I don't really know why you'd be here. I mean, I know I'm the single most interesting person, but don't you people have lives? Really, it's quite sad.
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Thursday, June 29, 2006
Wonder if this one would throw the same line...hi kalyb
where in iowa are you from?
i'm matt from iowa city. 35, 6'2" 195 dark hair, green eyes, attorney.His screen name cracked me up, too, but I'm not going to post that here because I'm not that mean. Seriously, would you give out that information if you're not looking for more than "just saying hi"? And can they not read marital status? It's ridiculous.
I'm quite happy with my 26, 5'9", 183 (that's a guess anymore!), brown eyes, U.S. Army Officer. Thank you very much.
Monday, June 26, 2006
Decisions, decisions...
Everyone here at work realized that today is the last chance to have a staff lunch with me because it's the only day this week that everyone is here. Guess I won't be eating that PB&J sandwich and pretzels I brought. So now I am faced with the decision of where to go for lunch. I hate that decision. There are too many good restaurants in Ames!
Do I want chinese, mexican, italian, irish, thai, seafood, barbecue, pizza, greek, american, or The Cafe? They're all yummy, but I think my tummy might be telling me it wants The Cafe today. Yesterday I was up for any of the above, but right now for lunch it's kind of telling me it wants something light & a smaller portion size.
For those who don't know, The Cafe is a fairly new restaurant in Ames that I don't think you can categorize. It seems to be somewhat experimental, though they do always offer a hamburger or more normal sandwiches. Their menu changes about once a month and I think they just let their chefs come up with random dishes. It is one of my absolute favorite restaurants in Ames and one that it would be extremely difficult to find one like near where we're moving to!
So I think that's where we're going...that might change in the next half hour. You never know.
Saturday, June 24, 2006
It's pouring!!!!
I know it's not a big storm, but maybe it'll be enough to give the grass back its color.
And clean off our sticky front deck.
***For those interested, I'm updating this at 8:30 p.m. after looking at our rain guage, which reads 0.5 inches. In less than half an hour. I can now see blue sky.
My faith in the intelligence of mankind has never been stronger
(Please note the dripping sarcasm.
)
Through a site that Paul is a member of, I posted a classified offering my proofreading services. In that advertisement I listed the types of documents I will proofread: "abstracts, Master's theses, dissertations, novels, etc." This morning Paul forwarded me a message he received:
I think theses should be "thesis".
Just an observation.
thanksRight. Prime example of someone who needs a proofreader.
Then this afternoon I was looking for 1/4" strap slides on google to replace some that have broken in my wardrobe. That size, btw, is almost impossible to find. I did a search for mini strap slides and got results from Bikini Science on the history of the stringhalter or some such nonesense. The text that Google gave me for this site was:
Once equipted with slide casings, the cups may slide around independently on the chest string. In pure form the neck straps tie behind the neck, ...
I laughed so hard at that second word that I almost peed my pants, especially with the site it's on! Though, to its credit, I poked around bikiniscience.com a bit more and discovered that it's actually done by a guy who apparently did it to be creative and funny. (And I will warn that it's not entirely, um, how shall I put this?...safe for all audiences. It's really not that bad, but I just thought some of my readers might like the warning.) I don't know, however, if he intended the incorrect word or not.
Anyway, Paul's grandfather is doing well. Many thanks for the prayers. I also think that Paul is currently working on his rant about Lonestar Car Rental, but if not then I will have to write that up--as I told Martha I was going to do at the beginning of this week.
Friday, June 23, 2006
Countdowns
Bulletins = 1
Newsletters = 1
Session Packets = 0 (just finished the last one this afternoon!)
Weekly Calendars = 1
Days = 5 (of work, that is)
Days until Texas = 7 (that's Karly counting)
So Paul has a field training exercise all next week. They're not allowed to take cell phones. Be prepared for me to be experiencing some serious withdrawl. We haven't gone 5 days without any contact since sometime before we started dating. Shoot, it's been almost that long that we've had some kind of daily communication. I'm not looking forward to it. However, there should be some positives: I'll get more housework done. I will bike to work more (when I have it--it's getting a tune-up Monday/Tuesday). He's not overseas. And I get to actually see him live and in person the day after they're back from it!
Anyway, other news quickly before I hit the road home: Paul's grandfather had open heart surgery yesterday and is doing well by all reports, but he is in his 80s, so please keep him and the whole family in your prayers.
Thursday, June 22, 2006
Random Ramblings...
I have a really good friend from my time at Greenville College. I have many memories of her, many pictures, and many stories. I remember the first time we were under a tornado watch, and Shannon, being from the mountains of Pennsylvania, had never experienced a tornado before--and she was so excited because she hoped to see one! Now the funny thing is, I grew up with them, and I still get excited when that type of weather comes because I just love it!
I remember well the Gilmore Girls marathons in the lounge and the countless weekend nights watching random movies until all hours in her and Ariane's room....and the Wal-Mart trips....and her drooling over Val (Kilmer, that is). She's also one who is guilty of getting me addicted to working out at the sports annex. (I miss having a gym so readily accessible and free.) She's a wonderful young woman who I dearly miss hanging out with, especially now that she's living in Nashville and I will be moving to Kansas. I certainly didn't need proof that she's an intelligent, humble, and admirable woman.
This morning, inspired by my friend Steve's post about a high school valedictorian's speech during which school officials literally "pulled the plug," I decided to finally do a little research on the infamous "Shannon Wray." There are literally hundreds of articles about her. She was even interviewed on Fox News and appeared on a few other shows, too. It's amazing to think about the impact she's had and wouldn't give herself credit for. Now, if only she'll post on her Xanga every once in a while instead of hanging out at the pool all the time...
Other things on my mind...
- Take a look at the NWS regional radar for Alaska. I was laughing at it the other day while on the phone with Paul saying how funny it was that there were just these few little circles that actually show radar and the rest is grey. He put it in perspective, though: It takes only one of those circles to cover almost the entire state of Iowa.
- In a little over a week, Matt, Kim, and adorable little Benji (my brother-in-law's brother's family...whatever that makes them to me
- We have homeowner's insurance, and they're doing a roof inspection on their own tab, and by getting auto with them, too, we'll save even more. Yay for State Farm. Unless USAA can offer a bundle better than that (I have found no mention of being able to do that), we'll probably stick with State Farm for a while.
