9mm's and Boutique jeans

I've had a hiatus from blogging, but I'm back. The past few days have been pretty busy for us. My dad came in for a brief visit, which was wonderful. He completely spoiled my daughter and me. Took us all out to eat twice, and he was only here 24 hours. Then he took my daughter shopping and bought her all kinds of cute clothes. She's so stinkin' cute in a pair of jeans, too. Oh, and my dad also brought his tools and helped my husband put a peep-hole in the front door. That is one cool man.

I picked my gun up from the dealer on Friday. It's puuuuurty. My husband and I had a wonderful date night on Saturday, too. We went to the firing range and then out to dinner. I miss getting alone time with him, and it's ironic how many people have offered to babysit now that he's leaving. The great thing about it is that I think he and I will be able to enjoy one more date night before he leaves. I wasn't planning on that, so it's a bonus in my book!

I went shopping on Saturday, too. Went by Sephora and bought myself some really nice moisturizer and foundation. I have convinced myself that this is not a splurge at my age... more like an investment. The big bottle of Coco I bought was a splurge, though. The last bottle lasted me almost two years, so all things considered, I'm still not high maintenance. But!... then I went to Buckle and bought some utterly fabulous, expensive jeans. This is soooo out of character for me. I am the woman who clips coupons, only buy things on sale, and never worries about my wardrobe anymore. I am not the woman who goes shopping on the weekend just to pick up the newest pair of shoes that are in-style. I couldn't help it, though. There I was in the changing room... changing from a pair of loose, unsexy jeans that I thought were OK.... to putting on a pair of designer boutique jeans. I pulled them on (or rather hopped up and down until I got them where they were supposed to be, which the salesgirl assured me this is the ONLY way to wear these jeans), I turn around to look in the mirror and what do I see? ..::rolling eyes::... OMG, the mirror reflected a pair of legs and butt that looked like they belonged to a twenty year old. The people who designed these jeans are brilliant. Brilliant enough for me to slap down my bank card and not feel an ounce of guilt for spending near $100. It's amazing what a good pair of jeans can do to ward off that I'm-nothing-but-a-mom feeling". With these jeans on, I am nothing short of fabulous. That's money well-spent in my book!

Snippets...

Short post today...

Alyssa had playtime this morning, and seems to be getting the hang of 'sharing'. Bless her heart...

Running errands this afternoon. Recycling, drop off box at Fed Ex, and a couple of other little stops.

Farewell lunch tomorrow on base.

Dad coming for a visit tomorrow. YAY! He's bringing the 'right' tools to help us put the peep-hole in the front door.

I received my gun permit in the mail yesterday, then ordered a nice, stainless steel 9mm last night. It'll be here by Monday or Tuesday. Reminds me... must sign up for gun safety course; It never hurts to hear what a professional has to say.

Got to go... going to watch the movie The Extra Man while Alyssa naps. ;)

Fire and Rain

First.... Fire. We have some little hoodlums running around in our neighborhood. Last night they set fire to the lamppost and bushes at the end of our street. We had a friend from out of state stopping by for a very quick visit and as I was giving him turn-by-turn directions, I had walked outside to greet him as he would be pulling up momentarily. Instead of saying "Turn left on such and such street", I said "You see the flames shooting into the sky? Turn left by the burning bush, and pray you get outta here alive". The fire department showed up shortly thereafter, but by that point the metal pole had gotten so hot that it barely missed one of the firemen when it melted in the middle and fell over. Crazy, I tell you. According to one of my neighbors, these kids were rounded up and arrested. I wonder what those parents are going to do? Considering the behavior I've seen even before this, I can't imagine much. My neighbor also said that earlier in the afternoon two of the girls in this group of punks were yelling at a man in his seventies down the street. Seriously? I just don't get it. I was never a timid teenager, but I never, ever could have imagined yelling profanities at an old man. May those girls come down with severe cases of acne and may their hair fall out the next time they bleach it! It will serve them right.


Second... Rain. It's raining here right now. Dreary, drizzly rain. Today is also the day that Bruce's stuff is being picked up to be shipped overseas. I think I may just drive on over to South Carolina, to my favorite ALDI, and pretend it's not happening. Denial does have it's place in a sane woman's life..... at least today it will.

