In the Meantime...

Last weekend, paint, and a thank you.

I had just about the perfect weekend. The weather was amazing. High 70's - low 80's with low humidity and clear skies all weekend. Which meant a/c off and windows open for two whole days. Woke up to 50's in the mornings! The dogs and I were in heaven.

And because of that beautiful weather, we got to really enjoy the back yard. I sat on the deck reading while the dogs lounged in the sun while I was watching / got into the garden beds and ate bark and bunny poo as soon as my back was turned. Leo played fetch until I had to make him stop, resting then in the shade under the willow tree. 

A dear friend  from our McChord days was visiting family in Iowa and we were able to connect for lunch and dinner in Omaha.  You know, sometimes this crazy military life is tough. We are separated from our loved ones. Our spouses get deployed. We make amazing friends and then must say goodbye as each PCS comes through. Oh, but those friendships make it all worth while! Those friendships where, after five years apart, you fall into comfortable conversation like you've only been apart for five months. Or five minutes. It was so good to see Tami. I'm really, really lucky in the friend department.

On Saturday, I met a friend in Council Bluffs for the RAGBRAI expo. I was glad to get to experience a small taste of the nuttiness that is RAGBRAI. Two of my friends took off with 10,000 other riders yesterday morning for the 400+ mile ride from the Missouri River to the Mississippi River. They'll be back in a week ~ sore, happy, and with many stories to tell.

I think I'm calming down about paint colors for the interior of the house. I got a bit caught up in trying to be hip and cool with my colors, but then I remembered that I am neither hip nor cool. So I took a really good look at my stuff. The furniture, the pictures, the things that I have around me that I love, and I realized that I already have a pallet. I just need to translate that into a paint (and window coverings) scheme that flows nicely throughout the house. I'm just about there. And those who know me know that some shade of green will be involved...

Before I end this disjointed and rambling post, I want to say a quick word of Thanks. I received several sweet, comforting, and encouraging emails (and one loving kick in the pants from my Auntie Mj) in response to this post. You sneaky folks don't let the words "comments closed" stop you! And I'm glad. Glad to know that I'm not the only one that fall short of her goals. Not the only one who is hard on herself. Not the only one who schedules more than can fit in a day. (Though honestly, that is not my problem as I don't really have much on my plate.)

So, to those working mothers and grandmothers who are taking care of entire families and themselves and whoever else needs it, who try to find time for YOU and just can't quite squeeze it in, but who found the time to send an email to a stranger (or niece) who needed a boost, thank you.  

Also, thanks to my sweet brother, sister-in-law, mom, and dad for your emails too. And Jon, thanks for your hug after you read the post. I'm so very lucky.

Remember Me.

Get your tissues out before you watch this video.

Linky-loo!

I'm a little light in the content department lately, so I thought I would share a few things that are making me happy this week.

This story out of California. Don't mess with band geeks! (Thanks to a facebook friend for posting this on her page.)

Stephen Colbert. In this segment, he challenges his viewers to support military members by supporting schools that educate their kids (you have to get to the 4:30 point). He set up a page on Donors Choose and as of this moment, over $32,000 dollars has been raised. How cool is that?

This article in my local paper. Here's my favorite part (emphasis mine).

The magistrate did not pronounce the two "husband and wife." Instead, as they fought back tears of joy, he told them, "By the authority vested in me by the laws of the great State of Iowa, I now pronounce the two of you legally married with all the privileges, immunities, rights and obligations as provided by law for married people."

Rosman, himself a married man for more than 30 years, didn't want to comment at length about the ceremony. But his feelings were clear. He usually just says "State of Iowa." He added the word "great" Monday, and spoke it with conviction.

After the ceremony, Rosman said: "Any time two people love each other, that's a good thing."

And, finally, the following video, which I found on Shelagh's blog.

I know it's silly, but it makes me happy. And we could all use a little of that these days, right?

Better days and some perspective.

After the crapfest that was last Monday, my week improved exponentially. 

The weather was beautiful (until yesterday).

Jon came home on Tuesday.

