The Worst Kind of Good Dream...

...is when you dream that you are together and wake up and remember that you aren't. Although the story line was not very exciting, the dream I had during my nap was vivid. There was dialogue, eye contact, and laughter. It was as if my skin could feel the closeness of his presence.

I awoke from the sound of the television, hearing the exaggerated dialogue of Sylvester Stallone buying a watch for his wife in Rocky while she wrung her hands about the cost. Half asleep, half awake, I remembered the time at the PX when K. tried to buy me a "too expensive" watch saying that my wrist didn't deserve a mere watch, but rather, a "time piece." My heart smiled.

A moment after that, I became cognizant that I was really just laying on my couch alone, listening to the sound of the TV. The family gone from a Thanksgiving visit and knowing the man in my dreams was half a day ahead of me in Iraq, I felt starkly alone.

So Far Away from Me

A little video I made recently after catching this tune on the radio.

Arms Gone Astray

You know what kinds of things make it hard to write in this "positive" blog? These kinds.

SEAN M. HAFFEY / Union-Tribune
Veterans for Peace set up 2,400 crosses on the beach in Oceanside.
Each marker has the name of a service member who died in Iraq.

Flat Daddies

If you have little ones at home, you might find having a "Flat Daddy" around is a nice thing for your kids. Flat Daddies are life-sized portraits of your loved one and are free to children of deployed parents although the wait time is long. Really now, with 15 month deployments, what else are people with young children doing to keep Daddy (& Mommy) alive around the home? There are also life- sized cutouts available.