Staff Sgt Jason Ross - Marine

Hard to believe that we are coming into the last month of the year, and then it will be 2015. This has been one of the fastest of years for me, and maybe for some of you as well. There are always some people who like to talk about "time machines" when we actually live on one... the Earth. It seems like 2014 just got started and now it is one month from ending. Anyway, on to the blog... Not much happened today, as we mostly stayed home. I did get up early and went for a bike ride; one of the smoothest of rides I've been able to enjoy. Not many folks out and the weather was reasonable, though a little breezy. I got back home and the girls were up and watching cartoons with Jason, and when I went up stairs I found Linda still in bed, not feeling too well. I'm hoping that it is a matter of her eating some things she shouldn't have eaten. She has been on a very healthy kind of diet for a few months now and I think her body just didn't like getting some of the res...

Apologies for not posting yesterday, but I was unable to get to my laptop to do so, and bottom line is that it was my own fault. I guess I probably could have gotten to my laptop, as it was in Jason's room, right next door. I just didn't want to bother him since we had said good night more than an hour before and I thought that he might be asleep, and I didn't want to wake him. So, anyway, I am now posting, and bringing you all up-to-speed on what happened yesterday... and today. Yesterday we began with a very nice breakfast with David and Miriam, and their two sons Dylan and Ethan, our grandsons. It was obvious that Jason was uncomfortable, and that perhaps the previous day was a little  more than Jason should have done. We had planned on going to the car show until we all began talking about everything and David suggested that we should really just get back home, to let Jason get back down, and we all agreed that was the best course of action. We all went back to the ...

Today is a day that you're supposed to reflect back on the past year (and maybe farther) and think about what it is you're grateful for, and I can honestly say there are many, many things I am grateful for. On the top of that list is my wife and family. I wouldn't be anything without them. We have had our challenges and some of those have been great, indeed, however the blessings continue to out shine and support where ever and whenever I need it. We had a great Thanksgiving with our son David, and his family, and it was over at his mother-in-law's home, along with Miriam's mother, brother and sister. There were others there as well, close friends and some new ones who all made it that much better.  Jason was also able to enjoy the visit as we put together a means for him to get into the house (there are steps all around the house), and he was able to just roll on in, with a little help from David. The drive down this morning was one of the easiest drives I've...

Today was a nice crazy kind'a day, where we got up early and played around with the girls for awhile and then we all got ready to go have a family picture taken, for Christmas Cards (we hope to send some out this year). Everything was going great until we attempted to get into the van - the new van. I had extended the lift, and since there really wasn't any easy place to do it, I extended it over the curb, across a small section of grass. No problem so far... Everyone got into the van, and then I went to stow the lift and that's where the challenge came in. With the extra weight of everyone in the van, plus the weight of the power chair it apparently lowered the van enough that the ramp would not move from the down position. That is, it would not retract. I attempted to get enough leverage to "lift" the van a little and get the ramp moving, but apparently it was too late. The ramp was down too far. Fortunately, our neighbor, Paris (also a Marine), had just gotte...

To be honest, I didn't know if I would be able to get to this post tonight, as I wanted to catch up on my two days of emails first. Fortunately, a bunch of them were just advertisements, so I was able to get through them much faster than I thought I would, so now on to the blog and to let you all know where we were, and what we were doing. Jason and I were invited to participate in the Gary Sinise Foundation Golf Tournament, at the Porter Valley Country Club, in Northridge. We went up a couple of days ago, with Linda and the girls, and had a great time. Jason and I were honored to have been placed to play with the foursome, including Gary Sinise, himself, as well as Billy Wagasi, a Navy Seal who is also connected with the foundation. The course was laid out nicely, and by that I mean not too many challenging hills, though there were some. Jason was able to get around in his paramobile and he was able to stay out for a full 9-holes. The previous times we have gone out he wasn'...

There are just far too many ways of communicating today, and then trying to tie them all together makes it even that much more difficult sometimes. I do my best to keep up on my email accounts, and occasionally put posts out on Face Book, and even get comments back. My favorite spot though is right here on my blog. Got up this morning and decided to go for another bike ride and got in a bit over 16 miles. I think I might have gone farther if I hadn't been thinking about all the stuff I wanted to get done. That's when riding is the most difficult. I start thinking about all the things I'd like to get done and then I start to think about how much time I am using to ride, and it spirals down from there. The good thing though is that my rides are beginning to become more consistently over 15 miles, and I'd like to build them up to over 20 - I just need to keep riding. We had some visitors today, Dan Figlenski and his two daughters Zoey and Faith. Unfortunately his wife,...

