Lately

Lately we (mostly Brian) have continued battling with the boat. It is currently without an engine and awaiting the new one that is hanging out in the bed of Brian's truck right now. We officially have more money invested in the boat than it will ever be worth. At least it should be back up and running before summer is over. Then we need to use it constantly to get our money's worth!

Lately I have been obsessing over moving. Since we were the last people to move into our house (out of those affected by the demolition), we will be the last people moving to the new place. Yay! Not. We should supposedly be moved by this time next month. I'm hoping for a phone call by the end of July to set up a viewing appointment at our new house.

Lately we've been talking about the future of Brian's Army career. We're committed through the end of 2015 and once planned on spending the bulk of that time (if not all of it) here at Fort Sill. Now that we've been here a few months, it's starting to look like it wasn't the best idea as far as Brian's career goes. We both love the city/area (especially me) and it's amazing being so close to home and family, but the reality is that we might be looking to get out of here sooner than anticipated.

Lately I've been watching Breaking Bad on Netflix. I have heard/read only good things about this show and finally checked it out yesterday. Now I'm halfway through season 2. Yeah...I don't waste any time, do I?

Lately I've been reading Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking. I've always known I was an introvert. I've always known I tended to be shy and anxious in social situations. I've always known I prefer quiet time at home with a good book to a rowdy time out on the town. I knew all of these things, but I also always thought that I should be different: outgoing, confident, talkative. I'm only about a quarter of the way through the book and it has already given such a voice to who I am. I highly recommend the book to everyone - extroverts and introverts alike.

Lately I have been getting up before 7 to walk. I had fallen so far off the exercise bandwagon until a couple weeks ago. I know walking two miles every morning isn't a lot, but it's still something. It's weird being up and out that early though. Unbeknownst to me, Army folk like to do PT around my neighborhood. I pass quite a few of them every morning. The sad part? I walk faster than probably a third of them.

Lately I have been counting calories. I've lost 4ish pounds since I started a couple weeks ago. I don't count every single day, but most days I do. I needed to do something before it got away from me and became a bigger problem. I was pushing a certain number on the scale that I will not allow myself to cross. I'm almost to my hit-this-number-and-you-can-drink-a-root-beer weight. Doesn't everyone promise themselves root beer at a certain weight??

Lately I have been working on making old thrift store bed sheets into a rug. When I purchased and ripped the sheets I wanted to make a big ole rug for my big ole kitchen. Buuuuut I won't be using this kitchen for very much longer. Now I'm just making a rug with no real purpose in mind. The new digs are carpet-less on the first floor, so I'm assuming I'll use it down there somewhere. I'll wait and see how big the thing ends up (I have a lot of sheet strips....) and where it looks best.

And...lately I have sucked at blogging. Sorry bout that. I'm gonna get back to Breaking Bad now. Have a good weekend, y'all!

A Few Things

1. I had a dream that I was pregnant last night. Brian has taken to joking with me about having a baby. He thinks it's hilarious when I smack him and tell him to shut up. So, I'm thinking either my subconscious is trying to tell me my biological clock is ticking OR all of Brian's joking has lodged in my brain and manifested itself in a dream. I'm not sure which I believe more.
2. I'm power-reading a young adult novel this morning. Why can I always read teen fiction at lightning speed? Wanna know what I'm reading? Go here!
3. My parents arrive a week from today. They are helping us move some big stuff into storage and are also towing one of our cars back to TX. I'm really excited to see them and have them visit one more time, but by the time they arrive we'll be a  week closer to d-day (deployment-day).
4. The Texas Rangers beat the Tampa Bay Rays last night to advance to the ALCS versus my beloved Yankees. My facebook wall has been lit up with pro-Ranger statuses from all my TX friends. If (and that's a big if...) the Rangers can get past the Yankees to the World Series, then they'll have my support. Until then...GO YANKEES! :)
5. I had to pick up a bunch of stuff for Brian yesterday at the PX and Military Clothing. Every time I go into MC without Brian, I get funny looks. Yes, I know I am not in the Army. Yes, I know nothing in there is for me. I'm just running errands, people! Packing lists MUST be completed!
6. Yesterday, instead of packing, I made breadsticks from scratch. My priorities are totally in order.

