So, we had to submit our preferences last week for where we'd like to live next. Thanks to all of you who voted in the poll! Our preferences may not have matched up exactly to the voting, but it was neat to see what people were thinking. I've listed our ranking below along with our reasoning for doing so. Drum roll please....
1. East Coast! Our first choice is to stay out here in the East. Really, it boiled down to being near Tommy's family. If we can't live in Iowa near my family, at least we can live near Tommy's, and lots of things have happened recently that reinforce the importance of family to us. I can't tell you how nice it is to be close by for holidays, and it's so nice for Wyatt to be able to have a relationship with his grandparents.
2. Overseas! Although this is our second choice, we still have a really good shot at getting stationed overseas. Tommy is especially excited about the possibility of living abroad. Me... not so much... I think I will really, really miss our family if we went overseas. But my justification for placing this #2 was more along the lines of, when he gets deployed, it may be that he will be on a ship of some kind if we are stationed overseas, as opposed to going to the desert and getting shot at. Although that is also a distinct possibility as well.
3. Hawaii! Hawaii would be fun...for awhile... but then you are stuck on this big expensive island for 3 years. Yes, Okinawa is also on an island, but if I'm going to be stuck on one, I'd rather have the experience of living in another culture. So that's why we placed Overseas higher than Hawaii.
(Oh! I should add here that they gave us bum scoop early on when they said Hawaii would be classified with Overseas. It's not, so we had to actually rank 4 choices instead of the 3 that were on the poll.)
4. West Coast. As much as I'd like to stay on the continental U.S., going back to Cali is not that appealing. While it's sunny and great, there's a lot of traffic, it's expensive, and we've already been there, done that. Tommy was already stationed there and we'd like to try something new!
Well, that's it. Now we sit... and wait... for about 6-8 weeks, while they figure out our fate! Stay tuned. I'll keep you posted!
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Sunday, January 11, 2009
You Know It's a Good Trip To the Commissary When...
1. The M.P. (military police) follows you the entire way to the commissary.
2. You hear a 60 year-old woman talking loudly on her cell phone about the 17 year-old girl at her work who "laid down in bed with so-and-so and got pregnant" in one breath, then complaining about how so-and-so #2 needs to "mind her own business." Obviously!
3. The shelves have food on them.
4. They got in a shipment of Boston Lettuce! Except they are all wilted.
5. Upon checkout, your cashier exclaims loudly, "oh my GOD!" and promptly leaves with no explanation.
6. Upon said cashier's return 3-4 minutes later, a seemingly unrelated bickering match ensues between cashier, her two baggers, the cashier one lane over, and her two baggers. You are remiss as to what is actually going on, and they stop bickering only long enough to ask, "paper or plastic?" before resuming bickering again.
7. The MP follows you the entire way home from the commissary. Do I look like I need a personal escort?!?!
2. You hear a 60 year-old woman talking loudly on her cell phone about the 17 year-old girl at her work who "laid down in bed with so-and-so and got pregnant" in one breath, then complaining about how so-and-so #2 needs to "mind her own business." Obviously!
3. The shelves have food on them.
4. They got in a shipment of Boston Lettuce! Except they are all wilted.
5. Upon checkout, your cashier exclaims loudly, "oh my GOD!" and promptly leaves with no explanation.
6. Upon said cashier's return 3-4 minutes later, a seemingly unrelated bickering match ensues between cashier, her two baggers, the cashier one lane over, and her two baggers. You are remiss as to what is actually going on, and they stop bickering only long enough to ask, "paper or plastic?" before resuming bickering again.
7. The MP follows you the entire way home from the commissary. Do I look like I need a personal escort?!?!
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
The Gift of Time
We have been so blessed this year, I wanted to take a few minutes to focus on the good this holiday season. The past two and a half weeks have been yet another gift - the gift of time - in what has proven to be a great year for our family. It is amazing what two weeks of rest, relaxation, family and friends can do for you without the stress of work or other commitments. We enjoyed every minute of it!
We spent the first few days just doing things as our mini-family – finishing shopping, cleaning, and preparing for our holiday guests and festivities. We had time to reconnect as a family unit after being so disjointed the past two months. I got a massage, Tommy slept, Wyatt played, and life was all good.
Then the holiday fun began! My parents arrived very late (almost midnight) on the 23rd, and the next day we hosted Christmas Eve at our home for 16 people! I thoroughly enjoyed having both Tommy’s family and my parents together, and Wyatt was in his Glory with so many Grandma’s to go around!! Watching the kids open gifts was a treasure. Tommy’s younger cousins were there and they were so excited that we remembered gifts for them – their expressions and gratitude were purely priceless.
The calm came on Christmas Day, when we had a quiet holiday all to ourselves. Seeing the wonder and excitement in Wyatt’s eyes was so much fun for me. It’s what having kids is all about! He was quite intent on pausing to play with each and every toy as he opened gifts, so we made it an all-day affair. We paused between presents to play a game of Wii, drink a Bloody Mary, and just… be. Later, after Wyatt went to bed, we cooked live lobster and opened a bottle of wine.
