Thankful

As I just received word from my husband that while they've cut the work day by 30 minutes at his job, the only thing they cut was his 30 minute lunch time, I am a wee bit frustrated.  I know he'd rather have the break in the day, instead he'll be eating at his desk, working.  Healthy, right?  Way to go U.S. government.  To calm myself I have chosen to go ahead with my post which was to be about thankfulness.  Breathing in....and out....in....and out.  Ahh.  

I am thankful that my husband has a job that affords me the luxury of staying home and being a wife.  I was considering going to work as a secretary or something at the place G works, but honestly, I don't do the whole "no lunchtime" thing.  So un-chic and distasteful.  But he enjoys his work, and we are glad for that.

I am thankful for these sunny days.  As much as I long for cooler weather, I love the sun.  Sometimes I feel like a child again because I turn my face upwards, close my eyes and just let it warm my face.  

I am thankful for the food we have and our ability to make do with little, and make a lot with little!

I am thankful for our family and friends who take the time out of their busy schedules to get together with us.  It was so good to see those we love!  

I am thankful that one of my dearest friends found her first love and they're getting married!  I am so thankful that in finding each other again they found peace and happiness.

I am thankful for things that will go on over this next year, meeting new friends, a homemade Christmas, love letters that will be sent to and from the Middle East.  I am thankful for the opportunities that these will afford me in this life.  

Most of all I am thankful for a husband who loves all my contradictions and faults, and supports me when I feel like screaming.  I guess I will be making his lunches extra special, with many courses, so that he can take his sweet time munching at his desk!

My Handsome Husband

I have never seen G roll his sleeves on his BDU's.  But boy, let me tell ya, I was sad to drop him off this morning!  I definitely like it better than the long sleeves, and as his muscle tone keeps improving I'm going to have to kidnap him every so often for smooching during lunch.  Oh yes, don't put it past me!  (is it kidnapping if he goes willingly? hmm.)

Evil Brownies

So of course I forgot to take a pic of the brownies I sent with G.  Of course!  But they looked all fudgy and yummy, and tasted great, so let's hope they enjoy them!  The funny part if last night G told me that he found out yesterday that they were having a squadron bake sale at work today.  I hadn't baked the brownies yet and asked if he wanted me to wait until Monday then.  He looked at me with a smirk, and said nope.  (he's a wee bit annoyed with work because of something so I think he was okay with giving away brownies that were homemade while they try and sell the boxed kind).


I saved 2 brownies for us to enjoy tomorrow.  We're planning to go out to Annapolis to watch the sunrise over the water and maybe eat some croissants with coffee and then coming home to pack up a picnic.  I'm thinking that along with the roasted chicken we'll have asparagus, shornakhod, couscous and maybe a Moroccan carrot salad.  


If you were planning a picnic what foods would you pack?  I'm always looking for new ideas!

Adventures in Military Life

Well, lovely.  I was in the 98.4F range last night but still coughing horribly.  I couldn't sleep so I cleaned our bathroom and re-organized everything.  Then came to bed, woke G up and he ran downstairs and got me cold water and frozen strawberries (sucking on them has seemed to help my throat).  I settled in, watched some t.v. and finally was able to get comfortable enough to doze off and sleep well until about 9 this morning (after being woken up at 6 by G checking to see if I was coming to work with him today....I looked at him, smiled, and said "What do you think?"  I don't even remember his answer, I passed back out).  This morning I woke up, freezing.  It's a sunny day, and the house has been warmer lately (we have it set to 55 but it's been 61 downstairs which means up here it's closer to 65 which is warm to us), but I was shivering.  Damn.  I took my temperature and it was 100.8F.  Not good.  I'm able to suppress the coughing on my own for the most part, but yesterday's horrid coughing has left me with a very sore chest/sternum.  


Feeling like I perhaps needed a nurse to take care of me, I called G at work.  Or attempted to.  I barely could speak to say his name, and then had to repeat.  I asked him to come home, and he, realizing how bad I sounded got permission to come home.  I still stubbornly didn't want to see a doctor (for a person who once wanted to be a doctor I sure don't like seeing them!).  Then I conceded and Garret called the base clinic.


That's the lovely part, apparently when they switched G to the medical system here they didn't switch me (even though it was all the same paperwork).  I'm still listed as TRICARE Europe.  So I cannot be seen on base.  So now I have an appt. at Walter Reed hospital this afternoon.  I'm hoping it's just something like bronchitis or whatnot.  Other than the fever I don't have any signs of infection, so that's good.


