Crack is not good for the heart

The dreadful, year-long unaccompanied tour is OVER! I picked my husband up from the airport on Thursday night. It was touch and go for a few minutes, though. As I was driving to the airport my phone rang from a number I didn't know. When I answered it, it was a collect call from Bruce. My heart fell. He was supposed to be up in the air at that very moment, but he wasn't. There was a needed repair on the plane, and they were "pretty sure" they could fix it. They were only waiting to find out if the flight was going to be cancelled because of how late it was getting. He was flying in to the Augusta Airport, which is not a big airport. It's tiny, and there are no arriving flights after 11:40. It was 11:25 at that moment. Anyway, I asked him to call me back and let me know, but he never called. I was so excited to see him, yet I was so worried there was going to be another delay. I was beginning to make a plan to drive to Atlanta, if needed, and I waited in my car, at the airport, for him to call back. I got on my phone and pulled up the airline's flight schedule, but all it was reporting was that the flight was on time. Since I knew that wasn't true, I went on in to see if I could find out if the plane even took off. It had, thank goodness. About forty minutes later, people started coming down the terminal. I was right there waiting with full perma-grin. Then a man walked up to me and asked if I was waiting on a gentleman coming from Korea. **heart stopped** He was very serious. When I replied "yes", he paused, then started laughing that my husband was waiting at the wrong baggage claim. He said he was sure he'd be along in a minute, once he figured it out. Ahhhh.... relief washed over me. It was only a few more moments until I saw my absolutely wonderful and handsome husband walking towards me. He was sporting a pretty good grin, too. It was such an incredibly happy moment for me. We hugged, kissed, looked at each other, kissed again, and then that crack in my heart completely closed.

The Homecoming Outfit

OCD cleaning going on here... something big must be about to happen!

I'm sick of it. Absolutely, completely sick of it. And I refuse to sleep two more nights alone. That's it. I draw the line. It's a good thing my husband is coming home.... lol.

I've been vacuuming, dusting, cleaning bathrooms. I've just finished a glass of wine, and I figure I deserved it. It was the last of some ChocoVino.... thanks Renae.

Alyssa is watching one of the many Christmas movies I've recorded. That's been a surprise to me. I had no clue I would develop this overwhelming urge to record/watch every classic Christmas cartoon from my childhood. Yet here I am, loving every minute of Rudolph's Shiny New Year, and Santa Claus is Comin' to Town, among others. OH, and I have, in every way, made up for not decorating for Christmas the last five years! I've got the tree, tons of ornaments just ready to be carefully placed on each limb in hopes of a gorgeous "themed" tree that my husband wants **grin and roll eyes**, the table has a pretty snowflake tablecloth with a neat little centerpiece, the top of my bookcase is now a winter wonderland, and I've even bought three framed pictures for the walls. Ahhhhh.... for me, this year is worth celebrating. Bruce will be home, Alyssa is old enough that she's beginning to understand what Santa's about, and.... well, I just felt like it. Bruce and I have also bought some beautiful fine pewter snowflakes that we are going to start "our" tradition with. We've decided to have one engraved each year, with the date and the place of where we're currently living.

The next time I write something on here, I'm going to be a satisfied woman. **wink, wink** No more sleeping alone for me! Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!



................... dancing a little jig..............................

I welcome my enemy, the cold.

Usually I hate the idea of cold weather. The only things that I can possibly muster some enthusiasm about during this time of year are the 1 in 84,000 chance that I may be able to make a snow angel should it snow and snuggling closer to my husband in bed. Although he squirms and complains when I put my ice cube hands all over him while I laugh hilariously, I really think deep down he likes it. Other than that, I can't stand cold weather. My back hurts more from the arthritis and my fingers go bloodless-white and numb on the tips when I get cold for more than 10 minutes. Then there's also the other reasons that people generally don't like winter as much as all the other seasons: staying inside more, no cookouts, and less hours of daylight.

