The Rolling Victory Fast - Sept 4th, 2006

The American flag was flown in battle for the first time on this day in 1777, during a Revolutionary War skirmish at Cooch's Bridge, Maryland. Patriot General William Maxwell ordered the "Stars and Stripes" banner raised as a detachment of his infantry and cavalry met an advance guard of British and Hessian troops. The rebels were defeated and forced to retreat to Brandywine Creek in Pennsylvania, where they joined General George Washington's main force. Three months before, on June 14, the Continental Congress adopted a resolution stating that "the flag of the United States be thirteen alternate stripes red and white" and that "the Union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new Constellation.

 

Click on the picture for the original post...here for the current post. A fitting day for my day on the Rolling Victory Fast 2006. An initial setback on a long road to final victory. I’ve been a patriot since I could tie my shoes, but I guess it was made official early in Feb 1969 when I recited this at a Navy induction centre in Philadelphia: I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God. I’m not sure if everyone took that oath seriously, but I did. After all, I’ve only taken two oaths in my entire life…the other being to “love, honour, and obey”. I like to think that I’ve been true to both of them.  Although the subject of the second oath nearly knee-capped me when I was looking to take a job in the sandbox….pointing out that she was too old to start waiting for me like that again. I’ve repeated the first oath at induction or graduation ceremonies for my sons. At my age, I have been able to do little to honour the memory of those who died on 911, and those who stand in harms way for me. Oh yes, I have contributed money and goods to patriotic and veteran organisations, I have voted (mostly) for conservatives when they are worthy of the name, I have stood and cheered at parades, I have supported individuals who are doing what I can no longer do, and I’ve stayed strong in the face of low-rent criticism. But I also go to a safe job each day (except for the commute up the Parkway) and come home to dinner and a safe bed (mostly) each night…thanks to those who have none of them. It doesn’t seem like enough. I Support the Troops  sounds too much like easy lip service for someone like me – I used to be a troop (well, squid anyway), and would put myself in harms way if I could.   My wife would be seriously pissed, my children would think I’d gone nuts, and my moonbat neighbors would just shrug and say “well, he is a right-wing death beast after all.”    But I’d do more if I could. And I’m damn sure that I’m not alone. Fast Day Updates: 8AM: Well, my sugar started out a bit over "high normal" when I got up this AM, so I should be good for a while. 11:30AM: Dropped 30 points...getting low. 4:05PM: Back from the range where I met Jesse, Kim, and her Bro and its dropped another 20 points...too low. Needed to eat something....in honor of this Army initiated fast, I chose beans. Um, boy, good ol' Army beans. I found a K-22 I think I'm going to get. 7:00 PM: Sugar back to normal again. That should last me for the rest of the night. As a note: With 4 years of effort, I have been able to avoid the shots and get off the pills. I regulate my sugar strictly by obsessing over my food intake....my system doesn't regulate sugar very well anymore, so I help it artificially by regulating my food intake. Actually I don't even need to check my blood as much as I used to...I can pretty much tell where my sugar is by physical sensation. As long as I feel 'good' I know I'm cool...When I feel 'bad' low, I eat...when I feel 'bad' high...I don't. Sounds strange, but the doctor says that my sugar is averaging out OK. Anything is better than taking drugs long term...them fuckers will kill you as dead as whatever disease you've got will.