And yes, I am well aware it's nuts to be blogging right now, but eh, I can't do anything other than lie in bed on the computer.  So you all get the tale as it occurs (hmm, maybe I should pull a celebrity moment and tweet from the hospital....wait, they don't allow cell phones in hospitals.  Too bad.) Hope everyone else is feeling right as rain (though several members of my family spread throughout the U.S. have been sick with fevers this week, hmm.)

This About Sums It Up

Oh yes, I just posted a very blurry pic.  Because that about sums up our night.  Absolute madness I tell ya.

It started out quite alright.  I got beautified at a friend's house (having curled my hair earlier in the day) while her two munchkins kept talking to me through the door.  And sticking their hands under.  And giggling because they could see my feet.  I always said I only wanted one girl, but I have changed my mind.....I want a bundle of them!  I then headed out and walked into the club where the graduation ceremony was being held.  Garret found me and after finding our table near the front, G's squadron commander bought us a round of drinks.  Martini in hand we began mingling.  I got to meet his instructor, who was very nice.  Something I continually heard all evening was how quiet G is.  Yes, I can see that, he tends to be more of a observer (hence the reason he always has the best stories to tell, because he hears everything.....he really should have gone to work for the CIA as a spy).  However, I told them, he doesn't shut up at home.  Often times I am cooking while he prattles on and on and on.... 

Graduation was nice.  The food was pretty decent, and in the end I had a couple martinis to make it through, while G had a glass of red wine.  These events are filled with "I bleed blue" people who can talk about how important it is to be a leader for forever.  As the graduates were announced, their different groups would shout and make the oddest noises (another wife at my table summed up one group perfectly "that sounds like a dying cat").  We just found out that because they're slow to put the ranks on this year he will be putting it on April 1st (G is nearly exactly in the middle, but they started in August).  When it was time for G to walk across the stage I rushed up to take a pic, with his Commandant telling me to come ahead and come up in front of them to take it.  The woman who is shaking his hand is a Colonel and out of everyone that night I enjoyed her speech the most (earlier in the evening she walked up to G and began chatting with him, she seems very nice).  The point that I thought was so important that she and the other speaker mentioned was the need to be the leader that they would have wanted as airmen.  

Then after we headed to a party at one of the guy's houses.  It lasted a long time, with us heading out at about 1:30, with the party in full swing still.  Although we arrived fairly early, and our entrance can be summed up with this:  They were watching Olympic male figure skating and critiquing it.  I teased them that this was a hot party!  The blurry pic is from later on and you can catch a glimpse of G's excited face.  He played and lost his first ever game of beer pong.  It was slow moving, with him actually drinking his regular drink since it took forever for anyone to get any balls in the cups.  By the end of the night though, I drove home (my first time ever!) because G was passed out next to me.  To say he was drunk would be an understatement, but he rarely drinks and he hadn't eaten much, so it didn't take much!  


So to sum it all up, pretty woman with a martini saddles up to hot guy in semi-formal blues and hears Sinatra playing in the background.  Wants to dance but knows it's frowned upon (as so many things at these events are) but by the end of the evening grabs his tie and plants one on him.  Okay food, okay speakers, ends with a certificate and a smile.....and a 3 day weekend to recover!

Minor Rant That Disrupts An Otherwise Lovely Day

I got lost.  On base.  I blame Jemima.  That's our GPS system.  Yes, hello, haven't you caught on, of course we named her!  G has programmed her with a British voice, so Jemima it is.  And Jemima apparently doesn't understand restricted areas.  She had me turn down a road that was NSA restricted access.  I had been warned before that the NSA cops were usually jerks.  But I couldn't turn around (there were cars behind me) so I drove up to the cop and told him (pointing to Jemima) that she had gotten me lost, and that I was trying to find a friend's home that I had never been to.  He told me it was a good thing I had come down and talked to him because if I had made a U Turn then heaven's to betsy the guy would have sent a cop to chase my ass down.  Lovely, right?


I was then questioned.  Yes, questioned like a freakin' terrorist.  First I was asked if I was an American citizen.  I rolled my eyes and answered yes.  Yes, I know many spouses aren't, but if you had met me, heard my voice and seen my outfit (well, I guess I must have better taste in clothing than the women this particular man hangs out with) you would not have doubted my authenticity as an American.  A dress from Gap, a coat from Old Navy. Sure they were probably made in some sweat shop in a faraway land, but it was pretty clear I wasn't rocking a bomb.  Although I did have a cake sitting in the passenger seat under my grandmother's vintage aluminum cake dome, so who knows?


