Christy's Chaotic Cranium Contents

A Few Photos from Easter Sunday

2009-04-14T12:35:00.004-04:00

Kisses from Dad

Meeting Herman the Tree

Mommy & Baby

Daddy & Baby

Baby Hears the Neighbor's Dog

Baby is Getting Sleepy

2009-04-10T15:21:00.005-04:00

Baby is 6 months old today.

Christian America

2009-04-08T13:42:00.003-04:00

A headline on MSN caught my attention this morning. Funny thing, after I finished reading the linked article, and mind you, I read kind of slow yet not THAT slow, I clicked on my homepage (msn.com) to see the title and put it in this post and it was already gone. Hummm...funny considering the topic. Thanks to my back arrow, I found that the Newsweek article is titled, “The End of Christian America,” just in case you want to read it yourself. Sorry, I’m too lazy to add the link.

I have aquired a revived interest in religion during the past nine months, but there are so many different aspects and beliefs that I don’t want to delve into the subject too much in this venue. I just feel the need to express something that I have experienced recently. My church (ELCA Lutheran) is attempting to read the Bible out loud, cover to cover, during the season of Lent. I signed up to read yesterday afternoon and experienced books near the end of the Old Testemant that I don’t think I knew existed. I read most of Amos, Obadiah, Jonah (Of course, I knew this one existed.), Micah, Nahum, and ended with Habakkuk. I will just say that each was extreemly easy to read and understand, and they were very interesting, especially in light of what is happening in the word and our country today. The books have a lot to do with the corruption and greed of the wealthy, oppression of the poor and needy, and the lack of a culture’s focus on God even after His multiple attempts for its attention (especially in The Book of Amos).

I may have my beliefs and you may have yours and I guess I am writing this more to give readers something to think about during Holy Week than to make any sort of point. I often ponder how nice a world it would be if the super-rich person gave more to those in need rather than having seven cars and a jet parked in his/her driveway. We just need to be good or maybe better people and I think that every religion has that basic principle in common.

In the Newsweek article, there was one line that stuck out to me. I am going to close with it, just so you have something to think about.

“Religion is not only about worshipping your God but about doing godly things, and a central message of the Gospels is the duty of the Christian to transform, as best one can, reality through works of love.”

2009-04-03T11:53:00.003-04:00

This is me, almost six months post-partum. I am back to my pre-preganacy weight and beginning to see muscle definition again. Horray! I guess I should have taken a photo sans jacket. Oh well, maybe next time.

Lazy & Uninspired

2009-03-20T10:49:00.034-04:00

It has been two months since I have written anything. I would say that it is about time that I played catch-up however, there really isn't a whole lot to catch anyone up on. My thoughts these days are pretty mundane as life seems to be the same ol' thing day after day. Other than half a city block blowing up downtown (not very interesting unless you live in the area) and the vacuum cleaner breaking again (not very interesting to anyone at all), life here in the west has been fairly quiet.

I really don't want this blog to become all about a little girl, but especially since I haven't posted any photos in a while, I am afraid that is what most of this post will be about. Of course, Baby keeps on growing and changing. That's a given. During the past month or so, I have started giving her rice cereal in the evenings. I get many "yuck" faces and I can't say that I blame her; it's not the tastiest of foods. She is five months old and has now gained a personality and a bit of a temper at times. She loves people and her daddy is a little frightened because she is already a flirt, smiling at anyone and everyone who talks to her.

One of my favorite parts is her cute little buddha belly. It is rubbed and kissed with practically every diaper change. And, her chubby little thighs are just too squeezable. She's interacting more and "talking" up a storm.

I have been trying to keep her occupied away from my arms quite a bit during the day. My hope is that she does not become too dependant on me for entertainment. And, check out the super cool shoes her aunties Stephanie & Tracy got her.

She has also graduated to her "stand-up" play center from Auntie Meg. We initially had a pillow under her feet because she was on her tiptoes. That lasted about a week and she was able to get both feet flat on the ground...growth spurt. At her last doctors appointment she was in the 90th percentile for height. Her daddy is REALLY hoping that the trend continues, but I am already apologizing to her since I know the pain of being taller than everyone else in elementary and middle school. However, height in a female athlete is a good thing!

Baby may also have the curse of her mom's crazy hair. It is starting to curl a little on the sides and have a mind of it's own. Additionally, I have accidentally taught her the bad habit of sticking her tongue out. Something I am sure I will come to regret.

Husband's mom, sister, and sister-in-law flew in for Baby's Baptism. The aunts stood up as Baby's Godparents. Although we had been attending worship since we moved in May, we actually took classes and became members of the church in the fall, just after Baby was born. It is a wonderful congregation with a husband & wife pastoral team. It has provided a sense of community for me, something that I have really needed over the past few months.

While the family was here, I also had the opportunity to leave Baby with her Grandma and go skiing with my sisters-in-law. (Husband had to work.) I am still a beginner and took a lesson, however skiing here was MUCH easier and more fun than the skiing I did in Europe. Well, at least it was until the sun started to set and the slope became icy.

As for me, I seem to be coming out of the funk I have been in for months. Life is not all dreamy and perfect, but no one expects it to be. I struggled with the idea of going back to work; and, after lots of prayer and contemplation, I finally made a decision. Even though I had been presented with the perfect job for the me of my "past-life", it just wasn't the right job for me presently. Being a Mom needs to come first. I am, however, keeping my eyes out for a part-time job or something that would allow me to work from home.

I have been putting Baby in childcare at the gym three days during the week for an hour or two so that I can attempt to regain my pre-pregnancy body. And, good news, it is working! I am already at my pre-pregnancy weight and can once again see muscles in my arms and back. The most surprising thing to me...I think that my hips may be narrower and my thighs thinner than pre-Baby. How this happened, I am not sure, especially since one of my big fears was that none of my pants would fit ever again; but, it did and it makes me happy. I have also been running outside on weekends that are warm enough with no precipitation. My hope is to have a girl's weekend in D.C. in the fall of 2010 and run the Army 10-Miler again. That gives everyone a year and a half to save money, make plans, and train...hint, hint.

On nice days, Baby and I also go walking. Why drive a mile to mile-and-a-half to Home Depot or church when my perfectly good legs can take me there? My biggest gripe is the people who do not shovel their sidewalks along the way; that and the fact that there are small areas (a block or two) with no sidewalks. Really? The city could not fork over the money to put in an extra two blocks of sidewalk? I could rant on, however I won't because you get the basic gist of it.

I recently purchased airfare for Baby and me to travel "back east" during the first three weeks of May. Since I always seem to over pack for just me, I have already begun the packing process. The cost of extra luggage is a great deterrent for my perceived need to take along the perfect pair of shoes to match every outfit. And, this time around, I have to pack for someone else too. Oh dear, how will I manage? It's a good thing that I have over a month to figure it out! Please let me know if you have any helpful hints about solo-parent air travel, sleeping arrangements, and three weeks away from home with a seven month old.

As a side-note, Husband is liking (but not loving) his new occupation. He has some professional goals for the next year to year-and-a-half that will hopefully make him happier. (More on those later.) And, although he hates when she cries, he is adjusting to fatherhood well and is great with Baby.

That's life in a nutshell. I will attempt to write more often, but there are no guarantees. I can't really blame it on Baby either; it's just me being lazy and uninspired. Maybe writing more frequently needs to be the next habit I form...we'll see.

2009-01-19T16:42:00.002-05:00

One year older and not feeling all that different. I did get some great carb overload this morning with IHOP pancakes. Yummy!

2009-01-13T17:01:00.003-05:00

Baby is now 3 months old.

These are my new favorite pictures of Baby.

Taking a Break

2008-12-19T03:45:00.004-05:00

I just want to write a quick note to let regular readers know that I am taking a break from blogging for a while. My world has been really crazy lately and my mind has been elsewhere, but rest assured, if there is any exciting breaking news in our lives, I will be sure to post a little something.

A Baby Story

2008-11-18T11:54:00.017-05:00

This post was started weeks ago, but life got in the way and it was never finished. So, now, probably a month later I have finished it. It's not as proofed as I would prefer, but I have a hungry girl to feed. Priorities!

On a cold dark night in Montana (around 3:30 a.m.), I awoke with abdominal pains. This was not an unusual occurance during the weeks prior to the 10th of October, because my doctor had me on an iron rich diet and I was eating lots of beans and spinach. So, like other nights, I lied awake for some time wondering if I was experiencing the onset of labor, braxton hicks contractions, or simply having gas pains. I didn't really time the pains, but I could not seem to fall back to sleep this time, so at around 5 a.m. I decided to grab a watch and begin recording the sensations so that I would have something to tell the doctor when I called her after the office opened. And, yes, I let Husband sleep through all of this.

When Husband's alarm went off, he was surprised to see me awake. I filled him in on what I had been up to during the previous 4 hours and he made a quick call into the office to let them know that he might not be coming into work. The pain that I was feeling got progressively worse, but still not too bad. We continued timing until around 9 a.m. when the doctor was scheduled to be in and then headed to see her per her request. She did a quick exam and felt that, yes, I was in early labor. She sent me home with instructions to take a warm bath, walk around, eat something, and get some sleep.

I must say that I found it very funny that the doctor would expect me to be able to sleep through the pain. Really?!?! I had a bowl of Cherios and then hung out in bed until all of a sudden, I felt like I had to throw up. On the way to the bathroom, I was sure that I also had to pee, so there was a mad scramble to empty the nearest trash can, which proved to be a wise decision, if you know what I mean. Afterward, I did find out just how small our guest bath really is when I curled up in it, attempting to relax. (The master bath only has a shower.) And, Husband made sure that I was walking around until we had to check in with the doctor again around 2 in the afternoon. It was really cold out so we just kept walking in circles around the house.

The doctor asked us to come back in for another check when we phoned her in the afternoon.

Following lots of tears due to fear and lack of sleep, the decision was made to send me to the hospital, which was in walking distance from her office, very convenient. I had done pre-admission paperwork several weeks before, so admission was quick and easy. Unfortuneately, there has been a drop in berametric pressure overnight, which according to the nurses, causes women's water to break, so we actually had to wait about half an hour while they finished cleaning a delivery room.

As anyone I have talked to knows, I was all about getting an epidural, which happened fairly quickly once I was all cozy in bed. I was really surprised that it didn't hurt. Either that or contractions hurt so much worse that the epidural felt like nothing. The doctor also broke my water, which, can I say, ewww. That was one of the grosest feelings, and I am very happy that it didn't happen at home. Once the nurses and doctor were done doing what they needed to do, I had some of the best orange jello that my starving self has ever eaten, then wrapped myself in my warm blanket and dozed off while husband watched TV.

Later that evening (I don't know exactly what time), I awoke to contractions on my left side. Not excrutiating, but bad enough to make me cranky. The doctor did a quick check and called the anestesiologist for more medicine since I was only dialated to about 6. Following enough drugs to actually make me completely numb from the waist down (I could still move my legs the first time around), it was back to napping. I woke up again just before 11 pm, this time my left side pain grew very bad very quickly. The doctor did another quick check only this time there were no more drugs; I was dialated to 10 and it was time to push. Painful, but in hindsight, probably a good thing.

So, Husband took his place beside my bed, put on his rally cap, and told me get my game face on. The doctor told me that it could take anywhere from 15 minutes to several hours to push the baby out, and I remember distinctively saying that I was aiming toward the 15 minute mark because I was not dealing with the pain for hours. There was a bit of stank-eye being thrown at husband and the phrase "Never Again!" came out of my mouth repeatedly, but my strong will and determination paid off and Baby was born about half an hour later.

Recovery all went fine except for almost passing out during my first attempt to make it to the shower. However, all it took was getting some food in my belly to make the dizziness go away. I was amazed by all of the yucky stuff that came along with giving birth. There were so many things that people just don't talk about. Thank goodness my friend Jenny gave me the 411 on the monster pads that the hospital has. Even so, they made me laugh anyhow...the next day.

Now, eight weeks later, Baby is doing well, not too much crying and sleeping about 5 hours at night. I feel fully recovered, just jiggly still. I really need to figure out a way to fit more cardio into my days. I was walking, but now there is too much snow, so I really need to research my gym's childcare. After all, my jeans still don't fit and my maternity pants are too big. I need there to be more to my wardrobe than just my "sexy sweatpants"!

Meow

2008-11-01T14:00:00.004-04:00

Happy Halloween!!!...a day late.

(Baby at 3 weeks old)

Welcome to the World Baby

2008-10-13T20:40:00.001-04:00

Welcome to the world Baby Girl!

(I will be sending an email out with her name to those whose addresses I have.)

Born October 10, 2008 at 11:32 pm

8 lbs 2 oz

21 1/2 inches

More House Pics

2008-10-01T09:58:00.005-04:00

Here are some more photos of the house-in-progress. First is the wall color (Sherwin-Williams 6334 Flower Pot) in the dining room and kitchen. These photos make it look much more orangey than I have seen it. We also put up a new chandelier over the dining room table.

Next is the master wall color (Sherwin-Williams 6178 Clary Sage). This was one of the earlier projects, but I never posted pics. There are two photos because there is such a color difference depending on the light in the room.

And, finally, the baby/guest room, which I am still working on. We have shelves and prints to hang, hopefully, this weekend. I am perplexed as to where to hang things, because we will be moving furniture around a bit when company comes. (example: The crib will move into our room for a while.)

I Think That Summer is Over

2008-09-10T19:51:00.008-04:00

It's beginning to feel a lot like autumn. It's been in the 50s for about a week and a half now, give or take a few warmer days. I am loving it! College football season (GO BUCKEYES!!!) is in full swing and for the first time in years it actually feels like it. All of this cool weather has gotten me into a cooking/baking mode. Sister is here, so there is an extra mouth to help eat my creations and I am thinking ahead to October and freezing some of the leftovers for quick and easy meals for the days of little sleep to come.

Sister and I have been having some fun on Saturday mornings heading out to garage sales around town. It amazes me what great stuff you can get for babies for little money. It is great and I would highly recommend it to all moms and moms to be out there. Why would a person ever pay retail for Ralph Lauren when it can be found for fifty cents? We also visited the local farmers market last Saturday. We were able to pick up some beautiful and inexpensive produce. I am bummed that I didn't make the trip sooner since this coming weekend will be the final market for the season.

Husband and I are on the countdown to baby as there is less than a month until the due date. I don't think that I am really nervous at this point. I am simply ready to have my body back to myself and figure out what our new life will be like. The hospital bag packing is in progress (let me know if there is anything that you found helpful to bring along), but since my favorite cozy sweatpants are still in use, they won't be packed until the very end. Yes, I do see myself going in to labor and then starting a load of laundry. Husband has to go out of town for about a week, so that makes me nervous; too, I feel very clingy and needy lately, so his leaving makes me kind of sad. But, at least he will be able to sleep well without me tossing and turning and peeing multiple times throughout the night. My biggest fear right now is that this baby will come out a boy...we have lots of pink clothes.

The baby/guest room has actually made some progress. I ordered a rocker, a wall has been painted, and curtains have been hung. The current occupant has also helped make some suggestions for the guest portion of the room since the quarters are a bit cramped. So, that has been very helpful. I will post pictures once it's more complete. On the house front, we also began painting the kitchen & dining room. It is an awesome color somewhere between a shade of maroon and a shade of rust. The ceilings are rather high and we don't have a ladder, so we stopped about half-way around the room. But, I still love it. Again, pics will be posted sometime in the near future.

Speaking of pictures. I have had several requests for a belly shot. These were taken about a week ago and are a little dark and blurry, but here you go...

A Weekend in Class

2008-08-10T18:16:00.009-04:00

Husband and I spent the weekend in a childbirth education class at the local hospital. I have done so much reading that it was a bit of a refresher class for me, however it was great "making" hubby hear and see the information too. I think his favorite parts were the birth video and the hour long segment on breastfeeding (giggle, giggle).

One of my favorite parts was the tour of the labor and delivery (l&d) unit. It was nice to see where this event will take place and understand a little better what is available to us. Another very positive thing is that the l&d unit has just undergone a renovation so there is a lot of new equipment. There are also two waiting rooms for any family that might be here, even though that will most likely only be my sister at the time of delivery.

My official due date is October 8th and we received some less than exciting news last week. Husband has to travel over seven hours out of town and be gone from September 21 through October 5. My fingers are crossed that Baby does not decide to arrive early, although he should be able to make the trip back in such an event. My sister will be here at the time too, so she will be able to help out. I keep telling myself, "at least he is not in Iraq, that would be a much worse situation."

