theiving TSA Agents

I was one very angry lady when I realized that when the TSA inspected one suitcase on our way down to Mexico they stole one of my skorts. That is $71.00 that they owe me. I am reallly angry and will not be letting go of this one. Theft is a crime and I demand my money or my skort back. The thing that really ticks me off is that this particular color is no longer made and it matched perfectly with a couple of my tops. I am emailing, calling, and raising cain with TSA and I filed a police report with APD who told me to file with the airport police in Anchorage. We left out of Anchorage, Alaska on the night of May 29th heading to Mexico. When we arrived at our destination I found a lovely little TSA card in one of my suitcases.  This was the first time that TSA had inspected one of my checked suitcases and I pray the last because they stole one of my expensive skorts.  When I arrived at our destination, I pulled out clothes to wear each day and did not realize until a day or two after arrival when I was looking for my purple skort which matches the top I want to wear that my purple skort had been stolen from my suitcase.   I am very upset by this and expect full restitution for the skort. It is not one I can replace as they no longer make that specific color.  The cost of the skort including shipping is $71.00.  I expect immediate restitution for this item. I am extremely disappointed that TSA has a thief working for their company, and suggest that they may want to vet all employees to find the thief.  I was not satisfied with their response to my email.  I also cced my email to the Anchorage Daily News. This is a horrendous wrong that they need to rectify immediately. Theft is not something I take lightly and I will be filling a complaint with the federal government.  Obama better beware because I am working on a letter to him also.  He needs to make sure that the people that work in government are honest, not a bunch of thieves.  It is bad enough they rob us blind with their taxes that are unfair and unevenly distributed, but to steal from our suitcases, which is to literally steal the clothes off our backs is an abomination.

Update:  I checked when we got home and my skort did not get accidentally left at home.  I have also called the airport lost and found and they do not have it.  I am filing a report with the airport police, TSA, and Alaska airlines.  TSA is a joke and a major theft ring that is government sanctioned and needs to be gotten rid of because it is not really doing anything except harassing and stealing from American citizens.

Moose

Tonight Tom almost got run over by a moose.  He was coming home from his walk and there were two young moose following him.  One was walking straight toward him, so he jumped up on a neighbor's porch to get out of his way.

He got some great pictures of the two moose in our neighbor's yard and our yard.  Check these out.

One was on each side of the front door chowing down on the rose bushes.

World War II Veterans

Today I watched a video about a plan that landed on May 23, 2012 at Reagan National Airport. It was an Honor Flight of World War II veterans.  The video showed how people from all over that section of the airport came together to welcome and honor the veterans as they exited the plane.  They cheered and clapped, and shook their hands as they exited the aircraft. A few of them were part of the official welcoming committee, but most were just travelers who were waiting for their own flights. The gate attendant announced that the flight was coming in and encouraged those passing travelers to join in welcoming the veterans. It was a warm and welcoming salute to honor them, not one that was planned months in advance, but one that just happened.  I wish I could have been there to be a part of it.

Link to the story and video 

I did however have the honor of traveling on the Amtrak Coast Starlight train with two WW II veterans. One served in General Patton's  4th Armored Division. The other was a Merchant Marine.  He is 94 and his wife 86. They were married the day after the war ended. That means they have been married 66 years. 

It is not often that one has the chance to meet these heroes as there are fewer every year.  I have had the pleasure of meeting several over the years and have been honored to do so.  If you every get the chance be sure to thank them for their service because if not for them you might be speaking German today and living under the rule of the Third Reich.

Dick Clark

We lost an American Icon today with the passing of Dick Clark. 
I grew up watching American Bandstand.  He was the voice and face of Rock and Roll when I was a child and a teenager.
It is a great loss. I have fond memories of him.  His show was the highlight of the week when I was a young teen and pre-teen.  I loved to watch his show. I remember seeing Tony Orlando, Donny Osmond, The Jackson Five, K.C. and the Sunshine Band, ABBA, and many more.  If it was on Bandstand it was worth listening too. 
He kept us all young, because he was "America's Oldest Teenager."
Dick Clark will be missed by millions of fans, and I am sad to see him go.
I wish his family strength in this difficult time.  My prayers go out to them.

Earaches

I now fully understand why my youngest son screamed when he had ear infections as a baby.  They hurt like the dickens.  I mean intense make you cry kind of pain.  I could sure use some of those good drugs they gave me after my open heart surgery to take away the pain.
My teeth hurt so bad I cannot chew on food or even run my tongue over them as the pressure from my sinuses and ear is so intense.  If I was a baby had no words to express my pain I too would scream.

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

Branson Missouri

I had a long and tiring trip to get there, but enjoyed my visit with my cousin and her family. It was a long drive from St. Louis, MO to Branson, MO in the dark. It took me longer to drive in the dark than it would have in the daylight, but then I do not have that great of night vision and I am definitely not use to those big rigs whipping past me on the interstate.  Alaska does not have that many big rigs and we do not have major interstates.  It did bring back memories of when I use to choose to drive between those big rigs because you could go faster and use less gas.  I guess I have slowed down as I aged. Oh wait, I am still young, I must mean become more cautious since moving to Alaska.  Yes, that sounds so much better.

I arrived in Branson very late and had to find my way out in the country to my cousin's house and when I say in the country I mean she lives way out and up a winding road at the end of the road, or darn near.  In the dark I missed a turn and had to flip a U-turn to find the right road. They name roads after the ABC's there.  I was looking for T-road. The turn was lost in the dark.  I found it the second time and arrived at her house about 2:00 AM.
Of course, we did not just go straight to bed, not we stayed up for another hour or so talking and then slept in the next morning, me more so than her, but then I was running on about 3 hours of sleep total when I arrived at her house.  I never do sleep very well on airplanes.
The next morning we had a nice chat and took pictures.  It was a snow day for Branson as they had gotten a couple inches of snow. For this Alaska girl that was funny as we get 14" and all they do is cancel after school activities if the roads are bad.  In  twenty years of teaching in Anchorage I think I can count on one hand the number of snow or ice days, where they canceled school. Alaska is prepared for it, and we have all the heavy equipment to clear the roads, while Missouri and other places do not get much snow so they are not prepared when it does come.
Lauren still lives at home and she enjoyed the day off. She road her four-wheeler.

Janie and I preferred to stay inside and chat, though we did take a ride with her husband, Dan. We went way up to a housing area that is on the edge of the Ozark Mountains, and the roads were a little hairy with all the ice.  Dan reminds me of Tom when it comes to driving, he just goes. Janie and I held on tight on a few of those turns as it was scary.  Dan enjoyed and I think he enjoyed scaring us also.
I really enjoyed my visit with my cousin and hope to see her again soon.
I am also very thankful that she and her family are safe after came through the tornado that hit Branson this last week.