Across the Universe

It's a Boy!

2012-01-03T10:18:00.003-05:00

We found out a few weeks ago that we will be adding a little man to our family! I was so convinced that it was a girl throughout most of my pregnancy that I really didn't believe the ultrasound tech when she quickly told us "boy". I've now gotten used to the idea of having a little boy around and I'm starting to get very excited. He's extremely active and kicks me all the time. Every time we go in for an ultrasound he is either flopping around or trying to suck on his hand/umbilical cord. I'm hoping that might mean he'll be a good breast feeder.

I'm doing well and have finished student teaching so I officially can teach! Unfortunately, there isn't much for jobs mid-year so I've decided to take it easy and just substitute until the baby gets here and I'll try to find something permanent for the fall. My tummy gets bigger every day and we're starting to tear the office apart in order to turn it into a nursery. I'm meeting with my doula this week and will be starting a hypnobabies home study course to help with labor (not hypnotizing the baby...more like putting myself in a relaxed state of mind in order to cope with labor). I also start pre-natal yoga this week! It's hard to believe that in roughly 4 months I'm going to be a mommy...agh!

Warning: Rant

2011-10-19T20:21:00.002-04:00

Whenever people have asked me how many siblings I have, I have always said two brothers even though I wasn't really raised with my older half-brother and I very much am the quintessential eldest child. I no longer feel the need to include my older brother in my family. I understand that you have emotional problems that require doctors and medication, I get that. What bothers me is that nothing is ever going right in your life...EVER. You are Eeoyre times 1000. This is why no one can stand being around you. You have absolutely nothing nice to say and the conversation always has to revolve around you and how miserable your life is. You don't like your life go and change it. My little brother and I weren't handed a silver spoon (contrary to what you believe). We worked hard for the success and happiness that we enjoy today.

How dare you speak to our father, the man who has given you chance after chance, like he has never cared for you. You are 37 fucking years old...when are you going to grow up? My father is beside himself because he probably feels bad for hanging up on you. I don't. He should have hanged up on you a long time ago. You have made so many poor decisions in your life and yet you still got money, a car, moved back in with them, etc. When you were too self-absorbed to give anyone a call back, your father, step-mother and sister drove to RI to make sure you weren't dead, yet no one cares or has done anything for you.

Perhaps the crowning achievement in your incredible immaturity was deciding to post for pity on facebook.

"with "family" like that, who needs a family...what a waste of time "family" is"

Wow. Then to tell our father that you don't want to ruin his picture perfect family (meaning my father, mother, younger brother and I) and that he's never been there for you is insane. Apparently you need to go back on your meds and get your head out of your ass.

If you don't need "family" like us, then we sure as hell don't need an immature, miserable, druggie waste-of-space like you. Some people might think it's sad that my child will only have one biological uncle, but my child will have plenty of non-blood related people in its life who will love him/her. I wouldn't want my kid to be around someone as toxic as you.

We're Pregnant :)

2011-09-30T16:44:00.002-04:00

So after a year and 1/2 of trying to get pregnant, it finally happened!! I like to joke that my vagina likes to kill any and all sperm...hence why the IUI worked. We are so excited that baby West will be joining us sometime around May 2nd. I'm about 9 1/2 weeks along and that ultrasound pic was from our appointment today. Our little gummy bear is measuring right on target and has a strong heartbeat of 173. It was surreal seeing it up on the screen. It's taken us so long that I didn't really believe it until today. We're very excited as we embark on this incredible experience together. I have more pics but my internet connection sucks and blogger wouldn't let me upload anymore. Hopefully I'll have more next time!

Irene Is a Hooker

2011-09-03T08:17:00.003-04:00

My power came on around midnight...after 6, yes you read that correctly, days of no power. The funny thing is that Irene downgraded to a tropical storm by the time it hit us and we didn't even get the brunt of it (VT is under water). The wonderful power company that supplies power to the majority of people in CT apparently didn't think that there would be widespread outages so they didn't have enough crew members to fix things. I'm one of the lucky ones who still had running/hot water. We use natural gas to heat our home and am so glad that I was at least able to take a hot shower. I was lucky enough that some of my friends managed to get their power back before I did so I was able to do laundry and charge electronics (thanks Kim and Samantha). I think the worst part for me was receiving an email from my husband informing me that the higher ups on the boat told them that things were fine back home and Irene wasn't all that bad. Right....jerks.

I whined a lot, but am grateful that my house is perfectly fine and that the fur babies and I are healthy. My mom's cousin is stranded at his house in VT because a bridge washed away and he has no way of leaving. Whole towns are cut off, houses are condemned and life will never be the same for a lot of people. We should all pray to whatever we believe in that these people get the help that they need.

Because Navy Life Isn't Stressful Enough...

2011-08-17T09:42:00.001-04:00

My husband and I have a subscription to the Navy Times. I get it once a week so between that and my membership to the Submarine Wives Club, I stay relatively informed. With all of the spending cuts going around in this country I figured that the defense department needed to trim some of their spending. They take up a huge, if not the biggest, portion of our budget and I absolutely agree that cuts need to be made. I wasn't expecting that the first thing they would go after was our retirement. Let me first start out by stating that the DOD (Department of Defense for those civilians who read this and are not familiar with the bizillion acronyms that the military uses) have come up with this proposal; it is not a Democrat or Republican thing. Basically, they are proposing an immediate overhaul to military retirement and will only partially grandfather those who are serving now into the old system. My husband is at the 12-year point in his career. Under the current retirement system we would get half of his base pay/month for the rest of his life if he retires at 20 years. If you serve beyond 20 years you get a small percentage increase every to your retirement every year beyond twenty. What they are now proposing is that someone who has served 10-15 years like my husband, and stays in until 20 years will receive 25% of the old retirement plan. The military would also place money into a TSP (thrift savings plan-we already have one of these..it's like a 401k/IRA) that we wouldn't be able to draw on until age 60-ish.

Um...what? This was my first reaction, shortly followed by tears and rage. How dare they compare us to the private sector! My husband has served his country for the past 12 years and the only reason we stayed in past the 10-year mark was for retirement benefits. Every year, when things get rough (which happens often), we always look at each other and say that we only have x amount of years left and then things will get better. Then we can truly live our lives together. We have plans. We plan to build a dream house someday and to have a comfortable life. I feel like those plans are going to unravel.

This lifestyle cannot be compared to anything in the civilian sector (except for maybe contractors that work in war zones). My husband is gone often. Last year, I think he was home for a total of three months...most likely less. I have to worry about him chasing after Russian submarines and knowing that if something goes wrong under the ocean, they can't exactly swim to the surface. I can't imagine what other military wives feel whose husbands are on the front lines.

Speaking of military wives, our husbands' retirement is our retirement too. Many of us sacrifice having careers, getting an education, etc. because we move so often and become single parents. I'm lucky that my husband's second sea tour is five years long. Had he been promoted or if things change, we could have easily had to move. I worry all the time about moving and if I can find a teaching position because no one likes to hire someone that moves every few years.

There are so many other places in the defense department where cuts can be made. We can bring our troops home and stop getting involved in wars that are draining our coffers. The government can start making its own parts needed by the military. That would create civilian jobs and save them money. I hear, all the time, from my brother (Air Force) and husband that the private companies who make the parts that the military uses charge an insane amount of money. Parts that cost about $4 to make are being sold for over $100. There are plenty of other places to save money in the military. I implore our leaders to look there first before attacking retirement.

If this proposal passes, which I'm not entirely sure that it will, current service members should be grandfathered in to what they were promised. Anything else would be completely unfair and a breach of contract. I'm pretty sure that some high profile lawyers would love to take on a case like this pro bono. Write to your elected officials and tell them how you feel. If that doesn't work, I'll be more than happy to drive a bunch of angry military wives down to D.C. :)

http://dbb.defense.gov/pdf/DBB_Military_Retirement_Final_Presentationpdf.pdf

Here We Go Again

2011-08-11T17:11:00.002-04:00

So I know that I suck at life and never update. I kind of feel like I don't need to when most of the people who regularly check in on here are also my friends on facebook. Nevertheless, with my husband gone for the first time in almost 8 months, I think it's time to start going at it again. I attempted to give my blog a makeover, but finding/creating blog templates is not easy. Alas, this was the best that I could do. I tried to format the header so a picture of us would be in the frame, but blogger was being pissy and wouldn't let me upload it.

Things are moving along in the West household. We had a wonderful summer, full of adventures! After missing our favorite music event for the past 3 years, we finally made it back to Mountain Jam. It was four, fun-filled days of music, camping and meeting new people. We even got to zipline down the mountain :)

Since the boat cannot adhere to any sort of schedule, my plan to take Jimmy to a concert at Red Rocks was cancelled. Instead, we went to Ireland! We spent a week driving around and seeing whatever our little hearts desired :) It was definitely a wonderful vacation and will be hard to top.

We are still trying to conceive a child. I started seeing a reproductive endocrinologist at Yale Fertility Center. He has me on 50 mg of clomid (even though I ovulate on my own). It didn't work last month so this month I decided to be a little more aggressive and had two IUIs (intra-uterine insemination). We weren't sure if Jimmy would be home for ovulation this cycle so we had his swimmers frozen. I then went in and had them stick a catheter into my uterus and inject his thawed little dudes. I'm grateful that it didn't hurt, but am not happy that we shelled out $1400 for it. The wonderful military insurance known as Tricare does not pay for artificial insemination. It's really expensive and if we do in-vitro, we are looking at shelling out around 12k. I can't do that until I'm done student teaching so we are looking at around January if I don't get pregnant before then.

It's exhausting. I see people all around me get pregnant at the drop of a hat and I can't. There is no medical reason why I shouldn't get pregnant, which makes it that much more frustrating. The absolute worst is having people tell you to just relax. I have one friend who I can't talk to about it anymore because she repeatedly tells me to stop stressing about it. I'm not in school, just got back from a great vacation and have had my husband home for 8 months. How much more relaxed am I supposed to be?

On a better note I'm 40 lbs. lighter than I was in February and I start student teaching in a few weeks. I'm really excited that this is the last thing that I have to do before I can start my teaching career. I can't wait to work...seriously.

I'm going to try my best to post more often, but don't hold your breath!

Update

2011-04-02T09:11:00.002-04:00

So things have been a bit hectic the past month or so and there won't be an end until mid-May when the semester is over. On top of my more than normal course load I have 60 hours of classroom observation that needs to be completed. I split my observation time between New Britain High School and a bilingual middle school just down the road from me. They are both very different schools and the more time I spend at them, the more I prefer the middle school. While most people I know don't prefer that age group, I like that they still have a bit of child left in them. I'm hoping that if I do a pretty good job there they might have a spot for me once I finish my certification.

On a more personal note we've started the journey into infertility testing. My husband doesn't seem to be the problem so I've met with an OB GYN and go in for a procedure next week where they shoot dye through my uterus and fallopian tubes while taking x-rays to see if I have any polyps or blockages. I know that the problem doesn't have to do with ovulation so I'm hoping that they find something and can fix it so we can move on. It's been really hard month after month seeing others get pregnant so easily while we've been trying to for a long time with no luck. While I'm not a fan of these invasive procedures, if it can get me to have a baby, then I'll do what I need to do. I just wish it would happen the old fashioned way.

I'm happy to report that I've lost 18 lbs. in a little over a month and am still going strong. I wanted to hit 20 lbs. by sub ball and it looks like I'll hit that goal. I'm excited that I'm looking and feeling better so hopefully I'll be a rocking a pretty smokin' bod by summer time :) I'll try updating more, but no promises, until after my semester of homework, classroom observation and doctor appointments is over.

Friday Fill-in

2011-03-11T15:06:00.002-05:00

Got this off of another military spouse's blog. You can link up here.

This week’s questions are:

1. During military separations (whether short or long) how do you keep yourself positive and motivated? submitted by Married/Single Parent

This past deployment some of my friends from the boat and I decided to have something fun planned every month. One month we did a lobster bake at a local winery, another month it was Cocktails with the Whales at the aquarium, etc. It gave us something to look forward to. I am also busy with grad school. I think one of the best things that someone can do is to get a job/go to school/get a hobby. Something that will take you out of the house and will keep you busy.

2. What is your favorite concert you have ever been to? submitted by Young but Not (Completely) Dumb
I have been to over 100 concerts and my husband has his count at over 300. We do these a lot when he isn't out to sea. My favorite, if I had to pick, would probably be either David Gilmour (from Pink Floyd) at Radio City Music Hall or Coldplay. David Gilmour is such a phenomenal musician and my husband and I were lying on the lawn of an amphitheater...just listening to Coldplay and looking up at the stars. It was a nice, mellow concert.

3. What do you miss most about your “hometown”? submitted by A Florida Girl and Her Soldier
I grew up near Lake George and Saratoga Springs, NY. I mostly miss being close to my friends from school. I also miss the insane amount of good food found in Saratoga. There are so many restaurants and the atmosphere in that town is great.

4. If you could run in any race, which charity would you choose to support? submitted by Wookie & Co.

Something to support women's rights or bettering public education for children living in areas with little economic support,

5. You find out Willy Wonka is your father, what 3 course meal do you INSIST he create in that stick of gum? submitted by A{muse}ing Mommy on a Pink Park Bench

Appetizer: Baked brie with apple slices and crackers

Main Course: Roasted duck with fig compote and grilled vegetables

Dessert: Sweet potato pie

Show Us Your Rings :)

2011-03-03T13:55:00.003-05:00

So I noticed that Briana posted this over on her blog and decided to join in myself. You can join up to over at Mrs. Yellow Ribbon's blog

Did you look at rings together?

We picked out my engagement ring right after we got married. Yep, you heard right. We eloped 9 days after he came home from deployment and while we picked out our band immediately, I couldn't find a ring that I liked. So after we did the deed we went to a lo

cal jeweler and low and behold, there was my ring

Do you like your ring? Did you from the beginning?...and be honest!

Of course :) We both saw it and went "ooooo". He told me that he would have picked something just like it out if he had gone by himself.

How often do you wear your rings?

My fingers, for some reason or other, feel the need to swell when I sleep or if I go to the gym. So I don't wear them at night and I take them off before I go to the gym. Other than that, they stay on.

Do you clean your rings?

I clean them myself about once a month. I hate it when it gets really gross and dirty.

What went through your mind the very first time you saw your ring?

I have never seen something sparkle so much before!

Spring is in the Air?!

2011-02-14T11:06:00.002-05:00

Oh my goodness, the forecast for this week is fantastic! It's going to be in the forties all week and even the high fifties on Friday. Thank God! This winter has been rough so far, with so many snowstorms and some really cold days. It makes me long for sunshine and flip flops. My first two weeks of this semester saw three of my classes cancelled due to bad weather. I shouldn't complain but this is probably my busiest semester yet and I actually need some class time in order to figure out what the heck I need to do. I have 60 hours of classroom observation that I need to complete. I've already met my teacher that I'll be working with and was able to help proctor an ESL assessment exam the other day. The school I'm working in is in an urban area, which is much different than where I went to school and the school that I've substituted in. I'm really excited about it though because I feel that it is important for teachers to step outside their comfort zone in order to become great educators. I'm sure I'll have some great stories by the end of this semester.

Jimmy is out to sea...again. Yep, apparently being home for a month and a half is long enough before they send them out again. Luckily, this is the last underway for a long, long time. We need this time together to be married and have a semi-normal life. We've been arguing lately and I'd like to sit down and figure stuff out instead of communicating through emails. He's putting in for an officer program that I'm not really excited about. I was even less excited when I realized that by the time he would be done with the training, etc...he would go straight to a carrier. So, that's two more years of sea duty when we should be doing a shore tour. Yeah, um, no thanks. I have friends who are officer's wives and the life doesn't appeal to me. I understand that they get paid more but they move every 2 1/2 years and I'm not big on all of the forced Navy get-togethers. I can't have a career if I'm moving that often. So, we have a lot to discuss and I'm not really looking forward to it.

Other than that, things are moving along in the West household. I'm planning all sorts of things for this summer, including a mini-trip for Jimmy's 30th birthday. I can't believe he's turning 30, considering we met when he was 24. He is going to love his birthday surprise and will be counting his lucky stars that he has such an awesome wife.

I'll leave my readers with this lovely picture of Floyd, right after he came back in from frolicking through the snow :) He's pretty cute, isn't he?

A new year :)

2011-01-18T11:50:00.003-05:00

So, as I'm sure you can tell due to the lack of updates, my husband has returned home. He just went back to work today after two weeks of leave. We've been so busy the past month that it has flown by and though we didn't get much accomplished around the house, we did get to see family on both sides and got to travel to some fun places. We just got back from visiting his family in CA and WA. We drove from Oakland, CA all the way up to Tacoma, WA. The drive up the coast was incredibly beautiful and we stopped in Napa, the Redwoods, and Portland, OR. We had a wonderful time visiting everyone but we're happy to be home in our little bubble. We left 50 degree weather to come home to about 3 feet of snow. Apparently the weather here has been a little crazy and I'm hoping it stops before school starts up for me next week. This will be my last full semester of classes (I'm taking two this summer, but I love summer classes so I don't count them) and I'm so excited to be done with that. I student teach in the fall (unless I get pregnant) and then I'll pretty much be done. It will be nice once I'm finally finished with everything.

