Happy Halloween!

It's Halloween today, my first Halloween without Brandon. We got up at 2am this morning and dropped him off around 2:45. He's off to the Big Island for some Army training for 3 weeks. This being apart thing seems to be getting easier! Or maybe I'm just used to it. Then again, it's only the first day. Check back with me in a week and we'll see how I am. :)

Today marks the last day of my normal life for a month. Tomorrow starts NaNoWriMo, a frantic struggle to write as much as I can as fast as I can. My goal: 1700 words a day. Manageable, achievable. I will be cranky, I will be frustrated, I'll be happy at times. It'll be the best of times, the worst of times. I am fully aware of the craziness that comes ahead of me. I'm excited, I'm nervous, I'm everything in between. Really, I can't wait to do it. I want to write my novel, I want to get it out and onto some tangible. I want my mountain bike too!!

These next 3 weeks without Brandon won't be too bad. It'll give me plenty of time to write. I think I might get bored at times because I almost always get bored everyday. I just need to keep myself busy!

Today I'm bringing Dexter to the dog beach as a little treat. Especially since he is insanely hyper, he needs it. Afterwards I am doing some final channelling of my story and brainstorming a bit, tying up some research loose ends. Then it's trick or treat time! I've never had trick or treaters, so I'm pretty excited. I have candy and everything ready. I think it'll be a good day. :)

Anyway... HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

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Weight Loss & Life

I haven't been too busy this week! I have been working out every morning, doing the elliptical and weight lifting a bit, trying to get rid of some of that extra fat! I am so proud, on Sunday I weighed 140.2, and today I came in at 138! Wow! That must have been some extra water weight or something. I've been curbing my eating by drinking tons of water, and when my blood sugar gets low, I eat some grapes or some grape tomatoes, which are both real low in calories. I also bought a red bell pepper I'm going to cut up to munch on. I have celery and carrots in my fridge too I should eat! I've fixed my dinner eating real well and I've been tracking my calories. I'm trying to stay under 1300 calories and it hasn't really been that hard. Yesterday I went a bit over with potatoes and a cake I made (whoops), but overall I'm doing great and feeling proud of myself.

If only I could get Brandon to do it...

Yesterday I drug him to the Acute Care Clinic because he had been whining all day about having a massive headache. He's had a cold for almost a week now and I said he needs to drink more water, but he doesn't, so I forced him to go to the doctor's. We waited for way too long for them to tell him he has a virus and to take some Mucinex for his sinuses and some Ibuprofen for his headache. What can you do?

He leaves on Saturday for three weeks for some training on the Big Island. I think he's a little excited about going to the big island, though he won't actually be touring it. He'll be up in the mountains stuck in a tent the whole time. I think he'll be fine though! He leaves way early on Saturday morning and comes back 3 weeks after that, hopefully. So it's just me and Dexter and Winston for awhile!

NaNoWriMo starts on Sunday. I am soooo nervous. I mean, I want to be a writer and I love writing, but this thing is serious and it's big and daunting. I just needed to jump into it and ignore my trepidation. I need to tackle it head first without thinking about it being any good. My story does not need to be good. I just need the bones so I can create the body later on. Next month is all about the bones!! I have plans to write here, to write at Starbucks in the PX, and to write in the library. The NaNoWriMo group on this island also has write-ins and I'm going to join them. I need to write at least 1700 words a day to reach 50k by November 30. That is completely manageable, considering I have no job and won't have a husband around for a bit. I'm still nervous though! (Have a talked about NaNoWriMo yet? Check out the website: www.nanowrimo.org)

I have an incentive: If I win it this year, Brandon will buy me a new mountain bike!

Calories?

I started yesterday using another calorie counter so I can keep track of what I'm eating. It's at caloriecount.about.com. I figure it's a good thing to do because with my hypoglycemia I need to be eating as often as every 2 hours, so I worry that I'm adding too many calories here and there. It looks like dinnertime is my worst meal, believe it or not! I do great until then, then I eat way too much! Yesterday was a bad day, I won't even go into that, haha. I'm trying to take control of my eating because I want to lose weight. It feels pretty good too!

This Past Weekend

My mom and stepdad had planned a trip to Hawaii even before we found out we were being stationed here. They arrived this weekend on Saturday! They came in at 11 am, but weren't going to be at our house until around 4 pm. I used this opportunity as an excuse to clean up the house. We needed to vacuum, sweep, mow the lawn, wash windows, clean up bathrooms, everything imaginable in the house. It was actually pretty fun for me! Brandon, not so much. But we did it. :) Afterwards we went to the PX and commissary to pick some things up, and watched some Lost.