- I feel like I need a nap, and I even got good sleep last night.
- I'm ready to be done here. My lack of motivation is astounding.
- Looking south I can see they're getting rain, and we get nil. I'm convinced it's the hot air in Ames/Des Moines.
- I miss Paul.
- I see Paul in less than 9 days!
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
I really should learn not to open my BIG MOUTH!
We are, in fact, not getting rain. There was a big red cell that looked like it was headed our way this morning. Yeah, it went north. Figures. Then there was more building both northwest and southwest of here and the NWS even said 80% chance of rain this afternoon. Sprinkles. All we've seen is sprinkles.
We actually got a little good rain yesterday, but it didn't even amount to a tenth of an inch! It's been doing this for almost a month. Every other part of the state but very central Iowa gets rain. It's annoying. I want a good rain and thunderstorms!
And I'm tired of dealing with the same issue over & over & over again with Wells Fargo.
Oh, and the deal with AAFES. The warehouse apparently said they would get it in the mail with UPS on Friday, but I have not seen the package nor a new tracking number yet.I'm only giving them this last chance because it's possible that the item is en route to me. Otherwise I'm demanding my money back.
Just got off the phone with Wells Fargo. Issue resolved.
Hmmmm.....
.....is it too late to be looking into a mortgage from a different company?
(We're gonna get rain!!!!!)
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
I'M MAD AS HELL...
....AND I'M NOT GONNA TAKE IT ANYMORE!!!!!!
I'm on the phone with AAFES. Again.
Monday, June 19, 2006
Separated for the summer especially sucks.
We're two active people. We like to hike and camp and boat and fish and road trip... We've only had one summer together, but we sure did a lot of stuff during it without even traveling terribly far, all while having to deal with Paul's rotations and on-call and in-house. Here are pictures from just a few of the weekends we enjoyed last summer around Iowa.
Horsies in Ames - June 3
Even when we had to stay around home, it was fun to meet some of the horses that Paul was working on. I would go over and help him with 8 p.m. rounds every night. These first pictures are a hackney pony, and the other two are a sweetheart of a percheron.
Camping at Black Hawk Lake State Park - July 1-2
I didn't even remember this part of that weekend until I came across these pictures. We went up for friday fish with the Nuetzmans, then spent the night at Black Hawk Lake State Park, going up to Storm Lake to show him that lake, meeting up with my parents and Beth and Josh (sister and brother-in-law) for lunch, and visiting my grandma at the nursing home.
We had quite the "redneck" neighbors in the campground.
The trip up to Storm Lake started with him "ooh-ing and aaah-ing" over these silos. This is the corner where US-71 breaks off of state highway 175 to go up to Storm Lake, and he was so taken that he stopped right there and took pictures! I married a silly one.
He didn't know why Storm Lake was given the name Storm Lake. Shoot, he didn't even know there was a lake! This was a beautiful day and Storm Lake always looks stormy, no matter the weather.
Sunrise at Ledges State Park - July 4
OK, so this was our engagement, but it still counts. We have determined that, whether we're able to be together or not, every July 4th will start with the two of us watching the sunrise.
Northeast Iowa - July 23-24
I remember well now how this trip started. We planned to leave right after work on Friday and drive up to Yellow River State Forest in far northeastern Iowa. Paul didn't get home until almost 10 p.m. Friday night. So we left at sunrise Saturday morning and it was still a great trip of hiking, camping, and even visiting my grandparents. I wish we had more pictures from it.
This is one of the hike-in campsites, and it is quite a hike, but it's beautiful. We didn't stay there, but if we ever make it back, we very well might.
One of the lookout points. I think we did around 5 hours of hiking.
This was our campsite, which doesn't look like what most people picture Iowa to look like. I love that about most of Iowa.
We basically relived my camping trip with Elizabeth and her mom and stepdad the summer after 5th grade. This is the view of the Mississippi River from Pike's Peak State Park. My favorite part about this spot was Paul's reaction: "I didn't know the Mississippi ever looked like this!"
I wasn't a big fan of this. I was driving. Paul had initially said, "I don't think this is probably anything terribly severe." To which my response was, "then what do you thing that is?" At which point he grabbed the camera--and I kept driving.
More of that same storm, and the view out the passenger side was, well, my background picture.
Northwest Iowa/Okoboji - July 30-31
I believe this trip also started with friday fish with the Nuetzmans. And on this trip, Paul got to see more of the reasons I was wanting to find a job up there before he entered the picture.
First stop was Camp Okoboji, where I spent a week each summer for 10 years as a "staff kid" during Youth Week. I love that place.
There is no longer a little plywood footbridge across this thing! They really went all out, it's kinda weird.
The classic "us" picture. I hate my glasses now.
On our way back down to Wall Lake, we swung through Linn Grove. Linn Grove is a tiny little town with an amazing website. I was considering renting a house there depending on where I got a job. This is the dam on the Little Sioux River just north of Linn Grove. It's a really pretty spot.
We took a random way to get back to the highway and came across this really cool windmill.
Sunday after church we headed back to Ames, via gravel roads along the Raccoon River starting just south of Sac City. That's where we found...
The Marsh Rainbow Arch Bridge. It's no longer used as a bridge, but it's a really neat place.
So neat we took "engagement" pictures there.
We broke the tripod out for these.
And I forgot until I was looking at the dates on these pictures that we also found this neat bridge over by Boone:
We revisited this bridge--and many other significant places around here--the day before Paul flew down to Texas.
Well, that basically finishes the pictures I actually have. I know we have pictures from Wyalusing State Park in Wisconsin, too, but I'm not sure where they are.
I'll also point out that the weekend after the weekend of our wedding, we randomly ended up in Fort Dodge Saturday night because we just started driving along the Dragoon Trail along the Des Moines River and didn't want to go back home, so we didn't.
We have a tendency toward these things, and I miss it when he's not around.
I just went leaky...
Paul had a little break this morning, so he gave me a call and talked to me until I was at work, and even a little while after I got here, and I just couldn't help it--my eyes started leaking. I miss and love my husband so much--more than I ever thought possible. I think one of the hardest parts is that I had always (before I even had a future husband) pictured buying my first house and moving into it as being with my husband by my side and I have suddenly found myself flying solo on the matter while having to represent not just myself, but my husband as well.
