The News

I stopped watching the news a lot time ago right after the Russian Subarine (the Kursk) sank. It just so happened the the Hubby was on his last month of a six month deployment. I had no idea where he was. Then I was watching TV and a Breaking News update came on saying "A submarine sank in the Barents Sea."

That was it.

Just that "A submarine sank in the Barents Sea." Not "A Russian submarine sank in the Barents Sea." Just "a submarine". I was beside myself until I found out the facts, and then I was infuriated with how the tragedy was handled. I was so upset knowing that there were ships nearby ready and willing to help and help was refused. So all 118 of those men on board were lost. I was haunted with that fact for a very long time. Having a Hubby who rides around on Submarines...knowing stuff like this can and does happen causes me undue stress. I just have to give him over to God.

So I stopped watching the news, but then people would call me. "Hey, did you hear about that American Submarine that crashed?" Or "Hey, did you hear about that American Submarine that hit the fishing boats?" So now I do skim the news on a daily basis online. So I can have names and facts. But I don't look at "Breaking News." I wait until all the particulars are in place, and then I read about the event.

I was disheartened to read this article over the weekend.
http://news.aol.com/article/russian-sub-accident-suffocates-20/242121
Accident on Russian Sub Suffocates 20By VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV, AP
posted: 10 HOURS 41 MINUTES AGOcomments: 183filed under: World NewsPrintShareText SizeAAAMOSCOW (Nov. 8) - The fire safety system on a brand-new Russian nuclear submarine accidentally turned on as the sub was being tested in the Sea of Japan, spewing a gas that suffocated 20 people and sent 21 others to the hospital, officials said Sunday.
The Russian Navy said the submarine itself was not damaged in Saturday's accident and returned to its base on Russia's Pacific coast under its own power Sunday. The accident also did not pose any radiation danger, the navy said.

NTV Russian Channel/AP
At least 20 people died Saturday when a fire safety system malfunctioned in this submarine, shown here on Russian television.

Yet it was Russia's worst naval accident since torpedo explosions sank another nuclear-powered submarine, the Kursk, in the Barents Sea in 2000, killing all 118 seamen aboard.
Overcrowding may have been a significant factor on Saturday.
The submarine being tested had 208 people aboard, including 81 seamen, according to Russian navy spokesman Capt. Igor Dygalo. Yet Russian news agencies said a sub of this type normally carries only a crew of 73.
"A submarine is the most vulnerable during trials. With both navy and civilian personnel on board, it's very dificult to keep such a large number of people organized," Gennady Illarionov, a retired submarine officer, told the RIA Novosti news agency.
The victims suffocated after the submarine's fire-extinguishing system released Freon gas, said Vladimir Markin, an official with Russia's top investigative agency. He said forensic tests found Freon in the victims' lungs.
Seventeen civilians and three seamen died in the accident and 21 others were hospitalized after being evacuated to shore, Dygalo said, adding that none of the injuries were life-threatening.
"The submarine's nuclear reactor was operating normally and radiation levels were normal," Dygalo said, explaining that the accident affected two sections of the submarine closest to the bow.
Markin's agency, the Investigative Committee under the Prosecutor General's office, has launched a probe into the accident, which he said will focus on what activated the firefighting system and possible violations of submarine operating rules.
Lev Fyodorov, a top Russian chemical expert, agreed that the Freon pushed oxygen out, causing those inside to die of suffocation. But he wondered why the individual breathing kits that everyone on board is supposed to have did not keep people from dying.
"People on board the sub may have failed to use their breathing equipment when they found themselves in an emergency," he told the AP.
Igor Kurdin, a retired navy officer who heads an association of former submariners, told Ekho Moskvy radio that the high death toll probably resulted from shipyard workers who lacked experience in dealing with the breathing kits.
A siren warning the crew that the firefighting system was turning on also may have failed, RIA Novosti quoted an unidentified navy official as saying, so those on board might not have realized that Freon was being released until it was too late.
The submarine returned Sunday to Bolshoi Kamen, a military shipyard and a navy base near Vladivostok. Officials at the Amur Shipbuilding Factory said they built the submarine and it is called the Nerpa. Dygalo said it was to be commissioned by the navy later this year.
Construction of the Nerpa, an Akula II class attack submarine, started in 1991 but was suspended for years because of a shortage of funding, they said. Testing on the submarine began last month and it submerged for the first time last week.
The U.S.-based intelligence risk assessment agency Stratfor said the Akula is an established design, with the Nerpa being the 11th ship of the class.
"Such a catastrophic accident calls into question the way the Russian navy has sustained its institutional knowledge in terms of design expertise, not to mention issues of quality control, both in fabrication and inspection," Stratfor said.
Saturday's accident came as the Kremlin is seeking to restore Russia's naval reach, part of a drive to show off the nuclear-armed country's clout amid strained ties with the West. A naval squadron is heading to Venezuela for joint exercises this month in a show of force near U.S. waters.
Despite a major boost in military spending during Vladimir Putin's eight years as president, Russia's military is still hampered by decrepit infrastructure, aging weapons and problems with corruption and incompetence.
Illarionov said the accident appeared to reflect the loss of crucial skills in conducting sea trials.
"During the Soviet times, we commissioned three to five submarines a year, and now we get just one in five years," Illarionov was quoted by RIA Novosti as saying. "People forgot caution and lost their skills."
The Kremlin said President Dmitry Medvedev was told about the accident immediately and ordered a thorough investigation. Putin, now prime minister, was criticized for his slow response to the Kursk disaster.
In 2003, 11 people also died when a Russian submarine that was being taken out of service sank in the Barents Sea.
Associated Press writer Steve Gutterman contributed to this report.
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. Active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.
2008-11-08 20:58:04

I of course asked the Hubby if it could happen to him. I didn't get a straight answer, but I didn't expect one. I know I can't know details.

