Listen, I know it's been months since I blogged. I am obviously not as dedicated as I once was, OR, I have a really good excuse. We moved for the second time in seven months. Since Chris was still in The Basic School, he wasn't around as much as I would have liked to help out. With a few choice hissy fits, Chris did help me scrub above the cupboards in the kitchen, vacuum, and dust the fans-pretty much all the areas I couldn't quite reach myself. He only grumbled a little. I had to treat him like my own mother used to treat me; I told him that if he could work hard for an hour, cleaning, he would be free to do whatever he wanted. Only once did I catch him downstairs sitting down on the recliner. It was fairly obvious because recliners tend to move when you get up from them. I really couldn't be mad, because he was doing some of the gritty work.
I am a firm believer in getting back your security deposit. Aside from my room at my parent's, which I may or may not have neglected to clean, I have scoured each place I have lived since then. Chris, however, is not used to scouring a place as he moves out, so he didn't understand most of my cleaning practices. He did not understand why he had to dust the fans, or above the kitchen cupboards...sigh. Someday he will learn. Hopefully soon because we are just going to keep moving!
It was very emotional leaving Quantico. As most of you have heard us say, we adored our landlords and our neighbors, and we made some of the BEST friends while in Quantico. Chris really connected with his fire team, I really connected with their wives, and many other wives of Charlie Company. It is both exciting and sad that we moved away from one another. It means that no matter where we go, we will probably have a place to stay or someone to visit, but it means we can't get together all the time like we did then. I spent every other day with the girls at the height of summer. Graduation had many mixed emotions, as we were very proud of the boys and excited for the next step of our Marine Corps journey, but saddened by the thought of leaving one another. Chris, I think, hid his emotions very well. He was quiet all week and directly following graduation, he just went home. We were actually leaving Quantico the next morning on our move to Florida, so I took my sweet time. I met most of the girls out front to say goodbye. We hung around, trying not to be the first one to actually say "goodbye". But eventually the others had to tend to their families; I got in an empty car, headed to an empty house aside from my husband, dogs, and necessities. I couldn't help but drive even slower than needed on base, looking around at all the places I'd been, ran, and stopped. I grabbed us some Subway sandwiches and realized that would be my last interaction with anyone on base for a long time.
The morning came all too soon. I had said my goodbyes. My sweet neighbor girl had come over the night before and we cried a little. It was just so odd leaving the house. It was still dark. I couldn't sleep, so I just got up at 3:30 and we were out the door by 4:30. The dogs were pretty nervous but settled once we got into the car with them. We had very little wiggle room for the ride but we had food, clothes, cleaning supplies, our safe. The typical baggage for a move. Since it was still so dark, Nalli took advantage and slept for the first few hours of the drive.
We had talked about the move many times and knew most of our friends were driving down through Atlanta, Georgia. Some were planning on doing the drive in one day, some two. We decided to avoid Atlanta, because we were hoping to avoid any traffic, and decided to stay in Savannah, Georgia for one night. We broke up the drive into two tolerable days, and tried fried gator tail for the first time. It was absolutely delicious, and since it was Halloween, our waitresses were dressed up as green army men. They looked hilarious. We tried some local beers, and then Chris' dad sent us a photo of Chris' mom in the 70s, with their dogs, sitting near an anchor statue. Since we didn't have the dogs with us, we weren't able to replicate it exactly, but we did have a random foreigner take our photo next to it.
I think our first shell shock was when we stopped for lunch in North Carolina. First of all, we kept forgetting that is was Halloween. We thought that North Carolina was full of goths, but it turns out they were just dressed up. Our costumes, for this Halloween, were snowbirds. Our waitress approached us in NC and was dressed as a vampire, complete with makeup and teeth. It was probably hard to hide our shock. Her accent was as ridiculously Southern as you can imagine, and I bet Chris and I stuck out like sore thumbs.
The second day of driving took a while, but we had to laugh because the roadside of Florida reminded us of Jurassic Park.
Probably all the alligators. Fences to keep out those damn alligators.
Chris has teased me multiple times about alligators because he knows I am afraid of them. He tried to tell me that they hide in sewers and come up through your toilet hole, so you always have to look before you sit down.
Locals disproved his lies and made me feel like a fool, but I will get him back.
Nalli got pretty nervous a few hours in. I'm not sure what her issue was, but I had to give her a Benadryl. I felt very guilty for doing so, because after that she slept like a rock, only waking up when we let her out to potty. I definitely took the easy way out, but it was much safer than trying to calm her down while driving.
When we move, Chris usually drives ahead of me. I let him drive ahead of me until we got within a few blocks of our new home. He was taking too long for my taste, and then he took a wrong turn. That was the last straw. I flew around him in my car and ran to the mailbox to grab the keys. We opened the door, let the dogs loose, and ran around the house, screaming as we realized that our house was huge. And beautiful. And Florida-y (which is definitely an adjective).
The ceilings are very high, we have lots of big windows, and lots of rooms. Our master bedroom has a bathroom with separate walk-in closets, a giant tub, and a shower. The kitchen is really fancy, with the oven and microwave stacked, the stovetop is on the counter, and there is tons of counterspace as well as a pantry. The laundry room is separate and had enough room for our small deep freeze. There is a formal dining room as well as an informal dining area, a study, a second bathroom, and three bedrooms we chose to turn into a second bedroom, music room, and man cave. Everyone gets their own special area, and we didn't seem to have enough furniture to fill this big place!
We had hoped that our Christmas present to each other would be a TV. We had discussed it earlier but then realized we wouldn't have a TV to watch The Walking Dead on. So, I guess we realized it was necessary to go buy a TV. And Christopher would not settle for just ANY TV, so we ended up buying a 50" Smart TV.
I admit, I do have the TV on a lot, so it was a good purchase.
Somehow we have already lived here for over a month. We haven't met our neighbors. Okay, I have met one neighbor, but it was really awkward because I just wanted to get the mail, so I had neglected to wear a bra. Oops. Our other neighbors we know are our friends from Quantico, Sarah and James Sebesta. It is pretty amazing that they live caddy-corner from us. Sarah and I always carpool and are partners in crime when it comes to spending too much money at say...Hobby Lobby. There is another spouse I just met who lives on our block as well, and she has dogs. I assume we will be fast friends.
We weren't thrown together as spouses here like we were in Quantico. There was a practically mandatory meeting for spouses in Quantico where most of us met our initial friends. We continued to hang out as a group until we sort of figured out who it was that we really connected with and spent more and more time with.
It wasn't quite like that here in Pensacola. Although I adore our Family Readiness Officer, she had some difficulty reaching out to us. Only four of us attended her meeting. It was unfortunate that she was unable to reach out to the rest of the significant others from Charlie Company, because FROs can be incredibly helpful. Our second meeting with anyone from the area was a meet and greet coffee with the hospitality chairs of the spouses of student aviators group. I really enjoyed the meet and greet-it gave me a taste of what our time here would be like. I thoroughly enjoyed the other girls' company and was pleasantly surprised to find out that the following week we were having a Christmas party.
The Christmas party was just last night. I ate too many sweets and drank enough Sangria to put me in a sugar coma but it was worth it. There were quite a few girls here, and I realized that it may be more difficult to make friends here because the groups are already slightly established, but I have talked to a few girls that I feel I could be great friends with! It's not always going to be easy to make friends no matter where we go; that is something I am just going to have to get past. Last night was a cookie exchange, which made me laugh because the majority of the girls brought no-bake something or others, but I did make Butterfinger Cookies and tried some really yummy stuff. We were able to take home copies of the recipes if we chose.
Five favorite things is a really great Christmas gift exchange idea-you bring five of your favorite things under $5, and pulled names out of a bag to hand them to. I decided to bring my homemade cowboy candy, because I love it and love to put it on cornbread, steaks, and over cream cheese at Christmas time. In return, I received gift cards, homemade marshmallows, sweet treats and hot chocolate additives, and lip gloss. All things that made me very happy! I also chose to embarrass myself by asking why all the girls from New York and Texas didn't have accents, which sparked the debate about my "accent", or lack thereof, in my opinion, and kind of loosened up the room. There are girls from New York, Texas, Wisconsin, Rhode Island, and Missouri. I was very, very happy to hear a Wisconsin accent as it reminds me greatly of my family. Time flies when you are having fun, and soon Sarah and I decided to head home because our husbands were there.
Poor Chris was already asleep. His schedule has been pretty hectic, as he has a test nearly every three to four days and the Marines are only allowed to fail two tests before they are dropped from the pilot program. Chris passed his first test with flying colors, which I thought was well-deserved because I saw how much he studied. He has another test today and another on Monday. The one on Monday is supposed to be fairly hard, and so I assume we will do what we did for his first test-I black out the answers on the practice test, make him take it, grade it, and review with flash cards. He has studied some really difficult material-physics is something I haven't touched since high school. I am not sure how he did on his test yet today, but he sure seemed to know the material when we were studying last night.
I am going to have a very lazy day today. I will most likely doing the stretching episode of Insanity. I ran eleven miles yesterday so I am probably going to take it easy. I made my own body glide (which if you don't know what that is, don't ask), and it worked out really well. It even helped prevent the blisters I have been getting on the bottom of my feet. Unfortunately, I forgot to put it on the top of my feet so I have some gnarly blisters there. I love my Vibrams but they have more miles in them than they probably should. My newer Vibrams are just a tad large so when I wear them for running they tend to make me hurt more than they should. I am hoping to go to the library today to get a library card. We are driving home for Christmas, which is about an eighteen hour drive, so I need to get some good books to read on the way there. I have been re-reading Harry Potter but I can't convince Chris to read it to me while we are driving, so maybe if I find something else he will.
We took the opportunity to visit Chris' brother in Tampa, Florida, as it was the last weekend he would be there. He is studying to be a podiatrist and he was doing a rotation in Florida, so he stayed with Chris' aunt and uncle for about three months. It was actually the last full weekend he would be there; he headed toward home on Thanksgiving. His next step is in St. Louis so he will be living with Chris' brother-in-law and sister. It has worked out really well for him so far to live with family! We got to spend some time with Chris' Aunt Diane and Uncle Peter. They are really great people-his Aunt Diane is SO much like Chris' mom; her voice is the same and so is her laugh, the only difference is that she swears. Chris and I couldn't help but cringe when she swore because she sounds so much like Chris' mom (who never, ever, ever swears). She had us laughing pretty hard.
Even better, Chris' cousins were able to come down from New York for Thanksgiving, early, so we could meet. I have never met Casey or Ryan but have heard a lot about them. They are awesome. We had such a great time with them and Ryan's girlfriend, Jess. Ryan and Jess are beer snobs like me so naturally, we became fast friends. I hope to see them again, soon, because I really enjoyed their company.
The weekend flew by and soon we were headed home. It was good timing, though, because I feel that John was very excited to go home. He and Melissa have been married for a year and some odd months and they hardly ever get to be together. I was very happy that he could go home for Thanksgiving and now Christmas!
Speaking of Thanksgiving, this was the first Chris and I spent alone. We went the night before to our favorite pizza spot to order our pizza for the next day. We drank a couple of pints while we waited for them to make our "pig-out" pizza-a pizza with 13-toppings. We also had pumpkin pie that I made from scratch. I was very proud of myself as I haven't really made pie before! Our little dinner was delicious, cute, and perfect for just the two of us. I have been trying to practice better portion control, and it was a lot easier when there was no smorgasbord of food in front of me.
This morning my friend Sarah and I went to the local library to get library cards and check out some books for holiday traveling. It is not a huge library by far, and I am slightly picky on what I will read. I found a few, though, and am most excited to read a book about Julia and Paul Child. Since I feel as though I am just sitting around waiting to hear about my nursing license, I might as well be reading and exercising my brain a little.
I would like to get our house very clean before we leave for the holidays so we don't come back to a mess. I also need to figure out what to pack, because I have yet to worry about a coat this year. Luckily, my mother parted with a very warm peacoat for me prior to moving away from Nebraska. We have quite a lot of things to fit in the car, between weeks' worth of clothes, dogs, and gifts. Chris also wants to bring his guitar, which I sure hope he can because he gets bored so quickly.
After the library we killed some time at our most favorite store-Alyssa's Antique Depot, and then moved on to go see our friend Desiree and her one-month-old son, RJ. He is so adorable. Today was the first time I had heard him coo and he just sounds so adorable. We could have sat there for hours just watching him.
Chris is home now. We are snuggled on the couch with blankets and snuggies. He is studying and I am reading one of Betty White's books. Ruby is begging to be pet and Nalli is sulking behind the couch. Life is good.
Thursday, December 12, 2013
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
New Life
What a crazy week it's been!
Chris came home from another weeklong FEX early Saturday morning. Unfortunately I missed his call and had to wait until I awoke at about 0500 to call him back and tell him I was coming to rescue him. The poor guy was very sick, so I made him promise to stay up so I could make him a hot toddy, and then he was welcome to go back to sleep.
I think he had a good week for the most part, aside from being sick. The spirits have been high since the boys found out what MOS they received. Chris has a copy of "web orders" that tell us we need to report in Florida by November 22nd and he actually starts class on January 22nd.
This means I have made serious plans. Scuba diving lessons, dance lessons, etc. We need to get these things in while we still have time!
I surprised myself when I chose to wait up and watch C-SPAN as the government shut down on October 1st. It was an annoying blame game that disrupts way too many plans for us military folk and dependants. Since many parts of government are shut down, many parts of the military are, too. We are supposed to move in 30 days. We may not be able to set up our move or get going because the government shutdown also shut down the Traffic Management Office. When they start back up, it could take two weeks to make appointments. We try so hard to plan out our lives, but it never goes like we think it will.
It isn't worth dwelling on it now, because we can't change things.
My night last night was amazing. I could have just sat there in bed, eating french fries, but instead my husband called me frantically, "YOU NEED TO GO GET KAT!!!" The spouses were out of town, so I am one of the closest neighbors to my very pregnant friend, Kat. And baby girl had decided it was time.
Kat was already having contractions two minutes apart when I got her in the car. Luckily, Janice was able to stay with her two-year-old. I tried hard not to speed too much on the way to the hospital. Once we got to the Emergency Department though, I walked through the door and threw up my hands, in a very cliche way yelled, "We're having a baby!"
The staff didn't seem as excited as I was, but they got her in a wheelchair and upstairs.
Kat is a serious trooper. She was having contractions about two minutes apart and exam revealed she was already at 6cm. They didn't think she would be able to get an epidural, and her husband was hours away.
Chris came home from another weeklong FEX early Saturday morning. Unfortunately I missed his call and had to wait until I awoke at about 0500 to call him back and tell him I was coming to rescue him. The poor guy was very sick, so I made him promise to stay up so I could make him a hot toddy, and then he was welcome to go back to sleep.
I think he had a good week for the most part, aside from being sick. The spirits have been high since the boys found out what MOS they received. Chris has a copy of "web orders" that tell us we need to report in Florida by November 22nd and he actually starts class on January 22nd.
This means I have made serious plans. Scuba diving lessons, dance lessons, etc. We need to get these things in while we still have time!
I surprised myself when I chose to wait up and watch C-SPAN as the government shut down on October 1st. It was an annoying blame game that disrupts way too many plans for us military folk and dependants. Since many parts of government are shut down, many parts of the military are, too. We are supposed to move in 30 days. We may not be able to set up our move or get going because the government shutdown also shut down the Traffic Management Office. When they start back up, it could take two weeks to make appointments. We try so hard to plan out our lives, but it never goes like we think it will.
It isn't worth dwelling on it now, because we can't change things.
My night last night was amazing. I could have just sat there in bed, eating french fries, but instead my husband called me frantically, "YOU NEED TO GO GET KAT!!!" The spouses were out of town, so I am one of the closest neighbors to my very pregnant friend, Kat. And baby girl had decided it was time.
Kat was already having contractions two minutes apart when I got her in the car. Luckily, Janice was able to stay with her two-year-old. I tried hard not to speed too much on the way to the hospital. Once we got to the Emergency Department though, I walked through the door and threw up my hands, in a very cliche way yelled, "We're having a baby!"
The staff didn't seem as excited as I was, but they got her in a wheelchair and upstairs.
Kat is a serious trooper. She was having contractions about two minutes apart and exam revealed she was already at 6cm. They didn't think she would be able to get an epidural, and her husband was hours away.
With her previous child, she had gone through 29 hours of labor. It was rightfully so that she was very scared and in a lot of pain, but when the time came to push, she was ready. Soon she was dilated to 8cm and her husband said he was still two and a half
hours away. I asked him if he wanted me to tell her and he said, “No. Tell her
that I’m on my way and I’ll be there as soon as I can.” He did not make it for
the birth of his first baby girl, but like anything in the military, you
improvise. I put him on speakerphone and set the phone right next to her head,
and he talked her through it, along with lots of cheering from the staff and I.
