Staff Sgt Jason Ross - Marine

A good day, and for the most part not much happened that was out of the normal. We got up, the girls went over to their mothers house (Linda took them), and we took care of things around here. There were a couple of things that were a little different, and one of them was me going to the follow up Dr. visit, from when I was in the hospital recently. I walked in to see the doctor and she said, "So, it looks like you had a little heart attack." My reply was, "No, I did not. It was a false positive on the test, and that is what the doctors at the VA told me." She apologized and said she hadn't looked closely enough at my records and said, "Oh, my I guess your heart is in pretty good shape. They didn't find ANY blockages. Keep up the exercise and keep eating right." Then we went over the other regular meds I take and discussed the need for me to drop a few pounds (I'd like to loose about 15). The visit was pretty much over at that point and then ...

Today, has been a pretty normal, that's the new normal, day for us. I was up pretty early today, as I was at the computer for work at 04:20 this morning. Other than that, it was much like any of these recent days, and I am still getting to know what it is I'm going to be doing. Linda got up a little on the early side as well, and by the end of the day she was feeling like she had been up for most of the day, and in fact, she was. Linda took the girls to the library this morning, and that is probably one of the most fun things they all like to do. I say, "all" because Linda likes going to the library almost as much as the girls do. We have already figured out that we will need to locate the local library as soon as we can, so the girls will be able to get going there, just like here. We've been hearing back from a bunch of our friends and they're letting us know they intend to be at the dedication of the house. Pastor John Powell, from the church we've ...

I got up a little early, as I have gotten back in to that work-a-day world, and had a bunch of stuff going through my head. I did my best to not disturb Linda and simply got up and started getting ready for my day at work. At a little after 06:00 I came back into the bedroom and woke her, since she wanted to get up a little early, and I have a regular conference call each morning at 07:00. There is so much to read and learn about this new environment, and on top of that I am enjoying it. Linda did get up and was moving before 07:00, even though she didn't get to bed, herself, until about 02:00 this morning. She was taking the girls to a movie showing of some kids movie, and that meant she needed to be up and ready and then also have the girls up and ready to go by about 09:00, or something like that. They managed to get out and made it to the movie, because they didn't come back for about 2 hours. Jason had a couple of appointments at Balboa, so he was out the door a little...

A nice quiet and relaxing Sunday, with the whole family together - that is me, Linda, Jason, Stacy and Jackie; Gracie and Kojak are here too, Linda started out the day at Barona Casino, with her Aunt and cousin. She got up early enough to drive back to the house and get here before we left for church, and she did make it, by a couple of minutes. The girls were particularly excited to go to church this morning, Today was the first Sunday since Vacation Bible School, and they knew there would be some sort of recognition for last week, and they weren't disappointed. We got a few things done around the house and then a little later in the afternoon, after the girls went down for their nap, Sophia, from Serving Spoons came by. She was with her mom, and bringing us the last meal they will be delivering to us, since we're headed to Fallbrook. They did promise to come up for a visit, but said they would not be able to make deliveries any more, since it is kind of a distance north of ...

Okay, first things first -- Do you realize that there are only 5 more months until Christmas? I just wanted to through that out there, to give you something to think about. A most interesting day, to be sure. I first got up and out for a bike ride, and though it was only a short one, of about 13 miles, it felt good to ride a little farther, and begin to start building on it. The reason for an early start was that Linda was heading off to visit her Aunt Nini and her Cousin Debbi, and she wanted to be on the road before 09:00. Then on top of that Jason wanted to get going so that he could get the dogs to their service dog training, and that is also why I needed to get back home in a reasonable amount of time. The added complexity is that we have the girls, and it would be better for me to be here, if Linda wants to get going. As it turned out, I was back home, prior to Linda leaving, and Jason also had time to get the dogs ready. As I was getting ready to take my shower, Joselyn show...

