Any of you monkeys want a banana?

We now officially have two children in the military. Jonathan left for Air Force basic training on Monday, and Gabi gets done with Army basic training this Saturday. It's impossible not to be concerned about their safety, but as adults, the decision was theirs to make. I'm happy that they are both taking steps to do something real with their lives, and as both Rose and I were in the military (she in the Army, and oddly enough, I in the Air Force), we find it difficult to be too critical of their choices. It's not even that different, as we both enlisted while the Vietnam War was still going on. Still, the mess in Iraq is enough to concern any parent whose children are entering the military. George Bush has gotten us into a situation we can't possibly win, and I think the decision to overthrow Saddam was made very early in his presidency. I hate the fact that I voted for him, but the position on abortion the Democratic party espouses makes it impossible for me to support them. I can't simply sit out the elections, so there you are.

The annual Thanksgiving trip to Kentucky was very nice this year, for the most part. Lindsey and her daughters came with us, which made the trip a lot more fun for me. Ronnie and I knew that Rachel, Taylor, and Justin were coming from Texas, but no one else did, so that was kind of neat to see the reaction when they walked in the door. On the way, we made a stop in Grand Rapids to see Neal and his family. They were visiting for a 50th anniversary party, so the trip was very special, because we were able to see all of the grandchildren for at least a day or two. I got to spend some time with my sister and her (relatively) new family, and enjoyed that very much. The last night we were there, Bill, Bret, and I played guitars for a bit. We all encouraged Tawny to play the guitar, so she did, at least for a few minutes. Bret is quite good, so I hope he continues to play and improve. Hopefully he'll get over this idea that he can't sing. The family reunion was pretty good, and I was able to see some people for the first time in many years.

What?! 12:25??? Crap, I gotta work tomorrow. More later.....