While Reed was home, we got a chance to catch up on many things. On the table are envelopes addressed to many of the people who made Operation Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep a success. Reed said he still gets approached by soldiers who ask if he is the "dude whose mom started the pillow case project" and that every single one of them was complimentary.
Reed bought a digital movie camera and showed us some of the short movies taken in Iraq. The countryside looks desolate and the cities trashy.
One of the movies showed Iraqi children next to the highway hoping to get candy that is often tossed their way by soldiers. The downside of this, Reed explained, is that when they spot an IED [improvised explosive device--don't you wish we never had reason to learn that acronym?], the convoy stops and the kids flock close to the trucks and to potentially lethal danger. "You try to do something to brighten their day but it ends up creating a serious problem," he said.
Heinles joined us for dinner one night. Reed is sporting a tattoo he got while home. Because it was fresh, he had to keep any clothing away from it. His parents, being from the "old school," were not excited about the tattoo but it turned out fairly well.
One of the highlights of his vacation, Reed said, was a camping trip to Sweet Briar Lake, about 30 miles west of Bismarck. Reed and Derek Kline, friends since they were 5, unload firewood.
Meanwhile, Derek's pa and I enjoyed the shade and a few songs on his amplified acoustic gee-tar.
This boy and his dog enjoyed the lake, too.
Of course, I got some work out of the lad, too. Our patio roof was demolished in last summer's hail storm and we set about replacing it. I think this is the third time we've done it in 12 years so we're getting fairly good at it.