Now, we just need to make the birth plan that is highly encouraged by the hospital. We do have some quirky little things, but since the natural route has never even been up for discussion, I don't feel that we have a whole heck of a lot to put into it, simply three main things. #1, I don't really want any medication, if possible, other than the epidural at, hopefully, 5 or 6 cm. (I really want it to last until Baby is out.) But, I don't know what I don't know, and that means that I don't know if I will be able to make it that long. #2, Husband doesn't want to cut the cord, so maybe ask, just in case he has changed his mind, but assume the answer is "no". And, finally, #3, I would prefer if the baby is cleaned up a bit and then given back to me rather than laid on top of me right after birth. There is something about how a brand new, straight out of the womb baby looks that freaks me out a bit, and I don't think that will change even with it being my own. If any moms out there have other pointers to add, I would love to hear them.

The other big event of the weekend was date night Saturday when we finally got the opportunity to see The Dark Knight. Husband and I both agree that the movie was deserving of the all of the hype and did not disappoint. Just when we thought it was going to end, there was another plot twist. And, the late Heath Ledger did a phenomenal job, although, if we did not know that it was him, we probably would have never guessed it; his character was incredibly demented and creepy. Anyhow, the movie was well worth the money to see it in the theater.

Help Wanted

2008-08-07T20:05:00.002-04:00

I am looking for information on webcams. I know lots of you use(d) them during deployment situations and believe that you may be more knowledgeable than I on the subject. Are there some out there that would be better than others? Are they very difficult to set up? Are they pretty easy to use? Any information would be helpful. I am thinking about getting them for our future grandparents since we are over half a country away from them all. (They are a bit computer savey, but not too high tech.) Thanks, in advance, for your help with this. I look forward to reading lots of responses.

The First Week of July

2008-07-03T09:53:00.004-04:00

The first week of July has been a productive one. I really couldn't tell you exactly what has been done; I simply know that I have not slept in once and TV time has been at a minimum. One thing that is causing me a bit of grief this week is finding towels and rugs to match the guest bath shower curtain. I keep on picking up accessories that are not just not quite the right shade of blue and not quite the right shade of brown. It's very frustrating. And, I could go with cream or light yellow, but that would mean that I would have to paint another room. Not high on my want-to-do list. So, I will return my latest bag of mismatched findings and try again. I know, in the grand scheme of life, not a big deal.

I did try a new recipe this week that I will share. It is a marinade for grilled chicken in which I got the opportunity to use some of the herbs from my herb garden. The recipe comes from Martha Stewart's Everyday Food: Great Food Fast cookbook:

In a baking dish, whisk together 1 tablespoon olive oil, 3 garlic cloves (minced), 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar, 1&1/2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves (chopped), 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add 1&1/2 pounds of chicken; turn several times to coat. Let marinade at room temperature for 10 minutes or up to 30 minutes in the refrigerator.

Now, I did not whisk in a baking dish; instead, I put all of the marinade ingredients into a ziplock bag (adding the wet ingredients last) and mashed the bag together to mix them. Then, I added the chicken to the bag, squished it altogether, again, in order to coat all of the chicken in the marinade, and let it marinade in the refrigerator for several hours/half a day. I also used Tyson thin cut and pre-trimmed chicken breast (found at Wal-Mart), so it grilled really quickly. I served the chicken with grilled asparagus and baby red new potatoes. Yummy!

I would recommend doubling the recipee because, the left over chicken is wonderful to throw on top of some spinach for a salad. I would feel pretty confident in saying that it would also be good chopped up on top of a homemade pizza with lots of veggies and also thrown together with pasta and sauce or made into chicken salad. The leftover possibilities are endless.

We have actually made a little progress on the baby front this week. We are talking about it more and Husband is finally taking some interest, although it's still just a little. I have been reading more about it, but I think that is partly to my demise. You see, the more I read, the more frightened I become. It is really hard being 2,000+ miles away from family and not having a military network of friends in the area to fall back on. (Or, any friends in the area.)Some days, actually many days, I feel quite alone. I mean, the cats...really not all that helpful. I have received many phone calls from loving and concerned family and friends, but it's just not the same. So, if anyone needs a get away, feel free to pack a bag and travel this way! And, on a side note, I am feeling the baby moving around.

I do have one other little bit of crankiness to add this post. In the sense that I kind of hate to see things change, I feel like an old lady writing this one, but it somehow makes me sad/frustrated. If you have been in a mall lately, you may have noticed that Victoria's Secret (VS) and Bath & Body Works (B&BW) are both having their semi-annual sales. Well, for some reason I was feeling a bit nostalgic and wanted to purchase some on-sale body wash/lotion/spray in scents that I wore years ago. Guess what, I could not find them! I mean, when did B&BW stop making Juniper Breeze? They did have Plumeria in the clearance bins (again, no longer carried on the normal shelf), however they were out of the lotion, so I didn't get that one either. And, they renamed, as well as changed, the scent of what used to be known as Country Apple. Gee...so much for relishing in the past for a while. But, all-in-all is wasn't an unproductive shopping trip. I did get a great buy on a couple new up-sized bras for my newly voluptuous tatas as well as an ahead-of-the-game sexy black lace nursing bra. Yes all you new and potential mamas out there, VS now makes nursing bras. Although, sexy and nursing bra just seem a bit of an oxymoron to me.

Husband and I are headed out late this afternoon/evening for a weekend get-a-way. We are traveling to Jackson Hole (or simply Jackson, depending on who you are talking to), Wyoming. We plan to do some hiking, check out Teton Village and Grand Teton National Park, make a side trip to Husbands Wyoming "hometown", have burgers at the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar, and just enjoy each others company for a few days. In other words, some much needed R & R. I am looking forward to it.

So, on that note, I am outta here. I need to make it to the gym this morning and then do errands and pack. Plus, the clothes dryer just buzzed and I despise wrinkles. Happy Independence Day to you!!! I hope that you have a wonderful weekend!

Interior Photos

2008-06-25T13:36:00.006-04:00

Here are some photos of the inside of the house. Keep in mind that it is still a work in progress. We are waiting for the flooring guys to finish putting in the 1/4 round before we can hook up all of the stereo equipment, get the bookshelves in order, and finish arranging the dining room. Plus we have a lot of pictures to hang and I want to paint the walls a few different colors. But, these will give you an idea of what it looks like. There is still too much work to be done in the bedrooms, bathrooms, & office to post those pictures yet.

Just inside the front door.

From the front door looking into the living room.

The living room looking back toward the front door/entry.
Looking into the dining room from the living room.

Another view of the dining room.

Looking into the kitchen from the dining room.

The other side of the kitchen
One of the walls in the office, just to show the color that took me three coats to cover evenly.

A Few Photos of the New House.

2008-06-25T00:35:00.006-04:00

Here are a few of pictures of our new home.

The front yard...

And the back yard...

This is Herman, our very first tree.

The back patio, looking into the rest of the back yard.

I also had to go to Wal Mart this evening and took pictures on the way

there and back, so this is the surrounding area.

I will post some photos of the inside later this week.

Baby Excitement, or Lack Thereof

2008-06-23T18:50:00.002-04:00

There have been many inquiries into mine and husbands excitement regarding the impending baby. My usual reply is something in the vicinity of nope, not excited. Then I feel really kinda crappy, mean, and that I am being an ugly/terrible person and that something is wrong with us; that this should be the most wonderful time in our lives and it just isn't. I attributed it to the stress of moving and changing jobs and keep thinking that things are going to change, things are going to get better, and they just don't.

I think (or maybe hoping) that we are simply scared shitless. Which I am pretty sure as close as I can come to pinpointing our feelings. Again, this wasn't a planned pregnancy, there was a lot of shock, and yes, a lot of fear in regards to the following issues: Will we be able to do this? How will it change us? Are we making a mistake? How do we do this? I just don't feel prepared or ready to be a mother and I know that my feelings are reciprocated by husband. Normal, yes, as far as I have read. But, it just doesn't seem to REALLY be normal. Too many people out there are simply overjoyed to be having a baby.

Again, we are accepting that this is happening, but neither of us knows how to honestly be happy about it. We are talking about going to counseling, but, for some reason, this seems a bit extreme to both of us. Isn't happiness supposed to just "kick-in" eventually? I have put off reading many books on pregnancy and parenting up until now. Since, I am not looking at any paid employment in the near future, I think that I will begin researching the whole topic as if I were writing a thesis on the subject. Maybe that will somehow help us cope better. Although, I am also afraid that this may make the whole situation even scarier.

Everyone has been very reassuring in their belief that we will be wonderful parents and I am very appreciative of the kind words of encouragement. We just can not seem to get on that same page. I know that having a baby is a life changing event, but my outlook all seems to be gloom and doom...thus being scared is my best diagnosis. Anyone's insight into this would be welcomed...just don't be too mean or you will cause me to cry.

Snow, Painting, and Crossing the Country

2008-06-11T19:45:00.011-04:00

I can not believe it, but I woke up to snow today. Yep, that's correct, it is almost mid June and we got enough snow this morning for it to actually stick to the ground for a couple of hours. (I was going to take and post some pictures, but I was too lazy to dig out the camera.) The "locals" keep saying that this is not typical for June. I simply have to wonder what is typical these days. Absolutely nothing when it comes to the weather...anywhere. After our morning snow, we saw the sun briefly in the afternoon, and now it is raining. Layers, layers, layers when it comes to getting dressed every day. And, I am learning to always pack an umbrella.

I have spent the last couple of days attempting to paint the office. I say attempting because I am yet to complete the job. I am using a very dark blue (think Midnight Blue from the 64 pack of Crayolas) and it has taken me three coats to get the paint even. I am waiting for Husband to make it home to give me his two cents on whether or not I need to even out one of the walls. It is evenly covered, but for some reason, I feel that I can see roller marks. Nit-Picky, yes, but that's just the kind of girl I am, although I am quite tired of having blue paint everywhere. Then, he can help me move everything to the other side of the room so that I can work on the last wall tomorrow (and maybe the questionable wall too).

Now, as promised from my last post, here are a couple of photos from our trip across the country. It's funny that although we went through North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Iowa, South Dakota, Wyoming, and Montana, we only took pictures or stopped to "see the sights" in South Dakota.

Here we are at Wall Drug.

We by-passed The Corn Palace and quite a few others,

but we had to make at least one cheesy tourist attraction stop.

Here we are at Mount Rushmore.

A little lighter on the cheese factor and a

great opportunity to get some exercise as we hiked the trail.

Graduation Day

2008-06-07T14:23:00.007-04:00

Here are some photos to kick off my days of catching up. These are from Husband's May graduation.

Husband sporting his professional business attire. He is very thankful that he does not have to wear a suit to work every day.

Yipee!!! No more every other weekend visits! Although, I do believe that the whole pregnancy thing is showing up in my puffy face.

.

The official congratulations.

Taking the oath.

Next post...some photos from our cross-country adventure.

A Little Off

2008-05-30T23:17:00.002-04:00

So, I was a little off on my prediction of when I would be back on-line. Our internet and telephone were just connected this evening. I am too tired to post much right now, but I will have lots to tell about in the near future.

Outta Here

2008-05-13T14:58:00.001-04:00

We are packing the final room in the house, the office. That means that as soon as I finish this post, the compter will be disconnected. We will reconnect around the 21st of May. I will fill y'all in then.

One more day down...

2008-05-02T07:09:00.006-04:00

Time just keeps ticking right along. Everything seems to be moving a bit faster than I would like.

** I have one more week left at work.

** Husband graduates on the 9th.

** The packers will be here on the 12th.

** And, our next adventure will begin as we pull out of our drive on the 14th or 15th.

We have closed on our new house and now I am attempting to coordinate having flooring replaced and walls painted before we arrive. This is an interesting process to say the least; more like a roll of the dice since we can not easily check out the contractors ahead of time.

And, last night, for the first time, I actually feel pregnant rather than just chunky.

Now, i'm off to shower and work.

Make Every Step Count

2008-04-15T18:28:00.002-04:00

Following is a request for help. And, I swear that it is legitimate.

Step It Up Contest:
Vote for Girl Scouts – North Carolina Coastal Pines!

YOU can help the Girl Scouts be the WINNER of the contest – and receive $75,000 to support Girl Scouts’ MAKE EVERY DANCE STEP COUNT program all over our 41 counties!

We Need Your Help!
Voting begins TODAY and continues through May 16.
Vote NOW and EVERY DAY at

http://walk.millionstepmarch.com/step-it-up/gscoast-makeeverydancestepcount/!
You may vote once per day per email address.
Bookmark this site to vote every day.
Do you have several email addresses? Vote each day using each address.
Once you vote, check your email for a confirmation from BCBSNC. You must follow the link on this email for your vote to count. Check your Junk Mail folder if it’s not immediately delivered to your Inbox.
Forward this message to EVERYONE YOU KNOW – ALL of your distribution lists – and encourage them to VOTE for Girl Scouts – North Carolina Coastal Pines. (See sample email text below)
Are you on Facebook? Join our group, Vote for Make Every Dance Step Count, and invite your friends to vote for Girl Scouts. Search for “Vote for Make Every Dance Step Count” to find and join the group.
Add a call to vote to your email signature.

HERE’S WHY our Make Every Dance Step Count idea was selected to be featured on BCBSNC’s Million Step March website and be eligible for a $75,000 grant:

What could be more fun than DANCING YOUR WAY TO FITNESS? Building on our Make Every Step Count program of walking and step-counting, Make Every Dance Step Count is another fun way for girls, volunteers, family and community members to step up their physical activity through dance. Girl Scouts will explore the world of dance by discovering dance styles, the culture behind dances, and dancing’s health benefits. JOIN US THIS FALL for a year-long series of dance-a-thons, lessons and other group activities guaranteed to get your groove on – and get fit along the way.

HELP GIRL SCOUTS MAKE EVERY DANCE STEP COUNT…MAKE YOUR VOTE COUNT!
Vote NOW and EVERY DAY at http://walk.millionstepmarch.com/step-it-up/gscoast-makeeverydancestepcount/! You may vote once per day per email address. Bookmark this site to vote every day between now and May 16.
Forward this message to EVERYONE YOU KNOW – ALL of your distribution lists – and encourage them to VOTE for Girl Scouts – North Carolina Coastal Pines.

Time Flies

2008-04-09T18:52:00.005-04:00

Time sure flies when you're moving! As we contend with an April 17th closing date on a house, from 2,600 miles away, the month has sort of snuck up on us. Now I have too much to do and too little time to do it in. I think that every weekend until we drive out of North Carolina is booked, mostly fun stuff with a little work thrown in here and there.

This coming weekend we are off to DC. It will be husband's first visit to our nation's capital and a trip that I feel is absolutely necessary. I am really looking forward to it even though the weather people are forecasting rain. The cherry blossoms should be in full bloom and I think that the National Mall and its surrounding area is one of the most moving and beautiful spaces in the world. I guess that's the patriot in me coming out. Maybe I will actually take and post some pictures.

I will be traveling to Ohio for a long weekend April 25 - 28. So, if you are reading this and are in traveling distance to my hometown, I would love to see you. I think that I am going to have to put in an order for Aunt Louise's pecan pie and strawberry dessert. Local bakery doughnuts and the Pizza Palace are always must eats...hmmm I think it's about dinner time.

On the baby front, all is well. I was just at the doctor today and she said that there was lots of movement and a strong heartbeat. I am slowly but surely coming to terms and prepping myself for all of the changes that are to come. I guess it's the lack of fitting into my pants that it making it the most real. I am still refusing to wear maternity clothes, so my plethora of clothing has slowly dwindled to about five pairs of elastic waist pants and several skirts that I wear "Mama" (as in that all too funny 80's sitcom Mama's Family) style, nestled just below my tatas. Lovely!

No Congratulations Necessary

2008-04-01T09:25:00.003-04:00

I have avoided a subject for quite a long time now. Why? Because Husband and I have been attempting to get our head wrapped around the news for the past twelve weeks or so. Although, given the day that it is, I could not think of a more appropriate topic to blog about or more appropriate timing. Even now, I am not going to say too much about the subject other than to let you know that if everything goes as as anticipated, our family is expanding by one in October, and this time it is not a furry or four legged addition (I hope). Yep, that's right, I am pregnant. Not exactly happily so and not really excited about it, however pregnant none the less. (We did not heed the doctor's warning that antibiotics can reduce the effectiveness of birth control pills.) I am certain that there will be much more to read on this topic in the future, but for now, no congratulations are necessary.

2008-03-11T10:22:00.004-04:00

I know that it's been a while since I have written anything. Life has been unpredictable lately (to say the very least) as well as extreemly busy. One of these days, readers may get the full scoop on life, but for now I am sharing a very watered down version.