The day began with me getting up and going for a bike ride (18 miles) and then Linda coming down a short while later. Jason was kicking back as much as he can, so that the wounds get more chance to heal up (more about that later), and he was ready for breakfast. Actually, before going out on my bike I fixed Jason a bowl of Cheerios (Honey Nut), and then I had a bowl of them as well. I prefer to eat an apple and have a yogurt, but since we're out of both I also had a bowl of Cheerios. The ride was probably one of the best I've had, considering that it was still on a workday. Maybe some of the people have already taken off for Thanksgiving break or something. The number of vehicles on the road was much less than what I'd expect and when I ended up down at the harbor I didn't have to dodge a bunch of pedestrians. I was able to maintain a nice steady pace of about 14 mph and the ride was very enjoyable. The fact that it rained last night made it a little nicer too. The ai...

Good day around here, and we even had some rain... not much, but at least we had some. I got up and went for a bike ride. It was nice out, though a little cooler than normal (probably down to the low 50's or something). All it did was cause me to decide to put on a t-shirt underneath my otherwise single layered top. After I was out on the street, Linda was up and exercising too, and Jason was playing his video games, and enjoying himself. Of course, before I left he made sure to let me know that he had an appointment, so that I wouldn't go for one of my longer rides. I got back and chalked up a 13.5 mile ride - took me an hour to do, so I didn't think that was too bad. I had to deal with some commute traffic and a few stop lights. Linda was just finishing her work out and Jason was ready to get his shower in, so that we could get going to his appointment. The appointment was with the urology doctor at the VA. We managed to get in and get seen in a short period of time, ...

You know, sometimes things get going so fast that I loose track of the days, and suddenly the week is gone. Like today, I had to look at a calendar three times before I accepted the fact that it was Wednesday. On top of that we're headed back up to Los Angeles (up by North Ridge) again, to be a part of a golf tournament, and then later in the week we are going to be going to our son David's mother-in-law's place to enjoy a Thanksgiving dinner. I think that will be the last of the trips to Los Angeles, at least for a little while. One of the things that make this next trip kind of special is that we are going to be heading up there in Jason's new van - it looks like it is finally going to be completed. There were appointments today, at Balboa, and then Tae (her actual name is Octavia, we just know her as Tae) Harris took us to lunch. Basically, she wanted to catch up with the two of us and to talk about the Wounded Warrior Med Conference coming up on December 4. Jason,...

A big portion of the day, today, was spent driving. Funny thing is, as we were driving we were having one of the best "family" discussions we have had in a long time. Jason was very engaged with the talk, and at times it was mostly between Jason and Linda. It was a time for all of us to just talk about anything that was on our mind, and not focused on anything in particular. We were in the van for nearly five hours today, so that's why we had so much time. The reason we were in the car for so much time was because we first drove up to the Gary Sinise Foundation, and then after that visit we drove back down here to San Diego... and like I said, it was about five hours total as traffic really wasn't too bad, though it did slow up in a couple places. We had a great visit with the Gary Sinise Foundation, and it was fun to get a chance to see the new facilities. I guess they've been there for a few months now, and we didn't ever make it up to their previous facil...

Today was really a fun day for us, as we were guests of Joe Mantegna, as he directed a segment of the TV Series, Criminal Minds in Los Angeles at the National Cemetery, and also over at the VA Homeless campus. We were able to take a number of pictures and got to meet and get to know a little, some of the other actors, as well as some of the guests. Two of the guests were Marine Generals (ret.) and one of the original Tuskegee Airmen (96 year young retired Lt. Col. Robert "Bob" Friend), and two of his daughters. Actually, Bob was quite a kick - when we told him we had been speaking with his daughters he said he didn't believe it. "Nobody can get a word in when they're talking. All you can do is listen." His two daughters, Sherrie and Karen were both very focused on keeping him comfortable and dotted over their father very well. We exchanged  contact information and hope to be able to stay in touch. They were also taken with Jason, as were several of the other...