It was such a special time I will never forget. I couldn't help but tear up when on speakerphone, Tim said to Kat, "I'm right there with you, baby." I almost lost it, and then realized I don't get to do that because Kat is the one having the hard time at this moment. I tried to lighten the situation by telling Tim, "Kat shaved her legs for me!" Which he replied to with, "She never does that for me!" Kat was really a trooper, pushing very hard for about an hour before Natalie came into our lives! She was perfect and had lots of hair and big dark eyes. Weighing in at 7 pounds, 11 ounces, just 1/2 ounce less than I weighed when I was born. She was born at about 0010 and let out a big cry with some stimulation.
Kat is such a good mom. Took Natalie right away and snuggled her right up. Her first words to Natalie were, "There's my baby girl!" She looks just like her mom, which is only fair because Jake looks like Tim.
I hung out for a while but knew she probably wanted some alone time with Natalie, so I held Natalie for a minute and took a couple of photos with her. She weighs next to nothing. She snuggles so well already. She didn't even cry when I held her.
Needless to say, I love her already.
I had to tease Kat, telling her I would quote her later when the excitement was over. During contractions she muttered a few words I shouldn't type here. Once again, I will say that she is my hero. Two natural childbirths in this day and age is pretty rare, even if this one was not by choice.
It was such a special time I will never forget. I couldn't help but tear up when on speakerphone, Tim said to Kat, "I'm right there with you, baby." I almost lost it, and then realized I don't get to do that because Kat is the one having the hard time at this moment. I tried to lighten the situation by telling Tim, "Kat shaved her legs for me!" Which he replied to with, "She never does that for me!" Kat was really a trooper, pushing very hard for about an hour before Natalie came into our lives! She was perfect and had lots of hair and big dark eyes. Weighing in at 7 pounds, 11 ounces, just 1/2 ounce less than I weighed when I was born. She was born at about 0010 and let out a big cry with some stimulation.
Kat is such a good mom. Took Natalie right away and snuggled her right up. Her first words to Natalie were, "There's my baby girl!" She looks just like her mom, which is only fair because Jake looks like Tim.
I hung out for a while but knew she probably wanted some alone time with Natalie, so I held Natalie for a minute and took a couple of photos with her. She weighs next to nothing. She snuggles so well already. She didn't even cry when I held her.
Needless to say, I love her already.
I had to tease Kat, telling her I would quote her later when the excitement was over. During contractions she muttered a few words I shouldn't type here. Once again, I will say that she is my hero. Two natural childbirths in this day and age is pretty rare, even if this one was not by choice.
Well, I think I have used up my energy for the day, so it's back to nappy-time for me. Still not feeling great and definitely didn't get enough sleep last night!
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
Halfway
Halfway through my parents' and Nick's visit already, I can't believe how the time has flown.
They flew in on Thursday night and it has been pretty much non-stop ever since. We have been able to show them around Stafford, Fredericksburg, base, and some of the places we frequent on the weekends.
Thursday night we just kind of relaxed. They didn't arrive until about 9:00pm so we just had tacos for dinner. They must have been starving because my boring old tacos were delicious. I had to send Chris on a last-minute beer run because we were all out of Budweiser, and we all know that dearest Dad cannot go without his Budweiser.
Friday, Christopher still had to go to work, so Nick, Mom, Dad, and I went and looked at Government Island and then we tried to go to Aquia Church. Unfortunately, I was stung by killer ground-dwelling bees twice, so we had to head home. After I took some Benadryl, we went on base so I could show the family around. We avoided the commissary because it was payday, but dad did get a 36 pack of Budweiser.
When Christopher was released (fortunately pretty early), we went to the Marine Corps Barracks at 8th and I for the Marine Corps Silent Drill. It was the last one of the year, and we were so lucky that it worked out that we could go. We sat near the middle, close to the Commandant's house as well as close to the middle of the entire seating, second row; it couldn't have been much better.
The two highlights of the night would have to be when the GUEST OF HONOR and newly appointed Honorary Marine was Gary Sinise-an actor on CSI for some of you, but for others, LIEUTENANT DAN. Chris and I were incredibly, incredibly excited.
The second highlight was when this young Lance Corporal of the Silent Drill accidentally knocked off his own cover. The Commandant himself walked up to the Lance Corporal, bent down, picked up his cover, and ever so gently brushed it off. He then put the Lance Corporal's cover back on his head, straightened it a bit, and then kind of touched his shoulders in a, "You've got this, kid!" kind of way. It was a really, really good time.
Chris, unfortunately, has a billet for this field experience so he had to work on an order for a lot of the weekend. We did end up doing some grilling, going around looking at some things in Fredericksburg, like the Hugh Mercer Apothecary Shop, Rising Sun Tavern, and Mary Washington House. We learned a whole bunch of things like, where the phrase, "Bottoms up!" comes from, and what a necessary chair is. We had a lot of fun learning about the terrible medical care available back then. They even keep live leeches at the apothecary shop. Gross!
I want to get more into everything we did, but tomorrow we are getting up early to head to D.C. We are planning on seeing the National Mall, the Holocaust Museum, and Arlington. I believe we are doing the Smithsonians on Thursday! It should be fairly busy, and we are all definitely getting our exercise in this week!
Also, I did get back to the oral surgeon today, and was told I wouldn't have to come back for a follow-up visit and that everything looked great! I did have a little pain on my bottom right wisdom tooth extraction site, and low and behold I had a little piece of chicken stuck in it.
GROSS.
They flew in on Thursday night and it has been pretty much non-stop ever since. We have been able to show them around Stafford, Fredericksburg, base, and some of the places we frequent on the weekends.
Thursday night we just kind of relaxed. They didn't arrive until about 9:00pm so we just had tacos for dinner. They must have been starving because my boring old tacos were delicious. I had to send Chris on a last-minute beer run because we were all out of Budweiser, and we all know that dearest Dad cannot go without his Budweiser.
Friday, Christopher still had to go to work, so Nick, Mom, Dad, and I went and looked at Government Island and then we tried to go to Aquia Church. Unfortunately, I was stung by killer ground-dwelling bees twice, so we had to head home. After I took some Benadryl, we went on base so I could show the family around. We avoided the commissary because it was payday, but dad did get a 36 pack of Budweiser.
When Christopher was released (fortunately pretty early), we went to the Marine Corps Barracks at 8th and I for the Marine Corps Silent Drill. It was the last one of the year, and we were so lucky that it worked out that we could go. We sat near the middle, close to the Commandant's house as well as close to the middle of the entire seating, second row; it couldn't have been much better.
The two highlights of the night would have to be when the GUEST OF HONOR and newly appointed Honorary Marine was Gary Sinise-an actor on CSI for some of you, but for others, LIEUTENANT DAN. Chris and I were incredibly, incredibly excited.
The second highlight was when this young Lance Corporal of the Silent Drill accidentally knocked off his own cover. The Commandant himself walked up to the Lance Corporal, bent down, picked up his cover, and ever so gently brushed it off. He then put the Lance Corporal's cover back on his head, straightened it a bit, and then kind of touched his shoulders in a, "You've got this, kid!" kind of way. It was a really, really good time.
Chris, unfortunately, has a billet for this field experience so he had to work on an order for a lot of the weekend. We did end up doing some grilling, going around looking at some things in Fredericksburg, like the Hugh Mercer Apothecary Shop, Rising Sun Tavern, and Mary Washington House. We learned a whole bunch of things like, where the phrase, "Bottoms up!" comes from, and what a necessary chair is. We had a lot of fun learning about the terrible medical care available back then. They even keep live leeches at the apothecary shop. Gross!
I want to get more into everything we did, but tomorrow we are getting up early to head to D.C. We are planning on seeing the National Mall, the Holocaust Museum, and Arlington. I believe we are doing the Smithsonians on Thursday! It should be fairly busy, and we are all definitely getting our exercise in this week!
Also, I did get back to the oral surgeon today, and was told I wouldn't have to come back for a follow-up visit and that everything looked great! I did have a little pain on my bottom right wisdom tooth extraction site, and low and behold I had a little piece of chicken stuck in it.
GROSS.
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
Farewell to Wisdom
On this past Friday, I said goodbye to my wisdom teeth.
Although Chris was not able to leave TBS for the day, or early, I am lucky enough that I have really good friends who were willing to take me to the oral surgeon, wait while I had it done, buy me a smoothie, get my meds, and put me to bed when we got home.It was actually pretty fun because the girls sat in my bed with me and watched Say Yes to the Dress with me. I kind of wish we could do that more often, because it was really fun!
I have never been under anesthesia. I felt totally loopy. I just could not believe how quickly I fell asleep. I didn't feel a thing. And then all of a sudden I was awake, and the ladies in the room were talking to me, and the first words out of my mouth were "Was I nice?!" I am not sure why I was so concerned about that, I guess I must have thought I was going to be a jerk. They assured me that I was very nice and then I wanted to see my teeth, but they were already gone somewhere.
They brought the girls back in the room to talk about what to do for the rest of the day and the week and go over my medications. My medication regimen wasn't too hard to handle but it was my first time ever having to take Percocet, so I wasn't sure how that would go. In the car on the way home, I was very moody. I started crying because the girls couldn't understand what I was saying (with giant pieces of gauze occluding the majority of my mouth). And then I tried to tell them that I looked and sounded like Jay Leno. (I assume this is because my jaw was numb, so it felt like it was huge and jutted out.) We went into McDonald's to get smoothies and I about started to cry because I thought kids were looking at me funny. Then we went through the drive-through of CVS to get medications and I almost started crying because I thought the pharmacist was laughing at the way I talked. It was time to get me into the safety of my own home where I could be as moody as I wanted to be.
Percocet is hilarious. Not only does it make me sleep for about 12 hours, it also makes me narcoleptic. I can't even tell you how many times I would be sitting up, Facebooking, talking to Chris, watching a movie, sending a text, whatever, and I would suddenly wake up and realize my fingers were still typing nonsense, or Chris was waiting for me to respond or finish my sentence. He finds it quite entertaining.
Eating hasn't been fun. It's incredibly tiring because you can't really open your mouth very wide or use the back half of your mouth. A lot of things don't taste good and mostly I just eat because I have to with my medications. If I don't eat with them I get sick. Proof of that was this morning-you would think that on the sixth day I wouldn't have to worry about throwing up but that's just what I did today. Then I fell back to sleep for a really long time. I haven't really done much yet today, which isn't the best idea since my parents will be here tomorrow night sometime. Their flight comes in at around 7:00pm so I would think they should be here by nine. Chris is so excited. Last night he was running around the house, giggling and quoting my parents and practicing his Minnesota accent.
The first few days were pretty brutal; a steady stream of Percocet going into my body and lots of sleeping. Chris wasn't too grossed out by my bloody gauze in my mouth. He spent most of Friday and Saturday just lying next to me in case I needed anything. I felt bad because I had to wake him up at 0400 because I needed something for nausea, and it was so bad that I knew if I even moved an inch I would throw up. Luckily the Phenergan worked and I didn't throw up. I mostly just bugged Chris to go get me ice for my face. You know the frozen Arbor Mist, Daily's, and Mike's Hard Lemonade adult juice packs? Well they make amazing ice packs for after wisdom tooth extraction!
Nalli didn't leave my side these past six days. She was especially attached the first three days when I wasn't moving around much. She would watch me move around the room, as if she was worried I was going to fall or something. It was pretty cute.
She may have also just wanted snacks.
I followed the rules post-op fairly well, except the other night Chris and I took the dogs on a walk and I decided it would be a good idea to try to run a little, just to see if I could. I could tell that I was running funny; at least it felt funny to me, but I did it. And then I needed two Percocets when we got back. Lesson one. The second rule I didn't actually break, but I was about five seconds away from imminent disaster. I had gone to get a lemonade and had the straw unwrapped and in my mouth, about to put it in my lemonade and use it when I got this feeling of absolute "OH CRAP, I AM NOT SUPPOSED TO USE THIS", and I'm sure my face went totally white if anyone was looking at me. That was too close for comfort. I do not have time for dry sockets!!
Chris helped me clean up the basement the other night. He is a great help when he wants to be, but I did have to go around behind him like my mom did to me. I remember when she would ask, "Did you vacuum here?", knowing full well that I hadn't, but if I looked at the spot she was looking at and it didn't look too bad, I would tell her that I did. Well, my husband pulled just that move on me, when I asked if he vacuumed behind the hamper (after moving it and seeing all of the little hairs from his last haircut back there), he put his head down and said, "no".
My husband has made me into a mother.
Yesterday one of the wives came over to hang out with me while I made some food for the next few days with my family. She needed some new recipes and since I own about fifty cookbooks, it was worth a shot for her to try to look through them. She found a few recipes while we tried some other ones. I need to do some cleaning today and tomorrow but I do feel like I am ready to have my family over!
Dinner was amazing last night. I stuffed cornish game hens with pineapple stuffing, made BBQ potato wedges, and a saute of squash, mushrooms, and tomatoes. We didn't get to eat until late because Chris had a combat engineer field experience. And when he did finally get home we had three guests. Our landlord had to come over because at about six, I went downstairs to find water leaking from under our water heater and air conditioner. We thought it might be a quick fix, but it turns out they had to replace our water heater last night. Our landlord knew a really good plumber who was able to come over and take care of it right away, and so he did.
I had to stay up a little while after they left because they tracked a bunch of mud in bringing in the new water heater, so I wanted to clean that up before it stained anything. And then I had to wait up for my dear husband's laundry, because he likes that way THAT pair of cammies fits (the other four pairs aren't good enough, I guess). Oh well, it meant I didn't have to feel guilty about sleeping in this morning. I still got up to make Chris breakfast, but then told him I was going back to bed because I felt ill, and sure enough I threw up half an hour later. You know we've been married less than a year because I managed to keep it down until I knew he was out of the house.
There is artillery going off on base again today. Honestly I don't think I will ever get used to that noise. Every time I'm still like, "WHOA! What was that?" I think it's so weird that we are miles from base and can still hear and feel it. I have been very jumpy, though. The other day Amber was sweet enough to take me to the commissary and wait around while I tackled my huge shopping list. She would finish her list and then come to find me, and I would look up and she would be standing at the end of my cart, and I would jump two feet in the air. It was terrifying! Last night when our water came back on, all of the pressures had to re-stabilize, so the toilets, showers, and sinks would all make this awful, loud shooting noise every time you used one. My poor little heart couldn't take it no more.
Knowing my parents are coming tomorrow, I looked around and realized there were just a few finishing touches the house needed. I want to get some throws for the couches, and found some that were very cute and matched well. I was at TJ Maxx, so I also found a clearance rack that I can never seem to walk away from.
Oops. Especially considering we have a shipment of clothes coming from Kohl's today as well.
That is all I can write about today! I really need to get my butt up and at 'em, get something cleaned or work on dinner. I have no idea when Christopher will be home. I need to make sure we make the most of our time together this week and weekend because he will be gone all next week again. Oh field experience, how I loathe you. At least my parents and brother Nick will be here to distract me. Knowing how quickly the four months has gone since I left Nebraska, I know the ten days they are here will fly by as well. That makes me sad because there's no way we can fit in all the stuff we want to do in ten days! And not long after, we will move to Florida and then they will just have to come visit again.
Although Chris was not able to leave TBS for the day, or early, I am lucky enough that I have really good friends who were willing to take me to the oral surgeon, wait while I had it done, buy me a smoothie, get my meds, and put me to bed when we got home.It was actually pretty fun because the girls sat in my bed with me and watched Say Yes to the Dress with me. I kind of wish we could do that more often, because it was really fun!
I have never been under anesthesia. I felt totally loopy. I just could not believe how quickly I fell asleep. I didn't feel a thing. And then all of a sudden I was awake, and the ladies in the room were talking to me, and the first words out of my mouth were "Was I nice?!" I am not sure why I was so concerned about that, I guess I must have thought I was going to be a jerk. They assured me that I was very nice and then I wanted to see my teeth, but they were already gone somewhere.
They brought the girls back in the room to talk about what to do for the rest of the day and the week and go over my medications. My medication regimen wasn't too hard to handle but it was my first time ever having to take Percocet, so I wasn't sure how that would go. In the car on the way home, I was very moody. I started crying because the girls couldn't understand what I was saying (with giant pieces of gauze occluding the majority of my mouth). And then I tried to tell them that I looked and sounded like Jay Leno. (I assume this is because my jaw was numb, so it felt like it was huge and jutted out.) We went into McDonald's to get smoothies and I about started to cry because I thought kids were looking at me funny. Then we went through the drive-through of CVS to get medications and I almost started crying because I thought the pharmacist was laughing at the way I talked. It was time to get me into the safety of my own home where I could be as moody as I wanted to be.
