Pam and I found an apartment. THANK GOD. We are still waiting for my background check from Wyoming, apparently it takes longer than other states to process a background check there.... :D No worries about that.
We signed the lease pending the criminal background check. :) Cool beans. I would say more, but I haven't filled in Adam on the details and I think he gets first pick of the news. I feel way better. It's strange to think all the stuff I have been waiting for and hoping for is finally going to come to fruition.
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Profound thought for the evening....
...don't try to blow out a candles while brushing your teeth.
Adam would kill me if he saw "our" house. There is stuff everywhere.
So I keep thinking of all the things that I forgot to tell him and just making a list on his im. So when he signs in he is going see this huge long random list of things I have been meaning to tell him. :D Poor Guy.
Tomorrow starts the great apartment hunt and I cannot find the charger for my camera... It could have something to do with all the clutter. OH WELL
FIRE AND TOOTHPASTE DON'T MIX.
For the record.
Adam would kill me if he saw "our" house. There is stuff everywhere.
So I keep thinking of all the things that I forgot to tell him and just making a list on his im. So when he signs in he is going see this huge long random list of things I have been meaning to tell him. :D Poor Guy.
Tomorrow starts the great apartment hunt and I cannot find the charger for my camera... It could have something to do with all the clutter. OH WELL
FIRE AND TOOTHPASTE DON'T MIX.
For the record.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Crunch
I hate the Dallas Airport.
The parking lot attacked me.
I had just got my cell phone functional when I was trying to find the ticket to get out. Apparently to even get out of the lot BEFORE you see the parking attendant you need to put it into a "ticket reader machine" that has one of those lift bars. I had to get really close to the ticket thing to get it in.
So I get the tickety-thingy, the bar lifts, I drive forward, but pull away a little so I don't hit the bar that lifts or the tickety stand. CRUNCH~HONK!
Apparently they had a problem with people driving around it and had installed a little barricade that was maybe 3 feet tall. Well exactly as tall as the crunch. To make it around it I had to pull in my mirrors to get around on the drivers side. They had the old style lifts that are like 5 and a half feet. Then they put a barricade on the other side. I had the light on in my truck... couldn't exactly see it. On top of that there is no obvious other exit or a light illuminates the area. So I cursed the whole way home.
I hate DFW. If I ever meet the person who thought that up, I will pull a Carrie Underwood on his car. That sux.
The parking lot attacked me.
I had just got my cell phone functional when I was trying to find the ticket to get out. Apparently to even get out of the lot BEFORE you see the parking attendant you need to put it into a "ticket reader machine" that has one of those lift bars. I had to get really close to the ticket thing to get it in.
So I get the tickety-thingy, the bar lifts, I drive forward, but pull away a little so I don't hit the bar that lifts or the tickety stand. CRUNCH~HONK!
Apparently they had a problem with people driving around it and had installed a little barricade that was maybe 3 feet tall. Well exactly as tall as the crunch. To make it around it I had to pull in my mirrors to get around on the drivers side. They had the old style lifts that are like 5 and a half feet. Then they put a barricade on the other side. I had the light on in my truck... couldn't exactly see it. On top of that there is no obvious other exit or a light illuminates the area. So I cursed the whole way home.
I hate DFW. If I ever meet the person who thought that up, I will pull a Carrie Underwood on his car. That sux.
Looking at it through the glass
:: looks over her list of things to do::
Email Friends (guess thats an important one)
Write in Blog ( I have lots to say)
Board Plane (thats not leaving until 6)
Finish Book
Wait (for your plane for Adam to get home for people to get back to you)
I wish I could do something to just cross all the waiting off my list. I ate at Panda Express today and my fortune cookie said,"A distant romance could begin to look more promising." Hmm I sure as hell hope so, because less promising would be bad right now. Adam and I have been a little out of touch and while I always find this a tad discomforting because I do not like even being a step out of syncopation with Adam I do really take comfort in knowing that he is thinking of me. I have had a lot of problems with travel lately and then my phone had an accident at the beach, and is non functional currently (oh yeah add that to the list). I don't know if he realizes how much of him I incorporate into my everyday life. I use phrases that are his, and I look at his pictures, and make jokes that I know would make him laugh if he were here even though no one else thinks they are funny and instead think I am crazy. :(
The other day I talked to him, and I said," Are tired and worn down and just want to sleep? Or are you happy to be talking to me?" and he said, "Yes and Yes." I think we are both waiting for this madness to be over so we can reconnect and not feel like its all going to go away the next time we are trying to figure something out and we are cut short. We both hit the pause and continue on, but I can't get it out of my head, and I all I want to do is ask what he thinks about this idea or that idea. Nothing I can do, but wait, and I am such an impatient person. :) I have to say that I really believe that God only gives you what you can handle. I think God likes to push Adam and me a little. Anyways hoping I will be finding a place soon, Pam and I are heading up next weekend so more travel for me. Hopefully fewer delays! Hopefully Adam will come home soon, I am trying to be upbeat with out jinxing myself. Ya know?
