In case anyone wants to see pics from this Halloween...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/63454733@N00/57621438/in/set-1247316/

I'm going to start posting all my pics at my flickr account... so check often.

~e

Happy Halloween!

 

12 Things I learned from my Dad, Jack :

1. Sometimes getting up early is the only way to get ahead.

2. A good, funny movie is the best way to cure a bad day (see Father Goose or Yours, Mine and Ours)

3. When in doubt, look busy.

4. A clean bedroom is the best way to start and finish your day.

5. Avacados and Kiwi's can be a meal if you eat enough of them.

6. "On the Road Again" is the all-time best feel-good song ever.

7. Gardening is a good stress reliever.

8. There's nothing wrong with dreaming. Sometimes it's the dreaming that leads to a new reality.

9. You can never have too many shoes. Especially if they are leather and well made.

10. A good way to cure a teenage attitude is hard work. Just ask my Uncle Sam and my cousin Tim.

11. If all your kids ever ask you for is a ride down a snowy street on a garbage can lid tied to a bumper then obviously they aren't teenagers yet.

12.You can save money if you neuter your pets yourself.

Good Night and Good Luck

My house is a mess this morning. We started getting ready for our Halloween party last night. All the furniture has been moved and some of the decorations are already up. I really don’t want to be rushing around at the last minute and be so tired on Saturday that I don’t even last through my party. So, I’m being smart and getting started early this year. I wish all you blogger friends of mine could be there to see it... But I promise to take lots of pictures.

I’m actually having two costumes this year. I’m going to another party tonight and I don’t want anyone to see my Geisha costume yet, so I’m going as a corpse bride. But it looks pretty cool too. Oh and Tim is going as a jester. It’s basically an excuse for him to wear his jester hat and juggle for people. I bet you didn’t know that Tim is an accomplished Juggler. He’s always begging me to let him juggle fire, but hey, I gotta draw the line somewhere.

In case you were wondering, my web class was a big success. I was nervous at the beginning, and I sweated profusely, but then I forgot to be nervous. I feel like everyone had a good time. I was able to keep things loose (I brought bagels & schmear for the class) and told lots of stories. Everyone laughed and asked lots of questions. Anyway, after the class was over, MSgt Evans came up and told me he was really impressed with my teaching abilities and maybe I should consider teaching. I don’t know if it’s true, but it’s lovely to hear someone compliment my teaching style. I think it would be hard to teach a subject that I wasn’t that interested in. All the same, I really did love being up there.

I can’t remember if I ever told you guys how my Tech School in Maryland asked me twice to come be an instructor for the Digital Media Course. I turned them down because I couldn’t ever live in Maryland. I hate that place. I could maybe live in Annapolis though. When I got orders a few weeks ago, (which I also turned down) it was to be an instructor at my old Tech School. I think they wanted me because they knew I’d probably teach my class using sock puppets. And who doesn’t love sock puppets?

On a final note, I'd like to say goodbye to my dear friend Larry. He has worked in my building at Buckley since before it was my building, but the company he works for lost the contract with the Air Force and so his last day is today. I will really miss having all our debates about music and politics and outhouses. Good Luck in Wisconsin Larry!

My Finished Okobo sandals...

 

I'm all jacked up...

I had to go get an adjustment today. My neck has been all tweaked out for a couple of days. Yesterday when Tiffany suggested I go to the chiropractor, I was like... "Dude... I'm so not into having some stranger poking and smushing me. No thank you!"

But then I woke up this morning and went to PT. By the time all the lunging and crunching was over with, I was so miserable, I would have let Homer Simpson at me with his magical Spine-o-cylinder!

Anyway, I went to see Dr. Chad this morning, he took some x-rays of my neck and had me come back this afternoon to see what the verdict was. Turns out I have a straight neck, but it's supposed to be curved at the top. Strange no? So he gave me some adjustments, a little snap-crackle-pop and miraculously, I do feel better. Not 100%, but a lot better. Is there something to these quacky medical people's claims?

And in other news, I'm teaching my first Web Design class tomorrow for about 20 people and I'm kinda nervous. I know the material, and I'm sure it will go fine, but all the same... Getting up in front of people makes me sweat like a fat kid. And who likes to be sweaty?  