I walked outside this morning and I smelled it: The cold. Not just felt it, but caught a whiff of that crispness which promises only colder days to follow. This time I smiled. I was hit by a wave of joy and relief. It was this time last year that I said goodbye to my husband at the airport. At that time, the thought of an entire year passing was heartbreaking. It felt as if father time put a cruel hand up to halt the seconds from passing. The seasons have passed though, as they will. First was winter and the holidays, birthdays, and anniversaries. I trudged through each one telling myself it was just one of many more to come. Then spring entered in and a few more birthdays and holidays slipped by. When summer arrived, there was a brief reprieve when my husband came home to visit for a few weeks. That feels like forever ago... especially when the Georgia climate hangs onto summer like a two year old with its favorite toy. Finally the leaves have begun to change and fall. Now I welcome the cold. Let it come! It only means one of the most wonderful things in my life will be returning. In just a matter of weeks this entire melancholy separation will be over. Just in time for me to have my hot stud muffin back in bed to keep my ice digits warm on those really cold nights.

I'm also looking forward to our move. Well, not the move itself, but rather the climate of where we're going. I've heard Hawaii is pretty nice. **wink**

Cats and Crocs

I opened my mailbox today to find it stuffed with all sorts of goodies. When I say stuffed, I mean stuffed! My mom sent Alyssa a beautiful little dress that has smocking on the top and an adorable Little Bo Peep and two sheep embroidered on it. I just love it! Alyssa is all about the dresses lately, and I don't foresee that changing anytime soon. I imagine she'll get a lot of wear out of it in Hawaii. It makes me feel a little guilty that I don't buy more expensive dresses for her... but hey, that's one of the many reasons why grandparents are so great.

I also got my Crocs. Considering I wear a size 10, I'm sure you can see why the mailbox was stuffed with the shoes, the dress, and all the cool magazines and Christmas catalogs that came, too. But before you dare think "Oh, she's got big feet!", I'll have you know they are not "big". They are simply firm foundations. So there. Anyway, once I tried them on, I got it. I now completely understand what all the hoopla is about with this brand of shoes. They were, quite honestly, the most comfortable pair of shoes that have ever been lucky enough to envelope my firm foundations. It felt as if I was walking on the softest, air-filled, squishy pillow. They fit perfectly, too! They're not clunky, either. They're cute little silver slingbacks with a purple detail around the sole. I can't wait to wear them out.

Since we are moving to Hawaii, I checked into the regulations on taking animals. It seems they are pretty strict about this and I wish I had known sooner. Once I realized there was a 120 day waiting period from one particular shot, my heart sank. But this morning I grabbed the cat carrier, caught the cat as she unsuspectingly came around the corner, and then proceeded to try to avoid as many scratches as possible once she realized her impending captivity. When all the caterwauling was over, I only had three minor scratches on my hand. Not so bad, really. She did great getting the shots. Didn't cry at all. I told Alyssa she could learn a thing or two from this and remember it when her next round of shots comes around. Hehehe... yea, I know. That wasn't exactly the best parenting tactic, but you have no clue as to what my morning with her had been like. At the time, I just figured it was calling things even. Back to the cat: We're only about two months out from moving, so our little miniature tiger is going to have to be in quarantine for about 50 days or so. That sucks. Bruce has tried to reassure me about the whole thing, but I just can't help but feel sad about it. Oh... I'll be fine.... it's the cat I'm worried about.

Pain, corruption, and thoughts about men wearing pink.

It's been a week and I'm still in pain in several places. Tomorrow morning I'm biting the bullet and making an appoinment on base. It's gotten to the point that it's affecting a lot (everything) of what I do. So that's that.

On a positive note, I got my laptop back today! YAY! I had to send it back to the manufacturer because the motherboard had a major defect. It was corrupted. No surprise there. It tends to happen to objects that linger within the vicinity of this wicked woman. Hehehehe... Seriously, though, I'm just happy it was still under warranty. I sent it via UPS and got it back within a week and a half. That's a pretty good turn around rate. Now I'm relaxing in bed, writing this. Well, I'm attempting to. It seems the cursor is skipping, or my palm is brushing the pad, because about every other sentence the cursor jumps and starts inserting words in previous sentences. ARGH! When I start typing quickly it takes a minute to realize the words aren't going where they're supposed to. I can't justify a "drop" test on it at this point, seeing as I just got it back.

