Cav Wife in Colorado

Superbowl Party!

2009-02-02T06:53:00.003-07:00

No, I did not have one. I watched the Puppy Bowl on Animal Planet, and maybe watched ~30 minutes of the actual human game. I'm talking about Todd. It had been a busy last several days with the elections going on in Iraq, so when I found out that they'd be able to watch the Superbowl, I was really happy for Todd--most weekends during football season in this house are spent on the couch watching games with some beers and a lot of food. Then I found out even better news for him! Each guy was allowed two beers to drink during the game! I'm pretty sure this is not the Iraq it was 5 years ago.

Todd sent me a couple pictures early this morning, so I figured I'd get them up before heading out for the day.

I cannot wait to see him!!! And yes, he's taken up smoking cigars.

With some of the guys in his platoon.

I'm really happy that they got a few hours of normalcy after a really busy and no doubt stressful week. Also, note that some people are holding Heiniken and Guiness...and Todd is holding Miller Lite in that first picture. Bringing a little bit of home on the Southside to Iraq. =)

Plethora of updates

2009-01-24T18:43:00.004-07:00

I'm not really sure how many people read my blog, but since it's been so very long since I've posted, I figured I'd update about my goings on since before Christmas. Here is the last month of my life in a large nutshell...

Internship: I started! I'm two weeks in and really loving it. I mostly work under two therapists, and they're both really great at what they do. They're good at it in different ways, which is really helping me figure out what kind of therapist I want to be. They're also both willing to take the time to teach me, which I definitely appreciate. I'm basically working 30ish hours a week (unpaid boooooo), and I feel like I'm running around the whole time. Some days are less full than others, but my life as an intern will never be mellow. Another perk is that I get to dress up everyday. I love dressing up. So far everything is going well, so I can't help but be optimistic about the rest of the semester.

Paulie:

Paulie is his usual crazy self, as you can see. We're trying to get back to normal after being in Chicago for two weeks. He is the type of dog that really needs consistency and routine in his day, so traveling is hard for him. He is having yet another bout of diahrrea, so I finally decided to try a new vet. They found a gas causing bacteria in his GI tract, and think he probably has a food allergy. He is on Rx food right now to get rid of allergens, plus on a med to get rid of the nasty bacteria. He seems to be intolerant of beef, turkey, and chicken, and possibly some grains. Next stop: herring and sweet potato food! Paulie is so high maintenance, but he is like my child, so I'll do anything so that he's healthy.

Todd: He is still doing well, and has settled into his new FOB. He'll be home quite soon for his 15 days of R&R, and I'm really starting to get excited. I can't say exactly when he'll be here (1. because we're not exactly sure, and 2. because I'm not allowed to post timelines on the interwebs), but let's just say when I made my next hair appointment I thought, "Oh my gosh, he could be home days from then!" I smiled so big that the desk girl at Veda probably thought I was crazy. Whatev.

Diet: I am currently (as in, at this very moment) wearing jeans that I couldn't even pull over my ass when Todd left. I am so freaking excited. I'm doing a 10 day detox cleanse dealie (not one where you can't eat solid food--I'd die on one of those), and it's really making me consider a lower carb lifestyle. By no means do I mean no carbs ever. I'm not about to go all crazy Atkins over here. However, I'm realizing that my head wants carbs, but my body actually doesn't. I feel better and I look better. It's a win/win. Although I really can't wait to drink wine again. I love wine.

And that's it! I'm hoping to post more regularly again, but who knows. When I come home at night all I want to do is lay on the couch and let TV turn my brain to mush.

Updates from Iraq

2008-12-12T08:50:00.004-07:00

Todd is doing just fine. He enjoys taking naps, working out everyday, watching TV show seasons, and occasionally going on missions in towns near where is located. Here are a few pictures for your viewing pleasure.

Out and about.

His room in Kuwait. I think he has an actual room by himself now.

A cigar for his birthday!

With his platoon sgt, Ryan.

Oh, and the 100 cupcakes that we sent for Christmas got there just fine. Except for the fact that they were moldy! =( I have promised that there will be no moldy food for Valentines Day.

9 more days!

2008-12-10T19:15:00.003-07:00

I don't really have anything new to report, other than that I'm sick again, this time with a bad cold rather than the stomach flu. I prefer the stuffy head and sore-ish throat to the puking and weakness, but it's been here since Sunday--please go away already! I very much enjoy breathing out of my nose, and I haven't been able to in four days.

However, I'm very excited to be going home to Chicago in 9 days! I'll get to spend two blissful weeks taking up space at my parents' house--eating their food, watching their tv, laying on their couch...the mooching list is endless. It'll be just like coming home from NIU again. Except I'll be hanging out with Paulie everyday instead of Todd, but the trade-off isn't so bad--both eat a lot, take up way too much space on the couch, snore, and pass way too much gas. So in all reality, it'll be almost like Todd is actually there. =)

This is my last Christmas that I'll be able to take two weeks to do absolutely nothing for awhile I think. Next year I'll have a real person job with real person hours, and while I'm excited about that, it sort of marks the end of an era. Finally, at 25, I'll be a real adult. Weird.

Ok, enough rambling. Time to go make some honey vanilla chamomile tea. It's been my bff all week.

You know you're obsessed with Twilight when...

2008-11-29T16:03:00.005-07:00

*You're in the car, and the sappy song on the radio makes you think of Edward and Bella, not your deployed husband that you haven't seen in three months.

*When you talk about how much you hate how whiny Bella is in New Moon, you feel guilty, because it's almost like she might find out and not want to be your friend anymore.

*Your friend mentions wanting to learn Italian, but says it's probably useless, and you say, "Not if you run into the Volturi!"

*At Garden of the Gods, your friend takes a picture "lifting" a huge rock, and you both say, "Strong like vampire!"

*While laying in bed feeling cold, you think, "I'd be warmer if Jacob were here."

How do you know you're obsessed with Twilight/the whole series?

**An addition, courtesy of Erin, a Twilight newbie**

You ask your husband why his hands are so cold, and he says, "I'm Edward". You then text Sheri while giggling with delight, knowing she will appreciate it.

PS--Erin, if that were true, I would be *that* friend that tries to seduce your husband.

Yesssssssss. Finally.

2008-11-20T11:21:00.003-07:00

So I finally have my internship officially squared away. My paperwork is on it's way to NIU, I have a supervisor, and I'm signing my paperwork for the site later on this afternoon. It is such a huge weight off my shoulders that I don't even know how to describe it.

I will be doing 25-30 hours 4 days a week, no weekends, and I won't ever have to be there past 5pm! Best.supervisor.ever. She already ok'ed the 4 day weekend for my birthday visitors, and told me I could have a week off to go to Chicago, and work half days all the days Todd is here that we're in Colorado Springs! Again, I love her. I will have my MSed in May 2009, and I'll be taking the dreaded NCE exam in April to get licensed. Scary.

I'm so effing happy.

Paulie's Birthday Extravaganza!

2008-11-19T14:47:00.008-07:00

Without further adieu, here are some pictures from Paulie's party. There are no posed ones...too many doggies.

Doggie treat bags and party hats.

Cupcakes for the beasts!

Humans had a sandwich bar!

Second half of sandwich bar.

Birthday boy!

Are those for me?

If I twist my body just so...

Romping in the yard.

Bear was a little timid Chihuahua, but adorable.

So many pretty black doggies!

Old Lady Domino is almost 11 years old, but one of my favorite Boston's ever!

Paulie and I and his special cake!

Rocky, the biggest boy at the party.

Are there any extra cupcakes?

We only had two accidents in the house, and I'm pretty sure every single dog pooped in the yard--maybe twice. All in all it was a really fun afternoon for canines and humans alike! =)

Happy Birthday Todd!

2008-11-10T18:58:00.003-07:00

Today is Todd's 25th Birthday. I talked to him for a few minutes earlier today, and he said he was doing good and that he is keeping (very) busy. They had a mail drop today, so he got some packages. Yay!

Since I always pay homage to Paulie on here, I figured I'd post a few of my favorite pictures of Todd over the past year.

Right before the wedding in December 07.

Watching me walk down the aisle

GQ-ing it.

Sleeping with our baby the night we adopted him.