Mom and John arrived right before 4. We sat down and chatted for awhile, caught up on things, and then Brandon BBQ'd some pork chops. It was a great dinner with salad and fresh French bread and perfectly cooked brown rice, with the pork. We hung out a bit longer before they were so tired. They went to bed pretty early, on Hawaii time, but pretty late on Colorado time!

The next day we made a great breakfast with eggs, bacon and toast, and some fresh pineapple. Afterwards, I joined my mom at the commissary so they could shop for their cabin. They're staying at a cabin on the beach at Bellows, which are equipped with kitchens so they can cook. They only stayed with us one night because they couldn't get into the cabin until Sunday afternoon. After grocery shopping, we came home and packed up to go to Bellows Beach for some swimming and tanning. I love that beach! There were tons of people there that afternoon, we were amazed, but it was still great.

Mom and John made us a great steak dinner off the barbeque at their cabin, before Brandon and I headed home for the night. We had had a long day and were tired, and Brandon had to get up early this morning for work.

I had a pretty good weekend, and I think Brandon did too, except for the fact that he was sick with a cold for most of it. My parents loved the dog and kitty and they played with them the whole time they stayed at our house. When Brandon leaves I'm going to hang out with them a bit more, swimming at the beach, shopping in Waikiki, and going to the Polynesian Cultural Center. I'm excited!

Somewhere Else

I love to be somewhere else. I can't stay in one place for too long, I get cabin fever. Already now I'm looking for new things to do and new places to see.

I have this dream of traveling. I dream of going to New Zealand and Australia, walking through the mountains there, smelling the clean open fields, drinking in pubs at night, and looking out over the ocean. I dream of going to Europe, everywhere, every country, seeing new cultures, experience new things, eating new food. I want to see the old architecture, feel the history in my bones, be able to touch a door someone touched a thousand years ago, walk through the same halls as some famous historical figures.

I have this urge to go somewhere else. I don't want to wait until I'm older, I want to do it now. There is always a way!

Dog Beach

This past Saturday we brought Dexter to the dog beach on Hickam AFB. It was really cool! It was very shallow so he could walk and run around. We had him off the leash half the time while he played with other dogs. He stayed off until he went and jumped on a lady that was sunbathing... whoops! We stayed for an hour or so and had him play around, before we left. It was a good day.

Sunday we didn't do much. Went shopping and did some stuff around the house. It was actually nice to relax with each other. :)

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Hello Blog

I haven't talked to you in a bit. I've been caught up with life, I suppose, though it feels like I don't really do that much. I don't have enough interesting things to talk about! Every day I get up early with Brandon and take Dexter out. I come inside, eat a little breakfast, relax, then go work out at the community center gym that's a very very short walk away. After doing that, I come home and let Dexter out of his crate, and make Brandon some coffee. He comes home and we get ready for the day and eat some good breakfast.

Brandon leaves for work between 9:00 and 9:30, so I hang out in the morning, usually. Clean, read, watch tv, write, play with Dexter, etc. Sometimes I use this time to go out and run errands, but usually I stay inside. Brandon comes home for lunch around 11:30 and stays until 1, so we have plenty of time to eat. We hang out together. When he leaves, I get Dexter ready to go on a walk. We go for at least half an hour, but sometimes we go for 45 minutes. One day we went for an hour and it was great. I like walking with him.

After the walk I have a few more hours before Brandon gets home. MWF I try to write for an hour in the afternoon. Other times I use this time to go run errands and go shopping. It's mirrors the morning hours, really. I get tired towards the time Brandon comes home, so I watch some TV for an hour or so. Then I start cooking dinner, if I feel like it. Sometimes I wait until he's home so he can help.

When he gets home we eat, play video games, watch TV or movies, just hang out. He likes to relax after a long day at work. We go to bed about 9pm and read for a little bit, then sleep. Then it's all over the next day!

I really am lucky to have such an easy life right now. I know it'll get more complicated when I get a job, so I should cherish these moments. But you see, I don't feel like i have much to write about, since I do the same thing everyday. Maybe I'll try to blog a bit more, though, and write whatever!

New Goals!

Weight Goal

With the move and the not-working out, I've gotten up to 140lbs. Yikes! That's the highest I've ever ever ever been and I haaaate it. To put it lightly. So finally I am taking control and getting back into the swing of things. I'm going to eat better, snack better, and work out more. Today I actually went and did cardio and I feel great about it. Soon I'm taking Dexter on his normal half-hour walk. Every day, that's what I'll be doing - working out in the morning, walk in the afternoon. That's the minimum anyway! Brandon wants to lose weight as well, so we're working together. We'll go on bike rides and hikes, it'll be fun. My goal is 130lbs by Christmas. That's 11 weeks from now, so less than a pound a week. I can do it! I know I can!!

