Happy Military Spouse Appreciation Day

to all of us. My DIL and I were talking last night, she has a relative about to marry a Ranger. She was asking me my advice and what to get her. I told her about a couple of books - Married to the Military (yeah, the pink camo sucks, but the book is good) and then Help, I'm a Military Spouse and I want a Life too. DIL said " it's a lot harder being the wife, than being active" She's been both. It was a sweet thing to say, don't you think?

Anyway. Happy MSAD to all..

LAW

Grandbaby is here

My family is in town, my folks from Fla. my son, DIL and the sweetest grandbaby in the world are here. I won't go into how perfect she is now.. just to let you know I may not be on much until Wednesday.

OH - CANNOT forget. Butterfly Wife is a happy lady right now, Jack Bauer is home. welcome home, Sir. and Wife Unit - hope he and Gassy Gussy are happy and well.

LAW

Parent's Page

Is up! well, a small beginning of one, anyway. If you are a parent of a serving military member,go on over,[click on the title of this post] leave a comment and most importantly, leave us a way to get to you! If you don't want to leave an email address in the open, let us know that, and we'll figure out how to get to you. My cohort in this is VERY tech savvy... which is good... I'm not so good!

If you know that your mom or mom in law would like to participate in a meeting place for parents, please let them know it's there. Click on the title of this post to get there or on the link on the right.

thanks.

LAW

Nope- no profound thoughts again

The sun is out. and it's a lovely day. The balcony boxes are looking good, need to buy a few more plants for another planting stacker.. more herbs I think.

The FRG meeting was a bit disappointing. No - not the pizza. the fact that 25 people responded that they were coming.. and only the same old 11 or so (and most of them, the uniformed members/SGM - unit leaders) actually did. Folks - if you want a good FRG, you gotta, GOTTA, take part!!!!!!! Apathy is our greatest enemy here.

DH was out of town for a while, got back Saturday. Mandatory fun picnic today - we'll ride the bike down and hang out for a little while, but have a lot of stuff to do as well. The unit didn't ask for anyone to help, it's all being catered, which is a let down as well. wouldn't it be more fun to have some of the guys flipping the burgers, pot luck on the sides and good desserts from others? a bit more of a get together.... ah well.

Later...

LAW

rain rain rain

I kinda hope the drought is officially over. Because I am starting to wonder if we need a boat. Sunday, it drizzled and then poured. Monday... ditto.

BUT on the good side - whilst waiting for DH to get ferried back from the finishing line of the GW Parkway 10 miler, I spied an ESTATE SALE. Now, I was waiting for him in a rather nice older neighbourhood outside DC... So I went in, and there it was. A black formal gown, very simple but beautifully cut, with the tags still on [Nordstroms.. formal room...]! and the lovely couple doing the sale said - sure go ahead, try it on - and it fits. like a glove. A little low in the front for me, DH likes it.. but it needs to be shortened as soon as I find the right shoes. and only $30!! So. now I hunt for low heeled fancy shoes. HOWEVER, we still don't know anyone else going to the Army Ball, and I hate going by ourselves, lots more fun with a table full of folks ya know.

Then the nurseries.. and I held back. got some lovely stuff, but the 6 large bags of potting soil made DH a weeeee bit crabby. Now, if it would warm up and stop blowing long enough for me to fill the balcony boxes and pots, it would be great. Still need a few more little things to fill a stacked pot, but then.. it will look nice.

I was showing a co worker our house, which is back on the MLS. They have 360 views of it - including my lovely big kitchen, with the acres of counter space, the monster pantry, and I wanted to just cry. ah well, the adventure will continue. Just wish someone would buy the blasted thing!

Onwards and upwards. a new day, maybe the boss will have his head out of his 4th POC... doubt it. and maybe the sun will peep out. on the good side - Yoga class and FRG meeting tonight - Pizza night!

Y'all take care. Profundities lacking again... maybe later in the week.

LAW

motorcycle, 10 mile runs... My Weekend

NO - I didn't nor will I run 10 miles. DH is as we speak doing the George Washington Parkway 10 miler. I don't run, not even for a train.