Your goodbye is worth more than Chinese Food, $1 a scoop!

I have a crick (is that a word?) in my neck. I think I slept funny last night. The last thing I remember was obsessing over the bath mat in the bathroom, wondering if I could make it more Halloween-ey for the party. I am so Halloween saturated right now. If you were inside my head you would think I have some sort of Halloween disorder. All I can think about is costumes, decorations, food, dancing….. *jumps up and down* eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! I can’t wait. :o)

And in other news… an exchange in my office today:

(Tall black man named Glen, in obnoxious suit, enters the room, stage left)

Glen: Hey everyone, I just wanted to let you know that we are having a going away luncheon for all the contractors that are leaving, tomorrow at 11:00. It’s at the Chinese Buffet at the Buckingham Mall.

Me: Why the heck are you guys making everyone drive out to the sketchy mall on Havana for Chinese Buffet? It’s going to take 20 minutes to get there! By the time we get our scoop of fried who-knows-what, our lunch break will be over!

Glen: Well, that is what the Captain and I decided and we are encouraging maximum participation.

Me: Well, I don’t know if anyone in our section can go, but we’ll see.

(he leaves) (I bitch to Tiffany….)

Me: Well I find it hard to believe that Larry would want us to drive all the way out to the boonies for a Chinese buffet goodbye. We’ve known him for too long. He deserves more. Not to mention, that place is in the GHETTO…. *breaks into Cartman singing “In the Ghetto” impression* aaannnnnd his mama cries….. cosisthere’sonethingthatshedon’tneed…it’sanothuhlittlehungrymouthtofeeeeeeeeeeeed, in the GHetttooooooooooo!

(I exit stage left)

So, it turned out that we ended up going to lunch with Larry at Smack-a-roni Grill today and that was a nice little send off. We had a good time. And we didn’t eat any fried weird things.

Blogebrity: The List

Blogebrity: The List

WOOHOOOOO! I'm on the C-List! I feel, like, so totally popular now. I'm going to start saying, "that's hot!" all the time now.

Just kidding... but maybe I should let this fame go to my head and see how long it takes for everyone I know to smack me in the face and tell me to stop being stupid. *scampers off to go brag to people who don't care...*

By the way... Donald Trump is on the same list as me. My goal is to surpass him in blog popularity. I need a new catchphrase... suggestions?

Nerds...

I had a dream last night that my sister accidently bid $250,000 on a toaster oven on ebay. I also dreamed that everyone showed up for my party on saturday and I wasn't in my costume yet. It completely ruined the whole party for me. *note to self: make sure you set aside time on saturday to get into your costume!*

I just ate a box of nerds, and now I feel a little sick. Aaah, now that is that Halloween feeling I remember from being a kid. :)

We bought 5 pumpkins yesterday at the U-Pick pumpkin place up by Charleigh's house. It was dirty business, but fun too. We then decided to go into the corn maze. It was fun until I got bored of the scenery. It is just corn after all. There was some little girl walking through the maze dressed in an indian costume. I made some crack about being in the corn with Pocahontas and she started crying to her mom, saying, "Why do people keep calling me Pocahontas?". Geez, maybe cause you're in costume. damn kids...

Blogebrity: The List

Blogebrity: The List

Dude, I wanna be on the list...

I feel wonderful tonight...

The inspection is FINALLY over… *sigh* I feel like I can breathe a little easier. I’ve got exactly one month left as of tomorrow and it’s looking like things should be pretty easy from here on out. We have a new troop in our section. She sits in Corey’s desk and is a young Senior Airman. She’ll be pinning on staff soon, and is really nice, smart and a good person to buffer Tiffany’s loneliness after I’m gone. I am feeling myself pulling farther and farther away from this work and these people, but it’s okay, and I’m feeling better about it.