For my ANIME LOVING FRIENDS: There is a great book called Wrong about Japan, and there is an amazing interview of Hayao Miyazaki in the book about his childhood. I thought that was really cool. Which brings me to a topic that I have been thinking about off and on a little, What value am I and other people (namely Americans) missing out on due to a lack of incredible hardship? Miyazaki talks about the WWII and bombings and you can see how his works are influenced by those experiences. Leon (the guy I work for) literally is a self made man. Did people like them rise to greatness because they were always great or they were driven too? I always feel guilty when I read about these accounts of how these people have overcome these circumstances to lead undamaged lives, and not bitter craven shells of defeat. It is something I think about every once in a while, and wonder what types of hardships have value and whether or not it is easier to get a head with hardship because you have valuable life experience that cannot be gained any other way OR whether so much energy and resources are used up overcoming hardship that a person is really set back. I mean I guess obviously the truth of that varies from person to person.
I am obviously letting this blog wander away from just soldier stuff, but eventually Adam will come home and I will have nothing to update you guys on Iraq. Anyways.
Email Friends (guess thats an important one)
Write in Blog ( I have lots to say)
Board Plane (thats not leaving until 6)
Finish Book
Wait (for your plane for Adam to get home for people to get back to you)
I wish I could do something to just cross all the waiting off my list. I ate at Panda Express today and my fortune cookie said,"A distant romance could begin to look more promising." Hmm I sure as hell hope so, because less promising would be bad right now. Adam and I have been a little out of touch and while I always find this a tad discomforting because I do not like even being a step out of syncopation with Adam I do really take comfort in knowing that he is thinking of me. I have had a lot of problems with travel lately and then my phone had an accident at the beach, and is non functional currently (oh yeah add that to the list). I don't know if he realizes how much of him I incorporate into my everyday life. I use phrases that are his, and I look at his pictures, and make jokes that I know would make him laugh if he were here even though no one else thinks they are funny and instead think I am crazy. :(
The other day I talked to him, and I said," Are tired and worn down and just want to sleep? Or are you happy to be talking to me?" and he said, "Yes and Yes." I think we are both waiting for this madness to be over so we can reconnect and not feel like its all going to go away the next time we are trying to figure something out and we are cut short. We both hit the pause and continue on, but I can't get it out of my head, and I all I want to do is ask what he thinks about this idea or that idea. Nothing I can do, but wait, and I am such an impatient person. :) I have to say that I really believe that God only gives you what you can handle. I think God likes to push Adam and me a little. Anyways hoping I will be finding a place soon, Pam and I are heading up next weekend so more travel for me. Hopefully fewer delays! Hopefully Adam will come home soon, I am trying to be upbeat with out jinxing myself. Ya know?
For my ANIME LOVING FRIENDS: There is a great book called Wrong about Japan, and there is an amazing interview of Hayao Miyazaki in the book about his childhood. I thought that was really cool. Which brings me to a topic that I have been thinking about off and on a little, What value am I and other people (namely Americans) missing out on due to a lack of incredible hardship? Miyazaki talks about the WWII and bombings and you can see how his works are influenced by those experiences. Leon (the guy I work for) literally is a self made man. Did people like them rise to greatness because they were always great or they were driven too? I always feel guilty when I read about these accounts of how these people have overcome these circumstances to lead undamaged lives, and not bitter craven shells of defeat. It is something I think about every once in a while, and wonder what types of hardships have value and whether or not it is easier to get a head with hardship because you have valuable life experience that cannot be gained any other way OR whether so much energy and resources are used up overcoming hardship that a person is really set back. I mean I guess obviously the truth of that varies from person to person.
I am obviously letting this blog wander away from just soldier stuff, but eventually Adam will come home and I will have nothing to update you guys on Iraq. Anyways.
Friday, March 21, 2008
A new breed
You know the more I read about the way the world is changing and the more I realize that not only is the economy radically shifting but the way in which expertise and experience are defined and utilized. Degrees and certifications and online manuals all have there respected places. I mean even being a soldier is changing, I think.
