A Patriotic Tornado

I think I have a love/hate relationship with July 4th. While I love my country, love our soldiers, especially my soldier, spending the holiday without him isn't fun. This would be our 10th holiday as a couple and we spent 1 together. July always fell under back to WP or back to work or back to summer school. I find it to be a romantic, patriotic holiday and I prefer to be patriotic and romantic with him....haha, obviously.

I did spend the 4th with some great girls (and a few of their husbands). Instead of fireworks last night, we watched a tornado warning/weather advisory on TV.

I will admit, its the most fun and most I laughed in quite some time. The news encouraged viewers to send in their "weather" photos. They also mentioned on several occasions for residents to seek shelter in the closet or stated, "Its now safe for X residents to come out of the closet". We could not stop laughing. For a little fun on our 4th of July, we decided to send in a photo of MG and I hiding in the closet asking if it was safe to come out of the closet.


Good times.



Tomorrow is Day 59 of my P90X program and I will be posting my Day 1, Day 30, and Day 60 (close enough) pictures so make sure to take a peak tomorrow.

All grown up

Being an adult....very overrated at times.

Like when it comes to cutting the grass. I changed into my mowing the yard clothes and could not find the keys to our shed anywhere. I hauled my butt over to Home Depot to see what they could do and apparently my lawn mower in our shed is more secure than our home.

How about when you're not only an adult, but an alone adult in the military? Last night around 2:30am, my good friend and neighbor called. I heard her house alarm going off in the background. I jumped out of bed, grabbed Dakota, and headed a block down the street.

I did not even blink an eye when she apologized for waking me up. Are you kidding me? We are in this together. I know what its like to live in a big house by yourself. Turns out her fire alarm suffered a malfunction. Better safe than sorry.

And to think, a year ago, I lived at home and worked at my dream job making some good money. I bought whatever I wanted. My mom, the laundry nazis, kept up with my dirty clothes, and my daddy definitely protected me from the bad guys.

With work, the economy is beginning to hurt our business. They shut down 5 locations and of course our branch is on the radar, meaning I am on the radar. I NEED to be on top of my quotas and paperwork. I am feeling the pressure. To put icing on the cake, our Regional VP will be visiting tomorrow morning. I worked last night for a few hours and again today. I am very nervous.

I wouldn't change where I am at for the world, but adulthood is responsiblity. I hate changing lightbulbs (random, I know) and cutting the grass every 5 days. Our conversation today:

Me: I cannot wait until summer.
Him: Why?
Me: Until the sun kills our grass and I no longer have to cut it every 5 days.
Him: What?!
Me: You heard me right. I am not watering our grass. If I water it, then I have to cut it.
Him: You are forgetting about Big Tom
Me: DANG IT!

Big Tom = His father, a man very obsessed with yards including mine.

Being an adult can be fun. Yesterday morning, I finally completed my boudoir photos. The amazing photographer gave me a sneak peak last night and I love them! Let me tell you, getting your picture taken for 2 hours, very exhausting.

And this might sound crazy, but it flelt like an intense ab workout for most of the photo shoot.

Speaking of workouts, I am still going strong with P90X and am finally in the addicted, kind of enjoy it phase. Once I hit 90 days, he will be home for R&R :)

Running back to my bubble

My weekend was full of culture, family, and laughs. My best friend got married this weekend.

I met Janette in 4th grade. She was the new girl. Years later we talked about her struggles and being a curly hair Puerto Rican in an all white private school. Even at 9 years, I considered myself the social director, so my bubbly blond self was the first one to say hi.

The rest is history.

From basketball camps to 3am Monopoly games, to this day, I've never laughed as hard as I did with her. Her family became my family and vice versa. When my grandfather passed, my parents went to California for two weeks and I stayed with her family.

I argued with her dad about the remote control, fought with her older sister, and was chased down by her mother screaming at me in Spanish.

She moved to Florida before high school and we still managed to see each other twice a year. When I use to spend my Spring Breaks at their house, her dad would wake us up by singing to us in Spanish as loudly as possible until we started throwing pillows at him. Lately with our careers, we talk less and less, but Net and I hated the phone.

