Our office closed early today because the town it is in experienced a black out.  At first we weren’t sure if it was just our end of town so I hopped in the car and ran an errand.  Nope whole town with no power. Well, except for the time and temp sign at one bank.  Go figure.  Cruising downtown to the post office, all the Main Street shop owners and goers were on the sidewalk scratching their heads.  First amazing event I experienced in the town was when Subway got new booths a few years ago.  I think there are 4 stop lights.   There’s something to be said for a small town.

So, after an afternoon of errand catching up and girl talk we found our way home.  I wasn’t sure what was on my agenda for the evening until Olivia pulled me by the hand into my office and informed me we were having my birthday party (stop back by in July to wish me a happy one!)  Then she asked, “Did you bring the cake?”  I suppose it’s a good thing I picked up an angel food cake at the grocery store otherwise I would have ruined the party.

Gotta run…time to sing.

Last Saturday Olivia and I took a day trip to visit Karen, Scott and Gwen.  We had a great visit and the girls played together like old friends.

I have a Grip-EZ melon/pineapple cutter and I love it.

I used it for the first time tonight to cut a little watermelon I bought and it worked like a charm!  Made perfect little slices and O and I ate watermelon until our bellies couldn’t hold any more.

Yes, I’m a gadget girl. 

Olivia walks into my office and this is how it went. By the way, she was fully clothed 3 minutes ago when I sent her to put her shoes up.

Me: You’re naked!

O: I know.

Me: Why are you naked?

O: Because I took my clothes off, silly goosey.

I love it when she puts me in my place.

Olivia knows that daddy took an airplane for mosquito warfare AT and whenever we hear/see one flying over, she asks is it bringing daddy back yet.  Sadly, no.

He called and talked to her the other night and they were talking about the airplane.  She wanted to know if he flew on a yellow one.  He explained that it wasn’t a yellow airplane it was white and they had a LONG discussion about it, but it didn’t sit well with her.  Finally, she gave the reason the plane was white and not yellow: So it didn’t get ‘fused with Big Bird.  Makes good sense to me.

While parading for Salute to the Troops, I made some rounds to visit some friends who had displays set up. I went past the National Guard set up and they had a Bradley, which is Will’s other ride. He was impressed I picked it out until he noticed the sign next to me telling what it was. Damn…should have Photoshopped. Not that it makes a  difference, but I entered the area from behind the vehicle and, if I’m not mistaken, I think my words to my friend ‘P’ were, “Hold up! This is what Will does*.” I read said sign and it was.

——————————-

*I’m really not a dim wit. I had to learn all about the ACES and then I got jacked over to the Bradley. Learning curve. Also, I make no apologies for speaking “girl.” Girls rule. Ask us.

By now, I’m sure you have all heard/read about the earthquake in China.  The death toll is climbing.  I’ve gotten a couple of emails and I checked Half the Sky’s website and the orphanages they sponsor in the area, including Olivia’s, were not affected, but they will be working on checking on those in the other cities. 

Regardless of where the tragedy occured, it is a terrible one and these folks need our prayers.

Two words: Absolute Blast.

After a long day of parading and driving from Raleigh back into Charlotte, I was more than ready to settle into my room and grab a couple of z’s before J got into town.  I checked into the Renaissance Charlotte Hotel where the prom was being held.  We figured better safe than sorry, so we opted to get a room and be able to enjoy ourselves without having to worry about driving home.  Because the hotel was remodeling two floors at a time, the rooms filled up quickly.   I kept checking back every day or so in hopes of getting a room and one day, SCORE!  Granted, it was the Romance Package, but beggars can’t be choosers so a little romance it was going to be.  Heh.  I got some raised eyebrows when I checked in and they confirmed my request for two double beds.  Yeah, about that.  After a brief history of where Sgt. husband was, I got my keys and rode the elevator to the fancy key only floor.  The room was great.  Wasn’t over the top, but it was very nice and I was quite pleased with our accomodations.  J got to the hotel and we had a couple of cocktails and we got dressed.  It was going to be a super duper fun night.  Shannon, Tony, Jodi and Scott got to the hotel and we were running just a tad bit behind.  I swear it was the humidty making for a terrible hair night.  We met up with our party in the lounge area.  After a bit of confusion, slight attitude and a very gracious recovery from the restaurant manager on duty, we had the most delightful dinner.  We ate our dinner, shared some stories and then it was time to get our groove on.    Just an aside: Jodi and I kept looking at one another and finally we had to figure out how we knew one another…she is the PA for the doctor who took my tonsils out!  Yup, small world.  At the time of my consult, she and I talked about the China adoption process and she told me she had a friend who was adopting, but had gotten held up in the slow down.  I told her I had friends who were going through the same thing, but tell them to hang in there; it would happen.  Little did I know it was Shannon! 

