Appalachian Patria

Appalachian Intellectual. To me that means plain thinking. I am A Non Commissioned Officer in the Army Reserves. Let me say...My views expressed here are mine and not those of The U.S. Army, Army Reserve or my fellow brethren in The National Guard. This is entirely Sua Sponte. This is My Thinking. I'm single and in my mid 30's. Politicaly, I'm a Libertarian. (Again, Sua Sponte.I do not represent the Libertarian Party.)I love my native Appalachia, Rock n Roll and...I love God.

Name:
Location: Brevard, North Caroilina

I started blogging for two reasons. I was concerned about the changes to the area I live in, Southern Appalachia and I was about to go to the war. I was in Iraq in 06 and 07 and now Kuwait in 11 and 12. Blogging was a means of documenting my experiences and hoping it would help gain clarity. I don't feel that way about it any more. It's said people write blogs because they are frustrated, that's why people read them too. That makes us sound apocalyptic. Are we? Let it be said, what I say here is of my own thinking. This is entirely Sua Sponte and not an official representation of the U.S. Military or the U.S. Government as a whole.

Monday, November 07, 2005

A Great Big Post

First, I don't feel good. So, if you sit there and get these Sick vibes...It's true.


Drill sucked. Well, it didn't all suck, but, there was some real sucky stuff. Administrative kind of sucky stuff and general sucky stuff. When you have to hurry up and wait and stand in line...It sucks. No matter what. Regardless of who you are. Heck, the Commanding General has to hate that. Any how, that's the way it is. "Hurry Up and Wait Happens"...Make a heck of a bumper sticker. If you've been finger printed before you know how long it takes. One Print Set, two dozen guy's.

Ho Ho Ho
Well, my new Clothing issue came in. It felt like Christmas! I really needed them. But, we have a Progress Complexion. People said to me, "Why are you getting new ones? We're getting the new uniforms in a year". Maybe we are and maybe we aren't. Since I'm unofficially officially going to Iraq next year, chances are that I will. But, in the mean time I needed Uniforms. I heard this weekend that they are already making a change to the new ones. An article in Army Times warned of inferior copies being sold. Agh, it's just a fashion statement any more. It did feel like Christmas though.

One Heck of a Noise
I slept like a rock Friday night. I never do on a Saturday night though. I woke in the around 0200 and went to the Latrine, that's a Bath Room to you'l. OK Ed, the Head. a few minutes after I layed myself back down I heard a loud noise...BumpShrack...Well not exactly like that, but that's close for English Letters. It woke the boy in the room next to me. I looked out the window and saw nothing. I listened...Nothing. Then I got up and the other boy, who had been woken was up. He didn't know what it was either. I looked out side...Nothing. Just a set of tail lights going up the road. My woken buddy had saw them too. But, they were just past the Cabin. One of the guy's had parked parallel to the road and at 0545 we discovered that some one had rammed into the side of his truck at an angle. The MP's figured they hit it at 30 MPH. Now doing that to a fellow GI? So even if it didn't happen to me, that generally sucked.

Free Love
You want to know about this Iraq thing. A number of us have been selected to go, yours truly(insert smiley face hands waiving around head icon here) is amongst them. That's what Ft. McClellan was about. This I will say. No one really speaks of the situation on a Strategic Basis. Everyone has a matter of fact joking attitude that yeah, me and you are going to Iraq. There is no "Man we're really doing the right thing" or "Fuck this Bullshit"* being said. There are people who don't want to go. Most accept it quietly with a sense of determination. The other morning I ate with Jello and Jellouise where I ran into an old retired Gunnery Sgt**. He had been shot in the butt cheeks at Chosen Resevoir. He asked me what my situation was and I briefly explained. A few minutes later Jellouise asked me if Iwas nervous about going. My honest answer was not at the minute. Now when I'm going down Route Irish and road side garbage is exploding, I might be a little nervous. Please, if your a "Drive By Blogger"(Otherwise I preach to the quire) as General Hal Moore said, "Hate the War, love the American Warrior". Even if your not an American, feel free to love us.

Jello News
I'm dieing to call Jello Boy something else. He doesn't escape Jello though. On the Saturday before Halloween he dressed as Homer Simpson and dropped a Jello Shot on the floor. He ate it. At the party they asked who he had dressed as. He said he was Homer Simpson and ate Jello off of the floor. I wish he would earn a new nick name! The BIG Jello news is he's going to be a DADDY. Yep...Jellouise is expecting. But, Jello Boy has given birth to a nevouse smile weighing 4lbs 6 Oz.

Hill Billy Tea
I'm just now downing a Concoction. That's Liquor, Honey and Lemon...Microwaved. Take that and go to bed. I got it a little too warm though. Had to let it cool some. I've made pharmaceuticals. I know what goes in them...I avoid them. I am somewhat old fashioned in that way. I believe in sweating out a cold. This is a tough one. Two of the guys I work with, both healthy in their mid 30's had to go to the Doctor. Jack Daniels doesn't work.