Her mother picked me up from the airport and took me to their house. While walking into their house, I noticed Net yelling at someone on the phone. I walked to the refrigerator, took out two things of string cheese, opened both of them and handed her one. She smiled and ate it immediately. All of this before she even said hi to me.

I tell people I think we might be twins separated at birth.

All weekend, I did everything for her. Many times I called her a crazy Bridezilla bitch and that if she gets married again, don't ask me to be a bridesmaid. She would laugh, give me a big obnoxious hug and tell me she loves me.

Its the best feeling in the world, being needed by your best friend and in return helping her out. There were eight bridesmaids, but she always yelled my name. Right before the father-daughter dance, I heard the groomsmen yelling that she was again calling for me. I had to busel her dress before she went out on the dance floor.

My entire weekend could be summed up in one picture and one sentence.

Janette wanted to go into the bathroom to have the hairdresser fix her hair, but didn't want her dress to drag on the floor. In my silver heels and pink dress, I squatted behind her holding her dress up.

Her sister snapped a picture.

And before we left for the wedding, we needed to pack the car. Janette went to grab a box and Lillie (her mom) said, "Don't take that one, let Courtney, it's too heavy" We all immediately started laughing.

After the reception, while she rested her feet on my lap and people came up to us to tell her good-bye, we started talking babies. I told her she was going to have beautiful babies and she in return informed me that I am already the Godmother for their first baby.

One of the best feelings...

I truly had a wonderful time at the wedding. The bridal party mixed so well together and shared a lot of laughs.

Today I could not wait to get back to my bubble.

Of course during the wedding, you see so many couples happy and in love. Followed by the "How are you". And then "Aw, deployment?" and a "When did he leave/when does he return?" and a "How are you handling it".

Every once in awhile I do not mind, but I love that I do not feel alone here, I have some amazing women her who keep me company. My good friend and I came to a realization we kind of live in a bubble where everyone understands.

And that is OK with me. I like my military bubble. I feel safe in it.

Week Twelve

We are another month down, not another week a whole entire month!

(I feel like I just blogged about this a few days ago, not a month ago)

Well subbing consumed most of my time this week. On Monday I wanted to hang a few kids from the ceiling and practice torture techniques on them. Friday I felt so comfortable and in control. I knew what to expect from them and they knew EXACTLY what to expect from me.

i.e. Since many of them struggle with the definition of "Quiet" a few of them had to write the definition out 150 times. Needless to say, we all now know how to be quiet.

I also made friends with a few of the teachers and they informed me this is the worst 6th grade class in years, not to mention the top 10 troublemakers all have English with yours truly.

And now for great/sad news. After 4 interviews, I landed a job in the business world! I should start working by the end of this week. I am thrilled, however, I am bummed about leaving behind the kids and the classroom. I grew attached to the school and definitely the teachers. Not to mention the Assistant Principal really wanted me to accept the long term position.

I know in the big picture, I am making the right decision.

My tailbone still bothers me from time to time. I started running this weekend and felt amazing after all my runs. The tailbone nagged me during my runs, but I never felt in pain or extremely uncomfortable so it looks as though I am T-minus 6 days before my half-marathon.

My friend Leslie and I enjoyed a wonderful, warm weekend together. She felt a lot more comfortable with the area and was really thankful at the end of the weekend. We drove around, worked out, shopped, looked at houses and hung out with some friends.

I forgot how much I love looking at houses, maybe its because I love my real estate agent, Destiny. I love how I am completely 100% myself (which is sometimes a pain in the butt) around her. Not to mention I laugh so much with her and Lynne. Leslie was definitely impressed not only by them, but my wonderful relationship with them.

Last night a bunch of girls and our friend Joe headed to the local bar for a friends birthday and this morning I woke up with my first hangover in quite some time. I still managed to attend church and run.