Happy birthday Babe. I love you and miss you tons! =)

Happy Birthday Paulie!

2008-11-08T19:23:00.004-07:00

Today is Paulie's first birthday. We are not sure of the exact day he was born, and the shelter said he was 6 months old when he came in on 5/8/08, so his birthday became 11/8/07. Works for me, and I'm sure Paulie doesn't care.

We had a fairly uneventful day. Just went to the vet to update his kennel cough vaccine, and then went to the dog park. He's gotten a few extra treats today, but that's about it. Next Saturday is his birthday party with all of his friends, so that will be his big day. I'll definitely post pictures of all the beasts running around my house! Here are some pictures of Paulie being cute--he did not so much appreciate being outed as a terrorist in my last post.

His ears are overwhelming.

When Paulie's attack

2008-11-03T17:38:00.004-07:00

I always post pictures of Paulie being cute and lovable. I think it's time you all see Paulie in attack mode, which happens when he wants attention and, in this case, when he doesn't get his way. We were playing fetch earlier, and he got mad at me for not throwing the ball fast enough, or possibly for taking yet more pictures of him for no reason. This is what it looks like when Paulie's attack:

Playin fetch', playin fetch', playin fetch'. So happy to be playin' fetch.

Waitin', waitin', waitin'. Not so happy to be waitin'.

THROW THE BALL YOU WENCH OR I'LL EAT YOUR FAAAAAAACE!

The end.

**Disclaimer: No Sherbie's were injured in the making of this blog post.**

Swimming on Halloween?

2008-11-01T11:41:00.004-06:00

Outside?

In Colorado Springs?

Yep. My friend Christy and I took advantage of the very unseasonably warm day yesterday to swim in the pool at her apartment complex. It was awesome, and about 75-80 degrees outside. And we didn't just sit in the hot tub. We actually swam in the pool, which was quite refreshing. With her being from PA, and me from Chicago, we were amazed that it was so very nice outside on the last day of October. We're used to trick or treaters with coats on over their costumes! We took the following pictures with my phone for proof:

It's ok. You can be jealous.

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-31T08:30:00.002-06:00

They don't have doggie trick or treating here, but that won't stop Paulie the Pumpkin!

I'm pretty sure he hates me, but I give him treats when he wears clothes! =)

Christmas pictures!

2008-10-29T11:07:00.003-06:00

Yes, Paulie and I took Christmas pictures on our own, but don't fret--Todd will be in our cards too! You'll just have to wait until December to get them. My friend, neighbor, and "battle buddy" Lisa McGrath took them for me. She is very talented, so I want to show off just a few of her pictures. You can also view her work here.

None of these will be on the card, but I still love them!

He never looks at the camera. Ever.

Great shot of Pike National Forest, where we took the pictures. Doesn't it look almost fake?

Paulie in the wild. Don't mind the sweater.

This is the only time he was on leash. The rest of the time he was off leash and perfectly behaved. I'm such a proud mama.

Effing snow.

2008-10-22T09:38:00.002-06:00

So it did snow last night, and it's sticking to the grass. It's 35 degrees out right now. Paulie doesn't know what to do:

He won't go onto the grass unless I put him there. And even then, he glares at me. Poor little guy.

I took the picture of Paulie, and the next ones with my new phone. Here are some pics of the snow:

The backyard. The wind knocked my chairs and table over.

The front.

My little flowers that could. I wonder how long they'll survive.

Quick updates

2008-10-21T22:41:00.002-06:00

Since a number of people have told me to update my blog, here is the month of October:

1. I like my hair now. It's faded to a nice, super dark, rich brown. I also like having bangs.

2. Erin's wedding was absolutely beautiful. I said Shit! really loud in church, but I was a great train fluffer. I will post pics when her photog posts some. Downside: It really hit me that Todd was gone, and I had a little tearful moment at the reception. Thank god my parents were there. I was still an excellent MOH though. =)

3. Paulie graduated Basic Obedience! I'm pretty sure he was on the SpEd track though. He only knows sit, down, and come here. We're working on all the other stuff, and should have a vibrating collar soon. He is almost completely potty trained.

4. I had fun visitors, and I'm so glad they came. However, I left my phone in a bathroom at a bar. I got a fun new phone, and I love it.

5. I have an unofficially official internship where I currently work. I got the OK from the CEO and the head of HR. Paperwork will be signed soon. I start in January and will have my MSed in May. Yessssss.

6. It is cold here. The overnight temp is supposed to be around 27. It may snow. I hate winter. But oh wait, it's supposed to be in the 60's this weekend--maybe CoSpgs isn't that different from Chicago. It's sort of comforting.

7. Todd is doing well. Today is the first day I haven't talked to him in over a week. It takes about 2-2.5 weeks for mail to get there, for those of you sending things. It's hot there, which will stay consistent for the next year. He will have 2 weeks of leave to come home sometime in early spring. Yay!

8. I became part of the CA(sualty) RE(sponse) team for Todd's unit. If someone's husband (son, brother, sister, wife, etc) is killed or wounded, I can be activated to help with whatever they need in the days following the notification. It was strange and sad, but sort of comforting, to have death talked about so matter of factly in the training. Again, it made the deployment more real for me, but I feel some sort of internal obligation to help. I'd want people to help me if something happens to Todd, and it helps me feel more connected.

9. I'm on week 7 of my running program (of 9). My longest running time so far is 25 minutes, and I'm damn proud of it. I could barely run for 60 seconds when I started. My Weight Watchers is not going as well. Even though I've lost some weight, I know it could be more. Every meeting I have is a potluck meeting! And there are potlucks at work too. And people bring donuts. And I am weak-willed. However, I am back in single digit pants sizes for the most part, which is awesome. Let me repeat, a.w.e.s.o.m.e.

I think that's it. I know I'm not consistent with blogging, but I try. New pictures of Paulie will be coming soon. He will be a pumpkin for Halloween, and we are taking Christmas pictures next week. Don't judge me.

Just call me Elvira...or Fran

2008-09-25T09:59:00.003-06:00

So I got my hair cut and colored on Monday, and while I'm getting used to the length, the color is still throwing me for a loop. It's jet-effing-black. Here are some pics, most of which I'm trying to channel my mom. (Love you mommy!)

Where I run

2008-09-22T07:21:00.004-06:00

I thought people would like to see the prettiness of where I run. It's called Quail Lake Park, and it's about 5-10 minutes from my house, depending on how many lights I catch. The trail is a mile long, and I make it about 2.5 times around before my podcast ends. My goal is to make it 3 times around eventually, but now is not the time to worry about speed. Just finishing the podcast is an accomplishment! =)

And this is what the trail looks like (it's around the lake):

Note Paulie pulling the leash: Moooom let's go!

It's a pretty loose reddish gravel, and there are two moderate inclines. I hate it when I have to start a running segment at the bottom of one of them, but hopefully it will help me have a nice butt. =)

Worst 2 seconds of my life

2008-09-17T17:01:00.002-06:00

I feel like I just had the breath knocked out of me.

For those of you that don't know how it works, if your husband is killed in action, two men in Class A uniforms (the green suit-type ones) show up at your door. One is a chaplain, and the other is a casualty assistance officer. They will be holding various papers, and there will always be two.

I was dozing on my couch a bit ago with Paulie, and the doorbell rang. I figured it would be my neighbor coming over to look at my computer, so I hopped up and walked toward the front of the house. I saw two men in Class A uniforms holding papers standing at my door. I picked up Paulie and almost had a coronary. The closer I got to the door, I realized that they looked a little young to be a chaplain and a CAO. I saw the papers in their hands, then the patches on their uniforms: High school JROTC cadets selling godforsaken food.

Immediately I said, "You boys are going to scare some women with husbands deployed in those uniforms."

"Yes ma'am, people have told us about that."

"You almost gave me a heart attack."

"Yes ma'am we apologize."

"And I already bought some from a nice cadet in her civilian clothes."

"Oh really ma'am, do you know her name?"

"No boys, I don't, but you better go change out of those uniforms."

"Yes ma'am."

Stupid, stupid kids.

I have an address

2008-09-16T07:07:00.001-06:00

Anyone who wants it can email or call me.