I've had a couple of great deals shopping in the last few days. I scored a pair of truly cute Crocs for less than $15, and that included shipping! They were originally $50. I've never bought a pair of Crocs, and I'm excited to be able to try them at such a fabulous price. Yesterday, I went to Target to get some diapers since I had four coupons to stack. It was like getting a free pack. Works for me everytime! It must have been my luuuuucky day because I found a cute/sexy bra and panty set in my size. Just one of each hanging together.... it was as if they were waiting for me. Just for me. I was more than happy to pay less than $10 for a set that was originally more than $30. Now, I just can't wait to show my husband (bow chica bow bow). Ah, but the savings don't stop there! I then got a fabulous deal online for two nice shirts for my husband. They were originally $34 each. After shipping, I paid less than $18 for both! Not for one, but both! I was showing my husband the pics online this morning while we Skyped. He didn't love the purple shirt. He actually asked me what he was supposed to wear it with! **rolling eyes**  It's a purple polo! I told him "Pants... ANY pants!" He thinks a purple polo won't go with jeans. Lol.... men. I told him he should be thankful I didn't buy the shirt in pink. Mark my words though, I WILL get him in a pink shirt before I die. Whether or not he's sober when I do it, or possibly incapacitated in some other form or fashion (pun intended).... it will happen.

Grab some cheese, I've got a lot of WHINE

Argh. The pain. I mean, does everybody hurt? Does everybody wake up every day with several things hurting on their body? Am I just a sissy? My back is killing me. The right side of my ribcage AND underneath the right breast still hurts 3 months after the two surgeries. My ankle still hurts to the touch (it happened 4 weeks ago!). My stomach has been jacked up for days. I get aches in my abdomen that feel like a monthly thing, but it's not. My neck's got a crick in it. I've had a few headaches in the past couple of days, and that's not normal for me. I get pains in my chest. Some of these listed pains are not that bad all the time, but my back IS stealing the spotlight right now. I have no clue what I could have done to it. I had a spinal fusion from L3-S1 about 10 years ago, but haven's had any real pain in that area since before I was pregnant with Alyssa. I'm beginning to worry a little because it seems to be getting worse. I realized this when I was talking to my husband. Since we Skype everyday, we usually end up talking about even the smallest, most random things... like where I'm currently hurting. Oh, and I'm not depressed. I know that pain can be a side effect from depression, but this here girl is very happy with life. Not to say I'm not a little stressed with everything that's going on and about to happen in our near future, but I mentally feel really good. Seriously. So anyway, once I realized how often I was telling Bruce "This hurts"and "That hurts", I finally just said "OMG, I WILL quit complaining. Or at least I'll just say "WHINE" when I have a shot of pain." I'm scared I might end up sounding like an alcoholic to the uninformed fly on the wall. Which in case you might be wondering... no, I don't drink. Well, I had a couple of glasses while Kim was here, but it was no wild party.

ARGH. I took some Tylenol about an hour ago, but it's not helping.

What DOES almost depress me is the idea of going to the Dr. on base. I can't stand my PCM, and I've had a couple of not-so-positive experiences at this post clinic, where they obviously couldn't have cared less about doing their job. I just don't have faith that they're even going to take me seriously, so why go, be told I'm fine, leave there feeling like a sissy-whiner, and STILL be in pain? I'm going to go to my bedroom, lay very still, watch TV, and hope I feel better tomorrow.

Important life lessons, and who taught me mine...

I just put the little princess to bed. She's doing just fabulous in her toddler bed and I am amazed! Although I am also quite aware of the fact that if this is not an issue, there will be an equally opposite (as in difficult) issue to deal with. Y'know... as in conservation of energy. She's only saving it up. That energy will not disappear. Oh no. It will, no-doubt, make its reappearance while I'm running short on nerves. **Wicked laugh** Little does she know, I refuse to let her bring me down with her evil plan! But right now I'm just going to appreciate the ease of which we made it through this rite-of-passage.

Today I sent my husband a list of things I'm thankful for. They pertained directly to him, but it makes me think of other people I'm thankful for. These people have taught me many important things throughout my life:

My husband: Taught me patience. There's no sarcasm to follow this as some women might do. I have learned a different way of communicating with him. He doesn't think his communication skills are that great, but I beg to differ. With him, I've learned that if I wait a few seconds for an answer, he'll always follow through with a well thought out response. It sure does beat a knee-jerk retort when I might innocently be pushing his buttons... not that I would ever do that **wink, wink**.
My daughter: yet again, I must say patience. That, and the strength to keep my eyes open when I'm beyond exhausted but she's awake for some reason.... whether it be sickness or 3am shuffling through the hall due to jet-lag.
My dad: He's one of my few heros. Among other things, he's taught me a lot about how to deal with difficult people... and how to do it without cussing. I'm still a work in progress on that one when typing, but hey... cut me some slack... I'm married to a man in the Army. They can cuss a lot.
My mother: Taught me many wonderful things... and left the challenge of overcoming a little dysfunction. But, I'm sure she did it just to build character.
My sister: She inadvertently taught me how to sneak out as a teenager.... lol. Yep, all that was her fault. Absolutely no responsibility on my part. Oh, she also taught me how to put on make-up. Some might recall the lipstick lesson I wrote about that took place on our drive back from Florida. I don't use that much lipstick anymore, though. I think red is great in moderation, and limited only to the lips, as opposed to smearing it all over your face. Seriously, as an adult though, she's someone I admire for all her accomplishments, and the fact that she still has a wild side. Never boring, that one, that's for sure.
My brother has taught me that things can change. We used to fight when I was about 5 and he was 14. He was such a meanie then. But now I know I could turn to him for absolutely anything. He also taught me the importance of managing money. Oh, and not to pull someone's finger just because they tell you to.
Dottie has taught me what good manners really mean. She seems to handle any situation with such grace. Sometimes when someone is getting on my very last nerve, I just think "What would Dottie do?" I usually end up smiling at the person and saying "Well, bless your heart!" But that doesn't mean that if I ever say that to you that you're getting on my nerves. Honestly. And when I'm really excited, I find myself saying "I'm just so excited I could shit!", just as I've heard her say. They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and I want to be just like her when I grow up.
Kim has taught me the meaning of loyalty, and that there really are friends you can trust your whole life.
Kimberly has taught me the value of getting a tattoo. She also taught me that even through challenges and heartbreak, the world can be a very sweet place.
Heather has taught me that it's still possible for me to make new friends.... and the value of keeping up that friendship even across the miles. Also, that a really fabulous pair of heels are important to completing any outfit worth going to dinner in.
Judi has taught me that friends are not always the same age, or even generation, and that how many times you physically see them does not equate to how important they are in your life.
LeAna: I've learned what it really means to keep things in perspective. When I was feeling sorry for myself because my surgery didn't go exactly as planned, I humbly realized that I should be thankful that my reconstruction was not due to cancer. I also learned that neighbors can come to feel like family.

Like I wrote before, there is no order in this list. Each person holds such a wonderful place in my life, and I consider myself priviledged to be a part of theirs. Which makes me think of my grandmother and granddaddy. They influenced my life so strongly and positively. Throughout all my wonderful, cherished memories of them, I would have to say they taught me.... how to miss someone with all your heart, and the importance of appreciating the ones you love while they're still here.

Cool breezes and costumes

I am just loving the beautiful weather right now. I'm getting every penny's worth out of my screen doors, too. The only time in the last week and a half that I've had to turn on the air was at night. That's only because our house gets hotter as the afternoon wears on and Alyssa's room gets the hottest. I'm just not going to risk losing my quiet time because she can't sleep in a hot room. :)~

It's back to boring for a bit, at least for a few more days. My best friend is coming with her two daughter's to visit next week. Then we have Halloween. Alyssa's going to be Superwoman... again. She really doesn't care yet about the costume, or even the candy, so my thought is why spend another $30 on a costume? We just went through quite a bit of money in South Korea too, so it's time to buckle back down. I'll be more than happy to buy her a different costume next year. By then I'm sure she'll be telling me exactly what she wants to be. This year I'm dressing up as an aging 37 year old woman. I've nailed it, too! My costume has several scars, a couple of wrinkles and age spots, not to mention the free Louis Vuitton luggage that came attached right underneath the eye part of the mask! The really cool part about it is that as soon as I put the costume on several aches and pains show up. Hehehe...

I need a nap and some hangers.

We've been home a week already. That's one more week closer to my husband getting home! Bruce and I looked online for houses to rent in Hawaii while we were Skyping this morning. We found some nice ones, but I know that anything we really like right now probably won't be available in two months. Who knows? At least we're getting an idea of what we can get for our money.