And speaking of church, lately during the services the kids in there really disrupt my concentration. Its not a small disruption, its a constant disruption. Now I am a very patient, understanding person, but I grew so frustrated today. An amazing choir came to sing and visit and I heard the screaming kid better than a 45 all men choir. Please take your screaming child outside, do not try to console them in the church while he kicks and hits you. In 10 years, he/she will be one of those 6th graders I wanted to torture/tie up ::end rant::

Jeni teaching us how to make the most delicious Korean Food!

Girlfriends

Today I thought a lot about priorities and I guess in the same sense, blessings.

I talked to my best friend, Karen, for over an hour today. We attended the same high school and experienced it all together. And now, her first child is due in two short weeks.

Somewhere in the middle of the conversation, we talked a little about some of our "girlfriends" in high school who all attended the same college and now all live together in the same city and party, party, party four nights a week. And while we both agreed we admire their "fun", we would not change places with them for all the money in the world, and heck, my better half currently lives in another country.

I love my life.

Tonight while hanging out at my dining room table and drinking chai tea, I smiled and enjoyed the conversations between myself and four other women, including CLR :)

And after all these years of having one or two girlfriends, I finally hang out with a group of women. Women who I adore, admire, and respect. I never had girlfriend because I never wanted to be a girlfriend. You get what you put in and I put in very little in high school and college.

Now I want to make an effort, not because I am stranded here on deployment island, but mostly because these women see the "big" picture in life. And even though we are so different, we all have one very important thing in common...strength.

Week Four

Yes my friends, another week bites the dust which brings my grand total to ONE MONTH!

And to celebrate, I joined some of my favorite ladies for wine and hibachi tonight.

You can also follow along as Lynne (far right) blogs about how early detection save lives, including hers :)

Sometimes I do not know where I would be without Destiny and Lynne. Tonight we discussed our bucket list for 2009. Obviously one of my mine was to continue with my deployment goals.

Let's see how I did in the first month:

• My run total is on the rise. 22 miles since he left. Thanks to the wonderful D.A.R. I definitely stole her idea on her tracking device on the left side of my blog.
• Finished Beach House by Jane Green which means I read 3 books, Marley & Me, Shopaholic & Baby and Beach House this month. 2 more than I wanted to read!
• Cooked 3 new things this month including a Penne Vodka, Sweet Potato Salad, and some delicious peanut butter cookies for my cookie exchange party hosted by the wonderful MG.
• Few leads on the job front and hope to make decisions by the end of this month
• Attended a wonderful church service last Sunday
• Game night...definitely happening next week.
• Daisy did not jump on Destiny tonight, again, holding her down, but progress!
• Sent a care package on 20 Dec and very excited for my "Things You Miss at Home" care package, almost ready to go that I will send out 20 Jan

I did not cook for the boys yet with block leave and the holidays, but we have plans for next week.

I love spending time with my friends here. For never having a good group of girlfriends my entire life, I feel like I missed out on fun, but know I am making up for it now.

I will be ok

I think it all started after one of my pilates classes. Pam, who has turned into an amazing friend for me, and I started talking. I really do not like any of the instructors I have had here and really miss my old one.

She looks at me and says, "You sound really homesick".

I never thought I was, but I told her, yes I miss my dry cleaners, my parents, my alma mater, my cousins, my hair stylist...But all of that took me 23 years to build.

Lately my dreams have been images of my old office. Us playing practical jokes on each other and poking fun at one another. I would be lying if I said I missed it, but for some reason, I feel I am right where I am suppose to be.

And here is the best thing about all of this, him. I am not going to lie anymore to anyone. I am depressed about where I am career wise. Some days I am better than others, but I do have those days where I break down and just sob, like this past Friday. Luckily he was home and just held me.

You always watch those movies where the guy completely rescues the girl from where she is at in her life. I sit there in awe of how amazing that kind of love is and then it hit me, I am living it right now.


I know this deployment is going to be tough, but I am not too worried. Granted, I moved down to a completely different city less than 4 months ago where I did not know a single soul. I have a goals list that I will be publishing soon (because once you write it down, then the goals become real). It's about striving, not surving, right :)

I will be tested over and over again in the next 13 months. I say bring it on. I also know that come December 2009, I am going to be a different person. I think a better person and definitely a hell of a stronger person.