Missed calls

2008-09-15T21:41:00.002-06:00

Can I just tell you how much I hate my cell phone? It has become a permanent fixture on my body at all times, whether it's in my pocket on vibrate at work, or on super loud next to my head while I sleep. I cannot stand being so dependent on it, but I can't help it. I randomly search myself frantically when I think I left it somewhere. People who witness me crazily feeling myself up probably think I'm looney, but whatever. You know that feeling you get when you think you locked your keys in the car/left the iron on/forgot your drivers license? That's how I feel if I realize that I left a room without my phone. It's terrible. I love and hate my phone at the same time, both because it's my lifeline to my husband. Stupid pink hunk of cheap metal, oh how i lo(athe)ve you.

And yet, I still miss calls. I've missed two thus far (he's been gone 2 weeks today), and everytime I feel so terrible. I know I'll miss more, so I need to get over it. It's going to be a looooong 50 (ew) weeks if I fret about every phone call that I miss. Today was the worst because I just want to talk to him so badly, even though I really have nothing of importance to say. He sounded so tired in the voicemail he left that my heart just broke.

I cannot wait until I can leave my cell phone to shower, go to the bathroom, sleep, etc. Moreso though, and this disgusts me, I cannot wait to get a new phone in December. One with a strong vibrate so that I can feel it at work and not miss godforsaken calls.

Chub-be-gone

2008-09-14T08:00:00.003-06:00

I decided to get off my ass and do something about the 20+ pounds I've gained since Todd and I met (see super skinny picture a la 2003, below), so I decided to do the Couch to 5k (c25k) program. Theoretically, it'll have me running 5k without stopping by the end of 9 weeks. I finished the first week yesterday, and it was a lot harder than I thought it would be. However, I finished something exercise related, and that is a huge step for me. Usually, after feeling how hard the first day was (ie, I wanted to die), I would have quit. This time, I got some support from friends that run (thank you to Ash, Court, Bev, and Steph!) and modified my approach a little. My second day was much more successful, and my third was even better. I actually gained some speed! I start the second week on Tuesday, where I run for longer. I'm a little nervous, but I think I can do it.

I'm also back on Weight Watchers. I figured why not, since I'm paying for it. I'm doing the online version where I don't go to meetings. I don't need to sit around with people lamenting about my weight and how I ate two donuts at work on Friday (which I did, and I lamented about it...alone). The online tools (points tracker, activity tracker, and recipe builder) are fantastic. I weigh in on Mondays, and I'm really just hoping for at least a one pound loss a week. I'd be ecstatic for two, but I like food a lot. I do really well in the beginning of the week, but then by the end of the weekend I'm deep into my flex points. Just last night I ate a whole bag of ranch soy crisps. However, it's better than eating a whole bag of Cool Ranch Doritos. I have no junk food in my house, other than the soy crisps, and gluten free, wheat free, dairy free cookies. They taste like peanut butter chocolate cardboard, but if I dunk them in chocolate soy milk, it's not so bad. Sort of.

I also joined the YMCA. My sign up fee was waived since Todd is gone, and the monthly fee is not bad at all. All the classes are free, and there is a really nice pool. It's also never very crowded, even in the evenings. I'm doing my running program outside while it's still nice, but I won't be able to finish it outside since I'll be going until the end of October. So the indoor track and the treadmills at the Y are a must. I'm going to hang out and get really comfortable with running 5k, then I'll think about doing the program that gets you from 5k to 8k. But one thing at a time.

My goal is to lose 25lbs by my 25th birthday. That gives me ~5 months. I can definitely do it. My reward will be Vegas. I love Vegas. And no counting points while I'm there.

Paulie!

2008-09-08T20:04:00.003-06:00

It was colder today, so he wore his sweatshirt.

Paulie is 10 months old today, so I figured I'd snap some pictures and post them. He was a complete nutball this afternoon, and I caught some of it on film.

Breakdancing!!

He's a maniac, maniac....

And then he rested, and gave me dirty looks.

Happy Birthday poopnut! =)

5 years

2008-09-07T06:04:00.004-06:00

Todd and I have been together for 5 years today. That's half a decade, and when I think about that it seems like longer. Five years ago all I was worried about was not eating anything in front of him that made my breath smell. Now I put tons of garlic and onions in most things I make. Oh how times have changed. For example:

Sept. '03 Sept. '08

We're so tiny in that first picture. It was our first real date, sometime in the first or second week of September. I can't really remember where we went, but I'm tempted to say Applebees. Tres romantic. The second one was taken the day he left, and I was trying to stay happy and keep him calm and laughing. This picture worked, even though I look like a creep. That was also the first time I've even come close to holding any kind of weapon.

So what are we doing today, you ask? I'm working for 8.5 hours, getting fitted for a bridesmaid dress, picking up Paulie from daycare, and then feasting on Culver's as my last fat meal. See that picture from 2003? I want to look like that again. Todd, being 9 or 10 hours ahead of me, is in the middle of the afternoon right now. I hope he gets to eat Taco Bell (yes, they have that where he is right now) and watch some of the first season of Prison Break today. Happy anniversary poopface, I love you!

Feeling blessed...

2008-09-06T20:34:00.002-06:00

It's strange, but I've never felt so much support than I have this past week. It's so overwhelming that sometimes I don't even know what to say. I'm feeling it more from people here than at home, but I expected that, and it's a big reason why I stayed in Colorado instead of moving home. I know our family and friends care more than they can express in words, and I think it comes down to many of them not knowing what to say. I don't imagine that it's easy to talk to me about Todd being deployed. It seems that most people at home want to tread lightly and not get too deep into the subject, and that's perfectly ok. I sort of expected it. This is a really bad analogy considering our situation, but I liken it to not knowing what to say to people after their loved ones die. I personally never know what to do or say, so how can I expect anyone else to in this situation? All too often people worry about saying the wrong thing, but the most important thing is being there, and I know that our family and friends are more than there for me.

I'm repeating myself, but the support here from my Army family is tremendous, and it helps so very much. There are a lot of us going through this for the first time, and it really helps to be able to sort out what we're feeling together. It's not a big sobfest like people think either, or at least it hasn't been yet. It also helps that I have friends and neighbors who have gone through this before--they offer advice and insight without being pushy, and seem to know when it's appropriate and when I just need space. I'm so thankful for each and every person who has gone out of their way for me this week. It's comforting to know that I'm not alone even though I feel so lonely sometimes in this empty house. For some reason, it surprises me right now that there are several people that I could call if I needed to talk/cry/etc. And these are people that I've known for less than 4 months. I always heard that once I moved here it'd be like having a whole new family, but I never really realized how much until today.

Hello from Maine!

2008-09-03T16:53:00.002-06:00

No, I'm not in Maine, but Todd was. That was their last CONUS stop before heading to Europe, then to the middle east. Here he is on the phone with me (I think):

There is a group of people in Maine that take pictures of troops coming and going to Iraq/Afghanistan/whathaveyou, and they post them to a website for families to see a leg of their journey. You can view pictures of an ocean of ACU's here. Thanks to all the photographers and people who help, this is a great thing! =)

And so it begins...

2008-09-03T07:48:00.002-06:00

I haven't posted in awhile because Todd and I were trying to fit a lot of stuff into a small amount of time. He left a few days ago, and will be gone for a year. I can't say where he is right now, or where he'll be going for security reasons, but when I get an address I'll give it to whoever wants it. It will not, however, be posted for all to see on the interwebs. Just shoot me an email. I got a call from him late Monday night and he sounded tired, but ok. I have a feeling that's how he'll sound a lot during the next year. I don't know when I'll hear from him again, but hopefully it will be within the next week or so.

When I left him on Monday, it was probably the hardest thing I've ever had to do. It feels sort of surreal, not having him here in the evening, or having him come home from PT in the mornings. I'm sure the weirdness will lessen as the weeks go on, but being in this house without him is strange. It was one thing to live alone in Dekalb--it was my apartment. But this is our house, with our things, and memories of us together. Although I only had four short months here before he left, I feel like it was a blessing. We had so much fun and got to do all the things we wanted to do before our summer ended.

