Christopher is Platoon Commander for the next two weeks. He had a late meeting tonight so he decided to stay at the barracks. I am glad, because he will get enough sleep, but I am sad because I won't see him again until Tuesday. Tomorrow night is a very late night, and Tuesday is an early morning, so it's silly for him to come home to me.
This does, however, mean that my house will be clean and actually stay that way. :)
Chris just called and told me he wanted to come home. I talked him out of it. (Whoo! I'm getting tougher!) He needs his sleep because tomorrow he has a 19-hour day. I want him to do well on his first real day of platoon commander.
Since we knew Chris would have to leave early tonight, we ate an early dinner. We grilled Bacon-Wrapped Pork Chops with Bourbon Sauce. (I didn't have Bourbon-who knew a mixture of 1 part vanilla extract and two parts water can substitute in a recipe?!) They were pretty good, except I think Chris ate a toothpick. There should have been four on his plate when he pulled them from the pork chops, but for some reason there were only three. I am fairly certain he ate one, because he kept forgetting they were in the pork chops and either cut or bit into them. I hope I'm wrong. We paired the dinner with onion rings and avocado ranch. Avocado ranch is 1 part avocado, 1 part ranch. I typically buy avocadoes when they aren't ripe because they are cheaper. It is great because you can freeze them in bags in the amount you want (just add a little bit of lime or lemon juice and squeeze the air out of the bag). It's cheaper and easier to work with, and generally will thaw quickly.
Delicious dinner. Chris' first time grilling pork chops was a success. He was nervous but he did well. It was a bit difficult because we used thick-cut bacon and thinner cut pork chops.
We went to (what I thought would be) our usual hangout on Friday. Mick's is a clean place, with decent beer, and good food. We were excited to take the Collins there for their first time, but to no avail. We were treated just as rudely at the front as our previous visit and our waitress spent the evening making excuses. She tried to tell us that our beers were $4.50, but they were actually $7.25. Also, she told me that my beer was "local", which I ALWAYS want to try local brews, but it was actually Tank 7 from KC. (A delicious Farmhouse/Saison, but NOT local.) I have many complaints about our visit, but you can see those on www.yelp.com if you are truly interested. It's too bad, because we really thought we had found a hangout. I think we are going to try Vinny's next.
Friday was a busy day. I went to the base gym for the first time with fellow Marine spouse, Janice. The gym is beautiful, full, clean. It has about every piece of equipment you could wish for and nice treadmills. I warmed up and cooled down with some 7:35-miles, and did some lifting in between. I have weightlifting A.D.D.-meaning I just flit around the gym picking up random weights or sitting at random machines, not really focusing on anything.
I also don't like to weightlift very long. We had been there for maybe twenty minutes when I asked Janice when she would be ready to go. I'll get better when I get back into weightlifting. It's been awhile.
After that I went home and cleaned up. Morgan and I went to the PX and commissary to pick up some groceries and randoms that we needed. (Chris likes to wait until he is actually OUT of deodorant and shaving cream to tell me he needs more.) That took way too much of our day. Due to the crappy traffic near Courthouse Road on Route 1, we didn't get to Fredericksburg until 1430. We had SO much to do! We started at Hobby Lobby and I behaved myself and only bought the wreath holder I had been looking for. Virginia is SO hot that those 3M strips/hooks will melt and fall off our front door. They just weren't working for my Red, White, and Blue Grapevine wreath.
After that we decided to try out "and That!" a store that is sort of like a HomeGoods, but has just as much random stuff. I had tons of fun with Morgan going through all of the random things. I misbehaved a little here, but she coaxed me into buying "The Office: DVD Board Game" for 6.99. I found the Keurig reuseable, refillable cups half off what I normally see them for-something I will need for when six-cup of coffee per day drinking Sheila comes in September. I also bought her Mudslide-flavored Keurig cups. She will be so happy! They are only 9.99 a box here-a great deal. I had wanted to buy a skillet for the grill for vegetables for the last few weeks, but I didn't want to spend the 10.99 I had seen it for--again, 4.99 at and That! Their prices on deodorant and toothpaste were pretty good, too, so I grabbed a few of those types of things.