I just returned from a house hunting trip. We have an accepted offer on a house, so that is one box checked off of the to-do list. Now there are only about 500 more boxes to go and only two months to get them done in. My head is spinning to say the very least.

Now, I am sure the question is still out there as to where we will be moving to. Well, I will have to keep you in suspense for a while longer, until I get around to going private. I will say that we will be in a breathtakingly beautiful town that is surrounded by the Rockies on all sides. It is a terrific area for a vacation (hiking, skiing, and exploring) and we will have space for guests (hint,hint).

I was really hoping to make it back to Ohio for a visit before the big move. Now, due to the outrageous price of housing in our new town and rising gas prices, it is just does not appear to be in the budget. This is a very difficult thing for me because my Dad has been sick again and I would really like to be there for my family. I am still hoping that there will be a cheap ticket pop up with an airline, but I am not holding my breath.

The Move

2008-01-24T07:17:00.000-05:00

Despite our attempt to move back to the north central United States, we are going to be heading out west. Husband has been assigned to the Salt Lake City Office. This office covers Utah, Montana, and Idaho, so we could be sent to any of 21 different towns. To top it all off, we have no idea when we will find out what specific office we will be in. It could be next month or three weeks before we need to move. For my anal retentive self, it is killing me! I need to plan this move, research and house hunt. I tell ya, it's as bad or maybe even worse than being in the Army. Although I am a bit apprehensive about having to move that far away, Adam is excited because he grew up and has lived in all three states. What an adventure we will have!

A Little Shocked

2008-01-22T17:40:00.000-05:00

Not a lot about celebrities surprises me. They lead such different lives from the normal human race. However, I just saw the headline that Heath Ledger has died of a possible drug overdose and it was actually a little shocking. He was never in the tabloids as the heavy partying kind of guy. I really liked him as an actor. So sad.

A Very Good Year

2008-01-19T09:50:00.000-05:00

I woke to Husband singing "The Birthday Song" this morning. Yes, him home this weekend is the best present ever! Yet, I am really quite bummed today. I was looking forward to heading out for a run this morning, but it is rainy and cold. Wet and frigid is no fun to run in, so I will sit and drink coffee and blog instead.

There is at least one day every 365 that I reflect and take note of the year past and the year ahead. This is that day. I sort of feel as if it is almost New Years resolutionish because of being so close to January 1st, but, it is NOT. This is all about me reaching goals and milestones and it was not my choice to have my parents procreate during the month of May.

That being said, year 33 was pretty good. No huge calamities. I completed a ten mile "race". I enjoyed several wonderful mini-vacations and weekend get-aways. Extended family has been around a lot and that has been wonderful. The time that I was able to spend with my parents was terrific. My Christmas cards went out on time. I finally had many questionable moles removed. I have cleared some of the clutter from the house, aka I've stopped being such a pack-rat. Overall, I was blessed with a very good year.

What is in store for year 34?

I plan to reach the goal of owning my first house. I have been shopping less to save more money for a down payment and I have been making lists. I have been really spoiled during the past six years when it comes to my shelter, especially my bathrooms, so I hope that my expectations are not too high. And, my fingers are crossed that we are relocated to the area that I really want to be in. (Update: No word as to where we are going. However, there may a be a post next Wednesday night as to the location. Hint, hint. Stay tuned.)

I am already well on my way to eating healthier and taking care of myself much better. And, as I am still in the midst of pondering my friend E's post, those who want to call me obsessive, be damned. I do not care! I will have great skin, great hair, a fit body, and if doing what it takes to take care of myself is deemed obsessive, I will wear the title proudly. I just wish that I was not such a frugal Franny these days. I would really like to add in facials and massages to my monthly routine.

I still want to jump from an airplane before we leave here. I just don't want to do it by myself. Sister-in-Law is supposed to join me, but if anyone else wants to take the plunge, I could use a back-up or two or three. I am not convinced that this goal will be met, however I am going to make a grand attempt.

I am also realizing that the "baby window" is quickly closing so a decision will need to be made soon. Although, I still do not feel like I am old enough to have children. It is a decision which is not mine alone either and it comes with so many unknowns. This subject could be a whole other post, so I will move on.

I hope to fit in a vacation. We have friends who are living in Montana right now that I would love to go visit this year. I have never been "out west". Again, that decision will have a lot to do with Husband's available time off. I would also like to vist other girlfriends around the country, however, that darn lottery just isn't giving me enough money to quit working!

Yes, year 34 holds a lot of promise. I am excited about the changes to come. I do believe that it will be a very good year.

Snow Day

2008-01-17T07:45:00.000-05:00

I woke up to snow on the ground! Granted it was just a sprinkling, but it was snow...in North Carolina! Now it's raining and school hasn't been cancelled, so I still have to go to work. Bummer!

Poison

2008-01-11T13:10:00.000-05:00

Okay, so I just had someone come into my office wearing Poison. Does anyone else remember that Christian Dior fragrance? (Or, in my younger days it was the Designer Imposters version from K-Mart that was ever so popular.) I haven’t smelled it in years. Talk about olfactory overdrive. WOW! I just had a serious flashback to 8th grade! …hanging out with my best friends Cary, Allison, & Michelle, my first kiss during For Keeps?, school dances with Ex-lax laced brownies, walks downtown to The Bake Shop for lunch, tanning in the back yard while listening to the Greese Soundtrack 8-track, camping with the family, disconnecting my knee while doing the splits, sneaking out of the house for the first time, riding my ten-speed all over the place…Fun times! Now, back to work.

Goodbye Vacation

2008-01-03T08:11:00.000-05:00

It is so hard to say goodbye to vacation. After a week and a half off, it is time to jump in the shower and go back to work. Yuck! Can I just be a stay-at-home wife? I could handle working out for a few hours every day and organizing the house until we move...seriously.

I began taking down Christmas decorations as soon as I returned home on Monday, but the tree is still up and fully decorated. The dining room table is covered in Christmas parafanalia. The coffee table is covered in Christmas parafanalia. And, there is a pile of Christmas pillows on the couch. How did that happen? Where did my time go? Why did I not get more put away?

It is not for laziness. I was busy from about 8:30 a.m. until around 11:00 p.m. for two straight days. I guess it just takes a while to unpack and catch-up on mail and email. I had returns to do and exchanges to make, car titling to take care of, bills to pay, and grocery shopping. Plus, prepping food to eat for the rest of the week so that I am not eatting junk. And, that naturally rolled into doing all of the dishes from all of the cooking. But, now I have applesauce and hummus and hard boiled eggs and chicken and grabbable veggies and even waldorf salad. Yummy for my healthy tummy.

I am looking forward to a short, two-day work week. I will then have another weekend to finish putting away the Christmas stuff. And, I should have some help since husband is planning a trip home this weekend. Yeah!

Speaking of husband. He has advised me that I need to set this blog to private in the near future. So, if you are a reader, let me know that you would like to continue reading and I will send you an invitation. I haven't even begun to look into how to go about privatizing yet, so it will be a little while (probably a few months). One more thing for the to-do list.

Well, hi ho, hi ho it's off to the shower I go...stay-at-home wife (*deep sigh*).

It's Official

2007-12-03T18:46:00.000-05:00

So, it's official. As of this past Saturday, December 1, 2007, Husband is no longer a member of the United States Army. It is surreal and sad and scary and exciting all at the same time. He ventures off to his new job next Sunday. Let the fun begin!

November Thanks

2007-11-20T07:17:00.001-05:00

November has changed for me over the years. When I was a kid, Thanksgiving was just the "stupid holiday" before the holiday with the presents. During college, Thanksgiving was the first real break from school, and for the first time ever, I loved to lounge around the house and nap after overindulging in Dad's scrumdillyicious cooking. Plus all of my friends were "home" for the holiday so there were always great parties happening. Now, Thanksgiving has come to mean what I think it has meant to all along, a day to be thankful. During this time of year, I realize that I have so very much to be thankful for.

I have the love of a very extended "family". Family, to me, includes many friends, after all, there have been years of my life that I have spent away from those whom I am biologically connected to. I am thankful for every single one of my family's members, even if I haven't talked them in far too long, years in some cases. I probably think about each of them far more often than they would ever guess, I am just too lazy to pick up the phone and call or pick up a pen and write a note. (I do believe that I am sensing a New Year's resolution.)

I have my health, no outstanding debt, plenty of money to survive on, a nice home, a good job, plenty of food, and the list goes on. I feel very blessed. Among those blessings, I must include the love of my life. During November, for several years now, I tend to hold him a little closer, appreciate him a little bit more, and count my lucky stars that he is here beside me.

This past weekend, husband brought up the fact that three years ago he was on R & R and we were either on our way to or in Garmish, Germany. I have been thinking about how wonderful and relaxing that week was and have decided to share some photos and memories. Here we are, getting cozy by the fire at the hotel we stayed at.

This was also the trip where we took a horse & buggy ride in the freezing cold, bundled up with hats and gloves under a wool blanket. We also attended a German hockey game; we even got all excited when the home team scored. I didn't put myself through the frustration of attempting to ski, although we did make a trip to the Zugspitze, the highest point in the German Alps.

I also acted like a little girl when I saw the "real" Cinderella castle, Neuschwanstein, looming over the nearby town just before we started the hike up the hill to see it close up.

It was a wonderful holiday of togetherness. Just the two of us. I also bought husband presents, which, funny enough, we were also talking about this weekend. One was a leather coat that he finds just a little too bulky and heavy. The other gift was a pair of really cool boots that he finds too preppy. (Oh how I want to throw his Doc Martins into a fire!) I am still trying to convince him that that they don't make him look like a "pretty boy".

This year, we get to spend Thanksgiving with family. Aunt Mickey is hosting the festivities which I am sure will prove to be a grand time had by all in attendance. A little wine, way too much food, a game or two of dominos, and then it will be time to head off to a good nights rest so that we are ready to take on all of those glorious sales during the shopping madness of the day after.

May you and your family have a blessed and love filled Thanksgiving.

Remembering...

2007-11-13T09:10:00.001-05:00

In the shower this morning, remembering the events that took place three years ago today, sobbing. The sadness, the fear, the disbelief, the heart ache, I still vividly remember how it felt to understand the greatest sacrifice of war. During my day-to-day life, I tend to not think about the losses unless one of the many war related country songs comes on the radio. Not today. Today it takes every fiber of my being to fight against the tightness in my chest and hold back the tears that want to pour out. To be continued...maybe.

Rent

2007-11-09T08:36:00.000-05:00

I am very excited. First, because, it is cool enough that I can wear a sweatshirt and jeans to work today with my hair in a ponytail. (Yeah for casual Friday!) And, secondly, because Husband and I have an afternoon date tomorrow to see Rent in Raleigh. So, we get to play dress up, go to the theater, and then out to a nice dinner.

I have come to realize that I enjoy matinee performances more than evening performances for the simple fact that they usually end shortly before the dinner hour, thereby making dinner much more enjoyable. Rather than feeling rushed to finish so we make to the 8:00 p.m. performance on time, we can simply make reservations for after the show is over. That way, if we want to have a full bottle of wine and then coffee and dessert, we can, because we have no place else to be.

My mother-in-law made me think of something funny regarding Rent when I talked to her last night. I have no clue what the story is about. I know that I love the song Seasons of Love that they sing and I think that someone dies and I think it has some sort of love story attached to it, but beyond that I haven't a clue. I wanted to view the movie version months ago, but just never seemed to get around to it. Plus, the movie versions of plays are simply different. Regardless, I am certain it will be fabulous.

Catch-Up

2007-11-01T08:09:00.000-04:00

I flitter around from one person's blog to another but it seems that I have not updated mine in about three months, oops. But, now that life has slowed down just a little bit, maybe I will get into the habit of posting more often.

The first big news is that Husband is on terminal leave, which means that he is using up the months of vacation that he has collected through the years, and will officially be out of the Army at the end of November. It has been a wonderful experience (more or less) for both of us, but the time has come to move on. He has been contacted by his new employer and will start in December, so he is pretty excited about not having to get an intermediate job. I will stay put while he is training and we are anticipating a move in the late spring/early summer. As with any life transition, I am sure this one will have its trials and tribulations so stay tuned.

I "ran" the Army Ten Miler in October with some great friends. It was a wonderful weekend of catching up and reminiscing.

My workouts are once again on hiatus due to stitches in my ankle. Nothing too crazy; I had a mole removed. But, all of my athletic shoes hit in the exact spot of the stitches. So, I am taking some time off. They come out next week and I am hoping it is healed enough to begin a more strict workout regimen to combat all of the Halloween candy I ate as well as the upcoming holidays. I am also going to try a new gym with better ventilation and cooler locker rooms.

We spent Labor Day weekend at the beach with Husband's family. It was wonderful and relaxing and we hope that we are able to join the fun again next year. I will edit this post and add pictures once I have some extra time.

It's supposed to be around 70 degrees today...and it's November! What the heck? I just can't get used to the warmer weather of North Carolina. And, I am not sure that I like it all that well. I am not a fan of gray icky slush, but I love wearing sweaters and sweatshirts and the number of days I can here are very limited. If it would just drop into the low 50's...

The females on the Husband's side of the family are making the drive down tomorrow to spend a girls weekend. Once again, Husband will be what we term "the token male" which makes us laugh as we flash back to the outings my friends and I forced him on while he was on rear detachment in Germany. It should be lots of fun as we plan to peruse the Holly Day Fair where I got just about all of my Christmas shopping done last year. Fingers crossed, I will be as successful this year as last.

2007-08-21T06:57:00.000-04:00

I have been too busy and exhausted to blog lately. But, here are some highlights and thoughts:

-- I went to my high school reunion a couple weeks ago and had much fun. I picked up conversations with old friends as if it were 1992. It was kind of funny hearing some of the things that people remember about me that I had totally forgotten about. The downside to the event...I forgot my camera.

-- Spending almost a week in Ohio gave me some wonderful time with family and friends, but as always, it wasn't long enough to visit with everyone that I would have liked to. That included much of my extended family.

--Husband only has about three weeks before he is "on vacation" for two months, then if all goes as planned he will be off to learn a new job.

--I am being to panic about running 10 miles in October. I just can't seem to make time to train.

--The in-laws recovery process after the fire has been slow and steady. It is SUCH a tedious procedure. I am being to dislike shopping.

-- We still have not purchased a fire proof safe, although we have looked at them. We would really like the two drawer file cabinet version, however we can not figure out how we would get the 300+ pounds up the stairs. The store will deliver it to the front door and for an additional $75 dollars they will bring it up three steps. Unfortunately, we have about 15 of them. Besides, can the floor handle that much weight in one spot without reinforcement?

-- A new CEO was recently hired at work. She retired after working 25 years for IBM and has now taken on this leadership position with the Girl Scouts. I had a meeting with her yesterday and she is fabulous. I look forward to seeing her in action and learning from her too. I am blessed to work with a wonderful group of women.

--We are having a mandatory fun day for work next week. It will be at one of our camps. I am hoping to climb our Alpine Tower, so if I do, I will attempt to have someone take pictures.

-- I am seriously contemplating making a tandem jump out of an airplane. Would anyone like to join me?

-- I am looking forward to spending five days at the beach over Labor Day. I have definitely labored enough over the past year to fully deserve the break!

Highlights? Maybe not for most, but that is what they are for me in August 2007.

Better Safe

2007-07-26T06:41:00.000-04:00

Life has been very busy the past couple of months and that is why I have not posted in so long. No, some things never really change. I will be driving to or from work and something will pop into my mind that elicits the response, "Man, that would be great to post about," then I get home and have either forgotten what it was or I am simply too lazy to log onto the computer. Usually the later.

As far as excitement in the household goes, we really haven't had any. I am looking forward to a get-away to Ohio next week. My very low key 15 year class reunion is coming up, so I figured it would be a fun time to hang out with old friends with a side trip (maybe) to Cedar Point or Put-In-Bay.

Husband and I have spent the past several weekends with the in-laws helping them dig through the mess after their house burned to the ground. (Yes, quite literally.) It has taught me a very valuable lesson in keeping records for insurance purposes, having a fire-proof safe, taking lots of photos and video and putting them into that safe, etc. It has also made me a bit of a worry-wart regarding anything electrical in the house.

Husband backed up the computer onto an external hard drive and I plan to buy that fire proof safe this coming weekend, if not sooner. I am then looking ahead to the daunting task of recording everything that we own. Sound like fun? No, not so much, but I now fully understand that it is a necessary evil. Just a little jab in the side to those of you who know little about the insurance process or think, "it will never happen to me," please take some precautionary measures because like my mama always says, "It's better to be safe than sorry."