I really appreciate everyone’s support during this time. I’m sorry if I seem all over the place, but I never realized how hard it can be to regulate your emotions. However, Halloween is now one week away, so I’m focusing on a few projects that I need to finish for my party, so that helps. I need that kind of distraction. I feel like that scene in French Kiss where Kevin Kline’s character picks a fight with Meg Ryan’s character (who is afraid of flying) just as their plane takes off…. She’s so distracted that by the time she realizes they are up in the air, she’s not as scared as she thought she was. Or maybe, I just really love that movie and I want to go to France. :P

Tim has been so wonderful through all this. He’s been fording my rivers of tears with ease. I’m so glad I married someone so strong and understanding. So, last night we decided to celebrate my first day off in ages, and we went out for French food. I read about this restaurant called Aix, a little French bistro that got excellent ratings on Citysearch. I checked out their website and their menu (which said in big letters at the top “Current Menu”) said that they had a Duck Confit Cassoulet, which I’ve been dying to have ever since I tasted some at our favorite restaurant, Bistro Vendome.

We took a taxi, so that we could both drink to our hearts content, and headed down there. We get it, and this place is cramped. It’s a very small restaurant and the layout is very awkward. Anyway, long story short, they bring us the menu… it’s completely different. No confit cassoulet anywhere. They didn’t even have steak tartare, which is our favorite thing about French places. So, as I sat there pouting, trying to find one thing on there that sounded good, Tim jumps up and tells our hostess that we won’t be dining there tonight. That we have had a change of plans… He bundles me into another cab and we drive directly to Bistro Vendome, where I had the Seared Duck Breast and Confit Cassoulet. It was DIVINE. I could eat a bowl of that stuff, morning, noon, and night. *sigh* I love that man… He understands me so well.

I got the " I Hate Change" Blues...

I’m feeling depressed again. I feel like I’m in purgatory. There is an end in sight, but it doesn’t cure the achy blue that I have. I don’t want to stay but I don’t want to leave. I’m not ready to change but I want to be free. The Air Force is hell, but it is my home and has been for so long. I’m petrified about the future, and nothing anyone can say will make me feel okay. I’m just wallowing in blue. Doesn’t anyone understand how totally frozen with fear and loathing I am? Can there be words of wisdom to shake me out of my doldrums?

*Sigh* Everyone is trying to be so supportive… I feel bad for not responding in a more positive way, but I really feel like no one can understand what I’m feeling right now. I feel alone in a very dark valley. I’m so tired and strung out. They are working me like a dog right now. Every hour that I spend at that place is an hour of my youth that is wasted. I can’t focus on the future because my present takes so much out of me.


Aaargh…..

This is the photo I was drawing from...

 

Daddy & Daisy

A pencil drawing I've been working on, of Tim and Daisy cuddling... 

It's a Miracle!

Look at these two kitties cuddling! They have NEVER done that before. I think it means we are now a real family. *cue choir* Hallllleeelujah!

Okay, Picasa added this new BlogThis feature... (Picasa is the program I use to blog photos) and while it seems to have been a good idea, the posts I made through there didn't show up at all... Grr... How annoying.

So, Tim seems to be doing better. We are all recovering from the "Great Bubonic Plague of 2005". At least that's what we are calling it. Seriously, that crap is deadly. I hope I don't get sick like that ever again. ugh.

So, I'm working tomorrow as well. The inspection is now about half way over, thank god. I don't know how much more of this I can take. I really need a break. I'm just hanging on to my Halloween hopes. (with visions of Jack O'Lanterns dancing through my head...)

I miss you all. I feel like I haven't seen much of my friends lately. I'll be back in the land of the living soon, I promise.

love,
~e

okay, so now, Tim is sick... He's so pale and his eyes are all dark circles... He's being brave though. He keeps on telling me he's gonna be better in a couple hours. I just nod supportively...

Back to the grindstone...

And if by grindstone you mean the wretched life-sucking pit of despair that is my job, then uh.... where was I going with this?

Oh yeah... So, today was Tiffany's Birthday. She loved the tiara, monkey watch and pink jeweled computer mouse that I gave her. I also gave her the Frommer's Guide to Washington D.C. for her impending move. I'm trying to be supportive of her decision to stay in the military. However, with my own miserable outlook, it's hard to be positive about anyone spending the next four years in a position where deployment is possible. *sigh* oh well, it's her choice...

