Finished Reading

The Bible - Various Authors
Paperback
1094 Pages
New International Version

My 12th time reading the Bible cover to cover. I just checked to see when I finished reading the Bible last year, October 28th. 

It was a good journey through the Bible. 

Certainly We Can Pick Them

On a few jaunts outside of the apartment Chris has pointed out some tomato plants to me.  Okay, I'll admit I probably didn't really notice but this one time as we were walking by she stopped and made me look and sure enough there was probably twenty or more cherry tomato plants, all dried up with plenty of ripe cherry tomatoes hanging from them (also dried up grapevines with plenty of grapes).

On our way back from our walk we stopped and looked at them again, I figured somebody just didn't feel like messing with them and neither would we.

So I start walking and notice Chris isn't with me, she had walked up the driveway leading to the plants and she's motioning me to follow her.  The plants our on a piece of land with what appears to be an abandoned apartment.  I couldn't see anybody living there.  We decide to pick the tomatoes.  I pull out a plastic bag and we start picking away.  Just then I see a lady approaching and I tell Chris.

The lady talks to us is native language and I'm telling her sorry (I actually just learned the word the previous day!) and she is saying "nema problema" (no problem).  She was not upset at all.  We thanked her and she  started walking away as did we, she turned around and made the gesture to pick more, we both agreed that was in fact what she was trying to tell us, so we picked more.

It appears she lived in a little camping trailer behind the apartments, probably a groundskeeper.  The Montenegrin people are amazingly kind.

Rock Rock Till You FROC

What are you talking about "Doc"? You go months without a story, and now this?

And so I begin. When I finished Marine boot camp I was sent to Twentynine Palms, California to attend Marine Corps Basic Electronics School (BES), afterwards my tech school as a Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) 2811, telephone and switchboard repairman. We were told how lucky we were as we could all get jobs with the telephone company (yeah right). Now there were other schools on base and one of them was for MOS 2531 Field Radio Operator. Now that's pretty much what it sounds like, the guy with the radio on his back. The school they attended was the

Field Radio Operators Course or FROC for short.

So as we went through school we were told if at anytime we failed two tests in a row we would get dropped to FROC. Although I never witnessed it I can see some truth to it as the Marine Corps wasn't going to pay to ship you off to some other school when they already had you there.

Now a popular song at the time was by a rock band called Def Leppard (sic), the song was "Rock Rock till you drop" During our physical training period we would go on a formation run. Someone would sing a chant and we would repeat back whatever that chant was. Something that was often sung during the runs was "Rock Rock till you FROC". Which we thought was funny.

Fast forward oh 30 years or so and here I am in Iraq. I have met several former Marine 2531 Field Radio Operators. These guys know radio like the back of their hands and paid well for it.

I on the other hand never did get a job with the telephone company, I work with computers now.

Life is funny.

Book Corner - Finished Reading

The Shooters (Presidential Agent, book 4) by W E B Griffin

Paperback

752 pages

Military fiction

This was by far one of the longest books I've ever read. It certainly kept my attention. I think this is the second book I've read by the author.

What I liked most about the book was that it revolves around my old assignment in Montevideo, Uruguay. He obviously knows the city very well, and apparently even where I worked!

I thought for the most part the setting was very good, some of it seemed a little off base.

I'll say it's a good read for those that like military fiction.

Book Corner - Finished Reading

Naked by David Sedaris

Paperback

224 pages

Humor

This was a very funny book, but very much on the strong rated "R" side. I wouldn't recommend this book unless you know what your getting yourself into.

Book Corner - Finished Reading

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

Paperback

372 pages

Drama

By far one of the best books I have read in awhile. As I do a horrible job with book reviews I have copied this from Amazon:

Khaled Hosseini's bestselling debut novel THE KITE RUNNER told of the bond and betrayal that linked two young Afghani boys, and showed how their personal and political history affected their lives and the lives of their children. In his second novel A THOUSAND SPLENDID SUNS Hosseini shows the tenuous alliance made between two Afghan women who are both married to the same brutal older man. Miriam, an illegitimate daughter, is 15 when she is married to Rasheed. Years later he takes another wife, the orphaned 14-year old Laila. Together, the two women, subjugated by culture and circumstance, must find a way to survive and protect that most-precious of commodities: hope.

One of the few times I'll say not just a good read, but a must read.

Book Corner - Finished Reading

Nikon D3100 For Dummies by Julie Adair King

Paperback

384 pages

Instructional

I breezed through this book and really enjoyed it. The author does an excellent job explaining the numerous settings on the Nikon D3100.

I was able to adjust my camera to take some interesting shots.

I would say this is a good read for any D3100 owner.

Book Corner - Finished Reading

The Last Oracle: A Novel (Sigma Force, No 5) by James Rollins

Paperback

434 pages

Adventure Thriller

Wasn't the best book I've read, wasn't the worst.