Raymond L. Burton - The Happy Soul

Pony tail blowing in the wind,
Graceful forward motion,
A flash from an innocent smile.

The effort and exertion of her run cause the sun to bounce of her rippling thighs like a mountain stream cascading over polished marble.

I stand transfixed, gripped by a moment of fear that I will never see this again. Wanting to remember every detail. Like God has unveiled on of his most wondrous creations, and I am the only one held powerless by an emotion unbearably strong.

I think love at first sight is real. I have seen her before when I dreamed of the best of what life could offer. Until now, I didn’t know dreams could leave the delicate state of the unconscious and come true to run among us.

-Ray Burton

Technorati Tags: poam, beautiful girl, sayulita, mexico

As I roll over my whole body aches from yesterdays training. I am about to complain until I remember those that don’t have legs to ache. I make a solid oath to myself that from here on out, I will always choose movement over simply watching life pass me by. There is always time for rest once in the grave as Conan once said.

The morning dew runs down my neck as I brush the branches that have covered me from the nights wind. I should have looked before I sat up. At least I stuffed my socks in my boots and they are not full of dew.

My protein powder is pulled out of my rucksack and is full of little holes. Somewhere out there is a really buff squirrel. I thought the zip lock was a smart idea. Next time I ‘ll duct tape it or something.

It doesn’t seem to matter how far out in the middle of nowhere we are, they always manage to make scrabbled eggs and coffee. It’s a heck of a lot more than the average bum downtown gets every day. I’m thankful. Slightly cold and very damp, but thankful none the same.

The best part of the day is when that morning sun climbs higher in the sky and starts to burn off the damp fog and dry the soggy grass. My combat boots start to feel lighter as the mud dries out and stops making snowshoes out of my every step. One step and one kick to shake of the sticky stuff. The birds are happy too, because they are singing their little hearts out.

Walking out of the woods and into the clearing, I see the sunlight bounce of all the ATV’s. The soldiers, my friends are firing the beasts up and filling the morning air with the smell of diesel. I am stopped in my tracks and for some reason, this is one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen.

-Ray Burton

Technorati Tags: soldier story, soldier memories, Ray Burton

OFFICE POLICY:
Dress Code:
You are advised to come to work dressed according to your salary. If we
see you wearing Prada shoes and carrying a Gucci bag, we will assume you
are doing well financially and therefore do not need a raise.
If you dress poorly, you need to learn to manage your money better, so
that you may buy nicer clothes, and therefore you do not need a raise.
If you dress just right, you are right where you need to be and therefore
you do not need a raise.

Sick Days :
We will no longer accept a doctor’s statement as proof of sickness. If you
are able to go to the doctor, you are able to come to work.

Personal Days:
Each employee will receive 104 personal days a year. They are called
Saturdays & Sundays. (52 for those that work every other weekend)

Bereavement Leave:
This is no excuse for missing work. There is nothing you can do for dead
friends, relatives or co-workers. Every effort should be made to have
non-employees attend the funeral arrangements. In rare cases where
employee involvement is necessary, the funeral should be scheduled in the
late afternoon. We will be glad to allow you to work through your lunch
hour and subsequently leave one hour early.

Bathroom Breaks:
Entirely too much time is being spent on the toilet. There is now a strict
three-minute time limit in the stalls. At the end of three minutes, an
alarm will sound, the toilet paper roll will retract, the stall door will
open, and a picture will be taken. After your second offense, your picture
will be posted on the company bulletin board under the “Chronic Offenders”
category. Anyone caught smiling in the picture will be sanctioned under
the company’s mental health policy.

Lunch Break:
Skinny people get 30 minutes for lunch, as they need to eat more, so that
they can look healthy.
Normal size people get 15 minutes for lunch to get a balanced meal to
maintain their average figure.
Chubby people get 5 minutes for lunch, because that’s all the time needed
to drink a Slim-Fast.
Thank you for your loyalty to our company. We are here to provide a
positive employment experience. Therefore, all questions, comments,
concerns, complaints, frustrations, irritations, aggravations,
insinuations, allegations, accusations, contemplations, consternation and
input should be directed elsewhere.

The Management