Military History Books

Knowing how much all the Harrises love depressing literature and historical books I thought I'd contribute the latest book I've been reading for my US military history class: The Forgotten Soldier, by Guy Sajer. The book is the author's memior from being a French-German in the German army fighting on the Eastern front during WWII. He was 16 when he joined the army in 1942 as part of a transport team and ends up fighting in the infantry in the Gross Deutschland division. He experiences a vast number of horrible things (I'm not even done with it yet and I'm amazed at what he's survived). Aside from all the appalling experiences of war it is an amazingly well written book and am enjoying it even as it depresses me. Last week we read a memior by another German from WWI - Storm of Steel by Ernst Junger - which was good, but not quite as well written as this one. Once I'm done with the semester anyone can feel free to borrow my books (you'll find these ones are much more enjoyable than my physics or bio textbooks) and I'll keep everyone updated on the good ones as I continue reading them.

On a more cheerful note than war, I've taken up knitting. I have already finished a scarf for myself and am currently working on a hat for Dad.

California Weekend Warriors

Since Dara got her snowboarding legs on at Whistler, she's been prodding me about going up snowboarding again. One of the benefits of living here is that if you're crazy enough, you can make a marathon day trip up there. Since they had 2 feet of new snow as of Thursday night, we took the plunge and drove up and back on Saturday. It's always weird driving up to go snowboarding this time of year, because mixed in with the snowbound are the cars trailering boats as you drive through the very, very green Sierra foothills on the way through the Gold Country. The roads were dicy, but no chains required. Snow conditions were great. Garrett stayed home, and Kyla was miffed. Dara did a very elegant cartwheel with her snowboard attached, and she's a bit stiff today because of it. Since the grass in the yard is growing like crazy, I had to polish the weekend off with mowing and weed-eating.

Phuket Deep Sea Creatures

As per Keith's request...

Don't mind the lack of upkeep on our site. This geeky stuff takes a lot of time that I just don't seem to want to spend on my computer. The pictures are the coolest though: http://home.comcast.net/~mkuzma/Phuket%20Sea%20Creatures/index.html

Miss Manners vs. Wendy Ward

As you guys might or might not remember, I am a graduate of the Wendy Ward Charm School. I'm certain those that didn't remember must have innately known that I, with all my social graces, had be part of such an exclusive alma mater. Well, that was a few years ago and I do get a bit rusty from time to time. I mean, living here in Cecil County it's more fitting to polish your truck than your social skills. Yesterday, in the lovely little town of Easton, MD, my friend Danette & I wandered into a fabulous antique & book store. There it was, gleaming beneath its tattered cover, Miss Manners' Guide to Excruciatingly Correct Behavior. I purchased it on the spot giggling all the way. Within 10 minutes we were already putting it to good use. Danette & I plopped ourselves down on a couple of barstools in a delightful little tavern. As luck would have it, the bartender was having relationship woes. A quick trip to Page 284 for information on how to conduct a breakup, a slight adjustment or 2 to the wording for gay relationships, and walah - Miss Manners had the answer. The Kafka Method of course! Amazing - is there anything this woman can not address? Is their no social foible too difficult? In summary, if anyone out there gets an invitation to the White House, just call. Miss Manners & I will be able to help you accept or decline in, "Excruciatingly Correct," fashion.

The Beatty Bunch

Hey guys, Steve found this article on assisted living life online and I thought I would share it with everyone. I think it really describes the life well and yes it is a little depressing but I think Dad would agree, accurate.
On a brighter note Kyla and I are going to Cambridge for a polo tournament (so much classier that a gymnastics meet but similar) and since it will be the first time we've been to England I would love any advice anyone might have. Cyndi I am talking to you especially.

How Did That Bird Get On Our Blog?

So I was trying out the new software Steven recommended for sending pictures to the blog. I'm amazed to see the photo actually made it, which I didn't take, btw. I can't remember how I happened to have the picture of the black skimmer, but there's a story anyway.

