In Cars

Hello, blogosphere. My liver and kidneys are feeling good today, which means my visit with Susan is officially over. :-( That Trader Joe's wine is just too good to pass up. Thank goodness Susan knows her way around the moon wine. We had a good visit with each other, the wine, our man-servant Joe, and the puppies. However, I did experience some short-circuiting myself on account of what I believe to be hormones (mostly), surely not exacerbated by the wine, though. Still, we had multiple lengthy conversations, had wonderful Southern biscuits and gravy, and hit a Georgia fair after drinking wine out of a squeeze bottle on the way (we were not driving). All in all, a winning visit, save for maybe a few issues with her return trip. Oops.

I need to not only thank Susan for coming to visit, but for also bringing cooler temps. It was a beautiful day today in the high 70's/upper 80's, and isn't supposed to reach the 90's all week. YES.

Hopefully, it's not burning ass hot in Tampa either. I'm headin' down tomorrow afternoon so that I may check out a newer vehicle for us on Wednesday. I've been eyeballing it online for a while and finally requested additional info today. Everything checks out, so it's time for an in-person visit. It's just too good to wait on any longer, especially with my luck, so I have Joe's blessing to go down and bring back a vehicle without waiting for him. With that, I have been getting our finances together, studying up further on the ways o' car buying, and reserving a one way rental car with a hotel in mind to be reserved tomorrow. I feel like I just studied for a test, but one I'm actually looking forward to taking. The most nerve-racking part of this is leaving Joe. We're both weirded out, as I am a constant in this household. He's already saying he's going to miss me, and I hate to miss sleeping in the same bed for even one night when he's home. Also, I watch too many cop dramas about females traveling alone. I need a taser. For now, though, new wheels will do! Here's hoping this thing is as good as it appears to be.

Wine O'clock

Lawd, lawd, lawd. Susan is coming to town tomorrow! Chick weekend is a go, and Joe will be our assistant...payback for man weekend - remember when I had to call the ER and the jail to try to find him? Yeah. However, there will only be select times that he can actually stay in our presence. Don't worry. Being the good wife that I am, I've set him up with some manly stuff to do...outside...it's called 'yard work.' :-)

But yeah, I'm pumped. The house is clean, and the guest room is sealed off from the dogs. They were bathed over the weekend and given their frontline this evening (our timing got off when Dex brought a flee home from the vet last month - damn it). We'll all be polished and putting our best foot forward for our house guest. It's always good to have company, as it puts that extra oomph of foot in the ass to get stuff done. I mean I finally sat down and rigged the best possible way to hide the stereo speaker wires that were repeatedly tripping up the dogs and me (Joe was supposed to do it). Except for about a foot of wire (which is at least no longer where people walk), I managed to run the stuff under furniture and a rug. For the wires that run along the wall, I took a plastic wallpaper smoother and jammed them down between the carpet and the base boards. It's now (mostly) invisible, and I am LOVING myself for it. Susan will also love the absence of falling. Hopefully the sound quality isn't compromised by the squishing of the wires, though I'm sure it's not as bad as when I'd accidentally vacuum them up either.

Shit, I don't really have anything else. It's bedtime anyway.

Birthday Ba Ba

Birthdays are weird. Or at least mine are. I don't know why. I don't like making a big deal out of it, though I still kinda 'want' stuff. Maybe it's the transition (still?) from being a kid to an adult. It doesn't really even feel like my birthday when it rolls around anymore, but alas, I still turned 27 today - circling further toward the bottom of the bowl in the flush to 30. Ha. I won't lie - beginning to see 30 in the distance is kind of terrifying. Not because I'm old. (Hell, I almost didn't get into a piano bar last summer because the bouncer guessed I was 19.) But it's more like, where the hell has the time gone?

Being unemployed, nay, "retired" isn't helping me keep track of time either. In deciding resolutions are better for birthdays then the beginning of a calendar year, I vowed to get up a little earlier today and get going. Then, after getting only 3 consecutive hours of sleep last night, I decided to lay around all day instead. Thankfully, Lu cries at the back door like her life is over, so I still managed to get up a little earlier today. I had my coffee, watched only 1 DVR'd show (I'm addicted to TV; I know this), and then took a walk to get rolling. I came home and did some exercises for my back before starting some laundry and scrubbing the bottom of the shower that seemed to get neglected the other day when I launched my initial war against the crud.

