Icewind's Ramblings

Boston Marathon Tragedy – 04-15-13 Once again I find myself looking at the news in real time of another needless tragedy on so many levels of American society. Our hearts and prayers go out to those families affected by this tragedy and the effects it will have on this country in our efforts to secure our safety and well being. "More than any time in recent history, America 's destiny is not of our own choosing. We did not seek, nor did we provoke, an assault on our freedom and our way of life.  We did not expect, nor did we invite, a confrontation with evil.  Yet the true measure of a people's strength is how they rise to master that moment when it does arrive. 2 people were killed and over a hundred maimed and injured a couple of hours ago at the Boston Marathon finish line in Massachusetts .  This is another needless act of violence in this country.  Police were on scene as this tragedy unfolded and you could easily see that they ran towards the tw...

It seems like this happens more and more these days as I received the call yesterday afternoon from an Old Friend that news of a family member having inoperable lung cancer was texted me so I would know what was happening.  Several phone calls later and with much anxiety details and some form of plan was put together on how best to prepare for things. It is never easy for anyone finding out news that affect your circle of family and friends but one which everyone needs to prepare so you can be the shoulder if needed or the foundation to give them your support and a pool from which to pull from your strength as needed while dealing with things. It is a bittersweet feeling that you are honored to be one of those who is trusted to give your thoughts on things but also the futility of not being able to “fix it” or make things immediately better.  All anyone of us can do is place things in “Others” hands to help everyone see things through as that is all anyone ...

One Hundred Twenty Five Hours that changed my Life - Part Three - The Hospital ER & OR I warmed my rig up and started for the hospital.  The winter time here in Alaska gives us a little different ambiance than that found in the Lower 48.  We are in our cold dark period and on this day it was minus 10 degrees outside and at seven o’clock in the morning it would be over three more hours before the sun would rise over the mountains to the east of Anchorage .  We are approaching the winter Solstice where we only get about five and a half hours of daylight.  The sun is up around 10:30 in the morning and sets just before 4 in the afternoon.  The rest of the time we are in darkness making for long cold nights here during the winter. On this morning traffic from my house to the hospital was extremely light with only a few cars making there way along my route.  I had seen a moose eating beside the road as I approached the Hospital by the University o...

One Hundred Twenty Five Hours that changed my Life Part Two  - The Time Line of Events This is the second part of sharing my recent heart attack and the lifestyle and possible events leading up to it.  Sometimes we are so busy living life that we fail to see or recognize things that may be in plain sight in front of you.  I recently had one of those experiences that oddly through the mental pain, the physical pain and suffering found a way to change some things modify my lifestyle a little bit.  It is from these changes and those events that probably saved my life.  We are getting older and need to be aware of our habits both in eating, exercise, and our mental state, not sweating the small stuff. What I am talking about is a heart attack. Friday, 11-30-12    11:00 am      Pick up Friend & go to Fred Meyer before lunch She had returned home from a flight late the night before and wanted me to give he...

Part One Sometimes we are so busy living life that we fail to see or recognize things that may be in plain sight in front of you.  I recently had one of those experiences that oddly through the mental pain, the physical pain and suffering found a way that surprised me and probably saved and changed my life. What I am talking about is a heart attack. Through my blunders and somewhat set ways I came through this and survived but as my cardiologist told me I could have easily died as most people do that have the type of heart attack that I did.  I had what is often called the “widow maker” is a nickname used to describe a highly stenotic left main coronary artery or proximal left anterior descending coronary artery of the heart.  Mine was the LAD type and the widow maker term is used because if the artery gets abruptly and completely occluded it will cause a massive heart attack that will likely lead to a sudden death. Mine was als...

(This was written for my blog Icewind’s Ramblings on 9/11/2006 on the fifth anniversary of that terrible day in our country)   I re-read it again this morning and thought I would re-post it again with a couple of minor changes. In my generation, which was a generation ago, the question was repeatedly asked, "Where were you when President Kennedy was shot?" For my generation, there are too many questions with fewer answers. The United States changed directions and suddenly we were in a war called Viet Nam and the loss of this country’s young men’s innocence.   Tragedies and calamities abounded in our collective memories.   But as with the saying “time heals all wounds” and we proceeded for many years along a course with unclear direction.   Within this generation the final innocence was taken on September 11, 2001, but seems to have been somewhat faded now as the one question that will be asked again and again is, "Where were you on 9/11?" At this time ...