I walk the beach every day and not much happens there that I haven't seen before. But on Christmas morning about 8 o'clock a flock of at least 100 skimmers flew in and landed right in front of me on the beach. I've never seen more than two or three at a time and then only on rare occasions. But this flock just took my breath away, a wonderful and unexpected Christmas present, and I've been wanting to tell everyone about it. This kind of thing ranks as real excitement for the old folks.

Black Skimmer 

Sweet Lyrics of Liberty (washingtonpost.com)

Sweet Lyrics of Liberty (washingtonpost.com) I've been wanting to connect things to a blog but havn't quite figured it out. Anyway I thought this was funny in a musical way not a political way so it is my first attempt.

No Keystone Supperbowl

My record thus far is pretty pittifull 3 for 8 I have been drummed out of my football site and properly scorned by most true fans who have listened. Since no one here has trashed me yet I will take it as a lack of interest or you are waiting for me to ass up the rest of the post season and let me have it with both barrels then. Either way I will continue because if I correctly pick the remainder of the games I will finish 6 for 11 Just over 500 ESPN won't be calling me but I will return to some level of respectability among those who have already dissed me. Phila over Atlanta by 3 New England over Pittsburg by 7

Roots, The Sequel

Alas, my final appointment was this morning on my epic root canal. Just needed an hour to sew things up. She gets to the part where she jams the little thingies down the roots and takes a final xray to make sure they look right. "Hmmm." Better just do another xray. "Weird." The dental assistant now has to take a look. She has to remove the little thingies and try again. Another xray. And another. "Okay, well, I guess we'll just have to close up and see how it goes." This is not what I want to hear. So I say "Mm, em, mmbhhh, ggzzgggejhjdjsksl," which is enough to get them to take the crap out of my mouth. "What's going on," I ask. "Mr. Harris, you are an anatomical anomaly." I guess that about summarizes it. But I'm done. Unless, of course, I'm not. But then what fun is being an anomaly if you can't be confused and proud at the same time.

More Geeking

This is a picture of some sea lions at Pier 39 in San Francisco when we had Jody in town. I was playing around with the new Picasa version available from Google, and it turns out they have a new version of the cheesy Hello software that lets you post pictures to the blog. I think the Hello stuff is horrible, personally. Completely counterintuitive, fails every now and then, and it is almost impossible with two users and two blogs. However, the Picasa software is pretty good. I'm not sure just how good the new version is, but the old one was as good as anything else I've tried for organizing pictures. Since the blog rumor mill says the Mom now has a digital camera, I thought I'd suggest she try Picasa with it. Who knows, maybe she'll even figure out how to post some exciting pictures.

The Kite Runner

Maybe you westcoasters have already read this book I noticed it was reviewed by mostly California papers. I just finished it and It had my undivided attention from start to finish. I tend to read things that have a more upbeat theme or at least the possibility of some happy outcome but I broke tendencies with this littlle tear jerker.It was a great story and very well written even though it was a sad and depressing story. It takes place mostly in post 1950 Afganistan and really brings you into a world and a culture I knew existed but didn't give much thought to. The caracters are so well developed and the story so realistic as they plow thru their lives you can't help but want to know what happens next. Probably not a story for evryone but if you buy it include a box of tissue with your purchase youll need it.

Career Choices

Since we've had various career choice conversations here (highway flagman, chef, bookie to name a few), I thought I'd share this local story of career choices and political correctness. The San Jose Mercury might force you to register to see the story, I'm not sure.

Salesman Bill Fried thought he was keeping it real when he told Palo Alto middle schoolers at a career day this week that strippers can earn $250,000 a year -- and $50,000 more for every two-inches they expand their busts.

In fact, I once gave a little talk at Kyla's high school about the kinds of computer-related career choices there were. Since Kyla is majoring in Biology, you can get some idea of how effective it was. Missy once pointed out in her politically incorrect way, though, that unless your name is Ramesh, computer programming may not be a great career choice for the up-and-coming.