Today is our anniversary! Linda and I have been married 39 years, and though there have  been some serious challenges we've managed to stay together, with each day life gets a little better. We really didn't do much to celebrate our anniversary, today, we did celebrate it a few days ago, when we went up to Julian. We enjoyed the time away from San Diego, and the low pressure days of Julian. It is one of the most laid back little towns I think I have ever come across. Linda had a great time, and so did I... we even had some great apple pie (for those that don't know, Julian is famous for its apple pie and their Julian apples). Today was relaxed and it gave Linda and I a little time to get things together, ahead of our next trip out. We will be going to church in the morning, and then loading up and heading back up to Los Angeles. This time we are going to be watching the filming of an episode of Criminal Minds, as our friend Joe Mantegna will be staring in and directing. H...

We had some visitors today - Linda's Mom and Dad came down and they brought along Lisa and Michael... Linda's sister and brother-in-law. We hadn't seen them in quite some time, and it was good to be able to get together, for at least a little while. This was their first visit to see Jason, also, so it was a positive all the way around. They arrived mid-morning an we all went to breakfast. That gave us a chance to sit down and do some initial catching up; then we came back to the house for a short break and then Linda and Lisa went over to the school to pick up the girls (they got out at noon today). Fortunately they didn't have to leave right away, and that gave us a little more time to visit and catch up some more. They are down, from Utah, to visit with Joe and Jess, Linda's (and Lisa's) parents, and will be visiting for a few days. It was good to see them, and I think it was a wonderful gift for Linda, as she really does miss her family, We got a few pictur...

We went to Pepperdine University, yesterday for a Veterans recognition dinner event, and then today we went to a Blue Star Plaque unveiling at Miramar National Cemetery . At both events we were allotted the honor of meeting new and interesting people, as well as the opportunity to help shine the light more on the men and women of the military, and those that serve our country. The two events were about 140 miles apart, so we had to do a bunch of driving, and Jason demonstrated that he is, in fact getting stronger, and showed that he was able to deal with it. Don't get me wrong, he was uncomfortable at times, and he was worn out at the end of the day, yet he had a great time and his wounds are still making progress. Linda and I enjoy doing these things with Jason, as it helps him to get in front of other veterans, and even sometimes in front of Boy Scouts (like today) to show what an Eagle Scout can become and over come (Jason is an Eagle Scout also). We still have a couple more e...

Happy Veterans Day to you, one and all. It is something that all veterans think about, though some do more than others. What I hope, is that people will think about is being offered by these men and women who serve, and do it because they believe it is what is needed, and asked of them. My dad was a WWII veteran of the Navy... I am a veteran of the Viet Nam era Air Force... and Jason is a U.S. Marine, of the Afghanistan era force. I have other family members who have served, far too many to list here, though I can provide them with a little recognition. To all those who serve and served - Thank you, we as a country owe you a great deal. Today we took the girls to the zoo and had a great time. Jackie is still very much a typical four year old, and after a few hours ran out of energy. Actually, her timing was pretty good as I don't think we could have taken the crowds much longer anyway. The zoo was pretty busy, and we enjoyed every minute of it. When we first got there we went ove...

Today was a very nice day, and a nice follow up to yesterday. Both days we focused on getting a few things done around the house and doing some basic straightening up, and just relaxing. I did get to see the 49er game, against the Saints, and that was generally a good game, with the first half going to the Niners and the second half going to the Saints. Problem for the Saints was that the Niners did just enough to get it to overtime, and then they won the game. They have a history of winning overtime games. This time of year there is a great deal more activities going on, and we get invited to participate in more functions. This is good, as it keeps us busy, and it also has its challenges since we have to still take care of other things as well, and maintain a calendar so that we don't double book on things, nor do we over do it for Jason and mess up with his healing. We've been invited to a couple of dinners, and also to a golfing event, fortunately all the events are relati...

I began the day with a nice bike ride of 19 miles, and it was just what I needed to get the legs loosened up. All the hiking we did up in Julian caused me to have stiff calf muscles and after the bike ride I actually felt pretty good. Funny thing though, there apparently was an event going on this morning, down on the harbor area, and that is part of where I rode. It was quite busy with people and bicycles all over the place, and I was constantly yelling out, "On your left!" and sometimes, "On your right!" Depending on where they were. Some of them even thanked me, and that's a good thing. After the ride I came back to the house, and Linda was up and ready to head off to her Blue Star Mom meeting. She slept in a little, as she started the day off a little on the shaky side. I guess the extra napping helped, she seemed to feel much better when I got back, and she was leaving. Linda was gone for most of the day, taking care of errands and personal business. Ja...