I just really miss him and long for a kiss and a hug from him telling me that it'll all be OK even though it may seem like a big, steep hill right now. He's so wonderful, because he went into "cheer up" mode and started singing "Jesus Loves Me," which was completely random and unexpected and I love him for it. (And it did make me smile.)
Now I need to go wash my face off again and force myself to get into the work day.
Saturday, June 17, 2006
Stealing from Annie again...it's just too fun!
40 Things you'd Never Think to ask...
1. Have you ever been questioned by the cops?
Only for being pulled over for a traffic violation
2. Do you close your eyes on roller coasters?
Depends. I haven't been on one in a while.
3. When is the last time you've been sledding?
Oh, it was something like Feb. 2005 with Paul at the disc golf course.
4. Would you rather sleep with someone else, or alone?
I haven't been sleeping as well with Paul gone.5. Do you believe in ghosts?
Yes, you should hear some of Paul's experiences.
6. Do you think O.J. killed his wife?
Yes.
7. Jennifer Aniston or Angelina Jolie?
I don't get the Angelina Jolie thing--she needs to have her lips popped! So, Jennifer Aniston. I also still get a kick out of many episodes of Friends.
8. Can you honestly say you know ANYTHING about politics?
Specifically, not a ton. The presidential vote is every 4 years on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November--also known as Paul's and my dating anniversary!
9. Do you know how to play poker?
Um, kind of did at one point.
10. Have you ever been awake for 48 hours straight?
Kaleidoquiz, baby!! Both years was up for the whole thing!
11. What is your favorite commercial?
I don't like commercials. I don't watch much TV.
12. Do you like to cuddle?Absolutely, but my cuddle buddy has gone missing...
13. If you're driving in the middle of the night, and no one is at sight, would you speed?
Not much, I don't trust myself to notice a cop by the side of the road.
14. Do you have a secret that no one knows but you?
Hmm....I think Paul knows everything.
15. Boston Red Sox or New York Yankees?
Chicago Cubs.
16. How often do you remember your dream?
Not much and only if I've just woken up.
17. Can you name 5 songs by The Beatles?
No, I don't think I can.
18. What's the one thing on your mind?
my husband and how much I love him and miss him and will see him soon.
19. Do you believe in love at first sight?
Not truly love, but attraction that can lead to love. According to Paul that's what he experienced with me.
20. What talent do you wish you had?
Playing the piano.
21. Do You like Sushi?
Surprisingly, yes! I wouldn't put it in my top foods, but most of it I've tried has been quite tasty. And despite popular belief, you can get cooked or partially cooked sushi.
22. AWOL question alert!!
23. What do you wear to bed?
shorts & a tank top or a nightgown
24. Have you ever been caught stealing?
Not that I can recall.
25. Rock or Rap?
Rock, rap isn't music. I totally agree.
26. If you could be seen with one famous person, who would it be?
I don't really care to be seen with a famous person.
27. Do you know anyone in jail?
Again, yeah, kind of.
28. Have you ever sang in front of the mirror?
Oh, probably.
29. What food do you find disgusting?
olives & large mushrooms
30. Did you ever play, "I'll show you mine, if you show me yours?"
Um...no. Not unless you count being married.
31. Who is your biggest fan?
I'm pretty sure that would be Paul. He thinks I can do anything and I just laugh at him.
32. Have you ever stood up for someone you hardly knew?
I can't remember ever doing that.
34. If you could live anywhere where would you live?
Wherever my husband is.
35. Hmm...Annie, you need to work with kids on counting skills!
36. Your best quality?
Being nice--courtesy of Paul.
37. Best feature?
My personality--according to Paul.
38. When was the last time you smoked pot?
Never smoked anything.
39. Have you ever spent the night with a person of the opposite sex?
Hmm....gonna have to think about that one....yep, yep, pretty sure I have.
40. Do you miss high school?
Not really, no. College--yeah, kinda.
Friday, June 16, 2006
Corrections, etc.
So there are some things I feel I need to ammend in the "random things about me" post.
First off, Paul pointed out that I have another equally favorite, if not more cherished piece of jewelry than the bracelet I wear pretty much daily, and that is the necklace I wear pretty much daily. It has 3 "charms" on it: a cross from my parents, a "Lutheran" Luther's shield from my grandparents, and the latest addition of a heart from my husband.
I also have to say that for the store question, I couldn't come up with really anything, though Sam's Club is a cool store, but I love outdoor stores. I can't afford much of anything in them at the moment, but....*drool*
And the last concert I went to with Paul was actually Maynard Ferguson, and it was also with my parents.
Now about the flags...actually, I'm a little tired of it right now. Maybe I'll be more inspired tomorrow, or maybe my darling husband would like to write something about it.
If you're bored and need some good laughs, I suggest Road Trip America's funny signs. There's one in particular that I'd like to submit if I ever get a chance again to take it: a pilon (sp?) for an old bridge in the middle of a river with a sign on it saying "Bridge Out."
Not quite sure what got into me...
I apparently went into attack mode this morning.
I, like, never do that. I'm one of the calmest, most shrug-it-off people you'll ever meet, but I lost it this morning to someone I don't even know. I think, however, that anyone else with Yahoo!Messenger who has experienced this would probably agree that it is extremely annoying, and I don't quite believe his explanations.
So I'm sitting here at work and a message pops up from a guy on Yahoo who says, "hey how r u? cute pic" and "22/m/nebraska." This is far from the first time I've gotten a message along almost these exact same lines, and I know that Paul has gotten them, too. They're always from guys when they're to me, and always from girls to Paul. Normally, I just click to ignore the person, but for some reason today I decided I was gonna let one of these guys have it! It felt good.
My initial rant: you know, I really don't appreciate all these stupid random IMs that I get from dumb guys who think they can just send a message saying "cute pic" or "you're pretty" and we'll want to talk to you...does that seriously work? especially with women who have a WEDDING PICTURE as their profile pic? I mean, seriously, if I were interested in talking to other random guys then I shouldn't have gotten married and be so completely in love with my husband that he's the reason I'm on yahoo in the first place--to talk to him when we're not together.
