Happy Mothers Day

Mom,

Today is Mother's Day and I wanted to thank you for everything you've given me.

You gave me life, and provided love and discipline, so I could be healthy. You taught me respect, for myself and others. You put my feet on a path towards happiness and success and you taught me the value hard-work so I would appreciate those things I earn. You gave me an example of strength, of both head and heart, so I could make it through the hard times.

You gave me support when I needed a parent and a friend. Most of all, you gave me...You.

I know that every dream you had for yourself and every plan you made was done with the idea of being a mother. Through good and bad times, mistakes and successes one thing has ALWAYS been clear: you love me (US) unconditionally. Thank you for anything you gave up along the way to be the best mother you could.

As a kid, we do everything we can to avoid becoming our parents. As we both know, it was pre-determined; there was nothing I could do to stop it. I hope one day to have babies of my own and pass on all the same things to them.

You're a damn good mom and of all the traits I've gotten from you, that's the one I hope for the most. I will try to give the job half the honor you have. I won't let you down.

Happy Mother's Day!

Crumbs

I'm doing better this morning. I had various dreams throughout the night I once again have no details on them nor do I know what any of them meant. The most important thing is I woke up feeling rested and ready for the day, not tired and lonely.

I am nonetheless spending the majority of my day in bed, studying and working on other paperwork for school. One of the things few things I really enjoy about being by myself is that I can eat in bed. Al doesn't like food in bed, especially things that crumb. He doesn't like the feeling of crumbs in the sheets when we go to bed at night. I on the other hand find crumbs to be a minor sacrifice for the enjoyment of eating while cozied up in my sheets.

Today is cold. We've been so blessed in Minnesota so far this spring with beautiful weather. We didn't get any snow in the month of March for the first time in decades. So it's only natural that mother nature pay Minnesota a visit with bad news. That bad news came this morning in the form of freezing temps and hail the size of dimes. It lasted a very short period of time, but the temperature is still crawling up towards 50.

I mention this only to provide another reason why spending the day in bed made perfect sense. I am warm and I am comfortable. I'm rested and surprisingly productive while I study for my last exam on Monday. I am so close to the end.

Me and my crumbs are perfectly content to stay in bed and study today.

Dreams

I've had some awful ones recently.

Maybe I'm wrong but I think a lot of military SO's go through periods of time where they dream all sorts of bad things about their soldier and I am no exception. It's really part of the territory. But the dreams I've been having lately are nothing like that.

They started out obscure. I'm doing weird things (catching lobsters, brick-laying, having dinner at places I've never been) with weird people (random celebrities, people from my past, complete strangers). I don't really remember any specifics, nor were any of them significant enough to care.

Then they started getting creepy. Nothing morbid or overly dark. I'm walking alone in the middle of the night down a long road. Again, I don't remember the details and when I wake up I really don't recall anything more than a singular image.

I also don't feel scared or sad. I wake up from all of these dreams and I'm lonely. I'm lonely as hell. We're getting so close to Al's homecoming that I'm getting antsy. I can only hope to kick this feeling once summer gets rolling and I get a change of scenery. Some new classes, maybe a job and definitely some free time I'm sorely lacking. Then again, free time might be the exact opposite of what I need right now.

So, I think I am going to put together a list of things I want to do this summer. New things I want to try, people I want to catch up with. Anything to help me get through the next couple of months. I want good dreams again. And I don't want to be lonely anymore. So I won't be.

(But just in case, babe, could you hurry your ass home please?)

Happy Mil-Spouse (and girlfriend) Appreciation Day!

Ronald Reagan declared May 7 military spouse appreciation day in 1984 in an effort to recognize the wonderful women (and now also, wonderful men) who support our military in our own special way. So, I am writing this not to seek thank yous myself, but rather to thank the numerous other spouses and SO's out; especially those who love and support the men who fight alongside Al. I know that it's your strength and support that make them the people and the soldiers that they are. As a result, they are happier and healthier and better able to do their job. For that, I am grateful. I can sleep a little better and put my mind at ease knowing that there are amazing women throughout the country supporting their man, feeling the same things I am and most importantly, doing their part for our military and our country!