Today was a pretty good day, for everything. The girls came back to stay with us for another five days; Jason was able to take care of his appointments, on his own; Linda and the girls had their last day with Vacation Bible School; and, I had my first Work-Friday, in a long time. The work week ended on a pretty good note, with me capturing a bunch of the information, and doing my best to get it organized. If nothing else, the VA does generate a very large quantity of data and they have some enormous data bases. I guess that's why they contract out some of the work to folks like me and our team, to help them figure it all out. Anyway, we're all starting to get to know each other and that is the first step in getting better coordinated in our efforts. The Vacation Bible School, that Linda and the girls have been attending is now over, and I think the girls are going to miss it. Both of them were singing songs they had learned and they seemed a little sad that it was over. I ...

Going back to work is not as bad as I thought it was going to be. Then again, I really haven't gotten moving into much of the "work" yet. Right now it pretty much seems that I'm just mostly doing paperwork and getting information together, so that I can do my job. I hope that I am done with that as of today, and that starting tomorrow I can maybe take a step or two towards doing some research and data gathering for the job. Jason is doing well and continuing to improve, and the dogs are about the same. Kojak has been chewing on various items in the house, and it is driving us all nuts. This is the famous "puppy" stage all dogs go through, though  Kojak seems really good at it. I guess it is better that he get some (all?) of it out of his system, before we get to the new house, as that's where most of the stuff is going to be newer, as opposed to the used stuff we have now. Linda is feeling much better and I happy (so is she) about that. She is helpin...

Today was a pretty good day, for me - I got up relatively early, to get ready for my first day at work. I started with a 07:00 conference call, of new hire orientation. There were several people on the call, and it sounds like they are going to be growing even more, over the next several weeks (months?). I like all that they had to say, and their benefits are perfect for Linda and I. I do believe this is going to be a good way to get back into the working world. Linda, got up with me, and took care of a few other things, as well as got ready for the girls coming back, this morning. She was still feeling a little under the weather, and her tummy was a little out of sorts. She was needing to get ready for Vacation Bible School, and the girls were very much looking forward to it. By the end of the day she was noticeably better, and I think the continued moving around had something to do with, though I don't think she would have rather been able to just sit and relax a little more. ...

Another rainy day, down here in San Diego. It rained most of the day, and again the roads were very wet. The good part about today is that we spent virtually all day inside and didn't go out, other than to take a look at the rain, for a little while. Linda was feeling a little ill this morning and it drug on well into the day and then the evening. She thinks she might have eaten something that didn't sit well with her tummy, so for the most part just stayed down. She did get up a few time to take care of some chores, and then I'd have to ask her to sit back down. I think she was feeling better by the end of the day, and I hope tomorrow is a good day for her. Speaking of tomorrow - I start my new job tomorrow, and I'm looking forward to getting things going again. I will have to get going bright and early, and then get into the tasks at hand. I look forward to all of this, and to be honest, I am very excited to be working again. Right now I need to get to bed, so tha...

Today was an amazingly wet day. We had thunderstorms and a bunch of lightening, with probably close to 2 inches of rain - cause some flooding, but not too much. The down side was that the power was knocked off for probably 10 hours. No loss of food, as we kept the refrigerator and freezer closed for the majority of the day. The rain was so good to see, just wish it had been high up in the hills, where it could have flowed into the reservoirs. The day started with listening to thunder and watching lightening. Shortly after getting up, about 06:00, this morning, the power went out. We still managed to get a nice breakfast together, Cheerios, and then about 08:00, Linda and I went to meet Loretta and Ivona , from Blue Star Mothers. We were all going to the San Diego Stand Down. This event is for helping vets who have fallen out of society, due to various challenges, to get back on their feet and start feeling better about themselves.  This was a wonderful experience for me, and I th...

Kind of a nice day to help get back in to the swing of things. One of the first things Linda and I had to do, besides some clean up around the house, was to go to Costco. We really didn't need to buy too much, just that what we needed, we really needed. This morning, after breakfast, we took the dogs to the vet, for some shots and medical needs. Mr. Jingles was also taken in, as he has gotten very sick. It was decided that he would be put down, so we all said our good-byes and Mr. Jingles is no longer with us. Jason knew this was coming, and recognized the quality of life had really deteriorated, so it had to be done. He was with us for about four years, so we think he was about four and a half and we were told most rats don't make it beyond five years. Linda did most of the heavy lifting around here as I have been told not to exert any thing greater than 5 lbs. on my right hand and wrist for a few days. It is where they went in and did the angiogram and they don't want...