So my hopes for this new year are to be happier and healthier, and to hopefully get pregnant. I've been off the pill for a year now but with my husband being gone for the majority of last year, we didn't get much of a chance to try. It's been a little hard seeing so many people I know get pregnant super easily and I'm on cycle 4 of trying. I'm hoping now that Jimmy is home things will happen but you never know. We're both headed to the doctors soon if it doesn't work. They say that couples our age should wait a year before seeing a doctor but with my husband's schedule of being gone all of the time, we never have an entire year to try. So, we'll fib a bit and make sure that nothing is wrong with either of us. I'm looking forward to a great 2011 and wish the same to all of you!

Deployment Recap- Week 29

2010-12-13T17:10:00.003-05:00

Emotional: Umm..pretty good except for crying during White Christmas. Don't ask...I have no idea why.

Physical: Very good! I lost 3.2 pounds this past week...so hopefully I'll keep going in that direction

Communication: He's super, super busy right now so I got another quick email. I totally understand and i'm super busy now too so it's not big deal

What's something fun you did this week: I hung out with some fellow Navy wives and watched the Army/Navy football game. It was nice to take a much needed break from my end of semester workload!

What are you looking forward to next week: THE END...of this semester and this weekly update

What made you happy this week: Seeing friends and watching White Christmas. It's my favorite x-mas movie and I love how they show it back to back. It's been playing in the background while I type papers

What made you sad/mad this week: The crazy amount of work I've had to do for school. It's just bad timing. Right before Jimmy comes home. I have so much that I have to do for school and all I want to do is make sure the house is clean and there's food in the fridge.

What do you miss the most: I missed doing all of the Christmas-y stuff with him this year. I had fun getting our tree together and decorating the house last year

How's Floyd and Layla this week: Layla is recovering nicely and Floyd could really use a walk right about now but I'm a slave to my computer for the next couple of days

Pictures from this week: None, too busy...sorry

The 3's of Me

2010-12-13T12:05:00.002-05:00

~Saw this on Jenn's blog and decided to procrastinate school work by filling it out myself

Three Jobs I've Had In My Life:

1. Nanny
2. Management Assistant for Enterprise (ugh)
3. Sales Associate

Three Places I've Lived:

1. Queensbury, NY
2. Wilmington, CA
3. Uncasville, CT

Three Favorite Drinks:

1. Water
2. Chai Lattes
3. Diet Pepsi (though I don't buy soda anymore...I still love it)

Three TV Shows I Watch Regularly:

1. The Vampire Diaries
2. Grey's Anatomy
3. True Blood

Three Places I Have Visited:

1. Dublin, Ireland
2. Rome, Italy
3. Athens, Greece

Three of My Favorite Foods:

1. The duck and brie sandwich from Maestro's in Saratoga Springs, NY
2. A good salad..preferably one that I didn't make myself
3. Anything from the ocean

Three Things I am Looking Forward To:

1. My husband coming home!
2. Being done with this freakin semester!
3. Exploring the west coast next month!

Three Things That Are Always By My Side:

1. My animals
2. My phone
3. Water

Three Things That Are In My Car Right Now:

1. Jumper Cables
2. Phone charger
3. CDs everywhere

Three Things I Did Today:

1. School work
2. Showered
3. Ate an egg sandwich

So what about you? What are the 3's of you?

Deployment Recap- Week 28

2010-12-05T09:04:00.005-05:00

Emotional: I got to spend a couple of days in Athens and then met up with my husband's boat in Cyprus for 5 fantastic days. I still cried like a little girl when we had to leave even though I knew he'd be home soon. I'm so grateful that I had the opportunity to see some amazing sites and that I spent some quality time with him.

Physical: Good! I was really run down overseas for a the first few days or so (I got 17 hours of sleep in 4 days) but I felt much better after getting a good night's sleep with my husband next to me. I ate a lot of really awesome Greek food and now I'm starting Weight Watchers all over again and am determined to stick to it.

Communication: I just got my first email this morning since when I last saw him. Obviously communication was great while we were together. We only got snippy with each other when we got lost and ended up walking around for 2 hours in search of a restaurant we both agreed on. We laughed at each other after I reminded him that he loves me, even when I am completely indecisive.

What's something fun you did this week: Well saw a bunch of stuff in Athens, took a 3 island cruise of the Saronic Gulf, saw my husband, got drunk with my husband and some sailors (I can't keep up), took a jeep safari through the mountains of Cyprus, basically had the time of my life. More recently, I got my Christmas tree and am starting to decorate for the holidays.

What are you looking forward to next week: Being done with presentations? I'm in crunch time at school so there isn't much to look forward to until it's all over...which happens to be right before my husband gets home.

What made you happy this week: Spending time with the man whom I love

What made you sad/mad this week: Saying goodbye to my husband...even though I know I'll see him again really soon, it doesn't make it much easier.

What do you miss the most: Watching him sleep...it was nice to be able to do that for a little while.

How's Floyd and Layla this week:Layla is Frankenkitty after her surgery. She is doing well and gets her stitches out tomorrow. Big thanks to Kim for taking care of her while I was gone. Floyd is happy to be home and is anxiously awaiting the arrival of his Dad

Pictures from this week: Blogger doesn't seem to like my Mac so it doesn't let me rearrange pictures easily. The top two are of the husband and I at various points during our safari of the Trodos Mountains in Cyprus. The bottom left is me kissing him for the first time in 6 months and the bottom right is me in front of the Parthenon in Athens, Greece.

Deployment Recap- Week 26

2010-11-21T13:59:00.002-05:00

Emotional: Great! I had acupuncture on Friday and that cleared my head a little. It's hard planning a trip with two other people and I think all will be well once we get on the plane...it's just the planning and people being anxious, etc.

Physical: Feeling good....waiting for the dreaded monthly friend.

Communication: Not much since Diego Garcia...he's been busy running work up stuff for ORSE so I'm cutting him some slack

What's something fun you did this week: Went out to dinner @ Azu with Sam and Amanda and met a new girl to Groton, Alyssa. I also went back home to NY yesterday for Collin's 1st birthday! I can't believe how quickly a year has gone by.

What are you looking forward to next week: Oh you know, the usual, getting on a plane, seeing the Parthenon and Acropolis, among other things ;)

What made you happy this week: Seeing my friends' kids back home and marveling at how much they've grown. The twins are a year 1/2 and are starting to talk and Collin is so big :) I can't wait to add to the bunch

What made you sad/mad this week: My test in my research class. It took us the entire 2 1/2 hour class period to finish and I still didn't really finish it...I left one question blank because I didn't have time to figure it out. Why would you give a test in a class where your sole purpose is to develop a research study, implement it, and write a huge paper on it. POINTLESS!

What do you miss the most: It makes me sad that he misses out on stuff like Collin's first birthday...I know he would have liked to go

How's Floyd and Layla this week: Sam and Joe took care of Floyd while I was gone this weekend and they took him for a nice, long walk so I'm sure he loved that. Layla managed to cut her ear somehow so I had to clean it and put some blood clotting stuff on it. My poor baby :(

Pictures from this week: Nada

Deployment Recap- Week 25

2010-11-13T09:07:00.002-05:00

Emotional: Pretty good! Despite a few problems with school I managed to end the week on a happy note :)

Physical: Still doing the dvd...haven't gotten sick yet either and don't plan on it! I think my face finally decided to stop breaking out all the time too.

Communication: The husband was on some island in the middle of nowhere for a few days. We got to talk quite a bit. I felt bad that the first time he calls I'm crying over crap at school, but in true Jimmy fashion he makes me feel better immediately.

What's something fun you did this week: So much shopping! I feel the need to buy lots of new clothes before I go on vacation...it's a problem.

What are you looking forward to next week: I'm going to NY next weekend for my best friend's son, Collin's first birthday! I can't believe a year went by already.

What made you happy this week: Talking to my husband. He always knows what to say to make me feel better. We kind of mapped out a one year plan too (mostly i did, because I'm crazy like that and need to plan ahead)

What made you sad/mad this week: School. The powers that be tried to tell me I couldn't take this course I need next semester because I have to take another class before it. Well, neither one of my advisors told me nor is it stated on my planned program of study. After begging and pleading I got them to override it. I hate how nothing is made clear over there.

What do you miss the most: I'm looking forward to breathing again; to not feel like I'm constantly on edge or wound up. So yes, breathing, can't wait.

How's Floyd and Layla this week: Floyd keeps dropping his bone in the magazine rack and can't get it back out. He does this at least once a day. I'm about ready to throw the bone out.

Pictures from this week: Woke up to this on Monday.........ARGH!

Deployment Recap- Week 24

2010-11-05T23:24:00.003-04:00

Emotional: Happy for the most part. My education professor is seriously making me want to slit my wrists and not become a teacher. I keep reminding myself that I only have to see her three more times.

Physical: I've been tracking what I eat and doing my dvd every other day (to minimize soreness). Hopefully I'll lost a little weight before I go see Jimmy.

Communication: I got a surprise skype call on Halloween! Though we didn't get to talk much because the connection was bad (we typed). We planned out all of our trips and we're very excited to see each other soon.

What's something fun you did this week: I had a few friends over for Halloween and we had dinner, wine, candy, scary movies and watched the trick o treaters come in packs to the door. It was a fun night.

What are you looking forward to next week: My husband re-enlisted while they are still in tax free territory. I'm waiting for that huge deposit to show up in our checking account :)

What made you happy this week: Talking to my husband and shopping for my upcoming trip!

What made you sad/mad this week: My professor. I never thought I'd meet someone so liberal that even I can't stand her. If you don't see things from her perspective then you are wrong. She makes me feel like a child and I've decided to just play along with her game and tell her everything she wants to hear. I'm tired of dealing with her.

What do you miss the most: I'd like to just go on a normal date again. Dinner and a movie. Or a nice date would be better...getting dressed up and going to a nice restaurant and splitting a bottle of wine. Soon....very soon.

How's Floyd and Layla this week: Floyd managed to break his run again but he came back again....he got a bath and good boy treats for not making mommy sad.

Pictures from this week: Uneventful week...sorry!

Deployment Recap- Week 23

2010-10-30T10:21:00.003-04:00

Emotional: I was fine until I watched Tuck Everlasting last night. I don't know why I pick movies that I know will make me cry. I think I need the emotional release every once in a while.

Physical: Started my dvd workout from hell again. I predict that I won't be able to walk in a few days from being so sore. Haven't been sick at all...which isn't unusual. I can't remember the last time I had a cold and I haven't have the flu since I was ten or so.

Communication: I love how I mention plans revolving around music and I get a response right away...hmm. He has New Year's off this year again so we're going to try to catch a concert. The only problem is the band he really wants to see plays in NYC, and the cheapest hotel room is 300/night. Soooo...we might take the commuter rail back to New Haven and stay there for the night. Or...we could go to Burlington to see another band we like. I'd prefer Burlington but I'm trying to give him a New Year's he wants since he gave me a low-key one last year. Decisions, decisions.

What's something fun you did this week: Um..nothing really. I did get to watch the Vampire Diaries on the night it actually airs because my professor canceled my class! Yay! Amanda, Sarah, and Heather are coming over tomorrow night to eat dinner/candy, watch scary movies, and hand out candy to the lil ones.

What are you looking forward to next week: November! This will be a happy month :)

What made you happy this week: Booking my plane tickets to go see my husband. No turning back now!

What made you sad/mad this week: Not necessarily mad, but confused at my husband's train of thought. We're going to see his family in CA and more family in WA in January during stand down. I had it all priced out and the flights are really cheap...$700 for both of us to fly to Oakland, Oakland to Seattle, and Seattle back here. He emailed me saying how he wants to visit his family in Antioch (do a bunch of stuff in San Fran), go visit his Grandma for two days a few hours north, then DRIVE the whole way to Tacoma, stopping overnight in Portland. All in 8-9 days. I laughed. There is no way we could spend enough time with people and do that. Plus renting a car and driving it...in JANUARY...through the MOUNTAINS...it's not safe nor cost effective. I had to squash that idea. Maybe some other time when the weather is nicer.

What do you miss the most: I miss kissing. Real kissing. I told him I want to make out for an hour when I see him. :)

How's Floyd and Layla this week: Floyd has decided to start hiding/sleeping under the bed again. I thought we broke him of this habit a long time ago. I guess not. He growls at me when I try to move him.

Pictures from this week: Happy Halloween!

Deployment Recap- Week 22

2010-10-24T10:50:00.002-04:00

Emotional: Not bad... this week went by really quickly so I'm not sure I had time to evaluate my emotional state.

Physical: I've been walking the dog until my mole thing completely heals then it's back to Jillian Michaels' crazy workout

Communication: Finally got a few emails. Apparently there has been a problem with sailor mail. He's been very sweet and lovey-dovey with me. I think he misses home

What's something fun you did this week: I got together with Sarah and Amanda @ Amanda's house and we had dinner, chatted, and drank wine. It was nice to have a low-key girls' night

What are you looking forward to next week: Halloween!

What made you happy this week: Getting emails from my husband.

What made you sad/mad this week: Being stuck in the middle of drama that I didn't create, yet am damned if I do/damned if I don't. My husband really just needs to come home so I can be around some testosterone. My schedule for next semester is going to be a little weird as well...those jerks decided to start night classes later...thanks guys!

What do you miss the most: Everything

How's Floyd and Layla this week: Layla has been a pain and doesn't want to come in at night, causing me to go out and look for her. Floyd is Floyd.

Pictures from this week: Nada

Deployment Recap- Week 21

2010-10-17T23:46:00.003-04:00

Emotional: Eh...I've been better. I kind of feel like I don't want to do much other than hibernate and watch movies.

Physical: I was doing well but the mole I had removed on my back has made it hard to do exercise. You don't realize how much you move your back until you have a huge hole that is trying to scab over. Gross

Communication: Non-existent. It sucks.

What's something fun you did this week: My Aunt Karen came down to visit for a few days. I took her to the ocean, Mystic, and Mohegan Sun. It was nice to have some company for a little while.

What are you looking forward to next week: Um...hm...putting up more halloween decorations?

What made you happy this week: Playing with my new camera. It was an expensive purchase but it's really cool and I wanted a nice one for when we have kids.

What made you sad/mad this week: Well I had a mole removed and it was on my back...so it's taking a while to heal...so I guess that made me mad? Oh...and the complete lack of communication

What do you miss the most: Right now I'd really like an email...just something saying hey, we're busy, but I still love you.

How's Floyd and Layla this week: Floyd broke his run outside but managed to only go to the neighbor's and came right back when I called him! Yay! Layla had three ticks on her neck the other night...gross!

Pictures from this week: Taken with my new camera down at Harkness Park!

Deployment Recap- Week 20!!

2010-10-09T23:51:00.003-04:00

Emotional: Doing better now that I've talked to my husband for a while while he was in port. I was mad at first (mostly because the boat pulled in early and he tried calling me while I was at the renn fair, even though I emailed him to say I was going to be gone for the day) but I felt better after we talked for a while and he, after some persuading, agreed that it would be good to come out and visit him. So now I have something to look forward to before homecoming :)

Physical: I've been trying to stay on target with WW and just started Jillian Michaels' 30 day shred to give me an added kick in the butt before I go see my husband

Communication: Good :) He had a hotel room so we were able to skype when he got done with work and right before he left for work. He was really good about trying to call me.

What's something fun you did this week: I went to a pizza place with Heather at the casino yesterday and had my makeup done at the bare essentials store. I found the perfect shade of pin-up red lipstick to wear when Jimmy comes home :)

What are you looking forward to next week: My aunt is coming for a few days, and I should be able to start my research study.

What made you happy this week: Talking to my husband...he makes me laugh :)

What made you sad/mad this week: Nothing really...I think my vertigo has been acting up lately. I've been feeling puky without throwing up...usually a sign of vertigo for me so I'll have to make sure I don't make any quick head movements for a while.

What do you miss the most: I know this might be tmi but I'm seriously concerned about having sex for the first time in over 6 months...so yeah, i miss sex on a semi-regular basis.

How's Floyd and Layla this week: After a bunch of rain it's finally been nice enough to let Floyd out on his run. Layla ripped a mouse in half and started eating it in front of me. Under normal circumstances I would have stopped her but those evil things live in my shed and destroy stuff so I want them all dead :)

Pictures from this week: This is only the beginning of my halloween decor!

