A Little Chaos

Life just got a little more chaotic here. We're doing ok, though. And I haven't (yet) pulled out my hair or run off to join the circus, so I'm considering that a success. I'll update more when I get a chance to catch my breath. In the meantime, Happy Easter to all!

Welcome, 2011!

It’s no secret that I’m a type-A person who just adores making lists and goals. Usually I agonize about what resolutions to make, as I wrestle with a long list of challenging things I want to accomplish. But, this year, I’m taking a different approach. I’ve slowly come to realize that some of the best things in my life that have happened were not things that I methodically planned and listed as a goal. They were things that happened to me without my doing at all, like meeting my husband, making great friends, getting to see family, and having opportunities to serve in the community. This year I’m going to be open to what the year has in store for me. It’s probably a good thing because this year already holds so many things that will be out of my control: where and when we move, when the house will sell, what I’ll do at our new location, etc. It’s a little scary, but also incredibly exciting. Happy 2011!

Changes

This seems like the week of changes. In just the last few days, the following things have happened: 1) We just got new neighbors, after our friends (a fellow military family) moved out. 2) Another military family we know just moved away. 3) Two good friends of ours just found out that they will deploying soon. 4) Husband is up for a new position in the unit. 5) I’m realizing that summer is almost over. On the positive side, these are a few things that are still the same: 1) We’ll probably be here (in our house that we love) for another year or so. 2) My job is going well. 3) Husband makes me laugh every day. 4) I’m still cooking. 5) I’m still happy.

Surprise By Mail

Yesterday, I was surprised to see the Fed Ex truck stop at our house. As the Fed Ex man was walking up to our door, I was trying to figure out what the package might be. Husband and I aren’t celebrating a birthday anytime soon, and I wasn’t expecting a package from work either.

It turned out to be a very thoughtful “just because” gift from a friend I haven’t talked to in so long. We were friends in college, but we don’t live near each other and we’ve kept in touch through sporadic e-mails over the years. I was the last one to send a couple e-mails, but I never got a reply.

I worried a little whether maybe I had said or done something wrong. But, I started to accept that maybe we were just growing apart. I’m definitely a loyal friend, but I would never want to force a friendship that isn’t there.

The gift was a pretty journal, which was very thoughtful, since I love to write. But the best gift of all was knowing that although many friendships fade away, there are still some that endure.

Like selling candy to a baby

Yesterday afternoon, there was a knock at my door. Standing outside were two young girls with a grocery bag full of candy that they were selling. They must have done their homework, since I’m not only a sucker for kids selling anything, but also for candy.

They weren’t selling the candy for a school or other fundraiser. They were just a couple of little entrepreneurs making the rounds.

The candy was 25 cents, they said, and they showed me a bunch of small sandwich bags with candy inside. I told them that I’d take two small bags of candy: tootsie rolls and taffy.

Except they reached into the sandwich bags and pulled out a single piece of candy. The price was per piece, not bag. “That’ll be 50 cents,” they told me.

I gave them $1, since I didn’t have any change. I said, “You can keep the change,” but I guess it was a little belated since they had already said their quick “Thanks!” and turned to walk away.

So basically, I paid $1 for this:

And, when you consider that we passed out tootsie rolls and other candy for Halloween to the neighborhood kids, I just very well might have paid twice for the same piece of candy. But then again, when you consider that I just made a kid’s day, $1 seems like a very small price to pay.

Signs of Spring

It’s that time of year again. I don’t need to feel the warm weather or see flowers blooming to know it’s spring. All I needed to do was answer my front door. “Ma’am, you need help with your lawn?” asked a man on my doorstep. I politely declined. (Oh, and this was a different guy than last time. Apparently our ragged lawn doesn’t discriminate in the potential employees it attracts. I’ll try to hang onto that comforting thought when I’m wading through the jungle of knee-high weeds.) So I guess it really is spring. Soon enough we’ll hear all the tell-tale signs – the sounds of birds chirping and lawn mowers mowing, or in our case, the sound of doorbells ringing.

Civic To-Do List

Taxes: Done! Do a little dance of joy that taxes are done: Done! Census: Done! I think that will keep me on Uncle Sam’s good side. (Except for the dance of joy – that was all for me.)

Say Cheese

Well, the time has finally come to replace my digital camera. I’ve had it for so long that I’m having trouble remembering when I got it, but it’s safe to say that I’ve had it for about 7 years. I think that in electronic-years my camera is old enough to be in a nursing home! It's a Sony, and I have no complaints about it. Recently, it’s been getting finicky and sometimes takes blurry pictures, but I think that’s only because it’s nearing its expiration. So, I need a new camera. Does anyone have any recommendations?? I’m looking for a small point-and-shoot that takes quality pictures. I’m no camera expert, so something that is easy to use is important. And, of course, if it doesn’t break the bank, that’s even better! Because I’m a big nerd, I’ll have my copy of Consumer Reports magazine with me when I go shopping, but I’d still love to get some recommendations from you. Thank you!

