Ft. Hood Shootings

Earlier this week, a tragedy occurred on a military base that is only minutes away from my home. This picture is found at KTLA.com In Ft. Hood, Texas, a gunman has injured over 30 people and taken the lives of at least a dozen people. Rather than comment much on the event myself at this time, I would like to share with you something written by one of those brave American soldiers that was on the scene at the time it happened. The soldier’s name will remain anonymous to protect the source, although you may see pictures of this and other brave souls on the media. Here, unedited and exactly as I received the story, is one point of view from the middle of the activity. Please take a moment to say a prayer for our troops and their families as you read this:

Since I don’t know when I’ll sleep (it’s 4 am now) I’ll write what happened (the abbreviated version…..the long one is already part of the investigation with more to come).  I’ll not write about any part of the investigation that I’ve learned about since (as a witness I know more than I should since inevitably my JAG brothers and sisters are deeply involved in the investigation).  Don’t assume that most of the current media accounts are very accurate.  They’re not.  They’ll improve with time.  Only those of us who were there really know what went down.  But as they collate our statements they’ll get it right.    I did my SRP last week (Soldier Readiness Processing) but you’re supposed to come back a week later to have them look at the smallpox vaccination site (it’s this big itchy growth on your shoulder).  I am probably alive because I pulled a ———- and entered the wrong building first (the main SRP building).  The Medical SRP building is off to the side.  Realizing my mistake I left the main building and walked down the sidewalk to the medical SRP building.  As I’m walking up to it the gunshots start.  Slow and methodical.  But continuous.  Two ambulatory wounded came out.  Then two soldiers dragging a third who was covered in blood.  Hearing the shots but not seeing the shooter, along with a couple other soldiers I stood in the street and yelled at everyone who came running that it was clear but to “RUN!”.  I kept motioning people fast.  about 6-10 minutes later (the shooting continuous), two cops ran up.  one male, one female.  we pointed in the direction of the shots.  they headed that way (the medical SRP building was about 50 meters away).  then a lot more gunfire.  a couple minutes later a balding man in ACU’s came around the building carrying a pistol and holding it tactically.  He started shooting at us and we all dived back to the cars behind us.  I don’t think he hit the couple other guys who were there.  I did see the bullet holes later in the cars.  First I went behind a tire and then looked under the body of the car.  I’ve been trained how to respond to gunfire…but with my own weapon.  To have no weapon I don’t know how to explain what that felt like.  I hadn’t run away and stayed because I had thought about the consequences or anything like that.  I wasn’t thinking anything through.  Please understand, there was no intention.  I was just staying there because I didn’t think about running.  It never occurred to me that he might shoot me.  Until he started shooting in my direction and I realized I was unarmed.  Then the female cop comes around the corner.  He shoots her.  (according to the news accounts she got a round into him.  I believe it, I just didn’t see it. he didn’t go down.)  She goes down.  He starts reloading.  He’s fiddling with his mags.  Weirdly he hasn’t dropped the one that was in his weapon.  He’s holding the fresh one and the old one (you do that on the range when time is not of the essence but in combat you would just let the old mag go).  I see the male cop around the left corner of the building.  (I’m about 15-20 meters from the shooter.)  I yell at the cop, “He’s reloading, he’s reloading.  Shoot him! Shoot him!)  You have to understand, everything was quiet at this point.  The cop appears to hear me and comes around the corner and shoots the shooter.  He goes down.  The cop kicks his weapon further away.  I sprint up to the downed female cop.  Another captain (I think he was with me behind the cars) comes up as well.  She’s bleeding profusely out of her thigh.  We take our belts off and tourniquet her just like we’ve been trained (I hope we did it right…we didn’t have any CLS (combat lifesaver) bags with their awesome tourniquets on us, so we worked with what we had).  Meanwhile, in the most bizarre moment of the day, a photographer was standing over us taking pictures.  I suppose I’ll be seeing those tomorrow.  Then a soldier came up and identified himself as a medic.  I then realized her weapon was lying there unsecured (and on “fire”).  I stood over it and when I saw a cop yelled for him to come over and secure her weapon (I would have done so but I was worried someone would mistake me for a bad guy).  I then went over to the shooter.  He was unconscious.  A Lt Colonel was there and had secured his primary weapon for the time being.  He also had a revolver.  I couldn’t believe he was one of ours.  I didn’t want to believe it.  Then I saw his name and rank and realized this wasn’t just some specialist with mental issues.  At this point there was a guy there from CID and I asked him if he knew he was the shooter and had him secured.  He said he did.  I then went over the slaughter house.  the medical SRP building.  No human should ever have to see what that looked like.  and I won’t tell you.  Just believe me.  Please.  there was nothing to be done there.  Someone then said there was someone critically wounded around the corner.  I ran around (while seeing this floor to ceiling window that someone had jumped through movie style) and saw a large African-American soldier lying on his back with two or three soldiers attending.  I ran up and identified two entrance wounds on the right side of his stomach, one exit wound on the left side and one head wound.  He was not bleeding externally from the stomach wounds (though almost certainly internally) but was bleeding from the head wound.  A soldier was using a shirt to try and stop the head bleeding.  He was conscious so I began talking to him to keep him so.  He was 42, from North Carolina , he was named something Jr., his son was named something III and he had a daughter as well.  His children lived with him.  He was divorced.  I told him the blubber on his stomach saved his life.  He smiled.   a young soldier in civvies showed up and identified himself as a combat medic. We debated whether to put him on the back of a pickup truck.  A doctor (well, an audiologist) showed up and said you can’t move him, he has a head wound.  we finally sat tight.  I went back to the slaughterhouse.  they weren’t letting anyone in there.  not even medics.  finally, after about 45 minutes had elapsed some cops showed up in tactical vests.  someone said the TBI building was unsecured.  They headed into there.  All of a sudden a couple more shots were fired.  People shouted there was a second shooter.  a half hour later the SWAT showed up.  there was no second shooter.  that had been an impetuous cop apparently.  but that confused things for a while.  meanwhile I went back to the shooter.  the female cop had been taken away.  a medic was pumping plasma into the shooter.  I’m not proud of this but I went up to her and said “this is the shooter, is there anyone else who needs attention…do them first”.  she indicated everyone else living was attended to.  I still hadn’t seen any EMTs or ambulances.   I had so much blood on me that people kept asking me if I was ok.  but that was all other people’s blood.  eventually (an hour and a half to two hours after the shootings) they  started landing choppers.  they took out the big African American guy and the shooter.  I guess the ambulatory wounded were all at the SRP building.  Everyone else in my area was dead.    I suppose the emergency responders were told there were multiple shooters.  I heard that was the delay with the choppers (they were all civilian helicopters).  they needed a secure LZ.  but other than the initial cops who did everything right, I didn’t see a lot of them for a while.  I did see many a soldier rush out to help their fellows/sisters.  there was one female soldier, I don’t know her name or rank but I would recognize her anywhere who was everywhere helping people.  a couple people, mainly civilians, were hysterical, but only a couple.  one civilian freaked out when I tried to comfort her when she saw my uniform.  I guess she had seen the shooter up close.  a lot of soldiers were rushing out to help even when we thought there was another gunman out there.  this Army is not broken no matter what the pundits say.  not the Army I saw.  and then they kept me for a long time to come.  oh, and perhaps the most surreal thing, at 1500 (the end of the workday on Thursdays) when the bugle sounded we all came to attention and saluted the flag.  in the middle of it all.  this is what I saw.  it can’t have been real.  but this is my small corner of what happened.

