Recognizing Black History Month in Iraq

Alright everybody, listen up. Just because we’re in Iraq doesn’t mean we don’t take time to recognize Black History month. The U.S. Army does a great job of recognizing the achievements of African-Americans who have served in the Armed Forces, as well as keeping soldiers of all races informed of the month-long celebration. We have stands set up in the chow halls, work areas, and followed by ads in the paper and on television, as well as programs in the chapel all month long.

So, let’s get some things straight that people of all races get confused.

– Malcolm X changed his last name from ‘Little’ to ‘X’. Know why? Only Malcolm’s family knows for sure, but in his autobiography (The Autobiography of Malcolm X as told to Alex Haley) it was because in math you have to solve for ‘X.’ He felt he didn’t know who he really was because ‘Little’ was his slave name, so he changed it to ‘X,’ and he tried to solve it from there. A brilliant man. Look him up on ‘Youtube’ and watch his old interviews. It’s not the fire and brimstone you think it will be. His autobiography is an absolutely incredible book too. I recommend every one of all races read it. He is not who some would have you believe he is; read the book and decide for yourself.

– The Black Panthers were not a racist group against white people. They were formed to protect themselves (the black community) from corrupt and violent police officers in Oakland, California.

– The two men standing on the podium at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City that raised their fists (for civil rights and fair treatment, not to be disrespectful) during the National Anthem – know there names? Tommy Smith and John Carlos. Did you ever notice that one of them has his left fist up, while the other has his right? Know why? Tommy Smith forgot to bring his gloves to do the fist raise. Tommy, on the advice of the third place finisher, took John’s other glove.

– When Booker T. Washington began teaching (1881) at Tuskegee, did you know the students between classes helped build the rest of the schools buildings? I wonder what type of reaction today’s students would have to being asked to do that? Know what the ‘T’ in his name stood for? Taliaferro.

– Remember ‘Brown v. Board of Education’? Do you know who represented the NAACP in that case? Thurgood Marshall.

Equal rights for African-Americans was not fought exclusively by African-Americans, but by a collective group of all races who wanted to right what was wrong. I don’t say that to impress you, but to impress upon you (that’s for you JD), that all people deserve the basic freedoms and rights we take for granted.

We’re still fighting for it in the US to some extent, and yes, here in Iraq as well.

I know what learning Black History has done for me in my life; I can’t imagine what it could do for you.
So to all our African-American military heroes who fought for our freedom, even at times when they were not granted the same freedoms in their own country, thank you for all you’ve done.

God Bless America.

YAMWW I love you Lindsay!

– Steve

A soldier’s Valentine

I miss my wife. It’s going to be Valentine’s Day soon, and she is 7,000 miles away. A hug is all I want. Maybe a kiss. Either way, I have been on military orders the last two Valentine’s Days in a row.

Last year on Valentine’s Day I was in Washington D.C., and my depressed friend and I, (equally depressed – both without our loved ones) went and saw a horror movie, Hannibal Rising, I think. It was a good movie, I guess. I don’t know; I couldn’t stop thinking about Lindsay. I hate talking on the phone, too. So when I did talk to her on the phone I could tell she was a little depressed, too. I even remember saying that we’ll have plenty of Valentine’s together, it’ll be fine.

I kept thinking, “I’ll be so happy next year when I get to spend Valentine’s with her.”

Well, it’s next year. My bad, honey.

I would like to say Happy Valentine’s Day to my Mom, Judy, my ‘other mom,’ my sisters, family, and especially my beautiful daughter, Kenadee. I love you Kenadee Ann!

I’m spending Valentine’s with SGT Robert Blackburn. He’s a great guy, but I only like him as a friend. His fiancé told me to give him a hug for her. I did, but I don’t think he liked it very much. So once my eye healed after that incident, I decided to stop giving him hugs for her. No doubt about it, Lindsay is a lot more receptive to my hugs than SGT Blackburn.

So let me describe what Valentine’s Day will be like for a lot of soldiers just like me:

I’ll look at my beautiful wife’s picture a lot.

I’ll promise God and her (in my head and aloud to the picture) that I’m going to be the best husband I can be when I get home. I’m going to be the best father I can be to our baby. I’m going to be a better son, brother, friend, and helper. If I just get out of here alive and healthy I’m going to do all the things we talk about on the phone every week.

I’ll give you all those kisses I promised you.

I’ll give you all the back rubs and foot rubs you want.

