Some Like it Hot

We had a great and relaxing weekend, which happened mostly by accident.

We were cancelled on twice by two different couples this weekend.

They were both completely legitimate reasons and instead we spent our time by the pool or cuddled up on the couch watching Prison Break.

(We started it Saturday. Ah-mazing show. I much prefer watching shows on my time rather then waiting each week for the new episode. Especially when the show is this exciting.)

Summer is most definitely here. It's over 90 degrees every day.

For a Minnesota girl, it's almost too hot. And it's only getting hotter.

I'm sucking down a LOT of water and making sure I'm wearing lots of sunscreen. And thanks to the advice of a couple of friends, I am also taking a Vitamin D supplement so I don't sunburn and dehydrate.

In the meantime, I'm making fresh berry smoothies, spending a lot of time at the pool and taking care of the important stuff inside with the air conditioning.

OK...so I'm inside with the air conditioning more than anything else...but I'm trying to embrace the heat!

The Reason

Amidst your BBQ's, boats, fireworks and friends, please remember...

(all images courtesy of Google)

This September marks the 10-year anniversary of 9-11.

We've had many victories this year. We've have had some failures.

And along the way, we've lost lives.

It's those lives that we honor today.

So take ten minutes out of your day to remember...

...remember their sacrifice

...and send them a silent "thank you" for the life they have given us.

Give me cushion!

Alright, I need your help!

Remember this bench from earlier this week?

Well, we've officially decided that it's going to stay out on the deck as furniture since it will not fit in the space we planned for inside. It makes sense anyway since this is the only seating we have on the deck right now.

Which means I need to make it more comfortable.

So I am going to get some batting and great outdoor fabric and create a cute cushion to sit on the bench. It needs to be durable since this is El Paso and it's very sandy and windy here.

Other than that, I don't have a color or "theme" on the deck since I'm just getting started. You can kind of see my style from the options I've picked. I like color, but not huge, bold colors. I like prints in simple and elegant patterns. Other then that, the only thing I have to "match" is the bench itself, which is a dark brown/wood.

Below are the fabrics I've narrowed it down to and I want your help to decide:

Option 1

(found here)

Option 2

(found here)

Option 3

(found here)

Option 4

(found here)

Let me know what you think. Thanks!

Sunburn

Thursday night we had dinner at a little Mexican joint down the road and saw The Hangover 2 (which is no where near as funny as the first one. In fact, the funniest parts of #2 were the parts that joked about things from the first. The rest was pretty tasteless and much less funny.)

We slept in Friday morning and then spent the rest of the morning being lazy.

We went for a late morning walk and noticed that our apartment complex had finally opened our pool. So, then we went for a late afternoon swim.

Steamed chicken and veggies for dinner.

Then we went to El Paso Speedway to see the Sprint Car Races.

I get home last night and start changing into my PJ's. My shoulders hurt really bad.

I had doused myself with sunscreen before our swim and I reapplied when we headed to the races although it was late in the day. When I looked at the sunburn, it was it perfectly outlined the tank-top I wore on our morning walk.

We were outside for about 45 minutes.

I forget, though, that I am a LOT closer to the equator and that I'm a pasty-white-girl from Minnesota. It's a mix that leads to sunburnt shoulders (along with the tip of my nose).

The good news is that it will slough off in the day or two, leaving me with a nice tan.

And in the meantime, we had a great, relaxing and fun day.

We are looking forward to another relaxing day today. One that stays indoors, most likely.

Even better: I'm finally making friends. They're mostly Al's friends and their spouses, but I'll take what I can get. Sunday we're invited over to a couple's house. Al went to WLC with the guy and they are getting some folks together for a BBQ. I'm just looking forward to meeting more people. Especially wives that I can hang out with in my free time.

Summer Swap

Have you signed up for this yet?

I'm doing it and you should to.

Why?

Because I want to swap with you.

So go over to Flip Flops and Combat Boots and sign up.

Do it now!

Do-Over: Rustic Bench & Antique Mirror

My plea for help regarding the outfit I'm wearing tomorrow was an overwhelming, unanimous decision for outfit #1. Since I was already leaning towards that one, I am exciting that ya'll agreed. Now that my outfit is decided, I'm moving on to the next link-up.