I have heard the wars overseas called the "Fed Ex" war simple because Adam wants a new book he orders it from amazon and it is delivered, either to me or to him. I send him pictures and expect them to arrive within 2 weeks. Heck I sent him a cheesecake (it didn't make it :( but I think I could have packed it better). Adam has the internet and talks to me sometimes everyday, but never more than 2 weeks with out hearing from him. and I can only imagine how much work it is to keep their networks secure, maybe the insurgents don't have the technology around the base to hack, but I bet that the army is ever vigilant to make sure that even if insurgents did, they couldn't hack. I mean at some point information is the most valuable currency. The base has a help line that Iraqis can call to report "suspicious" activity, and many do.
Dealing with 3rd world infrastructure has to be a great obstacle too. Bad roads, barely working cell towers, I have heard there are lots of new ones. You get this strange juxtaposition of war and poverty with barracks and web cams of home. With girlfriends eating breakfast and waving bye before they go to work, then to head back out on patrol with the oodles of gear. It must be like looking at an alien planet.
Back home things are changing as well. College was focused on how quickly can you find, assimilate, analyze, and draw conclusions. Little rote memorization, just enough to understand the context of what people are talking about, enough to give you a jumping point. People can vaguely check into things with resources like wikipedia and craigslist. I consider Firefox, Craigslist, Gmail (google accounts), and you tube so standard that when people don't know what theses things are they don't even blip on my radar of modern (though I don't think myspace and facebook fall into that category-- thats a whole other category). I mean on top of that things are so fluid, there are so many creative outlets: blogs and personal websites. Domain names are so easy to register and simple websites easy to build. ANYONE can build a website now a days. Even if you can't code there are site builders everywhere.
Even the way people work is changing. The way I work is going to change. I have a tendency to believe in certain stereotypes and I think that if I do some thing X it means I am Y and if i am Y I am obligated to do the other things in the stereotype. I am not. Being a "rancher" is a stereotype. Being a "horse trainer" is a stereotype. I throughly agree with people who think that people are going to be less and less defined by the type of work they do. "Well what do you do?" is no longer going to be answered by "I am a banker", or "I am an upper level administrator". Most people do define who they are by their job. I don't think that is who I am going to be. You know I used to think that the super long vacations that the Europeans take is counter productive, but I am not so sure anymore. I think there some important life value that we as Americans are missing and could stand to learn.
I mean ultimately, what are we working for in the end? Accountability to a boss? Lots and lots and lots of money? Freedom to do what ever we want? There are 2 books that I have read recently that have changed my perspective drastically recently. One is The World is Flat, which I am still reading. The other is the 4 hours work week. Even if you don't agree with his tactics and principals one thing about his book is terribly and 100% irrefutable. You have to figure out what is worth working for and work for it. There is a great parody in the book about this business man on vacation in Mexico and he goes to buy some fish and this guy caught a bunch of very nice large fish, the best in the market and was selling them and heading out. The business man asked what his life was like, he said,"I fish, make a little money, siesta, spend time with my wife and my kid, and enjoy the beach." The business man said to the fisherman, "You are so talented at fishing. You should buy some more fishing boats and have a fleet of fishing boats. Then you could have the largest fishing boat company in Mexico, then you could move your headquarters to New York or LA and have a international corporation and be CEO of the best and largest fishing company." The fisherman said, "Why would I do that?" The businessman said, "So you could earn lots and lots of money!" The fisherman says, "And what would I do with that?" The businessman says, "Well you could buy a little place in Mexico, fish, make a little money, siesta, spend time with your wife and your kid, and enjoy the beach."
I just feel like no one gets that. The quality of life and the humanity part of us that traps us into these little boxes of thinking there is only one way out. What I love about the United States is the creativity and the ability to adapt to the circumstance. With the economy on the brink of a major overhaul I have a feeling people who are trapped in the "credit game" believing that their credit is going to be worth a damn very soon, their precious credit they tried so hard to keep perfect, are going to be up a creek without a paddle.
The best thing about the new breed of the world: I have this idea that I am toying around with in my head, I can share it with others and they can tell me whether or not they see the world that way or think I am crazy....
I have heard the wars overseas called the "Fed Ex" war simple because Adam wants a new book he orders it from amazon and it is delivered, either to me or to him. I send him pictures and expect them to arrive within 2 weeks. Heck I sent him a cheesecake (it didn't make it :( but I think I could have packed it better). Adam has the internet and talks to me sometimes everyday, but never more than 2 weeks with out hearing from him. and I can only imagine how much work it is to keep their networks secure, maybe the insurgents don't have the technology around the base to hack, but I bet that the army is ever vigilant to make sure that even if insurgents did, they couldn't hack. I mean at some point information is the most valuable currency. The base has a help line that Iraqis can call to report "suspicious" activity, and many do.
