Chad Update : 01.30.07

Hi Guys -

Well i have received a few emails from Chad in the last couple of
days. it sounds like he is doing well... he is definitely working his
butt off to the point where i'm not sure he sleeps... but he tells me
things are as good as they can be down there.... so i guess that's the
best we can ask for.

He says some of the higher ranking officers have noticed that he has
been working hard which is really important so that's good too.

I had planned to meet there boat in the next week or so, but their
route was changed and that will no longer be possible.

in a few days i believe they will be on land however, so he may have
more time to email and i am hoping to get a phone call when he gets a
chance.

sadly, due to the change in schedule they will be arrived in the
middle of april, about 2 weeks later than originally planned.

that's all i've got for now, i will keep everyone posted when i hear
more... and as always, feel free to email me if you have any
questions!!

i hope everyone is doing well!
Love,
Stefanie : )

Troop Care Packages

Hi! Hope that everything is going well. I need your help with something, please! My sister is involved in Student Council at her high school. They are wanting to put together care packages for troops in Iraq or elsewhere. I thought it would be so cool if they could be sent to someone we know! How do we go about doing this? What do you want or need? What are the restrictions? Any advice? Can you provide details and a shipping address? THANK YOU so much. I really support this project and hope that you all can be the fine, Aggie men to receive such a wonderful gift. Let me know what you know. Love ya'll!

Sarah Shalley
www.sarahshalley.photoreflect.com

Wedding pictures will be up soon (we hope) at www.capturedbylyns.photoreflect.com

Update on Sean

Here's an update on Sean....

He is currently on the aircraft carrier USS Eisenhower. He is just on the carrier temporarily (about a month total...1 or 2 more weeks to go) as a liason officer. He likes being on the carrier, as it is bigger and therefore a lot more accommodating than the Anzio (a cruiser), and also he really enjoys the work he is doing. However, he will be happy to get back to the Anzio when that time comes, as he has all his "stuff" there (he could only take what he could carry with him on the helicopter ride over to the Ike) and it just feels a little more like home. His Anzio email is forwarded to his email account on the carrier, so that address is good no matter where he is. Also, I found out yesterday that his deployment got extended 3 weeks :( It is part of President Bush's plan to increase the troops...He wants 2 carriers (therefore 2 strike groups) in the Persian Gulf at all times now. Sooo, he'll get home at the end of May rather than the beginning of May. That makes the deployment almost 8 months instead of 7. It's a bummer, but not as bad as it could be so I'm thankful for that! Plus, Sean sounds pretty positive about it--they are doing a great job and making progress in the war on terror, so that makes it worth it. Hopefully we'll get to see everyone shortly after he returns...I know he'll be ready to see all of you! In the meantime, send him an email and let him know what's going on in your life...I'm sure he'd love to hear from everyone! (And of course I would, too!)

I'll continue to live with my parents here in TX until I move back to Virginia, which will probably be around the beginning of May. Let me know if you're ever passing through the thriving metropolis of San Saba, TX ... A visit would be greatly appreciated, as it gets a little boring here at times! My cell phone number is 757-412-9618. Take care, and I hope to see yall soon!

Love,

Shayna

Chad Update #2

Hello again...

i just thought i'd let everyone know, i got an email from Chad... he
is out on the sub but will probably be able to read his emails for the
next couple of days yet.

he is very busy, working hard trying to qualify for a bunch of
different positions. he's making some friends and learning who to
steer clear of he says.

so i think he's enjoying himself as much as he can... and i know he
misses all of you guys.

i don't know when i will hear from him again but i will let you know.

I hope life is good for everyone down in Texas. And as always, feel
free to email me at any time if there is anything i can help you with.

~Stefanie

Chad Update

So the first update i have on Chad is that he was in Japan for the
last week - doing some work and having some fun... he did get to take
a trip to Tokyo and see some sites and i got to talk to him on the
phone a few times.

as of now however, i believe the sub has left or will be doing so VERY
soon. He will check his emails as soon as he can, the sub has to
surface in order for them to do that.

as far as i could tell he was doing well and working hard! I probably
won't here from him for 3 or 4 weeks but i will post an update as soon
as i do.

Hope everyone had a great new year and i wish everyone all the best for 2007!

Love,
Stefanie

Hi : )

Hey Guys and Girls -

I'm not sure if this will work because i haven't mastered this whole
blogging thing yet... and i think i accidentally posted it as a
comment somewhere... so if it shows up in two places im sorry - but
anyway i just wanted to say if anyone needs any information or wants
to email or send mail to chad PLEASE feel free to email me and i will
be glad to give out all the information i have.

i'm sure he'd love to hear from you while he's gone and i know he
misses you all!

