Why I Love to Hate Christmas.

10. Crowded Malls.
Yes, this may be possible to avoid. However, each year with a approximately 1 to 2 days before the ho-ho man comes down the chimney, I find myself in the same position...at the mall running around, trying to find the perfect gift for everyone. I need to start shopping online and just have everything delivered.

9. People asking you what you want for Christmas.
Sadly, gone are the days are making a list for Santa Claus which included things like fire-engines, nerf guns, and super soakers. Today I'm much more practical. I need a tires for my car, someone to come clean my room, a new razor, a gold plated toilet, and $1,000,000 in small unmarked denominations...you know, the simple things.

8. Babies...Crying Babies.
Normally I don't mind the crying child in church or out at the restaurant, but why is it around the holidays, no matter where you are...there is a crying child. Not just crying, screaming at the top of its lungs, and all Mom or Dad does it pat the thing on the back and tells it to hush...Obviously not working chief, give the kid a Quaalude and knock it out.

7. Christmas Music. (Except for a few choice songs)
It's good to hear Alvin and the Chipmunks for about .5 seconds.

6. Relatives that visit and see your room as the Holiday Inn Express.
"Sure, we would love to have you visit! There's plenty of room."
Not really Mom/Dad, year after year, my room has been offered to family members from out of town to stay in...where do I sleep? The couch in the basement. Not even the couch in the living room, because: "People may want to get up and watch TV in the morning." But what the hell, there's a continental breakfast in the kitchen in the morning soooo....


5. Christmas Lights.
Sure they look nice, but how the hell did they get up there? This year I found myself scaling our bi-level colonial on an ancient 15' aluminum ladder like spiderman just to reach the last hook to put up the good old white C-9 GE bulbs...I almost killed myself.


4. "Happy Holidays!"
What the hell happened to Merry Christmas. Now I know not everyone believes in the Baby-JMan, the far star in the east, frankincense, gold,myrrh and all that jazz...but hey if you wanna say Merry ChrisMaHanuKwanzikah, or whatever it is you believe in, by all means go ahead.


3. Wrapping Presents.
I can't fold my own clothes. How do you expect me to neatly wrap presents? First off, it's a waste of paper, all you do is tear off the damn stuff anyway and throw it out. I was "green" way before my time one year and wrapped everything in the comic section from the Express-Times...I still hear about it.

2. Stores that won't give you a box.
"Sorry, we're all out of boxes." What? are you serious? So now I have this lovely Cardigan sweater I bought someone and you don't have a box for it to go in? You've got to be kidding me.


1. People who take your spot in church.
This is a sore subject for me. Normally, I roll out to church about 10mins prior to kick-off. Christmas Mass? Forget about it. We have to leave the house about 45 minutes early just to get some random spot in church. Now I know not everyone goes to church every weekend, hell...I'll be honest I sometimes even don't. But please, this is my spot, you can stand in the back.


Hey everyone, this is just a list I came up with, most of it isn't even serious. I actually love Christmas. I think it's one of the best holidays of the year. There's just something about it. I love spending time with my family, even if they take my bed, I love hunting for the perfect tree and savagely hacking it down...It brings out the inner lumberjack in me. From me to you, Merry Christmas...Happy Hanukkah...Merry Kwanzaa? Whatever it is you celebrate, I hope it's great.

Merry Christmas!!!

Homecoming

I drove up the wide street, with everything still the same as it has been in my memory. My street is wide, with single moderately sized homes spaced evenly on either side. The large oak, elm, and maple trees had all but already lost their leaves. I pulled into my normal parking-spot right in front of the green full hedges that guard our driveway. I got out of the car and walked up the long driveway, past the light that's always on when Mom knows I'm coming home. I walked into the foyer greeted by the large grandfather clock that I saw so many times when I snuck home after late nights when I was in high-school. The big hand stretched across it's face indicating it was 9:02, the Westminster chime bellowed through the house...I'm home.


It's been a tough week for my parents and family, with my younger-sister losing one of her high-school classmates after a tragic illness and the loss of a family friend, AMT2 Jason S. Moletzsky who was tragically killed when his C-130 Hercules aircraft collided with a AH-1W Super Cobra off the coast of California. I could see it on their faces and in their eyes, it had been a long week. Mom and Dad had just returned from the service in Norristown for Jason. Although the grief and sorrow was evident, they were happy to have me home. I don't come home often, but when I do...my parents are happy to have me home.

