Staff Sgt Jason Ross - Marine

This morning I got up, pretty much at the regular time, only this time I didn't have to worry about jumping on a conference call, right away. I am no longer working, as my relationship with LongView, the company I've been working for, for the past several months, has come to an end. It was one of those things where I was hired to do a specific job for the VA, and initially I was doing that job (for about 5 months), and then the VA decided that their priorities changed, and so the team was to start working on financials and work intake. I suddenly felt like a fish out of water, and on top of that they really didn't know what they wanted, just that it needed to be fixed. I had a number of conversations with the boss, and so we agreed that at the end of 2015 we would simply terminate our relationship. I didn't feel like I was honestly contributing and I really felt uncomfortable in a constant state of catch-up. Well, I know today isn't the end of 2015, and that is beca...

Yesterday was President's Day and we took the girls to the San Diego Safari Park. They had a great time as did we, and at the end of the day we were all pretty well worn out. The girls fell asleep shortly after getting in to the van, and amazingly, Linda didn't fall asleep. I think she wanted to be sure I didn't get lost, or get tired. Anyway, it was a great day and one of those days where we were very happy to be members of the zoo. Today it was back to the grind, though the girls didn't have to go to school. They have this entire week off, so that is keeping Linda pretty busy, too. Both of them are growing so fast, we can almost see them get taller each day, and I think Jason is seeing it too. Linda and I took the girls to an "early" showing of Kung Fu Panda 3 (15:45, or 3:45pm). We were surprised to find that the theater didn't even open until 15:30 (3:30pm), and this is a holiday week. We still had plenty of time, and there really wasn't that man...

Well, it has been a few days so I figured it was time for at least a quick update on what is going on with Jason, and the Ross clan in general. First, Jason is doing well, and the wounds are closing up nicely. The new prosthetic bucket, or at Linda likes to call it - the wearable - is helping with the healing process. It also seems to allow him to be up in his chair longer and recover much faster. Before, if he had been up in his chair for four or more hours he would need to be down, in his bed, for most of the next day, and if he was up for even longer periods it could take more than a day before he would get back up again, and sometimes the wounds would show signs of wear. Now, he can be up for five hours and only need a couple of hours to recover, and the wounds continue to heal. This is all very good for Jason and for us, as a family. We can potentially see Jason getting out and doing more. We're already talking about going out and playing in the snow next year, up in the Sie...

These past couple of days have been quite busy for the Ross household, here in Fallbrook. On Saturday we went down to Balboa to be a part of the Gary Sinise Invincible Spirit celebration. He comes to Balboa, each February, to provide a day full of fun for the military families of both those who are supporting the Wounded Warriors, and also the Wounded Warriors themselves. This is the third event we've been to, and each time it is a lot of fun. This years event was even more special as we met Col. James Folsom, of the Wounded Warrior Family Support Organization. They are the folks who worked with the Gary Sinise Foundation to make sure Jason got his van. He is an amazingly humble man, and really does go way out of his way to help. We got there at about 11:00 and we stayed until almost 15:00 (3pm). The girls were with us and both of them were showing signs of being tired. Linda, Jason and I were also tired, so it was a good time for all of us to head on back home. Another interesti...

The day after Groundhog Day and the weather hasn't changed any... okay, maybe a little, but not much. Jason is doing well, and he and Linda went down to Balboa for a visit with the folks at the hospital. He had a couple of appointments and picked up a few supplies, then they came back home. Not too much excitement, and that's probably a good thing - Jason's wounds continue to improve and he is getting more and more used to the new prosthetic. The down side is that he didn't get to see Dr. Sheu, his primary at Balboa, and Dr. Sheu is a key reason Jason even has the new device. Perhaps next time he gets to the hospital, for a regular visit we'll find the good doctor. Not too much is going on, otherwise. We have some fun planned for this coming weekend, with a visit to Balboa Naval Hospital (this time not as a patient) for the Gary Sinise Invincible Spirit Festival. There is also going to be a car show there, and they have asked Jason to bring at least one of his v...