His response: "sry lol i didnt mean to offend u im not tryin to get with u or anything lol ... sry ... was just sayin hi ... i honestly dont have any bad intentions lol ... just bein nice"
Me again: "Then I really have to wonder why it's always random guys sending me messages and random girls sending my husband messages. Messages that normally I just ignore, but I don't know, I felt like kicking it today. Sorry you got the wrath of my irritation, but I haven't been on chat services to actually meet new people in a LONG time...the reason I have profiles and things is generally just for if people I know but lost track of can manage to find me again. The only people I'm really trying to meet online anymore are other military wives as a net of support."
Seriously. I like having a profile for people I know to look at and be able to search for if they're some long-lost friend trying to find me, but I certainly don't make it easy for safety's sake. I like this process (Xanga) of meeting military spouses, and I added my IM info so we can chat that way, too, but I have no interest in meeting random guys. I haven't said anything else to him and I don't plan to. I've just gotten one too many of those dumb messages and I don't believe that they're 100% "I was just being nice."Oh, and learn how to type. That might be my closing statement to him before I hit the "ignore" button.
Hopefully this attack mode I'm feeling right now will carry over to the house, but we'll see.
On the topic of flags...
The other day I posed a question on Xanga about a "flag" link that has appeared since I first started using the hosting/posting site, but have yet to find an explanation of what the little "flag" link does...
I just noticed that Blogspot blogs (a.k.a. Blogger-powered blogs that don't have their own hosting site like mine does) also have a little "flag" button at the top and when you hover over it, it says, "Notify Blogger about objectionable content." An explanation page like this is something I have been unable to locate with Xanga.
Anyway. On to what I hoped to post on Flag Day.
Paul has begun calling my attention to mis-flown flags, with situations that I, admittedly, did not realize were incorrect. These are simple things that everyone should know about flying the U.S. flag. These things have especially become more apparent since we finally got a pole for our flag, so that we can fly it.
I'm not sure if it's been caused by us flying the flag daily or that I've just started noticing this more because we started flying the flag daily, but here's what I've noticed on the house of a neighbor down the street:
I realize it's not the best picture in the world, but I'm sure you can tell what flag that is. I also realize that many people use that to label themselves a "rebel," but I'm sorry, especially to fly it instead of a United States flag just seems--and is--wrong. I'm not wanting to get on a discussion of the particular flag because I know some people still "defend" it, but I am going to get into a discussion of proper flag etiquette.
I've found a couple of good sites on "flag etiquette." UShistory.org has a good site with simple explanations and pictures for the proper way to fly the flag in different situations. I do, however, have one complaint with something I read in their "frequently asked questions" and I just shot off an email to them in regards to it. The question was:
On a neighbor's house, the flag of a foreign country hangs prominently displayed. Their home doesn't display the flag of the United States of America.
Their response was: "The US Flag Code does not require a private citizen to fly the US flag. You can politely suggest that your neighbor consider flying the US flag and explain your feelings, but your neighbor is a free citizen and the choice of displaying the flag is his and should be respected as a good neighbor."
Now, if you go to the U.S. Flag Code that they link to and read down to section 7c, you will see that "No person shall display the flag of the United Nations or any other national or international flag equal, above, or in a position of superior prominence or honor to, or in place of, the flag of the United States at any place within the United States or any Territory or possession thereof." I asked them to explain to me how this meant that it's OK for a private citizen to fly a flag other than the U.S. flag without also flying the U.S. flag. Seems to me that "in place of" means that if you're only flying one flag, it should be the U.S. flag, otherwise whatever flag you're flying is in place of the U.S. flag, which, according to the U.S. Flag Code, is wrong. Paul has pointed out several places around town flying, for example, an Iowa State Cyclones flag alone, and gotten irritated with each instance saying that it's technically illegal to do so. I actually had a bit of a hard time finding the proof of that, but find it I did.
OK, I'm done now and have gotten a response from ushistory.org already....it's very interesting. There may be more later.
Wednesday, June 14, 2006
Party time!!!
Today begins a week and a half straight of half the regular church staff gone and the half that's left don't really care as much about things. Especially the one who's leaving in two and a half weeks, which would be me.
So to start the day off, I'm stealing from Annie (of Xanga, not as in "Beth-Annie") because I just don't feel like doing anything else right now.
69 things you didn't know about me...
1.) Where were you when the ball dropped for 2006?
On the dancefloor at my wedding reception, in the arms of my husband of 6 hours with a glass of champagne, and being kissed at midnight on New Year's Eve for the first time in my life. Wow, I never thought about how impressive that first midnight kiss was before.
2.) How did you get the idea for your myspace name?
Same way I came up with my Xanga name and my Blogger name and....I will post that full story sometime, I promise.
3) What are you listening to right now?
The Best of Sixpence None The Richer (and I forgot what a bad representation of the band it is!)
4.) Has the death of a celebrity ever made you cry?
Rich Mullins, but I don't know if he qualifies as a "celebrity." He certainly wouldn't have put himself in that category.
5.) What color underwear are you wearing?
red, grey, and white striped
6.) Do you live in a zoo?
Not at the moment--Paul's gone and I only have one of the cats right now.
7.) What did you do this morning?
Woke up at 5:45, got out of bed at 6, talked to Steve on MSN about how he forgot to tell me our friend Geoff has been engaged for 4 months!, showered, talked to Paul (!) who I wasn't expecting to hear from this morning
8.) this question is missing
I'm really quite intrigued by this missing question...
9.) Where do you work?
Collegiate Presbyterian Church--for now
10) What ended your last relationship?
Distance, I guess. I didn't end it, so I never really knew for sure.
11) What are the last two digits of your phone number?
38
12.) What was the last concert you attended?
Melissa Harper, or someone most everyone knows would be Alison Krauss
13.) Who was with you?
For Melissa's: Mandy and Shannon, though Shannon was singing with her. For Alison's: Paul.
14.) What was the last movie you watched?
theater - Narnia, at home - UHF (?) I don't remember.
15.) What do you dislike at the moment?
That Paul is in Texas and I'm in Iowa.
16.) What food do you crave right now?
uh...coffee.
17.) Did you dream last night?
If I did I don't remember it.
18.) What was the last TV show you watched?
I don't remember what it's called, but it was some strange racing show on SpikeTV--it was hilarious.