Okay, where was I?  Oh, yeah.  We entered the ballroom to some kicking tunes and danced, danced and danced some more.  Even though J was my date, I was afraid of feeling left out when the slow mushy songs came on.  Not true.  Jodi was the first to offer me her hand in dance during a slow song.  And thanks to Shannon, Journey has brand new meaning to me and I must say she is quite the dance partner.   I don’t think anyone’s smile faded until they crossed the threshhold back into the real world.  Yes, Will was missed greatly, but I could not have had better dates or friends there with me.  So a HUGE thanks to all of you!  You made my night a blast and we helped out a fantastic charity.  Anyone who wants to go next year, c’mon!  We’d love to have you. 

Blah, blah, blah…where are the pictures already?  Here ya’ go!

Tony, Shannon, Me, Jodi, Scott and J

Fun, Fun, Fun

Will is in mosquito laden Mississippi for training, but managed to sneak two minutes to call and wish me a happy Mother’s Day.  Sweet. 

To all my mom-friends and mom-friends in waiting: Happy Mother’s Day!  

If you search the different corners of the blogisphere, you will find different answers, but the message will, for the most part, be the same.

I have never really known the life of a full time active duty military spouse. Will and I married when I was 23 and he was very close to getting out of the Marine Corps. We dated while he was active duty, but I was living the college life in another town 50 miles away and he and his buddies would schlep into town for the night/weekend. (Somebody always had a girlfriend who had an apartment with a floor that could sleep 20 easily.) So, aside from a trip now and then to base, I didn’t know anything about base life or how it was lived. My “badge of honor” then was that I was dating a Marine (and a cute one at that). We got married, got out of the military and moved away and began living our lives. After a few years, Will decided he wanted to go back in. He toyed with the idea of going back active duty, but he decided to join the reserves and our new journey began. By that point, we were a little older, more settled into our lives and our understanding and appreciation for things had changed. I still didn’t fully understand the life of being a military spouse; all I had to do was deal with one weekend a month and a couple weeks a year. Easy enough. We are in a non-military town and the majority of our in-town friends are civilians who have not lived the military life so conversations about service never came up. December 2004 changed my life as I knew it. I was in the beginning stages of being a mother and the beginning stages of being a full time military spouse. My husband was being recalled for active duty service. Now, before I go on, please know that when someone joins the military, they have to sign a contract. In this contract it says they will serve their country when called upon, no matter what. When you sign it. You agree to it. There was never a question regarding serving (in the beginning we thought it was voluntary recall, but it wasn’t). He knew what he needed to do and I supported him with all my heart and soul. I watched my husband’s face as he chose the words to tell me he was ready to serve. He never wavered or flinched. It was very matter-of-fact. The pride I thought I knew was nothing. It was at that moment, in my heart and in my mind, I felt like a military spouse. For some (i.e. us) who are removed from “the life” by living where we do, it took a bit longer for it to seep in, but it did and we’ve never looked back.

Over Will’s first deployment, I learned a lot about him, me and us. I saw the hero in my husband. I saw how he stepped up with honor when duty called and not one time did it cross his mind on trying to figure a way to get out of it. I listened to his stories of construction and rebirth in an area devastated by war. I listened to the good and smiled. I listened to the bad and cried. I listened intently and I heard what he had to say. I learned about my weaknesses and strengths and used it as a tool to educate myself. Yes, there were a lot of pity-party days. There were more tears shed than Heaven has angels. I prayed harder than I ever imagined possible. I learned to stop being so selfish. I learned to accept what was dealt to me and to deal with it. It wasn’t always easy, and it still isn’t, but I’m a better person because of it. 