The Soldier's SO Creed
I am in love with a United States Soldier. I will support him in his defense of the Constitution of the United States of America. And I will understand that he must obey the orders of those appointed over him. I represent the true backbone and fighting spirit of the Army. And for those who have served before me I salute you with all the strength and loyalty my heart can muster. I proudly stand by the on I love with Honor, Courage and Commitment. I am committed to support my soldier and the United States Army.

Thank you and enjoy your day!

So Close...

Finals are drawing to an end. I have one left on Monday morning and I can't begin to express my complete and utter excitement over the thought of having some time off. I promise to get back to my exciting self once they're over. In fact, I have an interesting post planned for this weekend (you can all start holding your breath...right...now).

I'm going to celebrate my birthday with dinner, drinks and some comedy tonight. AND, with a bunch of my friends! It should be a good time and an excellent way to unwind after yet another final exam.

That said, I MUST go make myself pretty now.

Birthday

Today's my birthday! I am 26 years old. Instead of some heart-felt story of the first quarter of my life spent on this earth, I'll share with you other reasons to celebrate today.

- First woman issued a US Patent (Mary Kies, for weaving straw) in 1809

- Karl Marx born on this day in 1818

- Napoleon Bonaparte (French Emperor) dies in France in 1821

- American Medical Association organized in 1847

- Carnegie Hall opens in NY, with Tchaikovsky as the composer in 1891

- Cy Young of Boston pitches perfect game against A's in 1904

- Ann B. Davis (Alice on the Brady Bunch) born on this day in 1926

- Jesse Owens sets the world long jump record in 1935

- Ghandi freed from prison in 1944

- Rex Goh (Air Supply lead guitarist) born on this day in 1951

- First large-scale US Army ground units land in Vietnam in 1965

- Charles Nagy (pitcher, Cleveland Indians) born on this day in 1965

- Danielle Fishel (Topanga, Boy Meets World) born on this day in 1981

Quick Hello

Just a quick note to let you know I didn't forget ya'll. I'm deep in the crashing throes of finals. Yesterday was a pretty difficult exam, but I came out relatively unscathed and am back on the war-path studying for my final two.

So, something to make you smile. Enjoy.

Holy Crap

This sucks. I'm up to my eyeballs in finals. I have the hardest of my four exams tomorrow = Contracts. The concept and the subject-matter actually really interest me. But the exams are God-awful. Multiple choice. (I know, you're thinking that should make them easier, but usually there are two correct answers and almost always they contradict each other.) It's also the only exam that is cumulative of THE WHOLE YEAR. It's brutal.

So, I've basically studied 20 of the last 24 hours.

I can't really tell if I know anything more than I did yesterday. All the terms, concepts, laws and cases are running together and I just hope something comes together in time for the exam at 1 o'clock tomorrow. Truth be told, I rocked the mid-term. But in the law school world where 1 point could mean the difference between B and C, I can't count on that for a darn thing.

I'm meeting a friend in the morning to go over notes and quiz each other (and fuel up with gallons of coffee.) But what I really want is a stinkin' cigarette. I quit officially when I was training for the Navy. Mostly because, well, smoking simply isn't conducive to hard-core workouts. I'll still have one here and there (especially when Al's home - He's a bad influence with all his Army-inspired coping habits rubbing off on me.) Since I've been in law school, though I haven't bought a single pack of cigarettes - which anyone who knows what it's like to quit smoking is the best way to keep yourself from doing it.

(If you have them, you'll smoke them.)

I've done a good job staying away from the poison-filled, addictive cancer sticks of sweet deliciousness. I made it through November when Al left for Iraq, December finals and 6 months of deployment. Sweet Jesus, do I want a cigarette more than anything in the world right now.

Just one. One...

In Honor of Those Who Give All...

Take a look at this video. It says more than I could ever say, better than I could ever say it.

Thank you to all of you who give everything you've got!

Monthly Thought-Provoking Question: May 2010

May marks the month of many birthdays in my family, including my own. This month's TPQ is centered around just that.

What is your best birthday memory? Why?

Please participate!