Percocet is hilarious. Not only does it make me sleep for about 12 hours, it also makes me narcoleptic. I can't even tell you how many times I would be sitting up, Facebooking, talking to Chris, watching a movie, sending a text, whatever, and I would suddenly wake up and realize my fingers were still typing nonsense, or Chris was waiting for me to respond or finish my sentence. He finds it quite entertaining.
Eating hasn't been fun. It's incredibly tiring because you can't really open your mouth very wide or use the back half of your mouth. A lot of things don't taste good and mostly I just eat because I have to with my medications. If I don't eat with them I get sick. Proof of that was this morning-you would think that on the sixth day I wouldn't have to worry about throwing up but that's just what I did today. Then I fell back to sleep for a really long time. I haven't really done much yet today, which isn't the best idea since my parents will be here tomorrow night sometime. Their flight comes in at around 7:00pm so I would think they should be here by nine. Chris is so excited. Last night he was running around the house, giggling and quoting my parents and practicing his Minnesota accent.
The first few days were pretty brutal; a steady stream of Percocet going into my body and lots of sleeping. Chris wasn't too grossed out by my bloody gauze in my mouth. He spent most of Friday and Saturday just lying next to me in case I needed anything. I felt bad because I had to wake him up at 0400 because I needed something for nausea, and it was so bad that I knew if I even moved an inch I would throw up. Luckily the Phenergan worked and I didn't throw up. I mostly just bugged Chris to go get me ice for my face. You know the frozen Arbor Mist, Daily's, and Mike's Hard Lemonade adult juice packs? Well they make amazing ice packs for after wisdom tooth extraction!
Nalli didn't leave my side these past six days. She was especially attached the first three days when I wasn't moving around much. She would watch me move around the room, as if she was worried I was going to fall or something. It was pretty cute.
She may have also just wanted snacks.
I followed the rules post-op fairly well, except the other night Chris and I took the dogs on a walk and I decided it would be a good idea to try to run a little, just to see if I could. I could tell that I was running funny; at least it felt funny to me, but I did it. And then I needed two Percocets when we got back. Lesson one. The second rule I didn't actually break, but I was about five seconds away from imminent disaster. I had gone to get a lemonade and had the straw unwrapped and in my mouth, about to put it in my lemonade and use it when I got this feeling of absolute "OH CRAP, I AM NOT SUPPOSED TO USE THIS", and I'm sure my face went totally white if anyone was looking at me. That was too close for comfort. I do not have time for dry sockets!!
Chris helped me clean up the basement the other night. He is a great help when he wants to be, but I did have to go around behind him like my mom did to me. I remember when she would ask, "Did you vacuum here?", knowing full well that I hadn't, but if I looked at the spot she was looking at and it didn't look too bad, I would tell her that I did. Well, my husband pulled just that move on me, when I asked if he vacuumed behind the hamper (after moving it and seeing all of the little hairs from his last haircut back there), he put his head down and said, "no".
My husband has made me into a mother.
Yesterday one of the wives came over to hang out with me while I made some food for the next few days with my family. She needed some new recipes and since I own about fifty cookbooks, it was worth a shot for her to try to look through them. She found a few recipes while we tried some other ones. I need to do some cleaning today and tomorrow but I do feel like I am ready to have my family over!
Dinner was amazing last night. I stuffed cornish game hens with pineapple stuffing, made BBQ potato wedges, and a saute of squash, mushrooms, and tomatoes. We didn't get to eat until late because Chris had a combat engineer field experience. And when he did finally get home we had three guests. Our landlord had to come over because at about six, I went downstairs to find water leaking from under our water heater and air conditioner. We thought it might be a quick fix, but it turns out they had to replace our water heater last night. Our landlord knew a really good plumber who was able to come over and take care of it right away, and so he did.
I had to stay up a little while after they left because they tracked a bunch of mud in bringing in the new water heater, so I wanted to clean that up before it stained anything. And then I had to wait up for my dear husband's laundry, because he likes that way THAT pair of cammies fits (the other four pairs aren't good enough, I guess). Oh well, it meant I didn't have to feel guilty about sleeping in this morning. I still got up to make Chris breakfast, but then told him I was going back to bed because I felt ill, and sure enough I threw up half an hour later. You know we've been married less than a year because I managed to keep it down until I knew he was out of the house.
There is artillery going off on base again today. Honestly I don't think I will ever get used to that noise. Every time I'm still like, "WHOA! What was that?" I think it's so weird that we are miles from base and can still hear and feel it. I have been very jumpy, though. The other day Amber was sweet enough to take me to the commissary and wait around while I tackled my huge shopping list. She would finish her list and then come to find me, and I would look up and she would be standing at the end of my cart, and I would jump two feet in the air. It was terrifying! Last night when our water came back on, all of the pressures had to re-stabilize, so the toilets, showers, and sinks would all make this awful, loud shooting noise every time you used one. My poor little heart couldn't take it no more.
Knowing my parents are coming tomorrow, I looked around and realized there were just a few finishing touches the house needed. I want to get some throws for the couches, and found some that were very cute and matched well. I was at TJ Maxx, so I also found a clearance rack that I can never seem to walk away from.
Oops. Especially considering we have a shipment of clothes coming from Kohl's today as well.
That is all I can write about today! I really need to get my butt up and at 'em, get something cleaned or work on dinner. I have no idea when Christopher will be home. I need to make sure we make the most of our time together this week and weekend because he will be gone all next week again. Oh field experience, how I loathe you. At least my parents and brother Nick will be here to distract me. Knowing how quickly the four months has gone since I left Nebraska, I know the ten days they are here will fly by as well. That makes me sad because there's no way we can fit in all the stuff we want to do in ten days! And not long after, we will move to Florida and then they will just have to come visit again.
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
Ups and Downs
I have had to keep thinking happy thoughts all day because work was not fabulous by any means. Being PRN is great, but sometimes it sucks because you come in and you have to sweep up what someone else left behind. And sometimes the people before you don't do everything they were supposed to so you have to try and figure it out. Sometimes being a nurse is like being MacGyver...but usually it shouldn't be. It seems that everything hits the fan when nobody is around to help, so of course when I realized I needed a whole bunch of things I didn't have, nobody was around to help me find it or explain how to use it.
Being a new nurse is super fun sometimes.
Luckily it all worked out and at the end of the day I was calm, collected, and caught up. I got home, cleaned up, and then headed over to my friend's for wine and a movie. We had about 9 bottles and cracked open a few of them. We watched Steel Magnolias because the girl from Missouri and the girl from Georgia hadn't seen it. C'mon now! I think everybody loved it.
Or maybe it was the wine.
Regardless, it made me miss my mom.
Ruby is standing at the end of my bed staring at me like she has been possessed by the devil.
I can't stand that dog.
Being a new nurse is super fun sometimes.
Luckily it all worked out and at the end of the day I was calm, collected, and caught up. I got home, cleaned up, and then headed over to my friend's for wine and a movie. We had about 9 bottles and cracked open a few of them. We watched Steel Magnolias because the girl from Missouri and the girl from Georgia hadn't seen it. C'mon now! I think everybody loved it.
Or maybe it was the wine.
Regardless, it made me miss my mom.
Ruby is standing at the end of my bed staring at me like she has been possessed by the devil.
I can't stand that dog.
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
Noise Advisory
I woke up this morning to an oddly sunny morning with the rumble of thunder in the distance. It wasn't actually a long rumble like normal, though, just little short bursts of rumbling. How odd, I thought?
From what I understand, it's supposed to rain today, so then it made more sense. And then I read that there is a noise advisory on base from 0600-1700. So that noise is actually artillery. I'm praying that it doesn't rain on my husband this week. I know exactly how many pairs of cammies, underwear, and socks he took with him. And I really hope it doesn't rain.
I'm watching "Orange is the New Black" on Netflix-totally addicted. It is a VERY clever show.
I need to get up in a little while. Mostly because I'm hungry, but also because I need to clean the house before everybody comes over tonight! Rachele is working the pool so I might head on over there while I can. Work hasn't called this week yet (I'm PRN for those of you who don't know) to ask me to come in. I'm hoping to get a bunch of work in before my parents come to town. I want a big paycheck before they get here!
Katie flies in on Thursday and stays with me until Saturday. Brandt and Lukow graduate on Saturday, so she finally gets to see her man after six weeks of OCS! I remember those days. They were awful! But they don't really end! Because once again Chris is gone, without his phone. I can't wait for him to come home, as always.
Lucky for me, we made steaks on Sunday night, pasta on Sunday afternoon for his friends, and I had made some apple dumplings earlier in the week You know what that means?
I haven't cooked yet since Chris left. And it has been wonderful. All I have to do tonight for the party is make a little guacamole. I am glad for that, because I've been so lazy. I did, however, get some lunches together on Sunday to take with me for some of Chris' friends in the barracks. They have been ragging on me because I sent a lunch for one of the other single Marines.
Poor Chris-I was feeling very emotional and lonely long before he left this time. First it makes very snooty toward him, and then it makes me all needy and on the verge of tears. So he spends the first half of the day trying not to tick me off and the second half giving me hugs every five minutes so I don't cry. It's not fun to say goodbye.
I love the ways I try to spend my time, though. I went to IKEA yesterday and got a little four-box shelf for all of my cookbooks. They barely fit. I can probably buy about two more cookbooks before I run out of room.
Oops. If I hoard anything, it might be cookbooks.
Ruby has been driving me crazy. She doesn't like noise when the Princess is trying to rest. So the artillery on base and the vacuum and "Orange is the New Black" on my laptop is severely irritating her. I put her outside. She can stay out there until she can calm down. I am SO excited to have everybody over tonight! I'm making margaritas!
We got our company cookbook put together, and I am considering getting a couple of extra as gifts because I am so proud of us for getting it put together. HUGE shout-out to Tara for coming up with the idea AND putting it together. It's going to be fabulous-we have some really great cooks amongst us.
Okay. Time to clean. Time to get ready. Party in 8 hours!
From what I understand, it's supposed to rain today, so then it made more sense. And then I read that there is a noise advisory on base from 0600-1700. So that noise is actually artillery. I'm praying that it doesn't rain on my husband this week. I know exactly how many pairs of cammies, underwear, and socks he took with him. And I really hope it doesn't rain.
I'm watching "Orange is the New Black" on Netflix-totally addicted. It is a VERY clever show.
I need to get up in a little while. Mostly because I'm hungry, but also because I need to clean the house before everybody comes over tonight! Rachele is working the pool so I might head on over there while I can. Work hasn't called this week yet (I'm PRN for those of you who don't know) to ask me to come in. I'm hoping to get a bunch of work in before my parents come to town. I want a big paycheck before they get here!
Katie flies in on Thursday and stays with me until Saturday. Brandt and Lukow graduate on Saturday, so she finally gets to see her man after six weeks of OCS! I remember those days. They were awful! But they don't really end! Because once again Chris is gone, without his phone. I can't wait for him to come home, as always.
Lucky for me, we made steaks on Sunday night, pasta on Sunday afternoon for his friends, and I had made some apple dumplings earlier in the week You know what that means?
I haven't cooked yet since Chris left. And it has been wonderful. All I have to do tonight for the party is make a little guacamole. I am glad for that, because I've been so lazy. I did, however, get some lunches together on Sunday to take with me for some of Chris' friends in the barracks. They have been ragging on me because I sent a lunch for one of the other single Marines.
Poor Chris-I was feeling very emotional and lonely long before he left this time. First it makes very snooty toward him, and then it makes me all needy and on the verge of tears. So he spends the first half of the day trying not to tick me off and the second half giving me hugs every five minutes so I don't cry. It's not fun to say goodbye.
I love the ways I try to spend my time, though. I went to IKEA yesterday and got a little four-box shelf for all of my cookbooks. They barely fit. I can probably buy about two more cookbooks before I run out of room.
Oops. If I hoard anything, it might be cookbooks.
Ruby has been driving me crazy. She doesn't like noise when the Princess is trying to rest. So the artillery on base and the vacuum and "Orange is the New Black" on my laptop is severely irritating her. I put her outside. She can stay out there until she can calm down. I am SO excited to have everybody over tonight! I'm making margaritas!
We got our company cookbook put together, and I am considering getting a couple of extra as gifts because I am so proud of us for getting it put together. HUGE shout-out to Tara for coming up with the idea AND putting it together. It's going to be fabulous-we have some really great cooks amongst us.
Okay. Time to clean. Time to get ready. Party in 8 hours!
Friday, August 9, 2013
Exhausted by 1000
I decided not to go back to sleep today when Chris left for work. So I have been cleaning ever since. Sheila will be so proud when I tell her about all the cleaning I have done.
I can't decide if it's a good thing that my mom was a clean freak or not, because every time I think I'm done cleaning I put my Sheila eyes on and suddenly it looks like I'll just have to attach a rag to my hand. It's going to be a very busy next few weeks-this weekend a couple of our friends from Omaha who are training at Quantico are going to come over and spend a little time here with us. I'm hoping to cook a good meal for them and let them relax!
Next weekend, Katie comes from Omaha to stay with us because her boyfriend, Brandt graduates from his senior session of OCS. I'm hoping to show her around town and base a little bit. And just two short weeks after that, Mom, Nick, and Dad fly in! And they get to stay a little over a week. I am so excited to have them here, but also nervous because I want the house to look nice for their stay.
So, today, I scrubbed all the kitchen appliances, toilets, hardwood floors, windows, doors, shampooed some carpets, dusted all the woodwork, did the dishes, cleaned out the pantry and fridge, vacuumed, and I'm not done yet so I know there will be more.
The boys leave again next week for a field experience which means Chris will be gone and without his phone yet again. I am hosting a little Master Chef party on Tuesday and Wednesday night there will be a presentation of the Marine Corps Band here. Lots to do and little time!
My latest paycheck made me very happy so somewhere in here I need to get some more hours. I LOVE contributing to the bank account. It makes me feel so important! I do feel that I lack in the cleaning, cooking, and doggy-loving though with all of the hours I put in.
Tonight we are going to see Trace Adkins with our fellow couples and some single Marines. I have heard that Trace can be a really big jerk, but if he plays "Every Light In The House", "(This Ain't) No Thinkin' Thing", or "I Left Something Turned On At Home" I will forgive him. Especially since the last one is basically the theme song for TBS, or the Marine Corps in general, for wives.
Ruby is locked in her kennel for a while because she has decided she will not be Furminated today, which means I am not going to have her running around leaving little clouds of poofies all over my newly vacuumed and scrubbed floor. Nalli got her nails trimmed today and was able to enjoy four snacks for being so cooperative. Her duck is locked away because she decided to rip out its "soul" (what most people refer to as the squeaker) even though she and I had JUST had a conversation about not ripping out the stuffing.
Rotten animals.
I hope it doesn't rain at the concert tonight, but I do hope it cools down. The past week and a half has been in the 80s and it has been so enjoyable. When it gets hot here I just want to go home. Nebraska heat feels entirely different and about a thousand times more bearable.
I am a cruel person. Chris' cousin CJ owns a farm and sent me a video of his vet lancing an abcess on a calf last night. He told me to show it to Chris, so I tried to do so after serving him strawberry and cream cheese Toaster Strudels this morning. He refused to watch it, and it's probably good because I wouldn't have been able to eat mine either. That is not a pretty video.
Sometimes when I am running around trying to get the garbage out to the curb (Chris' job) I like to pretend I'm Santa. Especially when I have one of the really big garbage bags. And then I hear beer bottles clang against each other and think I probably wouldn't make a very good Santa.
Anyway, this cleaning fairy is off to dust a shelf or something.
I can't decide if it's a good thing that my mom was a clean freak or not, because every time I think I'm done cleaning I put my Sheila eyes on and suddenly it looks like I'll just have to attach a rag to my hand. It's going to be a very busy next few weeks-this weekend a couple of our friends from Omaha who are training at Quantico are going to come over and spend a little time here with us. I'm hoping to cook a good meal for them and let them relax!
Next weekend, Katie comes from Omaha to stay with us because her boyfriend, Brandt graduates from his senior session of OCS. I'm hoping to show her around town and base a little bit. And just two short weeks after that, Mom, Nick, and Dad fly in! And they get to stay a little over a week. I am so excited to have them here, but also nervous because I want the house to look nice for their stay.
So, today, I scrubbed all the kitchen appliances, toilets, hardwood floors, windows, doors, shampooed some carpets, dusted all the woodwork, did the dishes, cleaned out the pantry and fridge, vacuumed, and I'm not done yet so I know there will be more.