Deployment Recap- Week 19

2010-10-04T11:00:00.003-04:00

Emotional: Well it started off ok then kind of went down the crapper by the end of the week. School is starting to stress me out as well as the ever changing boat schedule.

Physical: I have no idea. I had a really awesome stomach ache the entire ride home from MA yesterday

Communication: Email has been lacking. We didn't get to skype until last night because he had duty on Saturday and I had already made plans for yesterday. I refuse to cancel my plans because the boat pulls in early. Not my problem.

What's something fun you did this week: I went to Oktoberfest down at Ocean Beach. We got to sample all sorts of beer and judged a chowder contest. I also went to King Richard's Fair yesterday with Sarah. We rented costumes, watched a tournament, got my fortune told, and ate some food. It was pretty awesome.

What are you looking forward to next week: I think my aunt is coming down on Sunday to spend a few days here. I'm also looking forward to paying off Jimmy's car.

What made you happy this week: The fair...and The Vampire Diaries...that makes me happy every week.

What made you sad/mad this week: Boat schedule (x2), missing class because the rain was so bad I couldn't see while driving, poor communication, etc.

What do you miss the most: I don't know. I'm so used to being alone now.

How's Floyd and Layla this week: Floyd and I attempted to have a heart to hear this weekend. Layla tore a chipmunk in half and left it out for me...so sweet.

Pictures from this week: This was all I could upload

Deployment Recap- Week 18

2010-09-26T14:31:00.002-04:00

Emotional: Doing pretty well. I had an ok week at school and then got to see my family and friends this weekend.

Physical: Well I was doing fine until I went home. I now have this painful red rash on my face that doesn't feel like going away.

Communication: Well he apparently typed up an email and forgot to send it so I hadn't received one in a while...then I was gone all weekend so I haven't replied.

What's something fun you did this week: I went home! I got to see Victoria, Mike and baby Collin who has gotten so big! He's almost walking now and he laughs a lot. I also had lunch with my friend Eric and his new girlfriend. She seems perfect for him and I'm super happy he finally found someone.

What are you looking forward to next week: Hopefully going to a renaissance fair on Sunday...oh, and getting my hair cut...and October 1st is bonus time :) YAY money!

What made you happy this week: Seeing family and friends...and the lovely weather!

What made you sad/mad this week: Our mortgage is going up because taxes went up and our mortgage company apparently didn't cushion our escrow account enough. I don't understand any of it and I should probably call them.

What do you miss the most: Some help raking the damn leaves!

How's Floyd and Layla this week: Floyd is still at the kennel...I'm giving myself an extra night of quiet so I can get homework done. Layla was happy when I walked through the door.

Pictures from this week: Yep...none.

Deployment Recap- Week 17

2010-09-18T13:34:00.005-04:00

Emotional: I've been feeling pretty zen thanks to my visit with Christine the acupuncturist on Tuesday. Not a whole lot has been bothering me (for once).

Physical: Good! I weighed myself the other day and I'm down another pound so as long as the scale keeps going in that direction, I'll be happy. I meet with my trainer again on Monday. She taught spin class this week and she's a lot tougher than the normal instructor. No pain, no gain, I suppose.

Communication: Good! We've been emailing and he's missing home/me apparently a lot more than last deployment. I try to keep his spirits up and tell him how September will be over before we know it and *hopefully* I'll be able to fly out to see him soon-ish.

What's something fun you did this week: Acupuncture! It's really pretty awesome and I'm going again next week. I also went apple picking with Heather (see below).

What are you looking forward to next week: Going home next weekend! I get to see my friends and hopefully some hot air balloons. I will also be the proud own of a $100 internet/cable/phone bill starting on Monday because I've decided to get rid of cable. Now that I have netflix and I can watch whatever I want on the Wii, I can't justify spending the extra money on channels that I don't watch.

What made you happy this week: Nothing in particular. I've just had a good week in general.

What made you sad/mad this week: Finding out that Jimmy's uncle died from cancer. He was only in his 50s and I was fortunate enough to meet him at our wedding. He was a very warm person. My heart hurts for my husband because he can't be with his family right now.

What do you miss the most: I'd settle for a hug right about now.

How's Floyd and Layla this week: Floyd ate one of my puzzle pieces so I'm mad at him right now. Layla has been eating any houseflies that come inside :)

Pictures from this week: Apple picking at Holmberg's Orchard! We also did the wine tasting (yum).

Deployment Recap- Week 16

2010-09-11T23:58:00.002-04:00

~Happy 61st Birthday Dad!~

Emotional: Ehhh...I was spoiled talking to my husband almost every day for a couple of weeks. Now that he's back out to sea I miss it. BUT...fall is here...which means cold weather...which means he's coming home soon-ish :)

Physical: Well, according to my lab report I don't have diabetes and my cholesterol levels are stellar. I'm an apparent model of health. So yeah, I'm done with the doctors. I'm just going to keep sticking to what I'm doing and hope I keep losing instead of gaining. I'm thinking about trying acupuncture next.

Communication: We said our goodbyes earlier this week and I sent my first email out yesterday. Not sure what they're doing but I'm pretty sure they're busy.

What's something fun you did this week: I went to Chili's last night for happy hour with Heather and wandered through Border's. I picked up a book on the port I'm supposed to be visiting. Fingers crosses that the date/place doesn't change! Today we had a boat garage sale. I donated all of my leftover crap from the last garage sale I did. OH...and my mouse traps in the shed work! Killed my first mouse last night...HA!

What are you looking forward to next week: Getting my projects started for school...and t.v. shows coming back!

What made you happy this week: Getting my research study approved so quickly. I honestly am not the most creative/original person...so to get this approved ahead of time is pretty awesome considering most of my classmates don't have a clue as to what they'd like to do.

What made you sad/mad this week: Saying goodbye to my husband. Traffic...I really effing hate traffic.

What do you miss the most: The feeling that you're married. I know this sounds awful, but my husband agrees that it's hard to feel like you're and "us" when you haven't been around the person in such a long time.

How's Floyd and Layla this week: Enjoying the cooler temperatures!

Pictures from this week: I really need to find something to take a picture of.

Deployment Recap- Week 15

2010-09-04T12:43:00.002-04:00

Emotional: Not bad. I got a really nice letter in the mail that Jimmy sent before he left last time he was in Bahrain. It was really sweet and romantic and totally out of nowhere :)

Physical: YAY...lost 3.6 pounds this past week! I don't know what I'm doing differently but something is finally working. I've cut my gym days from 4 to 2 and am keeping track of calories instead of points for my upcoming meeting with a dietician. So cross your fingers that this keeps going so I can look super sexy when I go visit Jimmy.

Communication: Skype, skype and more skype. It's really weird being able to talk to him this often. As long as this doesn't change homecoming or when I'm going out to see him (so far that isn't a problem) I'm a happy camper.

What's something fun you did this week: Halfway dinner was nice. Jimmy's video message to me was hilarious and his mustache was in full force. It was nice catching up with everyone. I also went back to school this week and I have a very busy semester ahead of me. I'm so grateful I don't have to work.

What are you looking forward to next week: Um...hmm...more skyping? I don't have much going on other than school. Oh, my parents are coming up for the night.

What made you happy this week: Seeing my friends from school. We're all a bunch of nerds and we get along well.

What made you sad/mad this week: I'm realizing that people cause me serious anxiety, so I'm learning to say "fuck it" and washing my hands of the whole thing. Oh, and Hurricane Earl was the lamest rainstorm I've ever dealt with. I was so excited for some crazy rain/winds. LAME.

What do you miss the most: Waking up to him curled up next to me. Normally, I hate this because I don't like being touched while I'm sleeping...but I'm at the point where I would welcome it.

How's Floyd and Layla this week: Floyd got a shave and a bath so he doesn't smell like ass anymore. Layla needs to stop shedding everywhere.

Pictures from this week: Nada...it's been a boring week.

Deployment Recap- Week 14

2010-08-27T16:04:00.003-04:00

Emotional: Pretty good...though I had a good cry when I watched a Navy wife on "What Not to Wear" get all made over and then greeted her husband on a pier after not seeing him for five months.

Physical: Not too bad. I took the 2 hour glucose test on base to see if I have diabetes. That sucked. It was like drinking kool-aid syrup. I also got some stuff to try to help with my breakouts. I got back to my doctor in a couple of weeks and I also meet with the dietician on base. On a good note I lost 2.5 lbs so maybe this is a sign things are going back to normal? I also took Heather to spin class and it was the first time I didn't want to die afterwards. Yay!

Communication: Well we said our goodbyes on Monday...and then I get a phone call last night from him because something broke so they're back in Bahrain til it gets fixed. I was able to skype with him for about an hour today. We're talking about how we can't wait til I can drag my behind out there to visit :)

What's something fun you did this week: I went with Heather and Sarah to the outlets to do a little shopping and then we drove back along Route 1 and had lunch at this cute little Thai place. We also went to a vintage clothing store and tried on crazy hats :)

What are you looking forward to next week: Halfway dinner is tomorrow night, which should be good. Hmmm...school, kind of. I'm excited to be busy but I know this semester is going to be tough so I need to sit down and organize when I'm doing what. I WILL NOT PROCRASTINATE!

What made you happy this week: Hearing my husband laugh at our dog while he watches him on skype....and see picture below.

What made you sad/mad this week: I watched the movie Brothers and it's just really upsetting (war, ptsd, etc)

What do you miss the most: Watching him walk through the door when he comes home from work. No matter how crappy of a day he had he always plays with Floyd for a minute and gives me a kiss.

How's Floyd and Layla this week: Sad because it rained for four days and they couldn't go out much. Floyd finally ventured outside today and I shaved him! Bath is next for both of them

Pictures from this week: I got this lovely bouquet from Jimmy yesterday. I told him I wanted flowers, so he sent them :)

Pics from Jimmy

2010-08-21T17:49:00.004-04:00

So Jimmy sent me some pics over Skype today.

Justin doing laundry in the barracks...for free! Why? Because under the bad influence of my husband they pretended like they lived there so they wouldn't have to pay to wash their clothes.

Oh...hey look! My husband broke his toes again...cause he can't walk.

Custer's last stand....gross!

Deployment Recap- Week 13

2010-08-20T18:15:00.005-04:00

Emotional: Better..we're still working on stuff but better. Everything else is fine.

Physical: I was busy with ombudsman training (no, I have no plans on being the next ombudsman, but will step up if no one else will do it) so the gym was put on the back burner. Had my follow up appointment at the doctor's and there is nothing wrong from a thyroid, hormonal standpoint. I suppose I should be happy but I still don't know what's going on. So she's sending me to meet with the nutritionist on base and I'm going to get my cholesterol tested and will be tested for diabetes on Monday. Fun.

Communication: Good! We got to skype...well ghetto skype yesterday when he pulled into Bahrain. He used one of the computers on base and the mic wasn't working well so I could hardly hear him. I plan on doing some more skyping tomorrow.

What's something fun you did this week: The lobster bake at the winery was a good time and while ombudsman training wasn't really fun, I got a lot of information.

What are you looking forward to next week: Hmmm...more skyping? I don't have anything planned for the week and it's my last week before school starts so I'm going to try to enjoy myself.

What made you happy this week: Seeing my husband's face :)

What made you sad/mad this week: My test results from the doctor and my older brother and his lifetime of baggage.

What do you miss the most: Talking face to face...literally...not on skype.

How's Floyd and Layla this week: Good! I thought Layla got sprayed by a skunk but thank god that wasn't the case. Floyd is doing well..he needs a bath and haircut though.

Pictures from this week: Pics of Heather, Sarah and I at the lobster bake on Sunday. My first time getting lobster (was ok, but messy!)

Deployment Recap- Week 12

2010-08-13T23:19:00.005-04:00

Emotional: End one fight and start another. Seriously...deployment can end now so I can have a proper argument...and so I can smack him in person. Everything else emotionally is going fine.

Physical: Gym, gym and more gym. I have my follow up appointment with my doctor on Thursday. Hopefully she'll tell me something.

Communication: Well he got mad and decided to not email me for a week. I can play that game too.

What's something fun you did this week: Hmmm...I didn't do much. I think have dinner at Heather's was the highlight of my week. We had fan yapping and planning a port call visit.

What are you looking forward to next week: Lobster Bake at a winery on Sunday, my doctor's appointment, and ombudsman training (doing that for shits and giggles...thought I might learn a thing or two)

What made you happy this week: Getting my driveway paved...it was long overdue and now I don't have weeds growing in it and I can use a snowblower instead of shoveling in the winter!

What made you sad/mad this week: The husband

What do you miss the most: Nothing, I'm too pissed...ask me in a week.

How's Floyd and Layla this week: Happy that the weather is cooling down which means they can stay outside longer. Floyd is happy I cut the mats of hair out of his ears.

Pictures from this week: Finally got the driveway paved!!! The other two are of myself and my parents at Skipper's Dock restaurant in Stonington.

Picture Post!

2010-08-08T23:54:00.005-04:00

Ugh...for some reason uploading pics to blogger on my computer does not work well. So they're kind of askew and out of order.

Alexis and I on the ski lift at Lake Compounce

Alexis in front of the entrance to Lake Compounce

What happens when you don't hide your food at the beach

The umbrella I bought...I like!

Deployment Recap- Week 11

2010-08-07T14:09:00.003-04:00

Emotional: Ehh...could be better

Physical: I only went to Zumba on Monday and skipped the gym the rest of the week because I had Alexis with me. I paid for it today when I went back to the gym, ow!

Communication: Email fighting...good times. What would normally take a few hours or so to discuss turns into days/weeks when he's not here.

What's something fun you did this week: Alexis and I went to an amusement park called Lake Compounce and we had a great time! The waterpark was pretty awesome and they had a roller coaster that is built into the mountain so you can't see it. We also went to the Drive In, which I had not done in years. I love getting two movies for the price of one!

What are you looking forward to next week: Not having a class to worry about and just doing whatever I want for the next three weeks

What made you happy this week: Spending time discussing boat stuff with some Alex ladies last night. We're trying to come up with ideas for everyone to do and we filled up about two months worth o stuff.

What made you sad/mad this week: Realizing that tweens don't have manners. While I had a good time with Alexis she has a bit of an attitude and her manners are rather atrocious. Good thing she's not my kid.

What do you miss the most: Nothing cause I'm pissed at him right now. Oh, wait, I miss his face so I can smack it. :)

How's Floyd and Layla this week: Having a better week with Floyd. I looked into dog training classes but they're when I have school so that's a no go for now. Layla is Layla.

Pictures from this week: None cause this stupid thing won't upload them...grrr.

Deployment Recap- Week 10!

2010-08-02T15:12:00.003-04:00

Emotional: Hmmm..Ok I think. Besides the dog driving me up the wall.

Physical: Still exercising like a fiend...still only lost .8. It's taken me 5 weeks to lose 4 lbs. I went Monday and the doctor took 6 vials of my blood to test me for a whole bunch of stuff though she thinks something is wrong with my thyroid. We'll see what's up when I go for my follow up appointment.

Communication: Still not so awesome...I get one every four days or so. I decided to put myself on his schedule because I get tired of emailing all the time without getting one.

What's something fun you did this week: I'm trying to remember what I did last week. I went on the Essex steam train Friday night with Heather and Sarah. We had dinner and watched a murder mystery unfold. The murderer decided to sit with us for most of the train ride to my dismay because she was in character and talked like a valley girl the whole time. I wanted to punch her by the end of the night.

What are you looking forward to next week: I have my cousin's 12 year old daughter with me until Thursday. We went to the beach today and are going to the amusement park tomorrow. I'm ready to ride some fast rides.

What made you happy this week: Seeing my family for my mom's birthday in NH

What made you sad/mad this week: Seeing my family in NH. SO MUCH FUCKING DRAMA. Ugh, I ended up giving my 17 year old cousin a ride home 40 minutes away because her dad was yelling at her in front of everyone, which in turn lead to a fight between my mother and I (she doesn't realize when she's yelling at people and she started in on Brittany, I told her to tone it down, she told me to shut the fuck up, then I shoved her out of my face...apparently people think that swearing at me is a good and effective form of communication, funnily enough my parents were the ones who taught me not to do that, i think she had a few too many)

What do you miss the most: My husband...because when I'm angry with my mother I have no one to talk to about that since she's usually the person I talk to. I suppose I could chat with my dad but I really don't want to drag him into it.

How's Floyd and Layla this week: I almost left Floyd on the side of the road when he shit in the car on the way to the kennel. I emailed Jimmy and told him he will be taking Floyd to obedience school right when he gets home.

Pictures from this week: Here is a pic from the dinner train...the crazy chick with the side pony is the murderer

Deployment Recap- Week 9

2010-07-23T13:00:00.004-04:00

Emotional: Better than last week. I'm channeling anger and frustration into exercising so I've been cool as a cucumber for the most part.