Mrs. S is hosting a weekly link-up for DIY projects. Have you seen the stuff she's done? It's amazing. Check out her great projects and many others!

My first project was a rustic bench that I found at the post thrift store. It was $8.

You can see the before shot in the video tour of my house (watch the deck video) in this post.

After 6 hours of paint stripping, I realized it was going to take a lot more stripping and sanding in order for me to be able to stain it.

So I changed to paint instead.

Finished product.

My initial reason for the purchase was to have some outdoor seating on our deck.

We went back and forth on possibly cleaning it up and bringing it indoors to use by our front door as a shoe bench. After measuring, it won't fit in the entryway, so for now it will stay on the deck.

I might run by the fabric store this weekend and find some durable outdoor fabric and batting and make a little cushion for the bench. Then, it will really be a great seat for our deck.

Stay tuned for that project and maybe I'll link up again!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The second project was this mirror I found at the local Goodwill. It cost me $1.99.

As you can see, the original version wasn't really my style. Mauve isn't one of my color choices, but I loved the texture, size and details of the mirror.

First, I removed the backing a the mirror, so I could paint freely without causing any damage.

Then I lightly sanded. I didn't need to strip all the paint, because of the type of paint I was using, texture was perfectly fine.

I used some "Make it Stone!" spray paint...

...and transformed the mirror into a great new piece!

I haven't even decided where I'm going to put the mirror, but I can't wait to try some of the locations. So far, I'm having fun with these projects and can't wait to do more!

All Dressed Up: Graduation Dress Options

I have three dress outfits today and I need your help deciding which one to wear.

Tomorrow is Al's WLC graduation. Sure, it's not that big of a deal, but it's the first Army event I get to attend and show my pride for my super-awesome husband.

Which means I need to look spectacular.

{Click to see larger images}

Outfit 1

Details:

Dress - Old Navy

Belt - H&M

Shoes - Candies

Outfit 2

(this one is probably too casual, but I threw it in there anyway.)

Details:

Top - Heartbreakers (small boutique shop in Minnesota)

Skirt - Old Navy

Belt - Forever 21

Shoes - Charlotte Russe

Outfit 3

(This is what happens when Al is the photographer: "Stick your butt out, honey.")

Details:

Dress - H&M

Shoes - Gap

Bracelet - Lia Sophia

Adventures in Thrifting

I've never been a thrifter.

In college I would stop by a thrift store if I needed something for a costume or for a particular piece I didn't want to spend a lot of money on. But they were pieces I used for that event and tossed.

Beyond that, thrifting was never a big thing. When I realized that it wasn't much different then garage-sale-ing (which I do A LOT with my fam) I thought I should try it more. And with the amount of free time I have this summer to do the shopping, and adapt pieces to my style, it's the perfect time to break into the scene.

I found this great mirror at a thrift store recently:

I'm not into the pink frame, so I have a plan to re-vamp it. Stay tuned this week for that project.

A few years ago, I picked this little gem up at a garage sale:

I LOVE this thing! It's great for quick shaves or when you have just a tiny bit of (hairy) skin sticking out. It has always worked beautifully and has been a saving grace for some very important moments.

And c'mon, it's also frickin' adorable.

We'll see what else I come up with on my next thrift store adventures.

Summer Goals: Revisited

Now that I'm settled in here in El Paso, I thought I'd go back over my summer goals.

Additionally, I've created a more specific work-out schedule, and daily and weekly to-do's.

My plan is to post each Monday on what I accomplished the previous week and what my goals are for the upcoming week, with the obvious end result of completing the entire summer goals list (and possibly more if I get really, really productive!)

Here is the list:

1. Take a boxing class

Progress: Purchased class. Need to schedule for first session.

2. Work on my long-paper

(Ultimate Goal: complete research and first draft by summer-end to be reviewed by Prof.)

Progress: Downloaded software to organize research. Created research map so I can get started.

3. Learn how to cook at least a week-worth of meals

4. Get my conceal-and-carry permit

5. Re-take the MPRE (August test date)

6. Visit family in Arizona

No longer applicable. My family is traveling to Alabama instead of Arizona.