19.) What is your favorite piece of jewelry?
Besides the obvious answer of my engagement/wedding band set from Paul, I'd have to say my red, white, and blue "proud to be an American" bracelet.
20.) Name someone on your Top 8 who is just like you?
Mandy. There's a reason she was in my wedding.
21.) What is the last thing you ate?
A Quaker whole-grain maple and cinnamon rice-cakey thing.
22.) We seem to have another missing question...
23.) Who last IMed you?
Paul, if Gmail chat counts. Otherwise I've intiated the IMs, but it'd be Steve.
24.) Are you on any medication?
nope
25.) What side of the bed do you sleep on?
Is that as you're laying on your back? If so, then the right side. Neither of us is more comfortable the other way around.
26.) What color shirt are you wearing?
black
27) what color is your razor?
silvery blue with sparkles
28.) What is your favorite frozen treat?
ice cream sandwiches, or creamcicles.
29.) How many tattoos/piercing do you have?
zero of each
30.) What are your favorite stores?
Sam's Club, and hardware stores are pretty fun.
31.) Are you thirsty right now?
yeah, kinda...had too much coffee, yet I just keep drinking coffee because nothing else sounds good.
32.) Can you imagine yourself ever getting married?
I just close my eyes or look at the pictures! Would I marry Paul again?--in a heartbeat! But he's mine forever and ever and ever!!
33.) Who's someone you haven't seen in awhile?
My sisters, and Erin...I should email that girl. (Paul doesn't count--I've seen him within the past week, even though it doesn't feel like it.)
34.) What did you do last night?
Caught up on life with Geoff and discovered he's engaged, then talked to Paul while eating leftover Chinese, doing ab excercises, and getting ready for bed. Went to bed early.
35.) Do you care what people think about you?
In general, I try not to, but it depends on the person and what they're trying to think about me.
36.) Have you ever instigated trouble?
Define "trouble."
37.)Do you like your nose?
most days
38.) What color is your bedroom?
it's either white or a light peach--I've never stopped to notice and wasn't around when it was painted 4 years ago.
39.) When was the last time you worked out?
This morning (see #7)
40.) And another missing question! I think maybe someone doesn't know how to count...
41.) Do you like doggies?
I'm getting better. My husband is a veterinarian for goodness sake, I have to get better about my fear/dislike of dogs! I'm a cat or fish person, though.
42.) Where do you live?
Ames, IA, but soon moving to White City, KS.
43.) Are you an aggressive driver?
Mostly defensive, but getting more aggressive when I need to be.
44.) Who is your cell phone carrier?
Verizon Wireless!
45.) Do you like the person who posted this last?
yes, what I've gotten to know so far.
46.) Do you know their Birthday?
December 1--I cheated.
47.) What is the one thing you'd want to change most about your best friend?
I can't come up with anything...
48.) What color is your car?
green
49.) What do you smell like right now?
Cedarwood Sage Aromatherapy lotion from Bath & Body Works
50.) What is your favorite color?
I think we've figured out it's yellow.
51.) Do you like mustard?
I'm generally not a condiment person, but if I am it's BBQ sauce.
52.)What do you tell yourself when times get hard?
God knows what He's doing and won't give me/us a mountain I/we can't climb.
53.) Would you ever skydive?
yeah, probably.
54.)What do you sleep on?
a bed, right now with palm tree sheets
55.)What character from a movie/TV most reminds you of yourself?
Uh...maybe Rory Gilmore from the early seasons of Gilmore Girls. I haven't seen this season yet and the DVDs my sister made me aren't wanting to work in my DVD player.(Don't ruin anything for me, please! I'll get there, I promise!)
56.)Have you ever bid for something on ebay?
Yep, and won.
57.) What do you think of Angelina Jolie being pregnant?
Who cares? (or the response that Annie had
58.)Do you enjoy giving hugs?
yes, but most of my hugs go to only one person anymore and I find that I cannot hug him enough!
59.)Would you consider yourself to be fashionable?
Certainly more than I used to be!
60.)Do you own a digital camera?
Yes, I married into quite a doozy of a digital camera....*drool*
61.)What celebrities have you been compared to?
62.)Who is your favorite Star Wars character?
Ewoks!!!
63.)Does it annoy you when someone says they'll call but never do?
yeah, especially if it's to get together for something and I end up being stood up.
64.)What books, if any, have made you cry?
Oh gosh, I don't remember. Probably some Lori Wick book has. Oh, yeah, I think Donovan's Daughter did.
66.) Are you a jealous person?
at times, yes
67.)Do you ever feel guilty after eating meat?
heck no! what else are you supposed to eat?
68.)If you were born the opposite sex what would your name be?
I honestly don't know. My sister would have been Timothy, though.
69.)Do you know anybody in jail?
yeah, kind of.
Hmm....suppose I better do some work, eh?
Happy Flag Day! (More on that later, hopefully)
Tuesday, June 13, 2006
Um....hmm....
So we're set for July 13-14 (alternate July 17-18) for the move and I was told that I can pack ahead of time if I want to, but not to seal any of the boxes so that they can see what's in them and how they're packed. Which may mean that we have packed all these boxes and used all this tape for nothing.
Anyone experienced know differently?
Monday, June 12, 2006
Feelin' better
So I still haven't heard or received anything from AAFES or the vendor that's supposedly re-sending the item I'd like to give Paul for graduation before he retires from the Army. Tomorrow I'm calling AAFES and telling them that if I can't get a valid tracking number now and it doesn't show within this week, I want my money back and I will buy it somewhere else. I'm also going to tell them that they need to reconsider continuing to use this particular vendor. I am one not-happy customer.
I also was getting a little frustrated and disappointed that it is so difficult to find just a simple, "call this number and they'll get you all set and ready to move to your PCS." And the number I was told to call (from the other HPSP student in Paul's graduating class), transferred me to some other office that I had to leave a message with because no one picked up.
And I'm just sick of work, which is nothing new.
After lunch, however, and an afternoon of work and returned phone calls, I now feel much better and like we might actually be accomplishing something.
I found out that we are only waiting on a few things for the mortgage and everything else looks good, which I think means our finances were OK--thank goodness, because that's what we worried about most! Things are on schedule and looking good, and I'm back to being the one in contact with all the people involved in the process, which was just important so that they remember to contact me, not Paul, and I know that we're on the right track.
