Following the norm for PT days, Chris woke up this morning
and it was pouring. I was, of course, up making breakfast and getting his lunch
together. He came down the stairs with his woodlands on and I asked why he was
wearing them. He muttered, “PT”, and walked down the stairs. After he was done
getting ready I asked if he wanted me to take his “butter bars” off of his
deserts and he said, “No, I’m wearing those today.” At this point I am utterly
confused…so, naturally, I acted like I understood and walked back upstairs. He
would actually later look outside at the rain, mutter some not-so-nice words,
and then mimic someone who had said, “You can’t wear sweaters in May. It’s not
cold out.” Of course, this person is in charge right now so you have to abide
by the rules, but, like Chris said, it IS part of the uniform.
My question is, how will everyone see your sexy reflective belt under your sweater?
Oh, the love/hate relationship of the reflective belt. This is a mandatory thing when you run on base. Day/night, summer/winter, whatever. Get that darn thing on. Thankfully, they now offer FOUR different colors you may choose to style yourself with: neon green, construction zone orange, Marine Corps gold and scarlet, or PINK. I thought pink suited me just fine so now when I run, I wear a pink, reflective belt. It would not be such a pain except the darn things ride up and down your back and pull your shirt up and pull your pants down and I can’t stand the feeling of something flopping around while I’m running. (I could never be a boy. I’d go nuts, if you catch my drift.) BUT, it’s worth it because the trails on base WILL kick your butt, you feel safer running there and not on Jefferson Davis Highway, and because it’s GORGEOUS. There are tons of squirrels running around and I saw a few deer the other day—definitely worth it. Plus, getting acclimated to base and where everything is on it is priceless. I would advise any new wife to take the time to just drive all over base and get a feel for where everything is. One of our first few days here, I drove from one end to the other and made myself drive through all of the gates just so I knew where I was going. We are really lucky; our house is relatively close to all three gates. The longest drive is the one to TBS, which is about 10-15 minutes depending on traffic.
Chris is such a stinker. He gave me a goodbye kiss this morning, got a couple of steps out of the house, turned around to smile and yelled, “I forgot the garbage again!”
Rotten…
He forgot last week, too. I yelled back, “I’m going to make you do something else that sucks!” Not sure what that is yet. I have to try to remember what he hates doing but also won’t ruin. I would pick laundry but he hasn't quite picked up the difference between regular clothes and delicates…we’re working on it.
I have to laugh because every week I plan out a menu and fully plan on sticking to it, but then I don’t bring my grocery list to the store and so I end up missing a key ingredient for dinner. Last night I was supposed to make Pasta and Veggies in Garlic Sauce. When I started to get out my ingredients I realized I didn’t have any garbanzo beans; naturally I started banging my forehead on the wall (not literally ;)). I ended up throwing open another cookbook and made Spinach Parmesan Linguine because I actually had the ingredients. IT WAS DELICIOUS. Chris and I were raving about it. It absolutely hit the spot. So, sometimes you forget garbanzo beans for a reason, I guess!
I got a part, part-time job yesterday, if you will. Essentially what I do is measure height/weight, waist circumferences, cholesterol and glucose checks, and blood pressure screenings at health-fair type things whenever they are in the area and I am able to attend them. It’s cool because you only have to take the jobs you feel comfortable doing and that are within reasonable distance. They pay mileage, some meals, and a decent amount per hour. It’s something, and I will take it. No complaints here. So that’s fabulous news and I am thankful because I feel like the power of prayer was definitely working behind the scenes there.
Yesterday the most miraculous of miracles occurred--WE GOT PAID. Chris sent a text at 0530 to let me know that we had been paid. This was fabulous news meaning that I would indeed be able to fulfill my wish list at the commissary. (Yes, I have a wishlist. Don't judge.) I was even in such a good mood that I decided I would SKIP the self check-out and utilize and tip a bagger. It is absolutely absurd how much you can get at the commissary for $150. ($152, with bagger tip.)
