It's my mommy's birthday today! She is in North Dakota visiting Shannon and going to Fargo for the day, so I'm gonna call later. But for now, pictures of my mother. :)
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Today is Black Friday! I'm not really partaking in it because frankly, there's nothing I need to buy. I am, however, going to Old Navy because they have jeans on sale for super cheap, and I thought I'd see what's up. Other than that, nope.
Today Brandon has staff duty so he has a 24 hour shift... gone for 9am to 9am! I'm planning on writing, maybe cleaning a bit, bringing Dexter to the dog beach for some fun, and then Old Navy. It should be a good day, though maybe a little boring at times. Hopefully not too bad.
Yesterday we had dinner with new friends, Joe & Ashley, Tyler & Amanda, and Will & Michelle. It was at Tyler and Amanda's house, who live right beside Joe & Ashley. Tons of food!! The turkey was so tender and the stuffing was so good, I even had some. There were casseroles and potatoes and corn and bread, yum yum. We all ate our hearts out and sat around talking. It's nice to have people our age to hang out with and chat with. Only Tyler & Amanda have a daughter and are expecting another in early February, though Michelle is pregnant now and due next summer. It's nice though! Ashley is super nice and her birthday is one day before mine. :)
Dexter kept me up last night whining so I didn't sleep as well as I had hoped. He whined at one point and I brought him out and he didn't need to do anything, ugh.
Anyway, tomorrow we're going downtown and then to see Dane Cook, exciting! Sunday we plan on hitting the beach and just enjoying the weather, if it turns out good!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Today I am thankful for...
A handsome, smart, funny, wonderful, couldn't-get-any-better husband!
Two entertaining pets whom I love
My health and sanity :)
Being in Hawaii and all the adventures I've had so far in life
Satellite TV and my DVR
My books and novels and writing ability
The sky, the sun, the clouds, the ocean, the ground, the birds, the fish, the trees, the flowers...
Good people and bad people!
All the soldiers in the world, especially us Americans!
Canada
My family and all its quirks
And so much more!
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A new Diamondback Lustre 2 in Gloss White River.
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I dunno, I think my pets are practicing for me to be a mother or something! We're trusting the cat more and more lately, so we're letting him stay out of the laundry room at night. The problem is that he jumps on our bed and purrs in our faces or plays with our feet or plays with my hair. It's impossible to sleep through that! He also taunts the dog, who is in his crate, and who also begins whining as soon as he sees the cat. Sleep?
Dexter, since Brandon has gotten home, has needed to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night. I think maybe it's because our schedule has been messed up since Brandon got home. I feel bad because I haven't been paying him as much attention with Brandon home and he hasn't gotten his energy out enough. But yeah, I'm the one getting up in the middle of the night to let him out because Brandon can't hear him. Sleep?
I haven't written hardly anything this weekend because the time I do have to write is when Brandon is catching up on TV shows and it's too distracting to me. I need silence or classical music, that's all! So today I need to write like a madman to catch up. I wanted to hit 50k by today... I'm just a little past 45k...
Yesterday we have a sort of game night at these new friends, Joe and Ashley. He's in the same unit as Brandon. There were three other couples there beside us two. It was fun! We didn't play many games, we actually chatted most of the time, but still had fun. The food was great - they had deviled eggs! I hope we all build a friendship, they all seemed like nice people.
Ok, I want to sleep. Maybe I could take a nap on the couch...
I feel bad being so excited about Brandon being home since he was only gone for just under 3 weeks. By the end of the 3 weeks, it didn't even feel that long, but I guess that's how most separations go. His bus came home from the airport at about 6pm, so I brought Dexter with me to go pick him up. He was so excited to see Brandon!
Brandon was also very excited to be home. He desperately needed a haircut and a shower (even though it had been only one day since his last shower). We waited on the haircut until Friday morning. That night we watched a couple TV shows I had DVR'd that he had missed and we hung out and I made him a quesadilla for dinner.
Friday was a good day too. We slept in then cut his hair, and he went to work at 9. He came home before ten though because there was nothing for him to do. We did some laundry, watched more TV shows, played some WoW and once had to leave to go get a new ID card for Brandon. Oh, and he also drove me up the road to Kolekole Pass (it's a road that links Schofield to the western part of the island). We didn't go all the way through, but it was a pretty drive and so cool to see that part! Before dinner we brought Dexter on a walk, right after we had spent maybe an hour hanging outside together talking.