I’ll hold you close every night and cherish the time I have with you, more than I used to. You are so special to me Lindsay that it’s really hard to find the right words to describe how much.

I could use Barry White’s words and say “You are my first, my last, my everything.”

I could tell you that “You make me want to be a better man.” Like Jack Nicholson said in ‘As Good As It Gets.’

I could say ‘You complete me.’ Like Jerry Maguire.

All of those do state how I feel about you. But I’ll try to say how I feel in my own words since I can’t give you a kiss. This is my attempt at poetry; if you read this be gentle on the comments you leave, people. I’m a soldier (fighter), not a lover:

As the days trickle by, slowly and long,

My thoughts turn to you always, my love for you is so strong,

I know your heart’s with me, I know that you care,

It still doesn’t change the fact I’m not there,

So tonight when you finally lie down, and fall fast asleep,

Remember the promises I made, and I’ll keep,

I love you so much you’re my number # 1 girl,

Happy Valentine’s, Lindsay, you are my whole world!

 

I love you sweetheart, YAMWW (You are my whole world). Happy Valentines Day Beautiful – I miss you,

Stevie Weevie

 

 

Life lessons learned from a UK tailback

I grew up, for the most part, in Lexington. So I automatically became a UK fan of all sports. I mean ALL sports. I’ve been to everything from UK tennis matches to UK basketball games and everything in between.

 I used to ride my bike when I was 10 years old to the UK campus and wander through Shively Sports Center like I owned the place. I had people believe I was coach Claiborne’s nephew. Most knew better but didn’t care I was there anyway. It was there I met a young celebrated tailback with a huge smile, Marc Logan.

Logan the ‘former’ UK tailback who played in the pros for several years, kind of took me under his wing. When I would show up he would say hi to me. The lineman knew me, the coaches knew me, and yes, security personnel got to know me. They eventually got tired of telling me to stay out and Marc or one of the other guys would always wave me in or over. Coach Claiborne even autographed his business card and gave me that quick head rub with his hand the adults always do to the ‘little squirts.’ I even got an official #25 practice jersey from Marc! It still had the original authentic smell of a college football locker room! Wow, does this thing stink, cool! When he was in the weight room Marc told me to do shrugs so I could get big shoulders and ‘traps.’ On gamedays, I would ride my bike from down to Southland Dr., Long John Silvers and get a copy of Leonard’s Losers. It would make me sick to my stomach to think Leonard could say those ‘fiesty Dawgs are awful hungry and when they wander into this felines den it’s gonna be the Cats getting all scratched up! Leonards Loser Kentucky by 10.” What did he know?!

 I always had a ticket waiting for me too. If I didn’t I would tell the ‘bluecoats’ I lost my dad inside, and he had our tickets, but I could probably find him. Most always they would smile and say, “Well you better have a look then” and wink at me. My buddies wanted to stay home and watch other so-called ‘big games.’ They didn’t get it, I knew those guys!

 “Sure you do,” I’d hear.

 I had to get in and watch them play! When they were losing I would yell at the bench ‘the game’s not over.’

 When they were winning I would be giddy with laughter and replay the game in my backyard with my friend Brady or Patrick.

 Then something terrible happened. My parents announced we were moving to Cincinnati. How would I get to see Marc and all the other guys?

Well, during the NFL strike Marc was a ‘scab’ player and when Cincinnati played against Seattle that year I had to save up some money and get there (I think it was Seattle and he ran back a TD)! I was 13, I saved all my money so I could buy a ticket for that game (they had good security at the gates). After the game, Cincinnati won and Marc got player of the game. I was estatic, happy, joyous, and broke. Problem was I didn’t save enough money to get back home on the bus.

 So what did I do?

 Well naturally I told the security at the locker room that Marc Logan was my dad. They didn’t know who Marc Logan was and they let me into the team locker room at Riverfront stadium. So again I walked in like I owned the place waving to some of the players, high-fiving a few, ‘hey 57 nice game!” Finally I saw Marc.

“Marc, it’s me, Stevie.” He was clueless. It had been three years. Then it hit him. He knew who I was and asked what I was doing way up here (Cincinnati). I tell him we had to move and I was so mad I couldn’t go to any more UK games. Then I gave him another surprise!

“Marc, can I get a ride home?” Marc drove 15 miles out of his way and took me all the way back to my home, smiling. My dad asked him if he wanted to come in and eat something to which he declined. Smiling. So, you see, I can never turn my back on the Cats. Not when they lose to Ohio in football and not even when they lose to Gardner-Webb in basketball. We’ll be great again in basketball, be patient.

