It Was Only Just a Dream

I had a dream last night.  Scratch dream.  It was more like a nightmare.  I'm not sure what my conscience was trying to tell me with this one.  In this particular nightmare, we received orders. For you non-military types out there, orders are the documents that state where we're moving, when we have to be there, etc.  I've been in Guam all of 2.5 months, don't have my household goods yet, and I like it here.  Some people I know hate Guam and are ready to leave, but I happen to like it here and would like to be here at least 2 years.  I'm looking to the future...the longer we stay here, the less we have to move.

Anyhow, are you wondering what the destination of these orders was?  This is the strange part....ever heard of Vladivostok, Russia, cause that's where my dream nightmare says we are going?  Why Siberia?  I can sometimes make sense of my dreams, but this one has me baffled.  Where the hell did Vladivostok come from?  I think I remember seeing weather reports for this place on AFN (American Forces Network) when we lived in Germany and England, but does the US even have any type of military presence there?  Maybe I watched too many episodes of Ice Road Truckers a few days ago?  I'm so confused.  And worried.  And downright mad at a stupid dream.  How silly is that?  So, if we get orders to Russia at any point, I will consider myself psychic and start charging for my services.  Until then, please pray that that never happens.

I had a dream.

The Wednesday Woo Hoo! No Whine This Time!

Whaddya know, I don't have anything to whine about this Wednesday!  Well, I could whine about the fact that I haven't worked out in three days, but I have nobody to blame but myself for that failure.  Instead of whining, I am rejoicing!  Yes, rejoicing because yesterday I bought tickets for the whole family to go see this:

Can't wait!  Like I said, not a lot happens around these parts, so this little bit of entertainment is providing me lots of happiness this weekend!  I know my kids will love it, too.  Mark will probably want to hang himself, but he'll just have to suck it up and take one for the team.  Lots of woo hooing goin' on around here!

Manic Monday

As I sit here with yet another maintenance man in my house, I have even more time to ponder the things in my life which I am so happy and thankful to have.  Happy Monday, y'all!

THE CROCK POT

The crock pot and I have become good buddies.  It is an absolute Godsend on those crazy days when we have activities until 7:00 PM.  I love that I can just throw all kinds of goodies in it in the morning, and an edible and delicious meal appears in the evening.  It's like magic!  Ta-Da!  Love, love, love it!  And, now we have the Crock Pot Girls on Facebook (or www.crockpotgirls.com), so I am getting all kinds of new and great recipes.  I tried this one (Beef Stroganoff with Cream Cheese) last week.  It is not exactly low fat/low calorie, but I did use reduced-fat cream cheese.  Everyone loved it (and that includes the kids, which is huge).  I even bought myself a new crock pot last week.  I had been using one that Mark bought before he met me, so it was at least 17 years old.  It works fine, and I am keeping it on hand, just in case I need it for a chili cook-off or some other event.

DOWNY WRINKLE RELEASER

This stuff saves my bacon on a daily basis.  If you hate ironing and haven't tried this, I am highly encouraging you to do so.  It may be terrible for the environment or cause animals to have two headed babies, but I don't care.  I am only concerned about my children getting out the door looking only slightly disheveled each morning.  Seriously, though, I do love this stuff.  I often use it as I am taking clothes out of the dryer, especially uniform bottoms.  It keeps me from having to break out the ironing board.  I am a terrible housewife.  

WASABI AND SOY SAUCE ALMONDS

These are my newest go-to snack.  I  ♥ them.  A lot.  Thank you to my good friend, Jody, for introducing them to me.  Tasty and good for you...the perfect treat!  Of course, if you don't like a little zing on the taste buds, then you won't like these.  Give 'em a try and see.  I think I should get paid for this free advertising.

Hafa Adai and Happy Monday!

Happy Birthday to the USAF!

Happy 64th Birthday to the United States Air Force!  Andersen AFB hosted the Air Force Ball over a week ago to celebrate the occasion.  My mandsome and I had a good time, even though we didn't really know anyone there.  We had fun getting to know the people at our table and people watching, and the Governor of Guam and his wife were there.  Oh, and I even won a door prize!  I never win anything!  So happy!  Raising my glass "To the Air Force!" (especially since I'm living in a Navy world these days).

Off we go into the wild blue yonder,
Climbing high into the sun;
Here they come zooming to meet our thunder,
At 'em boys, Give 'er the gun! (Give 'er the gun!)*
Down we dive, spouting our flame from under,
Off with one helluva roar!**
We live in fame or go down in flame. Hey!***
Nothing'll stop the U.S. Air Force

The happy couple

Look what I won!