Ten Things

1. Our new food court opened yesterday. One word: LOVE.


2. I got coffee at Starbucks tonight. I don't drink coffee. I rarely go to Starbucks. But it was there and it was new and it was calling my name.


3. My in-laws are coming to town this weekend. I really need to clean, but I keep putting it off. I've known these people for almost 4 years and I still don't feel totally comfortable around them. Please tell me I'm not alone in feeling this way.


4. Anyone watching American Idol? I'm rooting for Lee DeWyze.


5. Glee and Vampire Diaries: my guilty pleasures every week.


6. I feel so sorry for poor little 5 year olds that still haven't learned their letters and numbers.


7. I just realized that I only have a couple weeks before Brian takes off for some school somewhere. I'll be here alone for most of it. Boo!


8. Still SO excited about Disney World.


9. I need book recommendations. I'm halfway through the last book I have on hand to read. A library excursion might be in order before week's end. Let me know if you've read any good books lately! (Hopefully I can find them at my sorta sad library.)


10. April is flying by.

Melancholy

I like that word.


I'm having a melancholy night.


I finished Dear John tonight. It's been over 3 years since I first read it. Many of the details had become fuzzy in my memory, but I had a feeling that it wouldn't end happily ever after. I like happily ever after. I'm a total sucker for it. Books and movies are always better, in my opinion, if it ends the way I want it to. I don't like crying. I don't like being reminded of how fragile life is, of how the choices we make affect everything, of how things sometimes don't work out how we would have liked.


Not only does Dear John leave me a little weepy, but it's all about the freakin' Army. When it came out in 2006, Brian and I were a very new couple. We did not become a military family until 2007, so when I first read this book, I appreciated the military aspect, but not like I do now.


I know deployment #2 is coming this year. Hell, we're about to be apart for a month with little to no communication while he's off training in high altitude. Where did the last year go? I totally took it for granted.


I think a combination of finishing the book and a couple sad songs I've been obsessed with have gotten me down a tad.


I really did have a good day today. I just want to work on living each day and stop looking ahead all the time. I feel like I'm missing things.

The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

The Good:

• I went to the library this morning. I've had a stockpile of books for months, so I hadn't needed to visit the library in some time. I love libraries. I love books. I got a couple books for me and a few books for the kids at work.
• Our oven is fixed! It needed a new heating element (like I thought) and should be good as new now. Yay!
• I was in and out of Walmart in less than 30 minutes. And it was only moderately crowded!

The Bad:

• I had to stand around at the self-checkout at Walmart waiting for someone to retrieve my $1 off coupon from the coupon slot because the woman manning the self-checkouts stuck it in there even thought it had not given me the $1 credit. If you're over-seeing the self-checkout lines, you should know how they work. Just sayin'.
• The roads around here. Ugh.
• Tail-gaters. I can - and will - slow down if I can't see your headlights in my rear view mirror.

The Ugly:

• Almost everyone in Walmart.
• The Miley Cyrus clothes being sold at Walmart. (They were on the aisle...I promise I did not seek them out!)

Insert Witty Title Here

I got on here to write some rambling nonsense and noticed I have 3 new followers.


Hello new followers!! Welcome to my crazy little corner.


I'm not sure what makes any of you read what I write, but you do. Thank you.


Brian has been working non-stop and it's starting to get to me a little bit. It's gotten to the point that I'm lucky if I see him after PT in the morning. He definitely can't get home for lunch anymore. If he gets home before 7PM, I'm doing a little dance for joy! Where is he right now? In the middle of the afternoon on a Saturday? Working.


I finally got our claim in for our water damaged furniture. We'll be making $340 after the deductible. Now I just need to figure out the best way to clean/kill the mold growing on my less-than-a-year-old furniture. Oh, did I fail to mention the mold? Yeah. We have mold. I'm pretty sure it's salvageable. Well at least I think I can make it work until we move.


I broke down and ordered a dehumidifier today from Amazon. There are still some damp spots in the carpet. Plus, who am I kidding? It's Louisiana. It's always humid. The house could probably benefit from some dehumidifying.


Know what else I ordered? The entire Harry Potter book set. It just seemed like something I should have in my book collection.