Wanna hear something you’ve probably never heard before?

I can do nothing but smile when I think of UK football lately.

Great season guys.

So here in Iraq, we’re all trying to do the Marc Logan (better gate security than anywhere I tried to sneak into). Smile, go out of our way to help, take them miles if needed, help protect them, train them, show’em how to do shrugs if needed. Wave them in if needed. Help those who can’t always help themselves, and keep smiling, – it could always be worse. Hey Marc, thanks for being so nice to me.  You left an impression on me for being a good person. All the touchdowns in the world couldn’t do that. We’re trying to do the same here.

I Love You Lindsay and Kenadee,

YAMWW,

Steve

PS – I would like to dedicate this column to a former Marine and Kentucky graduate/fan who exemplified what the phrase “Class Act” is all about – Glen Ford (Ford’s Fitness Center) you’ll always be remembered for being the gentleman you were. May you rest in peace friend.

Back in Baghdad, missing home already

Well, I’m back in Baghdad and as you can imagine I miss my wife and my baby. It was even more painful to come back after being home for two weeks and holding my daughter. She is so precious, and her mother is amazing. I did learn that babies don’t sleep much after they’re first born. So it was nice to get back to the war zone, where I sleep better with rocket and mortar blasts than I do 5 feet from a 5-week -old baby. But, hey, you’ve heard about the baby enough (although I can’t stop talking about her).

The blog today is going to be the “Best of 2007” from a soldier’s point of view.

 Military Category:

Best Unit in the US Military: The 138^th Fires Brigade (Lexington, Ky.)

Best Commander to work for: Col. Billy J. West (I’m trying to get promoted people)

Best Sgt. Major: Command Sgt. Maj. Terry Cowan

OK – so everyone in my unit is the best at what they do, to include all my brothers and sisters in the 2/138^th “B” battery which is out on the streets everyday. Some of our bravest and toughest in the 138^th include female soldiers from Lexington kicking butt here, like Specialist Kaichi, Elizabeth Rebman of Henry Clay High School and Stephanie Purvis of Dunbar High School!

Family Category:

Best looking wife: Duh?!

Best looking baby: Yours and mine.

Best Mom: see above

Best Mother-in-Law: Judy Wierzbicki (Sweet, caring and has a big heart – plus no nagging – how lucky am I?!) Note to Judy: Have your other son-in-law’s declared this in print?

Coolest little brother in the “Big Brothers and Big Sisters” program: Mr. Camryn Mays of Dunbar High School – my brother for the last 10 years!

Restaurant Category (Lexington):

Best restaurant in Lexington: Used to be Gennaro’s Lexitalia; now its probably Sal’s (little pricey but worth it!)

Best restaurant to watch a sporting event: Easy – BW’s (Todds Rd. or S. Broadway)

Best restaurant managers: Ali (BW’s S. Broadway) and Sean (Olive Garden) and my boss Chris (I go back in July so, you know what I’m saying;)

Misc Category:

Best Girl Scout Troop ever that was sweet enough to send me a care package: Troop 61 out of Henry Co.!

Best church you’ve never been to: Bracktown Baptist; Rev. Akins always delivers an inspirational and knowledgeable message from the scripture – fantastic always!

Best Pastor you didn’t know about: Jonathon Davis. Yes, the former UK basketball player, even with limited playing time (he never really got the chance to play – although he was all-Florida out of HS). Jonathon not only single-handedly kept the basketball team’s GPA up, he’s an outstanding Pastor as well-one “smart Cat” – if you will.

Biggest surprise for me of 2008 so far:  Waking up in Baghdad to SNOW!

Special Thank You’s:

Peter Baniak at the Herald Leader, who edits what I send so I (at least in print) seem intelligent at times.

Johnny Palumbo and his staff at Turfland Apts. who have taken extremely good care of my mother and others after the fire at the apartments last month.

Best Buy, Olive Garden, Buffalo Wild Wings, Blue Star Moms, Cindy Mead and everyone at St. John’s Lutheran Church, Mrs. Nunan at Jessie M. Clark, Mr. & Mrs. Matt Moore of Jessamine County, and Mrs. Polston (love the sweatshirt-thanks), all of our families enduring the deployment with us. We love you – thanks to all of you for sending packages!

