dog I have ever seen. I think there are about 52 shades of brown on his hide. The wife says he is handsome, and her baby. I have been married for 30+ years, so I know better than to offer an opinion. Spoiled as bad as any of them and then some.

Mama

I can not tell a lie, I walked into the neighbors yard, took her starving self off of her tangled 6' chain, and boxed up her 4 starving puppies and took them home. We found homes for the pups, nursed Mama back to health and a better companion you couldn't ask for. She was with us for several years before succumbing to swamp fungus. Miss her sweet disposition,

Tater

Purchased as a puppy by the kids on a day they had puppy fever. I agree he was cute but, hello, you can't have Pitt Bulls in an apartment in Raleigh, Duh. So he became ours, pretty good buddy, got away with more mischief than any kid. If he could talk he would have told you he was people too. Lost him to swamp fungus also. I don't know of a preventative or  a cure for this disease, we have lost 3 friends to it.

That nutcase with him is Herra.

Herra.

My wife "borrowed " her from a friend as a playmate for Tater when he was our only farm dog. That's right, I said borrowed. Permanently. For sure a daddy's girl, Like my other Daughter, she had me wrapped around her "finger"? So full of energy, she loved running around the farm chasing rabbits, she never caught one as far as I know, just chased them. She went out for a run and never returned. Miss her energy.

Tommy.

Sharing the love with mom. She gives such good belly rubs. Only with us for a year, but remembered with fondness. Swamp fungus took him also.

Just so you know, here are some of my views about our canine friends;

If you live with us, you will be "Fixed".

You will mind your manners with our guests. No aggression.

You will take a regularly scheduled bath, even if you just took one in the pond, swamp, mud hole etc..

You will come when called, at least in theory.

You will not nip me while getting a pedicure.

You will behave and wait your turn at snack time.

Snacks consist of the following;

Snausages, beef sticks, chicken, fish, greens, sweet potatoes, ham and cheese sandwiches, 

and home made from scratch pancakes.

At snack time, we make sure everyone is present and accounted for, line them up and say their name as we deliver the goods. They are well mannered and don't grab when their name isn't called. My wife will often catch and cook a large catfish, let it cool and remove the bones then use the meat as snacks. I told her that was too much work and she should just make the two dozen pancakes like I do every Sunday morning.

I really despise people that mistreat animals.

Here's the list;

People that fight dogs.

PETA, (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) would rather send animals into the ,long sleep,         (Kill them) than see animals kept as pets, companions, or livestock.

People that don't take an interest in their animals health.

Trophy/sport hunters.

(I have no problem at all with hunting for food)

My #1 is people that are just downright mean to their animals.

I do support no kill shelters and recommend them as a source for your next family pet.

I also urge you to contribute to them when you are able.

Enjoy your day, and love up on your furry friend.

Sometimes I type funny.

If you happen to notice the occasional error in my spelling, please forgive me. A typist I am not.

Beating the heat, learning Korean

Here it is a new month already, August 2011. As you know I am currently in Iraq working for the US Armed Forces. I love my job and the folks I work with, really great people. Of course I have a military background myself so we understand each other well and get along great. The daytime temperatures here have been hitting 120+ in the shade this week. I have been drinking gallons of water to keep hydrated. I shifted my work schedule to nights to beat the heat, now I only have to deal with 100 degree weather.

On the home front, the Mrs. has been struggling to keep the fish alive in the seasonal heat of North Carolina summer. She is such a hard working woman, great mom, and wife. As they say in the movies, “She completes me”. When I call her my “Better half”, I’m not joking. Where would I be without her? Answer, LOST.

Our pride and joy, graduated from Duke University in May with a Masters in Nursing Science, she has just completed the first of two required 300 hour clinical programs that will qualify her to take the Nurse Practitioner exam in NC. She will be licenced for both primary and acute care. Way too cool, she is a hard worker and we are especially proud of her and her hubby, Chuck.

As I have said, I wish to someday return to Korea to work, or possibly live. Although I speak the language, I don’t speak it as well as I should. So, I have added that little activity to my list of things to accomplish before the end of the year. I found a great web site talktomeinkorean.com that is really great for beginners to learn to read, write and speak the Korean language. They also have a community page where “students” can chat and share to help each other along with the curriculum. Awesome, I recommend them for anyone interested in learning a foreign language, well Korean anyway.

Love to stay and chat but duty calls. My boss has this thing about me working while I’m here, sort a requirement if I wish to get paid.