Don't those look like devil horns?

It's the Little Things

I'm so excited!  Tonight is Girls' Night Out (GNO)!  I haven't had one of those in a very long time.  Yes, I did go to Vegas to visit some of my very best friends back in July before we moved here, but that doesn't count, really.  That was more of a "Lori's Zone Out and Have Fun Without the Kids" couple of days.  I miss my Vegas girls so much (see below)!  Anyhow, it's the little things that make life enjoyable, and this little night out is heavenly for me.  I get to meet some new ladies, eat at a yummy local restaurant and see The Help.....I know, I'm way behind, but I'm in Guam.  Cut me some slack.  Viva GNO!

I LOVE these ladies!

Yes Ma'am, You Old Hag!--The Wednesday Whine

I've been a lot of things in my life:  student, dancer, sister, flute-player, cheerleader, athlete, wife, mother, friend, daughter, waitress, trainer, instructor, independent business owner, volunteer...the list could go on. We've all been many things to many people.  As a military wife, I am something that no civilian will ever be....a dependent.  This is a label we "dependents" are forced to wear, and I've never really had an issue with it.  It's just the way it is.  I've never in my life been so blaringly this, though...a Ma'am.  Wha?

Yes, ma'am.  No, ma'am.  Thank you, ma'am.  I hear these words a lot.  Not from my own kids or other children, but from normal, sane adults.  And it happens to occur anytime I show my military ID at any base location.  So, I have been introduced to the life of the wife of a "high" ranking officer, and I am not sure what to think.  See, there aren't a ton of officers of my husband's rank around here, so I can kind of understand the treatment.  However, I am not my husband.  While I appreciate the kindness and respect, I also don't want to be treated a certain way because of my husband's rank.  It is embarrassing, for lack of a better description.  I've never been one to "wear" my husband's rank.  Am I not my own person?

I didn't give much thought to the "Twilight Zone" I've been living in until last week.  I mentioned my love of the library in my Manic Monday post.  I struck up a conversation with the woman working at the library, and I asked if she needed volunteers.  "Oh, yes, that would be great.  We are short staffed right now," she replied.  She then looked at my library card and said, "But, you are the wife of a high ranking officer, so I can't really put you to work.  How about you come read at the upcoming Halloween party, and then I can present you with a certificate?"  My jaw almost hit the floor.  What do you say to that?  I am offering my services.  I actually want to help.  I don't want a certificate.  I don't want to be recognized.  I just want to enjoy the library.  I really just want to fill my time and meet a few new people.  I gave her my number, and I told her pretty much all of the above, along with, "I am not my husband, and I don't care about rank."

I'm sure my thoughts on this matter may not fly well with certain people.  The thing is, I am ME.  This kind of thing comes with the territory when living overseas and relying on the base for so many things.  I still want to be me, though.  You've heard the term "Rank has its privileges?"  Well, I am here to tell you that that is one convoluted statement.  Don't get me wrong, I am not complaining about our life.  I'm proud of my husband and our military.  I like most of the perks.  The others, well...let's just say they can make for a lonely existence.   All I want is to volunteer in the library.  I never expected to have to beg to do so.  And I don't like being called ma'am by an adult.  It's like a nice word for "old hag."  Thank you, you old hag.  That's what they're really thinking, right?  :)

Going Insane!

Here's an update for you.  I did my first Insanity© workout yesterday.  I was formally introduced to Shaun T.  Dude, why did you have to be so mean?  We just met.  Totally inexcusable.  And all of you super fit worker-outers behind Mr. T.....I don't think we can be friends.  Yes, I cheer when you have to stop, too.  That's my favorite part of the workout.  I'll be attempting Day 2 today.  That is, after the Motrin kicks in.  Hee Haw!  Wish me luck.

Manic Monday

Hello, it's Monday again!  I am thankful to be experiencing another one, especially since I woke up to the sun shining.  I had a few experiences last week that influenced my selections for this post, so here are my top three LOVES for the week:

THE LIBRARY

If you don't already know this about me...I really like to read.  It's probably my favorite thing to do.  I began to really utilize the public library last year in Rhode Island.  I used to take my kids to the library in Florida, but instead of looking for the books I wanted to read there, I always thought it was easier to just buy them (and most of the time the books I wanted weren't available when I wanted them).  Our little library in Jamestown was fabulous!  They usually had the books I wanted, and you could check out movies for free!  They usually had new releases, too.  I've started visiting the library on base here, and that little place is a treasure trove.  A few days ago, I found the book I was looking for, which I had almost downloaded to my Kindle, saving myself $15.  I also checked out a few travel books, which will come in handy for planning our first trip off island.  I love it there so much that I asked to volunteer.  I have seriously been considering getting my graduate degree in library science.  Can you tell that I really love the library?