As I walked through the dining room and into the kitchen, I placed my bags down next to large wooden table cluttered with my younger sister's homework. I walked into the florescent lit kitchen and greeted my father. Now for as long as I have known my father, he has never used much profanity besides a dammit here and a hell there if you can even consider that profanity in today's society, so what he said next really struck me.

He shook my hand and told me:

"Jarrett, do your four years and get the hell out, you can't get f****** killed, I can't do what those parents had to do today."

The first thing home my father told me was not to get killed. I was kind of blown-away at first and didn't know what to say. I'm sure I responded with something along the lines of " Dad, I'm not gonna get killed." Now I don't know if my family reads these, but if they do, Mom and Dad...my intention is not to get killed. My intentions are to serve my country with dignity, honor, and courage...to do my duty to the best of my ability.

My parents worry about me a lot. Ever since I signed my contract with the Army, all the way to today when there is a report of a soldier killed in combat or lost in action I flip the channel or quickly change the subject. It's my way of trying to diffuse the situation.

It's only natural for my family to worry, but in the next breath my parents are quick to tell me how proud they are of me and I thank them for that. Ever since I was a young boy, I've always tried to make my parents proud, and it's good to know that they are.

...Rules to Live by

I don't know why I entitled this post the way I did. In actuality, what I'm about to share with you are not any types of rules at all. Rather they're things I try to do everyday, think about everyday, and remember all the time.
Things my parents taught me, things I've learned from friends, and just somethings which I came up with throughout my twenty-one years of "experience." I would be lying if I said that I did each and every one of these things every day, but I do at least one. As I stated previously, these are things that I do. If you would like to take some and make them your own, go right ahead. These are the rules that I try to live by, they're not deep or philosophical in nature, rather just small things that sometimes mean a lot. The list posted below is by no means everything, and it's not in any specific order, but here goes...
15.) Laugh at Yourself.
If you know me, you know I love to laugh. But honestly, you can't laugh at anything or anyone until you can laugh at yourself. There's the time the door at the quickie-mart blasted the buttons off of my shirt, a la Bruce Banner, or the time I apologized for entering into the men's restroom because I literally ran into the man that I-thought-was-a-woman. If you can't laugh at yourself, you're too serious.

14.) Never Take Yourself Too Seriously.
"If you take everything too seriously, you'll never make it out of this life alive." There's a time for joking around and there is a time to be serious. Then, there is that gray area in between...I like to call, "daily life".

13.) Call Your Parents.
Now I don't do this everyday, nor do I think it is a weekly necessity. But a phone call to mom or dad to see how their day went every once in a while, really means a lot.

12.) Hold the Door Open for the Person Behind You.-Even if they're 10 feet behind you.

11.) If It Looks Good, Eat It.
Too many people today are worried about carbs and calories. As long as you're not chowing down on big-mac's for breakfast lunch and dinner, you will be OK!

10.) Always Remember You Pick Your Friends, but Not Your Family.
Everyone's family is crazy in their own way, it's what keeps things interesting.

9.) Don't worry about the money.
I know most people who read this blog are college age kids fretting about making rent and paying back student loans, but you're going to get a job and you will make money, so we might as well spend it why we don't have it. Some may say, "Well money's tight right now,"...let's get real, it's not like any of us are on the brink of filing Chapter 11 bankruptcy...spend it. (As long as it's a rational purchase)

8.) Listen
Someone once said you have one mouth and two ears so you can listen twice as much as you can speak. I believe this holds a great deal of truth. When someone takes the time to talk to you, make sure you do more than just hear what they have to say, listen. You may be surprised about how much you learn. It's the difference between passive listening and active listening. I'll be the first one to say I'm guilty of this one.

7.) Talk to Your Grandparents
If you're lucky enough to have them still around, take time to talk to them, I know I wish I could. Yea, they may yack your ear off for hours but chances are, they're part of the "Greatest Generation." They know a lot about sacrifice, love, loss and pretty much everything else in between...because they lived through it. They know how to fix things and "make-do." They're really our best link to our past, and sadly they're not going to be around forever.

6.) Don't Sweat the Small Stuff.
You failed a test...so what? Your boyfriend dumped you...so what? Work sucks...what else is new? You got caught picking your nose in the library by the "hot girl"...not a big deal. Honestly, people tend to over-exaggerate their problems. The fact is, life goes on whether you're ready or not. If you know me, you've heard me say it before:
Every day you are able to wake up and get out of bed is a good day.