It feels good just being productive, and I need to keep at it. I had intentions of doing volunteer work, specifically at the humane society, as well as doing some temp work as mentioned in a previous blog. I need to do these things and not become one with the couch day after day, drinking coffee and watching everything I've recorded the night before. Ah, but it does sound delicious on some level, doesn't it? Yes, I must fight my addiction with TV and try to be a productive member of society once again. I also need to get in better damn shape. Seems to keep the blues away. It wouldn't hurt if the weather got away from the damn 90's either. It's hard to want to do anything when you go outside and immediately start pouring sweat. Bah. Fall would be so nice, especially since it's the first day and all...

And so I'm going to take care of some things around the house to prep for Susan's visit day after tomorrow (YES!), and then run to the store for some special birthday food. Yes, since Joe's working later-ish all week, I decided to just plan to eat at home. He can take me out another time when I can get ready and not sit for hours wondering exactly when he's coming home. Tonight, though, we're having grilled fish, asparagus, and I'm going to bake little mini lasagnas (with cheeses, creamed corn, and bacon - no red sauce) to go on the side. I think I'm going to also saute some baby bella mushrooms until they're crispy. Yum. Maybe I'll even splurge on some pre-Susan wine. I was trying to hold out. :-) Ah, dinner is one thing, but if Joe doesn't take me out for some sort of dessert tonight, he should consider sleeping at the company! Oooh, and I just got beautiful flowers from Janiece and Jeff. Yay! Hooray!

Crickets

Just laying here. Joe's asleep. We've gotten in bed like two hours earlier the last two nights than I did all last week while he was gone. I really don't have a whole lot to talk about. I grocery shopped today and scrubbed a shower. These two things seemed to take all day. Planned a food menu for the week + food list + other stuff and then divided the list between two grocery stores and executed. While I was at Walmart, an elderly man collapsed. I was in the ziploc bag aisle trying to figure out which baggies to get when I heard a woman's voice from one of the main aisles scream "SIR? SIR? Call 911!!" Since I'm CPR certified and actually remember how to do it, I held my breath and made my way to scene. The gentleman was still breathing, though, and a woman who seemed medically inclined was kneeling over him, telling him what to do. Still, the sight made me tearful, and I had to quickly head back down the ziploc baggy aisle. Also, there were several other folks standing around him, and I didn't want it to get crowded. I hope the guy is alright.

We had tacos for dinner. They were good. We also took a walk tonight. It was good too. I think that might be one of the best things for us - a nightly walk together. It's also one of the best chances I have at talking to Joe and him really listening. We have our best in-person conversations on walks. Good stuff.

So I'm finally trying out Vonnegut and am reading Slaughter House Five. I dig it and am about half or more way through. Kevin Bacon has been distracting me, though, as his character 'Ren' in Footloose keeps popping in my head saying, "It's a classic." So it goes. :-)

To close, I'm going to share with you the meaning of life. Well, maybe not THE meaning, but A meaning. I asked a pretty interesting buddy of mine what the meaning of life was the other day when I was freaking out. Here's what he told me, and I wish the same for all of you:

"I believe we pursue many things, thinking that in them we will find meaning. Some of these pursuits include business success, wealth, good relationships, sex, entertainment, and doing well to others. But I think laughter is the meaning of my life, not just giggling at a movie I’m talking about laughing so hard that you can no longer grasp a breath or stop tears, at that moment you no longer worry about or care about things like "what is the meaning of life?" I hope you get to laugh like that."

Suck It, Gold's Gym

I just reviewed my contract, which is up next month. One more payment! Woohoo. And it's a good thing that I looked at my contract because it's kind of shady. After my contract expiration date is up on Halloween, my long term contract is transferred to a month to month contract. However, should I no longer desire to do business with Gold's after my original contract is up, I have to give no less than 30 days written notice prior to the expiration date either hand delivered or sent in via registered certified mail. I wonder how many people don't actually review their contracts, try to cancel without giving proper notice, and end up having an extra payment squeezed out of them before they do realize the appropriate hurdles to jump. Ah, business. Even the crappy gym with its broken, oozy sweaty equipment makes you give notice before it stops taking your money.