Physical: Holy crap I've never exercised so much in my life! I met with a trainer last week and have been working out 4-5 times a week. I tried two classes on base: Zumba Tone and Spinning. The zumba was a lot of fun but very difficult considering the gym had a broken a/c. I tried spinning after I'd already worked out with my trainer because she teaches it...I wanted to die. It's hard. Phew...will probably try it again next week.

Communication: Kind of crappy. I only got one email this week and it was all about Floyd. Great.

What's something fun you did this week: I had dinner at Heather's with her and her parents. She made this awesome quinoa and veggie salad and eggplant wrap thing which was super good. Last night Heather, Amanda, Tonya and I went to the aquarium for Cocktails with the Whales. Good food, drinks, and people!

What are you looking forward to next week: Hopefully one of my friends is coming from NY to visit for a couple of days. I'm also going with Sam to get pedicures at her mom's salon. Oh, and the murder mystery dinner train ride on Friday!

What made you happy this week: Hmm...Oh, rain!!! It's been so nice to have some rain.

What made you sad/mad this week: The scale is refusing to budge despite my best efforts. I'm telling my doc on Monday to start drawing blood and test me for whatever she thinks could be wrong.

What do you miss the most: Sex. Yep....at that point now.

How's Floyd and Layla this week: Floyd is a pain in my ass. I took him to the dog park yesterday and he found a mud lake behind a bunch of stuff and wouldn't get out of it. I had to clean the car, him, and myself when we got home. I'm pretty sure Floyd will be our one and only dog.

Pictures from this week: Here are two pics from Cocktails with the Whales at the aquarium last night. Those are belugatinis we were drinking :)

Deployment Recap- Week 8

2010-07-18T14:11:00.002-04:00

Emotional: Hmmm...well I was doing pretty well til the schedule changed. So now I've decided to just pretend that it didn't as best as I can. We also found out that Jimmy's uncle has cancer so more bad news and I feel awful for my husband because he can't call his aunt/uncle for a while. Life events and the Navy never seem to work hand in hand.

Physical: Pretty good! I went to the doctor about my eye and found out it was a sty so no big deal. I met with a personal trainer on base and so I'll be doing more exercising, and I lost another 1.5. Slow and steady.

Communication: As best as it can be right now. I'm grateful that I'm still getting emails because you never know when they go on mission and stop transmitting. I'll take all I can get right now

What's something fun you did this week: I spent all day Wednesday in Providence shopping with Heather. I found this awesome skin/hair/beauty store called Lush and I got to go to Sephora which is always a treat. I went to see Inception...best movie I've seen in years. Yesterday I went with Joe, Sam, Josh, Savannah, and Joe's Mom to Stonington Vineyards for a wine/food festival. I had a great time drinking and laughing with good friends.

What are you looking forward to next week: Getting my hair cut, cocktails with the whales at the aquarium, and going to a small get together.

What made you happy this week: Getting an A in psychology and a B+ in my arthurian lit. classes that I took last month. Glad all the hard work paid off.

What made you sad/mad this week: Probably schedule changes. Lame. Totally lame.

What do you miss the most: Doing all this fun stuff without my husband. I know he would have really enjoyed the wine festival yesterday.

How's Floyd and Layla this week: Both obnoxious and shedding

Pictures from this week: Here are two from the festival yesterday!

Deployment Recap- Week 7

2010-07-11T13:27:00.003-04:00

Emotional: Pretty good. Saying goodbye to Jimmy via skype kind of blew...but, what can you do? My brain hurt after writing all of my papers last weekend..but those are over and my online class is starting and it looks to be a cake walk.

Physical: I was doing ok. I only lost a pound but at least it is something. I plan on going to the gym this week since i have oodles of free time but that is after I pay a trip to the doc tomorrow. I woke up with my left eye swollen and it hurts like a mofo. So it's either pink eye or some problem with my tear duct...sweet!

Communication: Not that great since he went back out to sea. I got my first email from him today and I'm sure I won't get many more cause they'll be busy doing secret submarine crap.

What's something fun you did this week: I went to the fireworks at Sailfest with Heather last night. Probably the best display I have ever seen. We had a good time people watching.

What are you looking forward to next week: NOT driving to New Britain. Other than that..I am free to do whatever. I think i might try to meet with a personal trainer on base or try one of the exercise classes.

What made you happy this week: Buying new flowers and seeing that I FINALLY have a baby tomato growing. It really doesn't take much to make me happy.

What made you sad/mad this week: Hmm..my husband trying to skype me after he had a few. I refuse to talk to him when he's drunk. So, he set his alarm for 4am and called me when he got sober. Oh, and not being able to get into the doctor's today because it's Sunday and the clinic isn't open. And crying while watching Bethenny Getting Married...I'm a loser who misses her husband.

What do you miss the most: Having some help around here! Seriously..pulling weeds is a two person job!

How's Floyd and Layla this week: Layla has been refusing to come in at night so she has slept outside last night because I refused to chase after her..HA! I just bought Floyd a spill proof water bowl...I'm sick of cleaning up after his splash-a-thons

Pictures from this week: None cause my internet connection is a piece of crap...grr

Rant

2010-07-06T19:29:00.003-04:00

So I'm skyping with the husband last night and we get on the subject of hookers since there are plenty of them in Bahrain. Mostly, I ask if he's seen "me-love-you-long-time" since being back there (my nickname for this hooker who kept staring him up and down when we were at a club in Bahrain during last deployment). He laughs and says no. Last night I asked if any of the single guys were living it up and getting hookers. He said he only heard of a few guys who got hookers. I reply with, "they're single right?" to which he says, uhhh no, one guy has someone. SERIOUSLY??? This just makes me so mad and of course he wouldn't tell me who it is (tho I doubt it's anyone I'm friends with) because he knows I would do something about it. This whole stupid not spilling the beans crap they have doesn't work anyway. People always find out. It just really upsets me that some poor girl is sitting here writing love letters and taking care of the home while her husband/significant other is DELIBERATELY spending money for sex. It's not like it was an unplanned, drunken thing...it's intentional!! I swear the Navy brings out the worst in a lot of these guys..and some of the women too. Stuff like that just really makes me sick and wish he had a normal civilian job and wasn't involved with these people or situations.

Deployment Recap- Week 6

2010-07-04T19:16:00.003-04:00

Emotional: Not the best week, between school finishing (I'm still writing papers) and some external situations, but I have a awesome friends and family that drag me away from life, even for a moment.

Physical: Better...I started going to WW meetings this week and was welcomed into a room of mostly Grandmas who were pretty freakin hilarious and very supportive. I'm quickly finding that I don't think i was getting enough calories..but we will see when I weigh in next week. If I haven't lost anything, then I plan on getting a plethora of blood tests when I go to the doctors in a few weeks

Communication: Jimmy has been pretty consistent with the skyping, but the internet connection throughout Bahrain is pretty crappy. It makes his face all pixelated. That and we are on our 3rd pair of headphones/mic that aren't working with his laptop. Hopefully he will fiddle with them some more because talking to him in a bar is kind of difficult when I can hear everything in the background

What's something fun you did this week: I went to Block Island yesterday with Heather and it was exactly what I needed. We took the ferry over, drank a bit, rode mopeds, and ate good food! I have no idea why I haven't gone here sooner! Heather is great to remind me to get out and do stuff besides homework.

What are you looking forward to next week: Hmmm...I would say starting my new class but I'm still burnt out from these two. So, I am looking forward to handing in my psych paper tomorrow!

What made you happy this week: Fun in the sun!

What made you sad/mad this week: A whole mess of stuff that i don't have the energy/nor privacy settings to get into.

What do you miss the most: Living a normal life...free of deployments.

How's Floyd and Layla this week: Good! Hanging outside as usual.

Pictures from this week:

Deployment Recap- Week 5

2010-06-26T15:30:00.003-04:00

Emotional: Effing done with it all. Last week of these two classes that I'm taking and I have no desire to do any more work. I finally cleaned my house this week. I feel like all I do is get no sleep, go to class, and then do homework for the rest of the afternoon/evening. Rinse and repeat.

Physical: I've been so pissed that I haven't lost any weight that I have no desire to exercise. I'm trying to make an appointment with my new doctor on base but I can't do that until next week because that's when I "officially" switch from standard to prime. Between the not losing weight and my hair being in a constant state of greasiness...I want some blood work done.

Communication: Not much. I get one maybe two emails per week....and I refuse to email him until he emails me back. I don't like talking to myself. His life is boring, mine is boring, makes for boring emails.

What's something fun you did this week: Heather and I went to a free movie at a park in downtown New London! They had a screen all set up and chairs and everything! We watched "Bringing up Baby" with Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn. It was a lot of fun and nice to get out of the house.

What are you looking forward to next week: These stupid classes to end!! That's about it. OH, Eclipse comes out on the 30th! I'm very much looking forward to that.

What made you happy this week: Honestly, nothing really. I've been miserable. Oh, arguing with my professor over the possible dangers of over vaccinating young children. I'm the only one who stood up to him :)

What made you sad/mad this week: See above. It pisses me off that people can't think for themselves and just take whatever anyone says as the word of God.

What do you miss this week: I could really use a good curl up on the couch and watch a movie with Jimmy night.

How's Floyd/Layla this week: Enjoying the weather! Layla has had some run ins with another neighborhood cat who keeps coming over to our yard. Layla snarls and chases the other cat away :) It makes me nervous though...I don't want anyone getting hurt!

Pictures from this week:

Ceiling fans!!! Woohoo!

Deployment Recap- Week 4

2010-06-20T20:49:00.002-04:00

Emotional: Not too bad...school is starting to become annoying...but I only have two weeks left! I also got lots of "I love yous" from the husband while he was in port

Physical: Ahh...non existent this past week! I had so much homework and then I went to NY for an extended Father's Day weekend. Plan on getting back at it this week

Communication: Good! Got to skype some more and have had a couple of emails since. We even had a beer together while and skype :)

What's something fun you did this week: I went home! Got to see my parents and went out to dinner with them and my brother. It's nice to go home every once in a while. I also got to spend the afternoon/evening with my Katie. We swam at her pool and went out for sushi. I hadn't seen her since my wedding. I miss being near my friends.

What are you looking forward to next week: Nothing in particular...just getting back into the swing of things after my weekend home. I'm realizing that I'm very much a homebody and don't like to be away from here unless I'm with Jimmy.

What made you happy this week: Talking to the husband and seeing all of my extended family at a bbq. Everyone is getting older and having babies..it's crazy!

What made you sad this week: Not losing a single pound after almost a month on the whole vegan thing and exercising. Seriously...it's really upsetting. I'm probably going to make an appointment with my doctor.

What do you miss the most: When something funny happens and he's not here. I just want to tell him and

I have to settle for email...not the same.

How's Floyd and Layla this week: They both missed me! Being away from Mommy for 4 days is rough...especially for Layla...she's super clingy.

Pictures from this week: Nada...will try harder next time

Deployment Recap- Week 3

2010-06-11T16:26:00.004-04:00

Emotional: A bit of the ole up and downs. I think that was due to mostly lack of sleep.

Physical: I finally broke out of the nap in the afternoon/only 5 hours of sleep a night routine. It was killing me. I was so bogged down with work this week that I didn't get to exercise as much....BUT...I exercised twice today and ran a mile without feeling like I was going to die...so that's a plus!

Communication: Well, after having problems with skype..Jimmy finally got ahold of me today. My initial anger kind of faded once I saw his goofy grin. We only skyped once last deployment so having it readily available this time around makes things easier/harder at the same time. It's so nice to see his face and the funny faces he makes, but at the same time it hurts too. I think I cope by the whole out of sight out of mind thing. Email is so not personal that it doesn't phase me too much, but seeing his face and hearing his voice reminds me that he's very far away from me and that I miss him a lot more than I pretend not to.

What's something fun you did this week: Heather and I went on a quest for good food. We went to this store called Stew Leonard's that has animatron puppets swinging from the ceiling (seriously, it looked like It's a Small World in there) and the aisles were like a maze...kind of like herding cows. It's quite the grocery experience and I plan on going back a few more times this deployment. We also went to Whole Foods (my fav) and spent a small fortune on stuff from there. They have a ton of vegan food there so it makes it easier for me to shop.

What are you looking forward to next week: Ceiling fans are getting installed on Tuesday! Oh, and I'm going home for Father's day weekend!

What made you happy this week: Talking to my husband and, sadly enough, watching the MTV Movie Awards. I found it to be quite funny, though I don't approve of the excessive swearing.

What made you sad this week: Finding out that I wasn't pregnant when my period was 3 days late. We were really hoping to get pregnant before deployment and have been trying for a little while. I was hoping it would happen sooner rather than later. Guess we'll have to wait til he comes home.

What do you miss the most: When we're randomly walking or sitting together and he drops a kiss on the part where my shoulder and neck meet. I like that

How's Floyd and Layla this week: Layla is a little miffed that I'm no longer allowing her to sleep on the bed. I put on the lighter duvet cover and realized just how much she sheds. It's gross. Floyd was happy he got to hear Daddy's voice today!

Pictures from this week: Since I can't figure out how to take a picture on skype (there is no button for mac users) I took a pic of the whole screen lol

Deployment Recap- Week 2

2010-06-04T16:17:00.006-04:00

Emotional: Good! I spent some time in the garden and got to see SATC2 with a good friend. I did get a little sad while watching Roswell (my favorite show growing up, Jimmy bought me the first two seasons) when a guy in a tux was dancing with a girl and it reminded me of dancing with my husband at our wedding. Other than that, I've been great!

Physical: Not as good as the other week. I've still been exercising but I've been so tired lately. I get up at 6, go to school, get home at 1, and crash...and I'm getting about 7 hours of sleep at night. I'm hoping my body is just adjusting to morning classes and I'm not coming down with something.

Communication: Much better! I've had a few emails this week and both of us are in good spirits. We're anxious for the first port call so we can skype together.

What's something fun you did this week: I went to a new breakfast place with Heather and we perused through the local nursery, each picking out different herbs so we could share.

What are you looking forward to next week: Hmmm...I don't have anything planned besides school. Maybe finishing my puzzle or finding someone to install my ceiling fans for less than $1,000.

What made you happy this week: Getting a 3.58 for the spring semester. I don't think I ever pulled that off as an undergrad. Oh, and starting summer school. I'm taking a class on King Arthur and another on developmental psychology. Both are interesting...and my psych professor is kinda hot in a nerdy way so that makes the class much better!

What made you sad this week: Getting a B in my testing class. I worked really hard on my testing project and thought I did a good job. Apparently she didn't.

What do you miss the most: Hearing my husband randomly breaking out into song.

How's Floyd and Layla this week: They are both enjoying the great outdoors! Layla got into a hissing match with a neighborhood cat who wandered into our yard. Layla won :)

Pictures from this week: Here are some pics from the plants around my house. We have a lot of roses and I planted a bunch of veggies (zucchini, lettuce, peppers, tomato, green beans, onions, and herbs)

Deployment- Weekly Recap

2010-05-28T15:53:00.003-04:00

So Kim started this over on her blog and I thought it was a great idea to see how people are handling things this time around. This makes deployment #2 for me (#3 if you want to count the insane amount of time they were gone last year). Overall, I think I'm handling things better than last time; I know what to expect :)

Emotional: I think I've only cried once or twice...which is pretty good in my book. I'm keeping myself busy and keeping my mind off of how long it will be before I see him again.

Physical: Pretty great. I started exercising this week and went back to the vegan diet. Other than some sore muscles, all is well with my body. My partner in crime, however, has been sick since they left...typical boat flu.

Communication: I've only received a couple of emails so far and that's understandable with my husband being sick and running drills all day/night long. He knows he needs to write more :)

What's something fun you did this week: I went to a makeup party at my friend Klaudia's house. It was fun to hang out with new people and I bought a crap ton of makeup :)

What are you looking forward to next week: Summer school!! I'm pretty sure I'm the only person in the world looking forward to that, but it keeps me busy and that makes the time go by faster.

What made you happy this week: Knowing that the outside of my house actually looks good this summer. Since we have most of the inside fixed up we were able to invest some money into landscaping. It was fun spending the last few days with my husband playing around in the dirt.

What made you sad this week: Well...saying goodbye last week was pretty lame. This week...probably my class being canceled after I already bought the books and having to scramble to find another class to take. Arthurian lit. here I come (barf).

What do you miss the most: Reaching over and feeling my husband in bed. I like knowing that he is there.

How's Floyd and Layla this week: Floyd was a little sad at first. He knows that Daddy and I always fold clothes together on the bed, and when I did it the other day, he had this sad face on and kept looking towards the door. Layla has loved that she no longer has to fight with Daddy to sleep next to me :)

Pictures from this week: Nada...will work on that.

New Blog

2010-01-03T22:46:00.001-05:00

I've started a new blog/project called Stephanie vs. The Classics. It's all about me reading the best 101 classic novels of all time. The link is on my blog list...or here.