We had an exciting past few days, and I'm going to do my best to let everyone know what happened - First, we had decided to take the girls (Stacy and Jackie) to go see the movie RIO-2 - as it was part of the theater's summer program for kids, and because it was only a dollar per person. Before going though, we (Linda and I) decided we wanted to get some exercise in first, so she jumped on to her elliptical, and I went over to the gym (there wasn't enough time to go for a good bike ride). As a result of the short time window, I kind of pushed myself a little harder and apparently that caused a bit of a chain reaction. After exercising, I felt like my chest was really congested and tight, so I just sat down for a little while (15 min?) and then went up to take a shower. By the time I was done with the shower and had gotten dressed I was feeling a little better, so we loaded the girls up in the car and we went to the movie. We got to our seats, and I was still feeling like...

We continue to get closer to moving in to the new house and we continue to get more and more anxious to get it done. We are all really looking forward to the move up to Fallbrook, for multiple reasons, and the biggest reason is to allow a greater amount of independence for Jason. We are coming down to the wire here, and for those that are interested in the Buy-A-Brick, you can find the form on my FaceBook account, if you get it to the Gary Sinise Foundation by the 15th of July the brick will be placed prior to the dedication. Of course if you do make a purchase after the 15th it will still be placed around the flagpole, just after the dedication. We had a fun day with the girls and right after an appointment for Jackie, this morning we all decided to go to lunch together. Actually, it was kind of a surprise lunch from Jason, and it was kind of fun. We all hadn't really been out to enjoy a lunch in several weeks, so this was special, and it being Jason's idea made it even more...

Another late day for getting the posting out, and on the good side it has been a very good day - for all of us. I got up early and by 07:30 I was out the door, going for a bike ride. I had not been out on my bike for any long ride in several weeks - I really needed to get out and have some head clearing time. I told Linda, before leaving (actually, last night) that I would probably not be going to church today and that I needed to go for a ride. She is very supportive of me and said she would take the girls to church, and that I didn't need to worry about them getting there. Anyway, It was a very nice ride, and I managed to avoid most of the Comic-con traffic and people, as well there apparently was another activity going on, on Fiesta Island. There must have been a couple thousand people and vehicles there, with a major activity behind some fences. Despite all the additional traffic and people I still managed to have a good ride and rode almost 32 miles. I suppose I could have g...

This was a nice day for the Ross Family, in San Diego. Jason decided that it was time to take Kojak up to Buddy Todd Park, where the service dog training takes place. Since the girls enjoy going to the park they went along, too. I drove the van, and the four of us and the two dogs fit comfortably. Linda had a meeting with the Blue Star Mothers, and so she did not come with us. The girls were all over the place, and did their best to make sure Grandpa got some exercise. The number one thing for them is the swings, and we spent probably a half an hour on them, before they wanted to go somewhere else. They were up in the trees, as well as on the climbing structures, and slides. There were at least four birthday parties going on at this same time, so there were other kids there, and Jackie made friends with another little girl. This other little girl was there with her big sister and their grandpa. We ended up staying together as a group and I got to talk with the grandpa. I guess the mo...

One of those days where there is way too much to do, and way to little time. The good part is that of the things I had to get done, I was able to get most of them accomplished. As a result I was pretty tired by the end of the day, and ended up falling asleep on the couch, just before dinner. I only slept for about 15 minutes, so it wasn't too bad, and I was able to have dinner with the rest of the family. The girls and I spent most of the day together, and we had a fun time. Linda had some appointments she had to take care of  and Jason had his appointments. When the girls first arrived this morning I was working on some paperwork, upstairs. The paperwork is for the on-boarding process for the new job, and getting things going at the VA for my clearance. As it was, I knew both Linda and Jason were taking off at about the same time, and I needed to get over to the VA to get fingerprinted. I took the girls with me, and we had a fun time. It was the first time for both of them to be...