Despite the weirdness, and although I'm definitely sad, I feel like I'm going to be ok. I've made good friends out here in Colorado, and have a great support system back home. I really couldn't ask for a better group of family and friends. I'm looking at this as a time to grow as a person, although a lot of people say that time freezes during a deployment. It obviously does not. I have a new job, and I'll be starting internship in January. I volunteer for two different organizations out here and am looking to add a third. My life is not frozen, and neither is Todd's. We won't be the same people we are now in 12 months. Our experiences during that time won't allow that, and that's ok. I'm not afraid of growing apart because I know that, while it won't be easy when he comes home, it won't be impossible to be a couple again. We've come too far in the last five years together, and our sixth year together, while spent apart, will be entirely worth it.

Thanks to everyone who's called, emailed, etc in the last few days. I appreciate (and I know Todd does too) all the kind words and support that everyone has shown us. Please keep Todd in your thoughts, and send him some cold vibes--it's HOT over there! Like 120-140 hot. Ew.

Creepy clouds

2008-08-15T09:08:00.003-06:00

It's been raining here a lot lately, and a few days ago, I snapped some pictures of the weird looking sky. It was around dusk.

Those are all taken with me facing the south. They get some crazy weather down there.

No longer a stay-at-home-wife

2008-08-07T07:26:00.003-06:00

A part of me is a little sad, I admit. It definitely wasn't torture to be unemployed. However, I'm excited to start at a new place, and have a little more money to pad our checking account and/or save for our Chicago house.

I accepted a position at the first hospital I interviewed at, and I'll basically be doing the same thing that I did at both hospitals in IL. It's a 10-15 minute drive from our house, close to Paulie's daycare, and I'll be able to work with patient populations I need more experience with, specifically military personnel and their families, and kids/adolescents with reactive attachment disorder. I'm looking forward to learning (and adding more to my resume).

I'm going in to fill out the mounds of paperwork today, as well as do my background check and employee health evaluation. Orientation starts on the 18th!

Weekend in Vegas!

2008-08-06T11:01:00.004-06:00

For those of you that don't know, Todd and I are going to Vegas at the end of the month. We're staying at Mandalay Bay, and we're super excited since we usually don't have the opportunity to stay at such a nice place. We got a great deal through a travel agent Todd's parents know. Poor Paulie has to be boarded, but we're sure he'll have fun with his friends. I also just booked us tickets to Zumanity, and thanks to one of my lovely interweb friends, we got great seats at half off. Thanks to my bargain hunting ways, we are able to pretend we're rich for a weekend. Which brings me to my favorite thing about Vegas--food.

Now we're just trying to decide where to make dinner reservations for Friday and Saturday nights. It's so hard to choose. We (meaning me) have narrowed it down to:

FIX
Sushisamba
Emeril's
Shanghai Lilly
Stratta

Check them out if you have a chance, and tell me your top picks. =)

The hiatus is over...

2008-08-03T11:03:00.005-06:00

I haven't blogged about Paulie in awhile because it was becoming borderline ridiculous. However, I feel a safe amount of time has passed, so here are some updates.

Paulie is doing so much better than he was before we went to Chicago. He has calmed down a lot, and is not nearly as bitey as he was before. He still plays very hard, but it is a ton easier to calm him down now than it was before. We have employed a few simple Cesar Milan techniques, and they are working wonders. We are starting a beginning obedience class on 8/11, and the instructor uses hand signals for every verbal command he teaches, yay for that! I figure that we'll get the basics there, and then teach him fun signs (dance, kisses, dead dog, etc) as time goes on. Paulie has also gained a whopping 3 lbs since we got him, so he is 12 lbs now, and the vet says he won't get much bigger. He will be 9 months old on 8/8. All in all, he is shaping up to be a sweet and spunky little dog.

Now, of course, pictures:

Duuuuuuude!

Happy pup.

Stop mauling me with your camera.

Fine, I just won't look at you.

Making sweet love to his kong at the park.

Dozing in a patch of sun.

His name is Bobo

2008-08-03T08:50:00.004-06:00

My Friday night was interesting, to say the absolute least. It started out normal enough--Todd and I grilled shrimp and chicken kebabs (marinated and assembled by moi), and they were fantastic. We were sitting around having some cocktails when his commander and some other Lts. stopped over, so I went over to the commander's house to hang out with his wife, Lisa. Another neighbor came over too, and we were just sitting in the kitchen when the guys came back and parked themselves in the garage.

At around 11:30, my geriatric self said goodbye to everyone, told Todd to stay, and started the very short walk back to our house (they live on the corner of our block). I wasn't really paying attention, but did notice that my kitchen light was on. I silently wondered whether Paulie was sleeping, or if he'd be barking his head off when I got in the door. Then I noticed that our garbage can was knocked over. I thought that was strange, but it gets pretty windy out here, so whatev. That's when I saw it. The black bear. In.my.front.yard. Holy effing christ.

I sort of froze for a minute, because this isn't something I'm used to. I'm from the city of Chicago for pete's sake. My idea of wildlife is squirrels. They sometimes have no tails or one eye, but I attribute that to city toxins and inbreeding. Anyway. I then turned around and booked it back to the neighbors. I really wanted to yell, but it was late and I didn't want to get hauled in by the high and mighty MP's (military police). Todd see's me running back and is like, what the heck, so then I started yelling about the bear. Of course, everyone hears me and runs out of the house, gets into a car, and drives the 50 feet to our house to see the bear. It was still there, chilling in the rocks in front of our house:

Yes, that is actually our house. Lisa grabbed her camera and got these pictures while Todd was calling the MP's. Their reaction to a bear blocking our front door was, "Oh yeah, we've been getting a lot of calls like this. We'll try to send a car out. We're pretty busy tonight." Excuse me? You'll try to send a car out? Maybe we should have told them it was being hostile or something. (And it turns out, that's what we were ultimately advised to do by the biggest.douchebag.ever later in the night.) The MP's eventually came, and it turns out some MP provost guy (the douche) lives just up the street from us, and pretty much thought he was the ruler of the earth. He gave me attitude, treated Todd like a child, and all around made everyone want to punch him. He basically told us we were lucky we didn't live in "the ghetto" part of post where the lower enlisted live (his words, not mine), because they get 5-6 domestic violence calls a night and always get reports of gunshots in the neighborhood. Like I said before: douche.bag.

So far, we've had no more bear sightings this weekend. However, this is the second time our garbage can has been knocked over, and I don't think it will be the last. Things like this make me crave the sights and smells of my Chicago.

Job interview

2008-07-25T15:43:00.003-06:00

I gave in and applied at some hospitals in the area. At first I was being stubborn and only wanting to apply at Borders, Starbucks, Bed, Bath, and Beyond, etc, and then I realized that I could make double while working waaay less hours doing what I did in Chicago.

So last week I faxed my resume to two hospitals, and one of them (the one I want to work at more) called me today. I have an interview on Tuesday to be a mental health technician, which is basically a bachelor's level counselor, most likely on an inpatient unit.

I'll update about it again after the interview, but I see no reason why it won't go well. I meet their preferred requirements and then some, if I include my masters work. Yay!

**Update 8/3**

The interview went as expected, and I should hear back from them within the next week and a half. I also have another interview set up for 8/5 at a medical hospital's psyc unit. We'll see how everything pans out. Todd just wants me to make money.

Oh yeah, the interview!

2008-07-19T11:11:00.002-06:00

So in a post below I talked about my interview at T*E*S*S*A, and how it went well. They called me for a second interview while I was in Chicago, and I was supposed to have it this week. However, after the second interview call, they called me again to let me know that they realized they didn't have enough clients to take on new interns for the fall, but will probably be interviewing for the January crop later this year. Sucks, but what can I do?

I'm going to volunteer for an event there next month, so that should help my cause in case I can't find and internship that starts in September. I'm applying for one more, and just waiting on one more recommendation letter to send my packet in. It's a huge mental health agency here in Colorado Springs, so it's be great experience. However, it's really diagnosis driven and medical model based, which is what I've been doing for the past two years. I wanted something a little different, but at this point I'll take what I can get. If I don't get this agency one, I've been invited to do the September training at T*E*S*S*A so that I wouldn't have to do it in January. Sort of makes me think that they'd accept me in January, and almost makes me want to hold out for it.

I just want to finish this damn degree and keep busy while Todd is deployed. I've also applied for 2 PRN hospital jobs as a mental health counselor, so hopefully I get one of those.