 

 

 

 

Tax Tips for Writers

I’m working on a series of small posts about tax tips for writers and also the general public – however, I don’t have any of it ready to post right this minute. Therefor, I am going to send you to a link on one of my beginning posts that started this blog, way back in Feb of 2008. Follow this link: http://resakov.wordpress.com/2008/02/20/tax-tips-for-writers/

or you can just click to the right on the Category of ‘Tax Talk’ and find the 2/20/08 post.

Oh, and here’s another Buzzard picture to go with the post below this – creepy, but oh, so fitting for the Halloween season! You may have to click and enlarge the picture to see the detail more clearly, and yes, the top is almost concealed in a fog cloud.

Buzzards

I don’t know why this picture draws me, but I like it. Every morning when my son and I leve for school, we drive by this tower and often see dozens of these Turkey Vultures gathering on this tower. This morning, it was foggy and only about half the normal contingent are present, but I had to snap a picture or two. Sometimes, there are many of them gathered on a nearby Mesquite tree, which becomes so crowded the limbs sag to the ground. Last week, we counted nearly 60 of them on the tower and wondered how much weight this was putting on the tower and why they have been gathering here for the past month or so. What is there for so many of them to eat? The tower is very close to IH 35  – could they be waiting for road kill? We have a few that come and temporarily roost on our house or big Oak tree, but never more than 3-4 of them at once.  Often, we see them gracefully soaring through the thermals, drifting, climbing. On the ground, they look awkward and huge, but in the air, simply grace.