Long Weekend Get Away

2007-05-30T08:28:00.000-04:00

So, we decided to head to Orlando for the long weekend and act like ten year olds at the Universal Studios theme parks. It was a wonderful get away...here are some photos.

As if we were mice in Fievel's Playground.

We found the perfect husband quote in Toon Landing.

I was a little scared walking through this entrance...

...running from a T-Rex

The Caro-Seuss-el was one of my favorite parts of the weekend.

You're a mean one Mr. Grinch...

I love my mischievous friends!

For some reason, husband and I could not take a good picture together. But, here are a couple not so good ones.

Nope, I'm not pregnant, it's just the way the wind was blowing.

Maybe we should have taken a photo before the end of the day.

I always wanted to ride a vespa! And, they were all over the hotel piazza; I couldn't help myself!

It all starts with a burnt PopTart

2007-05-19T09:30:00.000-04:00

The only significance of the title to this entry is to give you a bit of non-humorous humor. You see, I rarely buy PopTarts because in my mind they are junk food. If I eat them for breakfast, I am hungry again within the hour. Nevertheless, I had a weak moment when I ran into Wal-Mart last week to pick up a few necessities. I saw the box of cherry filled goodness and thought to myself, "Self, those PopTarts sure would be a good stand-in for pie as a dessert choice." Now, I am eating a PopTart for Saturday morning breakfast. And, yes I really did burn it to a nice-n-crispy espresso brown on the edges. (I am also too lazy to make another one, so yummy burntness it is!)

So, with burnt PopTart in front of me I continue my latest post. Time is simply flying by these days and I am not doing such a good job at keeping up. My house is dusty and my office at work is a disaster area. The plethora of ceremonies, events, and weekend work excursions is keeping me busier than I would have ever imagined and has also provided me with a large new wardrobe consisting of t-shirts and more t-shirts.

Two weekends ago I was at Rockingham Motor Speedway for Girl Scout Jamboree. Basically a huge camp out on the in-field with inflatables, rock-climbing walls, music video making, stargazing, and so much more. My part of the job was the lovely task of making sure that girls were behaving as they should and keeping their shoes on as well as loading and unloading coolers and equipment for the troops. Here I am at the event with my co-worker Paige.

Last weekend I headed off to Savannah. I was a bus captain and guide for a mother/daughter weekend trip to visit the birthplace of Juliette "Daisy" Gordon Low, the founder of the Girl Scouts. Here's a photo of me with Robin, our Director of Younger Girl Programs as well as the other bus captain, in uniform outside of Daisy's childhood home.

On Saturday I was in charge of the adults and getting them from point A to point B and back again...twice. For any of you who are mothers out there, y'all are worse than the children when it comes to following rules, whining, and complaining. If you ever take trips with your children, please keep this in mind and make adjustments. Anyhow, the adults got the grown-up version of the relationship between Daisy and her "player" husband. We also learned quite a bit about the phenomenal and rather eccentric founder of our organization. Over the years Girl Scouts has evolved, in some ways for the worse, due to changing times and political correctness, so it was nice to hear stories of how this strong-willed woman bucked the system in order to give girls more opportunities to do things that originally only boys could do. Here's a photo with my co-worker Jennifer, in front of the First National Headquarters where the first troops met.

It was a wonderful trip with beautiful weather. My friend Rochelle lived in the Savannah area for years and would reminisce about how great it was. Now I totally understand. Even with the chattering and squealing of 100 females, there was definitely something peaceful about the town. The historic district is laid out in a pattern with 21 squares so, noise is cut dramatically and there is an abundance of foliage. The Spanish moss hanging from the trees gave everything a hint of romanticism. I really want to go back and spend more time exploring with Husband.

Before embarking on the trip, Aunt Mickey had given me her copy of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil to read because it is set in Savannah. In the weeks prior to the trip, it gave me glimpse into life in Savannah but the story took on a whole new form in my mind after seeing the town. I was very excited to have enough time to walk to the square on which the Mercer House sits . This house plays a vital role in the book.

In other news, Husband will begin transitioning out of the Army at the beginning of June. I have seen the paperwork and his official last day of work will be in late November unless his potentially new employing agency calls him with a class date before that time. His last two months will basically be vacation time and in a discussion last night he will be more than happy to play the role of House Husband. It will be interesting to see how long it takes for him to become bored out of his mind. Anyone want to place bets?

The PopTart is now long gone and I must be off to work. I have the fun Saturday afternoon job of painting and decorating thirty picture frames for a recognitions dinner on Monday night. After an action-packed week next week, Husband and I will be boarding a plane to Orlando for a long weekend of quality time together. Stay tuned for photos once we return.

Quickie

2007-04-27T16:14:00.000-04:00

So, we are not moving. I guess there was some sort of mix-up at the owner's bank. I am still just waiting for an eviction notice to be posted on our door though. There's just something shady about this guy...and I have neither met him nor spoken with him. Just a feeling.

Other than that, husband got home early from his trip to Mississippi, so that was nice. And, kind of surprising considering the Army. He just filed his paperwork to make a change in career official, so there's no turning back now. At least that is what we are hoping for.

The cats got a haircut on Monday. I will have to take "after" pictures and post them; they look incredibly funny with no hair. I am only telling you silly things about the cats because they look so silly. Okay, I sound like a "cat lady" gag. Just wait, you'll see. Maybe.

Work is grand. I am helping out with Jamboree tomorrow. It's basically a cross between a festival and a camp out with thousands of little girls. And, to make it better, I just found out that there will be whistles for them to purchase. I don't know whose bright idea that was, but I am sure they will regret it. It's being held at a race track, so on black top, and it's supposed to be a sunny high of 81, so that makes it even better. On a brighter work note, I will be a bus captain for a weekend trip to Savannah next month and then I head to New York for training in June. So, never a dull moment.

Almost two months after surgery, I still can't feel all of my mouth. It is just strange. But the doctor said that I was still in the healing process and that I should make a full recover in the next four months. Geesh! I would have never thought that it would take this long!

My training plan for the Army 10-Miler is going well. I really haven't had any lazy days and my determination is pretty high, so the possibility of me actually finishing is becoming a reality. But, you can check out the Did you Run Today? link if you want to read more about that.

Okay, those are all of my boring updates. Maybe one of these days I will have time to post something insightful. But for now, it's date night and I think we are going out to dinner at (Yumm!) Carrabbas. Ciao!

A Surprise in the Mail

2007-04-13T08:01:00.000-04:00

Normally I like surprises. Not this morning. I had just gotten up and was waiting for my morning caffeine fix when I decided to open yesterday's mail. Nothing looked "fun" so it had been thrown to side when it was brought into the house last night. There were a couple credit card offers that I ripped up and then there was a piece from a mortgage company addressed to the actual owner of the house that we live in. (We are renting.) Just in case it wasn't junk I opened it.

Nope, not junk. It was a letter informing the owner that he hadn't paid his mortgage the past two months. He owes back payments, late fees, etc. and risks foreclosure. Now, I could care less about his mortgage and irresponsibility, but I am concerned about what will happen to us. I really don't want to move again and I especially don't want to have to do it myself. Arghhh!!!!

So, onto my to-do list for the day goes a trip to the property manager with the letter. I'm not sure if I will have any recourse if the home is foreclosed upon. So, this could get interesting. Too many unknowns to speculate upon, so I won't. I think I will go run now.

2007-04-07T09:05:00.000-04:00

HAPPY EASTER!

Operation Cookie Drop

2007-04-04T18:19:00.000-04:00

I spent this afternoon on Fort Bragg loading Girl Scout cookies into trucks. The money used to purchase the cookies came from many kind donations to “Operation Cookie Drop”. All of the cookies will eventually make their way to our soldiers serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. I thought you might enjoy some photos.

The Visit

2007-03-30T07:58:00.000-04:00

I can't believe that I haven't written in over a month! Time just seems to slip away from me. Mom & Dad were here visiting for the past week, but other than that, there really hasn't been anything all that eventful happening. Or, at least nothing that I can recall.

Our visit with the parents was good. Dad was ever his handy self and put together our umbrella stand for the patio and we were even able to have dinner under it one evening. Oh, how I love the 80 degree weather we have been having! He also put a knob on our dryer so that we could stop prying it open with a screw driver. Ya see, the handle broke months ago and why in the heck would I get rid of a perfectly good dryer because it has no handle? Sure, a bit trailer-trash, but hey it worked! Anyhow, now I have a beautifully decrative knob to pull the door open with.

We took a trip with Mom & Dad to see one of the biggest highlights that NC has to offer...the Richard Petty museum. (Yes, that was said in jest!) For all of you non-sports fans, the Pettys are one of the best known families in stock car racing. It actually had some great collections including Mrs. Petty's dolls and Barbies, all sorts of collectors guns, keys to cities, and old "stuff" that have had the Pettys' race cars and photos on it. I would say it was worth the $5 entrance fee.

Mom and I also spent some time at the spa getting our piggies painted. It was her first pedicure and now she is all set for sandle weather. Too bad she had to return to the land of colder temperatures. We also had fun, of course, shopping. We were able to explore a few of the little downtoen shops in the area that I had been dying to check out.

Another day-trip was to Raleigh where Husband & I finally purchased a pretty bed and matching nightstands. I can not tell you how excited I am about this purchase. Although I would have been even happier if Husband would have let me buy all of the other pieces to go along with it. However, he had a point when he said we need to wait and see what our future holds. After all, if NYC turns out to be our new home, I don't know that there will even be room for what we have now.

Speaking of moving, here's an update...yeah, we know very little yet. One day soon I hope! He has passed every hurdle thus far, but he is waiting on a call to let him know when school will be. Oh, and for his current employeer to let him leave.

Now, I suppose I should get to the office and play catch-up due to the vacation days that I just took. There's a big camping event this weekend and the leader putting it together may need some assistance yet. I just need to find the motivation to move!

Random Thoughts

2007-02-26T08:58:00.000-05:00

There is nothing exciting happening in my world right now so, here are some random thoughts and goings on:

--I drove two hours and spent the weekend with my in-laws sans husband since he has been working 14 hour days lately. They are looking for a new house, so I was able to learn a thing or two regarding house hunting. It was a lot of fun!

--I have been wondering whether or not my friend Melissa is around town or visiting family. Sure, I should pick up the telephone, but I'm lazy. This week I will.

--I want to go dancing. This hit me on Friday night on my way home from work and I almost called Robin to see what she was up to. But, I'm lazy. I think I see a night out on my horizon soon.

--I just caught up on everyone's blogs...I think. Nope, didn't comment anywhere, but I read them. And, I just have to state how thrilled I am for my friend in the Monkey House regarding her loss. She looks terrific!

--I still have holes in my mouth. I have been paranoid about how I eat, sucking on anything (if you went there, get your darn mind out of the gutter), and making sure I rinse my mouth often. My mother-in-law gave me the all clear and say they just need to fully close and I am past the point of worry about dry socket. I am going to choose to believe her.

--I just found out that I still own someone money that I borrowed in 1998. I have no record of it, although I kind of remember doing it. This is the first reminder that I have had, ever, and it was through a third party. Funny! (Really, it made me laugh.) But, it is Grandma that I owe, so no biggie, I trust her, and the check will be in the mail today.

--I am sick of hearing about Anna Nicole Smith. Get DNA tests done, give the baby to the father and stop speculating on it. She was a drug addicted party girl who really didn't contribute anything to the society that she lived in. Move on.

--I can't help but go hear since I hear about it every morning on the radio. Britney Spears, I feel sorry for her. And, I never though I would say this, but Kevin Federline is the man for doing what seems to be in the best interest of those children. She needs to stay in rehab and get the help that she so obviously needs. But, again the overwhelming coverage on the situation, not necessary.

--I have been looking at furniture for the master bedroom, but can not decide if I want to spend the money or not. What I have liked thus far is rather pricey. Solid wood, but expensive, which brings me to my next random thought...

--I have been frugal franny lately. Not quite down to eating beans and mush, but I just don't want to spend any money. I am on a mission to save enough to pay cash for a car as well as have a nice down payment for a house in the next year and a half. The only splurges I am willing to make right now are on a few long weekend trips and maybe a "real" vacation if I can talk Husband into it.

Like I said to begin with, not a whole lot of excitement happening in NC. But, things are sure to pick up in the next couple of months. Mom & Dad are coming to visit. Sister-In-Law's birthday is on a Saturday this year, so a big Irish night out is on tap. And, work, well there is so much happening through June that I am not going to have to wonder what I am going to do with my time. Plus the big October goal...it will keep me on my feet and I can't wait!

Four Teeth none the Wiser

2007-02-10T10:49:00.000-05:00

I had all four of my wisdom teeth extracted last Friday. I was all prepped and psyched myself up that it really wouldn't be all that bad and I would be at the gym by Tuesday. That didn't happen. Here is what happened instead...

I recall the doctor telling me that the medicine worked really fast, that I would start to feel dizzy and then tired. Well, I remember the dizzy and the next thing I know I am semi-awake with someone holding down my head and someone else pulling and drilling and tapping on my bottom right tooth. I willed my eyes open so that everyone in the room would be fully aware that I was awake. They were very kind, talking to me and telling me that I would feel pressure but they were almost done. Yep, a couple of my teeth were so impacted and it took so long to get them out that the anesthesia wore off before they were finished. Thanks to the drugs, I don't fully remember the experience, however I remember enough of it to know that it wasn't pleasant.

Once husband got me home and I began the recovery process, I thought all would be okay, and I was still holding on to the "I'll be in the gym by Tuesday" goal. But, over the weekend, it seemed that every time I stood up, I would almost fall over because I was quite weak and dizzy. The drugs they gave me were good though, so I wasn't in too much pain even though I looked like a chipmunk stockpiling nuts for a blizzard.

My Best Mother-in-Law in the Whole Wide World came down to help "baby-sit" me since husband had to work all weekend. I finally got around to watching Gone With the Wind along with Little Miss Sunshine and The Lake House, so it was a great "girly movie" weekend, although I wasn't overly impressed by any of the films and really wished that I had rented The Notebook, which I still haven't seen. It hurt to talk too much, but Mother-in-Law was a Godsend in helping me eat and it was nice just having someone around.

As for my Tuesday at the gym goal, that did not happen. Right now, I am thinking a more realistic goal is a week from this coming Tuesday. I received some workout essentials in the mail last week that I had ordered pre-surgery, and on Thursday night, I played dress-up by trying everything on. Well, there were some never-tried-before sports bras in the mix and my test for any sports bra is the "bounce" factor, so I was hopping up and down in front of the mirror, and though the lack of bounce was commendable, my face hurt quite a bit as it was jiggled, so I know there are a few more recovery days left before I run again.

I did make it to work every day, although I was too heavily medicated to drive myself. Husband and co-workers have shuttled me to and from the office and meetings in Raleigh. I have to admit that not being able to drive, even after just one week, is frustrating. My sympathy goes out to Dad who wasn't able to drive himself for six months last year. Not fun! But, after a full day's work, I was exhausted and the night that I actually had to lead a meeting, my jaw throbbed and hurt so badly I wanted to cry. But, in true Army Wife spirit I pushed on through the pain.

Yesterday at my one week post-op appointment, the doctor said that everything was healing fine. He also told me a bit more about the surgery since the left half of my bottom lip and chin are still numb. The roots of the lower left tooth were actually straddling the nerve that runs under it and that they probably touched the nerve a little bit. He said that the feeling should come back eventually but it could take months. He said that the lower teeth were very impacted and that it will probably take at least a month to fully recover. That too is the reason I have so much along my jaw line and in my bottom teeth, lot's of digging.

The swelling is almost all gone, so my face is close to normal size. I am also looking quite lovely with a nice new shade of yellow-green bruise around my mouth and jaw line. (Nope, no pictures, this is one experience that I am not sure that I want to remember in that great of detail.) It is still uncomfortable to talk for long periods of time and I can't open my mouth wide enough to get a normal-size bite of food into it or a normal spoon into it for that matter. Thank goodness, a great friend of mine bought me a set of espresso spoons (picture a baby spoon) for my birthday last year. They are the perfect size to fit in my mouth. Because it hurts to bit down on my left side, I am still eating soft foods, so the staples in my current diet are hot oat bran cereal, yogurt, pudding laced with protein powder, cottage cheese, baby food carrots, baby food green beans, baby food peas, Kraft Easy Mac, and ice cream. The nights that I just can't take it any longer, I have eaten instant Hamburger Helper and then had a very tired jaw from the increased chewing on the right side. However, all is not bad, the mouth trouble was a great excuse to order cheesecake (after I ate my soup) during a business lunch at The Cheesecake Factory last week!

