Saw this over at OpFor, and it brought a chuckle.

I’m not quite there yet, but I’m going to get as close as I can.

Monday morning, before I went to the doctor, I attempted to do some work from home. I was still really uncomfortable, and kinda dopey from pain medication, but I thought I could at least patch a few servers.

I was so wrong. I had to do 1 production and about 10 test systems. The prod server had issues, but not due to my condition. My condition made it a little harder to deal with the problems, but at least I didn’t cause it. Kinda like the drunk on the side of the road with a flat. Being drunk didn’t cause the flat, but it doesn’t help.

The test systems? Fuhgeddaboutit. I messed some of those systems up so badly I’m surprised they booted. Forgot to add the kernel to the patchset. Forgot to install new versions of software for the applications and databases. Did work as the wrong users. You name it.

I may write the whole experience up as a “Don’t try this at home” kind of thing. Remember kids, codeine and systems administration don’t mix.

The look in this guys face is pretty much how I must have looked at about 9:45 on Monday morning when I realized just how messed up I was and how messed up I had done.

Well, I got to spend the better part of the week in bed, which after a couple of days is literally a pain in the tuckus.

The cats, especially Koshka, were with me the entire time. Koshka always snuggles up to anyone in the house who isn’t feeling well.

Saw this as I was going through my RSS reader today, and it reminded me of why I love cats.

Well, it’s been a week, and I feel almost human.

Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday of last week were spent flat on my back. It’s all kinda fuzzy, but I’m pretty sure the doctor opened up my face and stuck in a dinner plate. Irish Woman says I looked like a Who from Dr. Seuss, with a turned up nose.

I started moving around a little on Friday, and by Saturday I was able to walk across the house without getting the spins.

Sunday I had a little improvement, but not much.

Monday, the doctor removed the splints he put in, and almost immediately I felt much better. He also decided to “adjust” some things in my sinuses, which if done to a prisoner of war, would have gotten him in trouble with the Geneva Convention.

My boss has taken pity on me and allowed me to work from home today, and I go back tomorrow. I was supposed to take over our pager support for the week on Monday, but one of my guys has carried it for a couple of extra days. Can’t complain about the people I work with.

Still no opinion on whether this was all worth it. It’ll be a couple more weeks before I’m back to 100%. Hopefully it’ll make use of my nose a bit better.

I’ll be off the net for the next few days. I’m having minor surgery tomorrow morning, and I can’t promise I’ll feel like posting while I relax under the influence of pain killers.

Have a good week, and I’ll see you later.

but it’s close.

A young soldier in Afghanistan responded to a Taliban attack while he was out of uniform by pulling on his kevlar and vest, then running to his fighting position to return fire.

Of course, there was a reporter nearby, and the photo he snapped has circled the globe pretty quickly.

I say bravo. When you hear the stand to, you don’t stop to pull on your pants, you grab what you need and lean forward in your foxhole.

The wildest thing I ever saw in kevlar was a young nurse who responded to an emergency medivac flight coming into her hospital wearing her helmet and silk pajamas. Now that’s a memory of the military I don’t want to lose.

Well, Nancy Pelosi, AKA The Joker, has officially accused the CIA of misleading her when they briefed her about interrogation techniques. She is refusing to discuss it with the American people via the press, and will only give statements re-asserting her accusation, but will not answer questions about the matter.

The CIA denies this, and asserts that the Congresswoman from Babylon on the Bay was told about these techniques and how they were being used.

Obviously, someone is being less than truthful.

I have given this some thought as it has played out in the press, but I couldn’t articulate it very well.

Then I listened to the latest episode of Dan Carlin’s excellent Common Sense podcast this morning.

Mr. Carlin definitely gelled my feelings on this issue, and I agree with him that an independent investigation needs to happen.

If the CIA lied to the Speaker, then someone needs to go to jail. If Mrs. Pelosi is lying now, then that needs to come out in the open, and her career needs to be impacted by her actions.

Well, Memorial Day has come again. I encourage everyone to take a little time this weekend to remember the people in their lives who have served and passed on. For those of you in Louisville, I suggest the ceremonies at Zachary Taylor Cemetary or at the Patton Museum at Fort Knox.

Over the years, I’ve known several veterans who’ve passed on. I’ve lost 5 good friends to either military accidents or combat. And I’ve served in a lot of units with an institutional memory of loss.

Blackfive has an excellent slideshow of “motivators” that will get you thinking about this day.

Have a good weekend everyone.

Well, today I took the plunge and joined the American Legion. It’s been a few years since I left the military, and I’ve considered it several times, but never got around to it.

I guess my motivation for doing it now was the time that Girlie Bear and I spent in Washington last weekend. While we were touring Arlington, it occurred to me that a lot of the privileges I enjoy as a veteran are due to organizations like the Legion. Also, I read an article recently about how hard it is becoming to find honor guards for veterans and troops who have died in the war in some areas. Being in the Legion will let me participate in a good civic organization, and let me give back to those who came both before and after me.

When I was growing up, almost everyone’s dad and grandfather belonged to either the American Legion, or the VFW, or both. So I guess I’m following a family tradition.

Apparently, Members of Parliament in the UK have been caught with their hands in the cookie jar. They’ve been billing the UK government for personal expenses such as home repairs and porno.

Now, some of them believe that the stress of the scandal is driving them to suicide.

Cry me a river.

If you can’t deal with the stress of the publicity, don’t do the dishonorable behavior. I don’t advocate suicide under any circumstance. I’d rather that politicians who’ve stolen money from their constituents suffer public humiliation and finish their careers out cleaning porta-potties.