I hope everyone had a great Christmas...
HAVE A GREAT NEW YEAR!!

-Stefanie

OK...for all of you who missed the preparty (aka tonight...) I will give directions for tomorrow night--because it's going to be one freakin' happhy Christmas.

Tonight Ben had his womnan here. She's a cool girl--GO BENNNN!!!! She should be here tomorroe night too!!!!

From Greenville (Matt-I don't have cell service at the land and never will b/c this is East Texas)--hit Greenville from McKinney and go south on Highway 69. After Alba you will see a Chevron station on the left and a sign for Golden on the right. Keep going straight and you hit the farm(4020 US 69 across from Smith Produce...a non descript little culvert) or take a left down FM 779 and you will see the cabin eventually on the right at the bottom of a big hill--where Olk' Red was hit last year---this party should be in dedication to him.

From Dallas--take IH 635 South/East until you hit HWY. 80 towards Terell. Stay on HWY. 80 (you have to take a right to stay on before Terell) until you go through Grand Saline. Right after this terrible town you will see FM 1799. Go north until you hit Golden and you will see FM 779. Take a right which will take you to US Highway 69. Take a right to get to the farm (4020 US 69 just about 30 seconds down the road on the left) or go straight pass the Chevron station down 779 until you go down a big hill and see the littler red cabin on the right.

FROM HOUSTON: WARNING!!!!! ONCE north of Kingwoood there will NOT, I REPEAT NOT, be another place to buy alcohol before reaching the land. Go north on 59 until you hit Lufkin. Take a right on the loop and hit 69 North. Stay on 69 through Tyler and Mineola. The farm is about 6 minutes north of Mineola on the right at 4020 US 69 North. To get to the cabin, go abuot 30 seconds more until you hit FM 779 before the Chevron station. Go right and follow the road until you go down a big hill after a baptist church. We are on the right.

Bring friends, shotguns, and alcohol!!!! It's going to be a big bonfire and a verry verry Merry CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This Saturday

Well it should be fun. I think the theme is "Creative Christmas Drinks." The only one I know is the egg nog recipe Lloyd and I perfected on South Padre this last weekend as we put up his Christmas Tree. Ol' Lady Harper has some fun people in his life...be sure to ask him about the newest arrivals! Go Ol' Lady.

There will probably be a very large bonfire with all the wood leftover from the harvest of many of trees. My brother and his wife will be coming driving through from Atlanta. It will probably be cold so come prepared!

Bonfire in East Texas

Well it is that time of year again. When it gets a little colder and Christmas is near, and the boys from C-2 descend on a little farm in east Texas for a little drink and a little fire and a whole lot of fun.

From what I understand the festivities are set for Saturday night. We would love to see everyone there. Bring your tents, warm clothes, alcohol and a party attitude.

If you need directions let me know and I will get them to you. If you want to ride with someone I know there will be cars leaving from Dallas and College Station for sure. Post free capacity here and we will get anyone there that just wants to ride.

More details to follow.

Your resident geek,

Jonathan

Need ChadO's Address

ChadO, I need your address please! I sent ya some mail and it came back returned. : (
THANK YOU. Miss you and love you!

*Hope that everyone had a great Thanksgiving. We're scattered all over the Earth right now...BUT I want you to know that I am so thankful for our friendships and that we remain close and in contact. OH, and I'm super thankful that the AGS BTHO tu!! WHOOP!
Love ya'll.
-Sarah

A note from Sean

It is good to hear from you. I won't be back in Texas for a while. I
am currently about a month into a seven month deployment here in the
Middle East. We are just here riding shotgun with the USS Dwight D.
Eisenhower (Aircraft Carrier). I should be back in May. I should get a
couple of weeks leave when we get back and you better believe I will be
making a trip back to Texas.

I hope that everything is going well for everyone back there. If you
talk to any of our buddies give them my best. I hope that the business
is booming for you guys up in East Texas. I can't wait to get back to
the greatest place on earth (Texas). Traveling the world makes you
realize just how great things are back in the states and more
importantly Texas.

So far things are going great over here. It has been busy but the time
is flying by. We stopped in Naples, Italy and Tivat, Montenegro on the
way over here. Naples is NICE but we took the train up to Rome
for a few days and had a great time up there. Montenegro was
surprisingly a great time. They just gained their independence from
Serbia a few months ago and I was expecting to see bombed out buildings
everywhere following the war in the Balkans a few years back. To our
surprise it was quite the opposite. The people there are great and it
is very cheap. You can get a beer for less that 1 Euro. While we were
there we hosted a reception for their President and many
ambassadors.