For those of you that like to read, you might find it interesting!

Summertime

2009-08-08T09:24:00.002-04:00

Luckily for me, I've actually been busy this summer. I am babysitting for a family of 3, Monday-Friday, and boy do they keep me busy. I mainly watch the 4 year old boy and we've done a lot of exploring! We go to state parks, bike rides, nature walks, and we even hit up the kiddie dinosaur park! They are currently on vacation for a week which means that I get a week off! I wish Jimmy was home so we could enjoy a little more time together. His early departure really upset me and I feel like he's gone all the time. I did the math and realized that in the past 14 months or so...we've only been together for about 4 1/2 of them. Neither one of us had any clue how often this boat goes out to sea when we moved here. I've come to the realization that this is going to be our life for the next four years. Alas I can't imagine my life without him so I'm going to have to just deal with it. I'm not going to pretend that I like it though. I've learned that I need to start doing things to make myself happy and not to rely on Jimmy to do that. School starts in a couple of weeks and I'm really wanting to study/work in France next summer. Jimmy will be gone and I really miss the foreign lifestyle so hopefully we can make that happen. Other than that wedding plans are still going on. I've been working on a few things with that and will have to start crunching some stuff out since we will be Mr. and Mrs. in 3 months. I'm really excited to meet the rest of his family and for the festivities that weekend. I'm also looking forward to the birth of my best friend, and MOH's, son in November. It's a very exciting time for a lot of people right now and I'm glad to be a part of things.

I'll be glad when Jimmy gets home and we can spend some quality time together. We're hoping to get away for a weekend to Maine. I haven't been there since I was little and would love some romantic one on one (sans Floyd and Layla and the Navy) time with my man.

Is it time for them to come home yet??

2009-06-17T23:18:00.002-04:00

I feel like I don't update often, but honestly I don't live a very exciting life right now. I think I'm slowly starting to get over the novelty of blog writing. Typical Stephanie...gets really excited about something but loses interest easily. Jimmy has been gone for 3 weeks now and this underway has probably been the worst for us. He had some time off in FL last week and we talked on the phone FOREVER. Seriously, I don't think we ever talked like that when we were dating. We both kicked ourselves for me not flying down to see him. He had all this time off...but of course I got a bunch of teaching days and I'm trying to not spend money between now and the wedding. We have so much going on and money will start flying out of our wallet soon enough. So for now I will have to be content with emails until he comes home. Then it's back to readjusting and the laundry list of things we need to do. I can't wait til this stupid wedding is over and everything with the house is in its place so when he comes home, he's not busy fixing stuff, or we're not busy doing wedding crap. We have our pre cana (pre marital counseling) with a couple from the local Catholic church during July. I guess we sit with them and talk all about our relationship. Haaaa...Jimmy is going to love this. Neither one of us are too keen with chatting about our feelings and problems with strangers, but from what I've heard from everyone who has done it, it's very helpful. So yes, wedding crap aplenty when Jimmy comes home.

As for me, I've been keeping busy working and puttering around the house. I went to Six Flags with some of my friends and had an awesome time. I've also spent some time with my neighbor. She's 38 and lives next door and has a dog as well. We took the dogs on a long walk behind the schools and got sushi one night. It's nice to know that I can count on someone so close in case I need anything. Like today, when Floyd's 100 foot leash snapped and he took off. I had flashbacks of my birthday...searching frantically in the rain...to find him 4 hours later. Her and I headed in opposite directions on the street...and as I came back, ready to get in the car and start the search, there comes my filthy, muddy puppy from the backyard...comes right up to me and lets me put the leash on him. I sure hope he does this from now on. I think since I walk him so much he kinda knows where his home is. Talk about a heart attack though...sheesh.

I'm signing off for the night..busy day buying groceries and baby things! Victoria is pretty sure it's a boy. I'm so excited :) I get to see her and some other lovely bridesmaids this weekend since I'm escaping to NY. Hopefully I'll have some pics too!

Update

2009-06-01T16:17:00.002-04:00

So things have been better in the West/Peterson household. Jimmy left a little while ago to go on yet another underway. Whoever said this gets easier with time lies...because it sucks....still. We had such a fantastic time together while he was home. He took a 4 day weekend so we could get some stuff done around the house and just "be" together. We even got to go see a concert! Coldplay, on the lawn, under the stars...I couldn't have asked for a more perfect evening. Of course just when things are going perfectly, God likes to chuck a wrench in there. Jimmy's grandmother passed away and I had to let him know via a Red Cross message. It's times like these that I wish he wasn't in the Navy because he really should be with his family right now. On top of that we're dealing with the rumor mill that comes with being in the military. Rumors in general are never fun to deal with in a relationship...but it's even worse when you can't talk to your significant other right away to fix things. Luckily, we were able to talk briefly when he called home and things are on their way to being resolved. Relationships aren't easy but the Navy definitely makes it more difficult. We'll push on through it though.

Other than that I've been trying to keep myself busy by catching up with friends, doing things around the house, and attempting to exercise. I realized that my wedding is in 5 months and I really need to get a move on. I'm hoping to have some sort of result, even if it's only toning my "lunch lady" arms lol. I hope everyone is enjoying their summer and staying positive :)

Spring Days and Nights

2009-05-13T17:45:00.002-04:00

I've been keeping myself relatively busy while Jimmy has been gone on this underway. My parents came up this past weekend and I had a Lia Sophia party. It was the first time that I had guests over to my house so I had to make sure that things were put together. I tore apart most of the boxes in the basement, set up a t.v. viewing area down there, painted and put together the guest room, and cleaned the crap out of the upstairs. I had a great turnout at my party and would like to thank everyone who came! I even mowed the lawn all by myself...and I like it! (I think I do a better job than Jimmy...shh...don't tell) I've had time to go out with friends and want to start planning an actual housewarming party sometime this summer. We have a fire pit out back so I thought it would be fun to have a bbq/bonfire/drinking beer kind of party. I'm not very good at formalized things and this fits Jimmy and I so much better. Now to find a time when he'll be home...

Ooooo Pretty Blog!!

2009-05-04T21:23:00.002-04:00

So I went over to Kim's house tonight to get my box for May. Every month has a theme and we do a military wife swap where we send said box to a different person. It's kind of like a present every month! Well Kim had me and it was cooking/baking. I got a cookbook holder so I'm not constantly thumbing through pages while cooking, a HOT apron (I've always wanted one...my inner housewife calls to me), a new cookbook, and little mini herbs in pots!! I'm so excited to cook with my apron on :) So Kim made me dinner and then she put together my new layout on my blog. Seriously...I wish I was that creative. It's fantastic!! So thank you Kim!

On an even better note this underway has been going pretty well. I went and played rock band over at Josh and Eric's apartment (former sailors from the Alex). I had a blast drinking and basically peeing myself because the two of them are hilarious. I started painting the guest room today and hope to finish it tomorrow. It's a super pale blue and will hopefully fit my Cape Cod beach theme.

On the most super note ever I got my acceptance package for Grad School!!!! I'm sooo psyched! I will be attending Central Connecticut State University in the Fall and getting my master's and certification in TESOL. For those that don't know TESOL stands for teaching english to speakers of other languages. Basically all the Asians that come from China to work in the casino need their kids to learn English, so I'd be working in the public schools to teach them English. I'm hoping this certification will get me in to the public school system and I could teach French as well. So yes, while I miss my Jimmy, things have been ok on the home front :)

Peace out Sailor

2009-04-30T17:27:00.002-04:00

So I guess it's safe to say that the boys have gone underway again. This past week has been absolutely miserable for Jimmy. He stayed at work on Monday til 5:00 am on Tuesday, came home and I dropped him off at work at 9:00am, he had duty that day, was supposed to leave on Wednesday but something broke, I get a call at 10:00pm to come and get him because the higher ups finally decided to let the boys leave, then I dropped him off at 7:30 this morning and they finally left. Why did he have to be there you ask? Not entirely sure since when he would call me he'd usually say that he was doing nothing but still had to stay. This makes both of us livid. I am fine that he has to go on underways and on 6 month deployments. I understand it. What I don't understand is why they insist on keeping the men til all hours in the night when they are home in port. For Christ's sake, they work their asses off and are away from their families ALL THE TIME. Let them come home and spend time with the people they love once in a while. Fucking ridiculous...

In true "day of Jimmy leaving" fashion....something bad happens. This time, as I'm getting ready to spread the last of the mulch down, my screen door falls off and pulls most of the door frame with it. Fantastic. After crying and kicking things for a minute I call my dad and he tells me what to do. I go to Home Depot (I swear, I am there at minimum 3 times a week) and get some deck screws. I manage to screw the frame in, and put that big ass door back on, all by myself. So screw you screen door!!

Other than that I am planning on getting as much stuff unpacked, put together, painted, etc around the house before Jimmy gets back. My parents are coming up next weekend so I have to set up the guest room. I'm also having a Lia Sophia (jewelry) party next Saturday night at 6 if anyone would like to come :) So far it's just me and my mom.

To my fellow Alex ladies, hang in there, and damn the man, not your husband.

Update

2009-04-26T16:43:00.003-04:00

So I know I'm lazy and I apologize for not updating more often, but I've been busy. The past couple of weeks have consisted of unpacking and doing yard work. I have found that I enjoy being outside and digging up dirt. The previous owners of our house loved plants and even had a garden area set off in the back. It took me two days but I cleared it and started planting. So far I only have lettuce and carrots but plan to add more lettuce and some zucchini. I have also planted rosemary, lavender, basil, chives and parsley along the back row. I have pansies around my mailbox and marigolds around my garden. The weather this past weekend has been fantastic! I went up to NY for my friends Meaghan and Rich's wedding. I've known Rich since I was 12 and Meaghan since I was 15. It's so nice when two of your closest friends marry each other. It took them 6 years to actually get together and I was very honored to be part of their special day. We had so much fun at the wedding and I woke up with a HORRIBLE hangover yesterday...just in time to meet with my florist and priest!! YAY! I got all of our flowers picked out and am currently picking out readings for our wedding. Our priest, though 80 years old, is very personable and down to earth. I started mailing out our save the dates and am finding that trying to get addresses out of a man is near impossible (Karyn, I'll be emailing you soon). All in all it's been a nice couple of weeks and we're getting ready for Jimmy to be leaving again soon. It feels like he got back yesterday and I'm not ready to be without him yet :(

Pics from top left to bottom:

1. Jimmy trying to figure out why our brand new lawnmower doesn't want to work anymore...after over an hour of trying we took it back and got one that does work!

2. My vegetable and herb garden

3. Jimmy and I at the wedding...towards the end....I am very intoxicated...note the dumb smile

4. Meaghan and Rich exchanging vows!

5. Me, Kaela, and Tiffany celebrating in the limo :)

Chaos

2009-04-06T06:52:00.002-04:00

So I have a really good reason for not updating my blog recently. We closed on our house on the 27th and it's been hectic ever since. We've managed to move almost everything out of our apartment and we spent our first night here on Friday. Things that have needed or still need to be fixed: hot water heater (gas fumes weren't being vented outside..check), dishwasher (doesn't drain, we have a home warranty thank god...will be done this week), microwave above range (turns on but doesn't heat anything...we decided to replace it since we plan on replacing all the appliances eventually...til then we will use the one we own), upstairs toilet (I've plunged the shit out of that thing and it still drains slowly...we tried some uber draino in the sink to maybe clear the pipe that they share, if that doesn't work, Jimmy is going to learn how to remove a toilet!!), and the entryway light fixture (worked the day we moved in, then a bulb blew, I replaced them all, still not working). I think that's it for now...oh the joys of being a homeowner! It doesn't help that Jimmy hasn't been getting done with work til 5:30 most nights, which leaves me to do all of the work. I don't mind doing it but we have a fairly big house and it's hard doing everything by yourself (save for moving the big stuff, thanks to everyone who helped out and/or let us borrow stuff!).

On a crazier note I spent my birthday night frantically trying to find my dog. Floyd got away from me when I was bringing him and Layla down for their first night here. It was torrentially downpouring rain all night and I couldn't find him anywhere.I had to call Jimmy at work to get him to come home and we combed the entire neighborhood. We went back to the apartment to see if anyone had found him and left a message. Of course not...at this point I'm thinking we will never find him, or he'll be dead on the side of the road. Driving back to the house Jimmy spots Floyd in someone's yard on one of the main roads. We got him, filthy, cold, and wet, and probably scared out of his mind. I sobbed hysterically from relief and immediately made Jimmy take a shower with him. So my babies are safe and sound, and are still trying to get used to their new surroundings. Jimmy and I are realizing how involved it is to be a homeowner and how much money we will be spending. We spent a small fortune on furniture and stuff at home depot yesterday. We now are the proud owners of a lawnmower! I'm hoping to finish painting over the ugly gold color in the living room soon, and unpacking our lives. Alas I am housebound today since someone took the key to my car on accident. I wonder how long it's going to take until we have some semblance of normalcy here?

We bought in the wrong country...

2009-03-26T18:01:00.002-04:00

http://matadorlife.com/what-can-150k-buy-in-real-estate-around-the-world/

Bali anyone? Perhaps South Africa? Crap...we could have spent a lot less on a palace elsewhere!

P.S. All set to close tomorrow morning on our house. Thus starts many hours of cleaning, moving, and painting, oh my!

Our First Home (hopefully)

2009-03-22T07:51:00.002-04:00

So people have been asking me about the house that we are closing on next week, and I figured I would share some pics and details. First let me start off by saying that our luck with buying a home has not been very good and we're still a little nervous about getting too excited until we have the keys in our hands. Anyway, the house is a raised ranch, built in 1992 and sits on .65 acres in Uncasville (though it's basically in Montville, all the schools are right up the road from us). It has 3 bedrooms, 2 full bathrooms, and two living rooms (one up one down). It's in a neighborhood, which we didn't want at first, but for resale purposes, it's a good thing. Jimmy and I went and picked out some new living and dining room furniture at Bob's and plan on picking out paint soon. So here are some pics that I stole from the seller's realtor's website (not sure if I'm allowed to). Enjoy! Oh and don't worry, we plan on re-painting the walls so they aren't canary yellow (bleck).

Pics from NYC

2009-03-20T10:18:00.003-04:00

Fun Times in NYC

2009-03-20T10:02:00.002-04:00

On Monday, Jimmy and I ventured our way into NYC for two nights of the Allman Bros. Band. We took the train in from New Haven (note to self, they have a commuter rail that is so much cheaper than Amtrak...grrr) and arrived in a sunny, and surprisingly warm NY. Our first day was spent at the Museum of Modern Art (one of my favs) where we perused through some odd design pieces, classics like Picasso, Mattisse, and Rousseau, and my personal favorite, Rene Magritte :) Their gift store is incredible! We found a Magritte book for $15 and a Van Gogh poster that we plan on framing and putting in the living room. Having our fill of art for the day we went to Grand Central for the one and only Oyster Bar. If you like seafood, YOU MUST GO HERE!! We had 1/2 dozen oysters, grilled sardines (the big kind, from Europe...yum), and soup. Ahhh...thinking about it makes my mouth salivate. We made our way to the newly renovated Beacon Theater and watched a fantastic show! The next day we headed wayyyy downtown to the chocolate shop that we found 3 years ago when we first started dating. I had been looking forward to this for a very long time. We get to the back of the furniture store...and...it's no longer there!! Apparently they left 4 MONTHS AGO!! AGH!! Luckily the store clerk pointed us to another chocolate place. Max Brenner's (bald man) Chocolate Bar. Holy chocolate heaven. It's huge and there are pipes everywhere with chocolate in them and an enormous menu. Jimmy and I both got hazelnut crepes, oozing with chocolate. I took about 5 bites of mine and couldn't finish. We left very full and wandered around downtown. We don't normally venture around here (anything lower than 19th is foreign to us) but we found some interesting stores...including a CB2. It is apparently a Crate and Barrel 2 (we're registered at normal C&B). This place is much funkier but still fun to look at. We tried going to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame annex, but alas they were closed on Tuesdays. Tuesday night we ate at a sit down, upscalish chinese restaurant and got our BACKSTAGE passes to that night's show. *side note* When Jimmy picked up my engagement ring he felt the need to drink a beer so he went to a restaurant next to the jewelers. He met a guy there whose cousin married the drummer of the ABB. Dude got Jimmy's info and worked his magic...thus our backstage passes). We got to sit in chairs off to the side of the stage and watched the whole show from there. At one point, Jimmy taps my shoulder and asks if that is Sheryl Crow sitting behind me. Well shit, it was! She made a guest appearance during the second set. Let me tell you folks, I can only dream of looking like she does in my mid-forties. Jimmy got everyone from the band (except Gregg Allman) to sign his poster. We had a fantastic time and our now swiftly approaching our closing date for the house. It's supposed to be next Friday but some repairs still need to be done. We're crossing our fingers that everything goes smoothly because we gave our notice on the apartment. So...we maybe homeless if the deal falls through...eep!