Many of you asked me about when I sign off my blog and say to Lindsay “I love you Lindsay – YAMWW.” What does the YAMWW mean?

It means: “You are my whole world”

I love you Lindsay,

YAMWW

Steve

Meeting my daughter for the first time

Let me begin this blog by saying to everyone I’ve seen and talked to on my visit home it’s been great seeing and hearing from you! To all my brothers and sisters in the 138th and all our extended families – I wish you the best and brightest New Year ever! Happy 2008!

I finally got to hold my baby Kenadee for the very first time. Needless to say it left me with a feeling so incredible I was speechless, which made my wife happy. I really don’t have the words to describe how it felt to hold something so special!  I was overwhelmed with emotion and amazement. What a miracle!

On a side note, she looks and acts just like me already.  She’s fat, bald, has occasional gas, and is always crying about something.  She’s only four weeks old and doesn’t know who I am yet. So as a Public Service to all you Wildcat fans/fathers I decided to make a few notes and observations for any first time fathers out there (who also happen to be sports fans).  I realize I’m no expert, (one week of experience) but I promise if you’re a ‘sports-fan’ and a new father this will be a helpful little advice for you.

If you want to watch a sporting event (Bowl games, college/NBA basketball) you need to plan ahead.  Try the ‘honeydew method.’ As in “Honey I’ll do whatever you need, until the game starts.” My wife is incredibly sweet and understanding and her father has done an amazing job teaching her how important it is to watching organized sports on TV.  So she’s easy to convince that Kenadee will love to watch the Music City Bowl.  The bonus was she got to take a much needed nap while my daughter got her first lesson on the finer points of the “Cover 2 Defense.” She smiled the whole time the game was on, not so much because the Cats were winning, but I think she had gas, which was equally pleasing to her as a bowl win. The best part is Kentucky won their basketball game and football game today. The first time in UK athletics history Kentucky has won a football and basketball game on the same day.

So let’s thank the great state of Florida.  We owe both of these wins however, and this historic day to my beautiful daughter Kenadee! Or maybe I’m just a proud father. Hey she just smiled at me again! And no gas this time, maybe she does know me!

I love you Lindsay! YAMWW

-Steve

Merry Christmas — and a welcome visit home!

Merry Christmas everyone!

I got lucky and was granted my vacation time (the Army calls it “Leave”) and am able to be home for Christmas! As I write this it’s 4:18 am at the Dallas Radisson hotel. I fly into Louisville today and will get to hold my daughter for the very first time!  It feels good just to be on US soil! God Bless America!

If you can’t say that and feel any real Ummphh, leave the country for two weeks and travel to any third world country and you’ll feel the Ummpphh! We are blessed to live here.

By the way, Merry Christmas to all of you reading this BLOG and who have posted comments. It lets me know how you feel, and that makes me feel great to know you care as well.

Cary Cox and family and the Hanks Family, it was great to hear from you and Merry Christmas!

On a separate note, Best Buy on Nicholasville Road sent us a box full of web cams and other goodies with a thank you note! So to Scott Keen and everybody at Best Buy – thanks and Merry Christmas!

I wish I could sleep, but I just can’t. I know what you’re thinking too.

He’s finally back in the USA! That’s why he can’t sleep. He gets to eat some chicken wings and have a beer at Buffalo Wild Wings and watch Kentucky beat up FSU in the Music City Bowl! He finally gets to see Lindsay, his beautiful wife!! He’s excited about his baby that he’s never held before or even seen in the flesh.

These are all a part of why I am currently suffering from a mild case of insomnia. Another reason would be the soldier assigned to the hotel room with me. (He will remain nameless.) This soldier has taken snoring to a level that would make a jet engine envious.

The lady at the desk asked why I was up so late and I told her, she said I know how you feel. No you don’t ma’am, I thought, I’m up because of this:

When I entered the airport terminal tonight it was like something out of a commercial. Families of travelers laying around the terminal waiting on their own flights saw about 250 of us US soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen come in. These people then stood up and started clapping and applauding and thanking us. I won’t lie, I got really choked up.

Maybe because I was tired and I haven’t gotten much sleep lately. The real reason I got choked up is because of the hats and buttons these men and women were wearing that greeted us. That said things like USO, “We love our soldiers serving,” “Vietnam veteran” and “POW MIA”.