On Wednesday, I FINALLY found someone to cut my hair (it's been six months and several disastrous haircuts).

On Thurdsay, one dear friend had a healthy baby boy and another shared with me that she is expecting in November.

Went to lunch on Friday with new friends at a new (to me) restaurant.

Also on Friday, I found the Omaha Whole Foods and got some AMAZING chocolate / peanut butter gelato. I mean I was making embarassing noises while I was eating it. So. Very. Yummy.

Knitted with friends on Saturday.

Saw an excellent movie yesterday and Jon cooked dinner last night.

I found a dog-sitter! I'm so relieved. I didn't want to board them and I feel like Lucy and Leo will be in good hands when we go to Germany in 6-1/2 weeks.

All in all, a pretty good week.

Jon left this morning for the last trip of this crazy investigation. He'll be home on Friday and then has to work on getting requalified.

Thanks for all your sweet comments last week. I feel sorry for myself when I have crappy days like that and then I read something like this that puts it all in perspective.

If you have time in your busy days, in your busy lives, keep good thoughts in your hearts and minds for spouses like SisB and her, and her, and her, and her, and her. (Her husband just got home last weekend.) They (and thousands of others) have partners deployed in dangerous places for sometimes a year at a time.

And here I was whining about losing my ID card.

Way to bring it, Monday.

I was going to write about my afternoon at the opera yesterday, but this day started out blech and kept getting more and more buggy and now I'm not in the mood. So prepare yourselves for some whine.

Here's a list of reasons why I have a case of the Mondays:

• The scroll ball on my mouse won't scroll down and it's bugging the crap out of me. I've cleaned it but it still won't work.
• For some reason, there is no audio on youtube videos with either Firefox or Safari. But if I log in as Jon, there is.
• The wind is howling and it's driving me crazy. I thought we left the damn wind in Oklahoma. It's gusting so hard that as I was getting out of my car a gust caught the door, slamming my shoulders between the door and the car. I'm glad my head was above the frame of the car or it would have hurt a lot more than it did.
• As I was getting into the car to go to the post office, I noticed that I had left the door unlocked. Someone else noticed too. There was evidence that someone was in my car looking for something to steal. They must have been looking for little, easy stuff, though. The radio was still there. Nothing was taken, but it freaked me out anyway.
• We usually use the post office on base, so I headed that way. As I was getting close to the gate, I went to get my id card out of my wallet and it wasn't there. I've looked everywhere and it's gone. I called a few place I went since I last used it and it hasn't been turned in. I've been a military dependent for about 30 of my 41 years and I have never lost an id card. It has Jon's and my ssn's on it. To say that I'm freaking about this would be an understatement. (Here's a cherry on this sundae - my driver's license doesn't have my photo on it. So now I have no photo identification!)
• Since I can't get on base, I have to find another post office. I use the maps app on my iPhone (LOVE that!) and drive to the closest one. But it's an annex and has no services. I drive to the next closest one, arrive at 1:05, and discover that they close at 1:00 pm every day. I finally have luck at the third one, but that's where I got slammed in my car by the wind. At least my nephew will get his birthday present on time.
• By this time I really needed some lunch and a diet coke. I was close to a Panera (LOVE Panera) and thought it would be good to drown my sorrows in a Greek salad. I forgot that they serve Pepsi (HATE diet pepsi).

At least the salad was good. And I heard my favorite Coldplay song in the car on the way home. So, all is not lost.

I know in the scheme of life, this really is not a bad day. I sound like a big whiney-beheiney. So I will stop the rant now. I need to take the dogs for a walk anyway. If the stupid wind doesn't blow us away.

Ooops.
Okay, NOW the rant is over.
Tomorrow ~ all things wonderful about La Boheme!

I miss my husband...

...and listening to this song over and over again is NOT helping.

Come On Get Higher @ Yahoo! Video

Here's to music programs in our schools!

One of my friends posted this on their Facebook page and I wanted to share it here.