7. Revamp my resume and cover letters

8. Read 10 books from my reading list

9. Take at least one weekend getaway with Al

Progress: Looking into a weekend trip to Colorado to check out Ft. Carson

10. Put together list of employment opportunities for my return to MN

11. Volunteer with an on-post organization

12. Get another tattoo

13. Find bike trails in El Paso and start riding a bike

14. Volunteer with a community-based organization (off-post)

15. Renew my CPR and First Aid certifications

16. (used to read "strip and paint the bedroom shelves" but I'm changing it because I didn't bring those shelves and have other painting projects to do.)

17. Learn how to make homemade sushi

18. Sew covers for couch pillows

19. Determine a solid work-out routine

(Ultimate goal: lose 20 lbs, tone muscle and re-gain strength & flexibility)

Progress: Completed work-out calendar.

20. Get boudoir photos taken

21. Determine my final-year game-plan

22. Put together Shutterfly wedding album

23. Make new headboard

24. Practice and re-new my German knowledge

25. Take care of my husband in every way possible!

Progress: On-going and constant!

Relaxed

I could blog.

But then I'd have to scour my brain to think of something interesting to say.

And after a day hanging out in the sun, a delicious meal and a few hours curled up on the couch next to my husband, I'm just too darn relaxed to do that.

I'll try to blog tomorrow.

Or whenever my "sitting on my ass" lifestyle stops being so darn awesome.

All Dressed Up

I am the worst photographer ever. I think going forward I am going to try and have Al take the photos so I can get better results. At any rate, the outfit rocks. It turned out a little patriotic (unintentionally) but I really like it. I really wish hats like this were acceptable for everyday wear because I just can't get to the beach enough in the middle of the desert.

Link up with Lady to play along!

My New Home: In Video

First, please forgive the videography. There are quite a few times where I figured I would show the long-view by turning the camera vertically. The problem: in video mode that turns the camera. (Duh!) Unfortunately, I don't have any editing capabilities to turn it back the correct way, so the videos will have to do as-is. So very, very sorry!

Second, you will notice that I am a total hot-mess. That would be because I am working on the bench on my deck: stripping, sanding, staining, etc... and happen to be wearing the appropriate attire for that. Sloppy hair and no makeup included.

Finally, I was going to re-do some of the videos after saying stupid or weird things. Instead, I've decided to keep them as is. No editing. No re-do's. Just me.

Sleeping Issues

I've been trying to write my road trip and new apartment posts all day today.

But every time I sit down to do so, my head is all muddled and groggy.

It's not that the trip wasn't wonderful and my time in the new place hasn't been everything I could have asked for. In fact, it has far surpassed my expectations thus far.

Actually, it's because I am tired.

A week ago, today, I was on the last third of the road trip which ended in a total of 26 hours awake. Since then, I've gotten a full night of sleep every night. Yet, I cannot seem to catch up.

Last night didn't help. I couldn't fall asleep and once I did, it was restless.

I can't tell if it's because I'm in a new place or because Al snores or simply because it was simply "one of those nights." Tonight, I am taking a Melatonin and drinking some warm tea, hoping that calms my body and I can sleep soundly.

After all, I have a lot of leisurely things to do and I can't be too tired for that!

Loving my new life

Oh ladies, how I've missed you...

I had the intention of returning on Friday and posting some exciting stories about the road-trip from Minnesota to Texas and about settling into the new place. With Blogger going down last week and cancelling my guest-posts and with our flight "incident" (read more below) I changed my mind.

Don't worry, I will still tell those stories. And I will post a photographic tour of the new place once I've put the last few touches on it. In the meantime, the extra break has been nice.

It has been heavenly.

I loved having my sister here with me to help me get everything organized and to keep me company during Al's long work days. We were able to reconnect on the road trip and during her time here and I feel blessed to have had that time with her.

Hopefully, she'll be able to visit again later this summer and we can do more "fun stuff."

We did have an interesting airline "incident" on Friday. I hustled Ginger to the airport for her afternoon flight and decided to go in with her.

{This was her first time flying alone - - she's flown many times, but always with a friend or the family. We all know how daunting airports can be when you're not comfortable. Plus, I had purchased the ticket for her and didn't want any trouble with her check-in.}

We arrived at the Continental ticket counter and the following conversation ensued:

Me: Hello, she is - -

Continental Lady (CL): What is your final destination?

Me: St. Paul/Minneapolis

CL: Yea...that's not going to happen. Your flight is delayed and the later flight will not get you to your connection in Houston with enough time...