I finally got through to the guy I talked to in Colorado Springs about moving that I have no idea what I'm doing because this is brand new to us, so he made it easy for me and just had me fax some info to him and they'll call me back about it instead of me trying to find the right forms and trying to figure out how to fill them out. You think I can even come close to estimating how much our crap weighs? Right. I don't even know half of what we own yet!
And my favorite part of the day, which always helps to brighten it and get rid of that icky, "I don't want to be here" feeling, was I got to talk to Paul for a little while. He got to report at 0530 this morning just to start on paperwork and they still were running behind, so he was one of the lucky ones who didn't get breakfast. Otherwise it was apparently a good day. I miss that boy. He's my absolute favorite.
Oi.
Generally frustrated/irritated with the whole world.
Can I go home and take a nap now?
Friday, June 09, 2006
Military Intelligence?
Paul got to army lodging on the base yesterday afternoon to be told that they don't have rooms available yet because they're not supposed to arrive until Sunday. After which the guy working there (retired military) asked to see his orders, then started swearing and ranting about how AMEDD screwed up again and not even for the first time that day. Paul was far from the first HPSP (Health Professions Scholarship Program) student to show up for Officer's Basic yesterday.
So what happened? He, and others, followed orders. His orders told him to travel on June 8th, but not to report until June 11th, which is even ridiculous for someone driving because the Army will only allow you to drive so many miles in one day and that would be pushing it or over--I'm not sure which. He had his orders and contacted the travel office/travel agency who, as indicated on his orders, booked him a flight for June 8th.
So we now have 3 nights of a hotel to pay because he wasn't supposed to be there yet and, of course, the Army doesn't pay for that because he wasn't supposed to be there yet. And Paul's parents have been kind enough to pick up the tab for a rental car for these three days, which I've decided is a very good thing because I know my husband: he would be going stark raving mad if he were stuck at that motel. He had that problem in Mississippi and is going to have the problem most of the rest of the time down there. He's not one to stay in one place very easily or happily. He likes to go out and do things, visit places, and generally investigate. I love that about him. He's brought it out in me even more than was there before. The hardest part about this is that I can't be there in the passenger seat where I normally am for that random/not-so-random exploring. This afternoon I was "living vicariously with him," as I like to put it. We were on the phone for over 2 hours while he was exploring the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park, which is about when both our phones died. You'd think The Alamo would be included in that, but I learned today that, while it's on the Mission Trail, it is operated by the Daughters of the Republic of Texas, Inc., not the National Park Service, as I always assumed it was, but then I've never been there.
3 weeks and I get to join in the fun for a few days. I can't wait.
But for now--laundry, talking to the love of my life, and bed.
Thursday, June 08, 2006
Zonked.
So I didn't realize just how exhausted this morning would make me until I'd been here at work for about an hour. I want nothing more than to go home and crash until Paul calls me to let me know he got to San Antonio. Unfortunately, I'm stuck here at work.
Work. Where I only have 3 weeks left and my replacement has already had some training, including this morning while I was gone. Kinda makes me wonder why I'm still here sometimes--until I remember what one month's pay is and how much that will help with closing costs on a house. I just want to be able to focus on packing and moving, but I have 8 hours a day of bulletins, phones, and newsletters, plus finalizing everything for the house. I want it to all be done and to be in Kansas already. Anyway, enough griping.
Paul realized yesterday and I realized this morning that he's not ever going to come back to Ames and have it be "home." He was leaving the trailer and the trailer park for the last time. That hadn't hit me yet because I still have a month and will have the closure of packing, moving, and closing on the trailer. That realization just made things more emotional this morning. It really is kind of weird to think about leaving all your personal belongings in one state and coming home to a completely different state and house where all your belongings have been moved to and you had nothing to do with the process.
This day is going too slow. I swear the last 10 minutes have felt like 30. I keep looking at the clock thinking it'll be closer to 4:00, but it's not.
OK, funny story from this morning, then I'm gonna figure out some other way to kill time until 4. Paul and I said our goodbyes and he headed up the escalator to the security checkpoint, so I headed out to the car to get out of the airport to park somewhere so I could watch the plane take off. I had turned the car on and put it in reverse when my phone rang: it was Paul. I answered it, of course, and he said, "I need you at the bottom of the stairs ASAP--I forgot about my Leatherman." I put the car back in park, grabbed my purse, and almost forgot to turn the car OFF! I rushed as fast as I could back into the airport and to the bottom of the stairs where he was waiting for me with his Leatherman in hand. Neither of us thought to make sure it was in checked baggage and that is not something you want confiscated.
Anyway, he made it to San Antonio and I've made it to only 15-20 minutes to go before I'm done with work.
I think I might hit the pool when I get home. Later.
Monday, June 05, 2006
Yes, Paul got a singing Big Mouth Billy Bass for his birthday--courtesy of rummage sales
I'm starting to get some semblance of a schedule determined for the summer. The middle of August is, obviously, the most unsure time.
June 8: Paul leaves
June 17: Possibly go to a wedding in Bloomington/Normal or visit Beth & Josh
June 26: Close on the house in Kansas
June 30: Last day of work, Alex and Kelly visit and crash at our wonderful trailer
July 1: Fly down to San Antonio for 4 days with my husband, including my birthday and our engagement anniversary
July 15ish: MOVE
July 29: Nic & Tracy's wedding in Ames
August 1: Close on the trailer
August 1-4ish: Visit Beth & Josh in Wisconsin
August 5: Sarah & Andrew's wedding in Bloomington/Normal
August 6-10ish: Maybe back up to visit Beth & Josh more and help paint, etc.
August 10ish/12ish: Bloomington again
August 12ish: Drive to Kansas
August 14/15ish: Jon & Sharon (& maybe Angela) visit and help tear out a wall, clean the attic, etc.
August 23: Fly out of Des Moines to San Antonio again this time for Paul's graduation
August 25: Paul's graduation from Officer's Basic Leadership Course
August 26: Fly back to Des Moines in the seat right next to Paul on both flights
August 31: Paul reports for duty at Ft. Riley
But, ya know, other than all that and the packing/unpacking in July/August, my schedule's pretty open.
