Thank goodness that damn drive is over!

So the hubby and I finally made it to Louisiana after that unnecessarily long drive.  I swear, Texas is unnecessarily long.  Like come on, whoever thought it was a good idea to put THAT MUCH land into one state needs to be shot.  So here I am sitting in my mother in laws living room drinking a glass of wine while the sister in law and hubby are on the couch watching comedy central.  We've gotten a chance to see the majority of the family so we will pretty much the rest of the time home to ourselves without having to worry about scrambling to see everybody and then feeling guilty if we don't.


We celebrated Mother's Day with my mother in law today and doing something with the father in laws family tomorrow.  I can't get over how much of an amazing woman my mother in law is.  I have been extremely blessed with a family of in laws that completely accept me as one of there own and doesn't make it awkward or treat me like an outsider.  She has gone out of her way to make sure that I know how much she loves me and that she thinks of me no differently that she does my hubs or sis in law.  I didn't think it would be possible for me to consider someone to be as good to my as my own mother and even though I know that NO ONE will ever be able to replace the role that my mom played in my life, she comes in a very close second.


I hope I'm ok tomorrow but I guess we'll see how things go.

My patriotic post for 2011...sorta

So I was sitting in my living room watching season 1 of True Blood because I've been saying that I wanted to get into it but never wanted to pay the money to buy the seasons because as I've said before, well, I'm just cheap like that.  But low and behold, HBO on Demand has it so hello True Blood.  So the hubby and I were catching up on it when my phone and his went off at the same time.  It was a text from his best friend saying Bin Laden is dead.  Turn on CNN.  Well needless to say I didn't believe it and sure didn't want to turn off my show to look into it but the husband insisted.  Amazingly enough it was accurate.


Now I am just as excited that the monster that caused the mayhem that has killed hundreds of thousands of Americans to date has been brought to justice, I am slightly baffled.  I heard on the radio while bringing hubs to work this morning that some were taken aback by the sight on TV last night of people dancing outside of the white house chanting USA.  I think that is absolutely appropriate.  Countless families lost loved ones in 9/11 to an act of violence like none we have ever seen before and countless more have lost loved ones who have put their lives on the line fighting to protect our freedom and to do their very best to ensure that the United States NEVER has to suffer an attack of that magnitude, or any magnitude ever again.  So do I think that those people have the right to sing and dance and feel some sort of satisfaction in knowing that this monster is no longer a threat?  You can bet your ass I think they have that right.  Is dancing out in the street about it something that I would personally choose to do?  No its not but it also something that I wouldn't fault the families or loved ones for doing. 


However, with that being said, I couldn't understand how the majority of the group of people that were parading through the streets so to speak, were young college kids between the ages of what seemed to be 18-22.  Most of these kids weren't even in their teens when 9/11 occurred and unless they have family serving in the military or lost loved ones in the attacks, they couldn't have possibly understood the magnitude of what was going on or what had just happened.  It just seemed to me that these people were out there partying because it was "the cool thing to do" because everybody else was doing.  I'm all for being excited about being a part of history but it did seem slightly disrespectful because it seemed they were doing it just to do it.  


I am glad that the threat that he posed is gone but I don't think that this in any way will affect the war.  There are always plans in place to make sure that things keep moving if the 1st in command is killed.  There will be someone to pick up where he left off and this war will continue to go on.  Unfortunately that's the reality of the situation.  I definitely think that the people of America should sit down and have a beer for this one though.  It's definitely well deserved.

Family...Love em or wanna kill em?

So I took a little time off of the blog because Hubby and I were "getting back to us" so to speak.  We went on a marriage retreat provided and paid for by his unit.  I have to say that I thought it was going to be a waste of time and a bunch of views being shoved down your throat but it totally wasn't.  There were classes on learning how to communicate better and learning what kind of personality we were and why our personalities meshed so well together.  I got a lot more out of it than I ever expected to.  I mean we pretty much only originally went because it was 3 days off of work for him and it was a reason to get away for free.  HELL YEAH! It was up past LA in the mountains.  Almost by Big Bear.  No cell phone reception (which if you're wondering, for somebody that NEVER turns their off or pretty much goes anywhere without it, you can go through some SERIOUS withdrawals) but surprisingly enough I was ok without it.  It was a nice break from the outside world.  We went hiking and I seriously thought I was going to die.  Hiking up a mountain and down a trail marked "Dangerous, experienced hikers only" is not necessarily the best of ideas when you are out of shape and have gone hiking idk say like twice in your whole life.  I'm very happy to say that I was sad to have to come back to the real world and it was good to feel like Hubby and I were where we felt we needed to be relationship wise.  