Dealing with 3rd world infrastructure has to be a great obstacle too. Bad roads, barely working cell towers, I have heard there are lots of new ones. You get this strange juxtaposition of war and poverty with barracks and web cams of home. With girlfriends eating breakfast and waving bye before they go to work, then to head back out on patrol with the oodles of gear. It must be like looking at an alien planet.
Back home things are changing as well. College was focused on how quickly can you find, assimilate, analyze, and draw conclusions. Little rote memorization, just enough to understand the context of what people are talking about, enough to give you a jumping point. People can vaguely check into things with resources like wikipedia and craigslist. I consider Firefox, Craigslist, Gmail (google accounts), and you tube so standard that when people don't know what theses things are they don't even blip on my radar of modern (though I don't think myspace and facebook fall into that category-- thats a whole other category). I mean on top of that things are so fluid, there are so many creative outlets: blogs and personal websites. Domain names are so easy to register and simple websites easy to build. ANYONE can build a website now a days. Even if you can't code there are site builders everywhere.
Even the way people work is changing. The way I work is going to change. I have a tendency to believe in certain stereotypes and I think that if I do some thing X it means I am Y and if i am Y I am obligated to do the other things in the stereotype. I am not. Being a "rancher" is a stereotype. Being a "horse trainer" is a stereotype. I throughly agree with people who think that people are going to be less and less defined by the type of work they do. "Well what do you do?" is no longer going to be answered by "I am a banker", or "I am an upper level administrator". Most people do define who they are by their job. I don't think that is who I am going to be. You know I used to think that the super long vacations that the Europeans take is counter productive, but I am not so sure anymore. I think there some important life value that we as Americans are missing and could stand to learn.
I mean ultimately, what are we working for in the end? Accountability to a boss? Lots and lots and lots of money? Freedom to do what ever we want? There are 2 books that I have read recently that have changed my perspective drastically recently. One is The World is Flat, which I am still reading. The other is the 4 hours work week. Even if you don't agree with his tactics and principals one thing about his book is terribly and 100% irrefutable. You have to figure out what is worth working for and work for it. There is a great parody in the book about this business man on vacation in Mexico and he goes to buy some fish and this guy caught a bunch of very nice large fish, the best in the market and was selling them and heading out. The business man asked what his life was like, he said,"I fish, make a little money, siesta, spend time with my wife and my kid, and enjoy the beach." The business man said to the fisherman, "You are so talented at fishing. You should buy some more fishing boats and have a fleet of fishing boats. Then you could have the largest fishing boat company in Mexico, then you could move your headquarters to New York or LA and have a international corporation and be CEO of the best and largest fishing company." The fisherman said, "Why would I do that?" The businessman said, "So you could earn lots and lots of money!" The fisherman says, "And what would I do with that?" The businessman says, "Well you could buy a little place in Mexico, fish, make a little money, siesta, spend time with your wife and your kid, and enjoy the beach."
I just feel like no one gets that. The quality of life and the humanity part of us that traps us into these little boxes of thinking there is only one way out. What I love about the United States is the creativity and the ability to adapt to the circumstance. With the economy on the brink of a major overhaul I have a feeling people who are trapped in the "credit game" believing that their credit is going to be worth a damn very soon, their precious credit they tried so hard to keep perfect, are going to be up a creek without a paddle.
The best thing about the new breed of the world: I have this idea that I am toying around with in my head, I can share it with others and they can tell me whether or not they see the world that way or think I am crazy....
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
How did that go over?
Hmm, so for Adam's birthday I cooked up a plan to mail him a Harry and David's cheesecake. I have not yet heard how it got there. If it hasn't gotten there by now it's toast and needs to be tossed. I devised an elaborate layering of ice packs and coolers and froze the cheesecake itself in hopes of it surviving the trip. I think we should take bets to see who thinks it might make it there. I mean I know that in flight sometimes cargo can get really cold in an airplane because it is not pressurized like the rest of the plane. I have heard that I am not sure it is one hundred percent true, but I am hoping it is and it gives the ice packs a chance to refreeze? Here's to hoping!