Today we are going to the beach. Finally! I haven't gone to swim and snorkel for weeks and he hasn't either. I mean, I've been to the dog beach, but all that gets wet are my lower legs, while Dexter has all the fun! We decided to hit up a new place this week: the Ko Olina Lagoons. They are manmade lagoons with good swimming and great snorkeling. I can't wait!
On Sunday we're going to a BBQ and game night with a bunch of other LT's and their wives. Hopefully we can start making some real friends here!
So Monday Brandon told me good news... he's coming home two days early! So he's coming home tomorrow! I was so excited. It's always nice to have your husband home with you. :)
Also on Monday, my dad emailed me to say that my stepmom and he have booked flights to come visit us. They arrived January 8th into Honolulu. I don't know any other details, he didn't give me any other! Haha. I did email him back asking for more information, but he doesn't check his email that often, so I have to wait.
I started my job yesterday as a Creative Writing tutor. Wow it's hard! I think the next session I want to work with middle school or high school. Most of the kids in this class are first grade, so we're really working hard on spelling and grammar and having them pay attention! It's hard to get kids to do work right after they've done school all day. I'm sure it'll get better over time!
Life is going. I got my 9 books I ordered from MilitaryOneSource. I don't know if I said anything about that, but you can order up to ten books for free from them. And they're good books too! I got books about deployment, after deployment, and basic books about being a military spouse. One book was different than one I ordered... but it's one I want, so whatever. I think I might start reading the shortest one today, called "Help! I'm a military spouse and I need a life too!"
I also ordered my all-time favorite book, Ella Enchanted. I've been reading it again the past couple days, I'll finish it today. It's nice to re-read your favorite childhood book!
Brandon and I ordered tickets to see Dane Cook on November 28 (my mom's bday! Hi Mom!). I can't wait! We also got invited to a BBQ this weekend with an LT and his wife our age, and the same people invited us to Thanksgiving. So we're going!
All around, it all seems to be working out. I'm enjoying life this week! A few setbacks but mostly excitement!
A friend and fellow blogger from Cinchouse.com is having a holiday giveaway!
http://blackhawkhunnie.blogspot.com/2009/11/holiday-giveaway.html
She is giving away a "game" called Table Topics. It is basically a box with a bunch of ideas for conversation starters, which would be great to get through some tough evenings or break the habit of the typical conversations! So I have entered to win, and in order to get an extra vote, I have to post it on my blog.
Here's a quote from the website about Table Topics:
"More than just a family question game or party game, TableTopics Family Gathering Edition will help you start a new tradition around the "extended" family table and give young and old alike a chance to share. These questions are designed to encourage conversations between grandparents and grandchildren, aunts and uncles with their nieces and nephews, all the cousins too; the whole family."
"It's perfect for reunions, holiday gatherings and special family events. These fun, family ice breaker questions are a great birthday or anniversary gift idea too!"
I think it would be great! Especially since we'll be having some visitors, we don't want it to get too boring. But I think it'll be good for just Brandon and I to do. I'm excited to maybe win!
I don't mind getting shots. They don't hurt too bad, I'm not scared of needles, and it's quick and easy! In the last year and a bit, though, my body has not enjoyed getting shots.
It first happened when I got the Gardasil shot at the doctor's office. I got it, it was all good, and then I woke up ten seconds later to the nurses freaking out about how I didn't tell them I pass out when I get shots. I said "I don't!" but they didn't believe me, especially after I told them I passed out once when giving blood. (Hello, it was towards the end and I had no blood left in me!). They warned me that I had to warn whoever was giving me a shot that I pass out. I said ok whatever.
I gave blood a couple weeks later and I passed out again. It wasn't even a lot of blood, just one vial for some testing. Then I gave blood again another time and passed out. Luckily, I didn't pass out with the other two Gardasil shots, but I had warned the nurse and she was so quick I barely felt it. She also made me look away and breathe a lot.
So today I had to get a test for TB for my new job (a requirement for anyone working with children here). Easy enough, I went and they gave me a shot in my forearm. Then I felt light-headed. I thought, I haven't warned the nurse that I pass out when I get shots, and now I'm going to pass out and crack my head open! So I told her that sometimes I pass out and asked if I could sit there for a couple minutes. She let me and was very concerned when I left. I probably left too soon, I still felt woozy, but I wanted to walk.
So what gives, body? I'm not scared of needles! Brandon doesn't pass out and he hates needles! I think part of it is probably because I'm anticipating passing out so I get worked up. But geez, I hate it!