I'm still getting back into the groove of work. I sure didn't want to get out of bed this week, but most of the students I work with make it worth it. One of them made me a card. It had a bunch of random letters inside. When I asked him what it said he looked at me like I was stupid and said, "I can't read!" Totally made my day.


Well, I gotta get off the couch and into the kitchen. I'm making dinner tonight without help from my oven which is broken. I'm starting to think this house is trying to kick us out. Oh well, we're stuck here for a while longer. Happy weekend everyone! :)

love Love LOVE it!!

I read it in 25 hours. Of course I did other things in there too, but I have never read a book of this length in that short amount of time. There are currently 4 books in the series and I have asked for the box set for Christmas.

Oh, I can't wait for the movie either.

S.

Lots of new things today

It is the last day of September. This means that tomorrow is pay day. October means that it will really start to feel like fall. October also means I am officially 2 months away from getting our house in Louisiana. Everytime a month ends and another one begins I am amazed at how quickly the month went by. I remember the beginning of 2008 (the year without Brian) and almost in the blink of an eye it is now the eve of October. Before I know it it will be Halloween and then it will be Thanksgiving and the one year anniversary of Brian leaving and then it will be Christmas and moving day and then 2008 will end. Wow.

Ironman came out today. I bought it. Brian and I saw it while he was home and we both really liked it so obviously it needed to be added to our collection. I watched it with Dad tonight and he liked it as well. I like how I have never read a comic book but I like all the comic book movies. Weird.

I also bought Nicholas Sparks' new book today (The Lucky One). I almost didn't because hardcover books are relatively expensive (it was more than Ironman), but I have every other book he's written and most of them are hardcover. I'll just add it to my stack of books to read and get to it eventually. The story sounds really interesting according to the book jacket. I'm sure I'll let you know when I get to it.

Know what else I picked up today? NKOTB Greatest Hits!! I haven't gotten a chance to listen to it all yet, but I will in the very near future.

I heard from Brian this morning. I'm not really sure what we talked about. I know he apologized for not talking to me everyday. Sometimes he's quite the sweetie. He also said he liked knowing that I got out and did things from time to time and that I wasn't sitting around waiting for him to get on the computer. The truth is, I go stir crazy if I'm here all day everyday. I have to get out. Sadly, the "getting out" I am referring to is either the gym or buying things. No, I don't have a shopping problem. I just need things from time to time or I need to pick things up for Mom which she then pays me back for. I'm actually out of errands for now so I have no plans for tomorrow. Maybe I can just plan on sleeping past 8:30.

Tiny got in a fight with a neighborhood dog tonight. I didn't walk with Mom tonight because Dad and I were watching Ironman, but Keith went with her. Apparently they ran into the medium sized black dog that lives at the corner of Fairway Oaks Blvd and Woodlake. Tiny won. There wasn't any blood. I kinda wish I coulda seen it. Keith says that Tiny had the other dogs head in his mouth and was pushing it down. I guess I can trust Tiny to defend my honor from now on. Ha! Be proud, Brian.

Alright, it's time to watch House and Greek that I taped from earlier. Goodnight!

S.

My latest complaint:

Is that I feel lethargic, headachey, and sorta out of it. I've felt like this for at least the last few days if not longer. I'm not really sure what is wrong with me. Perhaps all the gymming I've been doing is wearing me out. Perhaps I am mildly depressed that I'm all alone again -- and for almost 9 months this time. Perhaps I need to find a job or a hobby or something to wake up for. Perhaps I haven't been sleeping well although I don't know it. Perhaps I have been sleeping too much. Perhaps the heat is getting to me (it was like 102 today). I don't know but I've been taking more ibuprofen than I like to. Sometimes, though, I go through spells where I have headaches and feel crappy and then it will pass. Maybe that is all this is.



I generally find summer in Texas to be unbearable through most of the day. The heat just takes the life right out of you. Plus, I sunburn after about 4 minutes so lounging and swimming become rather painful after awhile. Anyway, I have found that my favorite time of day during the summer here is between 8 and 9 o'clock. The sun has set behind the trees by then, but is still up enough for it to be light outside. I love going in the backyard, posting up in one of the lounge chairs with my latest read and relaxing. It is one of the highlights of my day.