This weekend is all about rest and recovery. I am still drugging myself at night to sleep (don't worry, it's just Percocet) and don't want to risk over taxing myself so that I am in a lot of pain or get into an accident. However, we are in dire need of some groceries...maybe I will venture out with my Motrin tomorrow afternoon to get some necessities (we have no back-up TP in the house). None of my normal phone calls to gab with friends and family will happen again until at least next week, so don't think that I have forgotten about you. I have simply had my teeth ripped out of my head and can't talk right now! (You've got to love my drama!)

It's Cookie TIme

2007-01-31T07:39:00.000-05:00

Nope, no goals on paper yet, just those in my head. But, I just have to send out a reminder...Did you buy your GirlScout Cookies yet??? If you are being more concious about what you are eatting these days, there are Girl Scout Troops collecting money in order to have cookies sent directly to the soldiers currently in war zones. We call it "Operation Cookie Drop" here. If you can't find one of these programs in your community, please feel free to send your checks to me! I will be certain that the soldiers get your cookies.

First Day

2007-01-19T06:59:00.000-05:00

What do I want to do in my 33rd year of life? That is the question I ponder today...and honestly, probably tomorrow, and maybe Sunday too. My plan is to put down, in writing, the goals that I want to accomplish by 19 January 2008, then begin laying out how I will make it all happen. And, yes, one goal is to finish the Army 10 Miler! (And then enjoy some great wine with my far-off girlfriends.) So, check back, once I have my list, I will share it, and then a year from now, I will report on how I did. Finally, in case you are reading, HAPPY BIRTHDAY HEIDI!

Intervention

2007-01-18T08:26:00.000-05:00

I am reprinting something that my good friend V wrote regarding my previous post. I really don't think that she will mind. I hope it may give others some of the motivation they need to end the excuses. I know it was a swift kick in the tushie for me. I thank God every day that he has blessed me with such wonderful people in my life.

Now, my dear friend Christy (and don't think you are alone), Here is a list of things that motivate, inspire, or kick my ass; as well as some ideas for the things that frustrate you:

-I like to eat. Eating makes you gain weight. I don't want to gain weight.

-I like red wine (and so do you). Wine has sugar. Sugar makes you gain weight. I don't want to gain weight.

-I refuse to give in to the stereotype mom body.

-I love being over 40, I don't want to look like it.

-I like clothes. I may not have the perfect body, but I am in good shape and I can find clothes that look good on me. My shoulders and biceps may be too big for some of those cute little caps sleeves, but I can live with that.

-I like muscles. I could diet and get skinny. I want shape and that comes from exercise.

-Working out makes me feel powerful and strong. I am afraid if I quit, I won't feel that way. That would be bad.

-I like that my kids and husband are proud of me. They see how hard I work and they work hard to accomodate me, my schedule, and my neurosis.

-I like that my boys are growing up with a fit woman that takes time for herself to be even better. I hope it teaches them to expect that in the women they love and honor and support their efforts. Afterall, I am raising husbands.

-OK, that over 40 thing...I want to be healthy. I have many friends dealing with health issues already, like diabetes, high blood pressure, heart issues. I am just loosing my eyes.

-Exercise gives me perspective. There are studies that tells us that exercise helps put off the absent minded age thing (I am not sure, but hey, I'll give it a try). I know that I am calmer and most problems are just not as big a deal after I run.

-Exercise calms me when I am frustrated or mad. That, or maybe it just exhausts me, but banging weights instead of someone's head is a better choice.

-Depression runs in my family and I have chosen a lifestyle that could put me over the edge. Exercise stabalizes me.

You said:

-There is only one morning class at the gym each week that fits into my schedule and why go to the gym and run on a treadmill when I could simply go outside.
I don't understand the issue - either go to the class, run outside, or get your ass on the treadmill like everybody else.

My favorite instructors at the gym have all left.
So, you won't find a new favorite unless you give the other instructors a chance. Or, get on the treadmill like everybody else.

I am afraid to run outside by myself in the mornings before the sun is up because I am afraid of the big dogs that may be roaming around to maul me or the bad people who might do bad things to me.
Very reasonable. Then get on the treadmill like everybody else.

I just can't do it. I must face the fact that I will never wear size six jeans and I will never be able to run ten straight miles.
That's crap! You may not wear size 6 jeans. For crying out loud, you are like 5'10"! (I am actually 5'8".) Of course you can run 10 miles straight, you haven't put in the time and the training to get there. Baby steps, my friend.

I don't have time to work out like I want to. If only I could go back to not working, then I would have plenty of time.
I understand the time issue, we all have them. This one cracks me up about you. For the longest time, you got up every morning and ran at 5:30AM! I always said that there was no way that I could do that. I was wrong. When I realized that the only way I was going to manage my workouts was to get my ass out of the bed early, go to the gym and get back before my kids have to get up, you were the first person I thought of. I still think about you when I drag my body out of the house at that hour and remember you telling me how you just got used to it and now couldn't imagine not having that routine.

I'm too tired, I don't want to get up before 0600.
Bullshit.

I only like working out in the morning, by the end of the day I am too tired and it seems like such a hassle to take off my make-up and change and then shower a second time and change again, not to mention having to pack an extra bag.
Either get up early and hit the gym, or resign yourself to a big gym bag. I now do 2 workouts a day because it is easier to find 2 one hour blocks of time than to find a 2 hour chunk. That means I get up rediculously early to run, then after work I hit the gym for a lift. If I do that, I shower in the morning after my run, take a gym bag to work with another workout outfit. I don't sweat too much with a lift, so I just wash my face and put some sweats on to go home for the evening. I hated the big bag and feeling like I was moving out every day (I also pack my lunch), but I am used to it now and I can be out of the gym in 45 minutes in the evening. I do go through a lot of exercise clothes (a great excuse to buy more) and an incredible amount of laundry, but P and I both have found that this is much easier to fit into our schedules. He lifts at lunch and does cardio early.

Hang in there, this too shall pass. Big hugs my friend. If I was there, I would make you run with me and then we would drink a bottel of fabulous Italian Sangiovese.

What's My Motivation?

2007-01-16T07:15:00.000-05:00

I feel as if I am in workout hell. Well, maybe just a rut. The problem is that I can not find the motivation to go out and run on a regular basis and I feel like crap. That in turn causes me to want to eat French fries with cheese, fast food, and all of the other "bad" food out there. (I haven't yet, but I really want to.) It is a terrible cycle to be in and I hate it. Neverless at the present moment, I am not sure how to break free. I can not seem to find the motivation that I need.

A couple weeks ago, I thought that I was past this. The holidays were over and I truly believed that I had no more excuses. I was going to get myself back in shape and be really dedicated. No, not a New Year's resolution, just something that I wanted to do. That lasted about two weeks. Motivation level is now zero again. I think today's self-pity stems from the fact that I ate well and worked out "correctly" last week, stepped on the scale on Sunday and it had not budged from the previous week. Am I simply destined to be...I'm not sure...lazy, lethargic, a couch potato, the size and shape that I am currently?

I have read friends blogs over the past week and I am so happy for them and proud of them for reaching fitness and weight loss goals. Others are running five to ten miles and taking "breaks" to clean the house. Where do you guys find the spark to keep going? I ran about a mile the other day and I wanted to die. The happiness that I used to find from working out has transformed into the chore of having another thing that needs to be checked off of my to-do list.

I am a great excuse maker. Some of my latest excuses are:
-- I only like working out in the morning, by the end of the day I am too tired and it seems like such a hassle to take off my make-up and change and then shower a second time and change again, not to mention having to pack an extra bag.
-- There is only one morning class at the gym each week that fits into my schedule and why go to the gym and run on a treadmill when I could simply go outside.
-- My favorite instructors at the gym have all left.
-- I am afraid to run outside by myself in the mornings before the sun is up because I am afraid of the big dogs that may be roaming around to maul me or the bad people who might do bad things to me.
-- I just can't do it. I must face the fact that I will never wear size six jeans and I will never be able to run ten straight miles.
-- I don't have time to work out like I want to. If only I could go back to not working, then I would have plenty of time.
-- I'm too tired, I don't want to get up before 0600.

Yeah, I know the excuses are horrible. I don't feel accountable to anyone for my laziness and my other self is not keeping me in check these days. I am at a loss as to how to find my motivation. I am hoping for some good advice from my friends. Something that will light a fire under my ass and motivate me to make a change.

HAPPY 2007!!!

2007-01-01T19:27:00.000-05:00

We had a great trip to Ohio over the holidays. We saw no snow, which made me sad, but I suppose we might have to visit friends in Colorado in order to view the white stuff these days. They sure seem to be covered with it! The most frustrating aspect of my time in the buckeye state is that there are never enough hours in the day to visit with all of the people I would like to for as long as I would like to. I guess that's just what happens when you "grow up" and move away.

But, we made it safely back to NC in time for Aunt Ms annual New Year's Celebration. As you can see from the photos below, a good time was had by all.

Me with the in-laws

Husband with his cousins & "Uncle"

Husband making his cousin stay later than she planned.

Tomorrow, it is back to work even though I sure could use about another week off. As for resolutions, we have none in the house. However I just thought of one...to get the Christmas decorations packed up and put away before Valentines Day!

I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas

2006-12-15T08:33:00.000-05:00

It is supposed to get up to about 75 degrees over the weekend or early next week. The high numbers put a bit of a crimp in my Christmas joy. It is very difficult for me to get in the spirit of the season with the temperature so high. A white Christmas is in my dreams, so bring on the snow in Ohio...next Saturday that is, after we have arrived. A giant snow storm on the 23rd would be stupendous!

I have made adjustments by choosing a very pristine and very white scene as my screensaver on my work PC. It makes me feel all chilly inside when I look at it. And I also can not help but picture the snow covered trees that lined our driveway in Germany. The decorations are also up around the abode, so if I just don't step foot outside all weekend, maybe I can pretend that it is all snowy and blustery outside. I would even start a fire if only we had ever gotten a gas tank so that the fireplace would actually work.

I just wonder how many other friends are out there feeling the heat of the season. I know many who left the very beautiful German countryside to live in places like Georgia, Louisiana, Texas, & California. Quite a change! I really hate to shovel snow and I abhor the mucky slush that is left at the side of the road yet I still can't help but dream of a white Christmas!

YUCKY

2006-12-01T09:02:00.000-05:00

I am so sniffly, hacky, and sore throat plagued this week that all I want to do is curl up with Tivo. Yuck!!! I wish I could go to the office in my pajamas. No such luck there though. And...for those of you lucky enough to live with me during my Germany pink eye experience...I may have it AGAIN! At least there is no Ball this weekend!

Gobble, Gobble

2006-11-22T07:13:00.000-05:00

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!

It has been a rainy, "cold", blustery, and busy week here in NC. I hosted a party to watch the greatest football game of the year on Saturday, with a STUPENDOUS outcome too by the way. I have attempted to recover, wash the sheets and towels, and prep for new visitors today. I love having family and friends around! It makes me really happy!

This evening we are off to spend the holiday with Husband's family, guests in tow. It has already been decided that Grey's Anatomy will proceed a night of game playing after a turkey induced late afternoon nap. And, there will probably be some crazy Christmas shopping to do on Friday. It's a tradition in my family...although we no longer coerced by my Dad to drag ourselves out of bed at 4 a.m. to 'get the best deals'. It promises be a fun weekend.

Bones & Society

2006-11-05T20:31:00.000-05:00

I know that TV is TV and that what is said must be taken with a grain (or two) of salt, but something that was said on last week's episode of Bones struck a cord with me. Just in case you are not familiar with the Wednesday night show, Bones is inspired by real-life forensic anthropologist and novelist Kathy Reichs. On the show, forensic anthropologist Dr. Temperence Brennan, works at the Jeffersonian Institution and has an uncanny ability to read clues left behind in a victim's bones. Consequently, the FBI calls her in to assist with murder investigations, so it is kind of CSIish, only with a focus on bones. (www.tv.com)

The episode I am referring to had to do with the bones of an elementary aged girl who disappeared from a beauty pageant. (Just think Jon Bennett Ramsey.) Anyhow, what struck a cord was a rant by Dr. Brennan about how a high concern with physical appearance and beauty has been the downfall of ancient societies.

I look at America today and can’t help but wonder, are we the new-age Roman Empire? It scares me that such a high level of caring and concern is given to Hollywood movie, television, & singing stars. I would venture to say that there are probably more shows dedicated to movie stars, makeovers, and plastic surgery, than to the news and people in society who are actually doing things that we should be concerned with. Point in case, the birth of Suri Cruise making the National News. I mean, why does this event constitute coverage on the National Level? It truly scares me.

At one point in the episode, as www.tv.com reports, Dr. Brennan says (to some nine year olds), "So yours is a cultural structure predicated in the equation of beauty with power. You instinctively align yourselves with someone who holds the greatest potential for a societal supremacy. It's a Darwinian pressure you're too young to bare."

Now I have never been a fan of beauty pageants, and especially at such a young age. It just doesn't seem to be right for "baby" girls to be dressed up in heavy make-up and adult-like clothing, pranced in front of a crowded room in order for one of them to be crowned the winner. What the heck is this doing to the self-esteem of all of the "losers"? And, what are these girls really learning from the experience? These little girls are scarey to me. Not beautiful, not cute… frightening. I don't like clowns. I don't like dolls. And, I don't like little scarey pageant girls.

My other rumination is this...what mother would do this to their child? In the episode, the girl's hair was dyed, she had been using a corset in order to gain an hourglass shape, and had been on a very restricted diet. If this was done to a little girl who's mom was on welfare, I am sure that a social worker would cart her away because the mother would be judged as unfit, yet in the 'pageant world' this is okay.

Yes, I understand that Bones is a made up television show and that the show's pageant world was probably dramatized. But, then again, part of me wonders, are pageant really like that? And, in a world where a ‘beautiful’ super star gets a slap on the hand for something an ordinary American would go to jail for, I also have to wonder, is our society doomed because of its ever increasing preoccupation with beauty and fame as power?

Undependable

2006-11-02T09:26:00.000-05:00

I know that I promised an update close to a month ago, and that I am very undependable when it comes to writing. I have things to tell but I am simply too lazy at the end of the day to sit at the computer and type. Plus there are too many good shows on television this fall. The weekends have also been chock full of activity, so my lackadaisical Saturday mornings in front of the computer just haven’t happened either.

Work is great. I love my job. After working for non-profit agencies for the past five years, I really don’t know if I could go back to working in the money hungry corporate world. Here is one reason why. This past Saturday I was part of an event called Scouting for the Cure at a mall in Raleigh where girls learned about breast cancer and breast health. There were different activities for various age levels, but I thought that it was great that young women could be educated about breast health so publicly. I was even given the opportunity to learn what a lump might feel like with a hands on demonstration (silicone, not actual flesh). I am a good girl who attempts to do her monthly self-examination, but I have always wondered if I would even know a lump if I felt one. Anyhow, it was great to see the taboos that go along with the female breast fly out the window.

Lots of work related stuff going on but I am attempting not to bore you too much. Husband is gearing up for late nights, early mornings, and lots of weekend work over the next several months. His unit just picked up a group of reservists yesterday who are here until early 2007 for training. As for the job search…no word yet…there have been some complications. It’s a long story of which I will probably never write about, but I am still sending my positive energy to the decision making and all powerful ‘headquarters’.

November promises to be lots of fun. I think that every weekend is already booked. I am helping with the Science Safari (work related) this weekend. (And, you thought that the Girls Scouts only sold cookies!) Next weekend I am flying into D.C. to spend the weekend shopping and catching up with a friend from Germany. The following Saturday I am hosting a party for the biggest game of the year…Ohio State v. Michigan. If anyone wants to come to NC for the festivities, simply e-mail me for directions. Then there is Thanksgiving. And, the next weekend is December.

Speaking of which, we are planning to drive to Ohio for the holiday. I am very excited about this little trip. The possibility of snow on Christmas Eve makes me very happy. And, as is par for the course regarding my fanatical packing tendencies, I will probably be planning for this trip all of December. I mean, who in the right mind would throw cloths into a suitcase the night before and call it good!!?? Oh, the issues with being me.

Anyhow, I must now get ready for work. If you are wondering about the time, I am going in late thanks to comp time for working Saturday, I was suppose to be at spinning class but I opted to sit on my fanny and write instead. I may share more about my laziness on a later occasion. On that note, Robin and Melissa, I need a swift kick in the a** to get me back into the gym please!

Over a Month

2006-10-11T06:35:00.000-04:00

Ain't life grand? I just realized that I have not written anything in over a month and I know that anyone reading this is at the edge of their seats with anticipation, craving to feast their eyes on what is happening in my oh so exciting life. But, y'all will have to wait a little while longer. It is a busy week, but I promise a nice, not very exciting, but long update this weekend...promise.