Emily is back in Oregon safe and sound. I miss her already, but I'm glad that she will be closer to Mom & Dad now. You know in case that bumper falls off her mutilated truck. ;)

I'm feeling much better now. I still feel a little weak, but that is mostly because my stomach has shrunken to the size of a pea and it hasn't had very much room for food today. Tim and I are hitting up happy hour at the Irish Hound again tonight, so hopefully I'll find something tempting on their menu.

more to come...
~e

I have been so sick the past two days. I won't go in to details but I will tell you that thanks to my body's miraculous methods of expulsion, I am now five pounds lighter. And my throat really hurts...

Thankfully, I've been on quarters so I didn't have to work which gave me plenty of time to sleep and catch up on past episodes of the Golden Girls. *sigh* Anyway, back to work tomorrow...

Fighting over the ball... 

Daisy showing him how it's done... 

Whew... he's all tuckered out now.  

Paka giving that hanging ball a beating... 

adventures with the new kitty gym... 

Me being freezing cold during our first snow. 

The backyard... 

the driveway... 

Sheila showing me how it's done... 

Me playing Shuffleboard at the Irish Hound tonight... 

I think Sashimi is a bit of a camera hog... 

Our fish... That's Nigiri on the right and Sashimi on the left. One fish two fish, red fish blue fish... :) 

Candid Erin and Charleigh

Blaine as a Butter Pirate... Argh matey! 

Daisy really takes after me. She sleeps while clutching shoes... 

Thoughts…

So very tired. But I get tomorrow and Monday off before the big inspection! Yay! :o) Tim and I are heading out to Le Central tonight for some more French food. I am so in love with French cooking. It’s like down home comfort food but so much more rich and elegant. I hope that they have a duck confit tonight.

I’d love to tell you that something funny or exciting has happened in the last couple days but it has mostly been work work work.

Oh, I took a gift basket to my Flight Commander who is in the hospital with Lymphoma. My contribution to the basket was the game, Operation. If he didn’t know me, it might have been kind of messed up… But he understands my sense of humor and got a big kick out of it. :oP

I’d like to take a moment to rhapsodize about Tim. I can’t believe sometimes how much I love that man. When I get home and he gives me a big hug, I feel like the stress of the day just melts away. He’s amazing… :)
~e

I'm so sorry I haven't written. I'm sooooo super busy. My mouth hurts today too. I had some dental work this morning and they numbed me up, so I spent most of the day drooling on myself. I'm just wiped out rightnow... as soon as this inspection is over, things will pickup around here.

~e

Tom Cruise, Katie Holmes expecting baby - Yahoo! News

Tom Cruise, Katie Holmes expecting baby - Yahoo! News

Is anyone else freaked out by the idea of Tom Cruise procreating to meet recruiting requirements for his cult? :)

Thoughts

Emily is leaving town. I feel like I failed her in some way by not making Denver more fun for her. I wish she could have taken all my advice and made more of this experience. I guess I wanted to control her too much… I hope that isn’t why she’s leaving.

I’m really burnt out right now. Most of the time I feel energized about coming home, but lately I just feel resentful that I have to go back to Buckley every day. I’m so tired of being the Air Force’s bitch.

I went to an AIGA party last week, it was a lot of fun except for the part where people asked me where I went to school and I couldn’t tell them. I was so jealous of all those people in their hip jobs with design firms that do snowboarding ads and work in loft style offices in downtown. Lucky AIGA bastards…

I love Halloween. I talk about it a lot, but mostly it’s because if I don’t have something besides my miserable work life to focus on, I’ll go nuts.

I think I need a break after all this is over. I feel like I want to go off somewhere by myself for a couple of days and just be very quiet. I wonder if Tim will be hurt that I want to be alone.

Daisy has tried to escape about 30 times today. I wonder if there is a shoe sale somewhere she’s trying to get to.

My sexy sweet husband giving me the, "I think we better get you home" look... ;) 

Gin and Juice makes Charleigh and Erin frisky... :) 

Charleigh is the MONKEY 

My first night off all week... Tim and I went to a party at this really cool house in Denver with Charleigh and Blaine.