Where Has Honor and Customer Service Gone.

Many of you may have seen the Best Buy sale online of a 52" Samsung flat screen TV for $9.99. As soon as I heard about it I must admit I immediately got online and attempted to purchase the TV. Some of you may have done the same thing.

I was not completely surprised when I was not able to purchase the TV. They had soon realized their mistake and found ways to block the purchase until they were able to get the item off the Internet. I later learned in the news that the TV was back on at $1800.00, about half the price it would normally have sold for. I assume that was their way of making up for the mistake.

Ironically it would seem that people lost trust in the company because that afternoon their stocks fell by 24 cents. Not much but when you add it up across the board it was a hit in their pocket.

Maybe it was a disgruntled employee who said I will show them. Maybe it was just a simple technology mistake. The bottom line is that though they want to blame technology it comes down to human error.

Now had we found the same error in the story they would have quickly changed the mistake but would have been forced to honor the price.

This is my issue, where has customer service gone? Where is has the customer is right? We have lost somethings when it comes to customer service I believe. We hide behind technology and blame it when things go wrong. Yes there would have been a cost to the company but they would have kept more customers. I have considered that I may only go to them if they are the last place to shop.

Stand behind the mistake not behind a disclaimer. Your more likely to make more money because of the costumers you won and kept then would have cost you in the loss because of the price of the TVs.

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With much prayer and seeking we have purchased a home in Junction City, KS. This is in the Fort Riley area. Don't let the size on the outside fool you it is a large beautiful home.

Escaping Korea

(Forgot to post this one a year ago when we left Korea.)

We did it! We escaped from Korea, not without some challenges though. On 24 February we began the planned escape. A friend waited until the appointed time and then pulled up outside where we quickly loaded De'Dee's luggage and Beaux, her escape partner, and made a run for the Daegu airport. We had rehersed the plan over and over for months. Confirmed all equipment was secured and in place.

When De'Dee went to check in on the first leg of a three leg escape route we learned that there was a snag in the escape plan that would prevent her from escaping from Korea to the states. The second leg, though flight and ticket were confirmed there was a challenge. We depended on someone outside our network to make sure that the second leg of her escape plan was complete and secure. There was a flaw in the escape plan. De'Dee went a head and climbed on the flight from Daegu to Incheon as I went to secure the next leg of her escape plan.

After almost two hours of talking back and forth between airlines and agents at ticket counters in Incheon I was able to finally work out the issue with the second leg of her escape from Korea. Just shortly after De'Dee's plane landed from Daegu I had fixed the issue and left a message for her to call. De'Dee was going to be able to escape Korea and get to the safe house of our daughter and son-in-love, Cherish and Kevin, in Fort Belvoir.

To reduce suspension of the escape plan (actually because the airlines messed with De'Dee's ticket) I planned to escape two days later. In order to throw those who had designs for us to remain captive in Korea instead of flying out of Daegu I took a less conspicuious route and road by bus up to Incheon (Actually my flight was not until 1800 and there is one flight at 0700 from Daegu to Incheon and 12 hours in a airport with a dog is not a good thing).

Things were going well until my bus driver suddenly pulls over to the side of the road says something in Hungal (Korean) and runs off the bus. Everyone remains on the bus so I just observe as my driver runs down the hill to a culvert and drops trousers and spends the next 15 to 20 minutes in what we have come to call the Kimchi squat. I am watching the time tick by and getting close to being past the time I should be at the airport. A glitch in my escape plan. One should always interview the driver of their get away vehicle to ensure they a quality professional get away driver.

The driver finally gets back on the bus and we zoom down the highway to the Airport. I exit the bus gather my things and rush into the airport. Get through the checkin and head down to my gate. I arrive with a few minutes to spare. While waiting I am waiting for the boarding call I am in formed that the U.S. Embassy wants to talk to me. The funny thing my battalion commander did not want me to leave and he spent time in Special Ops. I was sure he found away to keep me. The boarding call comes and I am waiting. Finally the embassy people show up and ask me a few questions, it seems that my name matches a person of intrest.