The next few days were filled with more family time: a trip to Richmond to attend Christmas festivities for my mother-in-law’s side of the family and time spent at his dad’s acreage, a visit to the National Marine Corps Museum, more seafood, and more wine. My parents left on New Year’s Eve after a wonderful week with us, and Grandma Cathy got to babysit Wyatt while we went to a Murder Mystery Party. I even solved the murder!
We also found time to celebrate our friend’s birthday, watch NetFlix, and take Wyatt to an indoor playground full of equipment and inflatables. We ate, we drank, and we were merry. And we had time to just breathe.
We spent the first few days just doing things as our mini-family – finishing shopping, cleaning, and preparing for our holiday guests and festivities. We had time to reconnect as a family unit after being so disjointed the past two months. I got a massage, Tommy slept, Wyatt played, and life was all good.
Then the holiday fun began! My parents arrived very late (almost midnight) on the 23rd, and the next day we hosted Christmas Eve at our home for 16 people! I thoroughly enjoyed having both Tommy’s family and my parents together, and Wyatt was in his Glory with so many Grandma’s to go around!! Watching the kids open gifts was a treasure. Tommy’s younger cousins were there and they were so excited that we remembered gifts for them – their expressions and gratitude were purely priceless.
The calm came on Christmas Day, when we had a quiet holiday all to ourselves. Seeing the wonder and excitement in Wyatt’s eyes was so much fun for me. It’s what having kids is all about! He was quite intent on pausing to play with each and every toy as he opened gifts, so we made it an all-day affair. We paused between presents to play a game of Wii, drink a Bloody Mary, and just… be. Later, after Wyatt went to bed, we cooked live lobster and opened a bottle of wine.
The next few days were filled with more family time: a trip to Richmond to attend Christmas festivities for my mother-in-law’s side of the family and time spent at his dad’s acreage, a visit to the National Marine Corps Museum, more seafood, and more wine. My parents left on New Year’s Eve after a wonderful week with us, and Grandma Cathy got to babysit Wyatt while we went to a Murder Mystery Party. I even solved the murder!
We also found time to celebrate our friend’s birthday, watch NetFlix, and take Wyatt to an indoor playground full of equipment and inflatables. We ate, we drank, and we were merry. And we had time to just breathe.
Sunday, January 4, 2009
People Suck.
First, my apologies for not blogging sooner. I've had a bit of writer's block, and honestly, not very many good stories to share! We've had a fun and busy couple of weeks with family and friends - it has been wonderful!
Never fear, however. There was this one slightly weird thing that happened to us. But before I get into all that, let me preface this story by asking you to check out this link. It will better help you understand WHY people suck, and the mindset I was in when this scenario occurred. Make sure you click through all 11 of the stories. They're pretty horrible: http://news.aol.com/main/2008-year-end/article/most-shocking-stories-of-2008/287283
Okay, on with the story. So we had all piled into the Highlander (Wyatt, Tommy, me, and my parents) and gone to run a few errands off base. Right next to the base is an Exxon gas station. Tommy was all excited to get gas there so we could get the 12 cents Upromise gives us towards Wyatt's college fund. Of course - who wouldn't be excited?
So we roll up and Tommy starts pumping the gas and cleaning the windshield with those squeegee things they have - you know, the ones that never actually have water in them? Or the water is so dirty the windows would have been cleaner had you not even bothered?
I digress. So he's doing his thing, Wyatt is singing along with his annoying Elmo DVD for the 5th straight time, and I have a headache. Then I see this lady - about 50-something - roll up in her Caddy. As in, expensive-as-all-get-out, somebody-pimped-my-ride Cadillac Sport Utility Vehicle. Then she pulls up next to Tommy and starts talking to him. Okay, she's asking directions. No big deal. Then she takes his hand in hers(!) and, looking ever-so-sad, attempts -unsuccessfully - to squeeze out a tear. I mean, I think she actually stopped and blinked to try to get the water works flowing. And at this point I know EXACTLY what is going on. I just knew, with every ounce of my being, that she was asking for money. And she was. And here's where I got very, very nervous.
For those of you who don't know my husband very well, he has a heart of gold. But he can't say no to ANYTHING. This includes those deals in the grocery store that are "10 for $10" and he buys all 10 pizzas because he thinks it's a good deal, even though they won't fit in our freezer. It includes all door-to-door sales (we now have a series of children's books and unlimited oil changes...) as well as TV infomercials (we own 3 Ab-busters!). He's that guy who buys the upgraded warranty plan, and he ordered bread braids from some girl in our neighborhood one week before we left Iowa even though he knew we wouldn't be there to receive them! This is part of what I love about him so much, but it is very dangerous - it's as if he has a big old SUCKER tattoo right across his forehead!
