Just Say Julie

K…first I must say I can’t believe that there is actually a myspace category for shopping so this is perfect for my entry.The time has come to admit that I am a shopaholic. Depression shopping is bad for me. Send my husband away for a year, give us extra money, and what do I do? Let me just put it this way: my house is fully decorated and I have only lived here 8 months. By the way, I am going to shop for Cowboy Boots to wear to Denim and Diamonds tomorrow after work and the VTC. Afterall, I live in Texas now. It is only fitting that I own and wear cowboy (girl?) boots. Now back to my point. I am the perfect shopping companion. If you just want to go shopping to leave the house but don’t really need to spend money, take me. I will do all the spending for you. I can’t help it. It makes me feel better. I like having pretty new things to look at or play with or wear. I am also guilty of finding one thing that I really like and buying several of them. Classic examples are m...

I had an epithany today. I can’t leave Texas. I know that sounds weird given how unhappy I have been since moving here but I realized that although it isn’t much of one, my life is here now. I came to this conclusion while I was writing an email to my friend, Kevin. Kevin was asking me if I was still involved in theatre which is something I did in college when he still knew me and something I did at home as well. I began to think about all the things my parents and my friends at home tell me about that I would be doing if I was still there. I suddenly realized that their lives had gone on without me just as mine had gone on without them. Shawn and I were just talking last night about me spending the last few months of the deployment in Mobile after he returns back to Iraq from R & R. I told him that as much as I love my parents, I didn’t want to live with them for two to three months while I wait for him to come home. As a married woman who hasn’t lived with her parents fo...

I haven’t really known what to do with myself the last two weeks since we don’t have can-can practice anymore. I end up spending more time at work since I am typically not in a rush to get home. I don’t really have anything interesting to tell. I am really just putting off going to bed so I might actually get some sleep tonight. For those of you who have been wondering about my grandmother, I am afraid she isn’t doing well. On top of the pneumonia, she has the flu. According to my father, she isn’t responsing well or really recognizing anyone. Unfortunately, it looks like my sweet Nanny will be heading home soon. We have been lucky to have her this long. After 96 years, she has had a full life and I believe she is ready to go. Now all I can do is wait for the phone call that I have dreaded for years.

The weekend started off well but busy with Wild West Night on post Friday night. Nearly six hours later, we (the can can girls) had completed 4 performances. Ten minutes of high kicks wouldn’t have phased me in college but at 28 and 30 pounds heavier, my entire body hurt. Not looking forward to getting up for work Saturday morning, I was pleasantly surprised that I was only sore in my lower legs rather than not being able to walk at all like I thought would happen. After visits to the PX, car wash and nail salon, I crashed for a mid afternoon nap. Saturday turned out slow with me completing the night with pizza and myspace. Sunday was even slower with me hardly leaving the couch. I am close to being finished my Sex and the City Marathon. Shawn did call this morning and we were able to have a two hour conversation. I think that is a record for us for both deployments. Of course the majority of the conversation was about his R & R. We only have a month and a half so we rea...

I finally got my Girl Scout Cookies today after ordering them ages ago. Right now I am sitting here with a box of tagalongs and a Cherry Vanilla Dr Pepper. Just what I need the week before Wild West Night. I order 4 boxes of cookies this year. Two each of the tagalongs and samoas. I figured I could send Shawn a box of each and keep one for me. I just hope I make it to the post office before I eat all 4 boxes. Why can’t I resist these cookies? My thighs would thank me if I could. Well, I just thought I would share. I hope everyone else has enjoyed their cookies too!

While this is intended to be about Alabama, many of the things talked about here can apply to Texas, the state I currently call home. Keep in mind that I was born and raised in Alabama so most of this relates to me. I am adding my own personal commentary to this in italics after each comment. 1. You can properly pronounce Arab, Opelika, Oneonta, and Eufaula. Add Mobile to this list of cities to be able to pronounce correctly. I get tired of hearing people butcher my hometown’s name. 2. You think people who complain about the heat in their states are sissies. I thought Alabama was hot until I moved to Texas. All I pray is that I don’t have to leave my house during the summer in this state. 3. A tornado warning siren is your signal to go out in the yard and look for a funnel. I have never lived anywhere that is in tornado alley. Hurricanes, however, are a different story. 4. You know that the true value of a parking space is not determined by the distance to the door, but ...

“The greatest legacy you can ever leave is what you write. The greatest tragedy is that most of us will end our days with our words unwritten, our songs still trapped in our hearts.” Mark Twain So true. I just hope I have the ability to leave my legacy behind. I am trying to write about the things I have learned through the deployments. It is just a matter of taking the time to get it all down on paper.