July 21 we remember a good friend

chris
Originally uploaded by monkeyrind@gmail.com

July 21 marks a very tough day.

Major Christopher Cooper left us last year. My family and myself have spent the year remembering him, as have the friends and wonderful family he left behind. A year ago today his plane went down in Guam, where Chris and 5 other crew members died.

His childhood photo of himself in the B-52...when he knew it was what he wanted to do...is a stunning picture, which resembles the taller version of that kid in all of the decades of the pictures up to last year.

He was a wonderful Friend...full of life, odd humor...an absolute character to the end. Chris' insight to the human condition was spot on.

He was a wonderful Son...with a level of respect and reverence for his family that rivals most. What he had already learned from his elders at his age put to shame the rest of us.

He was a wonderful Patriot...with an unwavering loyalty and love for his country...and for the people that he swore to protect. He was what the tradition of honor was built on, and the Soldiers and Airmen that I have met through him are filled with awe of his service.

Chris will always be in the hearts and minds of myself and my parents, his friends, and foremost his family.

Today I want to say that the Sustare family is still deeply mourning Chris and sends support to the Cooper family. I also want to say that he died doing what he loved and had more honor and bravery than most of us will see in our lifetimes...and was humble about that fact.

Godspeed Major Cooper

Please celebrate Chris today and celebrate the military men and women you know and love.
Susanna

come on....really!?!

I have not done a stunning job with the old blog....in fact, I believe I still have a few of the senses to write about...which I will.

But not tonight.

All I am noting tonight...due to a low level of Monday Malaise...is something I noticed at dinner.

While eating a lovely Tom Kha Scallop soup I couldn't help but notice the woman at the table next to us. She was very carefully and quietly blowing her nose into a tissue. At first I thought it was polite of her to do it so slowly and in low tones....but after LITERALLY 6 minutes of the steady nose blowing I was ready to pull a Neti Pot out of my purse for her. Hell, I had time to go to the store and buy one for her while she was still doing it.

It was amazing that I was so bothered by it, but it was like water torture! Okay...that's an exaggeration....but it was real yucky.

That's all I got tonight.
Sleep then...