Yes, my sister and I sing the flag decal song. It ought to be played on the radio, and the saga about "Sam Stone", too. Sam Stone is really relevant now with all the young men and women serving around the world who are coming home with shattered bodies and shatter minds. Jeez! SAM STONE - written and performed by John Prine Sam Stone came home, To his wife and family After serving in the conflict overseas. And the time that he served, Had shattered all his nerves, And left a little shrapnel in his knee. But the morphine eased the pain, And the grass grew round his brain, And gave him all the confidence he lacked, With a Purple Heart and a monkey on his back. Chorus: There's a hole in daddy's arm where all the money goes, Jesus Christ died for nothin', I suppose. Little pitchers have big ears, Don't stop to count the years, Sweet songs never last too long on broken radios. Mmm.... Sam Stone's welcome home Didn't last too long. He went to work when he'd spent his last dime And Sammy took to stealing When he got that empty feeling For a hundred dollar habit without overtime. And the gold rolled through his veins Like a thousand railroad trains, And eased his mind in the hours that he chose, While the kids ran around wearin' other peoples' clothes... Repeat Chorus: There's a hole in daddy's arm where all the money goes, Jesus Christ died for nothin', I suppose. Little pitchers have big ears, Don't stop to count the years, Sweet songs never last too long on broken radios. Mmm.... Sam Stone was alone When he popped his last balloon Climbing walls while sitting in a chair Well, he played his last request While the room smelled just like death With an overdose hovering in the air But life had lost its fun And there was nothing to be done But trade his house that he bought on the G.I. Bill For a flag draped casket on a local heroes' hill Chorus There's a hole in daddy's arm where all the money goes, Jesus Christ died for nothin', I suppose. Little pitchers have big ears, Don't stop to count the years, Sweet songs never last too long on broken radios. Mmm.... ------------------------------ Annie

WOW! Sounds great.

I don't have any notions of finding a soul mate or true love. The "when" is an issue as I am in demand 24/7 while here. I do work out of town several days per week. It is my respite time even though while there I put in 10-12 hours days. It's still way more relaxing than being at home where home life is both emotionally stressful and physically demanding. My kids are teenagers and can make the odd meal under duress. Their dad takes care of driving them around. I cook ahead and leave meals prepped so they are eating healthy food and not ordering pizza the whole time I'm away. From the time I get back I am on a dead run getting ready to be gone the following week: cleaning house, shopping, cooking, doing laundry. I think a bit of pleasant conversation with a nice other is well deserved. Otherwise my whole life is one of servitude and drudgery. I suspect that JC and I aren't in particularly unique circumstances. I don't plan to take up table-dancing in a fringed halter top. I just want a nice dinner out or a movie date once in while. Heck, I'll treat! BarnMom

It is not only students who are demanding and thoughtless about assignments. We asked the lecturers at our local university to give us a list of items that needed copies prepared by library staff for the next term assignments before they went away. I was told that the pressure of work caused by collecting and photocopying these books would be so great that I would not be able to take leave myself. My husband had the opportunity for us to go for a fortnight free of charge to a lovely holiday island but we had to turn it down. Only a few of the lecturers gave us lists but all those who had not demanded that we prepare their copies urgently after they returned from their trip. Would you believe that they had all gone to the holiday island! I could have gone up there and bugged them for the lists so the staff would have had the work prepared and had my freeby too! I was furious.