O...H...I...O

2006-09-09T11:28:00.000-04:00

Today is a day full of laundry, mowing, cleaning, and all around not so much fun stuff, but at 8:00 p.m. EST it will be time to say...

GO BUCKEYES!!!

(whoop some Texas hiney)

Reasons Not to Go

2006-08-31T07:03:00.000-04:00

Why is it so gosh darn easy to be lazy? I have been really crappy about my gym time lately. During the past month, I have gone about once a week on average...and that's not good. So, after cringing at the sound of Foreigner on the radio upon waking, I made some sort of unconcious decision to be happy about the opportunity to get up so early in the A.M., rolled over and began crooning "I've been waiting for a 'boy' like you" to help Husband be happy about waking up too. (Yeah, that didn't really work!) I quite literally drug Husband, one foot and then the other out of bed this morning to go do PT.

And, as I sit here with my espresso, gathering the energy to venture outside, I can't help but think of some of the great excuses I have had for not going...
1. There's a tropical storm outside.
2. I worked all day and I'm too tired.
3. I had a late meeting so I deserve to sleep in.
4. Oops, I "forgot" to leave in time for class.
5. My MP 3 player's broken and I can't run without music.
6. I really need to clean the house.
7. The plants need watered worse than I need the gym.
8. The couch is just too comfy.
9. I need to balance the checkbook.
10. The shorts I want to wear are dirty; I should do laundry instead.

Well, no more excuses. I am off to wash my face and go get my spin on!

Happy Monday

2006-08-28T07:03:00.000-04:00

I love my life!!! No one reason in particular, I just love my life. I love my job. I love my friends. I love my husband and kitty cats. I love my family. How's that for an early Monday morning post? It's really foggy and kind of dreary today too and I am actually excited about it. Why? It means that I can twist my hair up and wear glasses to work today (instead of contacts). Half full...that's (almost) always my answer. Oh yes, happy day, happy day!

Turn Signals and Red Lights

2006-08-18T06:56:00.000-04:00

So, I hate drivers. I seriously think that drivers in NC are the worst I have ever seen in my life! Am I crazy to think that a person should use a turn signal when switching lanes on the beltline around Raleigh in the middle of rush hour? Nah, a person simply changes lanes without out even looking to see that the girl slightly in front of them in the next lane, with her turn signal on, is starting to move over. Sometimes I wonder if I just got too used to being fully aware of everyone around me while driving on the Autobahn, then I think to myself," Self, no, drivers around here are just plain stupid."

And then there is the case of the guy hauling two lawnmowers in the back of his truck who doesn't stop for a red light. He just slows down and makes his right hand turn when he gets to the stoplight. Who cares if there is a little silver car with the right of way that he makes slam on its breaks and move over. Then when the car's driver looks over to make a dirty face because she is so incredibly pissed off, the driver is leaning against his open window talking on his cell phone.

I think I have about 50 other similar stories. But, I won't bore you. Consider this your warning...if your ever traveling through North Carolina, beware of the drivers.

Working Girl

2006-08-03T07:58:00.000-04:00

Just a quick note because I have found myself very busy this week. It is a good busy though, and I am very excited about what is happening. I was offered a position as Field Director with the Girl Scouts on Tuesday. I actually started working on Wednesday (yesterday). And, I have my first meeting with some of the volunteers this evening and a conference to attend on Saturday. The position itself is quite similar to what I did as a volunteer with Army Family Team Building, just on a much larger scale. I know that I have just entered the honeymoon phase, but I think this is going to be a great job!

Another Vacation

2006-07-29T08:53:00.000-04:00

Since Husband was doing training in Indiana for a couple of weeks, I decided to travel to South Jersey and celebrate the birthday of one of my dearest friends from Germany. (Thus, my lack of posting.) It was wonderful hanging out by the pool, seeing where she grew up, exploring Philly and spending quality time with my "niece". I know that many reading this know M.P., so I thought that I would post a couple pictures of her "not so little anymore" daughter.

From this...

to this...

While I was away I was "tagged" by Robin, so here are my sets of five:

Five things in my purse
1. wallet
2. Burt Bee's lip balm
3. Kleenex tissues
4. a medicine pack (Excedrin, Aleve, Tums, and Azo)
5. my "guardian angel"

Five things in my refrigerator
1. milk (skim & vanilla)
2. yogurt
3. cheese (cheddar, feta, Swiss, mozzarella, parmesan, cottage)
4. chai tea concentrate
5. A roasted chicken

Five things in my closet
(okay...which closet? I am going with the one in this room)
1. Husband's extra uniforms
2. unhung pictures & art/ extra picture frames
3. ball gowns
4. unused lampshades
5. a bag of extension cords, telephone cords, and cable

Five things in my car
1. sunglasses
2. deodorant
3. baby wipes
4. an atlas
5. an extra house key

I have some other exciting stuff going on since my return home, however I will wait to share the details until I know more...I don't want to jinx anything.

Wimbledon

2006-07-08T13:47:00.000-04:00

Okay, so I am posting twice in one day because there is something that I want to share that I think is cooler than NYC's Naked Cowboy in Antarctica. And, this my friends is the Naked Cowboy...

Anyhow, about a year ago, we were in London and had the opportunity to visit Wimbledon during The Championships. Now, I am neither a huge tennis watcher nor player, however I watch every now and again because I think that what the players do is pretty darn amazing. I personally don't seem to have enough hand-eye coordination to hit that little yellow ball.

We actually went into the All England Club and watched a match on one of the smaller courts before watching the Williams v. Davenport final on the big screen on the grassy hill.

Well, the match that we just happened to watch live was a doubles match in which this year's lady's Wimbledon winner, Amelie Mauresmo, was playing against Martina Navratilova. Here are some pics of Mauresmo in action...

And this is how the match turned out...

Yeah, based on Mauresmo's win along with the World Cup finals, I guess we should keep the France jokes limited to the government this year.

The Devil Sucks

2006-07-08T12:52:00.000-04:00

Last night Husband and I went to see The Devil Wears Prada. I was a bit apprehensive because I felt that Meryl Streep did not fit my description of Miranda Priestly. However, Streep is a great actress and I had faith that she could pull it off. I was quite disappointed, not with Streep, but with the writers and producers.

I read Lauren Weisberger's book and the movie altered both characters and story line from the print version. Now, I understand and appreciate that film and print are not going to be identical. I can see cutting things from the film because of time constraints, but adding things that weren't in the book at all seems a bit idiotic. Why couldn't Hollywood at least keep the same plot? I loved what happened between the two main characters, Miranda and Andrea, at the end of the book, but the film version did not follow suite, it was too appropriate and cliché. Vomit! I don't want to give anything away, but by the end of the film, I was literally bored and quite annoyed.

For those who read the book, the following paragraph will make sense...and, no this doesn't give anything away to all of you others...they never mention the importance of Miranda's scarves nor do they ever make Andrea sing to security. Call me crazy, but I felt those were two major pieces of information from the book. And, Lilly, well I won't even mention how she and her men didn't play into the movie at all. And, B-Dad...not even the same relationship.

If you have contemplated reading or seeing The Devil Wears Prada, the book version is definitely the one to go with. The movie is lacking too much. We totally should have went with Sister's suggestion to see X-Men III. But, since I have an aversion to cooking as of late, I think that's what we'll do tonight...Quiznos and a movie.

Delinquency

2006-07-07T09:35:00.000-04:00

I realize that I have been lax in my posting lately. Not only am I delinquent in posting, but also on returning/sending/making phone calls and e-mails from/to people. It really comes down to being busy in a lazy sort of way. Thus, I will begin today by apologizing specifically to Maria, Vianne, Melissa, Denise, Robin, Guin, Rochelle, Shannon, Patricia, and Beth...I swear, I will make more of an effort soon. Now for an update on life in my world since I returned from Ohio.

First, for anyone who cares, the white pants issue from the last posting has been taken care of, for better or worse. I used the bleach suggestion and it worked. Now, only time will tell how long I will own white capris without holes in them. My fingers are crossed.

I returned from the buckeye state on Saturday the 24th of June. The first day that anything worth mentioning happened was on the following Thursday. I underwent surgery for the removal of four questionable pigmented protuberances (AKA moles) on my body. Presently they are healing well and I am hoping that they won't scar. Especially since one was on my face. Because of the procedure, I became really frustrated with the dermatologist as well as Tri-Care (insurance).

I sat in the dermatologist's office for about forty-five minutes after my scheduled appointment time. I had a book to read, so that was not that big a deal. Then, the assistant who first talked to me when I was finally called to the back had no clue what I was there for. As it turns out, the only thing in my chart was that I was there for 'a procedure'. Even that was not too irritating to me. However, I soon became exasperated when I was told that I would not be able to have all of the spots removed that actually needed to be removed because...get this...THEY were running behind schedule and there wasn't enough time. Since when is it my problem that a doctor overbooks? And, why should I have to come back, in September (Yep, that's the next available appointment time because the Doc is going on vacation.) to have four more of the suggested spots removed? Agh!

Here's another kicker. Tri-Care, the insurance carrier for military dependents, allegedly doesn't pay a dime toward mole removal. I found that tidbit of information out as I was sitting in the back talking about what procedure I was having done. So, I had to spend over $600 out-of-pocket to be sure that I don't have a melanoma growing on my body. And, that doesn't count the cost of having the four spots biopsied. Plus, I have the privilege of knowing that I will have to pay that much again, because there are at least four more moles that need to be removed. Thank you Army for this lack-of-benefit!!! I am hoping for some sort of reimbursement for the procedure, but I am not holding my breath.

On a more positive note, we spent last Saturday in a larger city in the area shopping for a suit. Husband is looking into employment options outside of the Army and thus needs a suit for upcoming interviews. Well, I suppose I should say needed, because we found one. Goodness, a great suit is expensive! We have taken on the mindset that the suit along with the shirts and ties to go with it are an investment. Kind of like the expensive purses I feel the need to carry. Oh, the tricks I play to justify purchases.

Speaking of the possibility of life outside of the Army, that will have to wait for another posting on another day. It still makes me nervous to talk about it. Not because I am nervous about life in the civilian world, but rather the fear that it will not happen. I have loved the time I have spent as a military wife, but it is a difficult life and frankly I have had my fill during the past five years. Literally five years as a soldier's wife...our anniversary is today.

Independence Day was mostly uneventful. Husband's family arrived and spent the night on the 3rd (they live about 2 hours away from us) and we cooked out on the 4th. It was fun...one big slumber party with guests on air mattresses and in sleeping bags. But, everyone had to leave before any evening festivities on the 4th because of work obligations on the 5th. So, Husband and I, in all of our anti-social and apathetic glory, spent a quiet evening at home watching TIVOed "24" and eating apple crisp.

Ya know, there is something that I just don't understand. Why do companies, the Army included, not give employees the 5th off, at least until around noon? By the time traffic subsides at a fireworks display and one can get home, it is quite late. It just doesn't seem right or fair to have to go to work at the butt-crack of dawn on 5 July. It's un-American!

So, that brings me to the present. I had the opportunity to mail a resume yesterday...yeah! At least there was one job with potential listed in the paper this week. I am almost bored enough to go out of my mind right now. I can only read, play on the internet, and watch television for so long. I need to feel like a productive part of society again, thus I need a job! I would work retail and look into management, but that would mean working weekends, and I am not willing to give up that time with Husband.

Well, until I somehow manage to find the time in my busy schedule to get around to posting again. Take care!

Help Needed for White

2006-06-19T10:59:00.000-04:00

All is well in Ohio. The first week has been pretty fun. Sister's graduation party went well, but now I feel like I need another vacation. It's amazing how much energy it takes to throw a soiree. We had only one mishap, that I am now looking for some advice on fixing. Here is the situation...

There was spaghetti sauce splattered on white pants and it doesn't want to come out. They have been soaked and washed, I tried oxy clean laundry, and spray-n-wash, but nothing seems to work. Does anyone out there have a magic formula for getting stains out of white cotton?

I know, a very minute dilema, but I love the pants. Any suggestions are welcome.

Leaving, Packing, and Cleaning

2006-06-06T14:37:00.001-04:00

I wish I could be on a beach sipping cocktails with my friends right now. I think that I would feel better. I have been in a funk for the past few days. I like to term it departure despondency. Husband had to leave for a couple of weeks and no matter how short a trip it is, the leaving part is always horrible for me. The vacancy in our bed is probably the source of the problem. The lack of breathing beside me makes it hard to fall asleep at night, which in turn throws off the entire next day. It's an evil cycle that takes a while to break. And, I am still adjusting.

But, all else is well. I am preparing for a two-week trip to Ohio. I was very excited when I conducted a run-through and everything (toiletries excluded) fit into one suitcase with a bit of room to spare. You see, I am the consummate master of over-packing, so it's a huge accomplishment. In addition, this is the first time I have had to worry about how I am getting to the airport, holding mail, holding newspapers, and leaving the cats alone for an extended period of time. So, maybe it’s not simply lack of Husband that is keeping me awake at night.

Call me crazy, but another quark of mine is that I must have the house clean before I leave. Dishes need to be done, laundry caught-up, floors vacuumed and bed made. I hate coming home to a mess. I can’t tell you how many little tiffs Husband and I have had because of my compulsion to play pick-up before weekend adventures. I could have worse habits though! So, until I leave it will be clean-clean-clean and pack-pack-pack Plus I have lots of movies to catch-up on. You know, all of those titles that the man doesn’t want to see. But, more about those later.

A Day To Remember

2006-05-27T08:47:00.000-04:00

"...gather around their sacred remains and garland the passionless mounds above them with choicest flowers of springtime....let us in this solemn presence renew our pledges to aid and assist those whom they have left among us as sacred charges upon the Nation's gratitude,--the soldier's and sailor's widow and orphan."

--General John Logan, General Order No. 11, 5 May 1868 We are getting ready to head out to spend the holiday weekend with family. But, before leaving, I feel compelled to take a moment and write about what this weekend means. It seems to me that the "Memorial" in Memorial Day has often been ignored by too many of us who are beneficiaries of those who have given the ultimate sacrifice. Maybe my view is a bit different based on my husband's career choice, however this holiday has become much more to me during the past few years than a day off of work or a day which is all about picnics and ballgames. It will never be that simplistic again.

Memorial Day is not a day to honor war, but a day to honor the brave men and women who gave their lives in those conflicts and wars for the sake of others. It seems to me that the day is not observed by most as it should be, to actively remember our ancestors, our family members, our loved ones, our neighbors, and our friends who have given the ultimate sacrifice. The day does not need to be solemn or gloomy, but please take a moment to stop and honor America's fallen heroes and their families this Memorial Day.

No, Freedom Isn't Free

By CDR Kelly Strong, USCG (Ret).

I watched the flag pass by one day.
It fluttered in the breeze.
A young Marine saluted it,
And then he stood at ease.
I looked at him in uniform
So young, so tall, so proud,
With hair cut square and eyes alert
He'd stand out in any crowd.
I thought how many men like him
Had fallen through the years.
How many died on foreign soil?
How many mothers' tears?
How many pilots' planes shot down?
How many died at sea?
How many foxholes were soldiers' graves?
No, freedom isn't free.

I heard the sound of taps one night,
When everything was still
I listened to the bugler play
And felt a sudden chill.
I wondered just how many times
That taps had meant "Amen,"
When a flag had draped a coffin
Of a brother or a friend.
I thought of all the children,
Of the mothers and the wives,
Of fathers, sons and husbands
With interrupted lives.
I thought about a graveyard
At the bottom of the sea
Of unmarked graves in Arlington.
No, freedom isn't free.

Humor for Your Monday

2006-05-22T12:06:00.000-04:00

So, I am feeling rather humorous this Monday morning, therefore I am going to divulge a secret. I am going to answer the age-old question of "What do military wives do at all of their little "tea parties"? Here's the answer...

2006-05-22T11:50:00.000-04:00

Guess what today is.

It is the day that I am officially done with school!

Whoo Hoo!!!

Now, I just need to get that $15,000 piece of paper.

Memories

2006-05-15T08:33:00.000-04:00

I am having a bit of Mother's Day weekend hangover today. No, still not a mom, but I did spend the day with my fantastic mother-in-law and family-in-law. It was a great weekend. As I finish up my final final-exam (due today) I decided to be a copy-cat. Many friends have seen this on other blogs, and even I have this request elsewhere on the internet. But, since I am aware that more people know about this blog, I am posting it here too. I hope that everyone reading this will participate...