My daughter has grown up so much in the last month. I find it amazing to watch all these changes. She's now in the toddler bed, she's speaking in complete sentences... sometimes, AND she's developing quite the demanding personality. I used to be able to put anything on TV for her, but now she knows she has options. Just today she's started going over to our movie collection and telling me what she wants to watch. This was cute til she started changing her mind every 10 minutes. She's still not over the jet-lag either! Every afternoon I go to get her up from her nap, and she's sooo tired and grumpy. This is even after sleeping two and half hours. She's still waking up around 4 in the morning, too. Ugh. I am so tired in the mornings, yet she's bright-eyed and bushy-tailed yelling "GOOD MORNING!"

I'm still working on the laundry. I managed to vaccum the downstairs yesterday. Maybe by the end of the week I'll have my house back in order. Lol.. right now my bedroom is a mess. My luggage is still on the floor with clothes in it. A couple of times I had the best intentions to get it all put away and I started by putting it all on the bed, but then got sidetracked until bedtime so I just threw it all back in the suitcase. I need hangers anyway, so why bother til I've got 'em?

My best friend is coming for a visit next week with her two daughters. Getting to hang out with her for several days is such a treat. We'll watch movies when the girls go to bed, take the girls to the park, and try some new wines.

So much done, and yet so much left to do!

We are home. It was such a wonderful time with my husband, but part of me is glad to be home. Bittersweet it the only word to describe it. The flight back was almost three hours shorter than going over and my daughter was so well-behaved I couldn't believe it. She hung in there like a champ! Considering it was 24 hours from the time we got up in South Korea until the time we got home she was amazing. My sister's boyfriend picked us up from the airport in Atlanta and chauffeured us home. He's quite the entertainer so it was a laughter-filled ride home, full of jokes and stories. My cat seemed to take a moment to remember who I was when I walked in the door, but then she started her crazy eights around my ankles. The house was just as I'd left it, too. My fabulous friend Michele made sure of that.

I've unpacked 75% of everything, but 25% of it is currently thrown on my bed. I started some laundry earlier today. It's taken a little while to get some motivation since getting home. There's so much to do after being gone for more than a month: laundry, vacuuming, dusting and changing the sheets on the beds, Dr's appointments, errands and paying bills. I did restock the fridge this week, which reminds me... I had a gallon and a half of milk left in the fridge when we left. You just can't imagine how fun that was to open both of those containers to pour them down the sink. Oh, it was bad. Real bad. I now know how kim chi and sauerkraut were invented, too. People went off to hunt or visit and left the cabbage or lettuce around. When they got home they had nothing to eat. Seeing the red and fermented cabbage they were so hungry they probably said "Let's just throw some vinegar/hot sauce on that stuff and try it." At least that's my theory after seeing the lettuce in my crisper when we got home.

We've had a very busy week with several doctors appointments. I thought we were going to have our overseas screenings, but that ended up being delayed. I DID see my doctor about the pain I'm still having on my rib cage. I was also concerned with how my breasts look now that everything has settled down after the two surgeries. It's not horrible, but it's not right. My doctor seemed very attentive to my concern, and gave me three options. I've decided to go with the least traumatic option, which will mean I'll still have to go under sedation again, but it's the least invasive. One positive thing is that he'll have to take a little bit of fat off my waist area to make this tweak. Yeah, I like that idea... just as long as I don't end up lumpy like Tara Reid. **rolling eyes** This whole thing has been hard, and I feel like I'm taking a roll of the dice to give him one more chance to fix it. Oh, and I had to have the nerve block on Friday. It may have helped. I don't know for sure yet because I saw this AWFUL woman about my leg on Thursday, and she gave me crutches which ended up making me hurt more than before. (I'll whine about that later, but I'm getting to the point that I can understand why so many people complain about the nurses and doctors on base. She was not a good nurse or doctor, or whatever she was... I don't even know which, to be honest with you.)

Alyssa is just now getting over the jet-lag. She was really suffering, which meant I was awake much earlier than I wanted to be the whole week. She's now sleeping in her toddler bed and several mornings this week I heard shuffling in the hallway before 4am. I'd get up and put her back in bed, but then I couldn't get back to sleep. It's all working out now though, thank goodness.

It's only a few more weeks now! There's so much to do to get ready for Hawaii that I'm sure it's going to go by quickly. Ahhhh... I am sooo glad this year is almost over. I can't wait to have my husband home. I've already started a to-do list for him.**wink**

I've got company coming over tonight. Can't wait! They're so much fun and make me laugh to the point that I snort. We're just going to eat some pizza and drink some adult beverages, but I can guarantee you it will be good times.