ONLINE SHOPPING

Living overseas makes finding some of the things you are used to buying a teeny bit more difficult.  I had my first "I can't find this" moment a few weeks ago when I couldn't find sun-dried tomatoes and buttermilk at the commissary.  No biggie, really.  I eventually found the buttermilk.  But, I had an even bigger moment last week (and started having flashbacks of living in England) when I couldn't find: 

1)  Any type of shorts/bottoms for the school uniform 

2)  Running shoes I liked in my size 

3)  Silver shoes/strappy sandals, etc. for the Air Force Ball (already had a pair, but was looking for something new)  

So, I ended up ordering shorts, and I'll probably order the running shoes, too.  Let me just say that I LOVE endless.com.  Anyhow, it really isn't too bad.  A lot of people here complain about not having Target, Wal-Mart, etc. Don't get me wrong, I do miss Tarjay, but I am not going to let it ruin my Guamanian experience.  I am going to really date myself here, but about 14 years ago when we were stationed in England, there was no online shopping.  If you wanted to order something, you had to call and order on the phone.  The internet was still a "new" thing, and not many places shipped to APO addresses.  We thought we'd hit the motherload when we visited the BX at Ramstein AB, Germany.  Aaahhh, it was our mecca!  I found when we moved to Germany a few years later that the availability of online shopping was a ton better, and many places had started shipping overseas.  Here, I haven't had much of a problem having stuff shipped to my house (we have a regular physical address, not an APO), and I really cannot complain about it.  There are still a few online stores that need to get with the times, but I have been pleasantly surprised.  Plus, sometimes I can't get out to shop, or I plain ole' don't want to drive around to a million stores looking for one item.  

CLIF KIDZ ORGANIC ZBARS

Yes, my kids think these rock, but that's not why I am am a freak about them.  I think they are pretty darned awesome myself, and my kids get peed-off when they realize that Mommy ate the last one.  They are smaller and lower in fat and calories than a regular Clif Bar, and they make the perfect snack, especially when you're out and about.  Add this to the short list of things I can't find on Guam.  I miss them and love them enough that I will either: 

1)  Order them online (did I mention that I heart online shopping?) or 

2)  Have my Mommy mail me some.  

It's just another Manic Monday, friends!  My Monday is halfway over....I hope your Monday is fabulous, wherever you may be!

The Wednesday Whine

Do you ever just need to vent?  Really, who doesn't?  Sometimes craptastic things happen, and I need to complain about them.  Having a nervous breakdown is not an option at this point, so I'd rather let it all out than suddenly become catatonic.  Anyhow, I am going to just put this out there...I am not an overly-optimistic person.  My husband says I am a pessimist, and I don't think this is exactly true, either.  I like to say that I am a realist.  I feel as if I need to be prepared for the worst, just in case.  It's not that I'm not a positive person.  Does that make sense?  I can certainly be your biggest cheerleader.  I am definitely not a Pollyanna, though, and sometimes I get annoyed by the people who live in LaLa Land.  I know this is my problem and an internal flaw, but I'm just being truthful here.

Thus, I am initiating a weekly post called The Wednesday Whine.  This is the one day each week when I'll vent about what's bugging me or complain about some silly thing that is out of my control.  If I'm lucky, maybe I'll only post once per month (see, I can be optimistic).  

OK, here goes the rant....Why can't people do their jobs?  Seriously.  Why must they have to be poked and prodded to do what they are being paid to do?  I am completely underwhelmed by the performance of the military moving office (JPPSO in militarese).  First off, I've mentioned before that we lived in a furnished house in Rhode Island for the year we were there.  This is common in the Newport area because many of the homes are vacation homes.  It's sometimes hard to find a house there that isn't furnished.  Anyhow, this meant we had to put the majority of our household goods in storage when we left Florida.  We had no clue we'd be going overseas after the RI stint, and it caused us a major headache in the moving process.  Basically, we had to look at our storage inventory sheets and line-item select each box or piece of furniture we wanted delivered to Guam.  We had 11 inventory sheets, and you military folks know how detailed those sheets are.  Ha!  It was difficult, but we did what we were required to do.  We sent in the paperwork at the beginning of June.  We called and followed up, and we were told it would be shipped at the end of June.  Fast forward to the beginning of August.  Do you think it was shipped?  If you said yes, then you are sadly mistaken.  Our "stuff" was shipped on the initial delivery date...ya know, the date our "stuff" would have arrived had it been shipped in June like it was supposed to have been.