Things I don't miss about being really young...

Catty, clique-y women. Y'know... the ones who thought they were sooo popular and made it a point to give new meaning to the word snotty? As a matter of fact, I hadn't thought about it in years, but was just reminded of it recently. I definitely don't miss this from my teenage and college years. Not that it was terribly prevalent at the high school from which I graduated, but nevertheless, I saw it a bit elsewhere. I have learned that karma (and time) can be just as catty in return, though. Especially, when you run into one of those girls, who is now a grown woman, and she looks like someone pulled the rip-cord on a self-inflating raft. Now that, my friends, is a touching moment, but not the real point of this post.

Lucky enough for me, I was never at the receiving end of this cattiness. Well, maybe once or twice, but what I quickly found out was that when you simply look 'em in the eye and challenge them... oh, they just back right on down. It worked for me, at least. Maybe they just saw a glimmer of the crazy that I was capable of, who knows?

Another thing I'm not too fond of is a bully. It's a really unattractive quality in a grown woman and one that I will address... as long as she doesn't look like she's on steroids. Lol, just because I may try to stand for what's right, the point in that is to 'still be standing' after making said point. But, anyway, what gets me is how technology these days seems to make some people feel as if they are entitled to be catty, rude, and a bully. Hiding behind some dorky screen name, they think they can avoid responsibility for their asinine attacks. You can't reason with these people, either. Try to engage them in an open, respectful debate about the topic at hand, and I swear it's as if suddenly they've had a frontal lobotomy. They can't address an issue posed intelligently or stay in line with the debate. They switch up the facts... slinging verbal crap like it's going out of style. Makes me feel like ole' Eddie, from Eddie's Auto....y'know those old clips of the radio station guy calling people to get them so riled up that they'd want to meet and fight?... But, I have to remind myself that they haven't reached a level of intelligence, security, happiness, or empathy for other people in general yet. Sadly, some people never attain these qualities. Did you know the frontal lobe of the brain does not reach full development until around 25? Interesting, huh? This is the part we use for reasoning, too. Get where I'm going here? For some people, as I have witnessed lately, age really is just a number and not proof of intelligence or maturity. Even though part of me feels sorry for them, part of me feels like saying "Well, yeah? HUH! Then just meet me down at the McDonald's and we'll settle it there!"

But, like Al Franken in the old SNL episodes (remember self help guru Stuart Smalley?) I just have to repeat to myself in the mirror "I'm pretty, I'm smart, and gosh-darn it!... People like me!" They'll have their day of karma. (Those of you who know me, thank god, will find this funny).
Catch me at the McDonald's by mistake, though, and I recognize your fat ass from that website.... you're going to see just how redneck I can be. All grooming, education, and manners my momma taught me are going out the window. That's when I'll briefly look in my rear view mirror (right before I hop out) thinking "Pretty? Smart? People like me? Aw, hell... who am I kidding?... I'm gonna kick your fat ass!"

Then I'll go home, do a little Yoga and drink a glass of wine. Moving on....

Crusty neighbors and dueling banjos...

Yeah!!! The crusty neighbors are gone! It's amazing what a little voodoo doll can do! Just kidding, but I was beginning to contemplate the idea of alternative methods in getting them out of here. When I saw them moving out, I honestly started dancing a jig in my guest bedroom. My daughter had no clue as to why I was so happy all of the sudden, but the great thing about toddlers is that they really don't care... they just jump right in. So, there we were dancing and laughing when I realized my windows were open and they were still loading up. Oh well, no crime in gettin' jiggy with it in your own home, and they probably had no idea anyway.

Which reminds me... where is that gun permit? Bruce has already found a nice 9mm for me, but we don't want to order it until we 'know' the state of Georgia approves of me owning a firearm. Ha! If I don't make the cut, then the state of Georgia knows something I don't. I swear I was never a Russian spy. Although, I think I resemble the "Hot" one in the news right now. OK, OK, stop laughing and breathe. It does make me feel like a 'new kind of tough' to think of having a permit and owning my own gun, though. I'll just have to hitch my pants a little higher (hello dork!) and keep being as cool as I've always been. Wait, the phones ringing.......... yeah, that was Russia, but I told them they had the wrong number.