Us: Umm...Ok. We didn't get a notice or anything.

CL: We can put you on that later flight and you can stay in Houston. Or you can fly out tomorrow morning and arrive in STP at 3:30pm.

Ginger: I don't want to stay in Houston where I don't know anyone.

Me: Yea, let's get her on that early flight tomorrow morning. But only if she gets guaranteed seats so she can get straight on a plane.

CL: We can do that.

And they did. Despite the lack of "customer service" informing us about the cancelled flight (which, if they had known about it all day, would have been easy to send an e-mail to all the booked flyers) they did a good job sorting it out. For that reason, I didn't push for any free flights or vouchers. If they hadn't been so great about it, I definitely would have.

I am so glad I went in with her to sort it all out. And I got another night with my lovely sister in Texas. Better yet, she got to spend an actual evening with Al since he didn't have to get up at an un-Godly hour on Saturday.

It was great to head to the airport on Friday and have it not be for me to fly back to Minnesota. I actually get to stay here for a while and it still feels a little surreal. I am truly loving my life right now.

Today, Al and I slept in until about 9am and spent the day running errands: grocery shopping and getting a few extra things for the place. He is currently taking a nap before he gets up to do some work and I am watching a Real Housewives marathon on Bravo.

{Am I the only one who is continually amazed at how terrible these women are to their "friends"? It's crazy to me how they are all so shallow and so catty. And yet, like any good train-wreck, I can't look away.}

I'm going to make dinner soon and probably curl up with my husband to watch a movie with a glass of wine. Have I mentioned that I love my life right now?!?

European Road-Trip with Mel's Mom

{Hey all! I am currently driving to Texas, with my car stuffed to the windows, blasting old Backstreet Boys while my sister and I sing along. I'm going to be out for a couple of days to account for travel, recovery and unpacking time. Oh, and to shower my husband with kisses and other signs of affection. In the meantime, you are lucky to have a couple of my favorite bloggers making guest appearances in my absence.}

That's right, on my last day of guest bloggers you get the most special blogger of them all: my momma! I asked her to write a post about her time growing up all over the world. She did precisely that, and yet, I think the post turned into so much more.

Without further adieu...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I think most of us have moved at one time or another…

Maybe with our parents to a new home or to college and the dorm? Or you’ve PCS’d?

It’s funny how moves are fun AND scary at the same time.

I grew up all over the world, Bermuda, Japan, Germany…obviously you can’t do that without moving, and moving, and moving again, seven times before I graduated from high school. If you’ve read all of Melissa’s blog, you know there’s a recurring theme here.

With the view of the world that many of you have I wouldn’t be surprised if you’re thinking, “Military brat!!” Nope, but not too far off.

My father was a teacher, coach, athletic director and later a principal for the DODDs school system. So I grew up WITH the Military brats and I liked it, most of the time.

I’m sure things have changed, what hasn’t? Back then, the Military families typically moved about every four years. So, between our moves and the moves of those around me, not many people were there for the long haul (that’s the part I didn’t like!)

You learn to make friends fast, and how to say goodbye. But you also have an opportunity to create a family bond that is amazing because those ARE the people there for the long haul.

As a child, I saw the world with my family close to my side. I’ve seen the Tokyo tower, the Eifel tower, Neuenschwanstein castle, the Mona Lisa, the statue of David, the Swiss alps, the Mosel wine valley, Dachau concentration camp, the Arc d’Triumpf, Normandy beach, and those are just the places that come to mind first. Castles, Churches, war memorials, beautiful miracles of nature all over the world from Africa to Asia!

We skied, golfed, walked, ate dinner and generally lived our lives together as a family. What an amazing way to live your life, yes, I am blessed.

When I came home, yes the USA is home and always has been. Throughout the world we attended every 4^th of July air show, every parade and patriotic event we could. We watched AFN and got the culture etc. so mostly we were American. My father said, “It’s time to go home and become an American!” I think he was worried that I would marry a German boy and not go home to the USA.

Off I went to college for my first move by myself. This is where I think we, my family and I went wrong. Suddenly, no family, where was the milk and cookies when I came home every day? The culture shock of not having my family resulted in me getting married as fast as I could! I wanted that family and closeness that had been so important to me…what I got was Melissa & Megan! The greatest gifts that God has given me! The man, not so much. He’s a good guy but not for me.