Zuchinni Pasta & Rainy days

Finally, we are getting a series of rainy days and storms here and there. The good news – we really need the rain. The bad news – cooped up inside all day with bored people, so it’s hard to get anything done. Also, if there is a hint of thunder, my ‘brave’ dogs are almost always in my lap. It’s not so bad when Ruby sits under my desk [where she always is] – but when both dogs, at about 65 pounds each, get under there, it gets a bit crowded and the computer and phone wires get nudged, pulled and sometimes, disconnected. As you can see by the picture [this is Ruby], my feet are usually covered too. That’s actually a good thing – they are soft and warm!

Now, what’s this about Zuchinni Pasta? As a low carb eater, I had to find a substitute for pasta and experimented with several things. Surprisingly, I discovered several veggies that substitute quite well, but the most abundant veggie in my garden these past couple of years have been yellow squash and zuchinni. Here is how I prepare the zuchinni:

Clean zuchinni and pare off any bad spots. Usuing a vegetable peeler, cut thin strips of zuchinni – similar to if you were peeling a cucumber – except you are going to eat this! If you don’t like to look at the green stuff – some people, especially children, are green-aphobes – then peel and toss the green part. [Just don't tell me you did that!] Keep slicing off long peels, plan on 1 medium zuchinni per person if you are serving this as a meal in place of pasta. If the veggie peeler doesn’t work for you – you can also slice the zuke lengthways about 1/4 inch thick, then turn it on it’s side and slice thin slices off of that – it will look more like fettucine this way. Boil the ‘noodles’ in salted water for about one minute, then immediately rinse with cold water. When you are ready, add the sauce [it will heat up your noodles]. As an alternative, you can simmer the noodles in garlic butter or steam them and toss with your favorite cream sauce or add them to your regular pasta.

And I may as well add – yes, I tried MANY veggies this way. A particulary beautiful combination was zuchinni, celery, carrot and red pepper pasta. But each cooks at a different rate! The red peppers need about 7 minutes, the carots & celery about 4-5. You will have to experiment.

For REAL noodles, of course, you can cook the veggies to mush, let them cool and mix with flour, eggs and salt and make just like grandma used to make! While zuchinni is good like this, when making these noodles I prefer using spinach or sweet potatoes. WHAT??? You haven’t had sweet potato noodles? How about Sweet potato soup? Oh, my gosh are you missing out on some treats! But those are for another story time, boys and girls. Today is just about Zuke pasta and rainy days – hope you enjoy it!

Garden to freezer – to Table

I was cleaning out my freezer this evening and decided there were some good meals to be had in those little zip-lock baggies. First, the pineapple, coconut concoction – a Pina Colada.

Next, the peppers, tomatos, celery, onion, venison sausage & shrimp – voila! Jambalaya.

And finally, the peaches and bread crumbs – for a bread pudding dish.

So, we started out dinner with the best Pina Colada smoothies I have had – ever. While the boys snacked on Brussel Sprouts (ewww) and Broccoli – I whipped up one of the best Jambalaya dishes, complete with wild rice & herbs from my garden. Yum!

We’ll top it off with the peach bread pudding; I may even make a rum sauce to top it, although I like it fine just the way it is.

Want recipes? Earlier in my blog, I know I have listed the method for creating one of my Bread Pudding & Jambalaya dishes. Here is how I created the Bread Pudding tonite:

Spray a 13 x 9 baking dish with nonstick spray & preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cream together 1/4 cup butter and 1/2 cup Splenda. Beat in 2 eggs and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Add 1/2 cup cream. Break in approx. 8 pieces of crumbled, dried bread or hot dog buns (I throw the ends and pieces in the freezer just for this). Stir in 3-4 coups of sliced, peeled peaches. Mix all thoroughly, then spread into the greased pan. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour or until knife comes out clean when inserted into middle. Serve warm or cold, with or without a topping sauce. For a fancy desert to serve company, reserve a few sliced peaches & some fresh mint leaves for garnish. Heat up some peach preserves, then swirl a pattern on a plate. Place the warm cake slice off to one side, add a dip of vanilla ice cream, then place a peach slice & mint leaf to decorate. Top this all off with another swirl of the peach sauce. A rum sauce or caramel works well too; but it’’s easier to reach in the pantry for preserves and warm them up!