Leave one memory of you and I together as a comment -- it doesn't matter if I know you a little or a lot, anything you remember! DON'T WRITE ME, LEAVE A COMMENT. I hope you play along :)

2006-05-14T08:16:00.000-04:00

"Happy Mother's Day!!!"
to all of the fabulus ladies in my life.

I love you guys!

One Down, One to Go

2006-05-01T23:03:00.000-04:00

So, I have been working virtually non-stop the past two days on the final project for one of my classes. I just sent it off to the professor...DONE. Now, all I have is one more project and a final in the other class. WooHoo!!! The end is near!

The Festival

2006-04-30T12:02:00.000-04:00

We went to a festival yesterday. As we were leaving the house, I was pretty excited about it too. It was the annual Dogwood Festival held in downtown Fayetteville. The newspaper made it sound pretty amazing: tens of thousands attended last year, Hootie and the Blowfish were playing at 8pm, there were booths, food, rides, and games galore. Now, who doesn't need some good ol' greasy festival food every now and again?

We found parking with no problem and only had to walk about a block before we were there. Things were looking good, but that would soon change. It was far too crowded to be enjoyable, imagine the normal width of a city street, add in booths lining each side, and finish it with elbow to elbow people. I don't think I made it more than about three steps in a row without someone bumping into me. People were pushier and ruder than I ever remember too. I know not everyone will understand this comment, but people were worse than travelers waiting to board Ryan Air. Needless to say, the Husband wasn't comfortable at all, crowds have not been his friend since returning from Iraq.

Most of the craft booths were selling really trashy home-made crap. There really isn't a better way to put it. The stuff was horrible. And, the food lines were all really, really long. But, we figured since we were there we would check out the concert venue. "Are they serious!" was my initial reaction. If we actually wanted to see the band we would have to be within about thirty feet of the stage, an area which was already packed with people two and a half hours before the headlining act. The stage was in the middle of a three lane street and there was no room to spread out, only back and at about thirty-five feet there was a big lighting tent that no one could see around. Not well planned.

Something else that I noticed is that there was no one selling beer. What the heck kind of festival does not have a beer tent? I am not a huge beer drinker, but I became very accustomed to the normalcy of the German fest which always had beer. But, that's not it either. I think that every other festival that I have ever been to has had a beer tent. Especially those with a concert involved. It was just not normal to not see any beer.

Well, I was sorely disappointed by the whole hour (maybe) that we were at the festival, but we did grab a bag of blue cotton candy at a lightly patronized booth on our way out. Mmmm the joy of pure sugar! We ended up skipping Hootie for Taco Bell, a movie and ice cream. V for Vendeta was fabulous and with Cold Stone added in for dessert the evening could not have been better.

Photos (sorry they took so long)

2006-04-28T14:22:00.000-04:00

So, when we moved, somehow I lost the power cord to our camera's printer dock. Six months later, I still have not found it. But, I did finally hook up some other cord that connects the camera to the hard drive (sorry, I don't know the technical lingo) so that I could download the photos off of it. I have been promising people pics of our new home and living room furniture and, voila, finally they are here. They were all taken around Christmas, therefore it looks a bit different inside now. Oh, and it looks like we hadn't picked up the new end-tables either. They actually match the coffee table now. Anyhow, here ya go...

From the Street

From the Back Yard

Living Room 360

A Shower a Day

2006-04-27T12:54:00.000-04:00

Have you ever had one of those days when you just couldn't wait to take a shower. I think that everybody has. Today was one of those days for me.

First, the weather is miserable. It has been cloudy with a steady rain since I got out of bed this morning. Good for the grass, bad for me. It's pretty chilly too, the thermometer is reading 56 F (It's been in the 80s & 90s the past several weeks). I went to the 0930 spinning class where I sweated like a man and my 'wicking' tank top didn't do such a good job at eliminating the perspiration. As I walked out of the gym I was damp and beginning to cool down, so it didn't take long for me to become uncomfortable.

Then, because I am lazy and know I won’t want to leave the house once I get home, I decided that it would be a good idea to stop at the grocery store. We were almost out of milk and all the way out of fruit, plus all of the fresh berries were buy one get one free…how in the world could I pass up a deal like that? As I pulled into the parking space, I swear it began to rain harder. I was bounding toward the entrance when I happened to splash through a huge puddle that soaked both my shoes and socks. So, I got to squish miserably through my ten minute jaunt through the store all the while becoming colder and colder.

I found the same puddle on my way back to the Jeep, but by that time, I could care less. I simply wanted to turn on the heater and warm up. Even with the heat, the damp cold feeling persisted. This is when I became cognizant of the happiness a nice warm shower would bring me. I could not wait to get home.

Now, I am all warm and cozy again. I smell better too. It’s still raining, but that’s okay, it makes my flowers happy and it keeps me on task. I have a big project due on Tuesday that I have done a stellar job at procrastinating on. Some days showering is a chore, especially the hair drying that comes after, but today wasn’t one of them. Today, my shower was a little slice of heaven.

Self-Esteem Reality

2006-04-26T15:09:00.000-04:00

I took a sillly little quiz on self-esteem today and here are the results:

***You Have Low Self Esteem 16% of the Time***

Which can be translated to mean, you have high self-esteem and a healthy sense of self worth.You believe in yourself, and you know how to be the real you. You love yourself, imperfections and all.
How is Your Self Esteem?http://www.blogthings.com/howisyourselfesteemquiz/

Who would'a thunk it???

United They Stood

2006-04-22T12:01:00.000-04:00

I am really torn about the new movie "United 93" that is coming out this weekend. A part of me wants to see it, yet another part of me doesn’t. In some way I feel the story being told is of real everyday heroes that stood up for something, and that they somehow live on through this movie. I would like to have an understanding about what went on during the flight and I feel compelled to suffer through the fear of the characters.

I find it admirable that Universal Studios actually received permission from all of the family members in order to make the movie. I just wish all of the money that will be made was going back to the heroes families. Some of it may be donated, I haven’t researched it in that great of detail. But, every time I see the preview, it brings tears to my eyes--literally--and a few times they have actually leaked down my cheek. It is not the feel-good movie of the year and would definitely require multiple Kleenexes because I know how it ends.

This all comes up because I am a packrat. I was going through a box of "crap" today that had a newspaper dated 9-12-2001 in it , so the photos that are not shown all that often were staring me in the face. Again, my heart felt like it paused for a moment and I began to get all weepy. Just like when I see the movie preview, all of the fear that I felt on 9-11-2001 comes flooding back. And, I recall details of that day vividly.

My boss came in and told us about the planes hitting the WTC and then proceeded to pull the story up on the internet. My husband was hundreds of miles away in "the field" with no way to contact him. The world seemed to be going crazy and I felt like I had no control. I remember watching the news until the wee hours of the morning and then turning it on again as soon as I woke up the next day. It was one of the top ten scariest things I have lived through.

Are movies and television a good way to immortalize our nation’s heroes? I don’t know for certain. The critics seem to think that the producers never get it right, but I do think movies help ‘ordinary’ people see into a world that they would otherwise not know, even if it's not all true. But, I will most likely wait for the DVD.

Summer

2006-04-21T14:16:00.000-04:00

I have been catching up on all of the blogging done by friends and realize that I am way behind. There are so many topics I want to talk about right now that I am not sure where to begin. Most recently I was laughing at Itzy Bitzy’s shaving dilemma in "Feeling the Burn" and the comment by Dirty Girl about being pale. And, I sympathize with IB and all who commented. So, I want to chat about a few dilemmas that go hand in hand with summer.

First, I have been taking some sunless tanners for a test drive in recent weeks and I am still not decided on their effects. Sure, they make me less pale, but there are always uneven lines around my feet and ankles and I refuse to give up sandals. The lotions with tanners in them have been the best thus far, Oil of Olay and Jergens brands to be specific. Coppertone’s pump was HORRIBLE, so stay far, far away. My sister says that Coppertone’s oil free sunless tanner works well, but I haven’t spent the money yet. I am contemplating a spray on tan like 'The One with Ross's Tan' in the last season of “Friends” but have heard mixed messages about the process. I have found that nothing looks as good as the real sun. However, the real sun is evil and so are tannig beds. So, what’s a girl to do?

Then there is the issue of what to wear in the summer. I think I saw the same episode of “What Not to Wear” that was mentioned by IBs blog, where the pros said that shorts were “out” and looked bad on every figure. Well, to show how fickle the fashion industry is, I just read an article last week saying that cropped pants and capris made all people look bad and that shorts were better. I say, wear what you want and what you feel most comfortable in. I personally am not a fan of shorts because I am self-conscious about my thighs and therefore want to keep them covered unless hanging out around the house. I love skirts and dresses in the summer, I find them most comfortable. So, if I am in dresses or skirts most of the time, please know that I am not really dressed-up, it's just my style.

Finally, my most dreaded task of all…putting on a bathing suit. It incorporates both the pale issue with the thigh abhorrence, adds in a body awareness resulting in self-consciousness and brings us full circle, to IBs shaving frustration, but more specifically shaving the bikini area. I remember not giving a crap about throwing on a swimsuit and heading to my aunt M’s pond where the fishes would bite my butt while I lounged in the innertube. I could have stuffed myself full of food an hour prior and still have the protruding full belly to prove it, but I could care less. Oh, how simple life was back then. *Sigh* Now, putting on a suit is a process.

I have to shave the bikini area and then deal with the red bumps or wax and still have red bumps because I don’t go as often as I should to maintain. Those ten to fifteen minutes of pure pain are pretty expensive too. Has anyone tried the electrolysis route? If it actually works, I think the process would be worth the money. I also have to wonder if people really look at others crotches that closely if at all. I know I don’t, so does it really matter?

As well as shaving, there is the issue of finding the right bathing suit. I am not a fan of the one piece, it always gives me a wedgie. But, am I getting too old for a bikini? Does a skirted bottom that would hide my thighs a bit look too ‘old’? Tankini’s seem almost perfect, but the ones I have tried seem to come together in just the right area to give me the perfect fat roll to stick out between the top and bottom. The perfect suit...I think it's a myth.

But, even with all the shaving and swimsuit stress I still love summer. Although you may not know it from reading this post, I think summer is just more simple for me in so many ways. I can wear little make-up and not feel guilty. My hair air dries and can then be swept up off of my neck and is perfectly suited to any summer activity due to the increase in the thermometer. Ask me again when the real heat sets in and I may have changed my mind.

Easter Candy

2006-04-10T15:30:00.000-04:00

It may be due to PMS, but I am craving a chocolate bunny like crazy right now. So, instead of indulging, I am going to write about Easter candy. I think Easter day should be a time for the gluttonous consumption of sweets. The ‘cheap’ candy that is available around this holiday is some of the best that is out there.

I was cruisin’ down the Easter isle at a superstore last week and was amazed at the variety and shear amount of candy that is available. Just about any candy bar that is on the market has been created in the form of an egg. So, one really can’t go wrong in filling a basket with favorites. The speckled Whopper eggs caught my attention, I remember loving those things!

A few years ago the Reese’s Peanut Butter Egg would have topped my list, however now I don’t know that I could pinpoint one favorite. The Reese’s brand has outdone itself with the Reester Bunny this year. My mom got one of these tasty treats for my husband as an early Easter delight while she was here last month. Well, he was kind enough to share last week. The bunny has the same taste as the classic egg, just bigger. Diet aside, bigger is better, especially if one is a fan of peanut butter. Another favorite treat that has appeared during the past six years is the Reese’s Pieces Eggs. Again, I am a peanut butter addict, so these also top my list of must haves, giant Reese’s Pieces, yumm.

I remember being fascinated by Cadbury’s eggs They are the ones that look like a real egg inside. It is just gooey white and yellow sugar, but I thought that they were the coolest things on the planet when I was about seven. I still remember the commercial for them “Thank you Easter bunny! Bawk! Bawk!” I love that commercial!

I could care less about jellybeans unless they are Jelly Belly or Starburst brand. Any other bean is hit and miss. Peeps of any shape or color make me want to gag, unless they are melted in the microwave with chocolate and graham cracker. Please keep those marchmellowy little suckers out of my Easter basket!

Babies & Children & Motherhood, Oh My!

2006-04-03T11:23:00.000-04:00

As I explore the world of my friends in the blog world, I now understand what others have written about people they know being pregnant and having babies. Holly cow! I am finding out about ladies I know having babies who I never even knew were pregnant. And, I must say "CONGRATULATIONS!!!" to all of them.

When it comes to babies, I still don't feel as if I am old enough to be a mother. And, I honestly don't know that I ever will. Obviously, as the number of years that I have been alive will show, I have reached an age where some sort of decision needs to be made. I simply don't have that overwhelming urge to have the responsibility of a child, and my husband weighs much heavier on the side of not having children. But, if we ultimately decide not to have children, I can't help but wonder if we, or more specifically I, will regret it.

Right now, I believe that I would be content to be a wonderful aunt. My Aunt L, who had no children of her own, used to take my cousins and I on fun outings each summer. We would spend a few days with her and go to the wave pool and the lake, take a ferry trip to an island where we would ride bikes and eat pizza, and go to the mall shopping for stickers. Oh, and I can't forget the hot fudge cake at the local Big Boy restaurant. They are great memories. Now, I could do that! See, I love kids. . .when they are not crying, whining, or behaving badly. So, I would love to do fun stuff with them and then give them back.

I just don't know about having one that I am responsible for 24 hours a day. I was a nanny for a summer and loved the girls, but also loved my time away from them each evening. I also see all of the sacrifices that mothers have to make unless they are very wealthy. That said, I am not sure that I am unselfish enough to be a mother. I like the "me time" that I have too much.

I thank God every day for friends who help me see both sides of the coin. I have a couple great friends who have made the decision not to have children and reassure me that if we choose such a course that it is okay. I also have a few friends who try to talk me into wanting children. For now, I will be content to watch others' children if they want a night out or a weekend away. And, I also have the hope that one of the other two ladies in our family will have babies someday and I can be the wonderful Aunt that takes their children on outings and trips.

I still have a few years before it is officially too late, so parents and parents-in-law there is still a faint glimmer of hope for you. Nothing has been carved in stone. But, please understand that there is a possibility that your "grandchildren" from our family may always be the four legged furry type.

2006-03-31T18:29:00.000-05:00

Please join some of my friends in

doing the happy dance for me.

I just received a letter stating that I have passed my Comprehensive Exam!

Woohoo!!!

2006-03-31T17:06:00.000-05:00

Now this is what a "get-away" should look like! Our few days of quality time together were awesome. I am not usually a beach girl, because I am perpetually pale and don't get excited about swimming, but this trip has made me a convert. I could lazily read on my chaise lounge with an umbrella over my head forever with the ocean as my background music. The sound of the waves kinda made the rest of the world fade away. We splurged for the best key lime pie I have had in my life as well as room service breaskfast on our balcony. The day that we left, we took a two hour walk on the beach and collected sea shells. We helped a starfish and a crab get back into the water after the receding tide left them stranded on the beach too. It was so perfect it borders on cheesy. Aah! I wish I had the money of Paris Hilton so that I could take trips like this more often.

About Me

2006-03-27T13:01:00.000-05:00

Aaahhh!!! The stress level in my life is slowly receding and I can definitely breath easier these days. I have caught up on homework and have come to realize that I only have a month left in my master's program. Of course that hinges on my passing the Comps as well as my current classes, but I have faith in myself.

My husband actually has four days in a row off so some quality R & R is planned. The forecast for the week is sunny in the 60s and 70s, so we are going to head toward the coast for an overnight getaway. There will be no swimming in the ocean, however a walk on the beach to gather shells as well as some quality seafood are on the agenda. I am looking forward to it.

Before we leave, I am feeling inclined to play along with my friend and fellow blogger Nicole's snippet of "about me" material. So, here are a few things about me.

Three Names You Go By:
1.) Christina
2.) Christy
3.) Chris
(I have no preference for which of these three
people call me.)

Three Things That Scare You:
1.) Stupid drivers
2.) The potential death of friends and family
3.) Walking down bleacher steps

Three of Your Everyday Essentials:
1.) Caffeine, particularly coffee
2.) A shower
3.) Sugar laden food (I have a horrible sweet tooth.)

Three Things You Are Wearing Right Now:
1.) Dark blue 'wife beater style' tank top
2.) Dark blue zip-up hoodie
3.) White socks

Two Truths and a Lie:
1.) I once walked for over 20 straight hours in order to raise money for charity.
2.) I once drove my car through the rear wall of my parents' garage.
3.) I once won money by betting on the TV show Survivor.

