As some of you might remember, I work at a place that helps developmentally disabled people. I work with people of all ages and skill levels. Today I go to work to find out that one of our older guys (he turned 79 on Tuesday) had passed away.

This sucks really hard, I mean, I didn't know him as well as others, but I still knew him enough to cry over it. On his birthday, he was found unresponsive in his bed, and was rushed to the hospital. At the hospital his health started to get better, and they were going to get him home. I do not know if he ever made it home, I hope he did. He was still stubborn as can be in the hospital, trying to pull out his IVs and the oxygen thing in his nose. His stubbornness was part of his charm.

I remember once, when I was helping him in the bathroom, he told me to "touch it" and then went on to ask the other person in there if I was "mad at him." I remember bending down to get him cleaned up and he kissed the top of my head.

I hate the fact that I am only part time there, and am leaving in two weeks, and had to experience a death. Then again, the chances of a death happening where I teach is pretty high.

Like I said, I didn't know him that well, but I'll still miss the old guy.

The second thing is a classmate of mine joined up into the Marines. I was sort of friends with this guy, we sat together at lunch (which, looking back, is like one of the most important things in high school) and talked occasionally. He joined up shortly after graduation, and hated it. He didn't like the training camp, and I can't blame him after half the place came down with pink eye, and one guy killed himself. I am unsure if he even wanted to go to Iraq, but he did.

Well, shortly into his tour, they were ambushed, and a gernade went off. Richie, that's who I'm talking about here, got hit pretty bad. He was rushed to a hospital, where they declared him in critical condition, he almost died.

He was then transported to Germany, where they dug some bits of the gernade out of his legs and intestines, and he still has bits of it in his brain. They aren't going to mess with those though, they aren't causing any problems, and they fear if they try to remove the pieces, they will cause brain damage. He knows his name, can wiggle his toes, and knows what happened, so the doctors think he will be fine.

He is now in a hospital in Maryland, as far as I know. This all happened a couple of weeks ago, but I never got around to writting about it. I have a feeling this is going to jade him for the rest of his life.

I don't think this is right, having a classmate have that happen to them. This whole war thing sucks, and I never thought when it started, that it would hit me so much.

So, there you go, some bad news to bring down your day.