Beaten down by Unemployment

We’ve been lucky so far, our family hasn’t really imploded or exploded due to the stress of rising costs, failing markets, drought, cars breaking down, relentless heat, gardens and yards dying and more. But it has finally come to pass that the stress of being unemployed is beating down my husband like a mule driver standing over a dead-on-its-feet equine – still yielding the whip. Instead of yelling “Git up you nag’, this driver is yellin: ‘Stay down, suffer’. Is it any wonder the mule sometimes kicks or bites, or just lets out it’s bray of frustration? Unemployment is yielding the whip and my husband has, a time or two, let lose with a bray or two the past few days. [No bites or kicks - he's not that kind of man or I wouldn't have him]. We play the game, we help others, conserve where we can and endlessly, endlessly – send in, call in, attend seminars & stand in line – hoping for that one job interview, that one glimpse of ‘you will be rewarded for your efforts’ – a job. Instead, we get the carrot on the stick – plodding on, never to get that reward.

My mule is a stubborn one, but even the best can be beaten down.

Home style Sunday Brunch

It was a pleasant morning that I enjoyed by sipping my Earl Grey tea on the porch while watching the antics of my hummingbirds, the baby Anoles and the koi pond. The boys were still asleep and I had the urge to make a nice homey brunch – since it was moving towards the noon hour!

Gathering up the fresh eggs from our Buff Orringtons, some homemade sausage [venison and pork with garden onions, peppers, cilantro] and the ingredients for a low-carb Cinamon Coffee cake; I begin.

Well, I was going to get all cheery and write how to make the coffee cake – but anger has exploded in our home and I have other things to attend to.

So goes my peaceful Sunday. Oh well, I was blessed with a beautiful morning and inspiration!

Have a Blue Moo!

Restless, hungry and overwhelmed by stacks of paper on my desk, I decided to take a break. What am I going to eat? Here’s what I came up with and it is fantastic!

Blue sMOOthie

1 banana, a handful of blueberries [maybe 1/2 cup or less], 3 ice cubes, 1/2 cup plain yogurt & 1 pack no-cal sweetner, 1/4 cup skim milk. Blend in a blender until smooth – if too thick, add a little more skim milk; if too thin – add another ice cube or two until you get the texture you like. I like mine to look like a thick ice cream shake. This tasted great, felt good on a hot day and was a cool blue color [well, maybe more purplish].

So go have a Blue Moo!

New feature on my Blog!

Be sure to check out my new page (see heading of blog) that is titled ‘Books and Publishing’. Here you will find links to books and articles I have written or contributed to and ways to order copies. This site is currently under construction and I will periodically be adding new material and links – and hopefully a new book! Here’s a sample copy of one of the covers of a book featured here:

Harmonicas, Black Cats and an 18-Wheeler

What a strange evening we have had. A friend from the past, a long-haul truck driver that used to live in Alaska, stopped by on his way back from a delivery.  So now, [in my ultra uptight neighborhood that threw a fit when a client let his horse out in my yard and parked the trailer ]- now has a beautiful 18-wheel truck and trailer [refridgerated no less - so it has to stay running] parked on the edge of my yard. [I'm smiling at the comments I can't hear from behind closed doors].

When I first see him [the truck driver] it’s bedlam in my back yard. There is a sleek black cat, glowing yellow eyes, hissing and arched in the perfect Halloween image now in our yard. He was stalking  our chickens, which appear to be the exclusive property of our ‘dogs’; my son has just let said two dogs out [who think the chickens are THEIRS and cats don't belong], and whoosh, up the tree goes the cat. It belongs to the truck driver. So, dogs get locked up in the pen, we finally coax the cat out of the tree and take it into the house. The cat explores the dog territory - loves the cat mint treats from my herb garden that we grabbed to occupy it. The cat also is now fascinated with the finch on top of the aquarium! Fortunately, it never figures out the exact way to climb up the mantle or aquarium to get to the bird. So it lounges on my kitchen table, explores the kitchen cabinets – and hisses at anybody that gets close to it.

After dinner, out come the harmonicas. Yes, plural, about 8 of them. Imagine playing “Styx – Come Sail Away” on the harmonica while it quietly plays in the back ground on the computer. And John Denver, ZZ Top – real bizarre. And the stories – living in Alaska, canyons in Arizona, living in Yellow Stone. Who needs TV or video games for entertainment? Like the title says – all you need are Harmonicas, Black Cats and an 18-Wheeler. And good friends with stories of the road.