This morning we had the opportunity to attend Military.com's Spouse Experience from the spouses at SpouseBuzz. I was SO glad that my landlord sent me the information and told me to go. Ten of us TBS spouses were there. It was nice to sit with familiar faces. I didn't realize that wives from other branches would be there, but it was really cool to hear their different perspectives.
Jacey Eckhart started it off. She was hilarious and really loosened us up as an audience. She has a fabulous perspective. When she speaks she seems so young and vibrant and vivacious and I love to listen to her. She's captivating. If I decide after 20 years that I want to speak at things like this, I hope I'm as inspiring as she was. She is the type of spouse who makes me think, "I want to be in her shoes. I want to be that amazing wife who feels like a teenager in love but is smart enough to know why it's different."
After that, we did an exercise called "The Honey Badger of Love". It was hilarious. I was practically rolling on the ground. We started off with the voice-over Honey Badger video from YouTube. I was surprised that there were some people that hadn't seen it. I also realize that I have spent a lot of time on YouTube. The exercise matched us up with partners. We handed our honey badgers back and forth as we yelled things at each other like, "YOU LEFT YOUR DIRTY BOOT SOCKS INSIDE OF OTHER DIRTY BOOT SOCKS FOR DAYS!!" (The argument had to be about laundry.) My friend Amber was my partner, and she had some great shots. "YOU LEFT YOUR CAMIS FROM THE POOL IN YOUR BAG FOR A WEEK!!" (If only the boys could have heard us. They'd be experts by now.) The reasoning for the exercise was to realize how the honey badger needs to be a sign of forgiveness, not a wedge that you drive between you and your spouse. No blame games in the Lazoritz household.
We also did somewhat of a speed-dating thing but with some MORBID questions. For example, how do you think you will die? Another example, if at 90 you could have the mind or body of a 30-year-old, what would you choose? I will admit that it definitely made it easier to talk and it was funny to see the other spouses' reactions!
For the final exercise of the day, we broke off into groups based on how long we had been married. Then we were given topics and then told to write our top ten. This was really, really fun for us. Our group's topic was "Things We Wish We Were Told Before About the Military", which we actually grouped with "Things We Were Told But Didn't Take Seriously". It was an incredibly sarcastic list, talking about how fun it is to PCS, and incredibly nice TMO is all of the time, and how you will always have a job, and my personal favorite, "Even though your husband went to boot camp, he still won't be good at taking orders." We were cracking ourselves up writing the list. I must admit, I was a little butthurt by the group before us. They were married 2-6 years or something like that, and they had to list how you knew someone was a new military spouse. Their list seemed to ridicule us and our stupidity about being a military spouse.
Obviously we don't know much when it comes to being a military spouse because we have never been one before. (I would hope. Marriage is supposed to be forever, ladies and gents.) Being on base is like being on another planet and everyone in uniform is like an alien. We uprooted from Nebraska and came to Virginia. Nothing about this move is easy until you're able to make sense of it all, and trying to guide the military system doesn't really come with a step-by-step manual, with pictures. Which, now that I think about it, would be super helpful.
Our group went after this group, and I was nervous enough. Speaking in public is not my favorite thing to do and I had too much coffee prior. I was trying to tell a story to lighten the mood and some cow (nice lady) piped up and said, "Thirty seconds" in a really b*tchy (sassy) voice. I blew it off with a nervous puff but later thought to myself a number of things. The nasty side of me said, "At least I remember how to do a sit-up", and the side of me that's trying to be a nice person said, "Maybe she just gets sarcastic when she is nervous, like me, except she is sarcastic toward people and not in the way she says things." Regardless, I don't think I'll be running into her again soon. (And even if I do, it won't be hard to run away.)
There was a group of spouses who had been married for 15+ years. They had the list of how you know you are a seasoned military spouse. One of their items was "You look forward to deployments". The TBS girls and I looked at each other in horror like, "Those MONSTERS?!? WHY would they ever say that?!" I'm sure they had their reasons but I hate to see my husband leave for even a few hours. Maybe that's a newlywed thing?