I did the single mom thing for a lot of years, my parents and sister came home, and eventually I met the man that I want to see the United States with…MY family man! Melissa too has her man and we’re growing our family, it’s amazing to be me now.

So, what is the moral of this long history of my life?

Spend time with your kids, show them the world, even if it’s just your part of it (when my girls were little we did what we could with no money, Duluth, nature reserves, the zoo, science museums, etc. ~ The girls may not remember all of it but they know they are loved!) Prepare your birdies to leave the nest as best you can, and mostly, when you move, and move, and move again…hold on to the ones who will always be there for you.

An Old School Road-Trip Mix with Caroline

{Hey all! I am currently driving to Texas, with my car stuffed to the windows, blasting old Backstreet Boys while my sister and I sing along. I'm going to be out for a couple of days to account for travel, recovery and unpacking time. Oh, and to shower my husband with kisses and other signs of affection. In the meantime, you are lucky to have a couple of my favorite bloggers making guest appearances in my absence.}

Today is really fun for me because my guest blogger is my best friend of over 13 years!

If you want to check out her blog, do so here. In the meantime, enjoy her great list of songs reminiscing of our lifelong friendship.

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Fall 1997. I'm in my first year in junior high school; a seventh grader with a thirst to make new friends. I go to a predominantely black school and as a 13-year-old white girl from the suburbs, I was having a hard time finding these new friends to make.

Off and on, I noticed a teeny tiny girl that rode in the first seat of the bus and chatted up the bus driver on our way home. Her blonde hair was down to her butt and sometimes she had too much make-up on for a junior high kid, but she was always smiling and cheerful.

One chilly fall day, I board the bud to find every seat taken except for the first one, straight across the aisle from chatty blonde girl. I sit quietly and zone out thinking about homework, or the Backstreet Boys, and suddenly notice over-make-upped blonde girl putting on dark purple lipstick. Needless to say, I judged her and wondered why she thought that was cute. Blonde girl notices me staring, puts down her compact and lipstick, smiles and says, “Hi! What's your name?”

“Caroline.” I replied hesitantly.

“I'm Melissa!” She exclaimed.

Fast forward 14 years and here we are. Still best friends, still enjoying telling the story of how we met and still making new memories to share.

During Melissa & I's college roommate days, we got a wild hair up our asses to make themed mix cds. Of course, these were the days before iTunes playlists. Our cd themes ranged from 'Even Better Than Chocolate' (songs about sex – though we were still as virginal as the day we were born) to 'It's All In A Name' (songs with a name in the title).

We've had an amazing friendship that has only grown stronger as the years go on and I am incrediby proud of her and all that she has accomplished. She inspires me to do more and be better. She is like a sister I never had.

In celebration of our amazing friendship, I have compiled a playlist of our most favored and memorable songs so far. And without further adeiu...

Peaches & Skittles – Greatest Hits – Vol. I

1. Everybody (Backstreet's Back) – Backstreet Boys

2. Wild Thing – The Troggs

3. Miss Independent – Kelly Clarkson

4. Get Naked – Methods of Mayhem

5. Shake Ya Tailfeathers – Nelly/P. Diddy

6. Dirrty – Christina Aguilera

7. Pour Some Sugar On Me – Def Leppard

8. Toxic – Britney Spears

9. We Danced Anyway - Deana Carter

10. This One's For The Girls – Martina McBride

11. Slow Motion – Juvenile

12. Walking in Memphis – Marc Cohen

13. Lady Marmalade – Christina Aguilera, Lil Kim, Pink & Mya

14. Home – Michael Buble

15. Whiskey Girl – Toby Keith

Bonus Track:

16. Then – Brad Paisley (My dedication to Melissa and Al's future together)

    
    

Road Trippin' with Grandma from Just a Girl

{Hey all! I am currently driving to Texas, with my car stuffed to the windows, blasting old Backstreet Boys while my sister and I sing along. I'm going to be out for a couple of days to account for travel, recovery and unpacking time. Oh, and to shower my husband with kisses and other signs of affection. In the meantime, you are lucky to have a couple of my favorite bloggers making guest appearances in my absence.}

Continuing with my lovely lady bloggers, I've got Just a Girl. She's an ex-Army-girlfriend, turned super-Army supporter and a good friend. Because, really, once you're part of the Army family, you never really leave, do ya!? Anyway, she was also one of the first gals I met on the mil-blogger block. Today, she recalls one of her road-tripping adventures.