Writing Goal

I want to be a writer. I am a writer that doesn't actually write. If I want to be a writer, I need to actually write... so I'm taking control of myself and starting to write again. I will write at least 3 hours a week, to start. My plan is Monday-Wednesday-Friday, but as long as I write the 3 hours, it doesn't matter what days. It just needs to be done. I'm starting it today, and it's gearing me up for NaNoWriMo next month, where I'll be writing every day!

Ultimate Goal

Taking control of my life! Doing what I want to do and making myself feel good about myself.

This Weekend

We're going to have a busy weekend! Brandon has a 4 day weekend because of Columbus Day, so we've packed it full of stuff.

Friday: Running errands. We have stuff to do, stuff to register, stuff to buy. We'll finally get it all done!

Saturday: Might be going scuba diving, finally!

Sunday: I dunno yet, haha. But probably more beach time!

Monday: Waimea Falls and Waimea Bay. Fun!!

So today we really need to look into scuba diving. He wants to just rent the equip and beach dive, while I'm extremely wary about going by ourselves for our first time. Brandon found a friend at work who scuba's and basically lives on the ocean, so we could dive there. I still don't want to yet!! I'd rather pay the extra money and be safe.

We might go to a luau, if the diving falls through. I'd love to do that!

Anyway, the weekend will be busy, spending time together. I'm excited for it!

Winston & Dexter

I wanted to show some photos of them for my previous blog!

A picture of Dexter (I'm still trying to figure out this adding photos to my blog thing from Shutterfly!)

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A picture of Winston

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The Future?

A daydream that Brandon sparked in my mind!

We've been speaking about what we want to do in the future, where we want to live, etc. Here's a plan that we hashed out! (It's just a dream, doesn't mean it's real)

So Brandon would get out of the Army in 3 years, then we'd probably move back to Colorado. There, we'd start our family and work, get a house, you know, just be there! We'd love to have our children with family nearby so they can hang out with them too.

After a few years and a couple kids we've been thinking about moving somewhere. I don't know exactly where, but we were thinking out of the country. Canada came up (maybe in British Columbia), but I was totally thinking Europe. We suggested Switzerland or Norway, maybe the Netherlands or Denmark or Belgium. Brandon liked the idea of England, though I wanted something other than England since I've already lived there! He's comfortable with the idea of being in a country that speaks the same language as him - understandable. We've ruled out France, Germany, Spain, Finland, and Sweden! Oh, and all the Eastern European countries.

Anyway, what a dream that would be! To raise our children (at least for a few years) in a different country. Think of the experiences, memories, and advantages for our kids. And think of all the excitement for us! I would want to write and Brandon would do something at home too, probably. I know there are so many things to think about, but we have some time. I just would be living a dream, being in a different country.

Maybe one day?

My Pets

Winston, our cat. We got him a few weeks ago, when he was 7 and a half weeks. It was fun at first, but then he started peeing on the floor. Ok, we can clean that up, it's hardwood. Then he started peeing on the couches! So he's been locked up in the laundry room. We hear him meowing all the time, trying to get out. I feel bad, but it's better than cat-pee couches. He got neutered on Saturday. We're hoping that stops the couch-peeing!

He has a fun personality though. He loves being around people and he loves being petted. He also is a fighter - he'll play with your arm and hand, and it bites hard. I think he picked that up from playing with Dexter. He's gotten bigger now, gained about a pound and a half, and is longer and less little!

Dexter, our dog. He's a border collie. We got him a week after Winston, at 8 and a half weeks. He'll be 10 weeks old tomorrow. He's been pretty good, though he's been sick for a week. The meds we got on Friday aren't totally working, I think. But we're going to the vet tomorrow for a regular check up, maybe they can check him out!

He has such a personality, I'm used to him now! When we go on walks, he always tries to go to the wrong person's house when we're going home. He sits down a lot, anywhere, anytime. He watches you. He likes to climb on shelves for some reason! There's the bottom shelf of a bookshelf he sits on, and he lays under the coffee table where there is a shelf. It's funny. He chases the sprinkler, and runs in circles outside with his bone. He plays with the one dollar toys more than the more expensive ones. He loves to climb on your lap if you're sitting on a floor (a problem for when he's bigger!!). He is sweet, hyper, extremely smart (knows how to sit and stay already, among other things).

I love my pets. They tire me out, they drive me crazy, but I love it! It gives me something to do. ;)