Bought a peep hole for the front door yesterday. Now we have to install it. Turns out the new bit we bought is too big for our drill. Why, oh why, must everything on our 'things to do before Bruce leaves' list cost so much money? I swear I think it would've been cheaper to just buy two plane tickets to Korea for Alyssa and me and call it even. Ugh! There's still more things to buy, too! Laptop, gun, Christmas gifts ...::violin music begins cascading through the air::.. (or is that the sound of the dueling banjos fading away as the people across the street pull out of the neighborhood?)

Veteran's Day

I wanted to take a moment and post a picture of my absolutely fabulous husband. He serves our country with pride, and has for the last 16 years.

Bruce, I love you more and more every day. As cliche as it may sound, I sometimes have to pinch myself to make sure I'm not dreaming. You are an extraordinary man and bring joy to my life in ways I never knew possible. Thank you for all this, and your service to our country.

Dr. Suess and Mr. Verizon

I took Alyssa to Barnes & Noble this morning for their story time. She loved it! I am amazed at the fact that she sat in my lap the entire time. This was truly not what I expected, considering she won't sit still for 15 seconds at home. But, sit still she did. I guess this might be a regular thing for us now.

I'm on my way up to the Verizon store. Wish me luck. There's a glitch with my phone where I can't see any instant messages. They blew me off the last time I went up there to have it looked into, but since I had the-child-that-won't-sit-still-for-15-seconds with me, I was more than happy to say "Oh okay" when the sales guy babbled something to me. My arm was at the point of muscle failure from holding the wiggle monster, and I simply didn't have the patience to insist it be fixed. I do today, though! Bruce is home and I get to go by myself! Whoo hoo... this means I'll get to listen to REAL music in the car. Oh, the things that make me happy these days.

Oh, and I about had a conniption when I realized it was Wednesday. I'm going to find father time and kick his ass. I can't believe this month is almost halfway over, and the days are fewer and fewer til Bruce leaves..::sound of heart tearing like paper::... Time to get the big girl panties out.

County Fair: Then & Now

This past weekend was wonderful. Bruce and I took Alyssa to the County Fair. She is still so little, so she couldn't go on any rides other than the carousel, but she loved it all. She was people watching, looking at all the big rides and saying "Oooh, abba robi molla", which I have no clue as to what she meant, but she sure was excited! We ate funnel cakes, cotton candy, chicken on a stick, and BBQ sandwiches. Alyssa wanted nothing to do with the cotton candy. I skipped dinner that night, but my scale was still pissed at me the next morning. Up two pounds... I swear I'm about to consider cocaine to get this last 15 pounds off. ONLY KIDDING! Just making sure you're paying attention.

NO! Get that crap away from me! I don't care how good you say it is!

  

Carousel with Daddy

 It was a beautiful day here on Saturday, too. As we walked around enjoying the sunshine and sights, it made me think of going to the fair when I was a little kid. The only person I really remember going with was my big sister. Being ten years older, she took me to do A LOT of things. One night, when I was about six, she took me to the fair and we rode a ride that made us wonder if we were going to get off alive. I kid you not. It was this metal cage where I had to sit in front of her and the "door", which was on our left side, slid shut. Well, it didn't slide shut. Oh, it slid, but it didn't catch. This ride would slowly start to glide back and forth until it reached the top of the circle and rotated all the way over. We were the only ones on this ride, and when it started going we reached a 90 degree angle from the ground and the door slid open. We both started screaming, my sister was yelling, repeatedly, at the guy to stop the ride, but he thought we were just screaming for "fun". (There's no way he couldn't know... therefore, I've already reserved a special place in hell for him). The ride continued on. Gliding higher and higher. The door was trying to slide open each time we reached a certain height. I was terrified. But, she held that door shut, told me it was going to be fine, and held me tight. I knew she was lying, but I appreciated it. The ride finally stopped and we got off in one piece. My sister's wrist was so jacked-up by that time. It was swelling and simply did not look good. We had to find a first aid station where they wrapped it. Mind you, this was 30 years ago (OMG... that makes me feel OLD), so they didn't have the PR concerns they do today. I could only imagine if something like that were caught on cell phone video today! But that was then, and this is now, and thank god they take more precautions these days.