Also for his birthday, Paul got a WWII (we think) U.S. Army Veterinary Corps Postmortem Kit--minus tools, but he has many of those tools from that era. I, like the guy I bought it from off eBay, can't find anything about them online, so they must be pretty rare. Not necessarily terribly valuable, but Paul loved it, and that's what matters.
Friday, June 02, 2006
So I'm pretty sure I was just called a "bitch"
Quite often here at the church we get calls from people wanting assistance, usually of the monetary kind. We don't have the funds to give out money like that, nor can we easily keep track of who we've given to and who we haven't. Instead, we give money to some of the organizations in town that provide that type of assistance, so whenever we get calls of that sort, we tell them that we funnel all our funds through those organizations and refer them to different places that we know provides whatever type of assistance they're looking for. Many people don't argue it much, though some do for a bit until you keep standing firm on the policy.
Sometimes they will try to jump over the office staff directly to the pastor. Those calls are usually started with, "is Pastor in?" No name of the pastor, just "Pastor." (This is also a common way that telemarketers try to talk to a pastor.) Normally, if one of the pastors is in, I will ask if I can tell them who is calling and what it's about. If, at that point, they tell me basically that they're looking for assistance, I will tell them exactly what I do if someone asks outright. If I get the impression that might be what it is, I will admit here that I do come up with some reason to just put them through to voicemail.
This afternoon around 1:30, I answered the phone and got the question, "is Pastor in?" Larry had just left for lunch. Barb isn't in on Fridays. And Martie was here, but she's not a pastor. I didn't even ask who was calling or what it was about, I just said, "I'm sorry, he actually just left for lunch. Can I put you through to his voicemail?" "No [sounding kind of irritated], I just needed to talk to him about something." um... "OK." Then it ended somehow...I don't remember exactly how, but I was getting ready to hang up the phone when I heard the word "bitch" right before she hung up.
How could I be a bitch if I had no idea who she was or why she was calling? I would have done the same thing to a member who called and didn't identify themselves because Larry genuinely was gone. I guess maybe some people just don't think about things that way and think that you'll judge them from one sentence over the phone. I always try to give people the benefit of the doubt, which is why I'll ask if I can tell them who's calling and why, but I don't do that if they wouldn't be there to take the call anyway. We really do wish that we could be more helpful in those regards, but we barely have money right now to stay within the budget and once you help one person, twenty-three more will follow. It's just too much for us to keep track of--it's even difficult for the organizations that do offer help to keep track of everyone and make sure they're not getting assistance under multiple names. And it's one thing if you've been attending the church and have hit a rough spot, but it's different if you're just calling up every church in the directory asking for handouts.
It's kind of sad that we have to turn people away so much, but we don't have much for another option since the church does give a considerable amount to the charities here in town that help with rent, utilities, gas, etc. And unfortunately, probably many of the people after these forms of assistance are already receiving welfare and can't get motivated enough to get a job.
In other news, they have found a replacement for me: Carrie Shuck. I kid you not. My last day is June 30. Her first day is July 3. I now have a full 15 days more for moving, etc. than I though I would, which is both good and bad, but we'll make do without those 15 days of money.
Thursday, June 01, 2006
One Month Later...
On April 29, I placed an order with the Army & Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES) Online Catalog. The item I ordered was to be a gift for Paul's graduation. I had found it several other places online, but decided to go with the Exchange because 1) I could, 2) it was cheaper than the other options, and 3) it said it would ship in approximately 2 days with no shipping cost. I thought this was a good option and figured that I could trust them. The item was to be shipped directly from the vendor, but still was supposed to ship in 2-3 days via UPS. I expected to have it by the end of the week or beginning of the next. It never came and I didn't get a tracking number like I was supposed to.
So I contacted AAFES and informed them of this. They then contacted the vendor who gave them a tracking number, which they passed on to me. The tracking number did not register as valid for UPS, FedEx, DHL, or USPS. I tried several times a day for almost another week and a half. I contacted AAFES again, this time informing them that the tracking number was invalid. They contacted the vendor again to get a valid tracking number expecting to hear back within 3-5 business days.
That was 14 days ago. I finally broke down this morning and called AAFES again. This time I was told that they would take the case to one of the managers and see if they could get some information for me sometime today, and apologized for the inconvenience. Only 5 minutes after getting off the phone with the customer service representative, I got a call back from Eunice at the Exchange. She had the vendor on the phone who said that UPS must have lost the package, but they would re-send me one if I still wanted it. I told her that I definitely did want it since it was to be a present for my husband's graduation a month ago.
I'm hoping I get it before he leaves. Though, at this point, I'm just hoping I get it at all!
What We Did on Our Weekend Vacations by Karleen Hester
May 19-21, 2006: Maquoketa Caves State Park and visiting the grandparents Schmidt
We did get one weekend of camping in before Paul leaves! We also got extremely dirty and sore crawling around in caves for a good 6 hours. We also broke down and bought warm matching sleeping bags because we were freezing with the "married couple sleeping bag method" using two bags that don't zip together.
And I learned some new things about this park that I've been to on a fairly regular basis for 10-some years:
1) It's a whole stinkin' lot more fun if you do some belly crawling.
2)
This is a campsite--at Maquoketa. For my 3-4 readers who have actually camped at this particular park: Did you know that? I didn't. There's an even cooler one that's farther back in the woods, too. And this year they started a reservation program. And you can actually reserve both of those sites now. How cool is that?
Sunday morning we hit the road up to Cedar Falls to visit my mom's parents one more time before Paul leaves for Texas. It wasn't exactly on the way home, but it was something we really needed to do since they couldn't make it to Paul's graduation. We had a wonderful time showing them wedding pictures, telling them all about our house, and eating way too much good food. Paul was even introduced to Danish rhubarb pudding (I'm not even going to try writing the Danish word for it), complete with tapioca and topped with cream & sugar. I, of course, grabbed the recipe from my grandmother since I know it's one I hadn't gotten yet.
We left there a little earlier than necessary because I wanted to head up even farther north past Waverly to find their old house on the farm. Grandma said I'd hardly recognize it and she was right. They sided it! And got rid of the balcony over the kitchen entry. Beth's the only one these'll mean anything to, but here they are:
Oh yeah, they added on a whole side room thing or something there where the front door (minus steps) used to be.
