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Saturday, June 30, 2007

My Trip to Alabama

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 flight to Mobile that I had been booked for before they moved me to a later one. Well, I wish I had been on that plane. My 3:30 flight was canceled so I was placed on standby for a flight that was to leave at 5:30. However, with 23 people on the standby list, I felt my chances of making it were pretty slim. Something was making me think that there was a reason I didn’t need to go to Mobile that evening. Once the time came to board the 5:30 flight that didn’t actually leave until 7, I was still standing in the airport hoping to get home. At that point I was begging the airline to get me close to Mobile. So I got placed standby on a flight to Gulfport, MS which is an hour from Mobile. So at 8:00 I was finally boarding the plane and calling Mom at the same time to come get me from the airport. After arriving in Gulfport and making the drive to Mobile, I headed to the airport in Mobile to see if my luggage had arrived. Sure enough my luggage had made the 5:30 flight that I had not been on. However no one was at the counter to give me my luggage. So I climbed on the luggage scale and retrieved my own luggage. After all what were they going to do, arrest me for stealing my own luggage? I finally arrived at my final destination at 11:30 that evening. In the amount of time it took me to arrive in Mobile, I could have made the 12 hour drive. I just hope that I don’t have as many problems trying to fly back tomorrow.

Thursday, June 28, 2007

Procrastination

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 basically done now. I just have to load my laptop in my carry on and switch out purses. I probably should iron my clothes but I don’t feel like doing that either. I just hope I get moving in the morning so I can make it to the airport on time.

Thursday, June 21, 2007

My Life This Week

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 Diane for a community theatre performance of High School Musical. I hadn’t seen the show before and, while it had its cheesy moments, it was cute. I won’t say it was the best show I have seen (after all my trips to Broadway, that would be impossible) but they did the best they could with the talent they had available to them. I felt sorry for the little girl who played the lead in the show. She obviously hadn’t practiced in the shoes she was wearing in show because she slipped twice on the stage. The evening was made a little more enjoyable by seeing IT guy and his kiddos there. I am sure I will have plenty to do this weekend as well. Jenn and I are getting massages this weekend at the local day spa. I am sure I will end up shopping again some how. That always seems to be the best way to occupy my time. After all, I do have to plan for my trip home next weekend.

Friday, June 15, 2007

Rambling Thoughts

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 time. I feel like we have returned to deployment mode a bit, watching tv sitting in the recliner together all night. It has been a nice little break from the stress we were under before this trip began.

We are still waiting for news of a new contract at work. I really hope that we get it. Some big changes will happen around the office if we get it. Not to mention that it will double our work load since we add nearly 100 more employees. We have heard through unofficial channels that we got the contract but I don’t know when the official word is supposed to come out. I think we might hear something next week once our president gets back from his cruise. I certainly hope so!

Well, I don’t have any exciting plans for my Friday night. I just ordered a pizza (yes, second time this week) and I am thinking that pay-per-view sounds like a winner. I could clean the house but I think I will wait until tomorrow. Cleaning seems like a good plan for Saturday plus a trip to the post office to mail somethings that Shawn forgot to take with him.

Sunday, June 10, 2007

So It Begins…

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 from Shawn’s office to the house so well that it drove itself. Now it is 1:30 and I can’t sleep. So I am nursing a glass of the remaining amaretto that was in the fridge. I am hoping that will dull the ache and put me to sleep. Tomorrow two of the other wives and I are heading out of town for some depression shopping after brunch. Should be fun!

Thursday, June 7, 2007

Thirsday Thirteen

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

Tuesday, June 5, 2007

Ten on Tuesday

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?!?

Saturday, June 2, 2007

Saturday Shuffle

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.

6. I’ve Got a Dark Alley and a Bad Idea That Says You Should Shut Your Mouth by Fall Out Boy - see number 4.

7. Hill Country Here I Come by Tommy Alverson - I live right next to the Hill Country in Texas. For some reason, I felt the need to download several songs about Texas.

8. A Little More You by Little Big Town - I think this is the first album I downloaded. Just liked it. Not really sure why.

9.Middle of Nowhere by Hot Hot Heat - See numbers 4 & 6. Why does it keep going to this album?

10. Like Father, Like Son from Aida - See number 2. However, this is one of my least favorite songs from that show.

So now I have joined in with the rest of the Her Hangout crowd. Let’s see if I can keep this up. Next up I am aiming for a Thursday Thirteen.

My Life Right Now

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 of making me the accounting manager. That is a move that would absolutely thrill me. I would be one step under the comptroller and it would finally put me on the path I want to be on career wise. Shawn is hoping to keep us here at least through the end of his career so I can stay with my company since the future potential there is really good. I just hope his new assignment doesn’t ruin our trip to Hawaii in August.

On another note, my friend, Jenn, is planning a killer girls only bash for my big birthday in July. Since DH will be training out in Cali on my birthday, she decided it would be the perfect time to have a Pure Romance party. I can’t wait. I have decided it will be the bachelorette party I never had. Lots of jello shots and margaritas will be included. It will by far be the best birthday party I have ever had. I will need it too since I am not thrilled about turning 30. I am thankful she took it on herself to do this for me. She is a true friend. Besides, Shawn doesn’t think birthdays are a big deal nor does he understand my concern over being 30 so he wouldn’t have planned anything for me if he was going to be here. He has missed two birthdays since we have been married and will likely miss next year’s as well. So it typically ends up just being another day.

I mentioned Shawn’s training in California. He leaves next week for a 5 week stay in the desert at the National Training Center at Ft. Irwin, California. I can honestly say I am ready for him to leave for a little while. I am hoping that this will cure some of the tension between the two of us. He has been so busy getting ready for this exercise that our home life is suffering. I need some time to miss him instead of being mad at him all the time. I am tired of the frequent late nights at work and, no matter how much I say or don’t say, he doesn’t seem to care. I told him it would be easier on me to have him deployed because I wouldn’t expect him home. I guess we will just have to see how I feel when he gets home in mid July.

Booked plane tickets to go home today. Yea! I finally get to get out of Texas for a few days and get to spend some time in Alabama. That makes me happy. I have been missing home really bad recently and need some family time. I was beginning to think I wouldn’t get to go home again until Christmas. Mom is coming back with me for the week of July 4th. It will be nice to have her here and she can visit with Clay (brother) in Austin while she is here.

Lastly, I have to mention a new show that starts tomorrow night. Lifetime is previewing a show called Army Wives. It looks good but I am going to have to tune in to see how accurate it is. So far the clips I have seen tell the story of our lives pretty well but there are some exaggerations. But tune in if you want a glimpse into my world. It should be fun.