We had a fantastic day yesterday, went on the motorcycle- down to Old Town Alex the back way (via Eisenhower, for any of you in the area) wandered Old Town, found a super bakery for a decent sourdough, picked up his race packet and took off again. I love Old Town, the streets are lovely and the townhouses are gorgeous. But oh mama - the price of a house down there! YIKES! Then... down the George Washington Parkway. Very little traffic, glorious sunshine, the azaleas, the lilac and all manner of flowering bushes just popping out all over. Stunning, against the backdrop of some jawdropping houses, and on the other side, the Potomac.. Unfortunately, we had to go on US 1. Stunningly awful, traffic was horrible, store after store after store after...... and it was HOT!

today - the plant nursery! After I pick up himself, off down US 1 and get plants, potting soil.. and try not to buy too much, because I have just a teeeeeeeeny balcony.

I don't feel like writing anything profound. Just wanted to talk about a great day.

take care, hope your day is a good one.

LAW

Colonel, I'm ashamed of you!

Today was the day I was ashamed of a man in uniform. The Metro was packed. absolutely sardine like. Then... we had to get off because of a technical problem. so you can imagine what the NEXT one was like... Insanity!

So we squished in... and then I saw it. A full bird colonel, eagles gleaming. sitting. and an elderly woman standing in front of him. and he kept sitting. Now I don't expect him to get up for me. but this woman was white haired and having a great deal of trouble maintaining her balance and holding on to a rail.. and he sat. Officer and a gentleman, huh? Not So Much. and before anyone thinks he was injured.. the way he sprang up, grabbed his PT bag and rushed off when we hit his stop.. No.

LAW

I got tagged

so.. the 5 Things:

5 things I was doing 10 years ago:

1. planning, drawing, getting ideas for the house we ended up building.
2. working
3. getting the house we lived in ready to sell
4. walking the property we had, figuring, planning
5. helping my husband get through school by doing 2.

5 things on my to do list

1. Look for more sites to link to on the new Parent's site
2. email friends to see if anyone wants to do the Marine Corps 10K
3. crochet work on the king size cover
4. look for more books on CD for granddaughter
5. Laundry

5 Snacks I enjoy

1. Goldfish - whole grain
2. Fruit - most any kind
3. Chocolate - milk because dark gives me migraine - Belgian or Swiss/German.
4. popcorn - kettle corn is best
5. dried fruit - apricots, prunes, raisins, apples.

5 things I would do if I were a billionaire

1. Quit work
2. Start my own organizing business
3. look for property
4. Fund my granddaughter's schooling
5. But first, just for me...Buy a Bugatti Vayron, go to Germany/Italy/Switzerland and DRIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

5 Bad Habits

1. I read rather than do something I should be doing
2. I sleep when I should work out
3. I mess with my cuticles
4. According to DH, I steal the covers
5. I pick on DH for the toilet roll, toilet seat... wet towels..

5 places I've lived. Jeez. I've lived in at least 10 different countries... I'll give you my favourites.

1. Naples Italy
2. Bad Homburg, Germany
3. London and Sussex
4. Washington DC
5. Sydney Australia

5 Jobs I've had

1. Paralegal for 20 years
2. Worked at a plant nursery
3. Kitchen Designer
4. Passport Clerk in a Consulate
5. Secretary

Now - I'm going to be a bad girl. I'm not tagging anyone. sorry.

LAW

You GOTTA be kidding me!

Dick Cheney has outdone himself. he has decided (no, he's NOT the Decider, he runs the Decider) that the one who is truly affected by the loss of life in Iraq is... (drumroll for stupidity, please) the Preznent. Let's recap, shall we?

We were going into Iraq because (pick one, they tried them all...) WMD, Saddam Hussein was going to help AlQuaeda, Saddam had already helped AlQuaeda, he was getting the Bomb. No, we went in because Dickie and George and Rummie and the rest of them wanted to. Now, not ONE of them has a family member in uniform. NOT ONE. Shrub prancing about in a flight suit doesn't count. I may not like McCain, but he DOES have skin in this.