Am I a perfect wife?  Depends on who you ask.  (hee, hee).  No, I’m not.  Are we a perfect couple?  Are you kidding?  Don King wouldn’t referee some of our matches.  There have been times where we’ve been ready to throw in the towel, but we manage to get our egos in check and get back to life.  Those who know us well know we are polar opposites, but we’re a good complement to one another.  I’m the mouth and if he were any quieter he would be mute.  I’m the cook, he’s the techy.  I’m the read it and do it by the book girl, he does it his way, takes it apart and then realizes I’m right.  I’m a tad bit snarky at times, he’s patient and puts up with it.  We’re kind of like peanut butter and jelly…we’re good together, but we’re also good enough to stand alone.

Those who volunteer to serve our country are an elite minority, as are their spouses, and we are proud to be a part of it. Our service members come from all backgrounds and join the service for different reasons. For some, it is in their blood. For others, they need direction and discipline. There are some simply have a GED and there are those who hold doctoral degrees. Some like it and stay in. Some hate it and count the days to get out.  It is the differences in backgrounds, skills, personalities and all the other stuff that make the military community what it is.  Oddly enough, just like the rest of the world.   There are some who think those who serve in our military are the bottom of the barrel and the dregs of society with no other choices.  I, and anyone with half a wit about them, know how much crap that is.  Will and his soldiers have their annoying boy habits and cut up like boys will, but when it comes down to it, they know their job and they know it well.   They do their job and they do it well.  

Being a military spouse is an honor and it means I get to experience life from different angles and points of view.  It adds one more category on my resume of life.  It means I get to learn about things I would otherwise wouldn’t know about.  It has taught me compassion and understanding.  It has helped me see clearly the blessings that have been bestowed upon me and to share with others.  It has taught me to dig down deep and pull from within.  It has taught me how to be resourceful.  It has taught me that “hurry up and wait” means just that.   Ya’ll know I’m a realist and there is a TON of ugly that can come with it.  I don’t blow sunshine and white picket fences still have splinters, but it is what it is.  How we choose to embrace it is up to us. 

I don’t know what it’s like to pack up and move 5 times in six years or what it’s like to deal with base housing.  What I do know is that my heart skips a beat when my soldier puts on his uniform.  I know that it hurts like hell to run into his rucksack in middle of the living room floor on the way to let the dog out at 3 am.  I know that when I kiss him good-bye and smooth out the material of his uniform reminding him to be safe, I’m letting the National Guard have one of my best friends who just happens to be one of its best soldiers. 

So, what does all this mean?  It means I’ve got the best life has to offer and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

I received a medal Monday. I am the proud recipient of the Military Spouse Medal from my darling husband.

The certificate reads:

The Spouse does not wear a uniform yet they serve their country. They do not acquire nor wear ribbons showing where they have been yet they go. They did not ask for the duty they perform yet they unwaveringly serve to their best ability. They serve - yet are not honored with trinkets or pieces of cloth, showing their service.

The burning candle signifies the lonely nights you have spent and that you have kept the home fires burning. A symbol with no beginning and no end, the ring around the candle flame symbolizes the undying flame of love for your spouse. The image of a rose is for the unwavering devotion you have shown for your spouse and their service to their country.

This Medal is gratefully given to those that do not ask, those that stay on the
home front so that their spouse can serve for they also proudly serve their country.

In 1984, Ronald Reagan declared the Friday before Mother’s Day to be Military Spouse Appreciation Day, which happens to be today. I’m going to step out and include significant others including girlfriends, boyfriends and fiances. There are a lot of us who were military girlfriends before we became military spouses. We know where you’re coming from!

So, to all those who serve on the homefront: I send you a big ‘ol Hooah! (or oorah or whatever your branch cry is).

A while back I posted about having a digital pressure cooker that sat unused for a couple of years.  Mine is by Cook’s Essentials and, I must say, it is still one of my absolute favorite appliances. 

We eat a lot of chicken around here and chicken can get pretty boring.  So, I started experimenting with different seasonings.  Penzeys is my favorite spice spot.  The only thing with cooking in a pressure cooker is you must have at least one cup of liquid so I use chicken broth, beef broth, or whatever my spice is mixed with water.  I also use McCormick’s Bag ‘n Season (the seasoning, not the bag) a lot; I mix the seasoning with my one cup of liquid and put in the pressure cooker, set it for the allotted time and dinner is done within half an hour.  Again, throw the bag away or save for something else.