I was asked not for my spouse ID, but my driver's license "to confirm you are who you say you are."  Damnit, I just wanted to turn around and not be late for my get together, but oh holy hell, I might be a "probe" (G explained this terminology to me later).  I then made the mistake of saying, "My husband works at the agency, I know it's restricted, I'm not trying to get there it's just my GPS told me to turn here and before I saw the sign it was too late."  (the nice cop told me this happens frequently)  The cop who had a stick somewhere even my dog wouldn't chase it to then repeated "your husband works here?"  Then I was asked for his social and they called, yes called into the agency to confirm his identity.  I told them he was not there this week, that he was in class, and why the hell do they need to confirm he works there when I just want to make a u-turn and be on my way?  After 5 minutes of backing up returning from lunch traffic and the jerk cop standing at the back of my car they confirmed G's name and were gonna let me turn around.  


But as he lifted the gate and the nice cop stopped the coming traffic the jerk said to me "make sure you don't drive past him."  For the love of all that is American I did not want on the freaking complex!  Thank God the new friend I met today turned out to be absolutely lovely or otherwise this would have been a wasted experience!

Good Morning Baltimore!

Last night I had a fever, my face was bright and flushed, my head was pounding and I had stomach cramps. I thought to myself, no way in hell am I missing the farmer's market. G and I don't really take medicine that often, so while we had some at our house (it got packed up) we haven't bought any since arriving in the US. So I had to will myself better, because I didn't think it was worth going to the store late at night for. I relaxed in bed with an ice cold wash cloth on my forehead, and woke up this morning (after a couple hours of sleep) feeling much better.

So off we headed to the Baltimore Farmer's market, which is the epitome of this city, as it's under an underpass. I literally almost cried from being so overwhelmed by feeling suddenly at home. The people, the smells, the pulse and rhythm of it. We bought grape tomatoes, perfectly ripe. Pluot plums with green stems still attached. Ginger gold apples from a stall that apparently accepts WIC, good info to know in the future. We also picked up a quart of local milk for 2.50, with a 1.50 charge added on that we'll get back when we return the bottle. I have to say it was the only thing I wasn't in love with, but not bad to try it for a dollar. We planned on getting a cup of Zeke's coffee, but after realizing we would be in line for 20 min, we changed our minds. Next time we need to get to the market earlier!

We also ate a croissant when we first arrived, and for lunch ended up getting the most amazing turkey burger I have ever had. Let me tell you, that man who makes them and I have a standing appointment every Sunday for the next 4 years! They also had a habanero hot sauce that had perfect flavor, not too spicy for me, but leaves a tingle on your tongue. When we move into the new house I will need a bottle.

This week is going to be a whirlwind of scheduling inspections, the appraisal, faxing in the contract the to bank, and G goes back to work. Which we found out tonight is going to be a different office. Great. I am keeping my fingers crossed and praying hard for a day job. He said it perfectly tonight when I asked what's wrong, "I don't know if we could survive shift work again." It's sad, but I would rather have a husband gone all the time, deployed, then go through the hell of shift work again. Especially moving into a neighborhood where I am a little scared how it's gonna go. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers.

But, we're optimistic, and G told me tonight as I was dancing around the hotel room that before we move the furniture into the new house, he wants a night to just dance around. The whole lower level has gorgeous dark hardwoods, and I cannot wait to spin around with him on them. We need to hunt down an old record player for weekend dancing!

Every time things seem to be going well a kink occurs. But I am holding faith that God has great plans for us here, and that we are exactly where He means us to be. I never imagined I would be here at 25. Married, buying our first home in a big city, learning how to fix things and build things ourselves. I have so many projects in store for our new home, I cannot wait to get in there are share them with you!

If You Don't Like Foul Language....

This would be the time to leave. I's gonna get a bit neurotic (and apparently forget my language skillz!).

Fucking military fuckers. For 7 weeks (seven fucking weeks!) we have been trying to get them to get back to us about paying for the damage they did to our furniture 2 years ago. We turned everything in on time (barely) and waited. We would call, they would say the computers were down and to call back the next day. Which we did. Grrr. Only to be given another bullshit line about it.

Now they are saying that the shipment company is saying G signed something saying we accepted the shipment as is. NO WAY IN HELL. So we asked them to forward that miraculous paperwork. They said they would, but we'll hold our breaths til the cows come home if we think they will send a piece of paper that doesn't exist. So now we get to go chat up the first sgt when we get to MD, and complain. And if that doesn't do anything we go higher. And if I have to I will contact my lovely brother in law and see about getting this problem written up about in the paper, as well as calling our senator and a lawyer.