Busy, Busy

Husband and I both have been working longer hours this week. I feel like we’ve been rushing from one thing to the next. And to give you an idea of what state of mind I’ve been in lately… Today I was running a few errands, and I stopped at a store to buy a farewell gift for one of my friends. I brought the items to the register, paid, and then turned to leave. The clerk said, “Don’t forget your gifts!” Oh yes, the gifts. The whole reason I went to the store in the first place. Sheesh. I’m getting packed up to go on a 2-week work trip. Let’s hope I remember all my clothes, my laptop, and, more importantly, my mind!

Relocation?

I’m wondering if they relocated Husband’s duty station while we were asleep last night. What other explanation is there for the weather turning from fairly pleasant to frigid? Based on weather alone, I think we might be stationed in the Arctic Circle now. (I’m exaggerating - but just a little.) Rationally, I know that I spent nearly 2 decades of my life where “wind chill factor” was a common winter phrase, and I should be able to handle the cold. My brain might know that, but my shivering body seems to disagree. I think a cup of hot chocolate is in order.

Back to Reality

I got a case of the Sunday Night Blues a full 24 hours early, on Saturday night. Putting the Christmas decorations away and knowing that soon we’d both be back to a regular work schedule made me a little sad. The Sunday Night Blues hit Husband on Sunday morning, as he started thinking about everything he’d need to do back at work. But, we knew that the end of our break was inevitable. After all, you can only spend so much time napping, watching TV, and eating leftover Christmas cookies, right? At least that’s what I’m telling myself.

Welcome, 2010!

My new work planner that I ordered recently arrived. I didn’t specify a color, but I was surprised to see that it was bright pink. So this year is already looking rosy (literally) for me!

I’m excited for a new year and a fresh start. Husband and I have quite a bit of traveling planned, and I can’t wait. We most likely won’t have to move this year, which is a relief that we can stay settled here for a bit longer. And I’m sure there will be plenty of other adventures along the way.

I wish the best for all of you this year!

New Year's Goals

I just have to accept that I’m way too sentimental to stop making New Year’s resolutions. And, if you asked Husband, he’d say that I’m a little addicted to setting goals. When I asked him on our last anniversary what our marriage goals should be, he got a confused look on his face and replied, “Let me get this straight…you make New Year’s goals, Lenten goals, and now you want to make marriage goals??” (The answer was “yes,” but I figured I should cut the poor guy some slack and just forget it.) So, in short, yes, I’ll be making New Year’s resolutions this year. I’m not sure whether they’re technically “goals” or “resolutions,” but here they are regardless: 1) Read more Specifically, I want to finish reading the Bible. I’ve had “read the bible” as my New Year’s resolution for more years than I can count, but I think this year I will actually finish it. I started reading it on a somewhat sporadic basis a couple years ago, and I have about a quarter of it left to go. In other words, by the time I finish reading it, I will probably have forgotten everything I read, and I’ll have to start again. (But I guess the point is to continually read it, right?) 2) Write more Sometimes when I start feeling unsettled or just a little “off,” I’ve come to realize that it’s usually because I haven’t written lately. Writing makes me feel energized and happier. So I figure I should take that as my cue to write more often this year, both on the blog and just in general. My overachiever self feels like there should be a third goal, but I can’t really think of a good third one. So two it is. And now I have to ask… Is anyone else overly preoccupied with making New Year’s resolutions each year, or am I the only one?

Random Thoughts

1. I didn’t realize how much I liked fall until this year. It’s not hot enough to need the A/C, and it’s not cool enough to need the heat. In the words of Goldilocks, it’s just right. 2. My job is keeping me busy. I alternate between thinking, “Hey! I can handle this!” to “I have no idea what I’m doing! Help!” For the most part, I’m liking it. 3. I’ve already decided that I’m going to start listening to Christmas music in my car. I have no good reason for wanting to do so, but Bing Crosby isn’t objecting and neither am I. 4. Husband made me breakfast this morning, and I think there’s nothing better than waking up to the smell of a breakfast that you didn’t have to make. 5. Did I mention that I’m liking fall?

Identity Change

I spent the majority of my childhood living up North, but I’ve lived most of my adult life in the South.

Since then, I’ve been quickly won over by sweet tea (which is entirely different than unsweetened tea that you sweeten at the table yourself).

