Raising Hell

Being away from my son Austin for many years on end was probably the hardest thing I’ve had to do in my life. Now that I’m out of the Navy and able to spend time with him I’m starting to realize some things. See, before I left on my last tour in the Navy, I had him with me at least half of the week, every week for three years. Before that, I was still with his mother and they moved with me everywhere they could, so I was able to keep up with him a lot more. This summer he was able to spend the summer with me and I was able to get to know him again. What I have come to realize is that he is a little terror. Austin is a very smart kid, he tested in the top 98% of the nation in math last year, and he can pretty much answer or figure out anything you ask him. The problem I have had this summer is that I’m finding that he is either really lazy or lacks common sense.

          If you put him on Khan Academy and give him a homework assignment, he will ace it. If you tell him to do his chores or help with something he doesn’t want to help with, he has a million questions for you. When he wants a snack from the top cabinet, he’ll climb all over everything and get whatever he wants; but when you tell him to put that item back, “he can’t reach the cabinet it goes in”. I think a big part of his problem listening to me is a result of me being gone so long. Before I left he was a pretty good kid. I guess with me being gone so long he just doesn’t take me serious. He gets me so frustrated sometimes and other times he makes me so proud.

 

          I’m really happy to be able to be with him all the time now, regardless of our issues. I want to do so many fun things with him and teach him everything I know. I hate when I have something fun planned or want to do things with him and he does something wrong to make me have to punish him instead. I know he is just a kid but when he wants to act big and smart I want to treat him big and smart. It’s a pain in the butt when he conveniently loses his common sense or “doesn’t know” something just to get him out of a chore. I just want him to do really well in life and I’m trying my best to make that possible.

 

Lola the Little Frenchie

          Having a dog can be a pain in the butt, but I wouldn’t trade ours in for any other. My girlfriend’s mother breeds dogs and has about twenty loud ass dogs in her house. They are very annoying but if it keeps her happy then it’s worth it I guess. Living in Hawaii, my girlfriend and I missed our dogs at home and wanted to get one so we could take it to the dog park and have a little friend to play with at home. My girlfriend has always wanted a French Bulldog so she started ordering books and sending me craigslist ads for dogs in the area. We finally decided to get serious in our hunt and found one she really liked. The dog was on the Big Island of Hawaii and we were on Oahu. In order to get the dog we would have to have it flown to us and hope we loved in in person as much as we did online. What I didn’t know at the time was the cost! We paid three grand for the dog and had to pay another hundred for the flight. Thirty one hundred dollars for a dog that sheds, poops and pees everywhere.

          Before we got the dog we made a deal, she would clean up after the dog and bath it regularly. Of course, over a year later and there is dog poop all over my yard that she was supposed to be picking up but doesn’t. The dog was really good for a long time but has now started to get lazy or think she’s slick by hiding under beds or in corners and pooping. Having a baby in the house it’s hard to tell if the baby has a dirty diaper or the dog dropped a deuce somewhere. The dog has also started getting in bed with us at night to sleep with us. The other night the dog threw up all over the bed, guess who’s side she threw up on? Another fun fact about French Bulldogs is that there farts are not only the worst smelling farts known to man, but they are audible. You can hear the dog fart from across the room like a grown man, and soon after, you will smell and taste it!

          Lola is our little French Bulldog. She is great with our baby girl and loves to play catch and have fun with the family. She is quick to bark at someone sneaking up on her or our house so she’s our security alarm as well. Despite the messes she makes, she’s a great dog to have around and a wonderful asset to our family. We wouldn’t trade her in for the world!

 

Get The Training Before You Hurt Someone

        Most people think they have “The Right” to conceal carry a handgun around anywhere they go. I 100% agree with that statement, however, very proper training should be given and maintained in order for Joe Blow to carry a weapon near my family or anyone else for that matter. Owning and carrying a weapon is a very dangerous task for someone who does not have the knowledge it takes to keep the weapon safe, and in the god awful event they are required to use it, they better know the laws as well as have the skill to place the bullets on target versus in a crowd behind the target. Just because a person has a weapon on them does not make them a police officer or give them the right to intervene in any situation they see. Owning a weapon also means you have to keep it in a safe place at home, and when it’s being carried, it should be carried in a safe holster and in a manner that it will not accidentally fire. There have been too many accidental shootings as a result of little to no training.

 

        When I moved to Virginia I immediately went to get my conceal carry permit. It took me about five minutes to fill out the paperwork and cost about fifty dollars. I was not required to take any further training because I had spent twelve years in the military, but I bet the training is not what it should be. The permit lasts five years too, and at no point am I required to prove that I still know what I’m doing. I can just renew for another fifty dollars and carry forever without continuous training. I know I have proper control and great aim with my weapon and have proven so many times in the military and at gun ranges since the military. Giving someone a weapon that doesn’t have the skills to use it properly could easily result in the death of an innocent bystander, or even the owner of the weapon if it is taken from them. Owning, carrying or even being around a weapon should be taken very seriously at all times. Poor training, storage or mental states (i.e. drinking alcohol) and weapons do not mix. If you feel like you have the right and want to get a handgun, please get and maintain your training on a regular basis.