Yes, I'm pissed. Did I mention these jackasses did not wrap my antique furniture and that my great grandmother's desk had damage where they had shoved the chair in and it had completely beat up the drawer side? Oh, or that said chair has a chunk missing on the front because of it. Between the furniture and home goods they owed us about $1300. Thirteeen hundred! That I would have appreciated using to fix said furniture that they banged the hell up!

So I had a bit of a crying fit this morning and then I got mad. And I plan on staying mad. My experience with military life is that they fuck you every which way they can. And I'm done. Unless they can procure this magic piece of paper I'm getting my money to fix things. And if it takes me making a stink and calling an attorney I will. Because I am done with their bullshit. Done.

My biggest problem is that with everything else right now this was the last thing we needed right before moving. It makes me feel like things are tainted and that the fucking military is going to find some way to fuck us on everything else as well. I'm already nervous about moving some place where we have no home. The military has proved time and again that they don't take care of their people and they don't do what they say they will do. Everyone keeps saying welcome to military life. Well that's not good enough. Not when you damaged furniture to a point it will take a specialist to fix.

Rant over (for now).

Proud Little Wife

I am a proud little wife today. G made Staff Sgt! For me this means once he actually gets the promotion it's more pay and more for housing. For him, it's more respect. Because there is nothing like being told you're the smartest person in the group, the one who people call when they have a question, but oh, because of rank you lose every time. So this morning I just calling him Staff Sgt (he won't actually get the rank tacked on until quite a bit later) and we would just lie in bed grinning.

Now we're headed off to eat lunch and then we are going to be staying at the Hilton tonight. It's where we had our wedding reception, and they give you a free nights stay for your first anniversary. Obviously we weren't even in the country, so they kept us on file for when we got back. It will be nice to get away from everyone and everything tonight to celebrate, and not have to worry about keeping everything perfectly tidy at my grandmama's home.

Oh, and we're narrowing down our home choices. Our top two we are really hoping to tour soon, maybe even a quick trip up to MD before September! (although 17 hours of driving is obviously no quick trip).

When It Rains It Pours

It has been raining up a storm here in England. It's been such a beautiful summer, perhaps this is God's way of showing me it's time to move on. I've been having a hard time imagining no longer living here in England, but this is just the nudge I've needed to remind me I am ready to go home, even if to hot and humid Missouri.

We're slowly checking things off of our list. Garret is going to finance, housing and TMO (which is the office that deals with moving our things) tomorrow to set up the move. We're aiming at a week from this Tuesday having the movers come and get our things out. That way we can clean that night and Wednesday morning and have housing come to inspect either Wednesday afternoon or Thursday. We'll spend the rest of our time in the base hotel, until we head to London on Sunday. I'm really hoping we can squeeze in a trip this weekend, if the weather cooperates!

Garret also took the car to have the yearly inspection today. It didn't pass. For a 13 year old car this isn't all that surprising, but since we put 4 brand new tires on it last year, and it was one of the tires this year that's the main problem, it's a little discouraging. The people there are calling around early tomorrow to find the cheapest parts they can get (this car place has been wonderful in working with us) since it's one tire and a hose that needs replacing. So while I am stressed that more money is being poured into a car that we're selling in less than 2 weeks, I am thankful for it being less of a problem than last year! I'm also grateful that we have been smart and saved for these rainy days, even if I hate that there has been so much lately we had to save for!

I've been thinking a lot lately about how lucky I am to be married to a man who strives to do his best, and how I need to back off from expecting perfection. He does need some gentle reminding about things (because with everything going on, he inevitably forgets something) but he's taken care of setting up a new bank account (since our bank here is only for here and we have to close it), scheduling the antiques assessment and getting that entered in on time, booking Sophie's flight, and dealing with moving things that I cannot help with. All while getting very little sleep some days because he insists on "us time." Today for instance he got off work at 10 am, came home to a sleeping wife, curled up with her on the couch, and still got up at noon to take the car to the inspection. I am slowly learning how blessed I am by a husband who thinks I am the most important part of the day.

As I look around me at a house with boxes stacked up and a list of household things that need to be done as long as my arm I am choosing to be thankful. We have nice things, a fairly comfortable life, but most of all we have each other. And if being on our own away from family and friends for 2 years has taught me anything, it's that we can survive anything with the other by our side.