juliana, I had a dream last night that I found out that you used to live near me (specifically, Jamacia Plain, a kind of funky, hipster neihborhood/city adjoining Boston and Brookine) but by the time I found that out you had moved to MN.

I was so bummed out!

DH just called. He has to go to Atlanta for work--flying out Sunday and will be gone for Owen's first birthday on Monday.

I hope there is room in the crankyskirt for two.

ugh, Cashmere, what an awful week for you guys.

I'm glad we went to the funeral because DH got to see over half of his graduating class (they are mostly still very close) and we really got to celebrate Michael's life.

However, watching a parade of military officials and the governor of Indiana try to justify his death as a sacrifice for the freedom of our country and the safety of our children made me nauseous.

I do need to send his widow one of the pictures the groomsmen took at DH's bachelor party, though. All the groomsmen and ushers (including Micheal) stark naked except for their bow ties.

{{Cashmere}} I just caught up enough in the last thread to read about Michael. I'm so sorry. I'm sorry the funeral included justifications. They were probably comforting to some of the mourners, as bad as they were for you.

And that sucks that your husband will miss Owen's 1st birthday. It's just wrong. His employers should understand that, dammit.

Though sharing a crankyshirt with juliana sounds pretty fun.

They were probably comforting to some of the mourners, as bad as they were for you.

I'm sure it's the only thing helping some people deal. I just found the polical propaganda that seeped into the event distasteful.

I just found the polical propaganda that seeped into the event distasteful.

I get that. I find that sort of thing upsetting even when I'm not personally involved.

Oh, urk. Sorry, Cash.

Of our two friends that died in Iraq, both died in roadside ambush/IED attacks. Totally stupid and pointless in my opinion and very frustrating. However, I know their families took comfort in the "he died serving his country/protecting freedom" thing, although there's really no way I can totally believe that.

I guess I ended up looking at it like this: (I've thought about this a lot, probably to protect myself) Everyone in our military was a volunteer who chose to serve their country. That in itself is an honorable decision. The nature of one's death doesn't change the quality of how they chose to live.

However, when I hear someone say "We have to stick this out to honor those who have died" or some other bullshit like that, I just walk away before I say something I might regret.

I'm very sorry about Michael's death and I hope his family can find some peace.

Oh, Cashmere, what an awful week. I'm so sorry.