Saturday will be one of those days that I think back on when I'm having a bad day. The memories we made are sure to help me get through anything!

New directions, but no life-size dolls

I tell ya, I can get lost making three left-hand turns. I don't know what it is, but I am not one of those people that can drive somewhere once and then "know" how to get back there again. Now that we have navigational systems for our cars, it's no big deal anyway. Let me interject here: I DO know how to read a map, and that's not a problem... it's just the memory/direction thing that gets me every time. Well, my TOMTOM died a few weeks ago. Damn thing was only 2.5 years old, and all of a sudden it can't get a GPS signal. With my husband leaving to go overseas, this had to be resolved. I can't be calling him asking for the quickest route from our home to somewhere else when he's halfway across the world. So, we decided the only option was to buy a new GPS. We found a great deal, and I now have my brand spanking new TOMTOM. Bigger screen, lifetime maps, and it's even customized! It's truly the neatest thing. I picked out a design with a black background and Celtic clovers. It is too cool for school. I can't wait to put it in the Jeep. Herein lies the problem... It won't stick. No suction, which sucks. I wrote the TOMTOM people about this issue and said "PLEASE ADVISE". Hope they get back to me soon. I'd hate to end up in South Carolina the next time I try to go to Nashville.

We received the "Daddy Doll" in the mail today. It's awesome! Now that I've seen it, I am seriously considering buying the really big one for me. Don't laugh. I am not joking. Oh... and if only they had an 'anatomically correct' version! What? You think that's sick? Lol... then you might just be on the wrong page, 'cause I am not a woman to be trifled with when it comes to going without. But go without, I will, because I am "Army Wife Strong". I should add 'Savage' strong to that, too.... it's an elite group, if you haven't heard of it.

Next, we should be getting two new web cams in the mail. One for him and one for me. Skype, here we come! I've heard from other military couples that this one thing is what seemed to make the separation somewhat tolerable. What a wonderful world we live in when we have technology such as this!

Hope you all have a fabulous weekend. We're going to the county fair, and hopefully I'll have some funny stuff to share about it the next time I'm here.

And this one time on a road trip...

I have nothing terribly interesting in which to write about today... at least not from my current daily life. So, I will attempt to entertain with a story from my past.

This story involves my sister. She's 10 years older than me, and pretty fabulous. Well, when I was about 16, she decided she wanted to go to Florida for a few days. Being fabulous, as she is, she decided to take me with her. Off we go, from TN, in her little blue Triumph convertible. Wind blowing through our hair, music blasting on the radio, and the sun already beginning to burn the top part of our legs by the time we were halfway down there. We had a blast on that trip. We went to the beach to work on our tans, slept in, ate out, went shopping, flirted at every opportunity... just a good time all the way around. Of course, being sisters, there's bound to be something to piss one off, while the other laughs hysterically... anything else would be dysfunctional. In this case, it was on the ride home. You see, it takes about eight hours to get from TN to FL, and when the fun is over and you're on your way home, there's nothing better than taking a nap to make the drive go faster. Well, I fell asleep only to wake up to my sister saying "Claire! Claire! Wake up! Those boys are waving at you". Low and behold.... there was a car right beside us with four young guys in it. They were waving. They were smiling. It was almost as if they were laughing. That should have been the second red flag... the first being when my sister said "They're waving at YOU". She's not the type to not include herself when being admired, seeing as she's pretty cute anyway. Well, I was giggling and smiling, just as any respectable 16 year old with over-active hormones would, when I put my hand to my mouth for some reason. Slick. It felt slick. As a matter of fact, my entire face had this odd and oily feeling. Now, imagine... the whole time I was smiling, giggling, waving, just about convinced the love of my life might be in that car, only to suddenly feel very confused. They're not waving, as I have deluded myself into thinking, because I'm the cutest girl in the world and I deserve this attention. At this point, I realized they WERE LAUGHING. Laughing hard, too.  When I found a mirror, I saw what had happened. While I had fallen asleep, my sister must have gotten bored driving, found her brightest lipstick, and proceeded to mark my face with it! I don't mean a little here and there. I mean it was everywhere. The bit of wisdom I learned that day was that you can't even trust family. They can take you down with one little tube of lipstick.

