MWTC Marines – and my friend Jenn – Make a Dream Come True

Alex Saldivar’s dream to become a Marine made possible by Marine Warfare Training Center Marines this past July 4th. He donned full uniform, was inducted in ceremony, and walked in the Bridgeport, Ca Independence Day parade.

Newest MWTC Team Member

Getting Started Vid: Kayaking

Today’s “Expert Advice” email from REI includes a very good video which shows proper stroke technique (push, don’t pull) and using a paddle as an outrigger for stability when entering the boat.

Note the paddle sticking up

Four Minute Squash

A friend from JIEDDO kindly brought me some squash grown in his home garden. As ecstatic as I am to get anything for free, especially during my birthday week when it’s technically a present, I also didn’t have much time to prepare dinner before heading out after work.

So I recalled the  dateless nights of my not-too-distant bachelorette  days when I had to fend for myself and feed off whatever I had haphazardly stocked in the fridge. I remembered my secret weapon: the microwave!

Ok all needless prose aside:

Chop squash, put in bowl. Add some water. Add some sliced jalapenos from jar. Cover with saran wrap. Nuke for 5 minutes, stirring halfway through. That and a heaping helping of the pastitsio that Michael’s mother sent us home from Boston with and I had myself a real meal!

Fw: Favorite

Have you ever wondered what happened to the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence?

Five signers were captured by the British as traitors and tortured before they died.
Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned.
Two lost their sons serving in the Revolutionary Army; another had two sons captured.
Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or hardships of the Revolutionary War.

They signed and they pledged their lives, their fortunes,and their sacred honor.

What kind of men were they? Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists. Eleven were merchants. Nine were farmers and large plantation owners; men of means, well-educated, and they signed the Declaration of Independence knowing full well that the penalty would be death if they were captured.

Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and trader, saw his ships swept from the seas by the British Navy. He sold his home and properties to pay his debts, and died in rags.

Thomas McKeam was so hounded by the British that he was forced to move his family almost constantly. He served in the Congress without pay, and his family was kept in hiding. His possessions were taken from him, and poverty was his reward.

Vandals or soldiers looted the properties of Dillery, Hall, Clymer, Walton, Gwinnett, Heyward, Ruttledge, and Middleton.

At the battle of Yorktown, Thomas Nelson, Jr., noted that the British General Cornwallis had taken over the Nelson home for his headquarters. He quietly urged General George Washington to open fire. The home was destroyed, and Nelson died bankrupt.

Francis Lewis had his home and properties destroyed. The enemy jailed his wife, and she died within a few months.

John Hart was driven from his wife’s bedside as she was dying.Their 13 children fled for their lives. His fields and his gristmill
were laid to waste. For more than a year he lived in forests and caves, returning home to find his wife dead and his children vanished.

So, take a few minutes while enjoying your 4th of July holiday and silently thank these patriots. It’s not much to ask for the price they paid. Remember: freedom is never free!

Fw: Favorite

This is why you should ALWAYS twirl once in front of a mirror before leaving your house.

$185 for Brite Smile Teeth Whitening – Groupon

If you need to whiten your teeth, this is the best deal you’re going to find. But before you purchase the “Groupon,” why don’t you scroll down a bit and read the sales copy…I think it’s pretty funny but maybe I’m just punch-drunk from a long couple of weeks:

Aside from the obvious benefits of teeth whitening—professional advancement, increased sex appeal, etc.—there are lesser-known practical pluses. For example, if you and your partner each get a treatment, you’ll not only look better for each other, but you can use each other’s teeth as mirrors when you need to comb your eyebrows on the go. If you ever lose a post-whitened tooth, you can find an African ivory poacher and trade it for pure gold. This Groupon also makes an excellent gift for a loved one with disgusting teeth. If you’ve been slacking on maintaining your basset hound’s dental hygiene, make up for it by giving him the gift of teeth whitening: he’ll be happy anyway and you can attribute his joy to your generosity.