Engagement Pics!!

2009-03-10T20:09:00.004-04:00

Hey everyone, some of our engagement pics are posted on our photographers' blog. Click on the link under my blog list to view them!

They are fantastic!!!

Weekend Craziness

2009-03-09T13:05:00.003-04:00

So Jimmy and I have pretty much been laying low here in engagement bliss. Things with the house are moving along, the sellers are getting estimates for repairs and hopefully will replace the roof and deal with the electrical problems. Closing is scheduled for the 27th...so cross your fingers!

This past weekend we went to upstate NY to get some wedding planning out of the way. Jimmy, my parents, and I went up to Silver Bay on Saturday to taste the food and decide on what we wanted. Jimmy had never been there before and I was pleased to see that he found the venue as beautiful as I do. The food was fantastic (to my surprise...I went to summer camp here...wasn't expecting the food to be great). We're having a buffet of balsamic marinated steak with mushrooms and peppers, grilled chicken in a garlic sauce, and stuffed sole. I was originally against a buffet but people can have all three dishes if they want to and I don't have to ask what everyone wants beforehand. My cousin Tanya, Auntie Di Di, and Tanya's husband Heath came up for the night. Victoria, Tanya, my aunt, and mom met Katie down at David's Bridal and we picked out dresses for everyone. I let the girls pick whichever style they wanted, and my mom even found a candidate for herself! It was really easy, and drama free :) Victoria brought over a huge book with invitation examples, so Jimmy and I picked out invitations, cake serving stuff, and our champagne flutes. It took us no time at all :) Saturday night was spent eating fantastic home cooked food, wine, and watching old home movies and making fun of how I talked when I was a kid (i.e. chawwwlie instead of charlie). Jimmy and I headed to Saratoga on Sunday and met with our photographers. They were fantastic and took soooo many more pictures than I thought they would! We walked all over Congress park, walked up and down Broadway, and got some awesome shots in the alleys. Our last shot was a dip in front of our favorite restaurant, Maestro's, where we went and had an awesome lunch immediately after. We had such a great, stress-free time and all I kept saying was how much I missed living in Saratoga. 10 1/2 more years til retirement folks.

I'll post engagement pics as soon as I get them!!

Letter to my Congressman

2009-02-26T10:24:00.002-05:00

"To the Honorable Joe Courtney,

It has recently been brought to my attention that in the Congressional Budget Office report (Budget Options, Volume 1: Healthcare, December 2008) suggestions have been made to force military families to pay more for their healthcare. It also stated that military retirees should pay more for their healthcare as well. On each page pros and cons were listed, yet one major con was left out. Members of our military stay in until retirement for the healthcare benefits. If this budget is passed, you will have soldiers dropping out of the military like flies and I guarantee that you won't be able to maintain a well-staffed military in any of the branches. My husband is a 9 year submariner and the only reason he is staying in until retirement is for the Tricare for life benefits. I am asking you to please take the ramifications of this proposed budget into consideration, and vote against any rising healthcare costs to military families. Sincerely, Stephanie West "

Obviously I made some changes to my name but the message still stands clear. Granted this is only a PROPOSED way to cut spending...I don't believe any of this has been brought to a vote. They are just going over ways to cut federal spending on a lot of things. Either way, I figured I would make my voice heard. You can read the entire proposed budget here:

http://www.cbo.gov/doc.cfm?index=9925

The page dealing specifically with military healthcare is on page 189.

I urge all of you to write to your congressman/woman to make sure that this won't happen.

(See all of my conservative friends...I'm not a complete liberal hippie ;)

Midday Musings

2009-02-20T12:22:00.002-05:00

So I feel like I don't update very often, and I would, except there isn't much going on in our world this week. My parents came up on Saturday and we were in and out of the bridal salon in twenty minutes. I picked the dress that I posted in my blog and am super happy with my decision. My dad didn't even blink at the price tag :) The good news is there is no tax on my dress and I get free alterations which is fantastic because I plan on losing weight. I started Weight Watchers again this week. I gained a good 5-8 lbs. since Jimmy has been home (beer mostly) and I want to lose...uhhh probably at least 30 before the wedding. It won't be easy since my body likes to stop losing around 175, but I'm going to give it a whirl and start exercising too. Jimmy offered to buy me and eliptical machine but I'm going to hold off on that for a while (expensive) and just try to go to the gym or take Floyd for long walks. I weighed myself yesterday morning and had lost 8 lbs. already (which isn't normal at all). That is the first week though...then it drops dramatically every week after. So I'll probably update on how that is going. You're supposed to look you best on your wedding day so I'm going to attempt to get there :)

Other than that our home inspection got pushed back to Tuesday because the seller's realtor wasn't there for the gas company to turn the gas on. Jimmy pretty much lost it that day...I hadn't seen him that angry in a long time. It was F this and F that and then he decided (good call) to talk Floyd for a walk to blow some steam off. I understand his frustration and try to be sympathetic but I hate when he gets like that so I just try to ignore him until he comes to me about it. We haven't had much luck in the house buying game and we really like this house and are so ready to move. He hates living here (and he's only lived here for a total of 2 months) and we want a yard for Floyd and a place to bring our babies home to. God just enjoys watching us squirm. Things will work out the way they are supposed to...we just have to be patient.

Our relationship as a whole has been better than ever. I was really worried that when he came home we would have a horrible time readjusting, but it hasn't been like that at all. We're so much happier together than we were even a year ago. We are planning our future and are committed to making each other's goals come true. After we had our offer accepted on the house I started freaking out over the cost and if we could realistically afford it. Jimmy sat down on the computer and came up with a spreadsheet of income and debt. He showed me how we could afford it on his income alone. I kept saying how I should really get a full-time job but I wasn't sure how I could do that and go to school an hour away. He looked at me and said, very sincerely, that all I need to focus on is school and that I'll be making good money afterward. It's reassuring and comforting to know that the person you're going to marry really believes in you and vice versa. In a couple of years we're going to be in a fantastic place financially and then we can start making babies :) I'm so excited and optimistic for the future and I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with him!

I got my ring :)

2009-02-14T07:03:00.003-05:00

So everyone pretty much knows that Jimmy did some random, kinda cute, over the phone proposal while he was in Bahrain part 3. Things spiraled from there when I found out that the place I wanted to get married at only had 3 dates left for 2009. I booked my wedding and a whole bunch of other "wedding funness" before i got a proper proposal. Well last night we went to Fall River, MA to see the Wood Brothers (check them out...we've seen them 4-5 times) and celebrate V-day (he has duty today). Apparently Fall River has a huge Portuguese population and I've never sampled their food so we went to a nice restaurant before the show. A nice bottle of red wine, littleneck clams, two fantastic entrees and dessert...then he mumbles something and plops on his knee in front of me. I don't really remember what he said...something along the lines of "I love you, we've seen the Wood Brothers a bunch of times and we've always had a great time, let's make this one really memorable, marry me". Don't quote me word for word on that. So I got the most beautiful ring in the world from the most wonderful man in the world. It is a 1 ct. marquise cut diamond in a cathedral, white gold setting. It sparkles a lot :) So today my parents are coming down from NY to look at my candidates for wedding dresses and hopefully we will purchase one today! I won't feel like a schmuck anymore trying dresses on without a ring. YAY! 11/7/09 folks :)

Back to it...

2009-02-09T08:32:00.002-05:00

So Jimmy had to go back to working normal hours today. I'm kinda bummed since it's been nice having him home. We haven't had a whole lot of down time in the past month. Lately buying a house has been our big time consumer. We have found a house in Uncasville/Montville that now under contract. Our home inspection is next week and then the dreaded appraisal. Last time we did the appraisal and the bank wouldn't give us what we had bid and then the seller wouldn't budge....therefore...no house. So you can see how I am trying not to get my hopes up too high. Jimmy had the bright idea to go look at paint colors, so we had fun perusing the aisles of Home Depot...looking at everything from lighting to bbqs. We're just both so ready to have a place of our own that we can bring our future kids home to. So cross your fingers folks!

Other than that...busy with wedding plans. My mom is coming down this weekend to look at my candidates for dresses and hopefully we'll make a purchase! Jimmy has duty on Valentine's day so I will be babysitting..aka trying to bring some money into our bank account. So yeah...that's it for now....sorry our lives aren't very exciting :)

Keep on Running...

2009-01-29T16:00:00.003-05:00

As much as I hate it when Jimmy has duty...I sure do get a lot done. Today I decided to look at wedding dresses. By myself. Yep...I got that sad smile from everyone who saw me and I had to explain that my bridal party and my mother are all 3 hours away. I had a great time at a boutique in Providence that I thought carried a certain line but apparently they don't anymore. No worries...I still found a few dresses to try on. I laughed with the sales girl about how I couldn't fit into most of the dresses (sample sizes ran around a 10 on average), but not to worry, I planned on doing the whole starvation thing right before the wedding haha. Well I found two dresses that addressed everything that I wanted...ivory, some form of sleeve, a-line, and simplistic. The more I think about them the more I am leaning to one dress. It's a little pricey but the fabric is wonderful and it looks great on me. So basically I told my mother she needed to come up ASAP so I can take her and we can buy it. I also went to David's Bridal since their dresses are cheaper and I had a question about bridal party stuff. I had heard mixed reviews about them and after today, I don't think I want to buy my dress there. The salesgirl kept trying to tell me that a huge veil and blusher would be best (I don't like long veils) and that petticoats would fill it out (I HATE poof). Then when I found one that was ok she wanted to go ahead and order it....without my mother being there. "It could be a surprise for her". Ugh. Pushy salespeople piss me off. So my mom will be coming down in a couple of weeks and I'll show her the two that I like and hopefully we'll have a dress!!

Tomorrow it's back to looking at houses. I'm hoping that we come to a decision tomorrow. We have one possible candidate that Jimmy likes and I'm not too thrilled with but will make do with it if I have to. Houses, and weddings oh my! Shoot me please :)

P.S The dress comes with attachable cap sleeves which I plan on wearing :)

Letter from Michelle Obama to military families

2009-01-28T10:56:00.002-05:00

I read this and was kind of touched by it. I'd post the whole letter but my blog is being a hooker.

http://www.military.com/spouse/fs/0,,fs_MessagetoFamilies,00.html?ESRC=mscc.nl

Wedding Pics

2009-01-26T17:25:00.003-05:00

Busy Bees...

2009-01-25T10:30:00.002-05:00

So my apologies for not updating recently, but Jimmy has been on leave and well, we've been busy. We had a fabulous time last weekend in NH for my cousin's wedding. I was the maid of honor so we went up early on Friday and took a detour to the Long Trail brewery in VT before rehearsal festivities. The brewery is basically across the street from where I used to live in VT and it is fantastical (my new favorite word). We had a great lunch and got to see my favorite beer, blackberry wheat, being made. The rehearsal and dinner was a good time. A lot of people got drunk at dinner (not us) and thought it would be funny to steal the decorative drink cups from the restaurant. My cousin left her purse there and the restaurant held it hostage until the cups were returned haha. The wedding was beautiful and my cousin looked incredible...as did her groom in his white and red pimp suit. Jimmy looked hot in his new suit from Bahrain and the tie that I got him for Christmas. We danced a lot that night and I got so many compliments from my drunk family members on how I picked a good guy...then of course Jimmy got the "you better treat her right" speech by my uncles :) I caught the bouquet and told Jimmy that he HAD to catch the garter....did he? NOPE. So I had someone else reaching up my dress putting the garter on. Highly amusing. The drunk lot of us decided that swimming would be a good idea after the wedding. So I figured I could swim in my underwear and a t-shirt. Jimmy told me no...like really told me no. Chalk that up to the first time he's been protective of me. We had a blast beating each other up in the pool and J and I won in a chicken fight against my brother and his gf Bridgette. All in all, a fantastic weekend!

This past week we've been busy looking at engagement rings (I found one!) and houses. We've got three houses that are in the running and are looking at one more candidate next week. Then we'll figure out which one we like best and put an offer in. Let's hope this time it works. Jimmy went back to work today so I get a full day to do whatever I want....which will probably consist of cleaning, and maybe going to the movies. I will try to update more...especially on engagement and house stuff!

Homecoming Pictures

2009-01-15T07:30:00.002-05:00

About Time

2009-01-15T07:15:00.002-05:00

As I'm sure most of you know Jimmy is home now. He came home Saturday afternoon to a cold and snowy Connecticut. I surprisingly got 6 hours of sleep the night before, made sure the apartment was spotless, got beautified and headed to Sam's for breakfast and mimosas (mmm). I made myself stop drinking after four...his first sighting of me didn't need to be a drunk one :) So we stood on the pier for what felt like FOREVER (probably because it was so cold that I couldn't feel my toes) and then they lowered the plank and the men started piling off. Wouldn't you know it that I was one of the last ones waiting for my man :) Then I spotted him, can't mistake the molest-a-stache he was sporting, and I attacked him :) Poor guy had roses for me that I crushed...I just didn't want to let him go. In spite of how angry I was about him buying a 2k rug (which we talked about and got over....though I plan to use that as the running joke of the year), my anger melted away once I saw his goofy smile.

He is on leave so we were able to go home right away. Floyd was so excited to see his Daddy and they went back to being best friends in no time. We opened Christmas presents and he got me some lovely things from the countries that he visited. Perfume from France, an evil eye bracelet from Turkey, a stuffed monkey from Gibraltar, and....a matching diamond and sapphire necklace and earrings. Sapphires are my favorite and they are gorgeous :) I got him a bunch of cds that he wanted, Wall-E, some new ties to match his new suits, and beer! We sat and played on our new Mac for a while then I cooked stuffed sole, asparagus, and brown rice for dinner and we watched a David Gilmour dvd and went to sleep eventually ;)

We have stumbled back into our routine with almost no weirdness. A few times we've been short with each other and I swear if he leaves the seat up one more time I'm going to stick his head in the toilet! Other than that we've been having fun! We went to Providence and looked at rings and went to Dave and Buster's for lunch and games! I kicked his butt at Mario Kart and he smoked me at air hockey. We've resumed our hunt for a house and are already pre-approved for our loan. We start looking next week :) This weekend we're off to NH for my cousin's wedding. Our trip to NYC has been cancelled due to Steve Winwood being a dick and cancelling his concert....Jimmy was none too happy. Other than that just enjoying each other's company and talking about our wedding at the end of the year. I guess you could say I'm engaged now:)

Horoscope for the Day....

2009-01-09T08:29:00.002-05:00

So I read my horoscope and laughed hysterically at how ironic it was: Keep your friends and family informed as to what you are thinking of doing today. Five minutes earlier I was wondering how I was going to update my blog in a tactful manner. I try not to air out relationship issues over my blog because it's completely one-sided. Then again, this is my blog, and is more or less an online diary of sorts. Needless to say, with homecoming being uber close at hand, Jimmy and I are probably in the worst argument of this whole deployment. Great timing....and no I didn't plan it...it's all his bad timing. Basically he made a HUGE purchase without discussing it with me and tried to hide it by using a different credit card than normal. I lost my mind because we are getting married, buying a house, going to CA, I'm going back to school, I'm only substituting right now, ALL IN THE SAME YEAR. So to say I am upset is sort of an understatement. In marriages (and yes I know we aren't married yet but since our finances are combined, we are financially) I assumed that couples talked and decided on big purchases together. I think anything over a few hundred dollars is in need of joint approval. Apparently I am mistaken...or Jimmy just thinks that doesn't matter. So now I've come up with a great revenge scheme that doesn't cost us anything, and in the end will be saving some money...and no it's not the "no concert" rule I was originally thinking of. It's better. He doesn't understand why I'm upset which makes things worse. I plan on basically greeting him on the pier then punching him in the balls. I would like to thank my wonderful family and Samantha from talking me off the proverbial ledge. I am praying that we can move past this and that he will never, EVER do this again...because frankly...I won't marry him if he plans to.

There is my one deployment, hate on Jimmy, post. I still love him, I still am anxious to see him, I'm still planning our future. I am fully confident that the next post will be one of happiness and lovey dovey crap. Until then I will keep myself busy with cleaning and preparing for his arrival...and trying not to throw things :)

Drinking and Bowling...Life is Good

2009-01-04T19:42:00.002-05:00

So I've been trying to keep myself as busy as possible during the home stretch of deployment. Time seems to be creeping by so I try to fill the void with fun things. I helped Sam out doing inventory in return for pizza from our favorite pizza place in Mystic. After a week of no carbs....god did it taste so good. Sam, Eric (Joe's friend), and I went bar hopping throughout Mystic and had fantastic dessert at Azu....so much fun!

Last night was the bachelor/bachelorette party in NH. After the limo debacle I wasn't looking forward to the night at all. We settled on bowling and boy was I grateful. I had a blast with my crazy family and bowled incredibly for drinking a bit of beer. Go team F.U.!!