Now it's time to go see Dark Knight! Yay for cheaper IMAX matinee prices.

Holy huge update

2008-07-18T08:57:00.002-06:00

I haven't updated in forever since we were in Chicago for Todd's predeployment leave. Here is what's been going on...

Chicago was three super busy weeks. We went to the Taste, saw some Sox games, and pretty much saw everyone we know. We ate like crap almost the whole time, and did not exercise. Well ok, I didn't exercise. Todd did. I'm sure that doesn't surprise anyone. It was so freaking humid, the last thing I wanted to to do was be outside, not to mention running in it. No humidity = point for Colorado Springs. We also had a going away BBQ for Todd one Saturday, and it was really great to have our families and friends in one place...plus it saved on gas for us.

::sidebar::

Gas in Chicago was around $4.40 for regular unleaded. It's $3.95 here. Another point for Colorado Springs.

::end sidebar::

We had two wedding while we were home too, and those were fabulous. I love weddings that I don't have to plan. The second one was a little sad for me; I kept doing the "this is the last time we'll..." crap. I chalk that up to too many cocktails, and the fact that everyone and their brother asks me about Todd deploying. More on that later.

You will notice that there are no pictures in this blog. That's because I barely took any, and if I'm being totally honest, most of them were of Paulie. I can't help it. I took some at the wedding, but (being honest again) I don't feel like digging through my purse to get my camera. I fail at documenting our life. I bet our kids won't even have baby books.

For those of you that don't know, I drove to Chicago with Paulie by myself. It wasn't as much as an adventure as I though it would be. Paulie was sedated (yay!), and Nebraska is the worst state ever to drive through by yourself. I may have called everyone in my phonebook while driving through Nebraska. Seriously, it's miserable.

As much fun as I had in Chicago (I love my friends and family, and do miss them very much), I'm very glad to be back in Colorado. I've sort of been feeling like a nomad this summer--it's like as soon as I get settled somewhere, I'm going somewhere else. I still haven't unpacked, but I plan on doing it tonight (a master procrastinator's favorite phrase). I won't be back in Chicago again until October for another wedding, and then again for Christmas. Both will be without Todd, but I really have no say in that. Stay tuned for Army life/Cav wife updates later this weekend.

Nerves

2008-06-18T08:50:00.004-06:00

I have an internship interview today at 2pm. I'm a little nervous now, and I'm sure it will get worse throughout the day. Just writing about it right now has made my stomach do little flips. However, I've been emailing back and forth with the internship coordinator since March, and she seems really nice and easygoing. She keeps calling this a meeting, which sort of puts me at ease, but I'm still wearing a suit.

Speaking of my suit--I got the wrong pants drycleaned! I have two black suits, but I like the way one of them fits more than the other. So now I have to wear the less comfortable suit today. Yuck. I'm taking it as a bad sign.

So wish me luck. In a perfect world, she'd love me so much that I'd have the internship when I left. Considering that their application isn't officially due until 3 weeks before the training in September, I would say that I'm ahead of the game. I think.

*Update*

The interview went really well, and I am waiting for a callback for a second interview. They should be calling me this week, but I have to wait for my background checks for the interview. Since I'm in Chicago for the next few weeks, that works out perfectly. I would be shocked (and a little confused) if i do not get a second interview. Yay me!

Hiking

2008-06-15T14:24:00.007-06:00

Todd and I went hiking on two different trails in North Cheyenne Canyon on Friday. They were pretty easy, and on both there were little kids and/or older people. The first one was pretty touristy, and had man made stairs. The second one was a little more normal, and was just a two mile trail with a gradual incline. Here are some pictures:

Look at me! No hair product, no makeup, and you cannot see this, but I'm wearing khaki cargo shorts and gym shoes. Just call me Granola. No matter that after this picture was taken, I squealed and ran away from a huge bug. It was a dragon fly.

And from the second trail:

Afterwards, I returned to my normal self and we went to Chipolte for lunch. I was concerned because of my "natural" appearance, and asked to go home to at least change my shoes so I didn't look like a weirdo. Todd laughed at me and told me to get over it.

Ahhhh, Sunday.

2008-06-08T15:36:00.002-06:00

Don't mind the crazy hair. We've had quite an uneventful week. Todd was in the field from Wed-Fri, then we had a BBQ at his commander's house yesterday. It was fun, and it wore all three of us out. It's almost time for block leave, which will be relaxing but still full of stuff to do. We'll be home from 6/21-7/13.

Todd has a 3-day this upcoming weekend, so we've decided to spend one of the days hiking. I'm excited since it's my first real Colorado outdoorsy experience. We'll see how it goes.

In educational news, my application to T*E*S*S*A is in the mail, and I'm hoping to hear from them soon!

Not so good Paulie news...

2008-05-31T20:30:00.002-06:00

We had our first one on one obedience training today, and the trainer grabbed the behaviorist who happened to be free because he had a concern. Paulie is deaf. He does not respond to vocal commands or cues, is not bothered by loud noises, or noises of any kind(whether it be a semi truck or other dogs). There were other things that the trainer and behaviorist pointed out too. It makes so much sense, and the idea crossed my mind several times this past week and I just pushed it aside. Todd and I are so relieved that we know now. The poor thing was probably so scared because we didn't know how to interact with him, give him commands, etc.

In the 7 hours since our session, he is already making changes because we have. We are both very optimistic about teaching Paulie new things and behaviors, and are so relieved. Even though having a deaf dog will not be easy, for us it seems easier than a dog who is dominant aggressive. He is still biting, but we are viewing and reacting to it differently, so Paulie is reacting to us differently too. Like I said, we're really optimistic and willing to put in a lot of work to help Paulie.

We still want to have him medically tested, but we are pretty sure he is completely deaf. He is getting neutered on Monday, so I will mention it to the vet then to see if there is anything he can do. If anyone has any advice on training and living with dogs who are deaf, please comment!

2nd post of the day

2008-05-30T15:01:00.004-06:00

Of course I have to AW Paulie regularly. Here are some new pictures of our little monster.

On the floor with Todd

I think he is starting to hate my camera.
Too fast for a picture!
Paulie hates his new crate.
But loves his new bed.

We had to buy him a metal crate because he was destroying the plastic one with his teeth, and a new bed because he was tearing it up and there are wool fuzzies everywhere. Little creep.

Go Go...Rockies?

2008-05-30T14:45:00.007-06:00

Yes, we went to a Rockies game last weekend. No one will ever replace the Sox, but I think Todd was craving some live sport action, and I will never turn down baseball park food. Coors field has tons of awesome food, and I indulged in a foot long brat and some ice cream, and Todd had peanuts and ultimate nachos. They had steak in them. Amazing. I'm on Weight Watchers now, boo to that.

Here are some pictures:

Scoreboard
You can see the mountains in the background!
Field from our seats in right field
Another view before the game started
Cool nature-y thing by the bullpen. None of that on the southside.
Scottie Pods in center field...yum.

Bored Mets pitchers. They were talking (ie: Hey honey, how old are you?) to girls above the bullpen earlier in the game. Muy professional.

Paulie snores

2008-05-29T10:42:00.003-06:00

...loudly. Like an old man. Even when he's not really sleeping. It's hilarious.

Paulie the pouncer

2008-05-23T18:39:00.005-06:00

Paulie has been pretty aggressive with his biting this week, and after talking to a behaviorist, we are thinking it is a dominance and lack of training issue. The behaviorist sounded great, but was really expensive, so we have decided to go the traditional obedience route while researching dominance and trying the techniques ourselves. Today was our first day establishing our dominance with him, and he seems to be making a little improvement. We know it'll be a slow process, but we're willing to try. The expensive "come to your home" behaviorist will be our last resort.

So here is Todd playing with Paulie, and making sure he only chews his toy, not Todd.

And here are some pictures of him being a little angel this past week, just so you know he's not all evil. =)

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

2008-05-19T10:26:00.003-06:00

Paulie is crazy.

Last night after our walk.
The only clear shot of him from this mornings antics.
Midmorning nap.
Ah, peace.

Paulie's video debut!

2008-05-18T16:28:00.005-06:00

Don't mind Todd in the background. He was reading information about the Rockies game we're going to next Saturday. And I apologize for the shakiness. I was playing with him while trying to film this.