So as I got choked up I was thinking about the veterans of wars past, in particular, the Vietnam veterans. I thought about some of those veterans that served who weren’t greeted like we were just now. They were greeted with just the opposite type of reaction. They fought hard and missed their families just as we have, but didn’t get this kind of support. I saw some of those same veterans tonight in the crowd and they were smiling and reaching their hands out to us and saying thank you. Just like they wanted when they came home.

They were choked up, too.

They were choked up because maybe this was another moment to be proud of our soldiers coming home. Or maybe because they were happy we were home for Christmas and they didn’t get to come home when they served.

But you know what, I think they were choked up because they saw themselves and the shadows of their buddies walking in with us, who never got a greeting like this, or maybe never made it home at all. To them I say Merry Christmas, thank you and finally: God Bless America!

I love you Lindsay!

- Steve

Out of the firehouse, into the fire

Phil Honican is a big, tough, smart, strong guy. Don’t get me wrong, he would never say that. He’s as humble as he is tough. As a matter of fact he’s much like Lt. Whitelow, as you will hardly ever hear him speak (my wife wishes that described me).

In my unit he’s one of the upper echelon officers. He’s a Major, which is just one rank lower than Lt. Colonel. So he doesn’t have to bend over and lift, push and pull everyone’s stuff and get dirty if he doesn’t want to.

But he pitches in to help every time.

Maybe it’s because he has been a Lexington firefighter for the past 11 years and he’s used to pulling other people’s weight along with his own. Believe me, I sleep better at night knowing that he stands ready, and you should, too. This is the type of guy you want to come rushing into the fire. When most people grab whatever and go screaming out the door away from the fire for help, he’s the one who runs past them towards the fire for your ‘precious whatever.’

Phil would have no problem carrying out your dog “Fluffy,” (not as fluffy now), all of your photo albums, your kids and the Volvo. At the same time.

In 11 years he has been blessed to never have been burned. Now he’s in war. Talk about ‘out of the frying pan and into the fire.’

The only thing that burns a little? His heart – for his family.

“I miss my wife, Kim and her cooking. I miss not going to church with her and helping her raise our beautiful kids. She’s got a tougher job than I do.”

His son Nathan, 8, is one cool kid too; I was lucky enough to meet this ball of energy. Between Boy Scouts and baseball Nathan and his father go fishing and camping together.

He misses that, Nathan, he misses you.

Then there is Lauren. “She is 2-years-old and is learning to say words she didn’t know before he left. I miss coloring with her and rocking her to sleep.”

He got to use his webcam for the first time to see his family. It felt great he would say. And then his daughter Lauren recognized him on the screen and screamed “daddy!” and jumped towards the screen to hug him.

Talk about your third degree burns. Ouch. Not many things could make this tough guy cry. Maybe his chainsaw breaking. Or not being able to eat raw meat anymore. And let’s add, your baby girl wanting a hug you can’t give because you’re in a war zone 7,000 miles away.

What would a firefighter be without talking about his ‘brothers at Station 10’ as he calls them. He’s assigned to EC-6 at Station 10 on Georgetown and Finney Drive. The residents in that area are blessed they have him, like the people here in Iraq are.

His dream is to get home and make several runs after midnight with his guys!

Don’t worry Kim, Nathan, and Lauren, Dad’s doing great.

I love you and miss you Lindsay, I can’t wait to hold our baby soon:)

- Steve

A major out of the Boy Scout handbook

Today I want to introduce you to Major Elliot Steve Elliott. You read that right. His name is Elliott Elliott. At least he never gets it wrong on any paperwork. First name last, last name first, you know. It’s always fun to be around him when someone asks for his first and last name out loud. You always get to see that face they make; you know the one when your dog turns his head sideways. Yeah, that one. It’s great.

However, Major Elliott is unique in his own way. He doesn’t need his name to make him special.

Major Elliott is a 1993 West Point graduate straight out of the Boy Scout handbook. He’s honest, trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, yada, yada, yada. He could quite literally be straight out of an episode of Happy Days as well. He is genuinely concerned for others whether he knows them or not and has a very clean cut — cleaner than even the military asks for!

If he’s wrong, get this ladies, he says “I’m sorry.” He is a proud father to his 5-month-old boy Cannon (a clone of him) and is happily married to his lovely wife Holly, who if pressed will tell you she misses Elliot and especially his cooking. “It may sound crazy but I really miss cooking for her,” he says.

Away from the National Guard you can address him as Dr. Elliot.