The boys leave again next week for a field experience which means Chris will be gone and without his phone yet again. I am hosting a little Master Chef party on Tuesday and Wednesday night there will be a presentation of the Marine Corps Band here. Lots to do and little time!
My latest paycheck made me very happy so somewhere in here I need to get some more hours. I LOVE contributing to the bank account. It makes me feel so important! I do feel that I lack in the cleaning, cooking, and doggy-loving though with all of the hours I put in.
Tonight we are going to see Trace Adkins with our fellow couples and some single Marines. I have heard that Trace can be a really big jerk, but if he plays "Every Light In The House", "(This Ain't) No Thinkin' Thing", or "I Left Something Turned On At Home" I will forgive him. Especially since the last one is basically the theme song for TBS, or the Marine Corps in general, for wives.
Ruby is locked in her kennel for a while because she has decided she will not be Furminated today, which means I am not going to have her running around leaving little clouds of poofies all over my newly vacuumed and scrubbed floor. Nalli got her nails trimmed today and was able to enjoy four snacks for being so cooperative. Her duck is locked away because she decided to rip out its "soul" (what most people refer to as the squeaker) even though she and I had JUST had a conversation about not ripping out the stuffing.
Rotten animals.
I hope it doesn't rain at the concert tonight, but I do hope it cools down. The past week and a half has been in the 80s and it has been so enjoyable. When it gets hot here I just want to go home. Nebraska heat feels entirely different and about a thousand times more bearable.
I am a cruel person. Chris' cousin CJ owns a farm and sent me a video of his vet lancing an abcess on a calf last night. He told me to show it to Chris, so I tried to do so after serving him strawberry and cream cheese Toaster Strudels this morning. He refused to watch it, and it's probably good because I wouldn't have been able to eat mine either. That is not a pretty video.
Sometimes when I am running around trying to get the garbage out to the curb (Chris' job) I like to pretend I'm Santa. Especially when I have one of the really big garbage bags. And then I hear beer bottles clang against each other and think I probably wouldn't make a very good Santa.
Anyway, this cleaning fairy is off to dust a shelf or something.
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
I'm Going to Blogger Hell
It's been nearly a month since I have even visited my own blog, let alone written anything. This is why I am going to blogger hell.
I have excuses! I have lots of them. Most of them just include the fact that I have been busy, that I have been working, and that when I'm not working I'm too tired to blog or I have a thousand other things to do.
I don't understand how people work and have kids. I don't even understand how a nurse gets through a 12-hour shift. I have 8-hour shifts (they usually become 10-hour shifts with all of the paperwork and whatnot) and they exhaust me. Of course, where I work I have about 20 patients on the regular. I guess you just suck it up and do it?
This past weekend we went to Virginia Beach. There was a SpouseBuzz Spouse Experience in Norfolk, and some of the ladies who work there had asked if I wouldn't mind volunteering. This was planned almost two months ago, and I had really been looking forward to it. They were kind enough to put us up in a room with two beds for two nights. The Spouse Experience was at the Hilton.
I had a blast. I really feel like I'm doing something special when I write for SpouseBuzz and volunteer for them. I remember how I used to feel before SpouseBuzz--like the things I was doing were not important and that I was not being a productive member of society. The event really changed my mind about that, and showed me how much what I am doing impacts a service member's life. The little things we do add up to huge things, and sometimes we are expected to do the huge things as well.
This experience was a little different from last time because this time we had a very inspirational wife's story. She is the wife of Joseph Kapacziewski, an Army Ranger who lost his lower right leg and endured forty surgeries before returning to Afghanistan for five deployments. He is also the author of Back In The Fight, a book which I cannot wait to read.
His wife, Kim, is amazing. She is so down-to-Earth, so honest, so inspiring. She told us the story of how she first learned her husband, Joe, was injured. She got a phone call from his cell phone that said, "Ma'am, your husband has been injured. At least two of his limbs have been affected. We'll let you know more when we know more. Have a nice day."
She had to wait TWO weeks to see him. It was the first time she had heard her husband scream out in pain. She spent the next SEVEN months in Walter Reed, taking care of Joe while he recovered. That became her job.
And I guess her story is so inspiring because she reminded us how how important the little things we do are. What's even more important is knowing that at any point in time, we might have to give up everything to take care of our husbands. To go to the hospital and stay with them to brush their teeth and shave their face, in case they can't. And no, it might not sound important, but from the side of a loving wife and a nurse, I know it is.
I was just looking at the listing for the book on Amazon, and I am amazed that someone rated this book with one out of five stars. Sometimes, people just need to sit back and shut up.
We got in to Norfolk late on Friday night, so we went down to the restaurant in the hotel and had dinner. We went to bed fairly soon after because the event began the next day around 8:30. The next morning we got up and headed downstairs. I helped set up tables and was approached by one of the leaders for a very special job. A Vice Admiral was coming to speak and she needed someone to watch her car at the front while she did so, in case she had to leave quickly. It was a perfect job to pass off to my husband, and I think he had a lot of fun in doing so. The Vice Admiral teased him about washing it while he was out there with it.
I couldn't believe the amount of ribbons this Vice Admiral had. It is so cool to see a woman who does so well in the military. And she was very humble, too. She remembered everything she was told about Chris and I and thanked us profusely for taking care of her vehicle.
It seemed that the event was over just as it began, so we ended the day wearing our t-shirts that say "Kiss Like They Deploy Tomorrow" and taking some photos. I was so glad that I was able to convince Morgan to come down and go to the experience, because she was hesitant. I felt a little bad stealing her from her husband as well, because it was their first anniversary the next day!
When we finished, it was looking pretty dreary outside. And not long after it started raining. So we waited it out a little. Morgan and I stepped down to the bar to use our complimentary drink tickets from the hotel. When we had first arrived on Friday night, our first room was dirty. Unmade beds, trash, and a towel on the chair that Chris was convinced was "proof that someone sat naked on that towel". Our second room smelled like smoke. I was not terribly impressed by all that but the free drinks were delicious, so I guess I can't complain. I'm not the type to really get mad at customer service; I only get mad enough to get something to make it right and then I don't care. I was tired more than anything.
We went to Virginia Beach after a couple of drinks. It is a quick drive and easy to navigate, despite numerous one-ways. We were so excited just to see the water it didn't matter anyway. We ran across the beach and into the water. I didn't even care that Chris got his shorts all wet (until he realized his phone was in his pocket and he had to give it to me for safekeeping).
That night we went to have a fancy dinner on the beach. YES, on the beach. We didn't see the sun set but we did see it grow darker around us and it was beautiful. We ate at a Mahi Mah's on the beach. I must say that my sushi was pretty darn delicious, but it was Morgan and Chris' calamari that really took the cake! It was a delicious dinner!
...
Sorry, had to pause the blog because the EVIL fluffy one decided that at 7:21 she was not going to wait for me to let her outside, so made eye contact with me and peed in front of MY closet. NOT Chris' closet, MINE.
So I'm over Ruby for the day, and probably for the next week.
It was time anyway, we have gotten along for almost two weeks.
Back to the weekend-Sunday we went out for breakfast at Pop's Diner, which is not on the water but is delicious and cute. After that we went to the beach. It was pretty cloudy, but we decided to wait it out, along with a thousand other people along the beach. We bought a volleyball and played a little game, and even had a couple of people join us. Chris and I talk A LOT of trash to each other when we play sports.
He once told me that I was not nice when we played basketball. (I still use elbows and nails.) He obviously never played girls' basketball in high school.
Anyway, we played in the sand and the water for a few hours. I can't remember the last time I tasted saltwater! It was a very odd experience for a Nebraska girl. We buried each other in the sand, and Chris and I (creep me out sometimes) had the same idea to build a "sandman" at the same time. This happens a lot, where we both get bright ideas but don't confer with one another so we do the same work with different results. Anyway, his turned out to be pretty cute.
We finished up our weekend with a pit stop at Taco Bell on the way home. I don't think I have ever actually gone there, sat down and had a meal. It wasn't the worst thing I had ever eaten. Chris promised to drive on the way home, so he did for about 2.5 hours before his complaining was too much for me and I offered to drive. He sat in the back and drank beer with Chris Hawley. I love traveling with the Hawleys for two reasons:
1.) Morgan can have fun no matter where we are or what we are doing.
2.) Chris has to be pee more often than I do, so it's always his fault that we stop.
Chris is gone again tonight so I won't be seeing him until tomorrow night. He will be gone all of next week as well. Seems like just a couple of weeks ago he was gone all week...
Oh wait, he was.
Field experiences get more and more often now as we get closer to the end of TBS. Luckily the spouses have figured out how to pass the time by getting together and having cooking competitions! Kat hosted our last party, with a competition based on taste, presentation, and originality with a secret ingredient of BACON. Yes, bacon.
There was bacon grilled cheese, apple-bacon pie, bacon pinwheels, bacon chocolate chip cookies (me), bacon broccoli salad, bacon-wrapped dates (overall winner), bacon dip, bacon rice krispy bars, and bacon-wrapped bananas (also me). I know I forgot some things but it was all FABULOUS. I felt disgusting for days following, but it was totally worth it.
The winner was Lisa's bacon-wrapped dates, which she had pitted and stuffed with cream cheese and a walnut. They were absolutely phenomenal.
Fellow spouse, Tara, got this amazing idea to put together a Charlie Company Spouse cookbook, and originally we had thought we would just be putting in the recipes for things we had brought to our events. We got to talking though, and realized we should be submitting our tried and true recipes.
Poor Tara. She has probably gotten at least 50 recipes from me thus far, and I don't think that I am done. Our next event is a Master Chef cook-off again, and this time the secret ingredient was chosen by me-it's avocado! I have asked that people tell me what they are making so we don't get six bowls of guacamole, and so far the recipes have my mouth watering. I am SO excited for this party! After our artery-clogging bacon party, I am very excited to have a party that has potential to be...a bit healthier?
I have excuses! I have lots of them. Most of them just include the fact that I have been busy, that I have been working, and that when I'm not working I'm too tired to blog or I have a thousand other things to do.
I don't understand how people work and have kids. I don't even understand how a nurse gets through a 12-hour shift. I have 8-hour shifts (they usually become 10-hour shifts with all of the paperwork and whatnot) and they exhaust me. Of course, where I work I have about 20 patients on the regular. I guess you just suck it up and do it?
This past weekend we went to Virginia Beach. There was a SpouseBuzz Spouse Experience in Norfolk, and some of the ladies who work there had asked if I wouldn't mind volunteering. This was planned almost two months ago, and I had really been looking forward to it. They were kind enough to put us up in a room with two beds for two nights. The Spouse Experience was at the Hilton.
I had a blast. I really feel like I'm doing something special when I write for SpouseBuzz and volunteer for them. I remember how I used to feel before SpouseBuzz--like the things I was doing were not important and that I was not being a productive member of society. The event really changed my mind about that, and showed me how much what I am doing impacts a service member's life. The little things we do add up to huge things, and sometimes we are expected to do the huge things as well.
This experience was a little different from last time because this time we had a very inspirational wife's story. She is the wife of Joseph Kapacziewski, an Army Ranger who lost his lower right leg and endured forty surgeries before returning to Afghanistan for five deployments. He is also the author of Back In The Fight, a book which I cannot wait to read.
His wife, Kim, is amazing. She is so down-to-Earth, so honest, so inspiring. She told us the story of how she first learned her husband, Joe, was injured. She got a phone call from his cell phone that said, "Ma'am, your husband has been injured. At least two of his limbs have been affected. We'll let you know more when we know more. Have a nice day."
She had to wait TWO weeks to see him. It was the first time she had heard her husband scream out in pain. She spent the next SEVEN months in Walter Reed, taking care of Joe while he recovered. That became her job.
And I guess her story is so inspiring because she reminded us how how important the little things we do are. What's even more important is knowing that at any point in time, we might have to give up everything to take care of our husbands. To go to the hospital and stay with them to brush their teeth and shave their face, in case they can't. And no, it might not sound important, but from the side of a loving wife and a nurse, I know it is.
I was just looking at the listing for the book on Amazon, and I am amazed that someone rated this book with one out of five stars. Sometimes, people just need to sit back and shut up.
We got in to Norfolk late on Friday night, so we went down to the restaurant in the hotel and had dinner. We went to bed fairly soon after because the event began the next day around 8:30. The next morning we got up and headed downstairs. I helped set up tables and was approached by one of the leaders for a very special job. A Vice Admiral was coming to speak and she needed someone to watch her car at the front while she did so, in case she had to leave quickly. It was a perfect job to pass off to my husband, and I think he had a lot of fun in doing so. The Vice Admiral teased him about washing it while he was out there with it.
I couldn't believe the amount of ribbons this Vice Admiral had. It is so cool to see a woman who does so well in the military. And she was very humble, too. She remembered everything she was told about Chris and I and thanked us profusely for taking care of her vehicle.
It seemed that the event was over just as it began, so we ended the day wearing our t-shirts that say "Kiss Like They Deploy Tomorrow" and taking some photos. I was so glad that I was able to convince Morgan to come down and go to the experience, because she was hesitant. I felt a little bad stealing her from her husband as well, because it was their first anniversary the next day!
When we finished, it was looking pretty dreary outside. And not long after it started raining. So we waited it out a little. Morgan and I stepped down to the bar to use our complimentary drink tickets from the hotel. When we had first arrived on Friday night, our first room was dirty. Unmade beds, trash, and a towel on the chair that Chris was convinced was "proof that someone sat naked on that towel". Our second room smelled like smoke. I was not terribly impressed by all that but the free drinks were delicious, so I guess I can't complain. I'm not the type to really get mad at customer service; I only get mad enough to get something to make it right and then I don't care. I was tired more than anything.
We went to Virginia Beach after a couple of drinks. It is a quick drive and easy to navigate, despite numerous one-ways. We were so excited just to see the water it didn't matter anyway. We ran across the beach and into the water. I didn't even care that Chris got his shorts all wet (until he realized his phone was in his pocket and he had to give it to me for safekeeping).
That night we went to have a fancy dinner on the beach. YES, on the beach. We didn't see the sun set but we did see it grow darker around us and it was beautiful. We ate at a Mahi Mah's on the beach. I must say that my sushi was pretty darn delicious, but it was Morgan and Chris' calamari that really took the cake! It was a delicious dinner!
...
Sorry, had to pause the blog because the EVIL fluffy one decided that at 7:21 she was not going to wait for me to let her outside, so made eye contact with me and peed in front of MY closet. NOT Chris' closet, MINE.
So I'm over Ruby for the day, and probably for the next week.
It was time anyway, we have gotten along for almost two weeks.
Back to the weekend-Sunday we went out for breakfast at Pop's Diner, which is not on the water but is delicious and cute. After that we went to the beach. It was pretty cloudy, but we decided to wait it out, along with a thousand other people along the beach. We bought a volleyball and played a little game, and even had a couple of people join us. Chris and I talk A LOT of trash to each other when we play sports.
He once told me that I was not nice when we played basketball. (I still use elbows and nails.) He obviously never played girls' basketball in high school.
Anyway, we played in the sand and the water for a few hours. I can't remember the last time I tasted saltwater! It was a very odd experience for a Nebraska girl. We buried each other in the sand, and Chris and I (creep me out sometimes) had the same idea to build a "sandman" at the same time. This happens a lot, where we both get bright ideas but don't confer with one another so we do the same work with different results. Anyway, his turned out to be pretty cute.
We finished up our weekend with a pit stop at Taco Bell on the way home. I don't think I have ever actually gone there, sat down and had a meal. It wasn't the worst thing I had ever eaten. Chris promised to drive on the way home, so he did for about 2.5 hours before his complaining was too much for me and I offered to drive. He sat in the back and drank beer with Chris Hawley. I love traveling with the Hawleys for two reasons:
1.) Morgan can have fun no matter where we are or what we are doing.
2.) Chris has to be pee more often than I do, so it's always his fault that we stop.
Chris is gone again tonight so I won't be seeing him until tomorrow night. He will be gone all of next week as well. Seems like just a couple of weeks ago he was gone all week...
Oh wait, he was.
Field experiences get more and more often now as we get closer to the end of TBS. Luckily the spouses have figured out how to pass the time by getting together and having cooking competitions! Kat hosted our last party, with a competition based on taste, presentation, and originality with a secret ingredient of BACON. Yes, bacon.
There was bacon grilled cheese, apple-bacon pie, bacon pinwheels, bacon chocolate chip cookies (me), bacon broccoli salad, bacon-wrapped dates (overall winner), bacon dip, bacon rice krispy bars, and bacon-wrapped bananas (also me). I know I forgot some things but it was all FABULOUS. I felt disgusting for days following, but it was totally worth it.