The video was taken before our first trip to the park. Silly me forgot my camera, but he did so good on his leash! He must have been trained before, because he is a practically perfect walker. The little trail we went on was less than a mile, and we ended up carrying him some of the way. It was the first time I've seen him pant--it was about 80 today here. I snapped a few shots of him after the walk, all tired.

His first time not on furniture or in his bed by choice

Doing the Roxie stretch

Sleepy puppy

Fun night, beautiful morning

2008-05-17T07:23:00.003-06:00

Todd and I went out for our belated anniversary dinner last night and did our favorite thing: drinks and appetizers. We went to MacKenzie's Chophouse in downtown CoSpgs, and everything was delicious right down to the bread. The Caprese salad that I had was awesome, and we had shrimp cocktail (with four of the biggest shrimp I've ever seen), crab cakes with dill cream sauce, and beef tenderloin tips with brie and garlic crostini. Now anyone who knows me knows that I adore crabcakes and could eat them everyday, but the beef and brie was phenomenal. It's 7:30 in the morning and I could eat it again right now.

The drinks were great too. The first martini I got was called an "Adult Kool-Aid". It was yummy, and they give you the shaker, so I really got two martinis out of that deal, then I had peach bellinis. Todd was uncharacteristic and ordered a Long Island, but then reverted back to beer.

We got to talk about our very not normal first year of marriage, me finally living here, his job, my job, etc. It was just a really nice night, and it is really starting to feel like we're married, and I really actually live here.

I woke up this morning to the warmest day we've had since the beginning of the week, so I took some pictures.
From the backyard
From the front porch

I'm not too sure if I like the vet...

2008-05-16T19:23:00.003-06:00

He seems to be condescending, and is very old school. If he doesn't improve by the time Paulie has recovered from his neuter, we will be vet shopping.

Speaking of his neuter, we can't do it for awhile. He is underweight, has infections in both eyes (worse in the left), and may have kennel cough. He's not coughing or hacking up anything, but he is sniffling and sneezing, which are early symptoms. I'm hoping it's not kennel cough and is just a little cold. Good news though, he ate 2.5 meals today, which is fantastic. Hopefully he will gain more by the time our next visit comes up in two weeks.

Even though Paulie is under the weather, he is still a happy little pup. He loves on everyone he sees, and shakes his whole entire body until his little back legs come off the ground after a nap or going to the bathroom. It looks like his butt is going to propel him off the ground. He is also the biggest cuddler ever.

Did I mention he is also stylish?

I'm typing one handed...

2008-05-16T06:29:00.002-06:00

because the puppy has claimed the other for his pillow.

We have decided to name him Paulie Bleeker, but basically just call him Paulie. I have also taken to calling him Little Bug and Pooper.

We have our first vet appointment later on this morning, so hopefully that will go well. We will also be making an appointment to get him neutered. The vet receptionist that I talked to yesterday was very nice and helpful, so I'm optimistic. And Paulie ate this morning! It's the first time he's eaten since we got him, except a few training treats, and little treat chunks stuffed in his kong.

I'm typing this before coffee, so it's time to go get some. And in non Paulie news, Todd and I are going out for our belated anniversary tonight. I think we decided on drinks and appetizers at a restaurant downtown. I have no idea what I'm wearing, especially considering half my clothes still aren't unpacked.

It's chilly today...

2008-05-15T11:38:00.004-06:00

...maybe I should put my sweater on and snuggle (and snore) with mom while she plays on the computer. She should be unpacking her bedroom.

PS: They still can't decide on my name.

Love, Paulie/Bleeker/Quigley

Introducing...

2008-05-14T20:41:00.004-06:00

...Paulie/Bleeker/Quigley!

We haven't decided on a name yet, obviously. And we didn't realize until Erin pointed it out that Paulie Bleeker is the kid from Juno. We like the name Paulie, which stems from our love of Paul Konerko. We like the names Bleeker and Quigley because they are bars/pubs we frequent a lot back in Chicago (Bleekers and Quigleys). He is a 9lb, 6 month old Boston Terrier.

We adopted him today from the Humane Society here in CoSpgs. When we went to look on Monday, he was unavailable for adoption because he was a stray, but his owners did not come and claim him, so he was available to the public starting today. Lucky for us! He is absolutely adorable. He spins around and chases his little stuffed hot dog we got him, but hasn't gotten the hang of tennis balls. He licks EVERYTHING, and loves to just chill on our laps. He is still definitely a baby, so we will be going to puppy classes and working on housetraining and crate training. He had two accidents today in the house, and thankfully the worst happened in the kitchen. He was able to potty (yes, I said potty) outside during our walk to the mailbox though, yay! He seems to love all people, but is a little wary of other dogs. Even ones his size. Hopefully we will remedy that through our puppy classes.

We think he may have a little eye infection in his left eye. It's a little red and has a whitish discharge, but I'm calling the vet tomorrow to set up our free visit and to make an appt. for his neuter. Poor guys has "one of his rocks still in the box" as the adoption facilitator so fondly put it. Scientifically speaking, he has an undescended testicle. Usually this results in a more expensive neuter, but the Humane Society gave us a specific vet to go to that will bill them for the extra costs. That works out well for us since we bought a whoooole bunch of stuff for him today, and still have to pick up a few things (baby gate, puppy sweater) tomorrow.

His accident in the kitchen was liquidy poop, which worries me. Even though he has no other symptoms, I'm already paranoid that he has Parvo or something. Hopefully we can get into the vet on Friday so I can stop worrying. I'm thinking it may be the food they had him on, and the fact that they didn't monitor what he ate while at the shelter. He had access to his food bowl all the time. We got a more natural lamb and rice puppy food to start mixing with the food they gave us. He should be on the good puppy food only by next week.

So without further rambling, here are pictures of Paulie/Bleeker/Quigley cuteness. And feel free to tell us which name is your favorite, as well as suggest new names for us to consider. =)

Hanging out in the kitchen while I made dinner

Todd went for a run, and he was glued to the window

Good puppy passed out while we ate

My boys watching the Sox game

Poor little guy had a long day

Crazy weather, and Garden of the Gods

2008-05-13T20:48:00.007-06:00

Yesterday it got into the 80's here in CoSpgs, and then today it was only about 45, if that. I think it might be more effed up than Chicago here regarding weather. The top of my back is fried from standing in the yard for less than 30 minutes, and then today I was in a hoodie and my Northface fleece during our nature outing.

Here are some pictures from our relaxing day yesterday:

We went to the Garden of the Gods today so my parents could see some nature besides what's on the golf course. I forgot my camera, but here are some pictures that my mom took:

Ahhhhh...home.

2008-05-12T10:08:00.005-06:00

So I'm here. I slacked on taking pictures through the whole move, but I did take a few halfway through unpacking. We have so.much.stuff. I don't know where I'm going to put it all, but I have the whole (jobless) summer to organize everything to my liking.

The drive was a tad bit horrendous. Less than halfway through Iowa, it started raining. Ok, so rain isn't so bad. Howabout torrenital downpour, 50mph winds, and nasty semi's? Yes, much worse. My mother is the worst passenger ever in normal conditions, so the last thing she wanted to do was be a passenger in that. So what did she do? She drove the whole eleven hours on Saturday. The woman is crazed. So I drove the last (incredibly easy) five hours yesterday.

My parents love our house, but say it's too nice for Todd and not nice enough for me. =) They have been absolutely fantastic the last few days, which has helped me since Todd isn't back from NTC yet. They are here until Wednesday morning, then it's back to Chicago for them. I'm sure my mom will cry, since she welled up three separate times yesterday alone. Three other women that live in our neighborhood stopped by to say, "Finally!", and it made me really glad that I already know a good amount of people. I'm hoping to keep the loneliness and boredom to a minimum.

I'm sure I'll have more stories as the summer unfolds, but for now, here are some pictures:

I told you I slacked. Note little Todd enjoying some Miller Lite in the kitchen.

Oh.my.god.

2008-05-09T08:32:00.003-06:00

I can't believe that I leave tomorrow. It will be such an *exciting* drive. See?

That's I-80 in Nebraska. Fantastic scenery.