Today was good in many ways and sad in another. For me personally in my endeavors, I had a good day. However, I was definitely saddened by the loss of a high school classmate to cancer. Y'all know I hate death and wish we could all live forever, but for someone so young who had been battling so long and never really got to experience the things that others his age had, well it makes your heart hurt. Mine does. It also makes me appreciate my life and those around me more. I feel stuck sometimes being a military wife and not being able to experience things that civilian couples do. It's petty compared to cancer, though, huh?

And so I'm going to (gulp) try to complain less. This course of action was echoed in a conversation I had tonight with Mama Lowrey. She is a veteran military spouse whose husband only recently retired after somewhere close to thirty years, and he's still working, only now on the civilian side of things. It was great to talk to her and ask questions and find that someone else has had these ups and downs. And, they've worked through them and come out on the other side with a lasting partnership that grew together. Joe and I are slowly working through a few things. I think it's a marital growing pain, but we're both ready to work through it. Obviously, if we were about to get a divorce, I probably wouldn't blog about it. Or would I? ;-) Bottom line: We will be alright, and I'm thankful there are people who love and care for us enough to share their experiences and give guidance. Thank you Mama L.

On that marital note, Joey will return from Florida tomorrow. Poor guy got tased today. He said five seconds worth of pain seemed to last a lifetime, which was followed by having the taser prongs pulled out of his flesh. Unlike the pepper spray, though, when it was over, it was over. No residual effects. Or at least he doesn't realize any yet. I kind of imagine him like Batty from Fern Gully. Maybe when he gets home he'll start twitching as he short circuits into the Batty rap: "Toys in the attic, potatoes in a jacket...I rock and I ramble, my brain is scrambled..." But maybe not. Either way, I'm excited to see him. :-)

What's That Smell?

Thug life.

How in the hell is it already after midnight? These damn dogs will start waking me up before 8AM for sure. Once Dex gets up and starts wagging his tail it sounds like someone is running around the house hitting shit with a baseball bat. I'm not kidding. The neighbor kid asked if there was metal in his tail. I think there might be.

Today was another day. I guess this week is kind of monumental in a way, as I'm home all day alone and not accountable to anyone. I need to try and regulate my time without using it to prepare for someone's arrival, i.e. Joe at the end of the day. Because maybe I'm not using my time as wisely as I could be. Today I caught up on some of my DVR stuff, did some light housework, started rearranging and swapping frames on my wall-hangings. Also, I started an online temp job application to be uploaded to a local temp agency. I was almost done when my laziness took over. I hate the work history part on any application. If I give you my resume, can I just slap some phone numbers on that instead of giving you that, and then that all over again plus former boss's names and phone number? I mean, damn. Oh well. I'll finish it tomorrow.

My last couple days have been vastly different from Joe's. Yesterday he got shot in the face by a paintball during one training mission, and then today he got pepper spray swabbed in his eye and then shot in the head again with paintballs. I'm fairly amused by it all and am not mad at all that Joe's not around to help this week. If I do try to mow the backyard this week (back pain), I'll just think of Joe getting shot with a paintball. Can't be mad at that. Except that maybe I'm not being that great of a wife. Instead of empathy, I'm thinking of it more in the way of Clairee on Steel Magnolias: kinda fondly - "It was fabulous. She got hit in the head."

Ah, to close, I'll share with you today's good thing. Though it is currently my cheapest bill, the gas company has started to apply my deposit from last year of about $160 to my monthly payments. So, my $23.90 bill that was due this month did not have to get paid out of my bank account, and instead came out of money already spent. The gas bill won't start getting pricey until the winter, so we could maybe go the rest of the year without having to pay a gas bill. Woohoo!

Coffee Pot Timer

I've decided that I need to share at least a few good things in every post. You know - use my powers for good instead of constant bitching. Let's start with the fact that I have an awesome coffee maker. When I got married I got gifts from like ten people. (PS. My stepmom was awesome and dominated - she is the reason I have good pots and pans!!) Yeah. Fortunately, I also had a few other family members give us gifts as well. One of my aunts told me straight up not to bullshit and asked me what I really wanted. I maintained that, yes, I did actually really want a cuisinart grind and brew coffee maker. By god, she got it for us, and I love love love it. I put whole beans in the damn thing and get fresh ground and brewed coffee every morning (well, usually every other morning because I make enough for two mornings). But anyway. Bottom line is the things is ready to go for tomorrow, as the timer is set for 8AM, and it makes me terribly happy.