The winner was Lisa's bacon-wrapped dates, which she had pitted and stuffed with cream cheese and a walnut. They were absolutely phenomenal.
Fellow spouse, Tara, got this amazing idea to put together a Charlie Company Spouse cookbook, and originally we had thought we would just be putting in the recipes for things we had brought to our events. We got to talking though, and realized we should be submitting our tried and true recipes.
Poor Tara. She has probably gotten at least 50 recipes from me thus far, and I don't think that I am done. Our next event is a Master Chef cook-off again, and this time the secret ingredient was chosen by me-it's avocado! I have asked that people tell me what they are making so we don't get six bowls of guacamole, and so far the recipes have my mouth watering. I am SO excited for this party! After our artery-clogging bacon party, I am very excited to have a party that has potential to be...a bit healthier?
Monday, July 15, 2013
Do I Remember How to Do This?
Alright, everyone. It's been awhile. With good reason!
I started orienting at my first job as a registered nurse on Wednesday. I worked every day, Wednesday through Sunday. It was incredibly tiring, and I'm very glad it is over, but I learned a lot and was able to enjoy my patients every day.
I am surrounded by old people every day; I love it. I have found my niche with the elderly once again. I can't help but chuckle at the things they say and do. This is their home! This is where they live, which means they can do just about anything they want to do or say. A good bunch of them have Alzheimer's, which means I get to have the same conversations over and over.
Things I heard this week that had me rolling on the ground: (please note that the majority of these are said with Southern accents)
"You have to watch that one! She spits out her pills when you ain't lookin'."
"Who am I? Do you know me? Do I live here? Who is that? I have a roommate? Does my family know that I'm here?"
"Don't you all know that there's gonna be a murder?" (This was my personal favorite, mostly because it was followed by a chuckle.)
I am really enjoying myself. It feels so good to be a nurse. It feels so good to feel like I'm making a difference in someone's life, even if it is just for a moment. It feels good to do all those little things that really make people feel happy, no matter how small. I am a big believer in that doing the small things really make a huge difference, just because it shows you care.
Keeping that in mind, I also realized how quickly I can move when patients are chucking their inhalers at me. Yes, this happened on my second day. I now have to work myself up in order to enter that room every time now. It gets my heart pumping, that's for sure!
I am very excited about bringing home some bacon for our little Lazoritz household. I feel like I am now actually helping out a little bit with bills, and not just around the house (not that there is anything wrong with that). It has been very hard to balance managing the house and work, though. I have found that it's really difficult to get my mind off work once I am home. I am constantly thinking about what I need to do for my patients when I get back. I feel like this will get better with time, but I do need to get there. I haven't been sleeping well and I have the worst dreams!
Last night, for instance, (and I love how I do this to myself) but I wake up from one bad dream and think to myself, "Don't dream about zombies. Don't dream about zombies."
So what do I do?
Dream about zombies.
And then I really can't sleep.
Not to mention I've been a little stressed out with all the hub-bub of life, so I'm having terrible acid reflux as well as a bit of an irregular heartbeat (something that used to happen in high school but rarely does anymore). Oh the joys of getting older and having responsibilities.
I feel terrible for the dogs. They were in their kennels for almost every shift of mine. :(
Last night was rough without all the extra crap. I was raging because I was overly emotional and tired, but I got really fired up over a post on the Quantico Spouses' Facebook page. Someone was asking for directions, I didn't read someone's response correctly so I said my piece. I said something about the "OCS Gate" (there is none) and all of a sudden all the spouses who hadn't been trying to help MAGICALLY had something to say about it. Quoting me and tagging me and making me feel like an absolutely idiot.
Boy was I fiery. I mean, the red hair fits me in moments like that.
Honestly, the fact that a bunch of these wives don't want to help to be nice, they just want to be the ones that are right and know everything just completely infuriates me. What happened to being nice and helpful and understanding where new wives were coming from?
Chris told me not to get so butthurt so I threw a full-on adult-sized tantrum. I tried to hide from him behind the kitchen table because I didn't want to talk to him or see him, and he found me and dumped half of his water bottle on my head.
I'm glad he did. I needed a bit of a reality check.
Moriah, what you are doing is ridiculous. Please stop acting like you are five years old.
So, I slept like crap and didn't get up to run when I wanted to. That meant I ran AFTER the gym, which was desperately hot. I don't know how these Marines do this every day. Exercising outside on a day like today was too much for me. I felt horrible. I ran about 4 miles and realized that I had a dentist appointment in half an hour, and I was two miles from my car. Crap. I was exhausted, had blisters, and was sweating profusely. I made it back to my car and into the shower and was just a couple of minutes late for my appointment. Win!
This was my first dentist appointment in about three years. Oops. I thought I was going to get yelled at but they were incredibly nice there. Plus, you get your own TV and you're in control of the channel. By the grace of God I didn't have any new cavities and the dentist was able to smooth out the tops of my bottom front teeth and bottoms of my top front teeth. He also suggested that I look into braces and a couple of other things (Cosmetic dentists-shake my head). Honestly I know that I need some serious work when we can afford it, but Chris says I can't have braces until he is deployed. That is fine by me. I am planning on being comfortable and unattractive while he is gone anyway, so it will work out for everyone!
After my TWO HOUR dentist appointment, I was completely out of it. I didn't eat before I ran, so when I got back my place my blood sugar had probably bottomed out. I wanted a BLT but I sure wasn't going to wait that long! I went into zombie mode until I had eaten and recuperated a bit. Then I headed out the door again to go to Rachele's pool. I had such a good time hanging out with the girls. I probably talked all of their ears off, but I can't help it when I haven't been around people my age in a week! And Chris isn't a great listener unless it's important stuff.
I actually got a little color (I think), although tomorrow it will probably disappear because it usually does.
As for cooking this week, we had Buffalo Wild Wings one night, which was pretty delicious. I can't take responsibility for that. What I CAN take responsibility for was tonight and last night's dinner.
Tonight was from the Food Network Cookbook, a very simple but very delicious stir-fry Moo Shu Pork. I had mine on lettuce leaves and Chris decided that was not for him so he wrapped his in a tortilla instead. God forbid his food be straight up healthy!
Last night's dinner was unbelievable. It was from the Rachel Ray Book of Burger, called the "Fire Eater Burger". Hamburgers with pepperjack cheese, doused in a pepper sauce, topped with some jalapeno jam and balanced out with some Greek yogurt.
I wasn't even hungry and I wanted two. I unwillingly sent the fourth with Chris today in his lunch.
I love cooking. I think one of the hardest parts about this job is going to be not having the time to make such great food, although Chris did tell me that it would be fine for me to feed him "Chili Mac". One, I don't even know what that is. Two, gross. Three, no. I hope he doesn't forget that I have to eat it, too. Which means none of that easy gross stuff (SORRY MOM) but Red Baron pizzas and Tater Tot Casserole are off the table for the rest of my life. Also, Chris' mom makes a casserole that I'm not too fond of...I think it might be called "Company Casserole"?
Not my thing. I don't think I am a huge fan of casseroles in general, unless they are incredible.
Although, I wouldn't mind a little of my dad's goulash. Even if it's just for the memories.
(Hamburger, tomato sauce, and elbow macaroni. Fancy stuff.)
I started orienting at my first job as a registered nurse on Wednesday. I worked every day, Wednesday through Sunday. It was incredibly tiring, and I'm very glad it is over, but I learned a lot and was able to enjoy my patients every day.
I am surrounded by old people every day; I love it. I have found my niche with the elderly once again. I can't help but chuckle at the things they say and do. This is their home! This is where they live, which means they can do just about anything they want to do or say. A good bunch of them have Alzheimer's, which means I get to have the same conversations over and over.
Things I heard this week that had me rolling on the ground: (please note that the majority of these are said with Southern accents)
"You have to watch that one! She spits out her pills when you ain't lookin'."
"Who am I? Do you know me? Do I live here? Who is that? I have a roommate? Does my family know that I'm here?"
"Don't you all know that there's gonna be a murder?" (This was my personal favorite, mostly because it was followed by a chuckle.)
I am really enjoying myself. It feels so good to be a nurse. It feels so good to feel like I'm making a difference in someone's life, even if it is just for a moment. It feels good to do all those little things that really make people feel happy, no matter how small. I am a big believer in that doing the small things really make a huge difference, just because it shows you care.
Keeping that in mind, I also realized how quickly I can move when patients are chucking their inhalers at me. Yes, this happened on my second day. I now have to work myself up in order to enter that room every time now. It gets my heart pumping, that's for sure!
I am very excited about bringing home some bacon for our little Lazoritz household. I feel like I am now actually helping out a little bit with bills, and not just around the house (not that there is anything wrong with that). It has been very hard to balance managing the house and work, though. I have found that it's really difficult to get my mind off work once I am home. I am constantly thinking about what I need to do for my patients when I get back. I feel like this will get better with time, but I do need to get there. I haven't been sleeping well and I have the worst dreams!
Last night, for instance, (and I love how I do this to myself) but I wake up from one bad dream and think to myself, "Don't dream about zombies. Don't dream about zombies."
So what do I do?
Dream about zombies.
And then I really can't sleep.
Not to mention I've been a little stressed out with all the hub-bub of life, so I'm having terrible acid reflux as well as a bit of an irregular heartbeat (something that used to happen in high school but rarely does anymore). Oh the joys of getting older and having responsibilities.
I feel terrible for the dogs. They were in their kennels for almost every shift of mine. :(
Last night was rough without all the extra crap. I was raging because I was overly emotional and tired, but I got really fired up over a post on the Quantico Spouses' Facebook page. Someone was asking for directions, I didn't read someone's response correctly so I said my piece. I said something about the "OCS Gate" (there is none) and all of a sudden all the spouses who hadn't been trying to help MAGICALLY had something to say about it. Quoting me and tagging me and making me feel like an absolutely idiot.
Boy was I fiery. I mean, the red hair fits me in moments like that.
Honestly, the fact that a bunch of these wives don't want to help to be nice, they just want to be the ones that are right and know everything just completely infuriates me. What happened to being nice and helpful and understanding where new wives were coming from?
Chris told me not to get so butthurt so I threw a full-on adult-sized tantrum. I tried to hide from him behind the kitchen table because I didn't want to talk to him or see him, and he found me and dumped half of his water bottle on my head.
I'm glad he did. I needed a bit of a reality check.
Moriah, what you are doing is ridiculous. Please stop acting like you are five years old.
So, I slept like crap and didn't get up to run when I wanted to. That meant I ran AFTER the gym, which was desperately hot. I don't know how these Marines do this every day. Exercising outside on a day like today was too much for me. I felt horrible. I ran about 4 miles and realized that I had a dentist appointment in half an hour, and I was two miles from my car. Crap. I was exhausted, had blisters, and was sweating profusely. I made it back to my car and into the shower and was just a couple of minutes late for my appointment. Win!
This was my first dentist appointment in about three years. Oops. I thought I was going to get yelled at but they were incredibly nice there. Plus, you get your own TV and you're in control of the channel. By the grace of God I didn't have any new cavities and the dentist was able to smooth out the tops of my bottom front teeth and bottoms of my top front teeth. He also suggested that I look into braces and a couple of other things (Cosmetic dentists-shake my head). Honestly I know that I need some serious work when we can afford it, but Chris says I can't have braces until he is deployed. That is fine by me. I am planning on being comfortable and unattractive while he is gone anyway, so it will work out for everyone!
After my TWO HOUR dentist appointment, I was completely out of it. I didn't eat before I ran, so when I got back my place my blood sugar had probably bottomed out. I wanted a BLT but I sure wasn't going to wait that long! I went into zombie mode until I had eaten and recuperated a bit. Then I headed out the door again to go to Rachele's pool. I had such a good time hanging out with the girls. I probably talked all of their ears off, but I can't help it when I haven't been around people my age in a week! And Chris isn't a great listener unless it's important stuff.
I actually got a little color (I think), although tomorrow it will probably disappear because it usually does.
As for cooking this week, we had Buffalo Wild Wings one night, which was pretty delicious. I can't take responsibility for that. What I CAN take responsibility for was tonight and last night's dinner.
Tonight was from the Food Network Cookbook, a very simple but very delicious stir-fry Moo Shu Pork. I had mine on lettuce leaves and Chris decided that was not for him so he wrapped his in a tortilla instead. God forbid his food be straight up healthy!
Last night's dinner was unbelievable. It was from the Rachel Ray Book of Burger, called the "Fire Eater Burger". Hamburgers with pepperjack cheese, doused in a pepper sauce, topped with some jalapeno jam and balanced out with some Greek yogurt.
I wasn't even hungry and I wanted two. I unwillingly sent the fourth with Chris today in his lunch.
I love cooking. I think one of the hardest parts about this job is going to be not having the time to make such great food, although Chris did tell me that it would be fine for me to feed him "Chili Mac". One, I don't even know what that is. Two, gross. Three, no. I hope he doesn't forget that I have to eat it, too. Which means none of that easy gross stuff (SORRY MOM) but Red Baron pizzas and Tater Tot Casserole are off the table for the rest of my life. Also, Chris' mom makes a casserole that I'm not too fond of...I think it might be called "Company Casserole"?
Not my thing. I don't think I am a huge fan of casseroles in general, unless they are incredible.
Although, I wouldn't mind a little of my dad's goulash. Even if it's just for the memories.
(Hamburger, tomato sauce, and elbow macaroni. Fancy stuff.)
Thursday, July 11, 2013
I'm a Nurse!
Well, two days of being a real-life, actual registered nurse are done. I have been training at my place of work for two days. Eight hour shifts are really fabulous, and I am appreciating them now knowing that I probably won't have the luxury in the future.
I felt a little guilty for not getting up with Chris at 0400, but I knew I'd never be able to get back to sleep for work. So I let him take care of himself this morning-even though I made a breakfast casserole so all he really needed to do was use the microwave, but hey, things happen. He must have survived because he sent a few texts today.
Work has been going really well. I feel like because I am so new and so ready to work that I am a bit more motivated than most. I am very concerned with making connections with the patients and making a difference in their lives. That is all I have to say about that.
Today had both ups and downs. The highlight of the day was the way a lady clung to my hand when we pulled her PICC line, and the worst part of my day was right in the beginning of the morning. It worked better than coffee. A patient chucked his inhaler. I don't think he actually meant for it to come my way but I moved so quickly I don't really know if it was aimed at me or not. He still took his pills, though, so that's a win.
Tonight we are hopefully going to Buffalo Wild Wings for dinner because I DO NOT FEEL LIKE COOKING.
Standing for 9 hours a day is a different feeling! Having a job is a different feeling! I forgot what it feels like to be a productive member of society. I am really having fun connecting with patients. This is what I was born to do. This is everything (besides marrying Chris) that I have wanted for years. Life is good.
I said "connecting" twice. I sound like an episode of the Bachelorette.
I felt a little guilty for not getting up with Chris at 0400, but I knew I'd never be able to get back to sleep for work. So I let him take care of himself this morning-even though I made a breakfast casserole so all he really needed to do was use the microwave, but hey, things happen. He must have survived because he sent a few texts today.
Work has been going really well. I feel like because I am so new and so ready to work that I am a bit more motivated than most. I am very concerned with making connections with the patients and making a difference in their lives. That is all I have to say about that.
Today had both ups and downs. The highlight of the day was the way a lady clung to my hand when we pulled her PICC line, and the worst part of my day was right in the beginning of the morning. It worked better than coffee. A patient chucked his inhaler. I don't think he actually meant for it to come my way but I moved so quickly I don't really know if it was aimed at me or not. He still took his pills, though, so that's a win.
Tonight we are hopefully going to Buffalo Wild Wings for dinner because I DO NOT FEEL LIKE COOKING.
Standing for 9 hours a day is a different feeling! Having a job is a different feeling! I forgot what it feels like to be a productive member of society. I am really having fun connecting with patients. This is what I was born to do. This is everything (besides marrying Chris) that I have wanted for years. Life is good.
I said "connecting" twice. I sound like an episode of the Bachelorette.
Monday, July 8, 2013
Exhaustion
I'm back on the get-in-shape train. Today I ran six miles and then did abs, arms, and some legs. Yuck. I feel like Jell-o. I am so tired. I ate too much for dinner because my metabolism was at an all-time high. Plus this afternoon I was in the sun and pool for a few hours.
A fellow Marine wife broke her foot in three places; she has an 8-month-old at home as well as a 3-year-old. She is SO busy with them plus now she's having trouble getting around their house. I offered my help today and tomorrow because I start training at my job on Wednesday! So today I got to take her son, the 3-year-old, to the pool. He is so calm!
We had some good conversations on the way to the pool. He had me cracking up.