So after taking my ID making some phone calls it is determined that I was not a terror threat. Me, a chaplain in the U.S. Army, the worse I would do is cause an international incident while deployed to Iraq with Soldiers from the Repubic of Georgia (if you want more on that story read House to House by David Bellavia.). They finally release me and I barely make it on the plane to my freedom of the U.S.

PCS 2009 "Let The Games Begin"

As we prepare for this transition from Korea to the states I have to look back on this year with some awe.

We came to Korea kicking and screaming. We had no desire or plans to come to Korea. In fact I had worked my career to avoid it. In someways I would have rather been down range in Iraq or Afghanistian than to be in Korea.

As we prepare to leave we leave kicking and screaming a bit. The kicking and screaming is not because we have necessarily enjoyed the country of Korea thought it does have some fine things. The kicking and screaming is because we have met some fine people here.

We have created friends that I think will last a life time. It is a small community here that you get to know everyone well.

None the less the move moves forward. We have begun the process of collecting what little we have to prepare it for the movers to come. Always a fun and challenging. You never know the quality of indivdiuals you get to pack your things up. We have had some that treated the items as if they were their own and than we had some that did not care if they put a heavy item on top of some fragile things.

You know God has a great sense of humor. You may not always be placed where you want to be but if you are looking you will find that it is where He needs you to be. We did not want to come to Korea but God placed us here and the ministry has been great. We had not intentions of ever being stationed at Fort Riley, KS but we find ourselves heading there. We look forward to what God has for us in Riley. We have always found ourselves blessed by the area and or by the people.

When God places you in a place you have a choice, whine or discover what God has for you.

Boys Romp In The Park In Korea

We will daily take the boys out to the play ground behind our house so that they can enjoy the out doors. Their love for the slides began a few years ago when De'Dee found a very small Little Tyke slide on the street in good condition. Beaux loved the slide. 18 months later when we brought Nevada home he too loved playing on the slide.
By the time we came to Korea that little slide was too little and they slowly graduated to bigger slides. A couple of weeks ago they began sliding down the twisty slide out back and now that is even seeming to small for them as they quickly go up and down it.
The video above is of them playing on the slide. Many have found they like it. We get a joy out of watching it over and over again.

Former President George W. Bush

I had the great honor last year to be a part of the audience when President George W. Bush came to Korea and stopped at Yongsan Garrison to visit with Soldiers.

This is my favorite picture of President Bush. Not because it is silly but because you can just see the joy that he has. You can tell he made things fun.

I have been listening to reports on the news and from individuals who have this strong hatred for this president. I am not sure I quite understand their anger. For 7 plus years this president ensured the safety of our country. It seems that individuals forget so quickly what happened on 11 September 2001. Maybe it is because it did not effect them personally.

I just don't understand the anger. We had a pretty good life over the last 8 years. We have lived in safety since 9/11.

I find it intersting that the challenges that the country faced began when there was new leadership in Congress. It was certain individuals in Congress that allowed the situation to go down hill as far as the economy is concerned. It was lenders giving money to people who had no business borrowing money.

One of the greatest issues in this economy is people buying homes at a price that they may qualify for but could not afford. It is people not taking responsibility for their actions and paying their bills. People looking for excuses for their failures and want to blame the governement.

We have become so lazy as a society that we feel that we are owed something instead of working for what we get.

I guess some people needs to have someone to focus their anger and blame on. For me I was honored to call him my Commander and Cheif. Because of President Bush my family and friends continue to live free. Yes, I was deployed and was part of one of the biggest battles in Iraq. I have not stayed safely in the states but have stood up and did what was requested of me.

Thank you President George W. Bush for being a man of God and holding to your values and standards. May God bless you and your family.

25 Random Things About Me

I considered the below a challenge to get to know myself along with letting others get to know me better. It was a challenge because I had to really contemplate who I am and what would be interesting for others to know. I recommend that you put this in to practice and make your own list and post it somewhere like Facebook.