I have so much stuff to do today, but I'm pretty sure I'll get it all done:

-return Comcast equipment
-go to Borders (to get a book because I won't have tv or internet)
-go to my apartment rental office
-get a cake from somewhere
-BBQ 5p-9p, which is why I need a cake
-go to the post office
-dishes/ wipe down kitchen
-laundry
-clean the bathroom

This will be my last post until I'm in Colorado. See ya'll out west! =)

Ughhh

2008-05-06T09:14:00.003-06:00

I haven't had a good night's sleep in days, and I'm procrastinating. Here, let's stare at my pretty husband. I get to see him soon.

I love my mom

2008-05-05T05:28:00.007-06:00

This is my mom:

This is what happened when she came over to help me pack yesterday:

This is what I looked like when I had to get up at 6am to drive her to her car:

This is why it's ok:

Yay for my mom, and yay for her making sure I have food for the next five days. Wow...five days.

So I chopped my hair...

2008-05-02T08:09:00.003-06:00

Yay! And I pretty much didn't tell anyone except for a few people. Here are some pics, with a disclaimer:

My stylist told me not to fear product, but I do. I did not use enough styling creme, and I need some hair wax. But it only took 2 minutes! Yay!

Happy Anniversary, and single digits!

2008-04-30T23:41:00.004-06:00

Happy 1 year anniversary to Todd and me!

Note the hot pink nails, Todd's casual apparel, and the bucket of beer in the background. High class court house ceremony.

And 9 days til moving day! Yay!

So I got a little lazy with my ABC's...

2008-04-26T21:50:00.004-06:00

With two weeks to go til moving day, I'm just a wee tad busy. Packing, cleaning, and cramming a semester's worth of client intakes, progress notes and practicum papers does not a happy Sheri make. This is what I get for being a procrastinator. However, I wrote a 20 page paper in less than three days this past week, and it was pretty good if I do say so myself. I work well under pressure. If I didn't, I'd have died by now.

I've been packing and watching an ANTM marathon allllll day. One good thing about being a geo-bachelor(ette) these last almost two years is that I don't have to compromise my TV, and I can gorge on gyros and fries (my lunch today) without Todd's accusing eyes on me. Don't get me wrong, he loves me at any weight. He better--I've gained and lost the same 25 lbs in the last 4.5 years. But he is a health nut. I may have to alter my routine a little when he's around, aka not have Chipolte, Potbelly's, and T-Bell on a weekly basis. My body will probably like me more for it. I might have to lighten up on the buttered noodles for dinner too.

In dog news, I put in our very first, and hopefully last, rescue application this past week. It is through a rescue in Golden, CO called Wiseguys Italian Greyhound Rescue. I emailed back and forth with the Melissa, who I think runs the rescue, and she seemed super nice and was very understanding of my current commuter wife status. I emailed her the application on Thursday afternoon, and I'm already antsy. It's not like we could do a home visit until I get there anyway, so I don't know why I'm obsessively checking my email every five minutes. We are hoping to adopt Puzzle, an almost year old female IG mix. From her description on Petfinder and on their site, plus the extra info Melissa from the rescue gave me, she sounds absolutely perfect for our little family. Here are some pictures of Puzzle's adorableness:

They're a little pixel-y, but I can't make them any smaller. She is about 15 lbs, so even though she's an IG mix, she's still at the upper end of normal IG size. Her brothers are bigger at about 20ish lbs, and her sisters are her size or a little smaller. I'm told she is the most mellow of the girls, but is still a goofy, inquisitive puppy. I can't wait to hear back!

J-E-L-L-O

2008-04-24T15:22:00.003-06:00

Yesterday was the letter J. He is wiggling, because I love jello. This has nothing to do with moving, because I'm lazy. What foods do you like that start with the letter J?

And I would like more than the pathetic three responses I got when asking for driving songs. kthnxbai.

iPod

2008-04-22T18:42:00.002-06:00

Today is the letter I, and I'm feeling lazy.

Of course I will be listening to my iPod while my mom and I trek it to Colorado. My sister told me that my iPod was full of lullabies, not driving music. Please give me suggestions for songs to download that are "driving songs". Any genre, decade, etc, and I'll give them a listen.

Home

2008-04-21T14:09:00.003-06:00

Today is the letter H.

I took this H picture from another blogspot blog. She makes cool letters. Her name is at the bottom of the letter if you want to check out her blog.

So what is home exactly? Is it where someone is from? Where they currently live? Where their geo-bachelor husband lives and where they're moving in 19 days? I currently have three "homes" and it gets confusing, especially when talking about predeployment leave travel from Colorado Springs to Chicago. I would really like to just have one home, and that most likely will not happen until active duty is over. At least I'll only have two in 19 days, and I think I will consider our house on post our "home". I can't think of it as just a house we happen to live in during this period in our lives. Even the thought makes me feel lonely.

My friend gave us a big panoramic of the Chicago skyline for our wedding. We have a sky view of Comiskey (yes, not The Cell) hanging in our living room, and a cool funky drawing of all of the Chicago neighborhoods in our office. This is all so we can have a "little piece of home" in Colorado. Just because I call Colorado home doesn't mean that I've forgotten where I came from. I'll always love Chicago, but for the time being at least, Colorado will be my home.

Government

2008-04-21T07:35:00.002-06:00

Sunday was the letter G.

If you would have asked me before I met Todd if I would ever consider marrying someone in the military, I would have said Hell No. I had a picture in my head of what a military wife was: how she behaved, what she thought, her views on life, etc. That was not who I was, and what I thought then is not who I am now. The media sometimes portrays military wives as uneducated babymakers, so that's the idea I (sadly) had in my head. Women I've met who share my role as military wife, as well as myself, have helped me create a new picture in my head of who we are. It's a little blurry, because as corny as this sounds, we're all different. Of course my current stereotype exists in the military community--it exists everywhere, and it wouldn't be a stereotype if it didn't. I'm just glad I don't perpetuate it.

That being said, I'm supposed to be talking about the government. One of the reasons I never thought I'd be in this position is the government, and politics. I'm a liberal. I don't like violence. I've joked about whisking my family away to Canada. I don't trust a certain president farther than I could throw him. The list goes on. I never thought I'd be so invested in some decisions that were made for this country, and maybe I'm still not, but I feel like I am. Sometimes when I'm in Army wife mode, I feel like I have to check my beliefs at the door to fit in, but that is slowly not happening. I'm meeting people that feel like I do, at least about some things. I am who I am, I guess, take it or leave it.

Friends

2008-04-21T07:19:00.002-06:00

Yes, I slacked this weekend since I was out of town.

Saturday was the letter F. On the same note as Erin's post, I will talk about my friends.

It's funny--when you move or are moving to a cool place, everyone and their brother gets so excited and says they'll visit you. I'm wondering how many people will visit us in the 2 years (at least) that we're in Colorado Springs. I'm betting it won't be very many.

I understand that people have lives, but it would be very nice to have people come out to visit, especially when he is deployed. Of course I practice favortism, and I do hope that some people visit more than others, but I think that's normal. I want the people closer to me to visit the most, obviously. I just realized that I am one of these "oh I'll totally visit you!" people. My friend moved to Norfolk, VA for the Navy. He's been there for over three years, and someone I consider a very good friend. Have I visited? No. What a hypocrite I am.

Erin

2008-04-18T12:28:00.004-06:00

Rather than blogging about something directly related to moving or the Army today, I'm going to tell you a little bit about my friend Erin.

Erin and I met in our masters program, and quickly fell in hetero-love. People think we've been friends for much longer than we have been, and I can see why. We have numerous lame inside jokes, love to make fun of people, and are both extremely sarcastic and straightforward. I will be pretty much lost without her in Colorado...I say that in the least pathetic and creepy way possible.

I was so afraid that I wasn't going to make any lasting friendships in grad school. I came in knowing no one, so I just put myself out there. Erin thought I was a massive weirdo at first, and probably sort of a snob, but whatever. I converted her to nerd-dom, and she really helped me stop taking myself, and everyone else, so seriously all the time.

We are having our final "let's drink wine, eat greasy Chinese food, and watch bad TV" night this coming Monday. It makes me a little sad, and I'll probably cry, and then she will make fun of me. Whatev, it's how we do.

This blog makes me feel like an emo kid.