Dear Lord in Heaven,
I pray for the civilans and Seamen who were lost this weekend. I pray for their family and friends. I pray for you to give them strength and understanding during this difficult time. Hold them close and show them your love.

Amen

Hanging on tight

So I've canceled our HIPPY appointment today. I hated doing it, but I have my fingernails dug into the edge of my sanity and I'm hanging on tight. I spent an hour on the phone this morning trying to repair the happenings of yesterday. I just want to give Lowe's a ^5 for being so awesome. Some poor man with a terrible cold was on the phone with me for like 30 minutes trying to find us in the system as having purchased a replacement/extended warrenty. I am positive we did because we bought the range for dirt cheap. It had been sitting in the storage room and was covered in two inches of dust and didn't come with a manual or anything. So we bought the replacement warrenty "just in case." I can't find the paperwork, and the man was so nice and cool. He entered us into the system as having a service warrenty based on my word and he is sending me a new receipt. He asked me to put it in a safe place. How cool is that? Now, I don't know if he gave us a complimentary replacement warrenty, so I'll have to dig it up this weekend just in case. This same thing happened to our dishwasher, and we replaced it. It was fried. Positive thoughts that I find our warrnety and receipt! It's here somewhere. I *never* throw anything away. Just ask the Hubby. ::snickers::

I did find my kitty last night. It took some work, but I managed to cage him and set him up with a blanket, litter box, and food and water in my bathroom. I didn't want him around the other cats until I have him looked at. I didn't want the kids to pester him, either. He's resting comfortably and I am getting ready to rush out the door to take him to the vet. Egads! I just looked at the time.

Cio.

The good, the bad, and the ugly

The good: The little boy I care for was early today so I earned a little extra money.
The ugly: I was just wearing a bra and standing on my landing where anyone who cared to look could see me when he arrived.
The Good: I think I ducked into my room and wrangled myself into some clothes in the nick of time.

The good: Today was a beautiful day. Warm weather, clear skies, beautiful colors.
The bad: I woke up to blood all over the house. One of my kitties is injured. :(
The ugly: I figured out which kitty it was, but he won't let me tend to his wound. I need to get him into the vet tomorrow.

The good: I baked two loaves of yummy pumpkin bread.
The bad: I didn't get to finish making the taco rings for dinner.
The Ugly: My oven element flashed white and made a zapping sound, then started smoking and burning while I was heating up the oven for dinner.
The Good: I didn't get electrocuted. Scared the poo out of me, though! I flung half cooked ground beef across the kitchen.

The good: I was able to spend time with family and friends today.
The bad: I didn't get to work on my house much.
The ugly: My house...on the inside.
The good: I mowed all of my grass and the yard is almost ready for winter.

Change can be good or bad

I pray, pray, and pray some more that the "right" person was elected. As some very wise people mentioned last night. I was thinking the "right" person varied for each person asked, but they pointed out that there is only one person who is the "right" person to lead our country in a more positive direction. Hopefully Barrack Obama is him, since he is our new President Elect.

God Bless America.

Digging Deep

I have been reading this blog http://diaryofadyingmom.blogspot.com/ piece by piece. It is slow going due to the fact that each entry calls for me to pause and reflect on my life and who I am. And yes, to cry a little or a lot. Her story breaks my heart; her strength boosts me up. Her brother's recent dedication...looking for God and finding him...clicks many things into place for me. She has peace at last...pain free in God's paradise.

Housing

So, housing has been accepted.

It's scary and exciting all at the same time.

I need to get busy around here.

I'll publicly list my daily lists. Maybe that will encourage me because I don't want to look lame having crossed off nothing. Hahaha!

Bold is done!

Monday List
1.) Gather trash and take to curb.
2.) Start with Living room then. Box all toys to get rid of. Separate into "Sunday School" and "Vets" piles. Through away broken or unusable toys. Clean out the drawers in the video game desk. I bet I can donate or throw most of that stuff away. I haven't touched it in over four years.
3.) Tidy kitchen, clean off Island.
4.) Do Laundry.
5.) Change everyone's sheets.
6.) Wash my blankets.
7.) Fold and put away laundry.
8.) Go through my room and pull out the rest of the clothes to donate.
9.) Martial arts tonight.
10.) Scoop Kitty Box.
11.) Got to WalMart.
12.) Pick up some twigs outside and put out to the curb for trash pick up.

It's always so much easier for me to have a starting point instead of just looking at my messy house and starting. I never know where to begin. Now I have a place.

::trounces off to do it::

A new baby in the family

Apparently one of my step-sisters had a baby on Halloween. Sadly, I'm not even sure I remember her being pregnant. She's had a couple miscarriages, so maybe I somehow missed this pregnancy. I don't keep in touch with them and my Dad only passes on information when he feels like it.

At any rate, I'm very happy for her and congratulations on the birth! S is unhappy about having her baby girl on Halloween. I hope she realizes that the day is still her little girl's birthday and that is what matters. Mom and baby are doing well. Baby may have a clubfoot, but God will hold her in his hands and she will be fine.

Welcome to the world, Little Baby L.