Tap Tap Tap... is this thing on?

I'm back, baby.  The blog is back.  I'm doing this again because I like doing it.  I enjoy writing, being a curmudgeon, and otherwise calling things the way I see them.

It's been what, a year or more? Maybe two?

So let's update:

Retired from the Army in January, 2015.  What an awesome, 22 year-long ride that was.

Applied for VA disability (*started the process in July, 2015).  It only took them 14 months to determine that yes, I was a cripple and yes, it was all service connected.  (except for my hearing loss and tinnitus.  Which is odd, because I distinctly recall having pretty good hearing and no damned 24/7/365 ringing in my ears BEFORE an IED blew up at my feet, and blew both my eardrums out of my head, but that's the VA for you.)

While waiting on the VA to determine if I was a cripple, I went to work for PriceWaterhouseCoopers.  Almost immediately, I was set upon by the permanently offended crowd, who were oh so kind in their made-up complaints.  Well, mostly made up.  I did often say things like "drink the cool aid."  I received complaints of sexual harassment (never happened), being mean, (well, it's not mean to tell someone their performance is on par with what you'd expect from an intern with a learning disability, two left hands, and permanently attached boxing gloves.  Okay, it's mean... doesn't make it any less true.)

Eventually the investigated, determined unfounded complaints stacked up to the point where the bosses figured I was a liability, and I was canned after about a year.  By that time, I was receiving my Army Pension and VA pension, so I figured what the hell, I needed to make up for all the time lost with my family, and get to what I really wanted to be doing with my life:  raising Labradors for service animals.

Thus, that is what I do now.  I'm a stay at home dad, I get to go to school events, I get to work on projects with the kids, I get to play with puppies.  Life is good.  (Also, I could REALLY use someone who can build a web page.  I have the URL, (herolabradors.com) other than that, I'm in the dark.)

Naturally, things just wouldn't be me without getting hurt, so in the past two years I've also had two back surgeries (stemming from 2005 injuries), and managed to get bitten by a rattlesnake.  That was loads of fun, too.

What can you look forward to now that I'm back?

Life, Observations, Gripes, and Humor from the very not pointy part of the spear.  And puppies.

--Chuck