Garlic Lime Shrimp on the menu tonight! I'm 1.25 beers in and hubby sent a text saying he was "enroute". I look forward to some serious cuddling time. I hope he likes the "Kiss Like You Deploy Tomorrow" t-shirt they gave us today. :)
My question is, how will everyone see your sexy reflective belt under your sweater?
Oh, the love/hate relationship of the reflective belt. This is a mandatory thing when you run on base. Day/night, summer/winter, whatever. Get that darn thing on. Thankfully, they now offer FOUR different colors you may choose to style yourself with: neon green, construction zone orange, Marine Corps gold and scarlet, or PINK. I thought pink suited me just fine so now when I run, I wear a pink, reflective belt. It would not be such a pain except the darn things ride up and down your back and pull your shirt up and pull your pants down and I can’t stand the feeling of something flopping around while I’m running. (I could never be a boy. I’d go nuts, if you catch my drift.) BUT, it’s worth it because the trails on base WILL kick your butt, you feel safer running there and not on Jefferson Davis Highway, and because it’s GORGEOUS. There are tons of squirrels running around and I saw a few deer the other day—definitely worth it. Plus, getting acclimated to base and where everything is on it is priceless. I would advise any new wife to take the time to just drive all over base and get a feel for where everything is. One of our first few days here, I drove from one end to the other and made myself drive through all of the gates just so I knew where I was going. We are really lucky; our house is relatively close to all three gates. The longest drive is the one to TBS, which is about 10-15 minutes depending on traffic.
Chris is such a stinker. He gave me a goodbye kiss this morning, got a couple of steps out of the house, turned around to smile and yelled, “I forgot the garbage again!”
Rotten…
He forgot last week, too. I yelled back, “I’m going to make you do something else that sucks!” Not sure what that is yet. I have to try to remember what he hates doing but also won’t ruin. I would pick laundry but he hasn't quite picked up the difference between regular clothes and delicates…we’re working on it.
I have to laugh because every week I plan out a menu and fully plan on sticking to it, but then I don’t bring my grocery list to the store and so I end up missing a key ingredient for dinner. Last night I was supposed to make Pasta and Veggies in Garlic Sauce. When I started to get out my ingredients I realized I didn’t have any garbanzo beans; naturally I started banging my forehead on the wall (not literally ;)). I ended up throwing open another cookbook and made Spinach Parmesan Linguine because I actually had the ingredients. IT WAS DELICIOUS. Chris and I were raving about it. It absolutely hit the spot. So, sometimes you forget garbanzo beans for a reason, I guess!
I got a part, part-time job yesterday, if you will. Essentially what I do is measure height/weight, waist circumferences, cholesterol and glucose checks, and blood pressure screenings at health-fair type things whenever they are in the area and I am able to attend them. It’s cool because you only have to take the jobs you feel comfortable doing and that are within reasonable distance. They pay mileage, some meals, and a decent amount per hour. It’s something, and I will take it. No complaints here. So that’s fabulous news and I am thankful because I feel like the power of prayer was definitely working behind the scenes there.
Yesterday the most miraculous of miracles occurred--WE GOT PAID. Chris sent a text at 0530 to let me know that we had been paid. This was fabulous news meaning that I would indeed be able to fulfill my wish list at the commissary. (Yes, I have a wishlist. Don't judge.) I was even in such a good mood that I decided I would SKIP the self check-out and utilize and tip a bagger. It is absolutely absurd how much you can get at the commissary for $150. ($152, with bagger tip.)
This morning we had the opportunity to attend Military.com's Spouse Experience from the spouses at SpouseBuzz. I was SO glad that my landlord sent me the information and told me to go. Ten of us TBS spouses were there. It was nice to sit with familiar faces. I didn't realize that wives from other branches would be there, but it was really cool to hear their different perspectives.
Jacey Eckhart started it off. She was hilarious and really loosened us up as an audience. She has a fabulous perspective. When she speaks she seems so young and vibrant and vivacious and I love to listen to her. She's captivating. If I decide after 20 years that I want to speak at things like this, I hope I'm as inspiring as she was. She is the type of spouse who makes me think, "I want to be in her shoes. I want to be that amazing wife who feels like a teenager in love but is smart enough to know why it's different."
