Then and Now

What was once called Decoration Day is now referred to as Memorial Day. On May 5th 1868, General John Logan, National Commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, officially proclaimed Memorial Day in his General Order No. 11 and it was first observed May 30, 1868.


My Grandfather, Milo Bendickson, enlisted in the Army on March 18, 1942 in Tacoma, WA. I found this information simply by googling my grandpa's name! I clicked on a link for the National Archives and VIOLA! There I found all of his information!
He was a mechanic. My dad thinks his rank when he left the Army was Corporal.
My Great Uncle John was in the Navy. He was a Radioman First Class or E6. He was killed in a car accident November 4, 1961 and is buried at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery Point Loma, San Diego County, California

My dad was in the Navy! From 1960-1963 he was a Navigator, his plane was an A3D Attack Bomber. His Squadron was Heavy Attack Squadron #4, the VIKINGS! (That's so fitting since we are NORWEGIAN!) He was stationed up on Whidbey Island, WA. but his squadron was on the USS Constellation when it left Virginia and sailed around South America to San Diego, CA. And again when the "Connie" headed to the far east. Hawaii, Japan and the Philippines were a few of the stops they made along the way. My mom has a red and black jewelry box my dad bought while in Japan or the Philippines while he was there. He hadn't met my mom yet, but he knew someday he would met "the one" and he would give her that as a gift. I have a plate that hangs on the wall. It has a bunch of butterfly wings under glass and it looks really cool! My dad got it while in the far east and gave it to his mom. It was something that hung on my grandparents wall for as long as I can remember. When my grandparents passed away, I was able to keep it and I love it!
My dad's plane.........

My son, Levi, had thoughts of joining the Navy. When he was 15, we signed him up for the United States Naval Sea Cadet Corps. "Since 1958 the Naval Sea Cadet Corps has been committed to providing American youth with a drug and alcohol free environment to foster their leadership abilities, broaden their horizons through hands-on training and guide them to becoming mature young adults." And it worked! He is a mature young adult! While in the Sea Cadets, Levi was able to go to Airman training on Whidbey Island and it is there that he earned the "Honor Cadet" award! Yes, I was very proud of my boy! He looked so handsome in his uniform! He then went on to spend 2 weeks at Lemoore Naval Air Station, Lemoore CA. It was there that he received an invitation to sail on the USS Ronald Reagan for a week during Flight Ops. My dad decided he'd like to go with Levi so he became an instructor for the USNSCC, shaved his beard (the Navy frowns on facial hair) and away they went! I was so happy for my dad and Levi. They got to spend a week out at sea on an aircraft carrier together! Who gets to do that kind of stuff?
Levi and his Grandma!

Here are some of the awards Levi received while in the USNSCC. They now hang in my office at home.

Well lets see.. My Grandfather made it to Corporal (E-4), My Uncle John was an E6, my dad was an E4, Levi made it to E3 while in the Sea Cadets and I will become Ensign Bendickson soon! Yes, I am an Instructor or the United States Naval Sea Cadet Corps, Blue Angels Squadron! I got involved when Levi was part of the squad and I've never left! I LOVE it! These kids are such wonderful kids and they get to experience so many things, things other kids don't get to experience.
Today we are meeting at the Lake View Cemetery in Seattle. We will be placing over 300 flags on the graves of our Veterans. After that, I'm going to Clover Park High School in Lakewood, near my home. The students there have on display more than 4,500 markers called "The Arlington Project" See Full Story Here where they pay tribute to our fallen men and woman who have died in Iraq and Afghanistan.


On this Memorial Day Weekend, remember the people who have given and continue to give all they have in service to this country, whether you agree with what is going on in the world or not.

The Anatomy of a Sea Bag

Today I am headed to Indian Island, near Port Townsend. Indian Island is the location of the Indian Island Naval Reserve, which covers the entire island. No civilian residencies are allowed on Indian Island. Naval Magazine Indian Island is a major U.S. Navy munitions handling facility. Navy combat ships and Military Sealift Command vessels frequent Indian Island’s dock receiving and discharging munitions in support of U.S. military operations worldwide. The Navy also intends to service newly refitted Ohio class missile submarines (formerly SSBN, now SSGN) at Indian Island when these vessels come into operation.
And here is my luggage! A Sea Bag!





This sea bag holds the following items:
1 sleeping bag
1 pillow
1 pair of tennis shoes
1 small bag of toiletries
2 shirts
2 pairs of jeans
1 Towel
and various unmentionables


I brought this with me on the train this morning.. Derick was so nice to carry it up the stairs for me! Thanks Derick! Then I lugged it across the street and over to our shuttle. Once we got the Harborview, I was able to get it on my back, like a back pack, and lug it to my office, up 3 flights of stairs and WHEW.. I made it!


I am soooooo excited I can't stand it! I will update you all when I return!

Wall of Pooh and the Hanging Orca

Stories like the one you are about to read have to be TRUE.. No one could make this stuff up!

My darling Christopher has a unique way of decorating. Granted, I don't own my house and really don't want to buy a bunch of stuff to fill it up since I will have to move some day, but the things I come home to are really just too much!