Dr. Elliot is a math professor in Tennessee. He enjoys teaching because in his words, “I get to work with intelligent colleagues, it’s my responsibility, it allows me to think, and it’s very exciting for me to see students grasping new concepts.”

I’m no math wiz, but I’ve got a formula I’ll share that sums him up: West Point Grad + Happy Family + Serves his Country + Teaches America’s Youth (at home and abroad) = A Class Act.

Thanks for your service Major Elliott.

I love you Lindsay (YAMWW)

Steve

A tough week — and a new baby!

I’ve got to tell you my week here in Baghdad has been tough. We actually got a live feed for the Kentucky vs. Tennessee football game, and the Kentucky soldiers (many of us UK alumnus) were pumped! The stars were aligned for us to win. And we didn’t. I felt helpless.  I am a huge Kat fan! A fanatical Kat fan if you will.

On the bright side, I couldn’t be more proud of the Kats! (That’s Cats with a ‘K’  -  we’ll get to that later.) With that schedule, a bowl berth is amazing!  Keep your heads up men!

If my week wasn’t tough enough…

My 67-year-old mother’s apartment complex caught on fire. She was evacuated early in the morning and was pushed into a hotel. My mother has no immediate family in Lexington, and I am 7,000 miles away and left to worry.

Oh yeah, I’m in a war zone.

And as you already know, my wife is 8 ½  months pregnant, very emotional (even when not pregnant) and I’m  deployed overseas. She went into labor early. She was at the hospital for a long labor and finally gave birth to our first child!

(And I’m complaining about my week; at least I didn’t have to give birth.)

Lindsay you are such a beautiful and special woman. I’m amazed! I’m proud! I’m nervous!  I’m excited! I’m a father!   …   I’m deployed.

 

Welcome to the world, Kenadee Ann Tressler, mom and dad love you with all of our heart.

We know you’ve been good, so Santa will make sure you have a great Christmas.

Her initials are K A T –

You thought I was a KAT fan last week?  Watch me now!

I love you Lindsay (YAMWW),

- Steve

Meet Lt. Renee Whitelow: We’re talking ‘tough’

I’m trying to feature someone different in my unit every week for the next several blogs with the exception of a few random letters home with my own thoughts, comments, and concerns.

Today I want to introduce you to Lt. Renee Whitelow, a native of Buffalo, N.Y., who has served proudly in the Kentucky Army National Guard for the last seven years.

Renee is just the opposite of someone who craves any attention. If she wasn’t so strikingly beautiful it would be easy to miss her in a small room with only a few people because she only speaks when something needs to be said.

However, don’t take that as her being shy or weak; she’s quite the opposite. 1st Lt. Whitelow is as tough physically and mentally as any soldier I’ve been around. Army boot camp is no cake walk. She passed it with flying colors and was an Army Private in no time.

However she got tired of taking orders and decided to start giving them. So she went to “Officer” boot camp (longer and a little tougher than regular Army boot camp) and was commissioned as a 2nd Lt. in 2004. That’s two boot camps, boys.

Tough? We give her jars that need opening.

Now you can tell by her warm smile and kind eyes that she also has a soft spot. What consumes her soft spot you ask? She’ll tell you this:

“That spot is filled with love for Mom and Dad, Jennifer and Freddy, Sarah and Andy, Dennis, Kristin and Tai, and baby Gabe, Gramma, Grandma, and Grandpa L, the rest of my family, my dear friends Chris and Roger, the ‘gang at the boat dock,’ and especially my dog Oscar. I love them and miss them so much! I’d like to wish all of them all a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year.”

Lt. Whitelow also possesses real loyalty, too. I was talking to her about writing this blog and mentioned I could give a “shout-out” to her friends, and she couldn’t help but smile and talk about what a blessing all of her friends at Insight Communications have been throughout her military obligations. Are you kidding? Who gives a shout-out to work? Really?

“Yes, definitely! I have some great friends and co-workers at Insight and they have been so good to me through all of this. Happy Holidays Insight! I miss you all!!”

I’m blessed because more than just being an officer in the U.S. Army, I count her as a dear friend. She knows how to be friends and remain professional, too.

How so? I asked if she had a “significant other” and she wouldn’t say a word. Even when I pried.

Nothing.

What can I say, some jars are just harder to open than others.

I miss you and Love you Lindsay (YAMWW)

- Steve

PS: She also says “Go Cats!, Go Bills (that’s for you Dad:)! and GO Sabres!!”