A most unusual party 9/10/04

We inch along with our venture into the wilds of the Great Big Company, impatient (and hungry) as they attempt to turn with the speed and grace of a barge. I remain pleased that we seem to have their attention and their legal department is evaluating our intellectual property portfolio. That's all I can ask. Wednesday night, we went to the strangest, saddest party I've ever attended. We were told by our invitation to report to my husband's sister's house dressed in "military attire" at 1900 hours. As it turns out, the third of her four sons, a product of private schooling with a university degree, after amost a decade working in new media in New York City, has enlisted in the army and will leave soon for ranger training, in his bid to join the special forces. The catered party at their multi-million dollar mansion was fully adorned with military-themed decorations and was heavily attended by wildly combat-attired Republicans who never for a moment considered serving. One woman actually made a dramatic fashionably late entrance literally wrapped in a gigantic antique guaze-like US flag, proudly bearing the Swift Boat tome "Unfit For Command" in her ourstretched hands. Of course, I accompanied the only actual combat veteran in attendance, who eschewed the requested costumes for slacks, a collared shirt and a jacket, but wore the "Vietnam Veteran" baseball cap that his brother gave him years ago. My heart aches for our nephew because he's been sold a bill of goods about a noble war for a noble cause and has no idea what lies ahead of him. I am sure his intentions are honorable and he claims to be motivated by the loss of a close friend on September 11th. He knows that we do not love Bush as he does, but I took a few moments to tell him that we were proud of him. I specifically told him that there are a few moments in our lives when we make big decisions and big choices and that I wanted him to know that regardless of the differences in our views, we solildy support his choice and the bravery it required to make it. May God be with him in every way. May he be safe and wise and humane.