Once upon a time, there was a very bored Christopher. He really wanted something to do so he went to Walmart and there he found a BIG coloring book and some crayons. When he came home, he opened the color book and began to color. Neecie-pher was very happy because Christopher was so engrossed in his coloring, he was really quiet and that NEVER happens! He colored for a few hours and then went to sleep. The next day, while Neecie-pher was at work, Christopher decided he needed to hang up his fabulous art work. IN THE BEDROOM! Yes, we now have the "Wall of Pooh" in the bedroom. See below:

Now on the the Hanging Orca.......
Yesterday, while riding the train home, I get a phone call from Chris. He says, "I have a SURPRISE for you!!" I say, "Really, what it is?" He tried to tell me but the train was really noisy and I couldn't hear him so I told him I would talk to him when I got home. A few minutes later, I get a text-pic from him and it's a picture of blow up plastic Orca. I really didn't think much of it and went on talking to my Train Buddies.
When I got home, I headed into the bedroom which is SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) to change out of my jeans and into my sweats. When I walk in I see hanging from the ceiling the Orca! Just hanging there.. In the bedroom.. IN THE BEDROOM! a FREAKIN ORCA! This my friends, was my SURPRISE! from Chris. ROFL!

Have you seen me?

Today management sent the following e-mail to our department:

"----- Original Message -----
From: Management
To: Staff
Sent: Friday, May 09, 2008 1:42 PM
Subject: Pens Missing


Per Management,

We are ordering way to many pens per month, especially the "purple pens". We need to secure all pens. In the last two months, we have ordered over 24-36 pens. "

Then we had a walk through and everyone's pen holders were checked to see, in fact, how many purple pens each one of us had!

Here is how a conversation between my friend Will and I went on Instant Messenger:

Me ~ They came around and checked everybody's desk to see how many pens and especially "purple" ones each of us had.
WILL ~I assume you hid your "stash"
Me ~ You got it! BAHA! I have 3 pens in my pen holder.. Black, Blue and one sharpie! Good thing they didn't do a backpack check!
WILL ~ I should send an email saying that someone is smuggling out purple pens and selling them on the Sound Transit black market.
Me ~ BAHA! I will be cleaning out my back pack this weekend! No more contriband for me!
WILL ~ put them in someone else's cube set em up
Me ~ OoOOOOOHhhh good idea!
WILL ~ wipe off the finger prints

London Calling!

So I answered the phone today at work, like this, "PDS this is Denise." and I hear, "Hello, this is London calling!" YES, my supa sista called me from LONDON! She has been gone for like a million, gazillion years.. (translation, a little over a week) and I haven't been able to hear her voice. That makes me sad.. But today, YAY, we talked for a bit. She had just gotten "home" from work and there was some police type activities on the news and she was calling me to tell me that she was ok and it wasn't anywhere around her.. I immediately went to the CNN website to see the BREAKING NEWS.. and there was nothing...The funny part is, it was just local news she was watching and really no need to broadcast it across the world!!
She comes home FRIDAY!! YAY! Now I will be able to talk to her at least every other day..She did tell me that yesterday, Cinco De Mayo, she went to a fantastic Mexican restaurant in Piccadilly Circus, the one we went to when I was there.. but it just wasn't the same without me! I miss London.. Someday I will go back.. :-)

I'm a BIKER! YAY!

Maybe the correct term is cyclist.. but either way.. We bought brand new shiny Bicycles! So now instead of walking every night.. we will be riding our bikes!
After a quick ride around the block to get my sea legs, we were off on our first ride. From our house to Wapato Lake.. around the lake and back home.. 6 Miles!

I have been officially Stimulated!

Yes, it's true.. I received my Economic Stimulus check today! My first thought is that I want to SPEND it, but that's exactly what the evil doers want me to do. SO, I will single handily foil their plan by putting mine into SAVINGS! YAY! Yeah, we'll see how long that lasts! BAHA!

I have been contemplating moving to San Diego. My sister recently moved there and I miss her a lot. She lived in Portland, OR. for years and it was so easy to take a weekend trip down to see her and Denika AKA Peanut, my niece. Denika is 11 and in the 5th grade. She's just a peach! So smart and funny, yep, she gets it from me! I just feel disconnected from them. It could be that Deborah is in London now and I've not heard a word from her. That makes me sad, but the time difference sucks! When she's awake, I am sleeping and vice versa.

I like do the type of work that I do but sometimes, I just can't take the S#^! that happens around here.. I just wish for once I could show someone something without the freakin peanut gallery around and putting in their 2 cents of crap. AARRGGHHH.. I'm pretty upset right now.. I know more about the freakin system and the way the application works than the peanut gallery does and yet, they seem to be right there anytime someone needs help.. BUT THEY KNOW NOTHING ABOUT IT! But oh, I get.. "well that's your job, so now I think you need to do this..." FREAKIN DUH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! BLAH BLAH BLAH! Now back off! Damnit, why do I let it get to me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I suppose I will keep looking into jobs elsewhere...

Norse of Course

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