My little sister Jessica is engaged to Andy! They got engaged last night over a nice dinner and she's very giggly about it all. I'm happy for her, because she's happy :).
I still see Jessica as a 16 year old, probably because when I left home, she was 16! She'll always be my little sister and it's so amazing to see her growing up like this. I wish her all the best. :)
And now, some photos of us to remember! (In no particular order)
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Dexter and Winston love going under my bed. LOVE IT. It was cute at first... Winston got under the bed and Dexter belly-crawled underneath to chase after him. It was funny. Now it's annoying!
If Winston is out, he follows me upstairs and waits at the bedroom door. I have to be quick and forceful so he doesn't get inside the room. If he does get inside, it'll take me a long time to get him out. He just goes under the bed and hides there, right in the middle where you can't reach him. I usually can lure him out with toys, but he hasn't been responding to that lately! Ugh. I'd let him chill there, except he's peed on the bed twice, so I'm not so fond of him being up there without supervision. He'll sit upstairs sometimes meowing at the closed door. Weirdo.
Now Dexter does it too. He goes under there and if I try to get him out, he goes further. Luckily he's bigger and I can usually reach a body part and drag him out. He's getting bigger though, so now it's a struggle to get him out. I'm afraid he'll wiggle under there one day and I won't be able to rescue him! This bed is heavy too.
So this is my dilemma: They love being under the bed, I hate it! lol. I just have to be quick to shut the door for the cat, I guess...
Goodbye bike. I've had you for nearly ten years. You're a black and purple machine with tons of gears and 24" wheels. You've been dropped, kicked, lovingly washed. You've been to Denver, Colorado Springs, Georgia and Hawaii. You've never had to have a tire replaced, thank goodness, and you've stayed in fairly good shape!
Until now. You have a rusted chain that doesn't switch very quickly. You have brakes that barely work and squeak whenever you press them. You have rust up and down your frame, and your shocks are starting to fall apart. You have a tire that, even though it doesn't have a hole, won't fill up. The seat won't stop moving and the handlebars are stiff to turn.
So goodbye bike, we've had a good run. I might sell you on Craigslist to someone who might want to try to fix you up, or I might leave you lying on the side of the road for a kid to pick up. You'll make someone else happy, but for now we'll say our goodbyes.
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I mowed the lawn for the second time ever in my life. We had a little push mower for our little backyard, which grows like crazy with all the rain and sunshine and doggy fertilizer ;). It's kind of fun to mow the lawn. I worked out this morning and while I was still sweaty in my work out clothes, I went outside to get to work. Dexter doesn't even chase the lawn mower! I think I like mowing the lawn because it's very regimented and I can make cool patterns. My OCD likes it.
Yesterday, I made some homemade mac and cheese. It was really good! I used Tillamook cheddar, which is very thick and very very yummy, and all natural. I have so much left over I won't even make my chicken pesto (also homemade) tonight. I'm pushing that to Wednesday. On Sunday I made homemade black bean soup, which was spicy and full of great soft veggies and all around good. I'm a cooking machine! This week I think the mac and cheese is the only new thing I'm making. I like to experiment while Brandon is gone so I can surprise him with new meals when he comes back. :) Even though he'll eat practically anything...
Tomorrow I have training for my tutoring job. Excited! Though I could hardly fill out any of the paperwork because it was terribly confusing...
My word count is past 17k, which is beyond what today's word quota is. I rock. I have a huge scene to write today and a write-in tonight, so I hope to reach 20k or beyond. If I get to 19k, though, I'm a happy puppy.
Brandon is busy this whole week, doing 24 hour shifts and being in charge of important things, so I won't be able to talk to him much. He's called me every night since he left, but tonight will be the first night without hearing his voice. That's ok, it's what I have to do! And really, it's only one night, it could be much worse!
I had a very good Saturday with my mom. Her and John left at 11pm on Saturday night, but they had to check out of their cabin in the morning, so they came up to my place. They dropped off tons of food from their cabin (way more than I know what to do with!) and we hung out for a bit. My mom and I had plans to go to Waikiki. John decided to spend the day at my house playing on the internet, watching TV and playing with the dog. I appreciated it! I hate locking Dexter up for too long.
We parked at the Hale Koa and walked over to the shops in Waikiki. We basically window browsed, though we went into a few shops to look at clothes and other trinkets. We passed a gellato store and my wonderful mom got us some gellato. I got a kiwi and raspberry mix, yum! Then we wandered around an outdoor mall, checking out restaurants to eat at.