I’ve happily gotten rid of my huge winter parkas, thermals, and other bulky gear.

And once I realized that the young Southern man that was offering to help me with my groceries wasn’t going to rob me, I’ve grown to love the kind hospitality.

Yesterday I realized that I’ve become an official, card-carrying member (or more accurately, a magazine-carrying member) of the South, when I saw this in my mailbox:

My Northern side can rationalize that I subscribed because I saw a deal on Amazon for a year’s subscription for just $5 (that’s sadly no longer available). Or maybe I’m just becoming a Southerner, y’all.

Weekend Slumber

My weekend was good. And when I say weekend, I mean the few hours that I was awake. Husband and I both had a long week at work. I got a burst of energy Friday afternoon, and I planned in my mind all the things we could do: watch a movie (I eventually want to see Love Happens), cook a few meals, go for walks, etc. But, I totally underestimated how tired we both were. On Saturday morning, I did some grocery shopping while Husband took a late morning nap. We ate a brief lunch together, and afterwards I ended up falling asleep on the couch for 2 hours. That night, Husband was excited because one of his favorite movies – The Matrix – was on TV, and he couldn’t wait for me to finally see it. And the only review I now can give of the movie was that the first five minutes of it seemed interesting. Just when Husband leaned over to tell me, “this is when it starts getting good,” I was already sound asleep. Next weekend, however, is looking better thanks to Christopher Columbus. With the extra day off, I just might be awake long enough to do something.

Comedy, Take 3

The first comedy show that Husband and I ever saw together was actually on our very first date. He took me to a nice Italian dinner and then to a comedy club. I was impressed that he came up with such a clever date idea, and I also happen to really enjoy watching stand-up comedy. We had never heard of the woman that was the comedian, but we took our seats, eager for the show. In short, it turned out to be 2 of the most awkward hours of our lives. The comedian’s act turned out to be extremely vulgar, and the fact that it was our first date made it that much more uncomfortable. (I figure the only way it could have been worse is if I went with my grandma.) We were both too polite to say anything, so we both sat there, dying inside, worrying about what the other was thinking. My face was probably a permanent shade of red for most of the night. We laugh about it now because neither one of us said a word about the show afterwards because we were both so embarrassed. But, even with the awful comedy act, we still had a great date (and it obviously all worked out!) Our second comedy experience together was completely different. We were newly engaged, and we went to see Jerry Seinfeld perform. This time, we laughed so hard for two straight hours, until our cheeks almost hurt from smiling and laughing so much. It was one of the best nights of my life. Tomorrow we’ll try out another comedy experience. We got tickets to see a local show. I figure it will rate somewhere between the two extremes. It won’t be as good as Seinfeld, but let’s hope it’s (much) better than the first show. But based on our past experience, it probably will be memorable either way.

Getting Old

Husband is gone this weekend on a military trip (or “TDY,” if you speak military). I planned to stay up late last night watching chick flicks. But, as I told my mom in an e-mail this morning, I must be on an old person’s schedule because I was asleep on the couch by 9:30PM. My mom took it one step further and pointed out that I also mentioned in that same e-mail about my plans to “go to Home Depot today” and “change out light bulbs.” She said that I have “all the symptoms” of getting old. If my symptoms get worse – say I start talking about prune juice on the blog – I hope that someone will take pity on me and stage an intervention.

Giving

Yesterday I finally gave the “gift of life,” or as I like to call it, the “gift that gets you free cookies!” It was my first time donating blood. I’ve always wanted to donate, but there was always something that got in the way. (Once my iron was too low and they wouldn’t let me; the rest of the times I think I was just a big wuss.) Husband remembered that I wanted to donate and he drove me to the blood drive directly after church, so there was no backing out. I had initially planned on going by myself, but it was nice to have Husband there. He also made me laugh by giving me helpful “tips.” (“Whatever you do, don’t let them talk you into donating brain tissue!” Later, when our eyes would meet, he’d just tap the side of his head and nod.) The whole thing turned out to be much easier than I thought and pretty painless. It felt good to help, and I definitely want to donate again. And not just because of the cookies!

The Bucket List

Yesterday Husband and I watched the movie The Bucket List for the first time. (I know it’s been out for a while – I guess we’re a little behind on movie-watching.) I thought it was pretty good. It was funnier and more moving than I expected it to be. Anyway, it made me think about my own “bucket” list. These are the things, off the top of my head, that I’d put on my list: *Learn how to surf *Visit Australia *Visit China and see the Great Wall *Write a book (even if it never gets published) *See the Grand Canyon *Ride in a helicopter *Live overseas (if a military overseas assignment is possible) I expect to keep adding to the list over time. But now I’m curious…what’s on your bucket list?