5.) Take Your Hat Off at the Dinner Table
Pretty much learned that one the hard way ever since I was a little kid-Thanks Mom.

4.) Take a time-out.
Every night before I go to sleep, I get on my knees and thank God for keeping me safe through the day. I can't say that I'm extremely religious. I believe in God, I go to church, I do my thing. Even if you're not into praying or all that religious stuff, just before you go to bed is a good time to look back and reflect on the day's events. It really helps you to put everything into perspective.

3.) Take the Long Way Home.
Sometimes your life becomes one big routine and you take the same way home everyday. Break it. Who knows what you may discover, maybe even your friend's stolen bike.

2.) If it's less than $10 don't worry about it.-again don't worry about the money.
You'll look like an idiot asking the person for the $6.50 they owe you. Like I said, none of us are filing for Chapter 11, and if you are, you shouldn't have lent the person the five-spot to begin with. When you let someone borrow a nominal some of money, consider it an act of charity and don't expect to get it back.

1.) Give People a Break.
Not everybody has had the same advantages that some of us have had, and everyone deserves a break once in a while. People make mistakes, cut them some slack.

To steal a quote from one of my favorite books, The Great Gatsby:

"In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that I've been turning over in my mind ever since.
"Whenever you feel like criticizing any one," he told me, "just remember that all the people in this world haven't had the advantages that you've had."

Why I did what I did...

I figured this post would come up sooner or later. But as I sit here in Philadelphia thinking about how in less than 9 months I will be commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the finest Army in the world, it occurred to me:


I really don't know why I chose to join the Reserve Officers Training Corps.

If you asked me to give you a reason I really wouldn't be able to come up with one.


I could give you a few reasons why I didn't need to join.

I didn't need the scholarship.
I didn't need the monthly stipend.
I didn't need the leadership experience.
I didn't need to put on a uniform.

But maybe these reasons add up to why I did what I did.

I know why I chose what I chose, yet still people ask, "Why did you do it?".

I can honestly say that first and foremost, I owe a great deal to the United States of America. Here, I have been afforded so many luxuries and opportunities that some take for granted on a daily basis.

The U.S. is a place where I can wake up free from tyranny and oppression and walk out my front door and automatically have liberties and freedoms not found in other countries.

So, maybe I did it to preserve our American way of life.
Maybe I did it to protect & defend America from her enemies, both foreign and domestic.
Maybe I did it to fight for those who can't fight for themselves.


I did it because I owed it.

It was something small I could do to give back and repay my debt. A debt you find on any type of invoice or billing statement brought in the mail.

One day I'll be able to look back and say that I did my part.

....it's why I did what I did, why I chose what I chose.

I'm just trying to do things right, and God I hope I'm doing them right.


Thank you to all of my friends and family, without your support I wouldn't be where I am today.

Back to doing what we do best...

Ladies and Gentlemen, yet another semester has come upon us. Some friends have already left to go out do great things. Others are trying to get out of here early. Some have even decided to stay in order to pursue the opportunity of enrolling for graduate studies. And yet others are continuing to work on an extended stay here at our fine university.

But all kidding aside, it has come to my attention that our time here together is slowly dwindling down. The clock is ticking and you can almost count the days, hours, and minutes. Well actually, you can.

As of today, approximately only 242 days remain.

242 days can be converted to one of these units:

• 20,908,800 seconds


• 348,480 minutes


• 5808 hours


• 34 weeks (rounded down)

Two-hundred and forty-two days. That's all we're talking about here people. Not a lot of time at all. After graduation, what's next? Some people will go on to grad school, others will get jobs, and some might hang out at home for a couple of months until they get their feet on the ground. But really the purpose of this post isn't to talk about what we will do when we graduate.

The purpose of this post is to challenge each and everyone of us to make the most of every second we still have left together.

It sounds pretty cheesy, but really, it's all we have.


242 Days, what are we gonna do with them?

Buchanan Family Vacation Part XXI

You see, for as long as I can remember Summer, there's always been the Jersey Shore. This year will mark my 21st summer spent there. Sure you can go to the Carolina's or to Florida, but nothing beats packing up the car and driving only a few hours to your favorite shore destination.
My family's favorite? Ocean City.

It's small, quiet, and clean. Over the passed two decades or so, I've amassed many stories. Sure, I could tell you about all the precious moments my family shared over the years. Instead I'll leave you with a few highlights, specifics, and generalities. Names may have been altered or omitted to protect the identities of the innocent.