It took my husband many hours of heated discussions in the middle of the night (the time difference causes probs, not to mention the fact that the JPPSO office closes at an unGodly early hour) and a talk with the commander to get anything accomplished.  Somebody dropped the ball, and nobody followed up with our case or took responsibility for it.  Our stuff is now scheduled to arrive at the end of September.  And Lord knows what will actually be dropped on our doorstep.  

What annoys me is that we did what we were required to do, on time and efficiently.  I can live without my stuff a bit longer, that's not really the issue.  We, as military members, have to follow such a strict check-list when moving, especially to an overseas location.  We are expected to adhere to each and every requirement in a timely manner.  Is it too much to ask to expect the same service in return?  Should we have to repeatedly call and poke, poke, poke?  Really, just do your job, be responsible, and quit passing mistakes on to the next person.  And, please, don't lie to me and tell me what I want to hear, just so you won't have to exert yourself and actually deal with my case.  It only makes the situation worse at the end of the day.

And that, my friends, is the whine for this Wednesday, typed with a smile on my face and joy in my heart.  

Keep Pushing Play

"Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result."  ~Albert Einstein

I've been doing P90X off and on now for a few months.  I tried my best to sort of follow the diet, mainly cutting back on carbs.  Whadya know, it works.  I kid you not.  I think of how much better I could look, though,  if I did the "real" exercises, like actual pull-ups instead of using bands or the manly non-on-the-knees version of push ups instead of sissy girly  knee using ones.  There's still no way I can pull or push my cheesy a** up more than a handful of times, much less over and over for an hour.  The bands and knees work just fine, thank you very much.  Also, if I "brought it" like I'm supposed to, could I have Dreya Weber's body?  

Fit as a fiddle

Ya know, the one who is "gorgeous" and "flies through the air with the greatest of ease" (Dreya is a chic on the P90X video that we love to hate, and those are direct quotes from Tony Horton)?  I'm sure it's possible.  The program works.  The only problem is.....I'm starting to get bored with it.  Really bored.  I found the perfect remedy for my situation, though, and it's a lovely little thing called Insanity.  Yep, I ordered the DVDs today.  Am I a masochist for actually being excited about receiving it?  I am seriously giddy about it.  I can't wait to meet Shaun T.!  I must really be losing my mind.  It is called Insanity.  So excited!

Manic Monday

There are so many things I am totally loving right now.  In the day to day grind, I often fail to recognize that there are lots of wonderful things that I enjoy on a regular basis.  It's not that I can't live without these items/people/thoughts.  They just enhance my life and make me happy.  In celebration of my obsessions love affairs, I am going to start each week with a Manic Monday post.  To keep it short and sweet, I'll only list three items.  Hooray for starting off the week on a positive note!  Get ready to be dazzled...HA!

#1:  AVOCADOS

I could seriously eat avocado on just about anything.  Why isn't it a condiment?  That's what it's become to me.  I put it in my egg white omelet for brekkie.  I lather it on my turkey sandwich at lunch, or I may just mix it with a can of tuna and salsa.  Yummo!  I put it in the salad at dinner.  Those are just a few examples of my avocado uses.  If you think you don't like avocado, GIVE IT A CHANCE!  It really is good for you.  Here's some great info on the avocado fruit:

The avocado, popularly called pear, has its roots in Central and South America and Mexico. 

The avocado tree grows generally to twenty meters. The tree can bear hundreds of fruits.

Fruits vary in size and shape, round, oval, pear-shaped and vary in shades of green or purple.

Avocado has a high protein content and is 5 to 25 percent fat.

'Pear season' is normally August to December.

Back in the nineteenth century, avocado was spread on bread in the space of butter; hence it was known as 'Midshipman's Butter' or 'Subaltern's Butter'.

#2  SCHOOL UNIFORMS

Thank you, Lord, for the school uniform.  We are no longer scrounging each morning to find perfect outfits, complete with matching hair accessories, shoes, etc.  Life is made just a tad easier when the only choices are khaki or navy bottoms and a white/navy/black polo shirt.  Here's to making my mornings much less stressful.

#3  SUNNY DAYS

It rains on Guam.  It. Rains. A. Lot.  I don't really mind the rain because it's not freezing cold with pelting ice, but it does make me appreciate the rain-free days when the sun is shining and a cool breeze is blowing.  The kids can play outside, I can go walking or running and the umbrella doesn't have to  make its all-too-regular appearance.  Sunny days make me happy, happy, happy!

Hope your Monday is sunny!