Time is winding down now and I'm trying to get things ready. I was thinking about how I had to go grocery shopping at some point, and I'll have to buy for two. I'm trying to remember what he likes to have in the house for food and I'm coming at a loss. I did make sure to have my parents bring some bbq chips from Stewart's (best convenience store only found in Upstate NY). I'm excited and nervous at the same time. We reconnected instantly in Bahrain but I worry it will be different here. I'm very much in my routine here and I take care of everything. I manage the money, get stuff taken care of, clean, care for the animals, etc...and now I have to share that again. You think I would jump for joy but I like being independent. It will be worth it in the end...and I'm probably making a mountain out of molehill. Only time will tell. I can't wait to kiss him though...molest-a-stache and all!

Quick Bitch Post

2009-01-01T12:47:00.003-05:00

So this is my second round as MOH...and I'm not cut out for this shit. I had drama dealing with the bridal shower which resulted in 4 people not being there. I planned the JOINT bachelor/bachelorette party for my cousin and her husband...even though I don't live in NH and have only gone out once there. I found a great deal on a limo for 10 of us and got the ok from everyone to get the limo...and we'll go out and have a good time. I sent my deposit out this week since the party is this Saturday. I get a phone call...not from my cousin nor her husband...nor anyone in the bridal party. I get a phone call from my other cousin's gf who I have met ONCE telling me that the guys have bailed on the limo. WHAT!!!???!!! They all have my phone number and no one bothered to call or email me to let me know what was going on. Now I'm out $50 for this shit and am basically fuming. I am not working nor do we have a crap ton of money now....we have stuff that we are doing this year that will cost a lot of money...and I don't need to be throwing $50 out the window. I'm going to kill someone. ARGH!!!!

2009

2009-01-01T11:53:00.002-05:00

In copying Kim's post, here are a list of things I'd like to do in 2009.

1. Go back to school in the Fall.

2. Get married :)

3. Buy a house

4. Find a job or at least be able to substitute a few days a week to help out

5. Roll over my 401k into an IRA

6. Lose 15-20 lbs

7. Go to CA with Jimmy to see his family

8. Come up with some sort of budget or financial understanding with Jimmy

9. Go on a honeymoon (that may have to be carried into 2010)

10. Have a house party...like a real I have to play hostess and entertain party

11. Figure out when we're going to start having kids

12. Spend as much time with Jimmy as possible...and tell him I love him everyday

Post Christmas Musings

2008-12-28T10:19:00.003-05:00

So I had a pleasant Christmas, minus getting a ticket on my way to my parents house. I helped my poor father with his shopping for my mother. Every year he drags me out to brave the last minute crowds. I finished my shopping a month early specifically to avoid said crowds. For those of you that don't know, I have mild claustrophobia when in some crowded places...and malls make me feel ill in general. I'm not a shopper. We ran all over Queensbury, then down to Saratoga because I made my mother take me to one of my fav restaurants for lunch. Mmmm duck sandwiches (Jimmy is jealous). We went out to the Olive Garden for dinner where my dad and I got our wine buzz on. I was able to see my friend Kaela, who lives in Chicago. I miss having my friends all in the same town, but I guess that's what happens when you grow up, you move.

I was the first one up on Christmas day....my internal Floyd alarm clock wakes me up at 7am. So my dad blares obnoxious christmas music to wake everyone up. I put Layla on everyone's bed...including my brother who is allergic :) My mother swore she wouldn't go overboard with presents this year, she lied as usual. We always have presents spewing out everywhere...as well as stockings. So I got some sweaters, lacy panty things that Jimmy should like, a gift card to Sephora, a transmitter for my ipod to play in the car, some children's books :) and a bunch of other stuff. The only thing that was missing was Jimmy. I typically hate Christmas, but we've always had good ones together. Waking up and opening presents under our mini-tree. I'm not going to lie and say that I wasn't sad, but we'll have our Christmas together soon.

Speaking of Jimmy, he decided to wait until this last port to skype with me....and I was in NY. So I had a broken conversation with him on x-mas eve, he had duty on x-mas day, and never called me the day after. I went to Sam's for dinner thinking I was in the clear, but he calls me! Sam, being nice and sharing, set up her computer for me so I could skype with Jimmy. Oh how I wish we had done this from the beginning. It's so much better to be able to see him. We talked for two hours that night...making faces at each other and laughing. He called me again last night and I was able to show him Floyd and Layla. He misses his dog...and I can't wait for them to reunite. I said goodbye through tears and know that I will see him again for real soon.

I didn't take any pictures but I stole the ones from Kim's blog. Jimmy with his molest-a-stache. He plans on keeping it when he walks off the boat...and shaving it as soon as he gets home!

I'm off to go spend the money that Karyn gave me for Christmas (thanks!)

Mother F-ing Snow

2008-12-21T11:14:00.003-05:00

I thought I had escaped the snow by moving to coastal CT. Apparently the snow has followed me. Some pics from the last few days. Oh....the pic of our cars...was after I had shoveled 4 times.

P.S. Jimmy misses home and called me SAW instead of SAP. Is it homecoming yet?

Busy Bee

2008-12-16T18:40:00.002-05:00

December has turned out to be a rather hectic month. My cousin's bridal shower went well this past weekend. We had soooo much food that we had to bring some back to the men at her house. I was asked to stay the night but alas Floyd was home and I don't leave him by himself for that long. Apparently there was a boob contest going on...my aunt told me I would have won :) I can only imagine what the bachelor/bachelorette party will be like.

I substituted for the first time yesterday. I got to teach special ed to 3rd and 4th graders. I had a blast and was able to help some of the students in their classrooms...I even helped with Math!! Walking around the school and helping the kids out reaffirmed my yearning to get my Masters and get certified. I'm applying to a few more school districts and am hoping to be busy next semester.

On a great note...I got a phone call today from a certain someone. They are in Turkey for a little while and plan on doing a big bus tour tomorrow. I'm excited for him to get home already. It won't be too long before we can play Rock Band, cook dinner together, and spoon. I can't wait :)

Is December over yet?

2008-12-09T19:16:00.002-05:00

You think this month would go by a little quicker since I'm so damned busy...but of course God likes to smite me whenever he can. I am thankful that I have things to do this month...November was a bit of a bust...mostly me moping because I wasn't working. I will hopefully start substituting soon for New London and North Stonington school districts. My interview with N. Stonington is tomorrow and I'm a little nervous. I've been on plenty of interviews but never really one for teaching so I hope I make a good impression. It's not guaranteed work but I'm hoping if I get accepted at enough districts I'll be called in a couple times a week.

Other than that I went to a Christmas party last week with my mother. Her high school friend throws a huge party at his house every year. I always make fun of my mother for over decorating...she doesn't hold a candle to these people. Three trees, a real santa, and more ornaments than the North Pole. I got to sit on Santa's lap and I told him that all I want for Christmas is for Jimmy to come home safe and sound. That really is all I want....I have no need for material things...him being home would be the greatest Christmas present ever. Well...maybe a diamond ring too. Speaking of that I went to a beautiful park today called Harkness Park. An old Greek revival mansion, with gardens, right on the ocean. Engagement pictures....totally :) Can't wait!

Running around with my head cut off...

2008-12-01T16:02:00.002-05:00

So today is December 1st and that means that deployment will be over with soon enough. I'm looking forward to not taking care of everything and to actually talk to Jimmy and get a response right away...instead of waiting for emails that may or may not come. I had a lovely Thanksgiving at home with family and friends. My life is in a state of chaos at the moment. I'm trying to get everything packed up so when Jimmy comes home...we can move as soon as we find a place. I looked at a townhouse today that seemed decent enough...in the good part of New London..with a dog park down the street. I'm still pushing Jimmy to move into housing...he's just not into it. I'm thinking it should either be that or we get a house. Living off base won't save us any money. I would personally like to get a house but with the creditors not lending much these days...I'm not sure if we can afford a monstrosity of a down payment...and get married in the same year. This is all fun stuff we can figure out once he gets home. Wedding plans are a go....I'm apparently planning a wedding without being formally asked to get married. This is typical Jimmy and Stephanie...we can't do anything right :) So hopefully I'll be getting a date and place soon...then we'll do the ring shopping when he gets home. I am making him get down on one knee and asking even though we've already agreed to this. It won't feel real unless he does it properly. I'm off to NH tomorrow to shop with my aunt for my cousin's bridal shower. Everyone is getting married and having kids! It's nuts...and looks like I'm jumping on the bandwagon too :)

A Good Day

2008-11-25T13:44:00.002-05:00

So despite the techs having to order another part for my busted washer, cause the first two weren't the right ones, today was still a good day. Jimmy called me and we talked for over an hour. We're going to see Steve Winwood in NYC when he comes home and since I caved on that I asked if we could do something that I wanted to do. He assumed I wanted to tour the UN building...not quite. I told him I'd like to go to a jeweler that specifies in antique and replica engagement rings. He said ok....no really I swear he did. Then he starts talking about us getting married. I promise I didn't put words in his mouth. HE wants to get MARRIED. Holy shit. He thinks getting married in a courthouse and then doing a real ceremony later would be great. I'm not exactly down with that idea nor is my mom (she will kill me). This is a HUGE step for us. Usually I sit there and talk about our wedding and blah blah blah and he sits and says "uh huh". Nope this time he got into it...and suggested ideas!!

As if that wasn't enough to make my day...I got employment papers in the mail from New London schools to substitute. Yay!

So yes...happy day to me. Leave Halloween open next year folks :)

Ohhhh sweet voice

2008-11-22T15:18:00.002-05:00

So I got a call from Jimmy this afternoon and I cant describe how great it was to hear his voice. Ever since I came back from Bahrain things have gone wrong...me losing my job, the washer breaking, mold problems, vacuum breaking, etc....so hearing from him makes my problems diminish. We laughed and joked and talked about moving. He found out about Steve Winwood playing, which i purposefully didn't tell him about (thanks Karyn lol), so it looks like we'll be heading to NYC after he comes home for beer drinking and music listening. I told him how I've priced out our entire wedding, and that we could afford to buy a house as well since my parents plan on paying for most of it. He told me how he likes to tell one of the guys some of the things I say in email. They turned me asking him if he wanted pork or chicken at my cousin's wedding into a rock/paper/scissors game. Apparently they get bored :) So he's back in Bahrain (this makes the 3rd time) and will be there until they get some stuff fixed. I love him so much and can't wait for him to come home.

Twilight Musings

2008-11-21T10:21:00.002-05:00

So as most of you know, I jumped on the Twilight bandwagon. It started in August....while perusing through Borders...I kept seeing billboards for this author and some book she was releasing. So i went home and did some research and noticed that the fourth and final book was coming out. Since I like vampires, I decided to read the first book. I read the 600 or so pages in an afternoon and ran back to the bookstore to buy the remaining three. It's been a while since I've been so obsessed with a book...so you can guess how excited I was to go to the first showing of the movie at midnight last night.

I went in with no real expectations....knowing that the movie would never be as good as the book. There were two packed theaters full of teeny boppers, dressed in their Twilight t-shirts, giggling anxiously. Two hours later I left the theater wanting to come back and watch it again. It wasn't great by any means. They turned some serious scenes into corny, laughable moments. I felt bad for the cast, because I'm sure their acting skills are great, but the script was less than stellar. Overall I think it worked for most of the audience and I'm hoping they fix the flaws before the sequel comes out. Until then, I will reread my books, and wish that Jimmy could be as "dazzling" as Edward Cullen. My poor boyfriend...can't hold a candle to the vampire :)

Yay for me as well!

2008-11-16T13:40:00.003-05:00

In response to Kim's post...yay!!! I bought my ticket to see Twilight at midnight on Thursday. (I'm hoping that since it's a school night...most of the teeny boppers can't go see it). I'm super psyched and am re-reading some of the books. For those of you who have not read this series...go read it! Some of the most engaging fiction I've ever read!

Playing around with the webcam

2008-11-13T00:33:00.007-05:00

I got bored and decided to play with the webcam settings on our mac. I think I need to find a job :)

I got roses!!!

2008-11-11T11:22:00.003-05:00

So today is our three year anniversary. I sometimes can't believe that we've been together that long...it seems like a liftetime ago. So I get a knock on the door...and low and behold...Jimmy has FINALLY remembered our anniversary. He has the worst memory known to man so this is really a triumph in my opinion. I now have a vase filled with two dozen lovely red roses. Layla is very happy that Daddy sent her a box to play in and Floyd wants to know why he can't chase the UPS guy back into his truck. It's a fun time for all of us basically. So there will be no 5 course homecooked meal like we normally do every year....but I have pretty roses to look at...and hopes that these last two months or so go by quickly.

Wow

2008-11-05T00:23:00.003-05:00

So I don't like to talk too much about politics because I don't like causing controversy, but after tonight, I just wanted to say how proud I am to be an American now. It's not because a democrat won, but because of how many people went out to vote today. This election, if anything, brought a sense of hope to voters on both sides of the fence. I loved seeing people get excited about politics again. It was refreshing.

As for me...I'm so blessed to be able to see history made. I'm so excited that we have an African American president and I know that this will move our country away from the disgust of racism. It's funny...I remembered sitting in my dorm room during the 2004 election...staying up til the wee hours of the morning....having my boyfriend console me on the phone because I was sobbing hysterically, so confused at how we could have elected Bush again. Tonight, I had tears streaming down my face for a different reason. As I watched Barack Obama give his acceptance speech tonight, I felt something that I hadn't felt in over 8 years. I felt hope. I am hopeful for the future of our country. 1/20/2009 can't come soon enough.

Halloween Fun!!

2008-11-01T10:16:00.005-04:00

As most people know Halloween is my favorite holiday and I haven't really celebrated it too much in the past few years. So I decided that I would change that this year. I started off by paying a visit to a town that I absolutely adore...Salem, MA! I hadn't been there since I was 13 and was scared from all the scary things that jumped out at me. I put my brave face on and Samantha and I enjoyed our day full of witch and pirate history!! We went to a few museums, a spooky ghost story reading, shopping, drinking (yay Beer Works), and most importantly, drinking hot cider! We had a blast and decided we need to bring Joey and Jimmy next year.

On Halloween I actually went out with Bethany to our favorite bar, Double Down, for some drinking and costume watching. Well we walk in and see some scantily clad women dancing on the bar...which I don't necessarily blame them because Halloween is the one day out of the year that you can dress like a slut in public. So I went as a vampiress and Bethany doned a Grecian goddess costume. We met up with our bar friends, the ever fun loving, ass grabbing Grace, and the two Sarahs. We danced, drank, saw a giant penis, and watched a fight happen that ended in blood and someone going to the hospital. We left at that point and chalked it up to a fine Halloween! I plan on going home next weekend and out with my girls so I'm sure I'll have some more fun stories from that.

My trip to Bahrain

2008-10-29T10:39:00.007-04:00

Just a few choice pictures of my trip. I had a wonderful time in the Middle East with the man that I love. We rode camels, swam in the rooftop pool, went to Oktoberfest, bought him custom made suits, had lots of sex, and I ate all the hummus I could! Being with him was wonderful...all I talked about was marriage and babies...he now knows what "princess cut" is :) I can't wait til this stupid deployment is over so we can get back to our lives.

My Old Bucket List

2008-10-26T13:21:00.002-04:00

To copy Kim's last blog, I found a list of things I wanted to do before I turn thirty. I'm pretty sure I wrote this when I was 20...and my how my perspective has changed. Everyone should get a good laugh out of this.

1) Live in a city (Albany doesn't count)
2) Pay off all my student loans (haaaaaaaaaa...)
3) Go to France, preferably often (Done Summer 2005)
4) Live in a nice apartment (Done, I liked our apartment in Saratoga)
5) Get my Master's (This better be done by the time I turn thirty)
6) Take horticulture classes
7) Wear a bikini (um...well I weigh less than I did then but I still have a long way to go)
8) Go on a vacation by myself
9) Go to Martinique
10) Have a stable career that I love (That probably won't happen until Jimmy retires)
11) Own one of: Lexus, Audi, Mercedes Benz (My tastes are much more economical..I want a hybrid)
12) Learn how to fix my own car (does changing a tire count?)
13)Meet a nice man who maybe I can settle down with (Sure as hell hope I've got this one in the bag...note how I didn't say marry...I didn't want to get married for the longest time)
14) Go back to Ireland...and sleep with an Irishman (I can probably do the first part...Jimmy won't like the latter)
15) Have a cat and dog (yay Floyd and Layla!)
16) Get my BA in French (done May 2006)
17) Have enough money to buy a house (Well...Jimmy and I will have enough money for a house..I guess that counts)
18) Sleep with a black man (what can I say...I was always curious)
19) Own a real Kate Spade bag (I'm hoping this may come true)
20) Feel powerful, accomplished, and happy (Wishful thinking)

So a few things are different...mainly I want kids before I turn thirty...and I kindly remind my loving man that every chance that I get. I also want to go travel some more, start a garden, get married and probably a few other things along the way :)
P.S. Still no Mac yet...alas no pictures :(

Back from the Middle East

2008-10-23T08:40:00.002-04:00

So I made it back from my jaunt halfway across the world. I was sooo happy to step back on U.S. soil after the longest plane trip of my life. The minute Jimmy left all I wanted to do was go home. I plan on writing a long entry about my trip once our new mac comes in the mail this weekend. Our computer is dying and I can't upload pics anywhere without it freezing on me. So I figure I'll wait and do everything later.
On a not so happy note my job fired me for going to see Jimmy. Or, as they put it, I resigned. I'll write more on that as well. So basically it's back to square one. :(

Greetings from Bahrain!

