31 Years Ago Today.....

I was giving birth to my son. Yep, Beau is 31. I have to say that sometimes it really takes me by surprise that I have kids in their 30s, (not to mention the whole grandma part), yet it does seem so long ago when they were little.

But I do remember the day I had Beau; I was admitted the day before because they had him scheduled to be born on the 28th by c-section (backe then if you had one child c-section, you had 'em ALL c-section) and I remember how the timing rather sucked, because while I was in my 8th month of pregnancy I got off at noon every day and would head to my barracks room and watch soaps: All My Children (which I had watched off-and-on from the day it started, back in 1970), One Life To Live, and General Hospital. Now I didn't care so much about the first two, but I loved General Hospital and at that particular time was when Luke and Laura had just come back from being on the run and being confronted by everyone. And the episode I had seen that Friday before (I had Beau on a Tuesday) was when reporters were all over them and Laura said "Of course I'm still Mrs. Scotty Baldwin!" so I was dying to find out what happened. (Funny the things one remembers, right?)

But no, Monday I went to the hospital to get all checked in (and couldn't get to a tv...darn!) so I would be there at 0800 Tuesday to have the baby. I had no idea what it would be as they didn't do those kind of sonograms or tests to tell you what you were going to have. I did have an amniosintesis (that's probably spelled wrong) the week before and I asked the doctor if this could tell what I was having and he said yes, but the best test to have would be on Tuesday morning. Ha. Ha.

Even though I was having him c-section, they said that Ed could be in there with me. I wasn't too happy about that for various reasons, but in he went. When they started cutting me open, Ed was being a smart-ass and asked them if they could see what I had had for breakfast. Funny. Not. I can remember the surgical team discussing BAH and I was thinking you can ask me, I'm in Disbursing, but I didn't say it out loud. When they took Beau out, and him being blue, Ed was about to faint. (Real tough Marine there, huh?) I just recall he had a very big nose and said so, and Ed was like "No he doesn't!" Whatever.

We named him Edward Dean Thornton Jr., and at the very first we called him Ed. But not a whole lot later, his name became Beau, because of a name I had heard a couple of months earlier. This guy had come through Seps and his last name was Ricklebean, which I thought was funny. Being 7 months pregnant, I joked around and said when I had the baby I was going to name it Ricklebean.......Beauregard Ricklebean. Well the first time I took him to my office, my Gunny said "So this is Beau." and I thought that was really cute, and the name stuck. (Which was good because I didn't want people calling him Junior or Eddie anyway.) It did take Ed a very long time to call him Beau, but he finally had to give in since that was what Beau answered to.

So anyway, even though Beau can't read this, he is in my thoughts today. I know he isn't having a good birthday, but I am wishing him one anyway. I love you Beau.

How About Some Breakfast?

If there is one thing I look forward to in the mornings, it is my coffee from Starbucks.  But then a few months ago I added their oatmeal to my morning and I have to say I really really like it.  I've never been much of a breakfast eater per se, usually if I want something to eat it's after 10 or so.  But it's always said that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so I have started eating it as soon as I start my day. 

This is how it begins for me.....who can resist that cute little cup they put it in?  And it comes with brown sugar, nuts, and dried fruit, but after trying that combo I told them I just want the nuts and brown sugar.

Now the nice thing is that they already have the oatmeal in the cup with hot water, so by the time I get to work, its ready to put on the toppings and eat:

Of course I have to stir it first....doesn't it look yummy? (Ok, maybe not so much, but it does taste pretty darn good!)

Of course, it looks (and tastes!) even yummier with this:

So there I have my Pumpkin Spice Latte and Oatmeal.  I'm sure a doctor would probably tell me to leave off the latte part, but we know that isn't going to happen.  Especially when it brings joy to the first 15 minutes or so of my morning here at work. 

Now I know a post about breakfast isn't exciting or anything, and really not even worth talking about.  The truth is I just wanted to post pictures I took.  :-)  

Another Blog? Really??

Yep, really.  Now I know I need another one like I need a hole in the head, but sometimes I just feel like writing and it doesn't fit in with my other two, which are more specific topics.  And this one will be about whatever I feel like talking about and probably much more often.  Also I can post more pictures to this one that go with whatever I am talking about which I don't with the others very often.

Now as for the title of this blog, "A Shot of Sharl" actually came from a very good friend of mine in a sentence that he wrote a couple of months ago.  When I read it, I immediately thought it would be really great as a blog title, and knew I had to get around to creating a new one so that I could use it and finally, I am.    So, thank you to my friend for the idea of my title, and for a shot at another blog.

   ;-)