That's OK. I had to wait 20, yes 20, years for my revenge. I haven't exactly had my revenge, but I can say I have my ammunition if ever needed. I may never use this ammunition, but at least in having it I know I can threaten her if the need ever arises. Yes, I'm wicked.... didn't you read the damn title?

Too much work and cussin' kids

Too much work can kill you, y'know. I'm not a girl that likes to take chances, either, but this morning I found myself doing way too much. I vacuumed the downstairs, did two loads of laundry, dusted, cleaned the kitchen, switched out the filter on the vacuum, cleaned all the floor mats, and even changed the tablecloth on the dining table. I'm glad it's done, but I guar-un-tee you I will be pacing myself in the future. At one point, I even thought I might be glistening... danger, danger, danger! My normal daily habits include cleaning the kitchen, doing a load of laundry, and maybe one other chore. Of course, don't think for a moment that I'm lazy. I am a perpetual picker-upper, considering I have a toddler. I'm also never laying around watching TV, except for about an hour after dinner with my husband. I just prefer to space out the drudgery. A little here, a little there... and then it never feels like it builds up. Never all in the morning, at least, never again.

I HAVE been getting lazy with dinner, though. Since my husband and I are trying to watch our fab bodies ..::cough, cough::.., it seems like we eat A LOT of plain baked chicken, plain veggies, and brown rice. Well, I switched it up last night. My computer was down, so I actually got a cookbook out to find a recipe in which to use my bay scallops. I made Creamy Herbed Pasta with Scallops. Oh.My.God. It was so good. Of course, any meal with a cream cheese-based sauce has got to be scrumptious, right? I just knew my scale was going to be a bitch to me this morning, but low and behold... I dropped half a pound! Hmmmm, it makes me think I should eat pasta with fattening sauces more often.

We have a play date this afternoon. Alyssa's little friend seems to be a good influence, but I've got my eye on her... you really have to watch out for the ones that are corrupt but hide behind their cuteness! Considering Nora doesn't smoke or drink, I think she's a winner. I have heard her cuss, though. Lol... my kind of kid. (just kidding, just kidding... she's never cussed around me)

Crying over not having to do as much laundry...

My husband has packed up most of his stuff to be shipped overseas. The transportation people are supposed to be picking it all up today, but no sign of them yet. Figures. One positive about this is he has to stay home until they show up, so I have my sweetie at home. But anyway, this morning I was doing some laundry and as I was putting it all away, I noticed how much is missing. There I was in the closet, with a big knot in my throat, trying not to cry. It's not as if he's gone... he still has several weeks before he leaves, but it is breaking my heart already. We've gone through a few separations in the past few years, but they never seem to get any easier. And, this one, being one year, is going to be the hardest. I am still holding onto a small sliver of hope that we will be able to join him overseas, though. Hey! Do what you gotta do. Right?

Even Supergirl has her moments

Trick-or-Treating was a lot of fun last night. Good company, good drinks, good food, and cute kids in costumes. Alyssa seemed to get the hang of knocking on doors and then receiving candy. One thing I'll have to work on for next year is to teach her not to run into people's houses when they open the door. Thank goodness all the people she stormed in on seemed to have a sense of humor about it.

Last night, I woke up and couldn't go back to sleep. I was up for almost four hours. This is the third night in a row that this has happened. I know it's just the changes ahead that I'm a little stressed about, but I surely hope it stops. I need my sleep! At least with my husband home today I have a little help keeping Alyssa entertained. The windows are open, bringing in a nice cool breeze, too.... so, it's just a calm relaxing day. I'm going to enjoy it.