Just Say Julie

As you know if you read my last blog, I was really excited about my trip home for the weekend. If I had known the ordeal I was going to go through just trying to get out of Texas, I might have reconsidered the trip. The day started out innocently enough with IT guy taking me to the airport since we both live on that side of town. However, things quickly turned ugly when I walked into the airport and saw the line waiting to check in at the American Airlines counter. After being dropped off I realized I had left my cell phone at the house and had to send IT guy back to my place to get said cell phone. Little did I know how much I would need the phone later on during the day. Once I had my cell phone in hand, I proceeded through security expecting to be boarding a plane at any minute. That minute did not come until four hours later when my flight to Dallas finally arrived at our local airport. After finally arriving in Dallas, I discovered that I could have made the original fligh...

So…I am going home tomorrow. I am really excited about the trip home mostly because I get to see my friend, Ronda, whom I haven’t seen in two years. In that time, Ronda had a baby and I haven’t ever met my adopted niece! I really can’t wait. I am also excited because it has been nearly six months since the last time I went home. That may not seem like a big deal to most people but to me it is huge. Last year I went home 6 times while Shawn was deployed. That was over an 11 month time period and two of those trips were more than a week long. I never thought I would be able to handle going this long without a visit home but I haven’t had much of a choice. However, that being said, I can’t seem to bring myself to finish packing. I started last night by lining up all my clothes and shoes on the guest bed to make sure I had everything. It has taken me four hours tonight to complete the task. I just can’t seem to get motivated and my flight leaves at 8:30 in the morning! I am ba...

So I mentioned before that my wonderful friends have found an abundance of things to keep me occupied during this temporary separation. This week has been the perfect example of that. I think Monday has been the only night that I came home and stayed home. Poor Maverick probably thinks Shawn and I have both left him. Tuesday night was dinner at the Olive Garden with Jenn and Ginny. Two and a half hours of girl talk over pasta and drinks really does the soul good. I don’t think we stopped laughing the entire time we were there. When my TV Guide arrived earlier this week, I discovered that the Dancing with the Stars Tour was coming to Austin Wednesday night. So online I went to purchase tickets. I dialed up Jenny (my sister-in-law in Austin) and last night I was off to the land of the longhorns to partake in one of my passions in life. I must say seeing the dances in person was 100 times better than watching them on TV. Tonight it was off to a local high school with Jenn and D...

It has been nearly a week since Shawn left for his 5 week stay in the desert. I have to say that I am realizing more and more what a fabulous (or, as Jenn would say, fantabulous) bunch of friends I have. My schedule for the next couple of weeks is cram packed with events and gatherings that will keep me busy and help the time past quicker. In addition to my trip home in two weeks and Mom’s subsequent visit to Central Texas, I will hardly notice that Shawn is gone. I am truly grateful to be surrounded by such wonderful people. Maverick, on the other, is noticing Shawn’s absence. I caught him sitting in front of the door to the garage the other night just staring waiting for it to open. It is sad because he doesn’t understand. He is used to it being just me in the house with him since Shawn was deployed when I got him. Actually, I would think he would be a bit relieved to have Shawn gone since I am clearly the favorite pet parent. We have been getting in some good quality t...

The day finally arrived for Shawn to depart to NTC at Fort Irwin for 5 weeks. As is fitting with all things military, drop off time was 1 AM. So here we were scrambling at 12:15 to get to his office before said drop off time. Fortunately, we live close to the installation so it doesn’t take long to get there. Leading up to today, I have had mixed emotions about him leaving. After 2 deployments, 5 weeks isn’t that long but it is still hard to have him gone. Part of me was ready for him to leave so I wouldn’t have to deal with the late nights at the office anymore. Then I think about everything I have to take care of in his absence. I feel like I am running on autopilot right now. We said goodbye in the gym parking lot and I got in my car to drive home. We have said goodbye so many times now that I get numb when the time arrives for us say it again. The trip home was a blur. I made it home safely but I didn’t even notice what was going on around me. The car knows the path fr...

13 Things that Made Me Smile Today 1. Talking to IT Guy 2. IT Guy’s son paying a visit to my office 3. Jason’s Deli with the girls 4. All things Pampered Chef 5. Leaving a note on someone’s car 6. Changes at work 7. Text messages 8. Puppy love 9. Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies 10. Play time 11. Being alone with someone special 12. Pink 13. Completing this list

10 Occupations You Wanted to be When You Were Young 1. ballerina 2. teacher 3. nurse 4. dance teacher 5. pharmacist 6. writer 7. psychologist 8. fashion merchandiser 9. doctor 10. stay at home wife and mom Notice the one occupation that is missing from this list?!?

So I decided to jump on the bandwagon since I haven’t posted anything in a while and try my hand at a Saturday Shuffle. I am still pretty new to the ITunes world so I don’t have a big variety yet. And some of what I do have, I am embarassed to even admit it is there. But…here I go: 1. Luckenbach, Texas - I had to add this song since Luckenbach is about 2 hours from where I live. Shawn and I visited there last year after he returned from deployment #2. 2. Not Me from Aida - I saw this show three years ago in NYC and absolutely feel in love with it. 3. Americans We by Gramercy Brass - A flashback to my high school band days. I have a special love for a good Sousa march. 4. Son’s Gonna Rise by Citizen Cope - Not too sure how I ended up with this on my playlist. It came from an album I had to download to get the one song I wanted. 5. My Home’s in Alabama by Alabama - Pretty self explanatory for anyone who knows anything about me. If you don’t, read my 100 things about me list...

Things have been pretty tense since I got the news about Shawn leaving his current unit. I should be happy because the change eliminates deployment #3 for the time being. However, the Army, in its infinite wisdom, has decided to replace the deployment with a year-long hardship tour overseas. OK…so it isn’t a war zone so I shouldn’t complain but it still means a year separation. Another year by myself…Great! I am an old pro at the married yet single military lifestyle. There are a few good points to this whole thing. I won’t have to move or leave my job. The not moving thing is great because I was just starting to get comfortable here in Central Texas so I won’t have to start over and make new friends. Plus all my friends from Shawn’s current unit will be going through a deployment while he is gone so I will have my semi-single friends to pal around with. I am mostly glad about not leaving my job. I just moved into a new position in the accounting department and there is talk...