Sunday I made a pork tenderloin using the Bicentennial rub from Penzeys.  I used my handy dandy Deni meat tenderizer to tenderize my loin and rubbed it down and put it in the fridge for about 5 hours.  I trimmed all the fat from my pork loin before seasoning *GASP*.  I know, not thinking about how I was going to cook it, it could have been a disaster.  Not with my digi pressure cooker!  I mixed some more of the seasoning with a cup of water, put in and 50 minutes later, we had the most delicious and tender pork tenderloin I think we’ve ever had.  

 Tonight was another pork debut in the cooker.  One of my absolute favorite grilling sauces is John Boy and Billy’s Grillin’ Sauce.  We like the spicy.  I bought some pork county-style ribs and was going to slow cook them on the grill.  Whatever.  I threw them in the cooker with 2/3 of a bottle of the sauce (would have been the whole bottle, but when we grill steaks, Will puts bbq sauce on his and he had already dipped into the bottle).  50 minutes and dinner was de-lish-us.

Bon appetit!

For anyone who has ever wondered how I came up with pot and kettle for the blog address, here’s the skinny:  You’ve all heard the saying, “that’s the pot calling the kettle black.”  Yeah, well here it is in all it’s glory.

I’m going to bust on Will for last minute packing when, in fact, I’m also a last minute packer.  I usually end up spending $20 at a Wol-Mrt in the city I’m visiting or on the way to because I always forget something.  Trip to Raleigh was the prime example.  I was being all giddy for girl’s night out the night before I left and forgot 1/2 my toiletries.  I used to keep a travel kit packed so all I had to do was grab and go and now with Fabul-O, my trips are fewer and farther in between and stuff expires, ya’ know.  So now it’s pack when I go.  Normally the goody stuff you get at the hotels is okay, but being the allergy queen I am, can’t use but certain stuff on my loves-to-break-out-and-be-all-hivey skin.

I digress….Will has annual training (AT) with the Guard coming up soon…very soon.  He always waits until the very last minute to pack and then spends half the night scrounging for t-shirts, boot bands (the little thingys that keep his pants inside his boots - I think), PT gear, etc.  Where is this stuff?  It’s in the attic.  It’s in a duffel bag from weekend drills.  It’s the secret stash he keeps in the car for back up.  It’s in a foot locker.  How long does it take him to pull a weekend drill bag together? 2-3 hours, sometimes longer depending on what they are doing and where they are going.  How long to pull an AT bag together?  4-5 hours, oddly the same amount of time it took him to pack for Iraq for 10 months.   He did listen to me this time when I begged him to please start getting ready early so he doesn’t have to rush around and stay up late.  He washed his t-shirts and uniforms, but he wore the t-shirts to work.  Begin again.

Am I stalling posting updates?  You betcha I am.  I have pictures and I know if I do a post without them I’ll never make it back to update.   The prom pics weren’t from my camera and they were loaded onto my laptop, which doesn’t have any photo editing software and the files are huge and they must be edited.  Trust me.  Ya’ll don’t need to see but so much cuteness of me.  Heh.  That leads you to the question, “Why not just save them to another card or CD and move them to a computer that has the photo editing software?” In all honesty?  That’s just way to simple for my taste.  Besides, ye old laptop hasn’t been fired up since I downloaded from J’s card.  That’s pure laziness.  Parade pics are on another camera.  Latest goings on at Chateau L are on another one.  They’re coming.  You peeps know I’m a woman of my word…I’m slow, but I’m true to my word.

So, in the spirit of the day…enjoy and ole!

It’s been a whirlwind of a week. Can you believe it is already Wednesday?? I know. I got lost last month, too. So lost, in fact, I made my mortgage payment TWICE. Yep, twice. Long story short, my mortgage is through a not-local-to-me credit union but my main piggy bank is with a local bank. I keep money at the CU, but mainly pay bills from main pig. Well, for April’s payment, I didn’t see the money come out of my account so I panicked and moved money from CU account to mortgage. Phew. Then I went back to main piggy bank and saw it had been withdrawn, just.not.posted.yet. Yikes. CU offered to move the money back to my account, but I decided to leave it alone. They posted it for May’s payment. Anyway… April has flown by faster than you can blink your eyes; at least for those of us scrambling for air at Chateau L.

