Oops on their part!

While at Vandenberg, V did community service for Habitat for Humanity. She had a wonderful time with all the volunteers as they built, emptied trash and painted each room a different color. That was the day that V's phone decided that it was a cookie, and the big bucket of white paint was milk... DUNK! Oops on her part.

The phone, her lifeline to the world, was a total loss. Nothing could be done. Long story short, the nice people at the Vandenberg AFB Verizon store *helped* her into a new phone with a new contract - to the tune of $120/mo. Ouch!

V had this phone for all of 8 or 9 DAYS when she received the new phone she really wanted in the mail from me, already activated with her former number, on her/our plan for $14.99/mo. She returned the replacement phone and cancelled the contract immediately - something she had 30 days to do.

Fast forward to two weeks ago... Verizon bills her for almost $400 for continuing service (to the long-cancelled phone)! She calls and explains the situation. Two days ago a revised bill arrives... for $290. Oh, No They Didn't!! Well yes, they did.

So I call V and tell her to deal with it before it effects her credit rating. Next thing I know I get a text message from her asking me to send her the bill right away. It seems that her First Shirt (Commanding officer) wants to help settle this debacle once and for all. Evidently this isn't the first tangle with the Vandenberg base Verizon Office that his Airmen have had, and he's royally pissed off. I sent it via Priority Mail.

I want to be a fly on the wall when Verizon gets this guy on the line!
MAJOR Oops on thier part!
Go, CMSgt. D! This mom's behind you all the way. And Thanks.

Welcome & More

Two blogs have been added to the Faboo List today.

Welcome to...

AF Dad Charles

and

Airman Mom

Though Charles hasn't written in a while, I'm sure he's melted even further by now!

Mom is a good writer and fellow AF Mom. Both our kids are in the same place as far as being at their first duty station, FTAC, etc... (Yeah, I knew about the kids having to have their wisdom teeth out. Oh, how my heart will ache for V and John during that experience!)

Also, If you're a reader of CopperPom's, you know that they are the sweetest family ever and that they need your support now. Copper's Little Pom (LP) has been diagnosed with a rare type of Chronic Kidney Disease. Copper created a website to distribute information and share their Needs List. It's not a wish list, they NEED. Visit the KidneyKid site to see an adorable pic of LP too!

Anything you can do to help, including prayer, is deeply appreciated. So please, dear compassionate reader, go read and visit.

A "Tissue Alert" Sing-along

(Turn off the playlist music now)

Today's post is for you, V. I love you.

I'd install a "follow the bouncing ball" feature if I could, but for you sing-along fans, here are the lyrics:

In my daughter's eyes I am a hero

I am strong and wise and I know no fear

But the truth is plain to see

She was sent to rescue me

I see who I wanna be

In my daughter's eyes

*

In my daughter's eyes everyone is equal

Darkness turns to light and the world is at peace

This miracle God gave to me gives me strength when I am weak

I find reason to believe

In my daughter's eyes

*

And when she wraps her hand around my finger

Oh it puts a smile in my heart

Everything becomes a little clearer

I realize what life is all about

It's hangin' on when your heart has had enough

It's giving more when you feel like giving up

I've seen the light

It's in my daughter's eyes

*

In my daughter's eyes I can see the future

A reflection of who I am and what will be

Though she'll grow and someday leave

Maybe raise a family

When I'm gone I hope you see how happy she made me

For I'll be there

In my daughter's eyes

REALLY Done! *Updated*

The new garden is done and I am content (for the time being! LoL)

This morning Joshua and I added two more "melting fire" Coral Bells and a small pink chrysanthemum. In time this plot should be burgeoning with blossoms that the bees and butterflys will love. The bird feeders are back up here too, making our goldfinches very happy.

Last night as J and I wrapped up the gardening to go bike riding, we brought in a small sprig of the Catmint (aka: Catnip) for Mooch. Oh, he was one happy kitty camper! =^..^=

The sale today was on a darker mulch so it doesn't match yesterday's. But how could I turn down 4 bags for $8.88? I couldn't. For aesthetic's sake, probably tomorrow morning when it cools down, I'll put a thin layer of the new, darker mulch down and all will be well. Ta-Da!

As for the remaining 3.5 bags of mulch... The back garden didn't get weeded enough or freshly mulched this season, so I have my work cut out for me. Just NOT on a day as hot as this one! And, I'm working 5-10 tonight, so exhausting myself in the heat isn't in the cards.

Off for another glass of water. Enjoy the day ~ wherever you are.

*** UPDATE! 8/4/08 11:27am ***

The rest of the mulch is in. Everything's doing fine - the rhubarb even has a new leaf this morning(!) and we're finally expecting some rain later today. Judging from the humidity I'm thinking it'll come sooner rather than later.

Meanwhile... Here's the updated pic (pardon my kneeling pad in the background).

Thanks to my sister Karen for the rain chime. It's been waiting two years now, I think, in different spots, waiting for the right one. Pretty sure it's home now.

Today's Efforts

~ New Garden Planted ~
1 each...

Butterfly Bush - Nanho Blue
Rhubarb
Spirea - Magic Carpet
Lavender
Sage
Sweet Potato Vine
Daylily - Strawberry Candy
Catmint
Coral Bells - Melting Fire (2 more to come)
1 bag mulch (more to come)
***
1 bag of clothing giveaways
2 loads of laundry done
1 sink of dishes washed
1 huge (lawn) bag of cans/bottles returned
2 miles biked

I'M TIRED!!! How about you?

Belated SkyWatch

I had almost forgotten that it was SkyWatch Friday when, yesterday evening I caught this pic. How could I not post it? Enjoy.

POO on CNN

So I'm out and about yesterday when I get a text message from V. (edited)

"Before you hear about it, cause I'm sure you will... MMT personnel are ok, 'cept one guy who has minor injuries."

Now, just how fast did your heart jump to your throat??? Mine made a bee-line!

V couldn't talk at the moment, but called a few minutes later. Those few minutes and a call to my friend and AF Mom Lolly, who's seen more military and AF life than I ever care to, calmed me down so I could think straight. Thank you Lolly and your daughter, the Goddess among Goddesses! :) Hope your nails turned out great.

Evidently it had been raining for the past couple days at Minot and the dirt and gravel roads were muddy. Fine for a car or truck, but not for the biggest "sexy white truck" the AF owns, as V calls it. This truck carries the down-stages of the missile - no warhead - and it's filled with what else? Fuel.

Early yesterday morning the truck goes out on the drive to a silo, reaches the gates, the crew gets out (except one, which is the procedure) secures the truck with blocks, chocks etc, opens the site... to turn around and watch as the truck slides on the muddy gravel and rolls on its side.

The Airman in the truck escaped with minor injuries, thank goodness.

V says they did everything by the book. I'm sure that the investigation will show that there is no way to predict what that much weight and height will do on a mud and gravel road. Maybe they'll improve the sites by installing concrete pads? Who knows. I choose to believe that the Airmen followed procedure.

But then there's this. CNN is calling it "the latest in a two-year string of Air Force mishaps" in which "Air Force personnel handling nuclear weapons consistently failed to follow rules."

While that may have been true of the previous error(s), that doesn't seem to be the case here. This I believe, was an accident in the true sense of the word. All the blocking and chocking in the world isn't going to stop a 70+ foot long truck that tops 100,000 pounds from sliding sideways. That's just physics in action.

So POO ON YOU, CNN for casting aspersions on the fine men and women who were doing their jobs, handling a truck and missile stages and fuel, to prepare a missile that, if needed, would keep your sorry asses safe in your newsrooms!