We made it back to the house, and we did it without hurting ourselves... ;-) The mini-vacation/break was excellent, though we would have liked to have had another day (or two). We went up to Julian, expecting to get some relaxation time, and ended up having a great time and meeting some wonderful people. We stayed at the Orchard Inn, and it has all the amenities that we could ask for, as well as being nestled in some of the prettiest wooded area around. Yesterday, after we got up, Linda wanted to go exploring and do a little hiking. There were some trails right out front, so those were the first we explored. They really didn't go too far up the hill, and showed signs of neglect, and we found out later that the neglect was intentional. Apparently, over the past several years, guests had gone up the trails and a couple of them actually got lost. Because this happened a couple of times it was decided to just let the tails go back to nature and discourage guests from going up that ...

Today was a little different, in that we had a visit from Brian, from the VA, who was here to evaluate me, the environment, Jason and even Linda, to make sure he was in fact getting good care and that we should be a part of their program. I know it sounds kind of strange, considering how long I have been taking care of Jason, but it is a process that is required, and besides, Brian was a great guy to talk with, and he had lots of great information for us. He is also still an active reservist so there is that military connection and I think Jason liked that. When he initially got there he said it was going to be a 2-hour visit/evaluation, but he and Jason were having such a good time it went to almost 3-hours, and that made him late for his next appointment. Otherwise, we passed just fine. After Brian left Linda and I went into overdrive to get everything packed up and still get Jason fed, as we were leaving for Julian (that's where we are right now - Linda is enjoying a hot bath ...

Happy Election Day! Linda and I are fully registered to vote in San Diego now, though it almost feels like we're cheating and should be staying linked to the SF Bay Area. I really didn't see any surprises in the general election, and wished I could have exercised my right to vote. Yeah, we registered, but could not find the time to go vote today. I guess it was related to all the things we have going, and the lack of time to fully understand the different issues on the ballot, as well as not knowing the candidates well enough to cast a vote, one way or another. I promise, with the next election we will be getting to our polling place. Jason had a couple of appointments today. One with the folks at Balboa and one with those at the VA. Balboa was with physical therapy and the VA was with his recovery coordinator. Both of them went well, and neither of them went over their scheduled amount of time. I was with Jason, as I had a couple of questions for the VA, and Jason and I were...

Tomorrow is election day, and I have to admit, I'm not ready. I have not taken the time needed to learn who the local candidates are, and what they stand for. I also don't have a solid grasp of all the state wide issues, or even the local ones... I guess that makes me pretty much a normal voter... ;-) I will be doing some reading tomorrow, and see if I can figure some things out. Linda and I are now registered to vote down here, so we really should. Jason took himself to his appointment, and that was pretty cool. It gave me a little time to get a nice bike ride in, and also a little time for Linda and I to get some things together for all the different activities we're going to be involved in this month. For instance, on Wednesday we are going to be taking off for Julian, a small town, not too far from here, where we'll be spending a couple of days at a B&B, and just doing our best to relax. We have to come back Friday, so it won't be too long away, and we hav...

Linda and I took advantage of the time change this morning, and actually got up "early" for a change. We got up at about 07:00, on a Sunday, and that is early. Of course it felt more like 08:00, so that's why I put the quotes around early. We were up and the girls were still asleep so we both decided that we could take advantage of this time and get some exercise in. This means I went for a bike ride, while Linda went to the elliptical. I managed to get in 16+ miles before going to church, and we were not late! The rest of the day was spent taking care of some chores around the house, and I even changed out Mr. Jingles cage (Jason's pet rat). Linda swept the floor and it was amazing just how much of Gracie's fur gathers... as Jason likes to say, "she is a German Shedder." The other event that we got to do was to head over to Glen and Anne Picket's place to visit with our cats, Candy and Pumpkin. Both of them are doing well, and growing more and mor...

We had a very nice day today, with the girls having fun with Grandma and taking down the Halloween decorations. Stacy went to Costco with Grandpa and we got out with spending less than $200 (I figured I must have done something wrong). Jason spent the day down, for the most part, though he did go in to tell the girls a good-night story, and also earlier in the day he came out to the kitchen. I guess it was just one of those days where we relaxed and got ready for the time change... ;-) It did rain last night, and that was unusual - unusual in that it hasn't rained much around here so we were very happy to see it. Even tonight it looked like it might rain a little more, but that didn't stop me from putting some salmon on the grill in the back. The girls played out there while I grilled, and the meal came out just fine. Thank you, for all the continued support and prayers. Take care and stay positive.