Driving

2008-04-17T10:54:00.003-06:00

I am driving to Fort Carson in my little red Escape. My mom is driving in the car with me, and my dad is driving the little 10' moving truck. He doesn't trust either one of us wimmens to drive it, so my mom and I are road trippin'.

Fort Carson is a 16 hour drive from my parent's neighborhood in Chicago (1093 miles) and a 14 hour and 45 minute drive from my little town (1025 miles). It should be an interesting trip for my mom and I. We tend to annoy each other with our driving habits.

According to her, I drive too fast, take turns too fast...basically everything is too fast. My complaints about her are, of course, that she does everything too slow. I'm curious to see how she'll react to the 75mph speed limits through most of Nebraska. I absolutely love it. I'm going to make sure I have some Motown for her on my ipod so she will be too busy rocking out to notice if I'm speeding. I may not speed a lot though--last time I got pulled over 50 miles into my trip for going 81 in a 65. Yay for my Army Wife licence plate holder and a young cop--I got a written warning that said 74 in a 65. I'm willing to bet my dad will get pulled over though. He is a speed demon, and has gotten pulled over in almost every state he's driven through, at least in the midwest.

Carson, and a little bit about California

2008-04-16T06:52:00.004-06:00

Fort Carson that is. Today is the letter C. I will be moving to Fort Carson, Colorado, and it is bordered some seriously beautiful Mountains. However, Fort Carson is also like it's own little city. So not only do I have to learn my way around Colorado Springs, with it's twisty streets with five names apiece, but I have to learn my way around Carson, which also has twisty streets that mysteriously dead end, and different entrances on different roads. I am not the best with directions, so this poses as a challenge. I also have extreme anxiety about getting lost in unfamiliar places. I have a recurring nightmare about being lost, and I always wake up sweating.

Thank god I love maps. The husband got me a great map of all of Colorado Springs, and one of my Cav wife friends scored me a very easy to read map of Carson, complete with where important buildings are. I also thank god that he got new orders to Carson at the last minute--we were supposed to go to Fort Hood, Texas. That place is bigger than the state of Rhode Island, or so I've heard.

http://www.carson.army.mil/

Now a little tidbit about Fort Irwin, California, aka, "The Box". Todd got there yesterday for NTC. He is not too excited about it, but I am. Why am I happy about my husband training for his upcoming deployment in the California desert, you ask? Because when he comes home to Colorado, I'll be there.

Babies and Bookshelves

2008-04-15T10:30:00.005-06:00

Although babies won in my poll, I cannot ignore my poor empty bookshelves. Today is the letter B.

The teddy bear seemed fitting since we're talking about babies. What do babies have to do with moving, you ask? A lot when you're moving onto an Army post in 3.5 weeks. We don't have any kids, and sometimes I feel like quite the outcast around my Cav wife friends. Everyone has kids or is pregnant...or both. My uterus is a barren cave right now, and we plan on keeping it that way for a few more years. While I might feel my ovaries go all a-flutter when I see a cute kid, it definitely goes away when they start screaming, pooping, eating, etc. No way man.

Thankfully, I've recently met two pretty cool fellow Cav wives that have no plans for kids for awhile either. One lives in my neighborhood, and the other's husband is deploying with mine. I'm hoping for childfree girls nights in our future.

Now onto bookshelves. I started packing last weekend, and even though I only packed up my books and decluttered, my apartment feels so empty. Behold, my empty bookshelves, and all my glorious books in boxes:

Very sad, but we have two empty bookshelves in Colorado waiting to be filled. This also means that I can buy more books.

Any recommendations would be lovely.

A game.

2008-04-14T08:15:00.003-06:00

So I was reading another knottie blog, and she was playing the alphabet game--a new post for each letter of the alphabet. Since I move in 26 days, I thought, "Hey, there are 26 letters in the alphabet!" Smart, right? So for the next 26 days, I will blog about my thoughts and various other things about moving in alphabetical order. Today, of course, is A.

A is for anxiety.

As much as I am looking forward to moving, I'm pretty nervous about it. I have a ton of stuff to do for school, not to mention packing up my whole life, in the next four weeks. Plus, as much as I love it out there now, what if I hate it? What if I can't find an internship or a job? What if 15 months in a new place without my husband turns me into a crazy person? What if I can't make any friends? So yeah, I'm just a little anxious about this massive change that's about to take place in my life. I think it's normal though, especially since he will be deployed for 15 months not too long after I get there. For the most part, I'm staying positive.

Having faith and taking adventures are all part of being a Cav wife right? Hooah, and all that jazz.

I leave for Colorado one month from today!

2008-04-10T09:53:00.003-06:00

RAWR.

2008-04-09T06:41:00.003-06:00

Gas prices completely suck. Here in my tiny town in the middle of cornfields, gas is $3.41-$3.51. When will the madness end?

In Colorado Springs, obviously the greatest place on earth, gas is $3.05-$3.25, depending on the area.

It is extremely sad and pathetic that I think that $3.05 is an acceptable gas price deserving of squeals of joy.

I have issues.

2008-04-07T22:26:00.005-06:00

You would think someone in my position would avoid depressing songs, TV shows, movies, etc, at all costs. But no. It's like I seek them out.

I listen to sad songs, I cry.
I watch reruns of Army Wives, I cry
I go and see effing Stop Loss, which was terrible and innaccurate, and I still cry.

At least there were hot men in Stop Loss, no matter how much it insulted my intelligence.

I really hope that I'm not some kind of basketcase when he's deployed. Sometimes I think that I will be, and then sometimes I think I'll be ok. And I guess if I'm being realistic, it'll be a little bit of both. In all honesty, I fully intend on finding a therapist soon after moving to Colorado. Hopefully Tricare will cover me going off post, because I really don't want to go to ACS for it. I wonder if they'll cover me without a diagnosis? I wonder what it would be? Situational anxiety? Who knows.

Today's Oprah

2008-04-04T14:01:00.003-06:00

I'm watching it right now, since I wasn't home earlier when it was on. Puppy mills make me so incredibly sad. I really hope that Todd and I are able to rescue a dog when I move to Colorado. I've heard from a lot of people that it's a pretty selective process. I've seen some applications, and they're super long.

OHMYGOD. I just saw some poor dogs be euthanized and put in a dumpster. Poor babies. I don't know why I watch things like this. It just makes me sad, and then I want to adopt every dog I see.

Want.

2008-04-03T22:13:00.002-06:00

His name is Taco, and he is a two year old terrier mix being fostered through a rescue in CO Springs. I love his scruffiness, and he looks so sad.

Rut, anyone?

2008-04-03T12:54:00.003-06:00

I haaaaate the last few weeks of school. There is a month and a week left until moving day, and it cannot come soon enough. All the things that I've put of all semester are needing to be done, like now. Can I please wake up on May 10th to a fully packed apartment and no huge papers or client notes to catch up on? Thanks.

I'd also like to sit down and have a real conversation with my husband. I don't want to have to catch up on each others' lives over the phone every night after 10pm. It's getting really old. Rephrase, it's been old for about a year now. We're less than a month away from our one year anniversary though, so that's sort of fun. He's getting a gas grill, and I'm getting a Wii, if we can find one. Neither of us are very good with surprises when it comes to gifts.

Cav wife update: It looks like we will be moving while Todd is deployed, or at least I'll be moving all our crap. They are building new jr. officer housing on post, and they're bigger with bigger garages, and supposedly are nicer. Plus we'll only be connected to one other unit as opposed to three. Rumor is that it will have to be a self move, and that the Army won't pay for it or provide trucks. Lovely, lets have all of these wives and kids move. Poop on you Uncle Sam.

Popping the cherry

2008-03-31T08:27:00.004-06:00

Well, not really. I had a livejournal back in the day, and I have a myspace that I don't use. I figured that I'd create a blog 1. because I'm bored, and 2. I'll be moving soon. There may be people that want to keep up with my adventures in the wild west. Also, when Todd gets deployed, he'll be updated on the goings on in our stateside residence without having to call. I hope he calls though, that's always fun.

I'm obsessed with my countdown to May 10th. 1 month, 1 week, 2 days. I haven't started packing or going through the two years of clutter that I have here in Illinois, but where there is procrastination, there is eventually progress. Eventually.