On another positive note, Joe and I have Thanksgiving plans, and I just got done excitedly e-mailing my aunt. Last year I worked on Thanksgiving, which was terrible, and the year before that Joe and I had our first T-day alone together - before that was his basic training graduation with Bojangles fast food chicken. With that, I'm excited to spend this year with my family...back to Madison, MS. It's going to be a little weird without my oma or mother there, but I'm still excited. Ari and Gene will be there, and of course the hosts, Auntie Barb and Uncle Mike. I am also just terribly excited to get the hell out of Columbus and not spend a million hours in the car!! Woohoo. However, what I'm most excited for is a fried turkey. :-)

That all said, I've pumped the brakes with trying to decide on a definite life path at this point. Someone gave me the proverbial slap to snap out of it. However, since Joe's promotion is taking FORever and Maslow's hierarchy of needs says I gotta eat and have shelter above all else, I may look into doing some temping. It's also another way to explore careers, and if you hate it, you don't have to keep doing it. Hopefully it'll work out as well as it did in Mississippi.

So here's to calming the hell down, enjoying the little things (fresh coffee), and making plans to leave town (Mississippi...so far). Yes.

No, For Real Do'

What the hell is the meaning of life??? My good friend, Dwayne, back in high school told me once, but I can't find the piece of paper. I think it was something about drinking beer and watching movies. Eh.

I find myself at sort of a crossroads, ready for something new, but unsure of what, and seemingly not with a whole lot of time to figure it out. Be it a career, I have pretty much ruled out social work and would have to either work up to something else at the place of business or go back to school. However, as I've been looking online, by the time I finish another degree, I'll be just about to the time when we're supposed to start trying to have kids. So then will the damn thing even get used anyway - the degree, not the kid. Of course I don't even know what degree I would pursue. I love number, so accounting? Finance? Or, physical therapy assistant, dental hygeinist (hire me, Ari)? DAMN. Not to mention if I do go for more education, it will compromise time with Joe, which is what I've been working toward. Man, decisions.

More later. I'm finally tired enough to sleep and not freak out.

Feels Right, Brian.

I'm finally back on the computer. The wireless router is being most uncooperative, and we haven't exactly been set up for "wired" for some time. But alas, I finally dug out one of our super long ethernet cords, so I can still lay in bed and blog while connected to the modem in the office across the hall. Sure, I have a cool new Droid phone now, but I refuse to blog from that damn thing.

As previously mentioned, I am laying here in bed. Joe isn't home; he's down at the beach in an oceanfront hotel. Now, if I leave it at that, we can all agree that he is a jerk, since I am left here at home. But, if I tell you that he's there for training that involves him getting paint-balled, tasered, and pepper sprayed, I guess we (I) can be done with the jealousy. Funny though how the world keeps its balance; Joe reported to heavy training on this day of days. Nine years ago I was a freshman in college, and now I'm living the military lifestyle as a spouse of an elite Army soldier. While I'm frustrated by it much of the time, I am also immensely proud. We actually had our ball last night, and they showed a video full of highlights from the wars, as well as a picture reel of the fallen from my husband's unit. It was tough to watch, and all I can really say is, "America, fuck yeah."

So yeah, I'm here for a week while Joe gets the hell beat out of him. Again. Ha. My unemployment/retirement freedom is slowly dawning on me. Hell, I could pack up and just leave for the week. Of course it would be a long ass drive to anywhere other than Mississippi...and I have the dogs...and we're desperately trying to save money this month. But just knowing that I could drop everything and get the hell out of here is more than refreshing.

Still, all I've done today is work on a puzzle, and it's been awesome. After Joe left this morning, I said the hell with it, and the pups and I had a lazy day. While college football was on almost every channel, and FB was full of people's statuses weighing in on the games, I chose to watch tennis instead. I watched the US Open: men's semi-finals held in NY. Nadal slammed his opponent in three sets, but his expected opponent for the finals, Fedderer, actually ended up losing to the Serb - Djovisomething in five sets. I could spell the name phonetically, but really, what do you care? Basically, Nadal is my new boyfriend, and as he spoke to the sports journalist post-match of his win, he, a Spaniard, took a minute out to recognize 9/11. In his broken English, he offered his support to the victims' families, and essentially upheld the "Never Forget" from an international perspective. It made me teary; Spain, fuck yeah.