Well take it easy and drop me a line when you get a chance. It is
always good to hear how things are going back home.

Sean

Sad News of the Corps

This is worth reading:
For all Ags and Ags at heart:

Today, the commandant of the Corps handed down a direct order that no upperclassmen shall wear a Band Lyre or Corps Brass insignia on their uniform. Appearently, this is because of a fish parent who has complained directly to President Gates, and Governor Rick Perry about a video on her cadet's outfit website. The video covered a whipout party. For those not following this, her son was videotaped shaking hands with upperclassmen, in order to meet them. I will admit that this is done in a rather intense fashion, but it is nothing compared to other things that go on out in the
open for all the world to see, such as smoking, or crap outs as the old ags call them.

For those of you who are familiar with the Facebook, several groups have been created to protest the decision, but we have been told by members of Corps staff that we should not join, or leave these groups, because the Commandant's staff likes to use facebook to police cadet behavior and the consequences maybe unknown.

Right now, anyone found to be wearing the prohibited brass with receive two automatic restricted weekends, and threats have been made that all chains of command will be held responsible for the noncompliance of subordinates. This is something a Q pisshead put together. I have encouraged him to send it to the Battalion, which will probably get me into as much trouble as he. "In the corps of cadets there are certain things you earn in your corps career. The CT's it's corps brass and to BQ's it's the band lyre... When you receive this piece of your uniform, you are told that it can never be taken away from you. Also stated in the standard (rules and regulation of the corps) and the cadence, it states that the band lyre is the most important
piece a Q can attain while a member of the corps. Through certain circumstances, the commandant of the corps has decided or at least been the messenger of ALL outfits whether guilty or not to remove these pieces of brass from their uniforms and they are not to be worn until further notice. Also, outfit guidons will be rolled where the field is not visible. This is a direct attack on everything we have worked hard for and everything we have come to have extreme pride in. They didn't take away a piece of shiny metal, but a symbol, that shows family, belonging, and unity. They didn't take away a flag, but our right to represent our respective outfits. This decision whoever it may have come down from is a stab to the chest of the corps and
strikes deep in its heart. So to whoever the parent or person in upper management is that decided this, thank you for taking away from the corps experience and bringing the corps one step closer to extinction."

What makes this so sad, is that freshmen cadets in the corps are about 18 years of age. Legal adults. If you can not handle the situation that you have volunteered to be a part of, you have no place in the Corps. Hazing is unacceptable behavior, and as such should be punished, but cadets coming into the corps must understand that respect can be gained by standing up for themselves and making an effort to fit into the environment. They must also learn to respect the traditions that the Corps holds dear. These include meeting upperlcassmen, and earning your place in the Corps.

Recently the Corps has been making great steps in recruiting freshmen, but at what cost? When the Roman republic began to crumble, they were forced to swell their army's ranks with mercenaries and the unqualified, just to protect their home city. They also offered lighter duty, and faster promotion. We all know what happened to the Romans. What can we expect to happen to the Corps? Perhaps sacrifices in number can be made up for by the quality of person the Corps turns out.
Please pass this around to all the old ags that you know, and help the current cadets take back something that they spent blood, sweat and tears earning. The Corps is a student organization, no one should be able to take it from us.The brass we earned is ours and no one should deny us the right to wear it. It is what sets us apart from those who were not up to the challenge.

Per Unitatem Vis, through unity strength,
Cody Leigh Powell
A-Battery Class of 2008

News from "The Farm"

Hey Gang,

Just a quick news flash. Erin and I will be in College Station next week Sept 18-24! We originally planned to fly down on Thursday and stay through the weekend for the football game. Now Rockwell has asked Erin to help recruit at the career fair on Monday, so she will get in town on Monday and I'll be joining her on Thursday. Post a comment if you will be close and want to hang out.

Later,
Brinson and Erin

More Hot Pics

who are these sexy guys?

A picture from one of our harvest locations...

Email Posts

When you email in a post make sure you put your name on it or it will just look like I sent it.

- Jonathan

COCK!!

 

yes, this is lloyd being the idiot ... so here is some cock

oh

just like that huh ... interesting

??

i'm stupid ... i don't get how to post something.  it let me do that first one when i accepted the invitation, now what?

List Serv

I have added all of the email addresses to a listserv so that when anyone posts a message to the blog it will send out an email so everyone can keep up to date. If there is anyone I should add or remove just let me know.