Thursday night was Girl’s Night Out with a group of ladies from surrounding areas. Was just as much fun as it was last month. I laughed until my sides split. Those in and around the area really need to check out Salara. I had the blueberry fritters again. I took Will some chocolaty delight and I decided to have some carrot cake. I love good carrot cake and this was yum-o, but was very, very rich. Shannon joined me and she was in love with the fritters, too.

Thursday night I packed my bags and car for the beginning of a long weekend, and by long I don’t mean extended days off…I mean oodles of on the road time. I logged 506 miles from Thursday night until I settled peacefully at home on Sunday evening.

Friday, after I left work, I headed to Apex, NC to pay respects to the family of a fallen Soldier, Sgt. Lance Eakes. This area has lost several soldiers and the Blue Star Mothers for that area of our state have been doing a great job supporting the family and I’m proud of them. Will had Guard duty and my parents had Olivia so it was just me; several of the other Blue Star Mothers visited earlier in the day. I prayed for strength as I pulled into the parking lot and saw a lot of familiar and friendly faces of the Patriot Guard Riders and felt a bit more relaxed. I didn’t know this family personally, but they are part of our extended family. While in line, I met the brigade support chaplain who is assigned to Will’s brigade. That was nice. She and I spoke for several minutes and exchanged information. She seems to be a wonderful lady and I hope we are one of the family support groups she visits when she heads west. Her husband is also part of the brigade. When I stepped outside the funeral home doors, it hit me like a ton of bricks and I learned that I am not strong enough to do this alone. I called a fellow BSM/friend (Hey P!)  who graciously directed me everywhere I needed to be and she talked me back to a level of calm. I set Ramona to get me to the Raleigh-Durham airport to drop off some Girl Scout cookies a troop from NEW JERSEY shipped to me for our soldiers at the USO.   So, I get to the airport and missed the one door I was supposed to stop at. I had to whip out the brass ovaries on the security dude at the airport (thanks to Koli’s mom for that one! I love it and have permanently borrowed the phrase). I have never been to this airport before, much less the USO, and explained to him what I was doing, etc. He told me I needed to back up, could I handle it? Asshat. Not only did I back up, but I parallel parked better than I ever have in my entire life. (I quit parallel parking after hitting a car once. Not backing into it from the front or rear, but hitting my front quarter panel on the car’s bumper trying to maneuver into a spot. Yeah. Not pretty. The steel bumper faired better than my car. That was in 1995.)  I had one big box housing about 25-30 small boxes of cookies. There was a wee bit of confusion as to what I was bringing so four men came down to get them. Heh. I had some other goodies in my car for a care package party I was helping host later in the weekend, so I let them pilfer and plunder taking what they wanted. I was glad Will had freed up long enough to hear about the events. He listened to me, but didn’t know what to say to soothe my soul except he was proud of me. I needed that.

Next stop….The Hilton. I was upgraded to the fancy floor that required a key in the elevator to get to. Yippee. There was a convention being held at the hotel and the fun restaurant next door I was counting on for a fruity cocktail had a two hour wait out the door and the bar area was packed like sardines. So, I went back to my hotel, put my jammies on and ordered room service. The best chicken quesadilla and cold beer I could have imagined. Olé. Then it was off to bed for the Salute to the Troops parade Saturday morning.

Part II, coming soon….

It’s coming, but I’m home with an uber sick toddler today.  Between coughing fits and lots of green goo, we’re not having such a grandiose day. 
I will tell you it was a hoot.  Dinner was great.  Company was fantastic.  My feet hurt really, really bad, which is a sign of too much dancing in the wrong shoes.

 
More soon…Olivia sneezes her best to all of you.

Three days until Prom 2008. I’m way excited; admittedly, more than I should be. It’s been 18 years since my first prom and I know I was no where near as excited as I am now. I think Will may be a little irritated that my excitement runneth from my ears. Hey, can’t help it, but, I must say, he is being a pretty good sport about it. When we made the grandiose plans to go this year (Ummm - about 15 minutes into it last year) who knew he would have Guard duty twice this month. He needs to blame his command, not me. Besides, he’s driving and shooting tanks. How cool is that? I know, not as cool as the prom, but still pretty nifty.