They were warned, we need more men, better equipment. The sheer rage I felt when we heard the "we go in with the army we have...." Now, correct me if I'm wrong... we didn't HAVE to start the conflict in Iraq. we could have waited and had the right equipment, right? No one invaded us. OH PLEASE, I can hear the right wingers now... they attacked us on 9/11. ONE MORE TIME - there were no Iraqis in that group, no proof ever that Saddam Hussein was in any way involved. the secular Baathist government of Iraq was a supremely evil group, run by a true piece of slime, but it was NOT responsible for 9/11.

Anyway - to get back to the subject. So, they were warned, more men, it's not going to be the piece of cake they wanted... the people were NOT going to strew flowers in our path. and the general who warned them, fired. anyone who warned them, gone. Then... oh, it was only a few loyalisssts, and some terrrrrrsts. there's no civil war in Iraq... how much more drivel do we have to listen to? how many more lies? and do they believe any of it??

Now, I don't know how we leave, who do you want to be the last one out? I don't see an end here, and it scares me, and it makes me angry. I look at the men and women in uniform on post, on the Metro... and I worry.

I had some good news today, a woman I worked with earlier emailed me and told me her son was home, from his second tour in the Litterbox. Breathed a little easier! but how many of my blogging friends have boots in the sand right now.. and we breathe a sigh of relief as they come home and dread the next deployment.


For those who got us into this disaster, I hope, oh how I hope, that there really is karma. what goes around, will come around.

LAW

Five Years

Today is one of those days that I really have to think about who/what I am. A Liberal, who has strong feelings against the Iraq war. A Proud Army Wife, who supports her husband, the troops, completely. A Liberal, who thinks the Afghanistan War was and is the right thing to do. A Proud Army Mom, who supported her son during his Army days, and now supports him in his ongoing life as a veteran. A Proud Army Wife, who is active in her new FRG and trying to help some of the younger mil-spouses out there who are a little bit lost in this new military life.

I wrote a blog a while ago "where would I have stood" and I still don't know. A woman I work with, seeing my peace symbol next to my Army Wife pin, asked if I wanted to go to a vigil tonight... and I can't. A woman screamed at me on the train this morning, that I was some sort of traitor... Her exact words " I guess you think we deserved 9/11"... my response - what a fatuous idiotic statement that is...

It would be so much easier to not listen to the two sides of me. Being torn like this makes me wonder, if it wouldn't be easier to forget it all, to not read the news, not watch the Honor Roll on Lehrer, to not respond to the FRG requests for help, to not blog, to not go to SpouseBuzz or any of the other military blogs. I think it would be easier, but I wouldn't be me.

One thing I noticed today - no uniforms. My train goes to the Pentagon, and usually there are lots of men and women in uniform, and I always feel great seeing them. Today, they were in that "civies" uniform, jeans, polo shirt and jacket... That's a shame.

So from me - to the men and women in uniform, I'm so damned proud to be in your family. To the protestors, yes we want peace, but don't forget, your right to protest is protected by those men and women in uniform. Protest the decision, not the ones who are carrying it out. And to my friends, both to the left and the right of the spectrum, thank you for putting up with this two sided confused Proud Liberal Army Wife (especially you, love of my life.)

LAW

Baby shower, daylight savings and other twaddle

Sheesh... been awhile since I posted! No excuses, just busy. and sometimes, just too much to say.

Had a nice little baby shower for WifeUnit, her friend "Aunty Jenn" and the cutest little bundle boy. unfortunately, due to deployment leaving/coming home and illness, as well as some other stuff, we didn't have a big crowd. But fun was had anyway. How much the guest of honour enjoyed himself, I'll leave up to his mommy. I sure enjoyed having him here. But I don't think the cat really figured out what that was, made funny little noises and everyone cooed it it... hmmmm

I'm hearing from the kid, who has to go to work at some unholy hour of 2 am... that daylight savings time is kicking his butt. DH got up to run an 8K race this morning... but it hasn't hit me yet, since I woke up at... well... let's see, OLD time it was 3:30... NEW time 4:30. Whichever, it was waaay too damned early. Ah well. I'll sleep great tonight, after cookie baking with the FRG later.