This weekends action

If you took any action on my pics last week your bookie is probably calling you. I should feel some redemption with these winners. Pitt by 10 over the jets... St Louis by 3 over Atlanta...New England by 1 over Indi... Minnasota by 3 over Philla. I am still rooting for the Jets and the Rams Last week they didn't dissapoint even though I didn't pic either one of them.

The Roots of All Evil

I haven't had a good old fashioned root canal for a while, so I guess I was due. The fun started when I had an old crown replaced, due to some decay underneath. That was fine. For a month. Then it transformed itself into a massive toothache. No problem, I thought. I just need some of the new crown shaved off. Nope. It was root canal city. Now the morbidly interesting thing about a root canal when you already have a crown is that they just drill right through the thing to do the nasty deed of ripping out the nerves from the roots. And for some reason I have roots that defy endodonture. What was supposed to be one appointment soon became two. Now it is three, the supposed final one a week from today. When I'm done, all I'll have is a crown with a filling in it. And the memories, oh the memories.

But Not the Hippopotamus

Dara has spent the last 28 years listening to me asking, "If we see a turtle in the road, can we stop and get it?" and continuing to entertain my fantasies of having a pygmy hippo as a pet (because they fit under your arm, don't they). So, when she saw this photo and story, she had to send it to me. In my own defense, I want to remind everyone that Keith was enamored of pigs for quite some time growing up, to the point where he was arguing that they were the smartest animal in the world. And sadly, while Dara was in Tennessee, she actually did finally see a turtle in the road. I wasn't there. When she came back down the road a while later, it was not much of a turtle anymore.

Call Your Bookie

I don't know if there is many NFL fans out there but here are my picks for the weekend. Seatle by 4 over st louis...san deigo by 7 over new york jets...indianapolas by 10 over denver... greenbay by 4 over minn. I would love to see the Jets, and rams win but as the unofficial oddsmaker on the blog I don't want to steer anyone wrong. Feel free to totally dis me after the games I,m used to it.

Books

I read and enjoyed the book steve recomended/They Marched Into Sunlight. Coincidentally while I was reading it We were honered by a visit from a family freind, Brittan Spriggs 18 years old and a private in the USMC. He is a very nice young man and has always been a good example to Dan as they have known one another since Dan was an infant. As a parent the idea of your child joining the USMC is a bit scary particularly now. His Grandparents are good freinds of mine and they couldn't be prouder or more scared. I could not think of a worse book for either one of them to read so I didn't say anything about it to them but thinking of them made the story much more powerfull. If you enjoy military history books and find the comparison to today's events in Iraq interesting you may enjoy "Mosby's Rangers" by Jeffry D Wert. It is the recorded events of the famous partisan Col John Mosby and the 43rd battalion. I was captivated by it mostly from a geographical standpoint at first, as I am very familiar with every trail,gap and hollow they trod but after reading it I couldn't help but see them as a close parrelell to our enemy in Iraq, minus all the idealoligy. They were a band of mostly locals fighting an invader of much greater power,yet with the support of the citizenry and some clever tactics they were a force to be recconed with. Mosby is still greatly admired and honered as quite a soldier particularly in the Blue Ridge of VA.

Re; Puppy v Duck

The puppy was cute and made a very effective pitch. The duck was not very convincing and failed to recognize some of the dog's shotcomings. After carefull consideration and a great deal of soulsearching I have chosen the duck. Afterall if things don't work out he will be great searved with an orange sauce and wild rice. I enjoyed the vacation pics and commentary it looked like a great time. Steve sometime you should find some pics of you @ 17-18 and compare them to Garrett he looks just like you 30 years ago. His freind is more attractive than either one of you though.

Shivering in the cold California rain at Muir Woods. The tree section in the background shows it started growing around 600AD.

Garrett and Jody at Pier 39 in downtown San Francisco.