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I’m so honored that Mel, one of my first blogging friends, asked me to write a guest post for her while she’s busy road-tripping it down to Texas to spend the summer with Al.

When I sat down to write this little post for her, I started thinking of all the road trips I have been on (and believe me there have been many). My family went on at least one major road trip every year, but there is one trip that sticks out in my mind: Our family road trip to Canada.

This trip was masterminded by my grandma (yes, the infamous grandma for those of you that are familiar with my blog). We drove from Idaho to various places within Western Canada and we were gone for 3 weeks. Oh, and did I mention we were camping in my grandma’s 5^th wheel the whole time? Now I’m not princess, and camping is definitely fun… for a few days at a time. A week, at the most. Three weeks of camping was not something I was on board for, even at the age of 10. I was also the one that got stuck with sleeping in the same bed with grandma since my parents got the “master” bed and my brother “couldn’t sleep with someone else.” I would like the record to state that I told him I was going to use that excuse and that little brat stole it from me before I had the chance. Sorry, can you tell I’m still a little bitter?

Although there were many life lessons learned on this trip one sticks out in my mind above all. When we pulled up to one of the various campsites we were staying at for the night my grandma decided it would be a good time for me to learn how to empty the “waste” tank of the 5^th wheel. If you’re not familiar, you have to attach a big blue hose to the tank and it empties out. I was not thrilled with being assigned this task, because really, who wants to be responsible for emptying out the poop tank? Plus at this point I was pretty disenchanted with being in a car for multiple hours everyday and my attitude was probably not the greatest. Anyway, there were some technical difficulties and the waste was not draining, so my grandma sent me to investigate the hose to see if I could figure out what the problem was. Well, I decided that it would be a good idea to pick up the hose and look inside of it to see if there was a clog in it or something (yeah, I may not have had a lot of common sense). Anyway, when I picked up the hose it apparently released a kink and with all the pressure that had built up well, let’s just say that there was a “waste” explosion all over my face. Lesson learned; never investigate the exit end of poop hose. Y’all can thank me later.

Oh, the trip culminated in my dad’s car breaking down on the second to last day of our trip in some intersection in the middle of nowhere Montana. My mom and I had to hop out and push the car through the intersection. Fun times.

And in case you were wondering; no, my family has not joined in on any “grandma” planned trips since.

~Just A Girl~

A Brilliant New Packing Strategy with Annoyed Army Wife

{Hey all! I am currently driving to Texas, with my car stuffed to the windows, blasting old Backstreet Boys while my sister and I sing along. I'm going to be out for a couple of days to account for travel, recovery and unpacking time. Oh, and to shower my husband with kisses and other signs of affection. In the meantime, you are lucky to have a couple of my favorite bloggers making guest appearances in my absence.}

Of course we are going to kick this off with one of my favorite bloggers: Annoyed Army Wife.

She is honest, funny and one of the coolest people I've never met! And in true Army-wife fashion she has moved as many times as the rest of us. Today, she is going to share her new techniques for packing and moving.

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When Mel asked me to write a guest post for her as she prepares to move down to Texas for the summer I was ‘Of course I’ll do it!’ First, here’s an intro for those of you who do not know me; I’m the annoyed army wife married to OccDoc, an Army doctor recently returned from a deployment in Afghanistan. As I like to say ‘I support the troops, just not always the one I’m married to.’ Now, on to my topic: PCSing/Moving Techniques.

OccDoc got back from Afghanistan at the end of February and when we went to pay our rent at the end of March we got this news: We’re selling your house, but you can stay as long as it takes to sell. Have you ever sold a house? Have you ever rented a house currently on the market? Well, if not both situations suck and the kicker if your renting is that it’s not even your freaking house and your life is completely affected. OccDoc and I offered to increase our rent and do some (costly) home improvement projects if the landlord would let us sign a new year lease, then put the house on the market after that lease was up. He turned down our offer. So, after having to move every year or two because the army makes us, we now find ourselves moving after two years for other reasons. I guess we were being unreasonable thinking we could live in the same house for three years. We should have known better.