Elections - I'm mortified by the Dems, absolutely detesting all of them right now, why DO we have to act this way. All we are doing, is giving fodder to the Repubs. STOP IT NOW!! we have BIG problems here, we need serious answers, from serious people. Oh... I miss Bill Richardson!

more later... about the Parent's Page we are trying to start.

LAW

The drivel that Anonymous posted

THIS is the blather that I didn't allow to post earlier. This is what "anonymous" posted. See... I don't usually like to allow jackass dimwit stupid fools...



Let me see. You say you're a liberal Army wife. Impossible. If your husband serves Honorably, he would be smart enough to not marry lib trash. You're a democrat so that makes you lazy, useless, reliant on others for a handout. You support the idiots who got our country nuked, the ones who are going to ruin this country, the ones who are rewriting the Constitution. This country needs Flag flying Americans. Not Flag burning Osamacrats. This country needs honorable people, not cowards like the Bin Rotten Shitons or Osama Bin Kerry. Yes I am in the Military, serving honorably and keeping our country from getting blown up again. Because Liberals despise America, there is no possible way those cowards could serve a day in the Military at all. Libs need to be spit on like Kerry, Hillary, and Osama do to us.

We need to support our troops in the best possible way. That's why the Libtard Terrorist Organizations need to keep Socialist Hitlery Rotten and Raghead Barack Osama away from the White House. We dont need another 9/11. After all, real Americans would never vote Democrat or let Libtrash destroy the free world.

Ok - now then... have at it, folks. This sort of twaddle is just NOT conducive to civil discourse. ooops, to this twerp, I'm sure that sentence is not understandable. hmmm.

LAW

Organizing - and The Stuff

So ... a little history. My mother is a neatnik, so's my dad. They like lots of Stuff, but it's neat and tidy or at least put away somewhere no one can see if it's a mess. I was, as are many children/teens - a total slob. Really bad. food under the bed, clothes everywhere.

So how did I become an organizer, a person who actually went to someones house and helped her clean up - someone who ruthlessly culled all the junk/stuff/things in the basement and who is trying to keep this speck of an apartment neat? CONTROL. I needed to control something in my life. At the time, DH was deployed. I was working, granted at a great firm for a fun boss (who I really miss right now) but I was on a treadmill. get up, go to bus stop, go to work, go to bus stop, come home. Round and round and round. I controlled nothing in my life, The Army controlled the most important part, the kid was in his own family with a wife and baby and didn't need me, the work was controlled by the Court and the boss... and the house was a pit. I had nested into the couch, stuff piled around me, with the laptop on the living room table. I couldn't find anything, I hated coming home to the mess.

The closet had been organized before he left, we designed it well.. and there were piles everywhere now. He's not neat, at all, so it wasn't as if I was somehow mad at him and letting it all go. I lived out of laundry baskets, and didn't really care about how I looked or if I wore the same few outfits over and over.

So I watched one of those shows.. they had an entire weekend of it on.. and I started. I got the closet shoveled first, and then the pantry.. and then the rest of the kitchen. Then - the living room. That took a long time, not just because I didn't take the time, taking apart my nest was scary. Then I took pleasure in the clean - then we listed the house and it was necessary. It was wonderful to come home to clean, neat, tidy, organized. Then the deployment ended. Neat wasn't so important, but the house WAS still on the market (hell, it still IS on the market) Organizing for the move was crucial, and I think it helped, but I will do better the next time.

Control - well the Army still does control a lot of our lives, he's off for a few days down to another base down south and that's not going to be easy (bringing back all those deployment memories) but the house is organized, a little untidy when I'm in the middle of something, but we organized it when we moved in, and that helps. I have a place for the Stuff and a lot less of it.

If you are drowning in stuff and clutter and hate it, pick a little something, a book case, or a small closet and dig in. Promise, it'll help. If you are in the DC area, let me know, I'll spend a Saturday with you shoveling!

LAW

Why is it?

That the first really nasty comments - "you are a liberal - you are a traitor" type of trash... were both from "anonymous"?? With the courage of the vitriolic drivel he/she spat at me, wouldn't you want to proudly proclaim your identity?

