GO NAVY!!

Today, The U.S.S. Constitution, named by President George Washington in 1797, the U.S. Navy's oldest commissioned vessel set sail under her own power for the first time since her 200th birthday, in 1997.

This story was posted by jrcobbstr @ AOSHQ -

The U.S.S. Constitution, "Old Ironsides", as a Revolutionary War combat vessel carried 48,600 gallons of fresh water for her crew of 475 officers and men. This was sufficient to last for six months of sustained operations at sea. She carried no evaporators (fresh water distillers).

According to her log -

"On July 27, 1798, the U.S.S. Constitution sailed from Boston with a full complement of 475 officers and men, 48,600 gallons of fresh water, 7,499 cannon shot, 11,600 pounds of black powder and 79,400 gallons of rum. Her mission: "To destroy and harass English shipping."

Making Jamaica on 6 October, she took on 826 pounds of flour and 68,300 gallons of rum. She then headed for the Azores, arriving there on 12 November. There, she took on 550 pounds of beef and 64,300 gallons of Portuguese wine. On 18 December, she set sail for England. In the ensuing days she defeated five British men-of-war ships and captured and scuttled 12 English merchant vessels, salvaging only the rum aboard each.

By 26 January, her powder and shot were exhausted. Nevertheless, though unarmed, she made a night raid up the Firth of Clyde in Scotland. Her landing party captured a whiskey distillery and transferred 40,000 gallons of single malt scotch aboard by dawn. Then, Old Ironsides headed home.

The U.S.S. Constitution arrived in Boston on 20 February 1799, 7 months after she left. On landing, she was found to have no cannon shot, no food, no powder, no rum, no wine, no whiskey....

...and 38,600 gallons of stagnant water.

Anchors Aweigh, my boys, Anchors Aweigh!!!

YARRRRR!!!

And Now For Something Completely Different..

Just when I had convinced myself there was no new music worth a damn coming out, my niece turns me on to Black Veil Brides. They are a band in the vein of KISS and Motley Crue, and make me wanna rock out with my Glock out!!!

Here is their video for "Fallen Angels".

HELLO?? IS THIS THING ON??

OK, I know I haven't updated in a while, but when it's S.S.D.D., it gets kinda boring... I mean do you really wanna read, "Went to St. Louis, got Nuked, stopped @ Jack In The Box, came home. Went to St. Louis, got Nuked, stopped @ Jack In The Box, came home. Went to St. Louis, got Nuked, stopped @ White Castle, came home. Went to St. Louis, got Nuked, stopped @ Captain D's, came home." over and over again??

Yeah, that's what I thought.

I didn't feel like writing it either.

So here's a quickie on what's up - Meet with Infectious Disease Doc on Monday for I.V. antibiotics check. Only a couple more Nuke treatments to go, meet w/ The Wizard of Rads Tuesday A.M.. Meet with Gyno/Oncology and the Diabeetus (as Wilfred Brimley sez..) folks on the 22nd to get the 411 on if further cancer treatments are needed and to see how the new insulin regimen is doing.

Foot healing nicely. Doc Foot thinks it's better to continue the current treatment regimen and let it heal on it's own instead of doing a skin graft and having to have TWO places to treat while healing. She's still wheelchair bound and down for now, but we're gettin' the hang of it*. See him again on 05 SEPT.

So that's pretty much what's been goin' on, so now we start working on getting the rehab that Anna needs and I get to go back to school next Thursday. I hate sticking a sub bus driver with the last week of school, (not really, but it sounds good..) but sticking a sub with the first few days of school is inhumane.

Besides I got a BRAND NEW 2013 BUS this year!! To paraphrase TEAM AMERICA - "New Bus - FUCK YEAH!!!" Only 920 miles on it, and I'll have to learn where all the buttons are on the way to the first stop.

What could possibly go wrong ??? Turns out it's Bus #14 - Anna sez Dad drove Bus #14 back in the day, so I'll take that as a good omen.

Now for something completely different - I found this @ Ace Of Spades, and if you don't find something in this video that you think is beautiful and something that stirs your spirit, you are a soulless bastard that I prolly don't care to know. The girl, the music, the video it's ALL fantastic.

If your computer and sound system will handle it, set the video for Hi-Def 1080p and crank it up to 11...




(I want to thank Billy G. and his family for all they have done for us during this. Bill drives a Big Rig and took some of his limited time @ home w/ his family to come over and build us a wheelchair ramp for the front door, and has made extra on the grill and brought it over to us so we have had dinner waiting when we get home after an especially long, tiring day.

I don't have the words to express how much these things have meant to us other than THANK YOU and we love you guys.

BILLY'S DA' MAN!!!)