Tommy: "Whoa, this car goes fast!"
Me: "I'm driving the speed limit!"
Tommy: "You better slow down."
Tommy: "Is your daddy with my daddy?"
Me: "No, but my husband, my friend is working with your daddy."
Tommy: "My daddy is a good guy. He beats up the bad guys. He kicks and punches them. And shoots them."
Me: "So he's like a superhero?"
Tommy: "Yeah... like Batman. Or...or...Spiderman!"
Me: "I like your floaty!" (Pink floaty, mind you.)
Tommy: "That is not mine. That is Ten-ten's." (His adorable baby sister.)
It was really fun to take him to the pool and just do the fun stuff with him. His mom deserved a break! When I pulled up to their house he gave me the biggest smile and wave. It was seriously adorable. I took him back to the pool where Rachele was working and soon was met by one of the other spouses who has her own son and a baby girl on the way. That woman is like my "Momspiration". She is teaching her two-year-old how to swim, and speak Spanish, and sign language. And to throw away his own garbage. And her husband is ridiculously nice as well-when I met him for the first time he had a heart-to-heart with some of us young wives about making the most of the time we had together as friends as well as with our parents.
My nephew, Benny, who is three, is not calm like Tommy. For instance, he would be diving into the deep end of the pool. He would love it if I spinned him in his floaties. And he would be out of my sight before I even realized he was gone. So when Tommy didn't care to spin today, I thought, my goodness my nephew is a little nut!
I miss him a lot. So when I got back to my car and checked my phone to see a photo of him in a message, I had to call. He answered my sister-in-law's phone and said, "Hi Rye-ah!" I love how he says my name. He told me something about his own bed and he was trying to show me things around the house because he thought we were on Skype, even though we weren't. He is so sweet. Apparently he wanted my sister-in-law to take a picture of him and send it to "Rye-ah".
It was a busy weekend. The boys got done Wednesday night but couldn't leave the barracks, so Morgan and I went to get a case of Budweiser and 11 beefy crunch burrito things from Taco Bell. I also sent some homemade Twin Bings. The boys got done the next day in the morning. Chris came home and it was the first time I was able to see how rough of shape he was in. He was riddled with heat rash and trench foot. I felt terrible because he must have been absolutely miserable-he would wake up in the morning soaked from rain, dry out, get super hot, sweat and drench his cammis, and then get poured on again.
Every day.
For four days.
I got to play nurse on our friend's feet, though, because his callouses had cracked open, exposing inner layers of the skin that you shouldn't see. The skin on his pinky toe was a flap. I did my best to pad it with gauze and wrap them so he could at least walk around. It helped, and we left the wrap on for a couple of days. Then we cleaned them out when we got home.
We got to watch the fireworks in the National Mall. Chris didn't want to go for the longest time because he actually thought the National Mall was a giant shopping center. Dork. Everything was closed down so we struggled to find a place to eat and drink before and after the fireworks. Our hotel had a decent bar, though, so we ended up back there. We watched the fireworks from a spot near the main building of the Smithsonian. There was a crazy amount of people there!
We attempted to go into a bar not too far from our hotel, but the cover was $20.
I don't think so, Tim.
We went back to the hotel to sleep.
The following day we got up and went for an early lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe. After that we ran around finding things to look at, attempting to avoid people but see lots of things in the process. The World War II monument is my favorite. It is absolutely breathtaking, regardless of all of the construction in the area.
I wanted to run through the reflective pool and yell, "Forrest", but most of it was closed off due to construction.
And it was dirty.
We stopped in Dumfries to go to a place called "Brother's Encore", a sweet little Italian place that I loved. I wanted to lick my plate clean. When Alfredo tastes just like butter and cream, you know it's good Alfredo.
So delicious.
Aside from a fight Chris and I had in D.C., it was a fairly good weekend. I feel like he and I can top that Fourth of July, though, so I guess we will have to work on it next year.
When we got home the boys came a few minutes behind us girls with drinks because they wanted to hang out. So we played some drinking games and a game called "Curses", a game that would leave one of our friends being able to talk only while biting the end of his tongue while his palms were stuck to his forehead while imaginary mosquitoes swarmed around his head. We had a blast giggling at each other doing a bunch of ridiculous things. The boys can't wait to play it again!
Saturday and Sunday we just kind of sat around and recuperated. Chris was, rightfully so, exhausted, and I was worn out from the drive. I drove in D.C. on one of the busiest weekends of the year. That's right. I really could have used a Xanax but I drove all the way there and back! It was terrifying.
Chris had an MOS mixer tonight and got to hang out with pilots. He was enjoying it, but hoping he could come home after. He LIED and said he wouldn't be home, so I set the alarm and headed upstairs. He set off the alarm and should have scared me but I had a feeling he might come home.
It was a good surprise.
A fellow Marine wife broke her foot in three places; she has an 8-month-old at home as well as a 3-year-old. She is SO busy with them plus now she's having trouble getting around their house. I offered my help today and tomorrow because I start training at my job on Wednesday! So today I got to take her son, the 3-year-old, to the pool. He is so calm!
We had some good conversations on the way to the pool. He had me cracking up.
Tommy: "Whoa, this car goes fast!"
Me: "I'm driving the speed limit!"
Tommy: "You better slow down."
Tommy: "Is your daddy with my daddy?"
Me: "No, but my husband, my friend is working with your daddy."
Tommy: "My daddy is a good guy. He beats up the bad guys. He kicks and punches them. And shoots them."
Me: "So he's like a superhero?"
Tommy: "Yeah... like Batman. Or...or...Spiderman!"
Me: "I like your floaty!" (Pink floaty, mind you.)
Tommy: "That is not mine. That is Ten-ten's." (His adorable baby sister.)
It was really fun to take him to the pool and just do the fun stuff with him. His mom deserved a break! When I pulled up to their house he gave me the biggest smile and wave. It was seriously adorable. I took him back to the pool where Rachele was working and soon was met by one of the other spouses who has her own son and a baby girl on the way. That woman is like my "Momspiration". She is teaching her two-year-old how to swim, and speak Spanish, and sign language. And to throw away his own garbage. And her husband is ridiculously nice as well-when I met him for the first time he had a heart-to-heart with some of us young wives about making the most of the time we had together as friends as well as with our parents.
My nephew, Benny, who is three, is not calm like Tommy. For instance, he would be diving into the deep end of the pool. He would love it if I spinned him in his floaties. And he would be out of my sight before I even realized he was gone. So when Tommy didn't care to spin today, I thought, my goodness my nephew is a little nut!
I miss him a lot. So when I got back to my car and checked my phone to see a photo of him in a message, I had to call. He answered my sister-in-law's phone and said, "Hi Rye-ah!" I love how he says my name. He told me something about his own bed and he was trying to show me things around the house because he thought we were on Skype, even though we weren't. He is so sweet. Apparently he wanted my sister-in-law to take a picture of him and send it to "Rye-ah".
It was a busy weekend. The boys got done Wednesday night but couldn't leave the barracks, so Morgan and I went to get a case of Budweiser and 11 beefy crunch burrito things from Taco Bell. I also sent some homemade Twin Bings. The boys got done the next day in the morning. Chris came home and it was the first time I was able to see how rough of shape he was in. He was riddled with heat rash and trench foot. I felt terrible because he must have been absolutely miserable-he would wake up in the morning soaked from rain, dry out, get super hot, sweat and drench his cammis, and then get poured on again.
Every day.
For four days.
I got to play nurse on our friend's feet, though, because his callouses had cracked open, exposing inner layers of the skin that you shouldn't see. The skin on his pinky toe was a flap. I did my best to pad it with gauze and wrap them so he could at least walk around. It helped, and we left the wrap on for a couple of days. Then we cleaned them out when we got home.
We got to watch the fireworks in the National Mall. Chris didn't want to go for the longest time because he actually thought the National Mall was a giant shopping center. Dork. Everything was closed down so we struggled to find a place to eat and drink before and after the fireworks. Our hotel had a decent bar, though, so we ended up back there. We watched the fireworks from a spot near the main building of the Smithsonian. There was a crazy amount of people there!
We attempted to go into a bar not too far from our hotel, but the cover was $20.
I don't think so, Tim.
We went back to the hotel to sleep.
The following day we got up and went for an early lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe. After that we ran around finding things to look at, attempting to avoid people but see lots of things in the process. The World War II monument is my favorite. It is absolutely breathtaking, regardless of all of the construction in the area.
I wanted to run through the reflective pool and yell, "Forrest", but most of it was closed off due to construction.
And it was dirty.
We stopped in Dumfries to go to a place called "Brother's Encore", a sweet little Italian place that I loved. I wanted to lick my plate clean. When Alfredo tastes just like butter and cream, you know it's good Alfredo.
So delicious.
Aside from a fight Chris and I had in D.C., it was a fairly good weekend. I feel like he and I can top that Fourth of July, though, so I guess we will have to work on it next year.
When we got home the boys came a few minutes behind us girls with drinks because they wanted to hang out. So we played some drinking games and a game called "Curses", a game that would leave one of our friends being able to talk only while biting the end of his tongue while his palms were stuck to his forehead while imaginary mosquitoes swarmed around his head. We had a blast giggling at each other doing a bunch of ridiculous things. The boys can't wait to play it again!
Saturday and Sunday we just kind of sat around and recuperated. Chris was, rightfully so, exhausted, and I was worn out from the drive. I drove in D.C. on one of the busiest weekends of the year. That's right. I really could have used a Xanax but I drove all the way there and back! It was terrifying.
Chris had an MOS mixer tonight and got to hang out with pilots. He was enjoying it, but hoping he could come home after. He LIED and said he wouldn't be home, so I set the alarm and headed upstairs. He set off the alarm and should have scared me but I had a feeling he might come home.
It was a good surprise.
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
More Than Nightmares
Have you ever noticed that things are a lot scarier when your significant other isn't around.
For instance, I am terrified of getting snuck up on while vacuuming, but at least when my husband is home I know he is the one sneaking up on me. The same goes for blow-drying my hair. There is something especially terrifying about bending over with your hair flipped over your eyes and hoping no one sneaks up on you. Also, when you see a bug and you aren't sure if its inside of your window or out of it.
It also makes you stronger. It means that you suck it up when that bug IS on the inside and you kill it. And you vacuum but keep one hand clenched in a fist--same goes for blow-drying your hair. I can't really help the nightmares; they come and go as they like.
I will say that the house stays a lot cleaner with only me here. No trails of dirty clothes or chin hairs in the sink. Also, I could live off of thirty dollars of groceries a week, but I don't know that Chris could last more than two days with that.
I have been trying to keep myself busy. I've been hanging out with one of the wives who just got here this week. She had to finish up some school stuff. I've been able to introduce her to some of the other girls.Last night we had a Master Chef competition, and the rules were that you had to make something from home! So I made homemade Runzas and homemade Twin Bings. I also bought KoolAid to bring along, but I completely forgot it at home. I didn't win, but I did get first place in presentation. :)
Dammit. What am I going to do with 20 Kool-Aid packs?
Oh that's right, my man child comes home tomorrow late or early Thursday. And then we get to go to D.C.! And it's my most favorite holiday ever!
I am determined to get back in half marathon shape. I ran 6.3 miles this morning, but it needs to be more! It was slow and I am so incredibly sore now. I had to soak my feet in Epsom Salt because they were hurting bad when I got home. I definitely have some blisters on the way as well. I was already sore from weightlifting yesterday. Chris will be proud when he comes home, though. :)
Tonight the spouses are getting together for a dinner at a sub place and then going to see Monsters University. I am very excited to go see it since we didn't go on my birthday. Plus I get to hang out with some of my most favorite people.
For now, I desperately need a nap. I don't sleep well when Chris is gone. I mean, he wakes me up all of the time between stealing the covers and accidentally hitting me, but I don't mind because he looks so cute when he sleeps. And he smells good. And he is great at cuddling.
Sigh, I need to stop before the mush takes over.
For instance, I am terrified of getting snuck up on while vacuuming, but at least when my husband is home I know he is the one sneaking up on me. The same goes for blow-drying my hair. There is something especially terrifying about bending over with your hair flipped over your eyes and hoping no one sneaks up on you. Also, when you see a bug and you aren't sure if its inside of your window or out of it.
It also makes you stronger. It means that you suck it up when that bug IS on the inside and you kill it. And you vacuum but keep one hand clenched in a fist--same goes for blow-drying your hair. I can't really help the nightmares; they come and go as they like.
I will say that the house stays a lot cleaner with only me here. No trails of dirty clothes or chin hairs in the sink. Also, I could live off of thirty dollars of groceries a week, but I don't know that Chris could last more than two days with that.
I have been trying to keep myself busy. I've been hanging out with one of the wives who just got here this week. She had to finish up some school stuff. I've been able to introduce her to some of the other girls.Last night we had a Master Chef competition, and the rules were that you had to make something from home! So I made homemade Runzas and homemade Twin Bings. I also bought KoolAid to bring along, but I completely forgot it at home. I didn't win, but I did get first place in presentation. :)
Dammit. What am I going to do with 20 Kool-Aid packs?
Oh that's right, my man child comes home tomorrow late or early Thursday. And then we get to go to D.C.! And it's my most favorite holiday ever!
I am determined to get back in half marathon shape. I ran 6.3 miles this morning, but it needs to be more! It was slow and I am so incredibly sore now. I had to soak my feet in Epsom Salt because they were hurting bad when I got home. I definitely have some blisters on the way as well. I was already sore from weightlifting yesterday. Chris will be proud when he comes home, though. :)
Tonight the spouses are getting together for a dinner at a sub place and then going to see Monsters University. I am very excited to go see it since we didn't go on my birthday. Plus I get to hang out with some of my most favorite people.
For now, I desperately need a nap. I don't sleep well when Chris is gone. I mean, he wakes me up all of the time between stealing the covers and accidentally hitting me, but I don't mind because he looks so cute when he sleeps. And he smells good. And he is great at cuddling.
Sigh, I need to stop before the mush takes over.
Sunday, June 30, 2013
How To Pass The Time, Part I
Well, Chris is gone. Again. Until the Fourth.
It sucks, but at the same time it's not the worst thing in the world. The Fourth of July is my favorite holiday, but Chris and I have never spent one together. We met in the Fall of 2010. The following summer my darling (at the time) boyfriend spent his Fourth of July at OCS. For weeks he read signs that said, "Hotdogs on the Fourth!" I didn't know a man could be so excited for hot dogs.
Turns out it was for everyone in charge, not the candidates.
So our first Fourth apart stunk. The following summer, Chris had an AT, two-week excursion, and you guessed it, over the Fourth of July AND my birthday, again. The following year he was able to attend my birthday but missed the Fourth of July, yet again. So THIS year is the year-and we are going to do it in style.
He'll be done sometime early in the morning and we will head up to D.C. with our friends. I can't believe that we get to be in D.C. for the Fourth! Our first one together in one of the most patriotic places in the U.S.
I showed him the present I have for him when he gets done with his first Field Experience because I couldn't keep it a secret anymore! We tried the Rogue Voodoo Doughnut Bacon Maple after our wedding last year and were so surprised by how much we loved it. This week I found this year's release: http://rogue.com/beers/voodoo-chocolate-peanut.php Yes. Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Ale. It's a real thing.
Chris' favorite things are peanut butter, banana, and chocolate. He was SO excited this morning when I showed it to him, which I had hoped he would! I'll make sure it's cold when he gets home.
So, in order to occupy my time until Christopher comes home, I am trying to stay busy. Work training should start this week, so that will help a lot. I am currently watching a ridiculous amount of Charmed, cleaning out the oven, and dogsitting Ben's dogs. So yes, there are four dogs running around the house today. And yes, that also means that Nalli will be poofed up like a ticked-off cat all day. Which is pretty hilarious to watch, especially when she gets protective of me. My puppy fever is cured (I hope you're happy Chris) because I forget that other dogs don't know you aren't allowed in the kitchen or on the furniture, so that's a battle little Emma and I have been fighting all day.
We made some ridiculously good food this weekend. We had to because we essentially had a little time on Friday to hang out and the majority of Saturday. Chris got off early on Friday but I was too busy running around getting my hair cut and my eye check-up. Friday night we went to Vinny's again for dinner, and about twenty Marines were there, some with wives or girlfriends. It was a lot of fun and loud. I drank wine. The beer snob in me won't let me drink anything that's not craft. It's really terrible because most places only carry the basics.