After that, we did an exercise called "The Honey Badger of Love". It was hilarious. I was practically rolling on the ground. We started off with the voice-over Honey Badger video from YouTube. I was surprised that there were some people that hadn't seen it. I also realize that I have spent a lot of time on YouTube. The exercise matched us up with partners. We handed our honey badgers back and forth as we yelled things at each other like, "YOU LEFT YOUR DIRTY BOOT SOCKS INSIDE OF OTHER DIRTY BOOT SOCKS FOR DAYS!!" (The argument had to be about laundry.) My friend Amber was my partner, and she had some great shots. "YOU LEFT YOUR CAMIS FROM THE POOL IN YOUR BAG FOR A WEEK!!" (If only the boys could have heard us. They'd be experts by now.) The reasoning for the exercise was to realize how the honey badger needs to be a sign of forgiveness, not a wedge that you drive between you and your spouse. No blame games in the Lazoritz household.
We also did somewhat of a speed-dating thing but with some MORBID questions. For example, how do you think you will die? Another example, if at 90 you could have the mind or body of a 30-year-old, what would you choose? I will admit that it definitely made it easier to talk and it was funny to see the other spouses' reactions!
For the final exercise of the day, we broke off into groups based on how long we had been married. Then we were given topics and then told to write our top ten. This was really, really fun for us. Our group's topic was "Things We Wish We Were Told Before About the Military", which we actually grouped with "Things We Were Told But Didn't Take Seriously". It was an incredibly sarcastic list, talking about how fun it is to PCS, and incredibly nice TMO is all of the time, and how you will always have a job, and my personal favorite, "Even though your husband went to boot camp, he still won't be good at taking orders." We were cracking ourselves up writing the list. I must admit, I was a little butthurt by the group before us. They were married 2-6 years or something like that, and they had to list how you knew someone was a new military spouse. Their list seemed to ridicule us and our stupidity about being a military spouse.
Obviously we don't know much when it comes to being a military spouse because we have never been one before. (I would hope. Marriage is supposed to be forever, ladies and gents.) Being on base is like being on another planet and everyone in uniform is like an alien. We uprooted from Nebraska and came to Virginia. Nothing about this move is easy until you're able to make sense of it all, and trying to guide the military system doesn't really come with a step-by-step manual, with pictures. Which, now that I think about it, would be super helpful.
Our group went after this group, and I was nervous enough. Speaking in public is not my favorite thing to do and I had too much coffee prior. I was trying to tell a story to lighten the mood and some cow (nice lady) piped up and said, "Thirty seconds" in a really b*tchy (sassy) voice. I blew it off with a nervous puff but later thought to myself a number of things. The nasty side of me said, "At least I remember how to do a sit-up", and the side of me that's trying to be a nice person said, "Maybe she just gets sarcastic when she is nervous, like me, except she is sarcastic toward people and not in the way she says things." Regardless, I don't think I'll be running into her again soon. (And even if I do, it won't be hard to run away.)
There was a group of spouses who had been married for 15+ years. They had the list of how you know you are a seasoned military spouse. One of their items was "You look forward to deployments". The TBS girls and I looked at each other in horror like, "Those MONSTERS?!? WHY would they ever say that?!" I'm sure they had their reasons but I hate to see my husband leave for even a few hours. Maybe that's a newlywed thing?
Garlic Lime Shrimp on the menu tonight! I'm 1.25 beers in and hubby sent a text saying he was "enroute". I look forward to some serious cuddling time. I hope he likes the "Kiss Like You Deploy Tomorrow" t-shirt they gave us today. :)
Love it, Mo! Be a newlywed as long as you can-life is unpredictable and marriage is tough at times, so just remember the way you feel now and you will get through the rough patches just fine. IGNORE those romance crushers...and remember to be kind to the girls who come after you someday. :)
ReplyDeleteOf course! I can't wait to be a mentor. :) Besides, tripping over myself now is going to be hilarious someday.
ReplyDelete