Our next stop was Ross: Dress for Less. I was on the hunt for Escada perfume so we have been checking all over at places like Ross, T.J. Maxx, and Marshall's. So far, no dice. I think I can get a great deal on perfume on www.fragrancex.com, using www.mrrebates.com and www.retailmenot.com. I don't mean to post a bunch of shopping tips, but I do want everyone to feel the excitement I do in a good deal! Ross had a pair of white shorts that fit me for the summer. Last year's are a wee bit tight.
After that we headed to the mall. We couldn't pass up Victoria's Secret Semi-Annual Sale, knowing that all of the bras were an additional 20% off means you're getting half-price bras. Fabulous! We met a really nice girl while we were there who is in the Air Force. She's only in the area for a few weeks but I hope we are able to hang out a few times before she goes back to Hawaii.
Yes, she lives in Hawaii. I am going to suck as much information from her as I can, because she has also lived in Japan.
Bath and Body Works and New York and Co. were both having sales that Morgan needed to get to, so she found a few things she wanted. We actually ran out of time! We wanted to hit up a store I found that sells salon products at reasonable prices, and we also wanted to find a uniform store because I finally got a job.
YES! A job. It's at a nursing home in Fredericksburg when I am needed, but the Director of Nursing who interviewed me seems really driven and definitely the type of nurse I can see myself modeling myself after. My interview, I felt, was going really well, until "Code Yellow" was announced over the loudspeaker. That means "tornado", and it meant that I was ushered into the hallway. I spent an hour in the hallway observing residents and employees. I actually had a lot of fun, because someone got out a brain teaser book and asked the residents to answer "Top 10 Lists". It was very enjoyable to me to see the residents laughing. They seem happy there, and that makes me glad to be a part of that.
I must have handled myself well during the tornado, because it wasn't long after that I was offered a job. I plan on working my butt off. I want to be an inspiration to residents as well as coworkers with a driven, caring attitude. I am finally using my degree! I couldn't be happier.
I am thankful for FaceTime once again, because I was able to talk to my parents earlier today and watch Dad open his Father's Day card. He thought it was as funny as I had hoped he would, and that made it all worth it. His present is all the steak and Budweiser he wants when he comes to visit. I have to admit that I couldn't sleep from about 0200-0515 this morning. Chris had no sympathy as he was fast asleep. I started thinking about Father's Day, and my dad, and things I was missing at home, and I teared up as I wrote a sappy Facebook status. "My Dad is one of the best two men I have ever known. From the day I was born I was always his little girl, and I think my mom can attest to that. He always made me feel like I was smart, and beautiful, funny, talented... His endearing love and respect made me unknowingly search for someone just like him. And I found my "own Allen" in Chris. I am so incredibly Blessed to have them both in my life. Sure wish we could come home for steaks and Budweiser today, Daddy. Love you."
With that, Chris and I have been talking and I believe we are going to go home for Christmas. I told my sister-in-law Megan, and she was overwhelmed with excitement. It's weird being away from the Lazoritzes when they are celebrating holidays. Besides, Claire and Paulo have probably gained back all the weight they lost and Chris and I will have to chase those tubby orange cats around for a while. And, as always, I miss those nephews and nieces like crazy.
Brag alert! My niece (with an IQ that is probably higher than mine) went to genius camp this past week. When there was another kid who had the periodic table memorized, Mackenzie decided she wasn't going to be left behind so she went home, frustrated and tried to find songs to help her memorize it as well. My nephew Eli ran a 5k with his mom. My other nephew Benny is the reason my sister and brother-in-law are looking for a house with a fenced-in backyard. He is also showing signs of having a ridiculously high IQ. Megan is one busy woman. I used to try to convince her to have another baby but I think I might let that one go.
My birthday is Friday and I still don't know what I'm doing to celebrate! Ok, I do know I want to play the Blink 182 song and sing "NOBODY LIKES YOU WHEN YOU'RE TWENTY-THREE" at the top of my lungs.
Such big dreams I have.
No comments:
Post a Comment