We walked down the entire street and doubled back to go on the other side. We stopped at a Swatch store, where I found two watches that I absolutely love! I might be getting them for Christmas from a certain husband. We also went to a store and I got Brandon a gift (can't say what, though he doesn't read my blog, he also doesn't know my present!).
After hours and hours of walking we returned to the restaurant we chose name Doraku, a Japanese restaurant. We chose a yummy sushi dish for an appetizer and then we each got our own main dish. My mom bought us both a couple of cocktails. It was delicious! A great restaurant, and it was not that expensive, especially for where we were. Afterwards we sat outside chatting and my mom smoked some of her last cigarettes (her and John are quitting when they hit Colorado).
We went back to the car in the dark and I drove my mom to the airport where she was meeting John. We said our goodbyes and we parted ways. :)
My mom and I in Waikiki:
Yesterday, I got a small little job. It's as a tutor for a tutoring service that teaches/helps kids learn to write stories. I'll be a tutor guiding them with creative writing. It'll be fun, I think! The program I'm in is in Wahiawa, the town I live in, so it's nice and close. It's only twice a week, Tuesday and Thursday, from 2:10 to 4:10. Each session is 5 weeks long, so altogether it's only 20 hours. For five weeks I get paid about $378, which is fine with me. This is just a little job to make a little money until I get a bigger job! I'm excited to do it! I start November 17 :)
First, I'd like to say a few words about the Fort Hood incident yesterday. A man who didn't want to get deployed went on a killing rampage and killed 12 people, injuring 31 others. There is no excuse for that kind of senseless killings. I'm thinking of the families and friends who were affected and hope that there is justice for this atrocity!
On Wednesday, I went to the Polynesian Cultural Center with my mom. It was a long day, but sooo awesome. They have a bunch of Polynesian Islands represented, with a ton of cultural activities. We got to see tree climbers from Samoa, a welcoming ritual from New Zealand, drums being played in Tonga and dancers from Tahiti. It was pretty cool. My mom and I enjoyed it thoroughly. We also ate some shave ice and some mochi, which is ice cream wrapped in this rice cake thing, it was yummy! It rained practically all day, but that was ok.
After touring the place, we went to a luau and buffet dinner. The food was awesome and the dancing was great! We met this nice couple named Heather and Richard from Texas and chatted with them the whole dinner. The food was very filling. After the luau we went to the night show Ha, which was a huge mess of dancing and singing and a great story. I loved it! It was late by then, 9 o'clock. I drove my mom home to Bellows then took the long drive back to my place. I was tired, but it was worth it.
The neighbors had taken care of Dexter, so they had locked him in his crate outside before going to bed. I grabbed him and the crate and we went to bed! The next day was tiring because I had to be up early for physical therapy (for my wrist) and to bring Winston to the vet. In some good news: I've written 9438 words, way more than I was expecting to be at today! I'm going to a write-in here at Schofield tonight. Can't wait!!
Some dancers:
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NaNoWriMo is going great! My goal, as I've said before, is 1700 words a day, but so far that has been so easy to achieve that I'm usually hitting about 2000 words a day. I'm enjoying it! My story is just beginning but it's unfolding real well. Tonight I'm going to my first "write-in" which is hosted by the leaders of this region. Basically we get together and write. Easy easy. I'm enjoying it!
Since Brandon left the days have been going to slowly! My schedule is all jacked up. Usually it's get up early, go work out, make coffee for Brandon, he comes home for breakfast, we hang out, then he leaves, I do stuff, he comes back for lunch then leaves, I do more stuff, then he comes home. Now it's just straight me doing stuff. And of course, I sleep in. But today I got up and worked out like a good girl, then mowed the lawn. Later I'll walk Dexter and watch a movie before going to the write-in.
Tomorrow I'm going to the Polynesian Cultural Center with my mom. Fun! They're here until Saturday, so I'm spending time with them. I went to the beach on Sunday to hang out and play in the waves. We enjoyed it. :)
Tonight I have a new recipe to try out. It's some eggplant-beef ragu thing. I hope it tastes good!
Today is my nephew Blake's 3rd birthday. I can't believe it! He's getting so old! I remember when he was born and how excited we were. It took him forever! He was a week late and Shannon had to be induced, then the labor wasn't progressing so they have to do a c-section for him. It's ok though! He was born November 3, 2006, which is also the birthday of our nanny (his great-grandmother). He is the first grand-baby for either family and my first nephew. His parents are Shannon (my sister) and Bob, and he has a little brother Grant (born Feb 14, 2008). They named him Blake Robert. :)
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