Do you feel Patriotic in spite of it all????

With our move to Flagstaff (Aug 3) we have been having some fun, and some challenges.

I received a notice of fine from our HOA on Saturday (Aug 21) because my cargo trailer had been parked in front of our house for more than 72 hours in the last 14 days. Ironically I had moved it to a storage location that morning before the mail arrived. I knew that I couldn't park it there for 72 consecutive hours, so I ensured that it spent the night at my office parking lot every other day. The challenge is that there are no storage facilities open before 0700 or after 1900, which happens to be my predominant work schedule....oh, and I was using it on the weekends to move the inordinate amount of crap that we have. What I didn't know was the amendment to the HOA rules which stated that there was a 14 day window......oops.

I have had to change my Boy Scout affiliation from the Utah National Parks Council to the Grand Canyon Area Council. I don't get to be a Venture crew leader for a while, oh well. My son is now a Varsity Scout, so I will try to find a position to work with him. BTW, he worked his little tail off this summer, he managed to earn 13 merit badges in one week at camp. More than any other scout up there. Then with me and the Phys ed professor at the college he and his friends earned 4 more the following week.....yeah, I'm not proud of him.

Anyway, I also have to get myself re-signed up as a merit badge councilor. I was surprised to have the director beg me to work with all scouts in the area.....What? you mean there is an option to only work with some of the kids????? I signed up for the whole sh-bang.

For the last 10 hours I have been sitting at my desk wondering if the cloudy weather has kept all of the stupid people off their ATVs. I haven't had a call in 3 days. Saturday I finished my Master's paper on insurgency and guerrilla warfare from the American Revolution to Present. I got a B. Oh, and as a side note, last week I was forwarded a Distinguished Author award from the Center for Army Lessons Learned for an article I wrote 3 years ago.

So, I'm sitting here and start pulling up merit badge worksheets. I figure that instead of winging it, and only going by what the boys bring in, I will do some of the research myself and have a standard for things I want to see them know and understand. I am signed up to be a councilor for several merit badges to include American Heritage and Citizenship in the Nation.

One requirement is to describe the adoption, changes and influence on Americans of: the flag, the national anthem, the pledge, the seal, and motto. So, my research begins. (Google is a wonderful thing inspite of some of their practices. ) As I read article after article, visit website after website, I am amazed at the time and effort people put into recording the history and meaning of our national symbols. Some of it is super serious and some of it is enlightening and humourous. How many of you know that the melody of the Star Spangled banner was actually a British Gentlemen's club drinking song? Isn't that appropriate or what!!! and then some reminders that brought tears to my eyes. Who remembers that on September 12, 2001 the British Guard band at Buckingham palace played the SSB instead of God Save the King at sundown?

Executive order, with congressional support, changed the national motto from E Pluribus Unim to "In God we Trust" during the 20th century. The pledge has grown from a 15 second blurb commemorating Columbus Day in 1892, to something profound.

What do I think is special about this country? In spite of the idiocy that our elected leaders sometimes perputrate on us, despite the disagreements and polarity of the voting public, despite the need to struggle to make ends meet due to others idiocy, despite so many things.... I am grateful for having been born in and living in this country. I am grateful for the freedoms that I have to work how and where I want to, to worship according to the dictates of my concience and being allowed to worship where, how, and what I choose. I am grateful that I had the opportunity to serve my country...., by my choice, and end that career, again by my choice. And to all of you my friends.....I am grateful that we have the freedom to sit here and voice our opinions and at least we think we can do it legally without reprucussion.

In spite of what the media want us to believe, inspite of what our current diplomatic corps and executive branch are making us look like to the rest of the world,...dang it, I'm proud to be an American, and I will sit here and shamelessly blubber and shed tears and never be ashamed of those that sacrificed before, with their warts and everything, nor of those who shall come after who will honor the American tradition of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Alan