We found a house to rent that is closer to the army post OccDoc works at (there is no on post housing there) and signed a lease to begin on May 1. Our move out date on our current house is May 31, one month after our lease ended. We could have stayed put until they sold our house, but we’re still a bit upset our landlord turned down our offer and that he waited to the last possible second to tell us he wasn’t renewing our lease. So, if the house takes forever to sell, which we’re pretty sure it will in our neighborhood with the ridiculous asking price they have on it, then our landlord is screwing himself out of a lot of income. Too bad, so sad for him.

Since we essentially have a whole month to move I will be debuting a new revolutionary moving technique. Okay, so many not quite, but we’re so used to packin’ up and movin’ out in a day or two that I feel like this technique is new and revolutionary for us. In the time OccDoc and I have been together (7 years) we have moved going on 6 times. So, it’s not like I’m a PCSing/Moving virgin; I’ve been around the block and around and around. You know how it takes forever to unpack? Maybe not, but for us it does. Like there were some boxes in our current house I just unpacked 4 months ago (if I would have known we were moving again I won’t have bothered). I suck at unpacking. Suck. Here’s my new technique: one room at a time moving, then the big stuff at the end. Let me break it down for you.

We’re moving one room at a time, so everything I can fit into my car from a particular room will be moved and unpacked immediately in the new house. Theoretically, we should have one empty room in the old house and one totally set up room in the new house. My first room is the office. I’m going to put everything from the office, except the giant bookcase, into my car then drive it 40 miles to our new house and unpack it AND set it up. After I’m done with all the trips needed to empty that room I’m going to clean the room in the old house and shut the door. We have a guest bedroom and our master bedroom, so we plan on moving our bed (it’s a Sleep Number that comes apart semi-easily) towards the beginning so we can make the new house ‘homebase’ and move all of our crazy animals there. That will make getting ready for showings at the old house way easier since I won’t have to sit in my car with two Chihuahuas and two rabbits. And we’ll just leave our guest room intact until the end in case we have to sleep over at the old house. Then towards the end of the move we’ll rent a moving truck to move our couches, washer, dryer, and other stuff I can’t fit into my Subie. A lot of stuff fits in the Subie – we put a picnic table in there one time.

I know my new and revolutionary moving technique probably sounds like a disaster waiting to happen, but I’m pretty confident it will work out. And by spreading our move out we’ll need less help since I’ll be able to do most everything myself. I think we will be able to bribe our neighbors into helping us on our ‘big stuff’ move day. What do you think? Disaster waiting to happen or brilliant idea?

On the Road Again

Tomorrow morning, bright and early, (as early as I can get my sister out of bed) I will be on the road to Texas. On the road again.

{Side note: when I was looking for a video of Willie's song, I found this one. I have two observations: (1) Why is Kid Rock everyone's "friend"? and (2) None of his friends seem to really know the words to his song. Some friends they are!}

I am so excited that my heart is using my stomach as a trampoline!

I've mapped out the route we're going to take including the following cities:

{Ready for a Wikipedia random facts/geography lesson? - - If you're from some of these cities, know that this is all in good fun!}

Des Moines, IA - Whose name means "River of the Monks" and is apparently the #1 city for insurance companies

Kansas City, MO - Which claims several locations involved in the Civil War and the highest group of pathetic pro sports teams any one state can handle. (The Chiefs, c'mon!)

(Oh, and it's also home to the Westboro Baptist Church. I might have to stop by and give them some words in the shape of fists.)

Topeka, KS - Whose name means "to dig good potatoes" and was one of the first stops on the Oregon Trail after leaving Independence, MO

Wichita, KS - Which is the Air Capital of the World and home of the Wichita State Shockers. (I mean, if I had known the college mascot was "the Shocker" I SO would have applied there!)

Oklahoma City, OK - Which is home to the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, which is perfectly fitting since Garth Brooks is from neighboring Tulsa and he practically invented cowboys, right?

Amarillo, TX - Which is cool simply because it's on Route 66 (where people get their kicks!) But additionally because they are the self-proclaimed Helium Capital of the World!