Three of Your Favorite Hobbies:
1. Reading
2. Learning about and trying new things
(like gardening, home improvement, health)
3. Organizing things around the house

Three things you want to do right now:
1.) Take a real vacation (at least a week)
2.) Hang out with my far away friends
3.) Eat

Three Things You Want to Do Before You Die:
1.) Make a real difference in someone's life
2.) Finish my "to do" list (it's long and includes things like...go on an African Safari, visit Alaska, see the pyramids, be fluent in a foreign language, etc.)
3.) Be truly happy with who I am

Three Ways that you are Stereotypically a Girl/Guy:
1.) I love wearing skirts.
2.) I enjoy being pampered.
3.) I can spend all day shopping.

2006-03-17T15:17:00.000-05:00

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!!!!!

(and happy birthday Sister-in-Law!)

I just sent in my FINISHED comprehensive exam and now I am off to play. My sister and mom are here for a visit and we are heading downtown.

Yeah!!!!

Happy Day!!!!

Comps are done!!!!

Cha, Cha, Cha Chia

2006-03-12T13:51:00.000-05:00

I am so excited! My Chias are growing! Yes, I own a Chia, but not a Chia pet. It's a Chia herb garden. My mom got it for me for my birthday. Yes, I actually requested this gift after seeing it on television.

I can not even begin to explain how proud I am that I am actually growing something. This plant growing thing is a really big deal to me. See, I've never done it before. I use to buy herb plants in the commissary and they would live for a month or two and then die. And, I made many attempts to kill my houseplants while in Germany. However, they continued to live until we moved and it was a very sad day when I gave them away. But, I have never planted anything from seed. Grandma always planted the garden and I would help pick when she didn't just show up at our front door with a basket full of veggies and fruit.

During the first few weeks back in January or February (I can't remember exactly), I wasn't so sure about it. I had to grow the plants from seed and the directions talked about germination. I had no idea what plant germination was supposed to look like. I was seeing these 'things' that looked like either mini puss balls or fish eggs depending on the pot I was peering into. But, I kept watering and now, voila, I have green plants. Not quite herbs that are usable, but they definitely have potential. The basil leaves actually look like mini basil leaves to me. So, my fingers are crossed that the little plants will continue to grow and flourish and provide me with lots of yummy fresh herbs. I should have cilantro, basil, dill, and parsley.

If all goes well and they live, I think I will buy a giant pot and a lemon tree next.

So Long My Friend

2006-03-07T17:49:00.000-05:00

I have been flipping away through books and typing like crazy the past couple of days. The test is going pretty well right now. I am overjoyed. I did get get a break yesterday because as predicted, the washing machine is kuput and we had to buy a new one.

I had never really paid much attention to washers until now. My husband brought the machine into our marriage and prior to that I had always used a laundry mat or my parents. Holy heck at all of the options on washing machines and some of them are SO expensive! If I am going to pay $1,000 for a washing machine it better sort the clothes for me and then put them in the dryer itself.

Some of the decisions were easy ones. Price for instance, I was not willing to pay more than $600 and my budget really liked the look of the ones for $300. When it came to features, that was where I had to use some brain cells. There were so many dials and buttons and so much writing on some machines, it was difficult to compare. So, I started with the easy stuff.

It seems as if front load washers are all the rage these days because they are stackable. Thankfully, I used one of these bad boys for the four years in Germany. I could cross them off the list right away. I know from experience that if you forget that 'important' item that is hanging on the back of the door, there is no capability to toss it in once the load has been started. And as far as the stacking is concerned, most houses are already set up with laundry areas that accommodate the side-by-side version. It is side-by-side all the way for me.

We were in a bit of a time crunch so we only looked at two stores after taking a look at Consumer Reports before leaving home. Best Buy . . . not helpful at all. A couple of guys stood around and yapped about their weekend instead of offering to help us. So, we tried to find the models that CR recommended, but had no luck. We wrote down information on the models that we decided we liked and headed to Sears.

Sears sales guy was great. We had already narrowed our selection down to two because after looking at all of the gizmos and gadgets we knew what we wanted and what didn't really matter. The $300 models were far too limited on their options, but we didn't have to bump the high end of our range either. We were discussing Sears v. Best Buy because at this point in time all of the salespeople were busy. Delivery cost v. price v. what we recalled about the machines at Best Buy when here came the sales guy. I asked one simple question . . . what is the difference that makes one machine worth $50 more than the other? Man, did we get an earfull! In summary, most of the price was in the motor and we went with the more expensive one due to the fact that I have lots of delicates, hate hand washing and it alledgedly provides a more delicate, delicate cycle. Plus, they had a rebate so delivery will be free, they set the new one up, and haul the old one away. I couldn't be happier with the experience and it will be delivered on Friday.

Here's what I want to pass on from this experience. Do a little research before making a purchase. Know what you want so that you aren't sold on a bunch of features that you really don't need. It makes the process a whole lot easier. Yes, we could have taken more time and compared prices elsewhere, and maybe saved a few more dollars. But, when my husband has one day off of work in a two week time period, I have better things to do than run all over town looking at washing machines simply to save 20 bucks.

Organization

2006-03-03T17:32:00.000-05:00

Yes, today is full of little stories from my Wal-Mart trip. This one is regarding layout. Maybe it is just this particular store that I go to, but the layout drives me crazy. There are bath poofs in the soap area and the make-up area and the middle of the isle. Not all of the shower gels are together. They have the brand name/soap like ones (think Dove, Oil of Olay, Dial) all together and then the fruity scented and spa like washes by the make-up. What sense does this make? If I were looking for something other than Dove to lather up with, it would be nice to have it all in the same isle.

Then there are the office supplies. There is this random isle in the center of the store with what I think might be extra stock - office supplies, tote boxes, plastic cups - there is no rhyme or reason to it. It's not clearance or particularly seasonal. It's just weird.

One day, I was looking for hand-held blender. Ours had died in the middle of my making frosting so it was an emergency trip. I found them in two different isles and neither selection was with the stand mixers. Then, there were display models that I couldn't find in a box and boxes that weren't on display. Come on, organization people!

There just seems to be random crap everywhere and it drives me crazy. The Wal-Mart in my hometown was incredibly easy to navigate. I could be in and out within minutes. Here, it takes 45 minutes minimum and is anything other than convenient. Now they are presently building a Super Center in my little hometown that is scheduled to open in the spring. I hope that it's better organized than the one here or I feel sorry for its patrons.

Tampon Oddities

2006-03-03T17:18:00.000-05:00

A couple funny things about tampons. They were on my "to-buy" list today, so I took a few minutes to gander at the available varieties. Did you know, that 'junior size' Tampax brand only come in the multi-packs. You can't buy them in a box by themselves. You can buy an individual box of regular or super or even super plus, but not junior. I find this odd. Or, maybe they just aren't available at Wal-Mart. Let me know if you see a box somewhere. I'm curious.

Here's another thing that is odd and a bit annoying to me. So, I settled on Security brand. I know, probably too much information, but hey, too bad, it's like talking about shampoo, so who cares. Anyhow, I bought a multi-pack with different absorbencies. When I opened the box to put them away, it was actually two separate boxes inside. What a waste of cardboard! I could have easily picked up two separate boxes on my own, I was trying to conserve cupboard space. Tampax doesn't do this. Their one box is neatly sectioned off into three individual sections. The sensible thing to do in my opinion. The Security guy in charge of packaging should be fired for wasting company money.

A Trip to Wal-Mart

2006-03-03T16:52:00.000-05:00

I stopped by Wal-Mart today to pick up some tortilla chips that they had on sale. The chips were even cheaper than what the add said. It made me happy to save the money. But, I was also disappointed because they were out of pretty much everything else that I shop specifically at Wal-Mart for.

First there are the Wal-Mart brand fruit punch packets for water bottles. Since I have a drinking problem, I sometimes get tired of plain water and like to spice things up with these handy-dandy little items. They are great! I usually make them in my 32 oz clear plastic tumblers, purchased at Wal-Mart for about $1.35 each instead of water bottles. I have a few left, but will be upset if I run out. Sure, I could buy the Crystal Light packets, but who wants to pay around $3.69 for what they can get for $1.79? So, my fingers are crossed that they will have more soon. (A side note, I know that I could buy the tub mix, and I do sometimes, but I am lazy and would rather not have to wash the pitcher.)

Then, there were the lemon cakes. I found a very tasty treat by mixing Cool Whip Free with frozen red raspberrys that have been thawed and then breaking a Weight Watchers lemon cake over it. Well, Wal-Mart had chocolate and carrot available, but were out of lemon. Crap, strike two! I bought Twinkies instead, not quite as good for me, but I know the husband will be happy.

I was having no luck. They don't carry olive oil Pam, no frozen cranberries, no low-fat Little Debbie oatmeal cream pies (which, I can not find anywhere in Fayetteville, if you care), and no square glass canisters. But, I got sale tortilla chips!

What's Next?

2006-03-01T19:06:00.000-05:00

I just have to share a bit of craziness that I read about over my eggs this morning. It was out of Women's Health Magazine. If you are offended by items having to do with the female genitalia, you might want to stop reading now. Here's the blurb:

Leave it to a Beverly Hills plastic surgeon to find a way to spice up your sex life with collagen. G-spot amplification, called the G-Shot, is a collagen injection designed to enlarge the elusive G-spot, supposedly making it easier to find and stimulate. The $1,850 procedure is performed under local anesthesia and should be no more painful than a pinprick, says David Matlock, MD, director of the Laser Vaginal Rejuvenation Institute; it takes 15 minutes and lasts up to 4 months, making it a rather expensive way to achieve theBig O.

Okay, so there are a few things I would like to know:
1. Really? Is this necessary?
2. What crazy lady agreed to be the guinea pig for this experiment?
3. Who would pay $1,850 three times a year to have a needle stuck somewhere deep inside her hoo-hoo?
4. Wouldn't a few books and some practice be cheaper?
5. Is there something in the water in Hollywood that makes people insane?

Completely ridiculous!

A Crazy Week

2006-03-01T18:20:00.000-05:00

I just realized that I haven't written in a week. I am simply feeling a bit overwhelmed right now. That along with feeling as if I am not being as productive as I would like to be. So, here's the out of the ordinary that has been going on.

Our internet service has been acting up. I finally called about it today and I guess there's something going on with the line. The guy on the phone used the analogy of a clogged drain. Someone is supposed to be here tomorrow afternoon to check everything out. "Yeah!" for Sprint's customer service, they were awesome.

Tricare (medical insurance) makes me crazy. Last week I went to have a prescription filled at the local Army hospital. Since I have never attempted this before, it was quite an experience. I had no idea what I was doing and I felt like an idiot. It involved taking a number and then talking with a lady who was about as friendly as the church lady and then waiting for my name to appear on a board and then waiting in line. It took over an hour in all. Nope, I didn't expect that! Good thing I brought a book. Then, I tried to make an appointment . . . well I did make an appointment, but navigating the system to do it was not so much fun. I am having a couple moles checked out in about three weeks (allegedly the earliest available appointment date). I hope they're not cancerous. Three weeks! Plus, I am guessing that I will be referred out because these babies are coming off if I have anything to do with it. They worry the hypochondriac in me.

The 'service engine soon' light came on in the car, so that had to be fixed. Almost $800 later, it's all good. Granted, that price did include some routine maintenance, but "ouch!" for my budget. Oh, I failed to mention that it was a half-day affair. Fun, fun.

As part of my never ending quest for beautiful skin, I did have a facial today. That was rather nice. Although I don't really find it all that relaxing, the cozy warm bad gave me time for a quick cat nap while I was masking. Tomorrow, it's more pampering time for me. I am getting a very overdue haircut and highlight. If I would have waited much longer I would have a ponytail holder mark permanently embedded in my hair. It needs to be done, but I don't feel that I should be taking the time.

Finally, the 'big test' is going. . . okay thus far. I lost one book that I used to own and am having several shipped in from various libraries so that I have enough sources. I am finding that the sources are the most difficult part of the whole ordeal. Seven are needed per question. It seems like a lot, but I guess that's the bases of informed research. Exactly why I will never be a researcher . . . I just don't care that much.

I hear the husband clicking away at the keypad on the phone which has just reminded me that I still need to make an appointment for our washer to be repaired before the floor under it rots. The part to fix it was suppose to be ordered two months ago, but the repairman never called back to say it was in. And, I have been accidentally forgetting to call him for that same time period. With my luck these days, we will be looking for a new washing machine this weekend.

On a definite up-side, the weather has been beautiful lately. It was in the 70s today and is suppose to hit 80 tomorrow. I am loving it! Life is crazy, but life is good!

Grown Up?

2006-02-22T21:33:00.000-05:00

As I started to venture upstairs tonight to do homework, my husband had just commenced watching a Tivoed episode of Grey's Anatomy. The particular episode was from this past Sunday and the main character Meredith says something that I believe more and more as I get older. She says that the older she gets the more she is convinced that there is no such thing as a grown-up.

I have told people many times and have even written previously that I don't feel old. To be completely honest, I don't often feel like a grown-up at all. Here are just a few of the reasons why . . .

I don't work; I go to school. I play video games on the computer instead of doing my homework. I act like a lunatic dancing around the house -- often. I jump on my bed sometimes. I am obnoxious as all get out (just ask my sister and husband). I stick my tongue out at people and rattle off those very juvenile phrases such as "missed me, missed me, now ya gotta kiss me." I think that sugar is the best food group that there is. I chew up my food so it's all gross and then I show people. I love to moon people. And I still don't know what I want to be when I do grow-up.

I don't recall grown-ups doing these sort of things when I was younger. Do we become closet goof-balls after a certain age or is it just me? Yes, I have a more refined side to me and I am rather quiet by nature so I can easily fool people into thinking that I am not a total weirdo. But, many of my closest friends know the truth.

All you have to do is join me running at 530 AM to see the goofiness cup runnith over. PC can verify that I would sing songs like I Like to Move It, Move It and Can't Touch This and Baby's Got Back out loud as I ran down the street. Heck my sister was privilege to it just a couple weeks ago, along with some random skipping and weird arm flailing.

While I was in Ohio, I also had this overwhelming urge to drive by these people dressed in Statue of Liberty garb and working for some tax filing agency and blast New York, New York. It never happened because I kept forgetting to grab the CD and put it in the car. (Frank Sinatra, just in case you were wondering how on earth I would have that song.)

There are also board games that bring it out in me. I can think of a whole lot of people who have seen the wilder side come out this way. Especially with some Poison or other random big haired 80s group blasting in the background. Then, just add alcohol and you're in for a real treat.

So, grown-up, does it ever really happen? Or, is it one of those things that is as elusive as the sasquatch? A myth passed on from generation to generation. If grown-up is a real thing, I certainly hope that I never find out.

They're Here

2006-02-18T19:05:00.000-05:00

It has arrived. My infamous Comprehensive Exam (Comps). This is the exam that I have to pass for my Master’s Program in place of writing a thesis. I have been nervous about this exam for, oh, about six months (at least). Now, with the questions and specifications for answers staring me in the face, it has dawned on me that I have plethora of work to be done in the next 30 days. Not only do I have my Comps, but I also have to maintain my other two classes which are proving to be quite time consuming on their own. Right now, I feel a bit of panic coursing through my veins. But, with a deep breath and a plan, I have full belief that all will be okay. If you talk to me and I seem a bit short or snippy, you now know why.

Connection by way of Flowers

2006-02-16T22:08:00.000-05:00

It's funny how one thing can spark a memory of something else and/or make me think of the oddest things. Looking at the flowers sitting beside me, I am reminded of so many things. I am reminded that my husband loves me, he had them delivered to the house on the 14th a.k.a Valentine's Day a.k.a. the day that we got engaged. I am reminded of our wedding because there are Stargazer lilies in the bouquet and they were in our wedding alter flowers. I am reminded of love in general because there are red roses in the bouquet and red roses always remind me of love. I am reminded of my Grandma M because she loves flowers and all season long she has fresh flowers to share. I am reminded just how silly I am sometimes because I have been toting the vase and its contents from room to room for three days now because I want to enjoy the flowers as much as possible and for as long as they last. That in turn makes me think about the fact that they won't be around forever and how flowers are related to death and funerals. I am then reminded of a friend who shares the same engagement day. And, although I could probably go on for hours with this, I wont's, so finally the last two sentences in turn remind me of a poem that is one of my favorites. I will share what I recall from memory (I'm too lazy to look it up), it's by Robert Frost and I am pretty sure it's titled Nothing Gold Can Stay:

Nature's first green is gold.
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf's a flower, but
Only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf,
So Eden sank to grief.
So dawn goes down to day,
Nothing gold can stay.

The wording may not be exact, but it's pretty close. It's one of my favorite poems as well as one of the only poems that I know by heart. That's it, as promised.