So there was, at this point, a big old "DANGER! DANGER!" sign flashing in my brain. Apparently, the woman only had $37.50 in her bank account, and her mother was in dire need of medicine that costs $199. She needed money for her mother's medication and to get her through to the next paycheck. She even had to borrow her neighbor's car that day. Could Tommy please spare the extra money she needed to help her dying mother survive?
My eye roll was big enough that my eyeballs ALMOST popped out of my head. But just as I was about to get out of the car to intervene, she let go of his hand. Little Miss Thang pulled away, circled the Exxon, and hit up some other poor soul just trying to get on with her day. I couldn't believe it. He said no! I was so proud of him!!! Mu hubby is all grown up!
I have no idea what this was all about. Drugs? Debt? An actual real-life dying woman? It occurred to me for about 6 seconds that this woman might actually be telling the truth. And then it occurred to me that she could have easily sold those big-a** gold rings on her fingers to pay for the medication herself. I don't know. What I do know is, people suck. Maybe it's a coincidence that this woman was hitting up people at the gas station right next to base. A base full of Marines, all of whom are so selfless they give up their evenings, weekends, holidays with their families - and oh yeah, their LIVES - for me, you, our country, and this woman in the Cadillac scamming for money. And you can bet your bottom dollar that woman hit payday that day. Probably from some PFC or 2nd Lt. who gave her the last of his gas money. Merry Christmas, lady. You suck!
Never fear, however. There was this one slightly weird thing that happened to us. But before I get into all that, let me preface this story by asking you to check out this link. It will better help you understand WHY people suck, and the mindset I was in when this scenario occurred. Make sure you click through all 11 of the stories. They're pretty horrible: http://news.aol.com/main/2008-year-end/article/most-shocking-stories-of-2008/287283
Okay, on with the story. So we had all piled into the Highlander (Wyatt, Tommy, me, and my parents) and gone to run a few errands off base. Right next to the base is an Exxon gas station. Tommy was all excited to get gas there so we could get the 12 cents Upromise gives us towards Wyatt's college fund. Of course - who wouldn't be excited?
So we roll up and Tommy starts pumping the gas and cleaning the windshield with those squeegee things they have - you know, the ones that never actually have water in them? Or the water is so dirty the windows would have been cleaner had you not even bothered?
I digress. So he's doing his thing, Wyatt is singing along with his annoying Elmo DVD for the 5th straight time, and I have a headache. Then I see this lady - about 50-something - roll up in her Caddy. As in, expensive-as-all-get-out, somebody-pimped-my-ride Cadillac Sport Utility Vehicle. Then she pulls up next to Tommy and starts talking to him. Okay, she's asking directions. No big deal. Then she takes his hand in hers(!) and, looking ever-so-sad, attempts -unsuccessfully - to squeeze out a tear. I mean, I think she actually stopped and blinked to try to get the water works flowing. And at this point I know EXACTLY what is going on. I just knew, with every ounce of my being, that she was asking for money. And she was. And here's where I got very, very nervous.
For those of you who don't know my husband very well, he has a heart of gold. But he can't say no to ANYTHING. This includes those deals in the grocery store that are "10 for $10" and he buys all 10 pizzas because he thinks it's a good deal, even though they won't fit in our freezer. It includes all door-to-door sales (we now have a series of children's books and unlimited oil changes...) as well as TV infomercials (we own 3 Ab-busters!). He's that guy who buys the upgraded warranty plan, and he ordered bread braids from some girl in our neighborhood one week before we left Iowa even though he knew we wouldn't be there to receive them! This is part of what I love about him so much, but it is very dangerous - it's as if he has a big old SUCKER tattoo right across his forehead!
So there was, at this point, a big old "DANGER! DANGER!" sign flashing in my brain. Apparently, the woman only had $37.50 in her bank account, and her mother was in dire need of medicine that costs $199. She needed money for her mother's medication and to get her through to the next paycheck. She even had to borrow her neighbor's car that day. Could Tommy please spare the extra money she needed to help her dying mother survive?
My eye roll was big enough that my eyeballs ALMOST popped out of my head. But just as I was about to get out of the car to intervene, she let go of his hand. Little Miss Thang pulled away, circled the Exxon, and hit up some other poor soul just trying to get on with her day. I couldn't believe it. He said no! I was so proud of him!!! Mu hubby is all grown up!
I have no idea what this was all about. Drugs? Debt? An actual real-life dying woman? It occurred to me for about 6 seconds that this woman might actually be telling the truth. And then it occurred to me that she could have easily sold those big-a** gold rings on her fingers to pay for the medication herself. I don't know. What I do know is, people suck. Maybe it's a coincidence that this woman was hitting up people at the gas station right next to base. A base full of Marines, all of whom are so selfless they give up their evenings, weekends, holidays with their families - and oh yeah, their LIVES - for me, you, our country, and this woman in the Cadillac scamming for money. And you can bet your bottom dollar that woman hit payday that day. Probably from some PFC or 2nd Lt. who gave her the last of his gas money. Merry Christmas, lady. You suck!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)