The last time I talked to Eric was Saturday. He has been working LONG days as they get ready for their upcoming deployment to Iraq. But Saturday found him and his fire team, as well as several other Marines partying at a huge house only a few blocks from the strip in Las Vegas. Let me tell you, these guys work hard, but they also PARTY hard lol. I told him to tell the other guys Hi from me and to stay out of trouble. He said "Trouble? You can't GET into trouble in Las Vegas, unless you do something REAL bad." lol. He and several of his buddies were going to get drunk and go hit the strip to check things out. Uhoh! The Marine Invaded Las Vegas last Saturday hehe. Guess they didn't get into trouble because I didn't hear anything bad so, I hope they had a great time.

Still waiting on the call from him that will say "we are leaving mom". Most of the Marines call their parents/wife/girlfriends from the airport just as they are leaving for their first stop on the way to Iraq (generally Germany). I am so dreading that call.

An interesting story. One of the Marine moms in the group that I belong to that has a son in the same company as Eric got a call last Thursday night at 1:30 am. It was just a bunch of guys singing "Leaving on a Jet Plane, Don't know when I'll be home again". Had to be Marines with her son. They sang a couple of verses of that and hung up. Wonder how many other parents got that call in the middle of the night? These guys are hilarious at times. I think getting a call like that would have made me cry though!. She thought it was funny, in a morbid kind of way, I would have to. Just to illustrate, watch the little music video the Marine made in Kosovo (I think) when they werre bored. Thanks for that one Cat (aka Guiness Wench).


My Marine mom friend that lives in Baton Rogue has been keeping me updated on the battleground that Baton Rogue has become as refugees pour in there from New Orleans and the surrounding parishes. She has yet to hear from her dad's whole side of the family. No call from a single one of them. They all lived near where the big levee broke. She is frantic as you can well imagine. Her family already lost one young member to drowning during the height of the storm (the one swept off the roof of their house). She is also taking in folks that need help.

There is NO food avaiable anywhere as well as basic items needed to survive. I went to work this morning and approached our CFO about putting out a collection box for food and nonperishable items to send to her. Not only did the company allow me to do that, they are also taking donations from employees (about 120 in all) and matching those donations to give the Red Cross for use only for hurricane victims. And the company is paying to send the items collected for my Marine mom friend to her asap. Its amazing what asking a little request can do. I am very thankful to be working for a company like this. Hopefully we can get a couple of boxes sent out tomorrow. Baton Rogue is in desperate straits right now. Fighting breaking out on the streets (even in front of the Capitol building) between different groups of refugees and looting and acts of horrible things happening even to the people that are only there trying to help. Pray for them and do your part if you can to help.

God Bless you all and Semper Fi !