So anyways, I am currently on vacation and I am not looking forward to heading back which definitely suggests that I have too much going on. I just am resigned to the fact that no matter what these last couple months are going to be kind of difficult. I have heard the last 30 days are hell. I am already feeling it with 2.5 months to go. I can't even think about the time frame thing I have read about. The army is not going to give Adam an arrival date. It will all depend on what part of his group is leaving and if they make that plane, if there is enough room, etc, etc. So he could be supposed to come home one date and come home a week earlier or later. Right now I am just mentally picking a date and hoping he will come home then. Ugh.
Then we get to move in, and adjust. It's one of those weird things where you are looking forward to something and as if gets closer the passing of another day gets you dramatically closer, but the days pass the same as they did before. So it is just another day down another day closer, and tomorrow will be exactly the same. I know I am in for an emotional roller coaster because the plans will change 10 million times over and I am trying hard not to get attached to any idea or plan. I am trying to not even think of plans. I am blocking them all out of my head. I will know more about my housing by the end of the month. For better or worse right?
Anyways that's my latest update. :)
So anyways, I am currently on vacation and I am not looking forward to heading back which definitely suggests that I have too much going on. I just am resigned to the fact that no matter what these last couple months are going to be kind of difficult. I have heard the last 30 days are hell. I am already feeling it with 2.5 months to go. I can't even think about the time frame thing I have read about. The army is not going to give Adam an arrival date. It will all depend on what part of his group is leaving and if they make that plane, if there is enough room, etc, etc. So he could be supposed to come home one date and come home a week earlier or later. Right now I am just mentally picking a date and hoping he will come home then. Ugh.
Then we get to move in, and adjust. It's one of those weird things where you are looking forward to something and as if gets closer the passing of another day gets you dramatically closer, but the days pass the same as they did before. So it is just another day down another day closer, and tomorrow will be exactly the same. I know I am in for an emotional roller coaster because the plans will change 10 million times over and I am trying hard not to get attached to any idea or plan. I am trying to not even think of plans. I am blocking them all out of my head. I will know more about my housing by the end of the month. For better or worse right?
Anyways that's my latest update. :)
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Pupper-Do!
Roger is what I am calling him. I think I might have found a home for him. There is a lady who might be interested in a dog for protection and companionship. He would be perfect for that.I talked to the humane society in Fort Worth and they said they receive 200 animals A DAY! Then they said they evaluate them and about 50% get adopted and the other 50% get put down. :( I think he would make the cut, he is smart, easy to get along with and howls in his sleep. It's been 3 days and he is figuring more crap out every day. :) He knows where we live. He has not been able to settle down at the barn, though. Pace, Pace, Pace, whine, whine. Hmm I think he might need more than 3 days. He has destroyed all the chew toys I gave him. I am very anxious to figure out his new home. I am out of dog food and chew toys. :) He is so damn smart. Though it really shows you how much work kids are, if he is even a quarter of what a kid is, which I am sure his is not, what a lot of work. Man he is smart! (Did I mention I was impressed by how smart he was?) I am not sure how smart I think a dog is supposed to be, but he pushes the boundaries. I will miss him when he is gone, but I feel so naggingly responsible when he is around, not only for his well being, but also for the stuff he might do to someone else. I also feel obligated to entertain him. He doesn't like to play, it scares him a little to much, he can't figure out you are playing, and he likes his chew toys. He will settle down for whomever keeps him long term. It's like having a very quiet roommate. I gotta turn out the light so Roger can sleep lol, or I gotta pick up something thing off the floor because Roger might eat it. I watch him like a hawk in case he looks like he needs out or is going to get into something he shouldn't. Sigh he is cool, but man oh man, what a job to watch him.
On to other goings on. MY COUCH FINALLY CAME. I ordered it a while back and it was supposed to be delivered in January. It's March. Hmnt. Regardless they are in Ivy green. I really like the color. The best part is the ENTIRE couch is a slipcovered, not just the pillows, the whole thing. So it can be washed, or changed! I think that's awesome. Maybe someday we will get a red velvet cover for Christmas. I bet that will go over like a lead balloon. Ha oh well, have plenty of time to worry about that.
On to another subject. I like it to be quiet when I sleep. I like it to be very dark too (I wasn't always that way, I slept with a night light until I was 14). Lately, I have been sleeping with my space heater on because it has been cold. Well, the last couple days, it hasn't been so cold. So instead I have been running it on "fan." This is so that the noise will out the noises outside so I don't hear them. Otherwise known as white noise. I have just noticed in the last couple days how much I like having the white noise. Weird huh? It is most beneficial for Roger though. He is not constantly awoken by stuff outside, in PARTICULAR the neighbor's dog barking incessantly. Ugh.
Anyways, it's bedtime. Night all.
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