1. My greatest fear is losing my bride.
2. My second greatest fear is losing one of my daughters
3. I used to be a Military Police Sgt. and had God not called me to be a Chaplain I would still be an MP.
4. I knew I was going to be a U.S. Army Chaplain at 10 years old.
5. I am possibly one of the most competitive people you will ever meet. (Ask the officers of 266 QM Bn).
6. I almost started an international incident while deployed to Iraq when a group of soldiers from the Republic of Georgia decided to get into a fight with me. (See #5 and read the book "House to House" to learn more, or ask me about the incident.)
7. The car I have always wanted since I was 17 was a Karma Ghia.
8. I will forgive many things, but the thing that will set me on end is to find out I have been lied to.
9. Though I only weighed between 125 and 135 pounds in high school I played on the line as right guard and nose guard. (Again I refer you to #5)
10. have my masters degree. Masters of Divinity (Theological Masters)
11. I am often amazed that someone as beautiful as my wife saw past all my past and present and wanted a future with me.
12. When I was in the 3rd or 4th grade I rolled out of the back of our Vega hatchback which was going about 45 mph.
13. Of all the ribbons, medals, and other accolades I have received there are three that I cherish the most, 1. A bronzed and mounted drill sgt hat that I received from Delta Co. 1-28 when it was a basic training battalion and I was their chaplain. 2. The Combat Chaplain Cross I carry in my wallet that my infantry Soldiers gave me as I was leaving Iraq. My Soldiers said that since I could not wear the infantry badge I deserved a Combat Chaplains Cross. 3. A ceramic Soldier that Foxtrot Co. 1-28 gave me as a going away gift.
14. Though I am not very good I enjoy playing Chess.
15. I desired to be in the Army so much that at 16 I asked my Dad if there was away he could sign me up. He could not so on my 17th birthday my present to myself was enlisting in the Army National Guard.
16. I am blessed that De'Dee has taught me about the finer things in life.
17. I enjoy doing cross stitching.
18. I own a '66 Mustang Coupe.
19. My goal each morning is to walk humbly after my God.
20. I drove school bus for 7 years while going to school and finishing the requirements to come on active duty.
21. I have not drank a beer, and have only had a sip of wine.
22. I started working at 12 years old at Taco Time and have always held a job since then.
23. I have been to Korea (2x), Hondorus, Japan, Germany, Czech Republic, Poland, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, France, Kosovo, Macadonia, Kuwait, Iraq, and China, along with most of the United States.
24. My first time to a Disneyland was Tokyo Disney. I have also been to Euro Disney. I have yet been to a Disneyland/world in the United States.
25. The three things that I love to hear, 1. De'Dee's laugh, 2. My daughters calling me by their own favorite name (Old Man, Dad, Papi, Poppa, Daddy, etc), 3. Being called friend.

My Bride

Let me introduce you to my bride. She is a beautiful woman that I have been blessed to know since the 6th grade and the blessing was intensified when we started dating just before high school graduation and a little more than a year later we stood at the alter and said that no matter what we would stay beside each other until death do us part.

Things have been pretty good. In fact after 22 years of marriage we were cruising through life. I thought that after 22 years of marriage that I knew her very well. I want you to notice the key word in the last sentence, "thought". As they say that is what you get for thinking.

My world has been rocked recently. Let me first give background for what I think is where this change comes from. A little over a year ago we discovered, okay discovered would implied that we had an active part in this, actually the Army ordered me to Korea. Since I have been deployed to places like Kosovo and Iraq we decided to that she should come with me so we came to the "Land of the Morning Calm." Most Americans here refer to Korea as OINK (Only In Korea) or the "Land of the Almost, but not quite right."

After a year here in Korea and being on the downward slide of the tour I began to notice a change in this woman I call my wife, my friend, my ever present companion in life. Things that had been were no longer. There was this change that had over come my bride. She was herself but not quite. Now understand this is not a complaint it is just a statement.