1. The time I "ghost rode" my 'Danger-Chaser' bike right off the end of the boardwalk, Age 6.

2. My family steals a ladder off of a work truck to reach the second floor deck because of a lock-out.

3. Sleeping on an air-mattress it seems like every year, although of recent I've been lucky enough to score a twin, usually sharing a room with Uncle Mike.

4. Home-made, mom-made, dinners....can't beat it.

5. Brown's Donuts.

6. One of my relatives decides it's a good idea to go on the tilt-o-whirl. "Said relative", vomits on tilt-o-whirl and it is shut down for the rest of the evening.

7. Being one of the only families on the beach without a beach umbrella, we also happen to be the family that is the most "pigment challenged," as I like to say.

8. Hot Dogs...The only food I ate at the beach until about the age of 12, my Dad used to take me to this one stand right off the beach, they were the best.

9. Go-Karts. No Bumping. No ZigZagging. No Racing. No Passing. No Break Checking. Gas is on the right Brake is on the Left. Nuff' Said.

10. Waiting for the trolley with my grandfather, Pop. MyAge approx 8.

We must have waited what seemed like forever for that damn trolley. I was fascinated by it and Pop would take me and wait with me ever so patiently to see if I could catch a glimpse or hear it's bell. It reminded me of the trolley on Mr. Rodgers. While we were waiting he would tell me stories and whistle oldies...I mean oldiieeeessss. It's funny the things you remember.


Not at the beach.
Not on vacation.
And sure as hell not at the "seashore."

This upcoming week I'll be down the shore.

CTRL-ALT-DELETE

Hey everyone,

I'm going to try and keep things short tonight.

Below is something I wrote a few years ago. You may have seen it when I throw it up in an away message once in a while.
I think it does hold some type of meaning in the world we live in presently. Today it's just so easy to go back and edit something we wrote, or to restart a computer if it freezes. However, in life it's not always that easy. You just can't highlight a phrase and make it disappear, insert something that sounds better and call it a day.

You just can't restart your life.


"Sometimes in life I wish you could just ctrl- z and undo things or better yet crtl-y and go back to the best parts and re-do them but you can't. You won't find a reset button like you would on an xbox or ipod, and you cant just press ctrl-alt-delete and end the task when things get fucked up. You just have to keep going and hopefully you save things along the way so you never lose them."

Let me know what you think.

Friends

They say you can tell a lot about who by you hang out with. Well if that's true, I probably have a lot of explaining to do.

You see, I have all different types of friends.

I have tall friends.
I have small friends.
I have marine friends.
I have 'I'm in grad-school and I'm a wanna-be real doctor' friends.
I have apple-poster child friends. (He'll pobably read this on his Iphone while he's in Cali sipping a chai-tea latte)
I have Kenny Chesney-loving country friends. (KENNNYYY CHESNAYYYY)
I have bad-driver friends.
I have recently of age friends.
I have New York friends. (Ughh NY, yes I know.)
I have Pittsburgh-I-call-soda-"pop" friends.
I have DZ friends. (And practically DZ friends **cough-cough** Lauren)
I have New Jersey friends.
I have New York Yankee Loving Lebanese friends.
I have crazy ROTC friends.

I have all kinds of friends. So many that I don't even have enough time on here to go through them all.

I'm lucky.

But one thing is for sure is that you all have played a great deal in making me the person that I am. I know it's kind of a serious subject to kind of start off for a blog that's meant to entertain, but thanks.

I think it's very fitting for me to make this first post about you. (collectively)

Thanks for making me who I am.

Thanks for the 3am advice, the rides home, the ipod I'm currently leasing, the cookies you baked, the bathroom that you clean all the time, the lessons I've learned, the time you helped me find my keys, the OPORD that needed to be out the next morning, and the book you let me borrow. Thanks for everything guys.

And for those of you lucky ducks who didn't get a picture, don't worry...I'll make sure I thank you when I see you and trust me, theres plenty of time for me to blog about you!

The Most Anticipated Event of the Summer

Friends, Colleagues, Distinguished Guests & Dignitaries,

The wait is over.

The most anticipated event of the summer has arrived. No, it's not your vacation or trip to the shore. It's not the new car you bought with your "cash-for-clunker" money. It's not even Musikfest.

It's my blog.

Calm yourselves, consolidate, and reorganize. This blog is going to be about anything and everything.

Warning, it will not for be the elderly, weak, or faint of heart.

As of now, it is still under construction, but look for an update soon.