15 - I'll be home for Christmas...

[der_umgekehrte]

I'm back, and so are our boys who were stationed in Iraq. I'd like everyone to keep all the troops in the armed forces who are still in Afghanistan in your prayers this season.

[Filtered to phone call to town paper]You guys doing a big Christmas issue again? Or 'holiday' or 'solstice' or whatever that snobby liberal in the top office calls it

Comments

[brbculling]

Welcome home, sir. Happy holidays.

[You don't mouth off to the military in the Menning household.]

[stildyne]

Happy holidays, son. How are your folks doing?

[brbculling]

...They're fine. Sir.

[They cut off his trust fund :[ ]

[stildyne]

[What's that sullen face for? Bruce gives a reassuring look.]

I'm a reservist these days, you know, you don't have to call me sir. I appreciate that your family respects the military but I'm not your drill sergeant. I'm non-comm anyway. [Not that he doesn't think the kid could use one from time to time, but that's not Bruce's business.]

[brbculling]

...I just know people that would insist on it anyway.

[Like his brother-in-law, fuck that guy.]

[stildyne]

Well, whatever makes you comfortable. I won't be like that CPO who yelled at me my first week aboard a ship. [The conversation had gone roughly 'Don't call me sir, I work for a living.']

Say hi to your folks for me, if I don't see them first.

[brbculling]

Yelled at you for that?

...Alright. Uh, you'll probably see them first.

[stildyne]

Long story. I'll tell you some time when I'm in the mood to torture everyone with boring military anecdotes

Everything okay at home?

[brbculling]

Yeah, some stuff happened over the summer, it's fine.

[stildyne]

All right. I'll see you around town.