OH - Anonymous - this country wasn't nuked, YES my husband is very proudly serving his country, as our son and daughter in law both did, the Constitution has been amended, NOT rewritten, and I do NOT hate America. I am not lazy, dependant on ANYONE for a handout, I am a hardworking and flag flying American... Next???

I don't mind, in fact I encourage, dialogue. coherent, well mannered, courteous discussion, not nasty, denigrating twaddle. OK, so I'll call some politicians names - but that's allowed! So if you disagree with me, fine, say so in the above referenced coherent courteous manner, and have the guts to leave your name/blog sign.

LAW

woohooo!

I'm getting an office next week! Stinky has really made sitting at my desk so uncomfortable, his open mouth eating habit is worse, since he has a sinus problem.. enuff said there.. as well as someone I'll call Mimi (yeah, that's what the makeup looks like... and the clothes...) who insists on yelling at her kids, the school principal and anyone else, at the top of her lungs on the phone, two desks down... between that and her frangipani bath of perfume... I'm soooo happy to be moving into an office, where I can close my door and NOT hear or smell any of them!

So just 4 more days. I can do that easily

LAW

A Day Off

And I plan to enjoy it. doing what? Not much at all! Yesterday, we went to the Band of the Coldstream Guards and Pipes of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards.. and if you like the pipes, you MUST go if they come to a venue near you. They seem to be playing University campuses... and they are magnificent! Amazing music, the competition set the pipers played was mindblowing.

Saturday night, Heather came for dinner - our FIRST dinner guest. She's moving close to us.. which is wonderful. she even likes to crochet, and Sarah taught her to knit - it'll be a yarn party! and himself the cat was polite and pleasant, DH enjoyed himself.. dinner worked out well.

work - is fine. weather - chilly but fine. DH - fine. Cat - fine. well.. so what do I have to complain about? nada.

The election coverage IS driving me insane. I'm upset because the thinking person's candidate is gone. Governor Richardson.. but since our election coverage is all about the top 3, and nothing about the ones who aren't- we try to hope that the smart people will come to the fore - but it's the ones with money who surge forward.

One more year. just one more year, as of yesterday. whew. can we do it?

LAW

A few days later

Folks, I am SO glad I'm not in Minnesota right now. Its cold.. really really dangerously nastily cold. Here in DC... we are in the 20s and teens tonight. balmy, my friends, balmy.

DH wanted me to talk about the new car. On our trip, we got about 49.5 miles per gallon. That was amazingly wonderful! It's comfortable, has lots of gadgets (that's important, you know... ) as a matter of fact, the whole CAR is a gadget. So, guess he wins the gadget contest. Oh... just in case you didn't know, it's a Prius.

let's see... not much else here. Green asked about my FRG.. I am hopeful. There were a LOT of uniforms at the last meeting I went to. Since the unit doesn't deploy as a group, but there are individuals who are deployed hither, thither and yon, the troops who are here are involved. The silly rules about fundraising are a pain in the tail, does anyone know if those are going to be discussed/changed any time soon?

Stay warm everyone. And oh, let's cheer REALLY LOUDLY because Mark is on his way home to Jan (author of Standing By... the blog roll has the link)

Talk to y'all later

LAW

Happy New Year etc etc

I know, I know... it's been a while! actually, according to DH, a lot longer than "a while". He get perturbed (another word for pissy) when I don't post...

OH, before we discuss traffic, Christmas, NewYears etc... I actually got a letter from the Hotel that SpouseBuzz Three was held in. I had a lousy room, the front desk staff was truly awful, the lunch set up was mishandled... but the conference itself was superb! I filled out one of those cards and truly ripped the staff at the hotel itself a new one.. and I received an apology from the management. Let's hope they got the hint.

So. We went down to FL for Xmas. and can ANYONE tell me why the Hwy 95 traffic through N. Carolina and S. Carolina was so damned horrendous?????? we ended up staying at a motel at the Beaufort S. Carolina exit (hint... do NOT stay at the Best Western there... just sayin')We pulled off the road after 12 hours, at times at a full stop. An hour later, when DH decided to have his well earned cigar, the check-in desk was three deep with folks wanting a place to stay. We got to my folks house the next day, and had a really good visit. Lots of laughing, DH spent hours with my dad, setting up the new computer etc. I missed the grandbaby, but from the happy giggles I heard on the phone, she had a great time.