Speaking of the heat: I had been having a problem with the temperature of my room. My room is rather large and I am in here the majority of the day and Tiny sleeps here at night. We both put off a considerable amount of body heat. Well, this room only has one tiny vent for the a/c. I know this room was never intended to be anything more than an extra living space plus guest bedroom. I'm sure if that was truly the case than the one vent would be plenty, but I ruined their (the parents') plans and crashed their lovely guest room. There is a ceiling fan, but it really only moves the air over the seating area. My bed? Not so much. There were a few days where I'd go to sleep around 12 and wake up around 3:30 needing to pee and I'd find my upper back and neck were soaking wet with sweat. And to top it all off, after I'd go to the bathroom, my pillow would be cold from the a/c cooling the sweat that had soaked into my pillow. Gross gross gross! Well, Daddy-o got my lovely stand fan from my old house out of the garage so I can have double fan duty. I am pleased to report that last night, I did not sweat. Yay!



Tomorrow I am getting my hair trimmed. I always know it is time when I can put my hair in a ponytail and most of my bangs reach the elastic. I need to remember my checkbook.



I am reading that (==>) book right now. I had seen the previews for the movie and wanted to see it. (Partly because the main character is Jude from Across the Universe.) I was looking through books at the BX and saw this one. It was only $6 so I figured why not. You never waste money on books -- especially when they're under $10. I thought Brian might like it too. I'm going to read it and then pass it along to him in some care package. I know he usually goes for more suspense/action/fantasy books, but maybe he'd like something about super geniuses counting cards and winning millions.


Well, I sat down at the computer around 10 o'clock not knowing how I was going to pass the time tonight and here I am staring at a clock that says "11:13". I guess time goes by faster than I thought. Maybe I'll get to bed soon and wake myself up early-ish tomorrow. Perhaps that could get rid of this ugh feeling I've been having.

Goodnight.

S.

Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving break has finally arrived for me. Well, I still have to proofread and turn in (via email) the first draft of my 10+ page research paper. It's written though - that's all I care about right now. I've been working on it for two days - and that's only the writing part. I've also been reading like crazy so I'd have something to say. I turned in my Neuro. take-home test today. I still have things I need to do, even over T-giving, but in 24 hours I'll be in the same city as my husband. It will be bittersweet because it's the last time I'll see him before he ships overseas, but I'm ready to see him.

I need to pack. I've made a make-shift packing list but I'm thinking I've left things off. I'll probably put packing off until the morning. I never can pack very well the night before. I don't like packing half my stuff but not the stuff I'll need in the morning. It just throws me all off.

I do need to shower though. I should have last night or this morning, but, well, I'm a lazy bastard. Plus, I needed new razor blades from Wal-Mart which I just got like 30 minutes ago. I needed to make sure my hairy legs were less hairy for Brian!

I can't believe how fast Christmas is approaching. I have so many people to buy gifts for! I'm poor which makes that a little bit difficult. It sucks that graduation is a mere 10 days before Christmas. I know I probably won't get any shopping done before then.

I just ate some chicken nuggets and yogurt from Wendy's. Well, there was a drip of yogurt on the outside of the container that I thought I had dripped there. Well, no, I have no dripped it there. It was congealed and now I'm having visions of salmonella or something. I'm sure it was refrigerated so it was probably just congealed from the cold, but it was gross nonetheless. EW!

My dad's been working on my house non-stop lately. He's been scraping, sanding, priming, and painting outside. Today he took the wall heater out that's been disconnected for 3 years. Apparently my house was quite the buffet for termites at one point. The wall with the heater was held up by paper studs basically thanks to little termite mouths. I guess when I come home from LA I'll have a new wall in my living room/front room. I feel bad for everything that dad is doing. He's really amazing how he can do so much on his own. Maybe he can teach Brian.

I finished my latest Nicholas Sparks book today. As usual it made you believe in a great love that transcends time and circumstance. You know how girls expect so much because of romantic comedy movies? Well, add Nicholas Sparks to that list of unattainable loves. These people have whirlwind romances, endure tragedy, and love each other even more in the end. It really reminded me of the Notebook. Maybe he figured he'd re-work some of the details and get another big hit out of it. It'll probably be a movie before too long. It definitely had me hooked at the end. I was almost late for class cause I was reading it.

Ok, this is long enough. Maybe I'll proofread or maybe I'll shower. It's a toss up.

Louisiana here I come.

S.