Lifetime's Army Wives

Army Wives on Lifetime starts a new season tomorrow. As far as Army shows go, well, for our purposes I am not going to get into why Army Wives is about as close to the real Army as Laguna Beach is to the real Army. However, I think that there are some real points that they make about being an Army wife. I know I'm a non-traditional Army wife - I'm active duty, far away from where my husband's unit is located, no children, etc. But the words of a female Major I worked with at Fort Carson ring in my ears when people tell me how non-traditional I am - if something happens to my husband and two men show up at my front door, I'm just a wife who loves her husband and needs help. And that's true of my situation - no matter what I wear to work, I'm still a wife who misses her husband more and more each day. So for that reason, I thought that I might share my "insights" as to how real to life Army Wives is, from an Army wife point of view. Also, my husband recently sent me the book on which the show is based, so I will try to share tidbits from there too.

I know I promised that I wouldn't comment on the lack of real Army in Army Wives, but just one thing - why does the female officer never wear her cover?????

Favorite Thing I've Been Told During Army Outprocessing Briefs

"Mandatory retirement/ETS** physicals are optional."

**estimated termination of service

Obama's Speech Writer

While listening to a portion of last night's speech Obama delivered after he became the presumptive Democratic nominee for President, I had to wonder who is writing his speeches. This line in particular.

"America, this is our moment. This is our time."

It sounded so familiar. Perhaps because it was very close to the below speech.

Mikey: Don't you realize? The next time you see sky, it'll be over another town. The next time you take a test, it'll be in some other school. Our parents, they want the best of stuff for us. But right now, they got to do what's right for them. Because it's their time. Their time! Up there! Down here, it's our time. It's our time down here.

Maybe they were watching a movie on the campaign bus while writing the speech.

Travis Henry, We Hardly Knew Thee

The Denver Broncos (probably my third favorite football team) released Travis Henry this week. Travis Henry was not a Basher (that is, a Bailey's Bashers, the perpetual second place fantasy football team) but he was a great player to read about. Henry has had his share of off field issues. It has been said that Henry has nine children by nine women (I'll admit, that number varies depending on the news source.) He has severe issues paying child support to these children, despite having a contract worth $22.5million from the Broncos with a guarantee of $12million. While Henry's story is good newspaper sports gossip fodder, it is sort of sad to see someone with a good amount of promise unable to break free from their past. Henry was suspended for much of the season last year appeal a drug test that came back positive. He was also suspended while on the Titans for violating the drug policy there. We'll miss you Travis Henry, and we wish you the best. Maybe you'll find your niche somewhere, along with a good financial adviser and life coach.

Because You Can Never Have Enough Cuteness

For those interested (and everyone should be) here is the link to Puppies Behind Bars. Its pretty much the best charity ever. And I'm not sure the cuteness of this program was fully explained last time. The premise is that puppies are given to inmates to train. They live with the inmates in their cells and they work with the dogs to train them to be helper animals - for people with disabilities, especially war veterans. This also helps the inmates learn a trade, learn to love something, have responsibility, all those good things. Its pretty ingenious. With Tony Soprano's help, they are trying to raise $100,000 for their DogTags program to get more puppies to help disabled vets - if they reach that goal, an anonymous donor will match it with another $100,000. So consider this a plea from RNS, give $5 or $10 or $100 to Puppies Behind Bars to help puppies, inmates and vets. Its a triple play. A no brainer. A million other cliches. Oh, and if you don't, the terrorists may win. No one wants that.

Baseball

I enjoy the sport of baseball. Because of my constant relocating of the past five years, I do not have a team anymore. In high school/college I cheered on the Yankees - a remnant of my days cheering on the double AA minor league team in CT affiliated with the Yankees. But as I traveled further West, it became more and more difficult to follow the team - little press coverage, no tv. I know a true fan could follow on the web, but there are a lot of games in a baseball season. So I became a more casual fan - enjoying a game in whatever city I lived in/nearby. St Louis Cardinals, Denver Rockies, San Fransisco Giants, Seattle Mariners, Washington Nationals. Baseball, more than any sport I feel, is an experience to go to a game - an afternoon event preferably - so the team is less important.

All this preamble is to say, despite not being a fan of any team right now, I was able to enjoy see Manny Ramirez hit his 500th home run at Camden Yards on Saturday. My parents are huge Red Sox fans and travel to "Fenway South" to see the team. This was the fifth year they've done it - though my Dad wasn't able to come this year. Camden is a great place to see a game and its always been a lot of fun. For all those who missed it - here's Manny hitting one into history.

Too Much Excitement For One Blog

I know its been two weeks since the fantastical endings to both DWTS and Idol. I know I haven't blogged as I promised about these, but it was a lot of tv all at once and then I had house guests (who don't watch reality tv?!) and so here I am. I am writing while watching the Lost finale, because even though its the Monday after, I still haven't seen it.

But let's be quick about it and talk about some of the season finales this year.

- Idol - I declared I was on Team Cook and I was very happy that he did win. I think he has the possibility to be a great Idol. And I am sure that little "Archie" will do just fine with second place.

- DWTS - Yes, Kristi was the best dancer, but I thought Jason was the more entertaining. And Adorable. I guess its reality viewers like me who keep the male winning streak alive.

- The Office - I'm not really allowed to say much about this because my husband hasn't seen it - he has a thumb drive full of tv on its way - but I thought it was pretty good, classic Office. The Kevin plot line almost made me pee my pants.

- HIMYM - It was good, but I kinda wish it was like Lost and we had an end point in sight so you knew that you'd find out who Ted marries.

-Grays - I keep saying I need to break up with this show. This episode proved no different. It was lousy, Meredith is annoying. Don't get me started on Izzy.

- Lost - You knew who survived, so why was it so devastating to watch the others die. (others, little "o", not Others big "O".) And Caleb Nichol, you are evil no matter what your accent is. Oh, Ben - you are Dan Scott evil. Actually thats not even close to the truth. You are like Dan Scott, Caleb Nichol, British Caleb Nichol, Chuck Bass and Oliver Trask evil - all in one.

- Gossip Girl - This show is crying out for a summer season. Who doesn't want to know what is happening? In actuality, it should be like a webcam, on all the time.

We'll see what sort of summer season we have to look forward to - two more (maybe three with a reunion) for Top Chef. Couple of weeks for Next Food Network Star. Another season of My Life on the D List. Good news is - next time DWTS is on, my husband will be home to watch it Lii-i-i-i-i-ve!