The trip north/back home was fine, but the southbound traffic on the Thurs after xmas was just as awful! We will need to find a different route south... anyone know if Highway 301 is a good alternative??

New Years, went to a party at some friends of mine from childhood, met up with other State Dept brats... one of whom is off to the Litterbox and who huddled with the DH for a couple of hours.

I now have an IPod... and DH is trying to teach me how to upload music/pictures/videos.. I'm slightly hopeless so he'll just have to stay around to help me with it!

The new job is going well. I am enjoying most of the people, except for the person I have to sit next too. His nickname - Stinky.. and his eating habits.. erk. Supposedly I'll get an office in a couple of months, yay! DH is happy in his new job as well, and we are getting involved in various organizations, including our FRG.

There ya go! caught up, sorta... I want to wish everyone out there a great New Year. To the deployed and their families - hang in there, and if you need a shoulder, it's here. To my blog friends - Happy New Year!

LAW

Snow & DC = a BIG mess

ok, so it snowed a couple inches... you would honestly have thought we were in the middle of a blizzard! the Metro - I wanted to go "mooooo" when I got on, and got smushed by the folks behind me. I did get a seat after 2 stops. And I always get a seat when I get on in the morning, since I am near the beginning of the line.

The new job - GREAT! I am finally (I hope) out of the orientation cycle. For 2 days, it was reading two large binders of information and meeting with the various heads of department to learn this, that and the other... but you know I won't really learn it, until I have to DO it. My mentor finally took pity on my whimpers and gave me an actual file to work up. No office for me yet, but I'm told it won't be long. the open cubicle stuff would be better, if I didn't have someone next to me with the eating manners of a sloppy 2 year old. He's a nice guy, but listening to him eat - a great diet aid. wonder if I can use some headphones...

Christmas shopping - I'm not done, but then we aren't going nuts.. I can't tell you what I'm giving the family - they read this occasionally. But the Grandbaby - lots of books! some of them are noisier than others.... I also finished cross stitching her stocking. She won't care for the next few years - but I hope it looks nice.

DH and I got up yesterday to use the gym in the complex - I'll try for 3xs a week at first. Unfortunately, one downside of the job is the "no sneakers/trainers" rule. With some foot problems, it's uncomfortable wearing "real" shoes. So I'm shoe shopping for proper shoes that are comfy. And... I cheat... wear sneakers TO work, then change when I'm there. This also affects working out, I don't get on the elliptical or walk, I use the bike. small steps, small steps, soon I'll be going 5xs a week and maybe power walking again.

Green - anytime you are up here in DC, or I get a chance to come down - Cracker Barrel it is! But Dyke Street is a little street that the Tom Tom gizmo Kate was using made us go down whilst searching for an IHOP! SFW has decided we need a song... "on Broadway" tune... I started singing it for DH, he moaned a lot!

We thought we had a buyer for the house, but they only offered 50K under our price, and didn't counter our counter... DH doesn't think they were ever really serious, the wife wanted our house, the husband - a condo in the City. hmm.... bit of a disconnect there!

This weekend.. go down and see the National Xmas Tree, and maybe, maybe, I'll get to drive the new car! We have to hit the commissary, so I'm hoping the DH will be slow to get to the car, I'll get in the driver's seat and voila!

That's about it for here... y'all be good, or if you can't.... don't get caught, Santa is still watching you!

LAW

Spouse Buzz Live

I just returned from a wonderful weekend. Meeting those people, the ones I have blogged with, who have heard me cry and laugh and obsess and fight... was a truly amazing experience. Thank you all for being there, for all that hard work, the traveling, the setting up. Badger, Green, Butterfly Wife.. it was so incredible! Vince, thanks for dinner.

Now the hotel.. that was another matter altogether. But the camaraderie, the laughs, the tears, the "yeah, you get it" ... it was worth every second.

Thank you to SemperFiWife and the other "Dyke Street girls" for the carpool down.. anytime you want another body to hit Cracker Barrel.. I'm game! Biscuits!!

Oh, I just can't WAIT for next year!

LAW