ANYWAY, after that we went to a place called Tim's Rivershore Restaurant. It's really gorgeous but a pain to get to. You have to drive like ten miles through skinny, winding roads, but it's worth it! It's right on the Potomac River and you can look across and see the lights of Maryland. It's gorgeous. The restaurant itself is really cool, with almost all of the walls full of windows. There are full bars outside and tons of seating, and the dining area turns into a dock and people just park their boats and walk up. On the other side of the restaurant is a beach with a giant fire pit. It is a very cool place and I can't wait to take my parents and brother there.
It was a fabulous and hilarious night. Chris' friends had enough shots so everyone was having a good time. My husband fell once. And then he tried to catch a kitty for me. And then he went out on the dock (without railings) and my motherly instinct kicked in. I did the super-fast "I'm on a mission" walk after him to make sure he didn't fall in the water. He wasn't that drunk but I just like to be safe.
We couldn't stop giggling on the way home because the other Chris was just as drunk. He had eaten a chicken strip covered in sand about half an hour prior. He was SUCH a chatterbox on the way home. He had us giggling, and then he said, "I ate a whole lot of sand." Morgan and I were in a fit. And then Chris started meowing like their cat. I told him to make a noise like his old cat, Geovany, and instead he said, "I just farted", which caused another giggle fit. The boys stayed awake until about the entrance of our neighborhood, and then the other Chris just flat out passed out. We couldn't stop laughing even if we wanted to. And when we got home, Chris had a bag stuck to his butt, which just kept us going. It was probably one of the best nights we have had at TBS.
Mom and I talked for about an hour yesterday and figured out the things we want to go see. We also figured out where we want to go eat! I feel like I have so much to show them but I do have to entertain for over a week! Chris, will, unfortunately be gone for five of the days on yet another FEX. I am SO proud of him for what he is doing, but I know he is ready to get this first FEX (Field Experience) over. He survived his first big billet as platoon commander, and for the most part I think he did a really good job. He's only been yelled at a couple of times so that's usually a good sign of doing well.
Back to staying busy, I plan on playing the banjo and trying to learn a song before Chris comes home. I also really want to sew coasters! I found Chris a little side table for him to put his TV and XBOX remotes on, so I wanted to get some coasters so the wood doesn't get ruined. It was $7.00 at Goodwill, after all! (Honestly, in it's near-brand-new shape, I really lucked out. As far as sewing, we'll see. So far it hasn't been the easiest thing I've done. I have been sewing Chris' pants by hand, mostly because the material is super thick but also because not only have the seams ripped, the fabric has, too. So sometimes sewing the crotch of my husband's pants is like sewing a patchwork quilt.
As far as the awesome food we made this weekend, we made T-Bones yesterday that were excellent. Chris is getting better and better at grilling. They were very simple, with a Chicago Steak seasoning and garlic butter. Our side was a goat cheese dip with chips; here's the recipe http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Goat-Cheese-Tomato-and-Pesto-Dip/Detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Title&e11=goat%20cheese%20dip&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e7=Home%20Page.
The breakfast of the day was: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Toasted-Apple-Pecan-Brie-Sandwiches/Detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Title&e11=apple%20pecan%20brie&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e7=Recipe Which was DELICIOUS but if Gordon Ramsey saw the way that I butchered the Brie in attempt to remove the rind he would kill me. And resurrect me. And kill me again. Oops.
Dessert was to die for; in fact, I'm eating some right now. http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/White-Chocolate-Raspberry-Cheesecake/Detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Title&e11=white%20chocolate%20raspberry%20cheesecake&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e7=Recipe
My poor cheesecake was not nearly this beautiful, but it was probably the best cheesecake I have ever eaten. Chris begged me for another piece but I wouldn't let him have any; I don't want him to get diabetes. :)
I'm sure there is more to write about, but for now, I think I am going to clean up a bit around the house and wait for the rain to come. Again. (It rains almost every day at 1500 here, apparently.
It sucks, but at the same time it's not the worst thing in the world. The Fourth of July is my favorite holiday, but Chris and I have never spent one together. We met in the Fall of 2010. The following summer my darling (at the time) boyfriend spent his Fourth of July at OCS. For weeks he read signs that said, "Hotdogs on the Fourth!" I didn't know a man could be so excited for hot dogs.
Turns out it was for everyone in charge, not the candidates.
So our first Fourth apart stunk. The following summer, Chris had an AT, two-week excursion, and you guessed it, over the Fourth of July AND my birthday, again. The following year he was able to attend my birthday but missed the Fourth of July, yet again. So THIS year is the year-and we are going to do it in style.
He'll be done sometime early in the morning and we will head up to D.C. with our friends. I can't believe that we get to be in D.C. for the Fourth! Our first one together in one of the most patriotic places in the U.S.
I showed him the present I have for him when he gets done with his first Field Experience because I couldn't keep it a secret anymore! We tried the Rogue Voodoo Doughnut Bacon Maple after our wedding last year and were so surprised by how much we loved it. This week I found this year's release: http://rogue.com/beers/voodoo-chocolate-peanut.php Yes. Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Ale. It's a real thing.
Chris' favorite things are peanut butter, banana, and chocolate. He was SO excited this morning when I showed it to him, which I had hoped he would! I'll make sure it's cold when he gets home.
So, in order to occupy my time until Christopher comes home, I am trying to stay busy. Work training should start this week, so that will help a lot. I am currently watching a ridiculous amount of Charmed, cleaning out the oven, and dogsitting Ben's dogs. So yes, there are four dogs running around the house today. And yes, that also means that Nalli will be poofed up like a ticked-off cat all day. Which is pretty hilarious to watch, especially when she gets protective of me. My puppy fever is cured (I hope you're happy Chris) because I forget that other dogs don't know you aren't allowed in the kitchen or on the furniture, so that's a battle little Emma and I have been fighting all day.
We made some ridiculously good food this weekend. We had to because we essentially had a little time on Friday to hang out and the majority of Saturday. Chris got off early on Friday but I was too busy running around getting my hair cut and my eye check-up. Friday night we went to Vinny's again for dinner, and about twenty Marines were there, some with wives or girlfriends. It was a lot of fun and loud. I drank wine. The beer snob in me won't let me drink anything that's not craft. It's really terrible because most places only carry the basics.
ANYWAY, after that we went to a place called Tim's Rivershore Restaurant. It's really gorgeous but a pain to get to. You have to drive like ten miles through skinny, winding roads, but it's worth it! It's right on the Potomac River and you can look across and see the lights of Maryland. It's gorgeous. The restaurant itself is really cool, with almost all of the walls full of windows. There are full bars outside and tons of seating, and the dining area turns into a dock and people just park their boats and walk up. On the other side of the restaurant is a beach with a giant fire pit. It is a very cool place and I can't wait to take my parents and brother there.
It was a fabulous and hilarious night. Chris' friends had enough shots so everyone was having a good time. My husband fell once. And then he tried to catch a kitty for me. And then he went out on the dock (without railings) and my motherly instinct kicked in. I did the super-fast "I'm on a mission" walk after him to make sure he didn't fall in the water. He wasn't that drunk but I just like to be safe.
We couldn't stop giggling on the way home because the other Chris was just as drunk. He had eaten a chicken strip covered in sand about half an hour prior. He was SUCH a chatterbox on the way home. He had us giggling, and then he said, "I ate a whole lot of sand." Morgan and I were in a fit. And then Chris started meowing like their cat. I told him to make a noise like his old cat, Geovany, and instead he said, "I just farted", which caused another giggle fit. The boys stayed awake until about the entrance of our neighborhood, and then the other Chris just flat out passed out. We couldn't stop laughing even if we wanted to. And when we got home, Chris had a bag stuck to his butt, which just kept us going. It was probably one of the best nights we have had at TBS.
Mom and I talked for about an hour yesterday and figured out the things we want to go see. We also figured out where we want to go eat! I feel like I have so much to show them but I do have to entertain for over a week! Chris, will, unfortunately be gone for five of the days on yet another FEX. I am SO proud of him for what he is doing, but I know he is ready to get this first FEX (Field Experience) over. He survived his first big billet as platoon commander, and for the most part I think he did a really good job. He's only been yelled at a couple of times so that's usually a good sign of doing well.
Back to staying busy, I plan on playing the banjo and trying to learn a song before Chris comes home. I also really want to sew coasters! I found Chris a little side table for him to put his TV and XBOX remotes on, so I wanted to get some coasters so the wood doesn't get ruined. It was $7.00 at Goodwill, after all! (Honestly, in it's near-brand-new shape, I really lucked out. As far as sewing, we'll see. So far it hasn't been the easiest thing I've done. I have been sewing Chris' pants by hand, mostly because the material is super thick but also because not only have the seams ripped, the fabric has, too. So sometimes sewing the crotch of my husband's pants is like sewing a patchwork quilt.
As far as the awesome food we made this weekend, we made T-Bones yesterday that were excellent. Chris is getting better and better at grilling. They were very simple, with a Chicago Steak seasoning and garlic butter. Our side was a goat cheese dip with chips; here's the recipe http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Goat-Cheese-Tomato-and-Pesto-Dip/Detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Title&e11=goat%20cheese%20dip&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e7=Home%20Page.
The breakfast of the day was: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Toasted-Apple-Pecan-Brie-Sandwiches/Detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Title&e11=apple%20pecan%20brie&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e7=Recipe Which was DELICIOUS but if Gordon Ramsey saw the way that I butchered the Brie in attempt to remove the rind he would kill me. And resurrect me. And kill me again. Oops.
Dessert was to die for; in fact, I'm eating some right now. http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/White-Chocolate-Raspberry-Cheesecake/Detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Title&e11=white%20chocolate%20raspberry%20cheesecake&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e7=Recipe
My poor cheesecake was not nearly this beautiful, but it was probably the best cheesecake I have ever eaten. Chris begged me for another piece but I wouldn't let him have any; I don't want him to get diabetes. :)
I'm sure there is more to write about, but for now, I think I am going to clean up a bit around the house and wait for the rain to come. Again. (It rains almost every day at 1500 here, apparently.
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
A Day in the Life (of Ruby)
I don't know how many of you know me, but my name is Ruby. I belong to Chris. I don't know if you've met him, but I'm sorry if you haven't. He is the smartest, kindest, best-smelling, funniest, most giving and handsome human I have ever known. I had always dreamed of living out my days in the passenger seat of his Jeep, eating beef jerky, road-tripping, and listening to Led Zeppelin.
This was until he met "her".
She came along almost three years ago and at first she seemed okay. But then she started coming over more often. I disliked a lot of things about her.
What I couldn't take was that she took my human's time.
It wasn't too bad when she was his girlfriend. In fact, I could have dealt with just her. But then she got the furry creature I will refer to as a "step-sister". The step-sister is loud. She's smelly. She licks my face even though I frequently tell her I hate it when she does that. She eats like she'll never see food again and she drinks all of the water before I get to it. For a long time I was the alpha female, until we got into an argument and I hurt my foot. She's been the alpha female for over a year now, at least in her mind. I just feel the fight isn't worth it.
I hate Virginia. It's hot. It rains a lot. The main floor is all wood, and I fall a lot for some reason. (Usually on purpose to make it look like the evil stepmother pushed me.) My human is gone all day so I'm always stuck with the evil stepmother and stupid stepsister. The evil stepmother won't take me on walks and claims it is because I always get tired at the furthest point from the house and because I always decide to take a giant crap right in front of people. I admit she's partially right, my favorite thing to do when people tell me I'm pretty is taking a giant dump in front of them. It's my way of showing humans that they don't know everything.
I also hate that I'm not allowed in the kitchen. At our old house, I used to be able to go into the kitchen and grab whole sandwiches off of the table AND the island counter. It was amazing; I never had to eat crummy dog food or wait for leftovers. Once, I even ate fourteen crepes off of the table while the family was at church. I'm telling you, I had it made at the old house. Here, not so much. I'm not sure how the evil stepmother put up the invisible shield but I am positive that one day I will break through it.
My evil stepmother finally got off her butt and found herself a job. I was really glad until I realized it meant I would be in the kennel for eight hours a day. My evil stepsister is used to it but it's not my cup of tea. Apparently the neighbor girl (who is sweet and naive and believes I am a nice dog) is going to be coming over to let us out. From what I understand, the evil stepmother works in a place called Fredericksburg at a nursing home. She seems really excited, so that's great.
She's gone a lot, so that's great.
Except that when she got home today, the stupid one peed all over the floor with excitement.
I do enjoy watching her clean.
This is also why I have begun pooping on only the sidewalk. It really gets a rise out of the evil one. I even tried to do it on the deck the other day, but actually got into a lot of trouble for that one. The evil one also seems to care for her garden a lot, so I have begun chewing on the corn plants I can reach, swallowing them, and then vomiting it back up.
This was until he met "her".
She came along almost three years ago and at first she seemed okay. But then she started coming over more often. I disliked a lot of things about her.
What I couldn't take was that she took my human's time.
It wasn't too bad when she was his girlfriend. In fact, I could have dealt with just her. But then she got the furry creature I will refer to as a "step-sister". The step-sister is loud. She's smelly. She licks my face even though I frequently tell her I hate it when she does that. She eats like she'll never see food again and she drinks all of the water before I get to it. For a long time I was the alpha female, until we got into an argument and I hurt my foot. She's been the alpha female for over a year now, at least in her mind. I just feel the fight isn't worth it.
I hate Virginia. It's hot. It rains a lot. The main floor is all wood, and I fall a lot for some reason. (Usually on purpose to make it look like the evil stepmother pushed me.) My human is gone all day so I'm always stuck with the evil stepmother and stupid stepsister. The evil stepmother won't take me on walks and claims it is because I always get tired at the furthest point from the house and because I always decide to take a giant crap right in front of people. I admit she's partially right, my favorite thing to do when people tell me I'm pretty is taking a giant dump in front of them. It's my way of showing humans that they don't know everything.
I also hate that I'm not allowed in the kitchen. At our old house, I used to be able to go into the kitchen and grab whole sandwiches off of the table AND the island counter. It was amazing; I never had to eat crummy dog food or wait for leftovers. Once, I even ate fourteen crepes off of the table while the family was at church. I'm telling you, I had it made at the old house. Here, not so much. I'm not sure how the evil stepmother put up the invisible shield but I am positive that one day I will break through it.
My evil stepmother finally got off her butt and found herself a job. I was really glad until I realized it meant I would be in the kennel for eight hours a day. My evil stepsister is used to it but it's not my cup of tea. Apparently the neighbor girl (who is sweet and naive and believes I am a nice dog) is going to be coming over to let us out. From what I understand, the evil stepmother works in a place called Fredericksburg at a nursing home. She seems really excited, so that's great.
She's gone a lot, so that's great.
Except that when she got home today, the stupid one peed all over the floor with excitement.
I do enjoy watching her clean.
This is also why I have begun pooping on only the sidewalk. It really gets a rise out of the evil one. I even tried to do it on the deck the other day, but actually got into a lot of trouble for that one. The evil one also seems to care for her garden a lot, so I have begun chewing on the corn plants I can reach, swallowing them, and then vomiting it back up.
It's the little things that make me happy.
Sunday, June 23, 2013
Making New Friends is Like Dating
I could also call this post, "Karma", but we will cover both topics today.
Yesterday was Chris and I's day to celebrate my birthday. We started out the day looking at pistols in Quantico-Town. Chris has been trying to decide what he wants for awhile now, so we went to look in because this is the type of decision he wants me to have some input on. I am most concerned about the gun having a safety on it, because most of them have a pseudo-safety, meaning you have to push on the bottom of the trigger for it to work. I just think about kids, even though they are years away for us, I get really worried. But the guy at the gun shop did put it fairly, that you teach your kids to respect the gun and make sure it is somewhere they can't get to it. And not to be surprised at what they can get at. We didn't walk out of the shop with a gun, but it is definitely on the horizon. There are times when I wouldn't mind if we had one.
It will happen sooner or later; Chris has been obsessed with the idea.
We moved on to the exchange because Chris needs a new Alpha coat-his old one is too short. We actually found one there and the ladies in the tailor said it was "made for him". I found him some shorts because the pair he was wearing at the moment had a two-inch long hole in the butt. I really don't think he is allowed to wear things like that out anymore.
At home, he was standing next to me and I decided it would be funny to rip the shorts all the way down and make a GIGANTIC hole. So I did. Chris doesn't get mad often, but he did. Apparently they were his favorite shorts... even though I haven't seen him wear them in a year, there is a hole in the back as well as the pocket, so when he puts something in his pocket it just falls through to the floor, they are his favorite. So he was mad and I felt pretty bad. He told me that if I brought him a peanut butter bar (Mom's Restaurant Bars) I would be forgiven. BUT I had brought about 3 dozen bars to The Hawk earlier this week and gave them all away to the boys there. So I quick made something in the microwave that might have tasted a little bit like it in hopes of forgiveness. It wasn't quite the same so I was still on his "list".