It should be a fun time. My sister is gung-ho about driving straight through, so it will definitely be an adventure. I don't really care what route we take or how we get there, as long as we get there. ("I don't care how you get here, just get here if you can!" ~ Oleta Adams.)

Of course, this means I will be away from bloggy-land for a few days.

Don't worry though, I have arranged for a small line-up of guest bloggers for your reading pleasure. And I'll be back soon enough.

Ciao, lovlies!

Military Spouse Appreciation Day

I was at school for a brief while yesterday and a friend of mine wished me a happy birthday...then he looked at me and said, "Oh, and happy military spouse day too!"

It was so odd that a civilian (who has no connections with the military) made that recognition.

I will say that it put a smile on my face.

I just finished my last final for the semester and have two days to move all the furniture out of my house, so I am brain-fried right now. Which means I don't have anything more eloquent or lovely to say other than:

Thank you! Thank you!

This is hands-down the best community of people I've ever been a part of. I am thankful everyday for being a part of it!

Happy day to all of you (us)!

Another Year...

Amidst finals and packing, I found time to have a birthday.

It was inevitable, I guess.

I even tried to pretend it wasn't happening and just go about my business, but it was unavoidable. Apparently it's like nature, or something.

Oh well.

I'm now 27 years old.
Which is perilously close to 30.

But it's going to be the year for me.

Just think, by the time I turn 28 I will:

~Have spent a summer in Texas with Al

~Graduate from law school

~PCS to Ft. Carson

~Set up a new home in a new state with my "old" husband

(Who will never be older than me, that jerk!)

Today, though, I will try to take at least 20 minutes out of my busy day and have a cocktail.

And maybe a slice of cheesecake.

So You Want to Go To Law School...

Mostly just for laughs (because God knows I need one) I am posting this funny video.

Some of it will only be funny to those of us suffering the torture, but I think you will appreciate it nonetheless.

"Are you prepared to spend three years in an institution that in no way, shape or form prepares you for anything resembling a law career? Plus, you will probably develop a coke habit."

Hard and Soft

I am sitting up because I can't quite calm myself enough to sleep.

Al starts WLC tomorrow, which means we won't get to talk much the rest of the week.

How did we spend our evening?

Arguing.

Early in our relationship we had very distinct roles.

I was this tough-as-nails girl who "didn't need a man" and wasn't planning on slowing down anytime soon to find one. He was this straight-forward, down-to-earth guy who was just playful enough to catch my eye.

That playfulness and his sense of humor was what drew me in.

He was goofy and a total sap. I was "too busy" to be emotional.

Usually, he would make some gushy comment and I would scoff, roll my eyes and move on.

Perhaps I should have appreciated that more...

Fast forward a few years.

His job is excruciatingly busy and increasingly difficult. Law school is considerably more work and seems like it will never end. This last year has pushed us to our emotional extremes.

To cope, he has "toughened up." His mechanism for dealing with the stress is to put on his [emotional] armor and "embrace the suck." I, on the other hand, have decided to feel absolutely everything - to "soften" my shell.

He closes off. I cry a lot.

The harder he got, the softer I got.

The less he felt, the more I did.

This left me demanding a lot from him and he couldn't understand.

He is so patient and tries so hard to get me. He doesn't see why this independent, resilient woman is crumbling. (Truth be told, I'm not crumbling. I am perfectly healthy and still working very hard. But extreme displays of emotions are hard to comprehend. Even from the person displaying them!) I don't see why this goofy, laid-back man is turning into a robot.

And it wasn't until tonight that I realized it.

The more he sees what he thinks is my weakness, the stronger he feels he needs to be to keep us going. He wants to be that man for me.

(And yes, I am searching for the balance between allowing myself to feel and neurotic over-expression.) But mostly, I am not weaker. What he sees as my inability to cope with increased stress, I see as a healthy release of emotion.

I got tired always bearing the cross alone. It's hard keeping up the facade.

So it's refreshing to not have to do that anymore. For the first time, I am comfortable enough to let my guard down and be honest with my emotions.

And while I'm doing that, he's pulling back. It scares him.

He is a great man and a good husband. And it's not fair to expect him to understand.

It is fair to expect him to listen. And to try. And to keep trying.

And it is fair to keep talking, to meet in the middle and to love the hell out of each other along the way.

Because the perfect balance between hard and soft is knowing when to fight the fight and when to love the love.