I can't adequately describe to you how happy this video makes me. I love the song, yes, but there is something about the sheer fun these kids (and their teacher) are having that brings tears to my eyes every time I watch them sing. (Oh, yeah. I'm a crier.)

These kids go to a NYC public school. (Their teacher's blog is here.)  I don't know about NYC public schools, but I do know that public school arts programs are getting cut in districts all over the country and it makes me very sad.

I think about what my music meant to me as I grew up a military brat, moving every few years, being the new kid over and over again. If I hadn't had band, I would have had a much tougher time adjusting, making friends, and developing any kind of self-confidence at all. Especially in high school.

I think about my friends in junior high and high school. The drama kids, the choir kids, the band kids. The artists and photographers and writers. Sometimes, some of the "cool kids" were in those groups. But more often, the "cool kids" were involved sports and not the arts.

Not that the kids involved in the art programs were dorks. Far from it. They were some of the most interesting and talented people at my schools. I just think that the fact that the schools I attended had vibrant, active arts programs gave those kids (including me) a chance to shine.

And I will always be grateful for that, as I'm sure the kids at PS22 will be.

Keep them safe.

Photo: Rafiq Maqbool /AP

Please, read this.
If you pray, say a little one for all of our soldiers serving in harm's way.
If you don't pray, keep them in your thoughts and hope for their safe returns to their families.

Filler

I'll be back to regular posting soon.
Really.
I will!
In the meantime...
(I crack myself up)

Sara posted a teaser for the Paws for Charity Art Book Project today. I can only say that I am humbled to have a photograph (the one of my sweet Lucy above) included with such amazingly talented people. I don't quite know what Sara was thinking, but I'm honored she allowed me to participate.

If you are interested in reading a blog written by military wives who are wicked smart, with razor sharp wit, LeftFace is the place for you. As the name of the blog alludes, the contributing writers are left of center, politically speaking. This makes them a little different from the majority of blogs written by and for military spouses. They offer alternate positions on various issues that affect military families and establish the fact that the military community is comprised of people from all walks of life, with different points of view. They are open to civilized discussion. Read the comment policy if you have any questions.

That's it for today.

Regular programing to resume at a later date...

Yes, I'm still here. Why do you ask?

Cherry Blossoms. Altus, OK. Spring 2008.

Helllooo.
Anyone still there?
I guess I took a little blogging break, huh? It's been two weeks since I posted anything. I'm not sure why, except that I haven't been feeling very clever lately. Several times, I would sit down to write something here and I'd just spend 5 minutes staring at the empty screen; the blinking cursor taunting me.

I'm still not feeling it, but I thought I'd post a quick update to satisfy anyone interested.
And to get my brother, my auntie Mj, and my friend Amber off my back ;-)

We are, barring any hiccups, on our way to becoming home-owners. After the initial deal fell through, we were able to renegotiate and come up with a suitable contract. So, keep your fingers crossed that they get the radon situation in the basement taken care of. Big problem around here - who knew? We are scheduled to close June 24th! 

I've finally started training for my triathlon. Per Jon's suggestion, I've started slow. (Usually, I jump in gang-busters and hurt myself. Not a good method.) I'm surprised and pleased with my progress. I am thrilled that my knees are holding up. I've only been running so far, so I need to get going on biking and swimming, not to mention weight training. But it feels great to get this old body moving again after way too long.

I went to my first squadron spouses gathering and was psyched to have met some really funny, smart, interesting women. I hope the commander's wife tries to get us together once a month or so. I think I may make some friends here after all!

I found a knitting group in Omaha and have been inspired to step out of the scarf-knitting rut that I am in and branch into mittens, and gloves, and sweaters, and... I'll keep you posted.

Jon left today for Doha . He got word Tuesday that he was to leave today and he thinks he'll only be gone a couple of weeks. I think it will be a good experience for him once he gets there. But it is a L-O-N-G trip.   

That's about it from here. I'm hoping that the arrival of spring will renew my creative juices.

Things are still pretty brown and drab here, however. So, lets have another look at those cherry blossoms from our last summer in OK, shall we?

Happy spring!