The morning dawned much like it did ten years ago with crispness in the air and clear blue skies.   How likely is that in days of fading summer in Alaska?   The similarities keen within the consciousness of the day for many people but there is also an overwhelming sense of loss . . . both in loved ones and in a broader sense in clarity. Before the events leading up to that tragic day there seemed to be a sense of almost mystical character that was America.   It had been chiseled into our beings by our forefathers and shaped the direction of its people would interact with each other and the world.   It reminds us of all that was good in our world and how things should be for our children.   As a nation we had grown up (from another attack on our soil in December, 1941) and moved to never let such transgressions happen again.   But somewhere as a country we were lazy in not recognizing how the world had changed around us and nothing prepared us for the so...

Or . . . 72 Virgins and the Suicide Bombers . . . Do the math. I was reading an article about all of the suicide bombings in the Middle East and in Pakistan and how the tactic strikes fear into those regions where it is used.   We have had some experience with its use in the U.S. with the upcoming reminder of the tenth anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks on American soil. What started out as a semi-comical look into a form of world wide terrorism used to inflict trauma to those close by slowly evolved into another remembrance of a day when America was attacked and many lives were lost.   In vain . . . I hope not but there are still people out there ready to continue their battle just as we continue to defend against it.   Once again, thanks to our military and their families whose sacrifices are given from a grateful nation! In the 1970’s film M*A*S*H the theme song for the movie and the following television series was “Suicide is Painless” a catchy tune ...

With the ongoing problems with people trying to do harm to our country there is a way that these ‘enemy combatants’ . . . yes we are still at ‘war’ after the attack on our country on 9/11 . . . could be handled that is workable for almost everyone. Trying to solve the world’s problems with style takes thinking outside the box.  This administration has been trying to figure out what to do with the Gitmo detainees.  Do we close the facility or continue to keep them in Gitmo? De we set them free to wander off to parts unknown to continue their mission?  What about sending them back to their home country to be revitalized into their organized cells?  Do we let them loose inside America to wreak havoc on our soil again? How do we get our heads around this so that it makes sense and can be monitored to ensure our safety?  This might work and can be done with technology that is already used . . . just modified somewhat in scope and magnitude.  Each detai...

Elin Picked a Wedgie I find it interesting as more information comes forward in the continuing saga of Tiger Woods.  He is a very private person who for years now has developed his ‘brand’ presence while little is reported about his life off the greens. As most of us had finished the turkey, cleaned the dishes, and settled down to enjoy the time away from work news broke about the crash of the Cadillac Escalade and the injuries to Tiger Woods. At first things just didn’t seem right as the story broke on the east coast while many slept but here in Alaska it was still evening and the pop-ups on the internet flashed the early news of what happened . . . or did it? ‘Backing up’ out of the driveway . . . hitting the fire hydrant and then the tree . . . but why was there damage on the front of the vehicle?  Perhaps a quick getaway? Tiger unconscious in the car, a window broken with a golf club after a heated discussion and a neighbor’s call to 911, a quick trip to the h...

November 11 has always had special meaning to me over the years for the un-selfless sacrifice given by our men and women in the military. This year is no exception but with added meaning this year as my daughter Kelly is serving in Iraq right now with her fellow troops and friends. This is Kelly in the cockpit of the C-130 that took her into Iraq.  She rode in a jump seat behind the pilots with one of her other troop.   She has always liked the beach and lives in Fort Walton Beach, Florida with her husband and young son when not on tour.  She has plenty of sand now but not exactly what she is used too. A group of friends I know had another reunion concert recently in North Carolina and from that came one of their songs that has always been one of my favorites. It is a variation on the American Trilogy that Elvis did so many years ago from which the guys with Cullowhee added to give it more impact especially to those of us from the South.  Mike ...