NC Corn Liquor Competition
When I went to seee Southern Culture on The Skids the ol' boy said Stokes County had the best 'Shine, but, he had never had some from our side of the Blue Ridge. Someone next to me yelled Mitchell County. I could have yelled out for my beloved Transylvania but, I'm not an expert on such matters. Other than cough medicine I never touch it. And a beer seldom. It's just not me. Does that freak you out? If so, you have problems. OK, back to the best 'Shine. I figure we should have a North Carolina Corn liquor competition. Each County send in a sample. SCOTS can be the judge, since he has before. The Law would probably interfere with it. Someone didn't pay taxes on that stuff they won't let you pay taxes on you know.

I just stood up...I can tell I drank something powerful. Maybe I shouldn't be typing. I'm so glad I'm not an achoholic.

Well this post is not as big as I thought it would be.

Oh, I'm getting a new Predator Call. What does that mean to you? Nothing I supose.

Appalachian Intellectual

*My apologies on my language folks, but, you had to get the effect.
**An E-7 in the Marine Corps

11 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

A.I.
Hope you you feel better and get a good night rest. You may call it Hill Billy Tea... but my Mama would give me and my sisters(when we had colds) TEA that tasted/sounded VERY much like to what you wrote. She was nowhere near From the hills.

Earlier this year I was fingerprinted...now, now it was for a good cause! I am a volunteer!! I didn't get in trouble! Anyways, that was the first and only time I had been fingerprinted and it was all electronic. NO ink on my fingers, just some lotion.

Not that I have to wear it, but I am not sure I like the new uniform. I think it looks more "worn" in a shorter amount of time than those green ones. Just a civilian opinion.

OK - Under those covers and rest!

11:54 PM  
Blogger Hill Billy Rave said...

Well, Janie, I kow it's not only autonomous to these hills. I had to title that paragraph something. I usualy call it a concoction or like alot of folks simply by the ingrediants. It put a dent in it, but, i'll just have to wait and see.

Yeah, the Cops were telling us about the electronic finger printers. We're jealous. Let's see...you volunteered to be arrested? Hope it was fun.

7:59 AM  
Blogger Red Queen said...

It was a great post even if not a Big post. What kind of Preditor you trying to call in and what is it pretending to be? Do they mark the calls as " no real live animals were harmed in the making of this call? and how do they collect those lovely scents that hunter use anyway- fox urine, doe in heat. Some of the amish around this area swear by using vanilla from the kitchen cupboard- go figure.
Good luck getting health AI. And thanks for keeping us your readers updated cause we do care what happening in your neck of the woods.

8:42 AM  
Blogger Gun Trash said...

Not to diminish the danger there, but it looks like Route Irish has eased up some.

11:13 AM  
Blogger Gun Trash said...

New predator call? You better hide it from that Red Headed Giant or whatever his name was, eh?

11:17 AM  
Blogger Hill Billy Rave said...

Thanks for sick day's.

Red Queen, I use a blow call, not electronic, so no animals were harmed. I like to use a Rabbit in distress call. You can call in any varmit. Coyote, Bob Cat or a Bear. Bears aren't considered Varmits though, but, they can be called in.

Murf, do you think I misused the word?

AGT, true, they are finding the majoirty of IEDs along the route now. I just picked it off the top of my head. War is a series of trends. It's like the weather, it changes from day to day. While keeping the route clear, it's possible that the insurgents will counter with increasing the amounts that they plant. Anyhow, lets hope it stays that way.

If the Jolly red Head Giant uses my new call it will be while hunting. The boy retired.Already grown a beard!

12:38 PM  
Blogger sage said...

Nice post--I learned a bit more about you. If you unoffically/offically get sent to Iraq, I hope you keep posting.

My cold syrup: Disolve a whole bunch of peppermint sticks (crushed) in a cup of bourbon, add about a 1/2 cup of local honey,,,

As for NC Shine--I'm from the eastern part of the state and, 20years ago, they use to have some guys still brewing it up down in the Green Swamp... I've always wanted to try some good old fashion corn liquor made with only corn and spring water (sprout the corn to get the fermentation started)... Horace Kephart, in Our Southern Highlands (published back in the early 20th century)has a lot to say about traditional mountain moonshine.

10:32 AM  
Blogger Hill Billy Rave said...

Well Thanks Sage. Yeah, they make liquor down east, too. I imagine there is a differance. Mountain Spring water has to be better than the water down there. Nothing personal. Heck, our water is so ladden with minerals it can wear your teeth down.

One time I saw a boy from Boston who thought he was a real drinker have tears come to his eyes over something that came from out of Macon County. Must have been all of those worn down rubies. He wanted to try it.

I imagine that your syrup would work well. I've heard of that. Mine did OK. I still have this cold, yet, it knocked it down some. Maybe took it at the wrong time. The soar throat stage. I would like to read Our Southern Highlands sometime.

11:07 AM  
Blogger Ramblin' Ed said...

Right before I got out we were playing musical uniforms in the navy. My base was wear testing all the options, so there were about 5 different uniforms walking around. I was confused, since my definition of uniform is "the same".

Sage suprised me when he mentioned the Green Swamp, since that is where I grew up before I moved to Florida. Or rather, dad moved to Florida and I got packed along, protesting loudly the whole way.

Ain't that just like a commie Korean (or Chinese) to shoot a good soldier in the ass. Just ain't right, although you wonder what aspect he was firing from if his buttocks was taking fire.

I hope you get your predator. I saw Alien vs Predator and I think we're better off without him. So go get her done.

6:48 AM  
Blogger Hill Billy Rave said...

Rightously Ed!

7:41 AM  
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