I first noticed the change one evening as I was sitting surfing the net and she suddenly says to me from across the room if you were going to buy a motorcycle what kind would you get. I had to shake my head make sure that what I heard was from my wife's voice and I knew it was because I have known it for over 22 years. Once I awoke from my shock and was clear about the question I responded with a Harley of course. My bride in her loving way so no kidding what type of Harley?

You must understand that the last time I owned a motorcycle was about 24 years ago and my bride has been against motorcycles so I set that in the back of my mind and did not think of it as a serious thought to consider. So here I am being asked for specifics so with my bride on one computer and I on another the quest began. We settled on the best bike in style was the Dyna Fat Bob. I figured this was just a curious looking so I let it go.

A few days later my bride comes home and informs me that she had talked with the people at the AAFES car sales. That conversation has led to me ordering a motorcycle to be delivered upon our arrival in Junction City, Kansas.

The second piece of evidence of the change that has taken place in my wife is we have decided to purchase a home at our next duty station. I expected to look on line but not put an offer or commit to a home until we arrived in the Fort Riley area. Well we have since not only put one offer in but have countered and countered those offers. Not sure if we will make another while in Korea but even submitting the first ones without my bride seeing the home. For those who know my wife understand that she is a sensing person, thus she needs to see, touch, taste, smell, or hear it before she will normally purchase something. You can only imagine what it would take to purchase a home. See my blog on the home shopping adventure.

The final piece of evidence that Korea has affected my bride is the other night at church she ate something that typically is not allowed in our home. Let me rephrase she ate two serving of this item. The item I am talking about is broccoli.

So what do I make of this. I am not sure but as I have found throughout our 22 years of marriage I have only begun to know and discover who my bride is. It has been an exciting 22 years and I look forward to many more.

The Home Shopping Adventure

The home shopping adventure, no this is not sitting at home and watching QVC or some other shopping channel. It is not even about surfing Amazon.com Mustangs Unlimited website. The adventure is literally shopping for a home. This adventure began many months ago shortly after discovering that we were to be heading to Fort Riley, Kansas for our next duty station.

We are used to “looking” for homes. In 22 years of marriage we have moved often, even more often since coming on active duty. In the last ten years most of our “looking” for a home was about checking out houses on the military post of which we were stationed. We decided while at our last duty station when the military housing became privatized, a story in itself, that we would purchase a home at our next duty station, well, that was until we were sent to Korea. We had to postpone that plan until after Korea.

As we come to the end of our time here in Korea it was time to reactivate that plan in preparation for the move to Fort Riley. So the home shopping adventure began. The adventure started with simply figuring out what the housing allowance was for the Fort Riley area and then figuring what size and price that amount would allow us to purchase. For those who have purchased a home you know that was the easiest part. The greater challenge was yet to come.
Confirmation of the move to Fort Riley through official orders came a few months after setting out on this adventure. We decided it was time to move forward with the plans to purchase a home. This is a realm that De’Dee and I have not entered before, and at times we wonder why we entered it. So with much fear and prayer we moved onward.

We were put in touch with a realtor through USAA and the adventure was now in full gallop. We began to look, and look, and look house after house. Soon we had narrowed it down to about five houses and soon those houses were removed from our list as they became unavailable. This was okay because we had no plans of purchasing let alone putting a bid on a house from all the way over in Korea.

James 4 talks about how we should say God willing we will do this, that, or the other. This becomes important when buying a house for what we planned to do and what has now taken place are two different things. We have technically put three bids on a home. The first bid we started but stopped real fast. We got some good advice and reevaluate where we were going. We praise God for his protection.

In the Army we call it a strategic withdrawal. We came to the rally point and regrouped. This time when we engaged the enemy we did so with a clearer plan and better fire power. We submitted a bid and have since received a counter offer, which we rejected. We have submitted a second bid. We shall see where that goes. The bottom line is this. If the builder doesn’t like it we will walk away. We are not desperate for a home so bad to give in. The house has been on the market since October. As far as we are concerned he can continue to sit on it.

So the adventure continues….