Thank you, to all the well wishers out there, I had a very nice and enjoyable 63rd birthday. Linda and I were able to get out and enjoy a few hours of just the two of us and went to lunch and saw the movie, MAX. We both were very happy we chose to see that movie, as opposed to the others being offered. It is one of those very good movies that you really don't need to go to the theater to see, as the special effects are pretty tame, compared to today's movies. Still, I would recommend getting a copy of the movie or rent it from Netflix or whomever you might use. The house is moving along nicely, and we enjoyed seeing Jason get to be the very first person to drive up the new driveway, AND he was even able to pull into the garage. This was really cool, and we could see where the yard is coming together now. On top of all this, Jason's wounds continue to move in the right direction, for healing. The girls come back tomorrow, for another five day visit, so we have that to lo...

Today was a busy day for all of us - though the "busy" for the girls was a matter of deciding which toy to play with and what they might want for lunch. We are getting closer to the move date so Linda and I are working to make sure what we move is what we want, and that it is at least somewhat organized. I worked with Bobby Bryan, and we moved the "old" office desk and file cabinet (Linda's desk and cabinet) from our current house up to Linda's parents' home, up in Lake Forest. I am so glad that Bobby was able to help with the move, as some of the furniture is heavy. I rented a U-haul truck, as it was the best way to insure the furniture wasn't damaged during the drive. Once we delivered the office we stayed to have "breakfast" with Linda's parents, Joe and Jess. It was actually kind of late in the morning, and it almost felt like lunch, but we all still had a typical breakfast meal, since none of us had eaten yet. We enjoyed a nice c...

Throughout the summer the Sea World park has a fireworks show, at the end of each day. As  result we have a great 4th of July like show, so when we missed it on the real 4th, it was only a minor let down. The challenge is making sure the girls get to sleep, since the display goes on after they typically go to bed. I am experiencing a rather irritating network problem, with the signal coming in and out frequently and it is making it difficult to get any work accomplished, on a consistent basis. If it doesn't improve over the next few days we're going to have to look for another provider or source for network supply. Because of this, this post is going to be short - Jason is doing well, and we went in to the Wound Care at the VA. The woman who is in charge of that area expressed some concern about the on going challenges of Jason's wounds and wants to get some other departments focused on him. I'm actually glad to see this, as it could help in getting the right attent...

We got home late last night, and therefore I didn't get a post done, besides by the time I would have been able to post it would have been "today" anyway. What happened was that yesterday the girls came over, a little later than we had hoped, but it didn't mess plans up too much. I had managed to get out on the bike early in the morning, and was back home before they came, and that was after a 22 mile ride. I rode out to Mission Beach and then around Liberty Island, and then back to the house. I chose that route because I thought the traffic was going to be lite and the ride easy. The traffic was no where near as heavy as it would be on a work day, and the weather was really nice, that's the positive aspect of the ride. Aside from the first mile, though, there wasn't any parking places left on the road, all the way to the beach, and then around the island. I was absolutely amazed at the sight. I was also very happy that traffic was very low, as I would have ha...

Today has been one of those very nice days, that you kind of wish all days could be like, not necessarily the same, just like. We got up a little after 07:00 (yes, we actually slept in) and Linda and I took Gracie for a 3.5 mile walk, around the larger block. When we came home Kojak was very concerned about where we had gone and actually greeted us at the door. Afterward we had breakfast and since Jason wanted oatmeal, that's what I prepared. Once breakfast was over we, Linda and I, headed over to the storage units to get to working on them. We need to be completely out of the second unit by July 11, and based on the work we accomplished today, I think we will make that date easily. Actually, by just rearranging some things and doing some better stacking we were able to "find" room in the original unit, and won't need the second unit any more. With the new house coming together so well it doesn't look like it will be too long before we can completely get out of ...

Apologies for no post yesterday, but we ended up staying up late yesterday and I was just too darn tuckered out. Yesterday, I received an offer of employment, and accepted. It has been a LONG road to this happening, and both Linda and I are very happy about it finally coming to fruition. I know Jason is also happy about it, as I think he has always carried a little guilt about Dad having to give up his career to come and take care of him. Funny thing is, the last "full time" position I had was with a company who was doing some work for the V.A.; with this new position I will be working with a new company, who also is doing some work for the V.A. A big difference is that this new company has a three year contract, so I don't think it is going to fall apart. As a result of this news, Linda and I did a little celebrating, and it carried us well into the night, it's been several weeks since we have had a "Date Night," and then I was too tired to post. Heck, ev...