He decided to take a nap and I got ready to go to a movie. We had originally planned on going to Monsters University but only the icky theatre had it playing. We decided to go to World War Z at Paragon Village instead. This was a good decision, because it was a much nicer theatre. We happened to text our friends Amber and Ian, who were planning on going to the exact same show at the same time, so we planned on meeting up with them. Chris woke up and said we should get going, so we put dogs away and headed out the door. We fought traffic to Fredericksburg, and it took a little longer than expected. We were running late when we got out of the vehicle and I realized Chris hadn't changed his shorts. I could an entire half of his underwear. He was NOT happy with me. He yelled, "See! Why did you have to rip my shorts?!!" Which I reciprocated with, "WHY do you have to take a nap before we go anywhere!?!" Luckily we were at a mall, so I told him to drop me off at Macy's so I could go find him a pair. When I got out of the car, we were both fuming.
I found a decent pair right away, got in line, bought the damn things and called him to come pick me back up. He pulled up in front of the store and I jumped in as I ripped off tags. Although we were both steaming from the ears, I couldn't help but laugh when he pulled up with his shorts around his ankles. And then when I started laughing, he started laughing. And then we weren't mad anymore.
He parked and put on shorts while I ran (yes, ran) into the theatre to get in line to buy tickets. He flashed me a hand signal as he passed on his way to grab snacks. We met up and ran down the hallway to the movie.
Thankfully, we only missed the part you've seen on the commercial about a thousand times.
World War Z was pretty good. I probably never need to see it again, and it really creeped me out, but I get nitpicky. You can tell that the movie took a long time to make, because there were a few of those moments where you are watching, and suddenly someone's arm isn't where it was a millisecond ago. (These things really bother me.) The movie did touch on some interesting points, and it did make me dislike Brad Pitt a little less. Like I said, pretty good. (The zombie thing is way too overdone. It's time to put it to rest.)
After the movie we had to tell our story to Amber and Ian, who laughed. Chris and I had originally planned to go to Park Lane Tavern for dinner, because I had a buy one, get one free entree for my birthday. We asked if they would like to go, and they were worried about imposing. Honestly, we do hang out almost every single day of the week, and I am completely fine with that. Typically, we leave each other alone for about one day a week. It seems weird if we aren't together the rest of the time.
Chris and Ian will be sending each other texts and I will just hear giggling. Amber swears that Ian giggles more at Chris' texts than he ever did at hers. They will leave each other at the end of the week, and then immediately want to hang out. So we spent my birthday with everyone at the bar, and then a restaurant. And we spent yesterday with Amber and Ian, first at the movie, then dinner, Wegman's (where we ran into Kelli and Alvin), and then at a couple of bars.
Fredericksburg SUCKS for nightlife. Honestly, in Omaha, there was ALWAYS somewhere to go, something to do, and a specific place to go depending on what you are in the mood for. We flitted around Olde Town looking for a place to dance and found nothing. Nothing but places that I was afraid of. It wasn't even my idea to stay out; Amber and Ian told us we needed to go out and celebrate my birthday. I had previously designated Chris as my driver and Amber said I needed to utilize that to the fullest.
We ended up at Capitol Ale House. We had heard that it was spendy but oh my gosh, for the experience, and the service? Fabulous. I tried so many beers yesterday. It started with a sampler at Park Lane and then at Capitol Ale House we passed around our beers. I would have to say that I may have new favorites:
Jeffersons Reserve Bourbon Barrel Stout was fabulous.
Southern Tier's Creme Brulee was unbelievable. The smell, the taste, amazing. (10% ABV!)
Fuller, Smith, and Turner's London Pride really surprised me!
Blue Mountain's Dark Hollow reminded me of Empyrean's Porter; it tasted like home. :)
Maui Brewing Company's Coconut Porter was nice and chocolately.
Great night for beer, great night in the books. Spent my birthday weekend with fabulous people and really enjoyed myself all the way around.
I had not only enough to drink, but also had very heavy beers. This meant that true feelings came pouring out. Thus, the meaning behind the title of this blog. When I met all of these new people at TBS, I was terrified. I knew they were going to be around for awhile, so I didn't want to mess up. I didn't want to come on too strong. Regardless, I asked for Amber's number before I knew her name. I'm lucky it worked out that we became such good friends. I warned Amber last night that I needed to stop texting her on the way home because it was going to get lovey-dovey pretty soon. She pretty much said right back at ya, lots of love for sure, for realz, love you lots. My reply? "Me love you longtime, like, wtf would I do without you and all that business." Like she said, we are definitely on the same wavelength.
As much as I stressed about making friends here, it makes me really, really glad I never have to date again.
Yesterday was Chris and I's day to celebrate my birthday. We started out the day looking at pistols in Quantico-Town. Chris has been trying to decide what he wants for awhile now, so we went to look in because this is the type of decision he wants me to have some input on. I am most concerned about the gun having a safety on it, because most of them have a pseudo-safety, meaning you have to push on the bottom of the trigger for it to work. I just think about kids, even though they are years away for us, I get really worried. But the guy at the gun shop did put it fairly, that you teach your kids to respect the gun and make sure it is somewhere they can't get to it. And not to be surprised at what they can get at. We didn't walk out of the shop with a gun, but it is definitely on the horizon. There are times when I wouldn't mind if we had one.
It will happen sooner or later; Chris has been obsessed with the idea.
We moved on to the exchange because Chris needs a new Alpha coat-his old one is too short. We actually found one there and the ladies in the tailor said it was "made for him". I found him some shorts because the pair he was wearing at the moment had a two-inch long hole in the butt. I really don't think he is allowed to wear things like that out anymore.
At home, he was standing next to me and I decided it would be funny to rip the shorts all the way down and make a GIGANTIC hole. So I did. Chris doesn't get mad often, but he did. Apparently they were his favorite shorts... even though I haven't seen him wear them in a year, there is a hole in the back as well as the pocket, so when he puts something in his pocket it just falls through to the floor, they are his favorite. So he was mad and I felt pretty bad. He told me that if I brought him a peanut butter bar (Mom's Restaurant Bars) I would be forgiven. BUT I had brought about 3 dozen bars to The Hawk earlier this week and gave them all away to the boys there. So I quick made something in the microwave that might have tasted a little bit like it in hopes of forgiveness. It wasn't quite the same so I was still on his "list".
He decided to take a nap and I got ready to go to a movie. We had originally planned on going to Monsters University but only the icky theatre had it playing. We decided to go to World War Z at Paragon Village instead. This was a good decision, because it was a much nicer theatre. We happened to text our friends Amber and Ian, who were planning on going to the exact same show at the same time, so we planned on meeting up with them. Chris woke up and said we should get going, so we put dogs away and headed out the door. We fought traffic to Fredericksburg, and it took a little longer than expected. We were running late when we got out of the vehicle and I realized Chris hadn't changed his shorts. I could an entire half of his underwear. He was NOT happy with me. He yelled, "See! Why did you have to rip my shorts?!!" Which I reciprocated with, "WHY do you have to take a nap before we go anywhere!?!" Luckily we were at a mall, so I told him to drop me off at Macy's so I could go find him a pair. When I got out of the car, we were both fuming.
I found a decent pair right away, got in line, bought the damn things and called him to come pick me back up. He pulled up in front of the store and I jumped in as I ripped off tags. Although we were both steaming from the ears, I couldn't help but laugh when he pulled up with his shorts around his ankles. And then when I started laughing, he started laughing. And then we weren't mad anymore.
He parked and put on shorts while I ran (yes, ran) into the theatre to get in line to buy tickets. He flashed me a hand signal as he passed on his way to grab snacks. We met up and ran down the hallway to the movie.
Thankfully, we only missed the part you've seen on the commercial about a thousand times.
World War Z was pretty good. I probably never need to see it again, and it really creeped me out, but I get nitpicky. You can tell that the movie took a long time to make, because there were a few of those moments where you are watching, and suddenly someone's arm isn't where it was a millisecond ago. (These things really bother me.) The movie did touch on some interesting points, and it did make me dislike Brad Pitt a little less. Like I said, pretty good. (The zombie thing is way too overdone. It's time to put it to rest.)
After the movie we had to tell our story to Amber and Ian, who laughed. Chris and I had originally planned to go to Park Lane Tavern for dinner, because I had a buy one, get one free entree for my birthday. We asked if they would like to go, and they were worried about imposing. Honestly, we do hang out almost every single day of the week, and I am completely fine with that. Typically, we leave each other alone for about one day a week. It seems weird if we aren't together the rest of the time.
Chris and Ian will be sending each other texts and I will just hear giggling. Amber swears that Ian giggles more at Chris' texts than he ever did at hers. They will leave each other at the end of the week, and then immediately want to hang out. So we spent my birthday with everyone at the bar, and then a restaurant. And we spent yesterday with Amber and Ian, first at the movie, then dinner, Wegman's (where we ran into Kelli and Alvin), and then at a couple of bars.
Fredericksburg SUCKS for nightlife. Honestly, in Omaha, there was ALWAYS somewhere to go, something to do, and a specific place to go depending on what you are in the mood for. We flitted around Olde Town looking for a place to dance and found nothing. Nothing but places that I was afraid of. It wasn't even my idea to stay out; Amber and Ian told us we needed to go out and celebrate my birthday. I had previously designated Chris as my driver and Amber said I needed to utilize that to the fullest.
We ended up at Capitol Ale House. We had heard that it was spendy but oh my gosh, for the experience, and the service? Fabulous. I tried so many beers yesterday. It started with a sampler at Park Lane and then at Capitol Ale House we passed around our beers. I would have to say that I may have new favorites:
Jeffersons Reserve Bourbon Barrel Stout was fabulous.
Southern Tier's Creme Brulee was unbelievable. The smell, the taste, amazing. (10% ABV!)
Fuller, Smith, and Turner's London Pride really surprised me!
Blue Mountain's Dark Hollow reminded me of Empyrean's Porter; it tasted like home. :)
Maui Brewing Company's Coconut Porter was nice and chocolately.
Great night for beer, great night in the books. Spent my birthday weekend with fabulous people and really enjoyed myself all the way around.
I had not only enough to drink, but also had very heavy beers. This meant that true feelings came pouring out. Thus, the meaning behind the title of this blog. When I met all of these new people at TBS, I was terrified. I knew they were going to be around for awhile, so I didn't want to mess up. I didn't want to come on too strong. Regardless, I asked for Amber's number before I knew her name. I'm lucky it worked out that we became such good friends. I warned Amber last night that I needed to stop texting her on the way home because it was going to get lovey-dovey pretty soon. She pretty much said right back at ya, lots of love for sure, for realz, love you lots. My reply? "Me love you longtime, like, wtf would I do without you and all that business." Like she said, we are definitely on the same wavelength.
As much as I stressed about making friends here, it makes me really, really glad I never have to date again.
Friday, June 21, 2013
Nobody Likes You When You're 23
Blink 182 was wrong. Apparently EVERYONE likes you when you're 23.
This was the first morning I didn't get up with Chris before he left for TBS. I didn't set my alarm and I let him go on his own. (He couldn't find anything to eat downstairs so he got McDonald's...hopeless!) He woke me up to kiss me goodbye and then decided to cover me in blankets and pillows? I was comfortable. I love all the blankets and pillows around me. He was just trying to be a brat.
I woke up not too much later to get ready to go to the gym with Janice. She let me know she was running a bit late. I didn't think anything of it. She showed up a little late with this adorable balloon.
It was SUCH a good start to my day.
We went to the gym and I did arms, abs, and legs (again, weightlifting A.D.D.), and then headed home. Once I got home, I realized that I had some work to do in my yard as far as plants go. I needed to move some stuff, fill in some holes, and plant a couple more plants. I planted two more strawberry plants in the back garden. I got some pansies for the front, and a rosebush. I was trying to decide between a red and pink rosebush, and the pink one attacked my finger. SO! I took home a red one and planted it right outside the door.
I hope it doesn't die.
When I was at the nursery my new job called! They set up orientation for next week. I had to move around my eye appointment to fit it in, but next week will be a fun-filled and busy week! Orientation Tuesday and Wednesday, zoo on Thursday, eye appointment Friday. At the end of next week Chris will be relieved as platoon commander and I am sure he is excited! I just honestly can't believe (although it took six months) I will be making money as a nurse! It is a really fabulous feeling, especially considering my student loans kick in this month.
After I got everything planted and got all that figured out, I showered and got ready. My friend Sarah (the one I run with) took it upon herself to host a shindig for me at her house. She is so sweet. She was an elementary school teacher prior to moving here and it shows. She is so crafty, and she LOVES to celebrate birthday, and she just sets everything up so cute! So I walked in and saw this:
Be sure to look at the frame. I have amazing friends. They kept asking what I wanted to eat and drink and I didn't want to give any answers and they still managed to bring a great bunch of things together. The only hint I gave Sarah was moscato. And she bought moscato. My friend Lisa sat in traffic for two hours just to hang out with us.
I'm telling you. Amazing friends.
Here is Sarah's adorable cat, Angelo. He is SO cute!
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During our little happy hour my dad called to tell me he loved me and to wish me happy birthday. He also told me that I was old. I cried. Not because that was mean but because I miss him a lot. Oofda. Being away is so weird. The girls knew just how I felt, too, but most of them have missed these occasions already so it's nothing new. They do, however, remember what it's like.
After Sarah's we headed to TBS because "The Hawk" (the TBS bar) was closing down after almost 40 years of being open. This is typically the bar where the lieutenants study and drink. For instance, at one point our Commandant did that there! They had cleaned out a lot of the things in the building already. Half of the building has been torn down for a while, there is mold in the ceiling, they quit restocking toilet paper... it wasn't a pretty sight. But as far as memories go, we needed to make a few. It was so nice hanging out with fifth and sixth platoon as well as some other people. We were able to meet Chris' Captain's wife-she seems great although we didn't get to talk much. She wants to do a "girl's day" at some point and I am really looking forward to that.
Only the Marines would have a building that is a bar on the bottom floor and two floors above that, a chapel. Honestly.
AFTER the Hawk, (yes, we party hard at 23+) we went to Vinny's for some grub. Chris and I ordered the same thing since we are now an old, married couple. On the drive over, Chris told me he had some bad news. Apparently he had tried to get a cake but was told that the bakeries around town were either booked up or sketchy, so he promised that at some point he was going to get me a cake. (He even asked his Captain where he could get me a cake!) Maybe we will look around tomorrow in Fredericksburg for a cupcake shop.
It was a fabulous birthday.
It ended with my husband snoring next to me, Nalli wanting to play, and a voicemail from my brother Blaise (who has autism), "Hi, hi, hi, hi, hi. Happy, happy birthday. Happy 23rd birthday. Love you!!"
(Of course you can hear my dad in the background cueing him the whole time. Doesn't matter-it was so cute.)
Thank you everyone for the calls, voicemails, cards, Facebook posts, texts, snapchats, etc. that I received during the day. I felt really loved, and that is so special to me.
After Sarah's we headed to TBS because "The Hawk" (the TBS bar) was closing down after almost 40 years of being open. This is typically the bar where the lieutenants study and drink. For instance, at one point our Commandant did that there! They had cleaned out a lot of the things in the building already. Half of the building has been torn down for a while, there is mold in the ceiling, they quit restocking toilet paper... it wasn't a pretty sight. But as far as memories go, we needed to make a few. It was so nice hanging out with fifth and sixth platoon as well as some other people. We were able to meet Chris' Captain's wife-she seems great although we didn't get to talk much. She wants to do a "girl's day" at some point and I am really looking forward to that.
 |
| Morgan, Chris, Ian, Amber, Chris, and I |
Only the Marines would have a building that is a bar on the bottom floor and two floors above that, a chapel. Honestly.
AFTER the Hawk, (yes, we party hard at 23+) we went to Vinny's for some grub. Chris and I ordered the same thing since we are now an old, married couple. On the drive over, Chris told me he had some bad news. Apparently he had tried to get a cake but was told that the bakeries around town were either booked up or sketchy, so he promised that at some point he was going to get me a cake. (He even asked his Captain where he could get me a cake!) Maybe we will look around tomorrow in Fredericksburg for a cupcake shop.
It was a fabulous birthday.
It ended with my husband snoring next to me, Nalli wanting to play, and a voicemail from my brother Blaise (who has autism), "Hi, hi, hi, hi, hi. Happy, happy birthday. Happy 23rd birthday. Love you!!"
(Of course you can hear my dad in the background cueing him the whole time. Doesn't matter-it was so cute.)
Thank you everyone for the calls, voicemails, cards, Facebook posts, texts, snapchats, etc. that I received during the day. I felt really loved, and that is so special to me.
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