It's definitely the house, but it is a little hard to tell now. The huge satellite sealed it for me that we'd found the right place, though!
May 25-29, 2006: Memorial Day Weekend
Quick rundown: Thursday was Ames to Hudson, IL. Friday was Bloomington to Greenville, IL. Saturday was Greenville to the Shawnee National Forest and back, minus one car. Sunday was a church dedication service in Greenville, then back up to Hudson. Monday was Memorial Day festivities in Bloomington and flowering graves all over Bloomington/Normal, then back up to Ames.
Now more details.
Friday we visited Paul's grandmother for a little while, then headed down to Greenville for the evening. Nothing too terribly exciting to report that day, other than the fact that we were driving two separate cars half the weekend and people were going 75-80 in Springfield and the cops didn't even blink--Memorial Day weekend Friday. Crazy.
Saturday morning we took off for Makanda, IL, where my good friend Mandy lives. She bought the Cadillac from us and we were completing that transaction this weekend so that I only have one car to deal with once Paul leaves and we're trying to move. In addition to that, we just wanted to visit her once more before she moves to Nashville and we move to Kansas. So we planned hiking in the Shawnee National Forest and some wineries on the Shawnee Hills Wine Trail, which basically starts right around Mandy's house.
First stop--Bell Smith Springs/Teal Pond:
The rock there that Paul is on top of, is completely surrounded by water. Guess what that means he did?
Yep, that's my husband--fully clothed, jumping into water of unknown depth. He didn't touch bottom, so we still don't know how deep it is.
Hiking a bit farther down the creek, we came to an even bigger deep area of the creek that had a lot of high school students jumping off even higher ledges into the water. Paul, being already wet, joined in--minus shirt and Leatherman this time:
Mandy also decided to join in the cooling off in the water. She didn't do any diving, but she did remove some pesky jean legs:
It was a beautiful warm day. I eventually plopped myself in the water, too...though not as much as either of the other two.
Pretty spring water.
They even had a rope swing and stairs set up at this particular location. Lots of fun.
This picture was up above all the crazy water-jumping. It was a pretty cool little ledge, though Mandy and I didn't like the slipperyness in flip flops to get up there.
After having a little lunch, we tried to find Burden Falls, which was probably my favorite spot from the trip with Mandy my first year at Greenville (so that's 3 years ago). We finally found it after turning around and going back down the way we thought it wasn't. The fall wasn't nearly as spectacular as it was in 2003 because the area hasn't had nearly as much precipitation this past year. Nonetheless, it was beautiful, but buggy since the waterfall was so small and much of the water at the base was stagnant.
Somewhere in the rocks down at the bottom of the waterfall is where Paul tried to break his leg. He was standing on a rock taking a picture when he slipped and his leg stopped him on another rock. He ended up with just a bad gash and a very sore leg. We are still thanking God for the fact that he didn't break his leg because you start at the top of the waterfall and climb down over some fairly large boulders.
This is only a portion of the climb down to see Burden Falls. I have no idea how we would have gotten him out had he actually broken his leg.
After Burden, we started on our way to Garden of the Gods, which I also wanted to re-visit and really wanted to show Paul. We realized, however, that we could not make it there and be back in time for even one winery because wineries have business hours--duh. So we turned around and headed for the only one that would still be open: Blue Sky Vineyard. Blue Sky is a young vineyard, which shows, but it is also a beautiful location and very well laid out for allowing customers to enjoy their wine in an outdoor setting and even purchase food, beer, and non-alcoholic beverages. It's even set up for weddings (which there was one of when we were there), but not so that it closes the whole vineyard to everyone else. So we sat out on the patio with a big pitcher of sangria (my first time drinking sangria) and some yummy sandwiches for supper.
We said goodbye to Mandy and I said one last goodbye to the Cadillac, then hit the road back to Greenville in the same car for the first time all weekend.
Sunday morning we were getting ready to check out of the hotel and head to church when I realized that my driver's license wasn't in my wallet where I always keep it. I had given it to Paul Friday night when we went to supper in Greenville because we planned to just walk next door to Ethan's Place (one of the only places to sell alcoholic beverages) and I didn't want to carry my purse, but thought I might have a glass of wine or something. I had realized Saturday morning on the drive down to Mandy's that Paul still had my license, so I got it back from him when we stopped at a rest area. But what had I done with it? I searched my purse and couldn't find it, then realized that it must have been in with the map and directions that had been on the front seat of the Caddy and were now in the Lumina. My heart started to calm down a little, then it hit me: I had thrown it in the arm rest between the front seats so that I knew where it was, and promptly forgot that I'd done it. I felt like such an idiot. I hate driving without my license just because I don't ever want to have to deal with a cop when I don't have my license on me. Paul, of course, with his sore right leg, really didn't want to drive, so I got to--at the speed limit.
The dedication on Sunday was great. I got to see a bunch of the people that I seemed to always miss whenever I'd visit. We got "recruited" to sing in the choir, even though I was going to offer anyway. :-) It was wonderful to see the sanctuary so filled with people there to celebrate this small but thriving and growing church family.
Monday we started the day at the Memorial Day parade in Bloomington/Normal. Patriotism was high. This year they decided not to throw candy, which we all applauded. Instead, small American flags were handed out at the beginning of the parade. The number of flags was just awesome. Of the whole group, neither Paul nor I (the military couple) had thought to wear anything patriotic, except for me with my red, white, and blue bracelet that I wear daily, and Paul's military ID in the holder around his neck. My favorite part of the parade was when Illinois State Senator Bill Brady (who Paul said he'd voted for) was walking along in the parade shaking hands and he made a point to come over to Paul, shake his hand with the two-handed method while looking only at his face and thanking him for his service. It was very classy. I don't think he ever even glanced at the ID, he just knew what it was from a distance.
Following the parade, Paul, Helen, and I watched the ceremonies in the park, then we met up with the rest of the family to put flowers on graves. This was something that I had never experienced before. I don't even know where the majority of my family is buried, but it made me want to find out. After we finished making the rounds of the cemetaries, we had lunch, at the end of which Helen and I stood out in the rain for a bit to cool down our sunburns. Shortly after that, we hit the road for home.
Anyway, congratulations to everyone who actually read this whole post. :-) More later...lots happening.
