In Training

What language do you speak over there?

Ah, ladies and gents. It's time for another installment of 'Royal in America'

Actually, it kills me to write these sometimes because I know that what some people take away from it is "Americans are self absorbed & stupid".  It's so ridiculous and untrue, but some people are ridiculous, I guess.  Royal meets many, many people every week (especially now that he works as a personal trainer) that have a good firm knowledge base regarding Britain, the military and American history.

But it's true, he occasionally gets one that doesn't have as firm a grasp ...

Recently Royal was speaking to a guy in his early 20s:

Guy: Did it take you long to learn the language?
Royal: I don't... I don't know what you mean... ?
Guy: Did it take you long to learn English [long pause] Or, what language do you speak over there?
Royal: We speak English. 
Guy: ....
Royal: ....
Guy: Oh, okay.
Royal: Yeah.  Well, you know, the English settled the 13 colonies in the U.S.
Guy: [Blank stare]
Royal: And you fought the American Revolution to free yourselves from British rule...
Guy: Oh. I didn't know that.  Guess I wasn't listening that day in History.

In all his time in the United States, Royal has never encountered a person that didn't know about the American Revolution.  We were floored!  While I have lots and lots of complaints about what they don't cover in high school history classes -- well, let's just say I'm not griping about this one.  I seriously, seriously hope that the conversation sparked a little interest in the subject of American History for that gentleman.  Please man, do it for your country.

January Reading

I read 20 books last year.  Had so much fun documenting it that I thought I'd do it again this year.  The goal is to double the total for 2010!

In January I read:

Sniper One: On Scope and Under Siege with a Sniper Team in Iraq by Sgt. Dan Mills.  Royal's job in the Royal Marines was Sniper, so I'm always interested in reading about Sniping.  This one is about a sniper platoon, led by Mills, in Al Amarah, Iraq in 2004.

The book was easy to read and understand. On occasion I find that technical military information takes me longer as I have to read and then reread it to keep up.  It's not my native language like it is for my husband. I found the book interesting, sometimes extremely exciting and several times I laughed out loud.  Didn't expect that.  Thought Sgt. Mills did a good job of setting the scene and showing what it was like for his team.  I would definitely recommend Sniper One.

Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers.  A retelling of the Bible Story of Hosea. 

I bought this months ago and couldn't bring myself to start it, not sure why.  Finally, I picked it up mid  month and could. not. put. it. down.  Read it in a matter of hours over two evenings.  Not only is it fantastically well written, but it left me with such a wonderful feeling of happiness afterward.  Even led to several in depth conversations with Royal about love and marriage (was much more fun then that sentence makes it sound!).

Sex with Kings: 500 Years of Adultery, Power, Rivalry and Revenge by Eleanor Herman.  The title pretty much says it all.  Book centers around the Royal Mistresses of the last 500 years.  Everyone from Agnes Sorel, Charles' (the VII of France) royal mistress to Camilla Parker-Bowles, who we all know could possibly become Queen of England thanks to her marriage to her Prince Charles. 

I love History.  Love it.  It's why I want to become a History Professor.  I'm infinitely more inclined to read what other people consider "boring" history books.  Sex with Kings is not a boring History book by any stretch of the imagination.  As the New York Times said, it's "Sexy, dishy, and funny."  I would recommend this book to anyone, history buff or not.  Plus, it introduced me to several historical figures I've added to my list of peeps to take a closer look at!

January: 3

Just for fun, I'll also be listing the Books/Chapters I read for university this year.

Chapters 1 - 3 of Texas Government Policy & Politics by Tannahill.

Chapters 6 - 8 of Nexos Spanish Textbook by Long, Carreira, Velasco & Swanson.

Chapters 16, 17 & 18 of America Past & Present by Divine, Breen, Fredrickson, Williams, Gross & Brands.

Off to just a fantastic start. 

Royal's first visit to an American ER

This one's a doozy. 

I'm happily typing away at work when I receive a call from my honey bunny.

Royal: Hey, how's it going?
Me: I'm okay, busy morning.
Royal: Okay, now don't freak out but I cut myself with the chainsaw.
Me: [surprisingly calm] You did. Where?
Royal: My big toe. Boss is taking me to the emergency room.
Me: Your big toe?! Okay, how bad is it?
Royal: Not too bad I don't think. Don't think it got the bone.
Me: Oh, so that's not bad at all. 
Royal: Nope. 
Me: I'll meet you at the ER.

Yay. 

I get there and find that they took him straight back so I'm thinking, maybe this is worse than he said.  Find him with a nurse in the pre-room question room so I speak to the Boss to find out what happened.  Royal was home cutting into a tree branch with the chainsaw.  Chainsaw jumped mid cut, as they are prone to do, and tore into his left boot/sock/toe.  Royal was alone so he called Boss.

After assuring Royal's boss that I could handle the big man from here on out, he took off. 
When came time to show him to his room Royal just gets up like normal and walks straight back, no problem.  Doesn't even wince. 

A male nurse, we'll call him Rick, comes in to get him set up and take his vitals.  Nice guy, I've had him as a nurse in the ER before (remember I live in a fairly small city).  Rick asks how I'm doing and how my Mom is and is she still in her job?  Small city, I tell ya.  As he's doing this he gets the blood pressure cuff and tries to put it around Royal's arm.  It's too small. 

Royal: [Huge grin] My guns are too big.
Nurse Rick: We come prepared for the .30 cal and you bring the .50 cal !

Niiice.

So, here is the part where I post photos of the wound.  Royal was very lucky.  He was right, the cut didn't reach the bone.  The doc cleaned out pieces of his boot and stitched him right up. 

- Warning - the photos below are graphic.  They're not too bad, but if you don't like blood (or man feet) I wouldn't recommend it.  Hopefully this will be a lesson to everyone that chainsaws are not to be messed with!