We are leaving in a few days to go back to home for his post deployment leave and I must admit that I'm having mixed emotions about the whole thing.  I like going home don't get me wrong and I know that he is excited to see his family because for him it's been over a year.  However, when I left home after my stint there for Christmas, I didn't exactly leave on the greatest terms with a few people and I'm not exactly sure I want to go and deal with any of that.  I'm sure I'm going to get the backlash from my dad since I have made the decision to cut him out of my life.  He has spent the better part of the last 23 years making his bed and now it's time for him to lie in it.  I will no longer go out of my way to work on a relationship with a man who has picked and chosen to be there for me and a "dad" when it is convenient for him.  


I am looking forward to going to New Orleans.  I hope I can convince the girls to go.  It would be amazing to be able to take a couple of days and just let loose seeing as the three girls have never done that together.  MMMM...hurricanes and dirty midget strippers, how could that not be a good time?

been a little while

So my Aiya has safely arrived in Italy and is slowly but surely getting settled in.  I miss her though and I'm so sad that she has left me and that I'm going to miss out on so much going on with Brooklyn so she better email me pics like NONSTOP lol.  We miss you and eric, and mini-you!  I'm thinking a vaca to Italy is now definitely in the agenda.


Harrison is back from Afghanistan and things are better than they've been in a long time.  It's still taking some time to readjust to living together again.  It takes some getting used too but it's fun and annoying all at the same time.  You get so used to being in a certain routine and then they come home and screw it all up.  Lol.  I'm just glad that he's home and safe.


The mother in law told me yesterday that her and the new bf went engagement ring shopping last weekend which I think went pretty quick.  I mean they've only been together for a couple of months and as happy as I am for her I still think that went wayy to fast.  I mean I've only met him once and Hubby has never met him.  He seemed like a pretty cool guy and she is over the moon but you can't really get a good impression of someone when they are spending the majority of the time making out with your mother in law, which by the way, is something that nobody should be subjected too.  I mean no offense but that was like along the same lines as chinese water torture.  


I'm off to enjoy a beautiful Sunday with the other half and to tend to my baked apples cooking in the crockpot.  nom nom nom!

crazy cat/dog lady

Yep, that's what I'm turning into.  I realized this when I was standing in the kitchen holding a conversation with my cat while making lunch.  I guess it was bound to happen with all of the time that I've been spending by myself.


So I was reading an article online about this 11 year old girl in Texas that got gang raped by 18 men in her community ranging from ages 14-24.  First of all, how horrible for the poor girl.  I can't even imagine the years of therapy and the amount of damage that has done to her.  What is the world coming too?  But on top of all of that, there was a town meeting which pretty much turned into a lynching for the poor little girl.  Things were being said along the lines of she should have fought harder to get away and all of this bullshit.  I don't care how someone dresses, talks, or acts, NOBODY deserves to be brutally raped.  Shouldn't this town be focused on the fact that they have people in their precious community that are capable of committing this monstrous crime.  It makes my stomach turn.


I did my very first painting today.  See above.  Yeah it's not the greatest but its not that bad for being a first time painting.  I kinda like it.  It has personality.

LAZY SUNDAYS and stupid time changes!

So I completely spaced on the whole time change thing, that I am DEFINITELY not thrilled about!  I happen to like my extra hour of sleep thank you very much.  Although lately I haven't been able to take advantage of it because like clockwork, at 6 am, Spaz is scratching on the door of her kennel whining to get out which naturally starts my day off on the wrong foot because I just want to pull the covers over my head and go back to sleep because lets face it, that is way too damn early to be out of bed.


Last night I made the most ah-mazing (yes I had to space it out because thats how dramatically good it was) salmon and potatoes. mmmmmmmm I'm a piggy I know but thats ok.  I'm exercising so that cancels it out.  I keep looking at the clock wondering if it's ok to have lunch yet because I just keep thinking about how good it was.