2008-10-15T01:53:00.002-04:00

Just a quick note to say that Kim and I arrived safely to Bahrain yesterday morning (14th). We had a pleasant, but long, trip over here. The food on our flight was fantastic! I didn't sleep the night before at all...slept about 2-3 hours on the flight....took a 5 hour nap in the hotel...then slept probably 4-5 hours last night. I'm all over the place. Bahrain is beautiful! The architecture is a mix of ancient islamic and modern skyscrapers. The people are super friendly....and they all speak english! Seriously, I was prepared with my arabic phrasebook, and haven't had to use it once! Jimmy takes leave today at 4pm so I am anxiously awaiting his arrival. Justin came late last night so the three of us are going to venture around for a little bit. Will update with pictures later!!! :)

Bon voyage à moi!

2008-10-12T18:35:00.002-04:00

So as most of you know I am venturing to lands known only to me and a close few. I can't wait to see Jimmy! He's hinting that we maybe able to spend more quality time together than originally anticipated. I can't wait to give him the biggest hug and longest kiss...it's been so long. Kim and I went electronic shopping for our trip yesterday and I came home with a cool, PINK ipod nano. I love it but am currently fighting with our piece of shit computer to get things rolling. Basically, we have no memory on our computer because a certain someone has too much shit on it. So I've started transferring all of his stuff onto discs since we're getting a mac when he comes home. Here's hoping we get there in one piece and that my hand dandy phrase book allows me to communicate with the locals. I'll write more and post pics once I get there :)

Rollercoasters

2008-10-05T11:48:00.002-04:00

So September flew by and I am grateful for that. Autumn is my favorite season. I love the crispness in the air, apple everything, sweaters, and of course, changing leaves. Last weekend I ventured back home for Beth and Nate's wedding in Lake George. Sometimes I forget that CT is in a different climate zone until I realize that leaf peeping season is in full bloom in upstate NY. As I was sitting on the veranda, overlooking the mountains and Lake George, I realized how lucky I was to grow up in such a safe, beautiful part of the country. I miss it a lot sometimes and am thrilled that Jimmy wants to move back and build a home there when we're done with the Navy.

Speaking of the Navy, I've been trying to go out to see Jimmy when they pull in next. I can't tell you how many times the schedule and place has changed. It's been extremely frustrating for both of us but I'm holding strong. Work hates me enough as it is and I've tried explaining to them that my family comes first...basically everyone in our center takes way too much time off and I think they want to make an example out of the new girl. I honestly don't think they could fire me since they can't keep people there and no one applies to work there. Plus they just lost someone in our department. So for now I'm planning on hopping a plane pretty soon to destinations only known to myself and Kim. I'm looking forward to spending some time (even if it's only a little bit) with Jimmy and reaquainting ourselves. So here's to hopefully seeing my man...I can't wait to throw my arms around him and give him a big smack on the lips!!

Oh Lordy, Lordy

2008-09-21T15:45:00.005-04:00

So...I went out last night to celebrate my co-worker, Bethany's, 26th birthday. She's single, wants a guy, so we went on a manhunt last night! We came across a real bar! I thought they didn't exist in CT! Four pool tables, outside deck, big bar, dj and dance floor...and...a mechanical bull. Now I've never had the joy of finding a bar with such a wonder inside. Needless to say....sober Stephanie got on the bull....wrapped my legs around it...leaned back...and held on FOREVER. One of the guys we were talking to told me that I looked really good up there. Ha...poor guy. So I play wingman...because I'm a good friend and don't believe that you stop hanging out with single friends once you're taken. It's not fair to them...and I've been in that boat many times. So I very carefully talk with guys, but don't let them touch me. I talk up my friend..and by the end of the night...I ended up with 2 phone numbers...and she didn't have any. As we were pulling away from the bar...I stopped the car...and made her get out and give the guy she thought was cute her number. When you have nothing to lose and everything to gain...might as well take a risk. Then we went back to her place and sat in the hot tub....oh thank you jesus for that. When Jimmy and I build our house...I'm demanding a hot tub :) So happy birthday to Bethany...and kudos to me for still having it ;)

Waiting for the fun to start

There I go!

I finally gave up

Hahahaha....

2008-09-15T19:34:00.003-04:00

Just something quick....Tina Fey as Sarah Palin on SNL...so freakin hilarious!
http://tv.msn.com/tv/article.aspx/?news=330748&GT1=28103

On a sidenote...

2008-09-07T21:17:00.002-04:00

So I just got an email from Jimmy. I'm honestly surprised that we are even getting emails since they're on mission. This was a long one and full of him making fun of me...mainly my taste in movies (I like weird movies....and he stole them all that brat!). The best though...is when he reference the future. We've only recently been discussing future plans so it means the world to me when he mentions it.
"I've listened to "The Honest Hour" from AOD, and I can't get get the line "...sipping beer on an aging porch..." out of my head. It seems like the place where you and I want to be in 30 years."

Cue the tears...
I love him.

Someone please explain this to me...

2008-09-07T19:26:00.003-04:00

So I've been needing a new pair of kick around shorts to wear since my gap ones are completely dead. I'm doing my grocery shopping in Wal*Mart and I look over and find exercise shorts for 5 bucks. Great deal! I'm now wearing my shorts and pondering to myself...why are shorts super short these days? Seriously...all I want is for them to go mid-thigh...but no. They barely go past my ass. Now...I bought a large..because let's face it...I'm nowhere near small. Wouldn't you think that someone who buys that size should have a little more fabric? My thighs are my least favorite body part...they aren't cute and slim... I'm going to start making my own damn clothes!
On a good note Samantha and I went bar hopping in Mystic last night to celebrate the sorta 1/3 way through deployment! We had amazing pizza...great wine, pumpkin beer...and dessert! She had tiramisu and I had a fruit tart. And of course one must have dessert drinks with dessert. So I had a milky way martini and she had an espresso martini. Then one wasn't enough so we had a pomegranatini and a pear martini. Oh gosh sooooo good! We had a great time laughing and talking about our men. So cheers to 1/3 way...I'm sure we'll celebrate 3/8 or some other random fraction...any excuse to drink and have fun!

Everyone else is doing it...

2008-09-06T06:48:00.004-04:00

So since everyone else is blogging about the upcoming election I figured I'd throw my two cents in. First, a little background. I originally was going to double major in french and political science but dropped poly sci to a minor. I tend to base my opinions off of my knowledge from school...I took a lot of foreign politics/policy classes and history classes on ethnic conflict. I don't really like to watch the news because it's all sorts of biased one way or the other (except for the BBC...after living in another country I've realized that our country's idea of journalism is horrendous). I was really, really into politics. I stayed up til two in the morning during the 2004 election and balled my eyes out when Bush was re-elected. I got to see firsthand how political races are run and what goes into making a politician (I was my Congresswoman's nanny). All of this....and I very well may abstain from voting this year. So here's my opinion...I'm not sugarcoating it.

I now live a military life. I support the military...I don't support the war. I never did, I never will. You cannot honestly tell me that "Operation Iraqi Freedom" was to free the Iraqi people. That is the biggest load of bullshit I've ever heard. If we're so keen on saving oppressed people...there are plenty of ethnic groups around the world that are being exterminated that could use our help. I understand why we had the first Persian Gulf War. Iraq invaded Kuwait and that is unacceptable. It is also unacceptable for us to strike pre-emptively. Very simply put...you don't hurt someone unless they hurt you first. All that I've ever been able to akin this to is Hitler's invasion of Austria and Czechoslovakia. I am glad that the Iraqi government wants us out and gave us a deadline. I think we need to let them have some more power and to start (slowly) withdrawing our troops. As far as the WMD reason for invading Iraq....well we saw how well that went. I think those issues should be left up to the UN. WE ARE NOT THE WORLD POLICE.

Another note on the military...and I'm sure people will be shocked to hear this. I do not care if Jimmy gets another raise like he does every year. It's nice that they want to give the military more money...but he gets paid enough. There are more pressing issues that that money can be used for..like healthcare. Yes, I want universal health care. I've always wanted it and as a person living without health insurance right now....I completely understand. Tricare's ways of "no paying" is not the life of the average American. Case in point, I am debating accepting my company's health insurance because it's expensive and I don't make enough money to begin with...I really need that extra money to pay down debt, buy groceries, etc. Then there are people who work and don't get the choice for benefits because many businesses can't afford to buy policies. So yes...I think the government should take on healthcare and reform it. If it means they foot some of the bill....so be it.

I could keep going on things like education, foreign policy, the demise of the middle class, etc. But I'd love to talk about my favorite topic....sex! Here we go: ABSTINENCE EDUCATION IS THE MOST RIDICULOUS, CONFOUNDED, BULLSHIT THAT I HAVE EVER SEEN IN MY LIFE!!! I am horrified that our current administration only gives federal funding for abstinence only programs. In this day in age abstinence is no longer being practiced by the majority of unmarried people. We need to wake up and realize that kids are having sex...and unless you keep them under lock and key...they're going to do it. So we might as well curb the teen pregnancy and std stats by providing them with information on condoms and birth control. I can't tell you how infuriated this topic makes me. I am set with the crazy Christians running this country (note how I said crazy...meaning the fundamentalist ones who believe this shit and think they need to stuff their notions in our schools)

I've saved the best for last. I am pro-choice. I could never personally get an abortion unless I was raped. Now, as a person who has gone through sexual abuse, do you honestly want to tell me that I should endure 9 months of growing that bastard's child inside of me? Victims of incest...you want them to endure that as well? Of course they can give it up for adoption...but for christ's sake...they didn't get pregnant by mistake. I refuse, REFUSE, to let anyone tell me what I can and cannot do to my body. I do NOT want another leader that wants to take away my right to an abortion (yes I know John McCain is pro-choice and kudos to him for staying with that even though his party is usually pro-life...but his vp is pro-life...so that kind of ruined things for me). Do not call me un-Christian, God hates me, or anything like that for my beliefs....p.s. I think gays should marry too.

So who am I voting for? Well...to be honest I wanted Hillary to win the nomination...so there went my candidate of choice. I think McCain is a wonderful man and an inspiration. His choice of a female vp was super smart. He is appealing to the group of women that want a woman in office no matter what, and no matter what party. I don't agree with most of his ideas or principles...nor that of his party's....because let's face it...he has a whole administration that will be behind them..and god knows who he will choose. If I am going to vote I will be voting for Obama/Biden. I very well may abstain from voting since our votes really don't count in the presidential election (I always vote in local elections). So time will tell.

And who will Jimmy be voting for? Probably no one...he doesn't vote. He leans to the right but doesn't know enough, nor cares to, about politics. I bet you thought we'd be voting for the same people. Let me make myself clear on how I feel about this. You are your own person. You should not let your husband, boyfriend, mom, dad, sibling, friend's voting style to affect yours. I can't tell you how upset I get when I find out that someone is voting for a candidate because such-and-such said they would be good. Please, I beg of you, inform yourself. Have your own opinions. Make your own decision.

I will leave on this final note. Drilling for more oil is only putting a band-aid on a gushing wound. It will work for a little while but oil is a NON-RENEWABLE energy source. It will run out. We need to invest our money in alternative forms of energy.
And global warming is a real problem. Let's each do our part to help slow it down.

Mother F*cker

2008-09-04T19:20:00.002-04:00

So I was having a decent week back...until today. Everyone knows that my job is not something that I'm particularly happy with...but I do it...because I'll be bored if I don't and Jimmy would kill me..and I don't like being unemployed. I accepted the job because Jimmy was leaving on deployment in a week and I didn't want him to have to pay my bills. So I took the low-paying job with high hopes of moving up quickly and getting health insurance again. Since I've been there it's been nothing but problems. Their philosophies are completely ridiculous and stupid. I can't put my 1 year olds in a high chair because it's "too restricting". I can't discipline the kids...no time out...we use redirection! The parents are allowed to walk all over the staff (case in point, we currently have a mother who has spread complete lies about me to my supervisors...thankfully they don't believe her...but still...no one told her that she needs to stop causing problems or they will kick her daughter out). I've dealt with 7 screaming babies at one time...and no one being able to sleep because the cribs are in the same room as the play room. I've taken this all in stride...until today.
One of my co-workers has another job and works a few nights a week because we get paid crap (I get 11.25/hour...she gets 9.50). We noticed that the mid-shift didn't have to stay til 5:30 because we drop to 3 kids by 430..so we change the midshift. It's been working great. My supervisor decides today that she wants to change it back...and is giving us reasons that do not make sense. On top of that...she wants or late shift back to 10:30-7. Now please explain to me why, when our last child leaves at 6:20...and it takes 10 mins to close up...she wants us to stay to 7? Because on the slight off-chance that Vivian stays 10 mins later...she doesn't want to pay us overtime. And when we told her we'd lose a 1/2 hour if we left on time...she said we could find something to do until 7. WHO THE FUCK WANTS TO STAY AT WORK TIL 7 WHEN THEY CAN GO HOME???!!!??? So for the first time in my life...I spoke up for myself. I don't think she liked it...but I refused to sit there and have her talk to us like children...refusing to listen to us...and making a snap decision. So...I'm going to talk to her supervisor when I get a moment and explain that I have no problem working later if there are kids that actually stay later, but since they don't, I don't see a need to stay! I am so fed up and am going to try to find another job so I can throw my two week notice in her face. Does anyone know anywhere I can work that pays decently? I don't even care about benefits at this point.
It gets better. I come home and talk with my neighbor who informs me that our landlord is going to start charging for heat. Now we pay enough to live in this apartment, that if we weren't so pressed for time we would never be here, and the heat is included in this. That was a perk for paying a slightly higher rent. So I'm sitting here going....fuck me. Jimmy has sent him checks through february and I can't move because I can't start another lease somewhere because I don't have a POA...so we're stuck. All I wanted to do was save our money during deployment and I just keep running into problems left and right.
The icing on the cake....my computer has a virus and I can't get rid of it.
Someone shoot me please.

You've Got Mail??!!??

2008-09-02T18:57:00.003-04:00

So everyone knows that the boys are silent now...meaning no communication with them whatsoever for the next way too long to tell. I've actually been looking forward to this due to our email arguments and me being upset that I tend to have a one way conversation with myself because someone can't take a minute out of his day to say "hey, I love you, not much else to talk about" (we've already discussed his poor emailing...he knows he sucks at it...he told me he'd make an effort to write to me more often). So it's been pretty nice not obsessively checking my email or keeping my phone on vibrate in my pocket. I go on break today...and low and behold...I have an email. Hmmm...not expecting that and have no idea how it was sent out. It was a nice boring email...just like I told him to write. I also got a funny card in the mail too...it made me laugh. It's really hard to stay mad at him...we resolved a few things while he was in port but our "hate" mail was the stuff of legends. I send ultimatums...he tells me to cut the shit out...we're both right in different ways. Ugh...as much as I hate to say this we should have just eloped before he left and not told anyone...then we wouldn't be arguing about this crap. I did get my credit card in the mail today so I can go visit Jimmy when he pulls in to port. I'm feeling a little better about things but we still have a few kinks to work out. Until then I play the role of wife minus the ring...

I'm Back....

2008-08-31T12:49:00.006-04:00

So after a wild and crazy week in CA and Vegas I am home. I am so glad to be home. I had a great time but was ready to leave after a few days. I felt that much farther away from Jimmy and I didn't like it. My family and I had a great time visiting with people and running all over CA. I managed to only lose $15 in Vegas...drank a 1/2 yard drink...and almost had to break up a fight between my brother and father and a couple of punk as kids at the blackjack table. What a mess. So here are a few of my fav pics from my trip....more blogging to come!

My Brother and I in Disney Land

Me at the Venetian Resort in Las Vegas

My Brother and I in our birthtown of San Pedro

Leaving on a Jetplane...

2008-08-21T19:16:00.002-04:00

So I haven't wrote anything in a while because not much has changed. Working and hanging out with friends is the gist of my life right now. I am leaving tomorrow to go to CA for a week with my family. A welcome break from all of the crap going on here. I shall return though...hopefully with a tan and some good pictures!