My tickets finally arrived yesterday after I’ve irritated the dickens out of the people. I checked the postmark; March 27. The kicker: The envelope was opened. Apparently, my mail carrier mis-delivered them to someone who failed to realize their name was not Susan L living at my address and was expecting something from the organization and they plundered through my envelope, but everything was in there. Whew. I must give kudos to the organizer who never raised a question about not receiving the tickets and already had made plans to have them available for me at the event. Thanks for that!

I have three dresses to choose from. Why three? I couldn’t narrow it down to one, obviously. I like one better than two. Will likes two better than one and we are both on the fence about three. So, I’ll let my date decide.

I’ve got my checklist and am working my way through it:

Shoes. Check.

Accessories. Half check. Can’t finalize until I decide what dress to wear.

Hair appointment. Nope. I need to have ye old roots touched up, but if I go in for highlights they will want to cut it and I’m not about having a haircut three days before the prom. Gah. Couldn’t do it sooner because I’m not a fan of my hair spontaneously combusting risking damaging my hair because it’s dried out from the extra bleach less than six weeks after the last time I had it done highlighting process done too soon.

Dinner. At the hotel - they don’t accept reservations so we’ll just have to cross our fingers, I guess. To ensure our safety, we will be staying at the hotel that night. I didn’t get the fancy negotiated rate for the affair, but it’s cheaper than any alternative as a result of driving home. Not saying I would be irresponsible, but it’s not me I’m worried about. Plus, the hotel is renovating TWO floors at a time and it took me about 3 weeks to get a room. Now the ones that are available are way more expensive than mine, so I guess all is well.

I’ve been practicing shaking my groove and Olivia tells me, “Mommy. That not look right? You being a silly goose.” A critic at such a young age.

Bottom line…3 days, people.

**********

And, yes.  I’m referring to is as prom just like I’m 17 again.  Only this time, my dress is MUCH bigger and hair much smaller.

This was my response today when I picked Olivia up at school.  I walked in and two of the afternoon teachers turned to me and grinned.  This was our conversation:

Teacher 1:  Is there something you would like to share?

Me: Huh? 

Teacher2: Is there anything new happening?

Me: I had a pretty rough day and I have a headache.

Teacher1: Is that all?

Me: It’s starting to rain.  Why do you ask?

Teacher2: Well, Olivia told us that her mommy is going to have a baby. (Insert BIG grins and giggles here)

Me: (GASPING for air and trying not to bust a gut laughing.) Umm, no.  Not even close.

Teacher3 walks in on the tail of the conversation: Yeah, she told me, too, but I figured something was up when she said her grandma was going to have one.

I gather up Fabul-O and her treasures and ask her who’s having a baby?  Her response: “You are mommy.  You and Grandma.   She picks me up Friday so I go wif her to have a baby.”

Can’t wait to see what the Wednesday morning parking lot chat will be in the morning.  Word spreads fast in a small private school and almost all the kidlets were gone by the time I got there this afternoon.  

Sweet.

This is part of the subject line of an email I got from Old Navy today. These shoes were horrible in the 80s and it looks like they’ll be horrible again. Apparently, they’ve been on a comeback for some time now. Those who know me know I’m no fashionista, so maybe it’s me who has the problem. Not the creepy, flimsy shoes that make your feet sweat and stink to high heaven that when you take them off, the pattern of the shoe is outlined in the street dirt you kicked up. Can’t wait for spiral perms and reindeer bangs to make it back. Oh, can’t forget: bubble skirts, blue mascara, slouch socks with hi-top Reeboks, Esprit, Swatch, Lacoste, Members Only, parachute pants, banana clips, jelly bracelets, Jordache jeans with the bow above the zipper on the back of the legs and stirrup pants.

Ya’ll know I’m not hating on the 80s. I think hair bands are the greatest thing that emerged from them. Just some things don’t need to come back, is all.

For the record, Crocs are so not in the same category as Jelly shoes and shame on you for thinking it.