I love Sunday mornings.  I'm sitting here vegging out on my couch taking a trip back to the 90's watching 90210.  And not like the "Valerie" days of 90210, but the Dillan, Kelley, Brenda love triangle 90210.  Real old school.  I watch and can't help but wonder what the hell they were thinking with those clothes.  I mean really?  I guess I shouldn't speak too quickly though because the more time goes on, the more we seem to be falling back into the styles of the 80's with mini skirts and ripped leggings with leather jackets, which by the way, let me be the first to say that some of the "styles" that are coming back, I wouldn't be caught dead in.  BARF!


I keep looking out the window in the kitchen and dreading finding someone to come cut the yard for fear that they will charge me my left kidney since it's been raining constantly here and now it looks like the clover monster has devoured my yard.  Please people, don't charge me an arm and a leg.  I'd like to not have to shank you with my rusty spoon.  Please and thank you !

I think I killed a lady bug....

I accidentally stepped on it when I was walking down my steps after checking the mail.  I hope she went to lady bug heaven.


So today was one of the worst days I've had in....a while.  It made me miss my Heather/Jess days.  I met Jess when I first moved on base.  She was the bubbly girl that was just so sweet and so polite that lived a couple of doors down.  I could give you this big drawn out story of how we became the best of friends, but the truth is I'd be lying.  I actually don't remember how the friendship grew to be as strong as it was.  I look back and I can't really remember not being friends with her.  I guess that's what instant connections are all about right?  She's been with me through some of the hardest parts of my life so far.  Held me through the tears and held my hand when my mom died and let me cry it out no matter what time it was or how random it was.  Ahhhh true friendship.  Anyway, none of this is the point.


We used to have Heather/Jess days.  (That's what we called them because we're nerdy like that)  We'd stay in pajamas and watch cartoon movies all morning long with her daughter Aubrey, and then as soon as aubrey went down for her nap it was time for what we liked to call "Mommy shows".  In other words all of the shows that she tivo'd for us that were not appropriate for Aubrey.  So there we were, hair ratty, eating our turkey and avocado sandwiches (because Jess makes the BEST turkey and avocado sandwiches!) making fun of each other and watching our mommy shows.  And it didn't matter what either one of us was dealing with at the time, for those couple of hours all was forgotten and everything was that much easier to deal with.  Yes.  I could have definitely used a Heather/Jess day.


But no, she upped and moved to Japan...pirate hooker!  (in the nicest sense of the words of course) I just really wanted my friend today....thank god for skype!

Gotta Keep Going.

So I've realized recently that no matter what happens to you or what life puts you through, you gotta keep pushing forward.  There's that saying of there's a reason that the people in your past didn't make it to your future.  Eventually, as much as it may hurt, you have to cut the people who are bringing you down out of your life because if you don't they are going to continue to do just that.  I'm trying my best to continue to look towards the future and not to think about those who are in my past because obviously if they are there, it's for a reason.

pugs...and cat poop?

Well hello all and welcome to my crazy life!  This is my first entry and hopefully there are many more to come.  I felt like with my hubby always being gone, (he's a marine and gone all the time but I love the big nerd.  What can I say?)  I felt like I needed something for myself to keep me sane in all of these long spells without him.  


So after getting back from dropping a friend off at a airport, I got home and checked the house to make sure that spaz the pug (oh yes, her name suits her perfectly) hadn't used to bathroom in the house because in my insane made dash out the door this morning because as usual, I was running late, I didn't put her in her kennel.  After realizing that all was in order, I sat down on the couch to have some much needed computer time to catch up on reading some blogs when I start to smell this horrible stench.  I look around to make sure that I didn't miss a corner when I was checking on her potty status when she turns around and runs away from me. hmmm...something isn't right here.  


So there she is hiding in the corner with a piece of CAT POOP in her mouth!!!  OH MY GOD!  Who does that.  I gagged and almost lost it right there in the hallway.  I just don't understand what possesses her to do these things??  What could go on in her little pug brain that would think Oreo's poop would be a good snack.  I don't get her weird little fetishes.  She has a thing about the cat poop, LOVES chewing on my hair pins (I mean doesn't that hurt?) and is obsessed with dirty panties.  That's just weird.  She will  be sneaky and wait until I'm in the shower and take my panties out of the hamper and run away with them.  I was cleaning under my bed during the week, doing last minute cleanup before the hubby gets back from Afghanistan when I find a little panty cave that she has created under the bed.  Seriously! Who does that????  But I can't help but love that cute little smashed in face!  

She's my baby even if the hubby says she's ugly!