Oh, yeah -- I have a blog, don't I?


Fall has err, fallen (I know it's overused. So sue.) . I love this time of year, right before it turns too cold to be pleasant. It's odd, because I never particularly cared for autumn growing up. It may have had something to do with school...or perhaps the fact that autumn in Illinois is practically Arctic weather, I don't know which (or both?).
I may get comments on that last remark, but I guarantee that it won't be from anyone who's had a flying soccer ball smack them in the bare thigh when the temperature is in the upper forties. I was never any good at soccer anyway, and in retrospect, I have to wonder what on earth I was thinking. Who in their right mind runs around in shorts in that weather??


While on the topic of school, I heard at last from the VA, and have been approved for full G.I. Bill funding for enrollment at Moody Bible Institute. The new semester begins in Mid-December, so I'll keep the two or three readers of this soliloquy posted. The news came at a crucial time last week when I was becoming disillusioned with the current quest for employment, and was a real bright spot in an otherwise partly-cloudy week.

I know Daddy has a place for me out there, so the real challenge is not wanting to know NOW (can anyone identify?). Hey, I could always become an artist, since apparently all it takes is a twisted mind, and I've met that requirement for years!


Moving along in no particular logical sequence, it occurred to me today that my years of service in the defense of our great nation has marred me for life in at least one area (great confession time): constant attempts to construct acronyms syndrome (CACAS, I guess? Wait, I just made it up, so I don't have to guess -- that's what I'll call it!)

Oh, the military loves acronyms! Some examples that come to mind:
SCUBA (Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus)
MARS (Military Affiliate Radio System, which is actually the interface with HAM radio)
POL (Petroleum, Oils and Lubricants)
HUM-V (which is actually HMMWV -- High-Mobility Multi-purpose Wheeled Vehicle, or some such rubbish)
CUC-V (Commercial Utility Cargo Vehicle, because apparently "pickup truck" doesn't sound military enough)

One of my all-time favorites was one that appeared on daily reports from military airports, because it was an abbreviation within an acronym within an acronym: POH (PAX [Passengers Awaiting Xfer {Transfer}] On Hand).

I don't know why, but over a decade of exposure to the incessant barrage of acronyms has dragged my mind to the point that even now, when I hear or see a long name, I mentally attempt to deduct the appropriate military form of the name.

Perhaps over time, a cure for CACAS will emerge (which is rather doubtful, since its sufferers are few, and this tragic disease is so rarely properly diagnosed), but until then we will be forced to endure silently (FTES). {sigh}

Rather than end on a depressing note, I'll end with great news: the Smurfs have been bombed! You read that correctly -- the story is here, and the video is here (40 seconds into the clip). I never did trust those little blue freaks, anyway!

Keep smiling, beloved (KSB)!!